QB
|
Cmp
|
Att
|
Yds.
|
TD
|
Int
|
Rate
|
ANY/A
|
W-L
|
Griese (AP1)
|
180
|
307
|
2252
|
22
|
13
|
87.8
|
5.26
|
10-4
|
Staubach (MVQB)
|
210
|
361
|
2620
|
18
|
9
|
87.0
|
6.03
|
12-2
|
Sorry, Bob. Twice All-Pro, he wins no MVQB awards, with the same guy taking it from him each time to boot. This is a less clear-cut case than 1971, but Staubach retains an edge. Griese led the NFL in touchdown passes and passer rating, just barely beating out Staubach in the latter category. Everything else points to the Dallas signal-caller.
The days of Staubach trying to beat out Morton for a permanent starting job were long-gone. Neither Miami nor Griese got off to a particularly scorching start; after 10 games, the Dolphins were 7-3 and Griese had a 78.8 rating, while the Cowboys started 8-0. On November 20, however, they dropped their second straight game, 28-13 to Pittsburgh.
Miami played next four days later. That’s when Bob Griese threw 6 touchdowns in a 55-14 Thanksgiving Day win over the Cardinals. Griese may well have ridden that game to the All-Pro nod. Yet he was “only” 15-23 for 207 yards with an interception in the game. No doubt a very fine game, especially coming in the final season before the Mel Blount rule[1], it can’t be a sufficient basis for naming Griese MVQB. Dallas’s loss to Pittsburgh was the final one they would suffer all season. Miami missed the playoffs at 10-4.
More importantly, Staubach outperformed Griese over the course of the season, beyond the much better ANY/A. Griese threw for fewer than 90 yards twice; Staubach had at least 102 every game. Griese threw for no more than 210 yards in any victory, while Staubach had 212 or more yards in four wins. Griese did hold his own in two games against Baltimore’s stifling pass defense, including in a 17-6 win, but I’m not sure how much the voters were paying attention to that, and Staubach faced his fair share of tough defenses, including Washington’s.
An argument for Griese in 1977 is that by this point, Miami was a shell of its former self compared to 1971. Instead of the Morris-Csonka-Kiick backfield with Paul Warfield catching passes, a number of nondescript backs split carries while Nat Moore was the lead receiver. Meanwhile, Tony Dorsett and Drew Pearson were now in Dallas.
Although Dorsett was the only household name playing running back for either team, Miami’s rushing attack rivalled Dallas’ and probably slightly outperformed them:
· Malone, Davis, Norm Bulaich, Leroy Harris, Don Nottingham all rushed the ball at least 44 times. They combined for 481 carries, 2195 yards (4.56 per attempt), and 17 TD.
· Dorsett, Robert Newhouse, Preston Pearson ran at least 89 times each. (No other back had more than 12.) They combined for 477 carries, 2069 yards (4.34 per attempt), and 16 TD.
Meanwhile, Nat Moore made All-Pro along with Pearson. Drew Pearson made the All-Pro team despite just 2 receiving touchdowns while Moore had 12. Staubach threw his 18 touchdowns to 9 different receivers; Griese’s 22 scoring passes targeted only 6 receivers, with Moore and Duriel Harris bringing in 17 of them.
Add in the quarterbacks’ own rushing yards and take away yards lost on sacks, and Staubach’s 2,620 to 2,252 advantage in yardage turns into to 2,572-1,979, or 42 yards per game. Staubach was definitely relied on more than Griese at this point in their careers, and playing better at the same time by ANY/A and by rushing.
When you add Staubach’s superior statistics to the impression one gets that Dallas relied on him more than Miami did on Griese, “The Dodger” becomes the choice. 1977 was Bob Griese’s best season, but he still could not enjoy a league-best season.
Roger Staubach is 1977’s MVQB.
Signature Game: October 16, 1977: In a key early-season matchup between the 4-0 Cowboys and 3-1 Redskins, Dallas emerges victorious, 34-16. Staubach is 15-28 for a season-high 250 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception. The Cowboys hold a slim 20-16 lead entering the final period before Staubach hits Drew Pearson for a 59-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach.
[1] The 1978 rule that disallowed defensive backs from mugging receivers all the way down the field.
