I think there’s two different things
that I would consider putting a team on his back:
1.
Being an elite QB in terms of reading the
defense and having accuracy, such that they are raising the play of everyone
around him by putting the ball exactly in the right spot by reading the
defense, knowing where to go with the ball to minimize turnovers and maximize
production, and to accurately throwing the ball.
2.
I also think there’s a more intangible aspect,
which is taking responsibility when times get tough. Having enough confidence that it bleeds into
the other players. When they start to
question their own and their teams abilities, the confidence exuded by the QB
reassures them that all is fine, and that hardwork will still lead to victory,
despite what external circumstances might suggest. They trust the players around them to make
plays, and the players rise to the occasion and make plays. Brett Favre to me is the classical stereotype
of this. He was a gunslinger and made a
lot of mistakes that cost his teams games, but he was so confident and the
players around him rose their game to new levels in his presence. You get Lewis making that dramatic
game-winning catch in the end zone. Rice
having the best year of his career, with nothing else really even close.
I don’t think either one requires that the surrounding
players be mediocre to prove their capability, as it’s more about getting the
maximum production out of the players they have. Would Brady have better numbers with
Moss? Of course. Does it mean he’s not putting the team on his
back when they are shining as well?
Absolutely not.
