Quarterback Philip Rivers surpasses the Football Hall of Fame
Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics
Studies show that 28.6% of statistics on the internet are inaccurate. Including that one.
The person who wrote that statistics were the worst kind of lies was likely referring to how numbers are taken out of context.
For example, while it is true that Covid-19 will “only” kill about 1 in 50 Americans, and the vast majority over age 75, it is also true that about 31% of people who get a bad case and survive will have permanent damage to their health: lungs, and/or liver, tissue and brain damage.
That’s giving context to statistics with other hard numbers.
Critique :
“Rivers only racked up big numbers because he played a long time.”
Context:
Then compare apples to apples. Compare seasonal averages and years as a starter:
Out of college, Rivers had to sit behind Drew Brees for two years. He ultimately ended up with 15 years as a starter, while his draft mates Ben Roethlisberger (17 to date) and Eli Manning (tapped out at 15) followed different paths. Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Tom Brady (to date) have 19 years each as a starter, and Brees 21!
Average Annual Production. Smoke this:
Per season as a starter, Rivers averaged 4,219 yds ;
Peyton Manning averaged 3,786.
(Big Ben: 3,549; Eli Manning: 3,563)
Does the closeness of these numbers surprise you? Rivers averaged 28 TDs per season, and a 64.9% Pass Completion. Peyton nudges ahead, barely, with 30 TDs and 65.3% Pass comp.
Roethlisberger 23.3 TDs, Eli 25.7 TDs.
"“Hold on! You’re counting a season when Peyton was on IR the whole year!”"
Everyone in pro football measures total contribution by including availability. Does Iron Man Philip Rivers get no acknowledgement for the 244 consecutive games he started, second longest run of all time? See RG III, Michael Vick, and many other elite quarterbacks who had so much ability and not that much availability. Deduct one year from Manning’s seasons as being on I.R. (that only affects PM’s averages by about 5%) and his numbers are still very close to Rivers’ — and Uncle Phil would still have more yards per season as a starter.
I’m not claiming that Rivers was as good as Peyton Manning, I’m saying he was surprisingly close.
In average seasonal stats as a starter, Philip Rivers clearly tops Roethlisberger in most categories, and Eli Manning by a good sight more, both future Hall of Famers.