Cincinnati Bengals: Anderson is a Hall of Famer, Numbers Don’t Lie
By R.C. Sprague
What does a Super Bowl title actually prove?
Many consider it a key component of a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback. If this is the case, then arguably the best Bengals quarterback of all-time,
, is out of luck. Honestly, it does not make sense that one metric is the end-all be-all for Hall of Fame consideration.
Football is a game defined by stats, and with this in mind, two new metrics have been created in order to determine the total value of quarterbacks. These values will provide stats that are based off of a player’s total career as well as points for major accomplishments.
The new metrics that will be utilized are quarterback value (QBV) and total quarterback value (TQBV). QBV is a stat that considers a quarterbacks total number of touchdowns, interceptions, and yards. In addition to these stats, 0.5 points will be given based off of Super Bowl Wins, All-Pro Seasons, and MVP seasons. This category will be known as Performance Bonus Points (PBP). Below is the basic equation to determine QBV.
QBV Equation
(Total Touchdowns/ Years Played) – (Total Interceptions/ Years Played) + ((Total Yards/ Years Played) / 100) + Performance Bonus Point = Quarterback Value
In order to figure out TQBV the QBV is added to the QBR. The equation below shows how to solve for TQBV.
TQBV Equation
Quarterback Value + Quarterback Rating = Total Quarterback Value
However, here are some constraints that come along with both QBV and TQBV. The stats are only effective when comparing players of the same era. In short, a modern quarterback’s (1985-present) QBV and TQBV will not correlate appropriately with pre-modern (prior 1985) quarterback’s QBV and TQBV. This is based on the style of play that is now utilized in the NFL; football has become a pass heavy game in the last few decades. With this in mind, it’s crucial to always ensure you are comparing apples to apples when using QBV and TQBV.
For this study the focus is on how Ken Anderson compares to other top quarterbacks that played during the same time frame (at least five similar years). Anderson’s career spanned from 1971-1986. Therefore only quarterbacks from this era will be considered in this evaluation. To narrow the field down a little from the endless ranks of quarterbacks during this time frame, only Hall of Fame and All- Pro quarterbacks will be considered. The table below was used for analysis.
Using this table as primary information its surprising how many Super Bowl winning quarterbacks are ranked at bottom for QBV and TQBV. The QBV and TQBV statistics were not an anomaly however, as Bob Griese, Tery Bradshaw, and Ken Stabler also scored poorly in QBR and Adjusted Yards. The table shows that there is a correlation between Adjusted YDS, QBR, QBV, and TQBV. All quarterbacks that were rated as good or average for QBV and TQBV were also within these ranks for Adjusted YDS and QBR. This information proves the validity of both QBV and TQBV as statistics.
So what does all this mean for Ken Anderson? Well, when you consider QBR and QBV, Anderson ranked third in QBR and sixth in QBV. This displays his
The combination of these two, TQBV, ranks him as the fifth best quarterback of this era. With this in mind, it’s hard not to consider Anderson a Hall of Fame quarterback.
overall impact throughout his career as compared to the other greats of his era. The combination of these two, TQBV, ranks him as the fifth best quarterback of this era. With this in mind it’s hard to not consider Anderson a Hall of Fame quarterback.
Now, it’s highly improbable that Hall of Fame voters will dismiss the impact of Super Bowl performances. It’s a shame that a few games outweigh a career of accomplishments. Ken Anderson is without a doubt one of the best quarterbacks of the 1970s and 1980s and deserves a bust in Canton. Super Bowl victories are such a subjective statistic. If they are the most important criteria than middle of the road quarterbacks such as Eli Manning (two-time Super Bowl Champion) are on the fast track to the Hall of Fame. Remember critics, the rings may lie, but the numbers never do.