I’m not offering a logical “proof,” merely suggesting that evidence beginning to accumulate that QBs who use running in the arsenal are looking less and less like passing “anecdotes” and more like the permanent landscape. Yes, it’s too early to tell that for certain. We are still somewhere on the first part of Griliches S-Curve, but I am suggesting that it appears we are not right at the outset any more. In 5 years, if the RGIII’s have vanished (or diminished) and new ones are not emerging, I’ll concede: crazy, not brilliant.

They said it couldn’t be done.

X proved that it could be done.

Therefore

Y can be done.

Of course, the vast majority of times, ‘they’ are right, and ‘it’ can’t be done. But anyone arguing for ‘change’ can always argue from anecdote for success in the face of resistance. Here we have ‘Superior hybrid seed was adopted gradually in the face of resistance, therefore Belichick was wrong. Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes the consensus view is the consensus because it’s correct.

Another important issue: if you have a starting quarterback who runs an option offense, you need a backup quarterback who can run an option offense. If you practice all week in one system, you can’t expect your entire offense to turn on a dime and play well in a fundamentally different system.

Cam Newton (only mentioned in passing here) regressed this year. The broader question is, what kind of career with this running quarterbacks have? Every time they take off, they lose their protection – even behind the line – and risk a season-ending shot. Given that the premium on quarterback play is higher now than at any point in the history of the league, do you really want to risk all? The difference between good quarterback play and bad was demonstrated dramatically in Indianapolis this year.