Commentary

Tale of the Tape: Quarterbacks

Originally Published: January 27, 2009
By Jeremy Green and Gary Horton | Scouts Inc.
Scouts Inc.'s Jeremy Green and Gary Horton have reviewed all the film and broken down the quarterbacks in Super Bowl XLIII. We have compared these two signal-callers in seven categories and given an edge for each. Some of the results may surprise you.

Pittsburgh

Arm strength

Although both offenses flow through the quarterback, neither team relies on the deep ball or the arm strength its quarterback provides. But it is worth noting that Cardinals QB Kurt Warner struggled this season on the East Coast when faced with windy or cold conditions.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has a big arm and can throw with great velocity from the pocket or on the run. He is so strong that he does not have to set his feet before throwing the deep ball. He is excellent on the deep-out route, which is a measure of his arm strength, and he puts quality air under his deep throws. He also is very effective throwing the ball with power when he rolls right, which is hard for most quarterbacks.
Edge: Roethlisberger

Arizona

Accuracy

Roethlisberger has good accuracy, puts good touch on the ball and knows how to change speeds based on the route. He can put the ball into tight windows from the pocket or on the run. He is especially accurate on the deep ball. He throws the ball to his receiver at the highest point, which leads to a lot of jump balls.


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Gary Horton

Scouts Inc.
Gary Horton spent 10 years in the NFL as a scout and another 10 years at the college level as an assistant coach and recruiter. He is the founder and most seasoned member of the Scouts Inc. staff, and his extensive experience at all levels of football make him an excellent talent evaluator.

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