Dan Marino college film

[Crease Creature]

I saw this thread on twitter of some Dan Marino highlights while he was at Pitt.

Maybe its the scuzzy footage, maybe its that I dont really recall ever having watched him play (I was 9 when he retired) but holy cow!

Dude just flicks his wrist and the ball eother goes 50 yards downfield or is a bullet into a miniscule window. What a release.

 

[Mark87]

Yeah, Marino and Dan Fouts were outstanding QB throwing the FB, I laughed when Chris Simms talked about Rodgers arm Saturday. Marino could put his balls on a dime at 60 yards and I saw Fouts throw 65-70 yard strikes in double coverage. Both those guys played when the DB could still put their hands all over the WR as well.... so I sometimes think people put too much into rings not on performance.

 

[rpiotr01]

In 2004 the NFL changed the rules specifically to make it easier for Peyton Manning to play and throw TDs, and then Marino's record fell the next year, followed by Brady, then followed by Manning again. The passing numbers don't mean as much to me, especially in historical comparisons, because guys like Marino and Fouts and Favre played their careers - or the prime of their careers - in eras where DBs could mug WR and QBs actually had to fear getting drilled in the pocket. I love Aaron Rodgers and have the utmost respect for what he's done and his abilities, but he's a byproduct of the new NFL.

As for Marino, I have long held the belief that he was ahead of his time the same way Don Hutson and Babe Ruth were. Incredible passer, and to put up the numbers he did in the era he played in is almost unbelievable.

 

[TW]

I've always got a kick out of how they said the offensive line made Marino look good because he wasn't getting sacked as much as any other QB. The truth was, Marino "knew" where his receivers were supposed to be on every play, at any given time, and could read defenses so quickly that he had a faster release than most QBs when under pressure.

I've always felt you can't compare today's players against the past. The way the game is played has changed so much over each decade that it's not even close to the same game. It doesn't diminish today's players, but it the glossy stats don't necessarily convert into "best."

It's why it's so difficult to come up with a list of 5 best QBs, or 10 best QBs all-time. There are so many variables, and the only true judgement is against their peers in their era, and even that's iffy. Look at Don Hutson. Great pass catcher for his era. But we need to also remember that defenses didn't have a clue on to how to stop the passing game because so few teams really used it effectively.

 

[ski]

Marino had some teams that could score in every way possible but his defense always let them down. The game then was more fun to watch. That's when Monday night football was the only prime time game in town.

 

[GBP4EVER]

Have to think Miami ever tried to get a half way decent RB to make the D want to respect the run game maybe Marino gets a ring.

 

[Crease Creature]

The thing that amazed me about Marino was how effortless he made it look to throw bullets or moonshots.

Favre, who of course I was way more familiar with, would put his whole body behind a pass.

 

[Cheesedog]

Marino had some teams that could score in every way possible but his defense always let them down. The game then was more fun to watch. That's when Monday night football was the only prime time game in town.

It's almost as if TT was in charge back then.. whistling))whistling))


and of course Dan is part of one of the greatest movies, lines, of all time..

"LACES OUT DAN!!!!!!!"

 

[Cheesedog]

the other thing that was fun about those guys was they took chances.. Marino during his prime had upwards of 20 INTs per season. Even Brady during the dynasty years had 12-14 per season....

this is what gets me about Arod.. He and MM are so conservative and so scared of INTs that I think it actually holds Arod back from being even better than he is.

 

[rpiotr01]

the other thing that was fun about those guys was they took chances.. Marino during his prime had upwards of 20 INTs per season. Even Brady during the dynasty years had 12-14 per season....

this is what gets me about Arod.. He and MM are so conservative and so scared of INTs that I think it actually holds Arod back from being even better than he is.

That may also have had to do with the way dBs were allowed to play back then. More tipped ball opportunities, ability to physically leverage yourself to jump a route, deep ball routes were allowed to be contested rather than refs disrupting with quick triggers on PI flags.