Hats off to Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter. He did his former quarterback right recently when he compared new Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Glennon to reigning league MVP Matt Ryan. That is the highest of praise considering the epic year Ryan just had and is almost certain to generate serious interest in whether the Bears might’ve gotten a steal. In truth though a Mike Glennon Joe Flacco comparison fits way better.
Koetter interviewed with Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. They covered several subjects but of course Glennon was the primary. The coach wasted no time, dropping the Ryan comparison right away.
“I compare Mike Glennon favorably with (Falcons quarterback and reigning MVP) Matt Ryan, I’ve coached them both. I think they have similar skillsets. Now Matt’s been a starter from the first day he came in the league and had a lot of success, and Mike hasn’t maybe gotten as many opportunities. But I think, style of play, they have a similar style.”
The thing is Koetter was going off his own personal experiences and didn’t really provide many details. That’s not a bad thing but the truth is whether one examines them closely, Glennon and Ryan aren’t all that similar. If one were to make a comparison of any kind, the irony is Glennon does resemble a top quarterback from the 2008 draft.
It’s Flacco.
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Mike Glennon Joe Flacco? It’s not just the height
Okay, let’s get this out of the way. Yes a certain part of the comparison is because Glennon and Flacco are both freakishly tall. Flacco is a every bit of 6’6″ and Glennon is 6’7″. Their body types are very similar. Neither is known for their mobility, preferring instead to operate from within the pocket, using that height and vision to maximum advantage.
It goes beyond that though. Their career quarterback ratings are almost identical. Flacco is 84.5. Glennon is 84.6. Neither is known for high completion percentages at 61.5 and 59.4 respectively. Their games aren’t built around gaudy stats. They are effective at ball control offense and striking for big plays. If they have a good running game, they are particularly dangerous off of play action.
All part of the plan
This is where the Jordan Howard angle appears so intriguing. When Flacco had Ray Rice in Baltimore from 2008 through 2013, the Ravens made the playoffs five times and won a Super Bowl. After Rice, a three-time Pro Bowler, was gone? Just one playoff trip in three seasons. The two seasons where Flacco threw the most passes of his career also ended with two of the worst team records.
The lesson being? Don’t put the game solely in his hands if at all possible. Glennon reflects the same exact warning sign. In the seven games he threw the ball more than 40 times, his team was 1-6. In six games where he threw it 20-25 times they were 4-2. He truly is a classic, old school type of quarterback. Give him a running game and he can pick apart defenses at will. Put him in a situation where he’ll be comfortable and confident? He might just end the year as a Super Bowl MVP.
If nothing else this proves the Bears got the exact type of quarterback they wanted. Somebody who will compliment a strong ground game and won’t turn the ball over. Sure it might not feel like the elusive superstar the franchise hasn’t had for decades, but as the saying goes.
One step at a time.
