The Bears’ Rex Grossman and the Seahawks’ Matt Hasselbeck are the two lowest-ranking quarterbacks left in the playoffs based on passer efficiency rating.
Their seasons were similar. Hasselbeck completed 56.6 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns and 15 inter-ceptions, a rating of 76.0. Grossman completed 54.6 percent for 23 touchdowns and 20 inter-ceptions, a rating of 73.9.
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Entering the playoffs, Hasselbeck was 10th among the 12 quarterbacks and Grossman 12th. Kansas City’s Trent Green, eliminated Saturday, was 11th.
Grossman and Hasselbeck are the only quarterbacks left with completion percentages below 60.
Here’s how the final eight quarterbacks rank in passer rating, a formula that combines percentage of completions, average yards gained per attempt, percentage of touchdown passes per attempt and percentage of interceptions per attempt:
– Peyton Manning, Colts, 101.0.
– Drew Brees, Saints, 96.2.
– Jeff Garcia, Eagles, 95.8.
– Philip Rivers, Chargers, 92.0.
– Tom Brady, Patriots, 87.9.
– Steve McNair, Ravens, 82.5.
– Hasselbeck, 76.0.
– Grossman, 73.9.
Garcia didn’t throw enough passes to qualify for official NFL statistics.
Here’s how the four winning quarterbacks ranked in passer rating during the first round:
– Brady, 101.6.
– Garcia, 79.1.
– Manning, 71.9.
– Hasselbeck, 66.9.
Two losing quarterbacks had higher ratings in the wild-card games than their winning counterparts — the Giants’ Eli Manning (85.6) and the Cowboys’ Tony Romo (89.6).
Coaching search
There weren’t supposed to be so many coaching jobs open this off-season, but if the New York media have their way, the Giants’ Tom Coughlin will be the sixth to leave.
Coughlin is being heavily criticized because the Giants’ 23-20 loss to the Eagles put the defending NFC East champions at 8-9. Worse, the Giants looked undisciplined and disorganized, and as emotional as their coach.
Owner John Mara said he would have an announcement later in the week. First he must address the general manager opening vacated by the retirement of Ernie Accorsi. The Giants were rebuffed Monday by Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli, who said he is staying with New England.
Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga flew to Costa Rica to meet with vacationing USC coach Pete Carroll. Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera also interviewed, but Rivera may have the same hurdle in Miami as he has in Arizona — too many defensive-minded Chicago coaches have preceded him. Huizenga had an unsuccessful experience with Dave Wannstedt.
Rivera is the only defensive coach known to have interviewed in Arizona, where the Cardinals want to find a tutor for prized quarterback Matt Leinart. On Sunday, the Cardinals interviewed former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow, credited with the rapid development of rookie Vince Young.
Here’s what a Sacramento Bee source said about the candidacy of ex-Bears offensive coordinator John Shoop for Oakland’s top job: “It doesn’t make sense, any kind of sense. It doesn’t make logical sense, common sense, or 50 cents.”
The source said Shoop’s office already is cleaned out. A more intriguing candidate: USC’s 32-year-old quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian, the Raiders’ quarterback coach in 2004 under Norv Turner.
In Atlanta, it will be impossible for new coach Bobby Petrino to succeed for at least two years.
The Falcons are the only team in the NFL never to have had back-to-back winning seasons. The franchise is 41 years old. Petrino could win big next year and still hear: “Wait till next year.”
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The hold
Although Romo and a slick ball are getting the blame for his drop on the field goal that would have given Dallas a late lead at Seattle, only a few people are wondering why coach Bill Parcells made his starting quarterback hold in the first place.
One skeptic is ex-Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, who mentioned during Fox commentary that he always had his punter hold. Most teams, including the Bears, use their punters, because the punter is used to catching the ball and also has plenty of time to practice with the kicker.
In the Cowboys’ case, punter Mat McBriar is an Australian who barely knows a field goal from a punt. Romo started holding when he was the backup to starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
Only two other starting quarterbacks were regular holders this season, Minnesota’s Brad Johnson and Denver’s Jake Plummer. Both lost their starting quarterback jobs during the season.
Moral of the story: Like walking and chewing gum, you can’t start at quarterback and hold at the same time.
The ball Romo flubbed looked like it had been coated with silicon, and the subject of slick new balls is an ongoing issue in the league.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said: “I’ve been talking about these balls for years and years. The more we can hold on to the football, the better the game you have. It’s almost like placing a factor in the game to create a little ambiguity.”
Romo, on the ambiguity: “Obviously, the reason I dropped it … it was a slick ball. It doesn’t matter, though. You still have to catch it.”
Job stress
Seattle coach Mike Holmgren: “When I worked in the produce market when I was 18 years old, that was a much tougher job. Or when I was working construction. Those are tougher jobs. Guys going to a factory. That’s a tougher job than I have. I’m very lucky.
“But the hard part at times is everyone thinks they know what you should be doing, and then it can get difficult for your family at times.
“Most of the coaches, we know kind of what we’re in for. But it’s tough on the family sometimes.”
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