Vick vs. Kolb: Myth and reality (part two)
In part two of the Michael Vick/Kevin Kolb comparison, I take a look at success on different types of throws and intangibles.
Yesterday, I looked at how Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick compared in a number of different categories - pass distribution, third down, red zone, etc.
In part two, the focus is on how successful each quarterback has been by distance and against the blitz, plus some intangibles.
Let's start with throws by distance for Vick. As always, I used the same ranges that Football Outsiders uses so we'd have a point of reference. Short is 5 yards or less. Mid is 6 to 15 yards. Deep is 16 to 25 yards. And Bomb is more than 25 yards. These are measured from the line of scrimmage to the point where the ball is touched, hits the ground or goes out of bounds.
And now Kolb:
And out of the pocket:
Both guys complete a high percentage of passes outside of the pocket. But the key here (once again) is big plays. Vick is averaging twice as many yards per attempt as Kolb on throws outside the pocket. In other words, he's done an outstanding job of keeping his eyes downfield when he escapes pressure.
The percentage of Vick throws that have come in the pocket is 82.3. Not much different than Kolb, who has attempted 84.4 percent of his throws from in the pocket.
Here's how each guy performs out of the shotgun:
And from under center:
Nothing really noteworthy here. The one thing that sticks out is that Kolb's YPA number skyrockets when he's under center. A lot of that has to do with success he's had running play-action. Here are those numbers:
He's also more difficult to game-plan for, and brings the added element of being able to hit on big plays when protection breaks down. All while taking care of the football and not turning it over.
Kolb has looked capable of being a good NFL starter. He needs to be more consistent on throws downfield, especially with the way the offense is currently set up, and he needs to avoid turnovers and bad decisions. Those are things that are likely to come in time. Sometimes, we forget that he has only made six career starts.
That's how I see it after seven weeks of the season. Vick will be the starter unless he's injured or suffers a severe drop-off in his level of play. If either of those things happens, Kolb will get another shot.
As for 2011 and beyond, check back with me in nine weeks.