From: jmd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (joseph.m.dakes)
Subject: Re: Cunningham's QB rating
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 17:33:54 GMT

In article <2618@devnull.mpd.tandem.com>, dwelch@mpd.tandem.com (Dan Welch) writes:
> In article <1992Oct11.091104.21709@athena.mit.edu> centry@athena.mit.edu (Jae H Nam) writes:
> >There are many who think it's A FLUKE that Cunningham leads the
> >NFL in QB rating. There are some that think his stats will drop.
> >I disagree.
> 
> Well, you're wrong, sorry.  His rating vs. the Cowboys was around 51.  And
> it's certainly not going to be in the 140-range against K.C., either; perhaps
> Monsieur Strand can fill in that detail.  It is dropping, and will continue
> to do so -- Cunningham is only human, and there is no way he could maintain
> a 145 rating over 16 games.  I don't even think he'll maintain the 123 rating
> he had after the Cowboy game.

I have no idea what is considered a good QB passing rating.  But Randall's
rating was extremely high (relative to others) after three perfect games.
A QB can not be expected to be perfect for an entire 16-game season so of
course his rating is going to drop considerably from where it was after
three such games.  Expecting anything else is similar to expecting a team
to go 16-0.  Of course, Miami fans may still be thinking this way.

> Personally, I think you may be right, he may be the best QB right now.  But
> that doesn't mean he's going to be the best ten weeks from now.  The Eagles
> have the best chance at the Super Bowl trophy, IMHO, but a critical question
> could be:  have they peaked too early?  I find it hard to believe that anyone
> can maintain the intensity they have had over the entire season.

The Washington Redskins seemed to have peaked in Week-1 last season with
a 38-0 drubbing of the Detroit Lions.  The Redskins played that way all
the way through to the SuperBowl.  The year before that another NFC East
team, the New York Giants, peaked very early jumping off to a 10-0 start.
They continued on to win the SuperBowl as well.

Not to start another Eagles-Cowboys flame war, but would you be saying
that Dallas peaked too early if they beat the Eagles last Monday nite
and were sitting atop the NFC East at 5-0?

> The loss
> to K.C. shows that.

No, the loss to Kansas City showed that the Chiefs are a damn good
football team.  Did you really expect the Eagles to go 16-0?  I'm the
biggest Eagles fan around and I didn't expect them to go undefeated.
I find it hard to believe that one loss to a good football team on the
road means that a team is not playing well.  Did you think that of your
Cowboys after last week?

> Cunningham's greatest flaw, I think, is that he tries
> to do too much for the team.  In past years, maybe he had to, but he doesn't
> now.  So far, he's realized that, but we'll see if he continues to be the
> team quarterback he has been.

Well, to me, yesterday's game looked like an Eagles game of a few years
past.  Not only in that Randall was pressured all over the field, but
that the Eagles defense was burned by the long pass.  I had to check a
couple of times to make sure Buddy Ryan wasn't on the sidelines:-).


E-A-G-L-E-S

Joe Dakes
AT&T Microelectronics
555 Union Boulevard
Allentown, PA  18103
alux2!jmd