With a qb, I tend to wait until something hits me at the instinctive level. I see something or some things that get me on his side. What then happens is that I believe his strengths can, do, or will overbalance his flaws. Usually for me the “hook” is something from the realm of intangibles.
Green? He immediately seemed to connect with the offense and lift it. You could see his limitations, but he was just effective enough in a lot of areas that the overbalance kicked in on his side.
Warner? I was sold and “in” because of the first drive in the Atlanta game…the drive called “the drive.” I just thought, you know they look like they have a real genuine effective offense. Smooth, productive, confident. For me, the SF game that came a couple of weeks later was just gravy.
Bulger? It took a bit longer. I always liked his smarts and quick release. He threw very sweet lasers and could make the most of Bruce and Holt with those digs and deep outs. But what nailed it were the comeback wins in 2004. A qb who can produce effectively in a comeback situation always gets my vote.
Bradford? I was impressed by him in 2010 and 2011, but the real “buy in” moments were the comebacks in 2012.
Foles? Nothing yet. I think I see a lot of his strengths and flaws, though right now it’s not from real games but from reading and looking back at older stuff. I still don’t have anything that compels a “buy in” at the instinctive level. Not because I am cautious, or skeptical, or any of that, but just because that’s how I operate. I need a hook. I might not even realize it till later. So I watch a game, and win or lose he does something good, and later I see it again in another game, and then after that I am driving to work and I find myself thinking “hey I like what this guy does, his strengths promise to overbalance his flaws, if this is who he is then I am in.”
That’s all intuition and instincts. No amount of pure analysis gets you there. Either the epiphany moment kicks in, or it doesn’t.
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Agamemnon
