He Is Only 26
Sep 14, 2004
By Jared Balzer / GridIronGateway.com
The Ram’s ended their season on an interception thrown by
Marc Bulger, at least that is the easy way to look at it. Nobody says it ended on a pass not caught by
Torry Holt, or a tackle not made by Jason Sehorn. Holt’s and Sehorn's name may be mentioned but Bulger gets all the blame. How does over 60 minutes of game play get balled up into one play? Was their not other opportunities for the TEAM to win the game, or did Bulger spoil those chances as well?
Bulger has played in 22 regular season games in his career, not counting this season’s opener. Within those games, he holds an 87.2 quarterback rating, completing 63.5% of his passes, and throwing for 258 yards per game. He has also thrown 38 touchdowns for an average of 1.6 a game, not bad for his first two years. What people tend to focus on are his 28 interceptions, 22 of those were in his 15 games played in 2003.
Now let us see what the leagues favorite quarterback displayed in his first two starting seasons, we will not count his first year with the falcons because he never started. In Brett Favre’s First Two Seasons He Had A Rating Of 78.75, completing 62.4% of his passes, and throwing for 210 yards a game. Throwing 37 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. This is all over a 31 game, 2-year span. In Favre’s second countable year he threw 19 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. Bulger did 22 and 22. Fewer interceptions, more touchdowns, and better ratio.
Now let me get off on a better foot. I am not saying Bulger is better than Favre, nor will be better than Favre but who is to say. What I am saying, is that Bulger is only 26.. Everyone is on his case, but they do not realize he is still a baby, to this leagues standards. You expect these reactions from a spoiled city. We have great sports here in St. Louis and its obvious no one likes to lose, okay we hate losing especially when it is ugly.
Many of the NFL successful quarterbacks did not get a single speck of grass or dirt on their jerseys until after their first years. Despite Bugler’s high number of interceptions he has had a better first two years than most quarterbacks. Bulger quite possibly may be a very good quarterback, but we already know greatness does not happen overnight. It takes time, practice, and game experience. What does not help is having a coach in Mike Martz, who does not attack the problem in the best way. I understand not wanting to hold him back, but something has to be done to correct his bad decisions. Making it to the playoffs in your first full season is a great start. If I could place a bet on Bulger nearly cutting his interceptions in half from last year I would put the bank on it. Many of his interceptions are controlled mistakes, which have the opportunity for correction, and St. Louis will have a premier quarterback that will bring us many winning seasons.
After all that is what the game is about not the numbers, but about winning. And Bulger continues to do that.
By Jared Balzer
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