Killing time before the draft, Twitter discussion I saw,

[Coryea]

There's a tweet that suggests Kordell would be a superstar in today's NFL, and to my surprise alot of Steeler fans seem to agree with this. I don't see it, inaccurate and trouble reading a defense wouldn't be any better in this NFL.

 

[SteelerSask2]

I think he would have a better chance now. More college concepts have been accepted and the coaching has gotten better at building around the athlete. But the inaccuracy is difficult to overcome.

 

[BLITZ]

He would as slash not as a qb

 

[Litos]

Defenses are faster now, not sure he would have that much space to run. And he still would be very inaccurate so... No

 

[Badcat]

Absolutely, He would. You're pointing out his inaccuracy and inability to read defenses as a pocket passer, and that was the issue, he wasn't a pocket passing QB. Today's NFL offensive schemes are much more lax and adaptive to player personnel. When Kordell played he was an anomaly who struggled to prove himself as a starting QB in a traditional NFL offense. He was trying to be Joe Montana instead of Randall Cunningham. He saw his mobility as proof to the nay-sayers that he should be Slash instead of the starting QB. It was painful to watch.

So, to the point of the tweet, I agree with him completely. Kordell would be free to run the offense as a mobile QB without the burden of proving himself in a non-complimentary system.

 

[t-man]

He had a cannon for an arm, he wasn't accurate on the short stuff, but you only need to beat a defense a few times deep to get them backed off, then all that room to run opens up. The coaching was dumb, the guy was great at running, ok a passing, so let him use his legs more and force defenses to cheat way up to stop him, then take the top off for a few plays, and he's very difficult to defend. As long as he can hit a pass or two over the middle short it's just enough to keep a defense honest. At any rate, we lack a time machine to bring him here from the 90's, so it's all moot.

Joe

 

[SteelBuckeye]

If they consider Lamar Jackson a super star, Kordell would be one today also

 

[21STEELERS21]

I always thought Kordell would have had a couple more good years if Steelers kept Thigpen. That was the receiver he seemed to have real chemistry with.

 

[wig]

I loved Kordell. I really did. In 97 he broke records (which have now been broken again) for combined rushing and throwing tds and he caused offensive coords fits trying to plan for him.

But Stewart had a truly fatal flaw that Pete Carrol exposed. Steve McNair, Warren Moon, Donovan McNabb - They all were able to move and create opportunities downfield when they scrambled. the Mc's were particularly adept at this. When they broke the pocket, they continued to look for a pass downfield until that option was no longer viable. Stewart was NOT that guy. Pete Carrol figured out that when Stewart broke the pocket he was going to run 95% of the time. He either didn't care to throw or was so inaccurate on the run that he simply couldn't throw after he began to move.
Carrol built a defense based on getting Stewart out of the pocket and then collapsing pretty much everyone on him and he brought it out in the playoffs (Pats vs Steelers) the year Stewart was tearing up the league. The Steelers ended up winning that game 7-6. The next week the Broncos managed to apply enough pressure to Stewart to force a couple critical mistakes in the AFCC game and that was it.

I don't think Jackson is all that great, but he CAN or at least will throw after he breaks the pocket. This commands enough honesty on defense to give him more room to make plays with his legs. After the book was out on Kordell, he wasn't nearly as effective running the ball and at his best Stewart was never better than a mediocre passer.

Sadly, as much as I loved what Stewart brought to the table in his early years, I don't think he would be particularly exceptional in today's NFL. And to Stewart's credit, despite the tremendous negativity that's been dumped on him, he DID improve as a passer over his career. People forget that at one time Stewart set the single season passer percentage record in Pittsburgh. That was later beaten, but he COULD complete passes, they just had to be specific passes built for his strengths and teams really learned over time to limit his effectiveness. He might complete a pass, but the receiver wasn't going to get any respectable yac.

I remember seeing an interview a long time ago with one of his coords, Wizenhunt, I think and Wiz was asked why he never had Stewart pass over the middle and Wiz actually said on the interview "I'm not going to answer that." Which of course was about as telling as a non-answer could be. Stewart just couldn't read a defense quickly enough to inspire faith in the coaching staff to throw anything over the linebackers in the middle of the field. Basically, Stewart couldn't beat a cover 2.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I think a team could scheme him into success like Baltimore did for Jackson.

 

[Ike Kelly]

I was at that game in that clip. Kordell was the fastest player on the field. CAR fans I was sitting next were astonished how fast he was and ironically stated Cowher should use the option in his offense now. Interesting, since most of the recent RPOs QBs for the last 5 years do about the same thing Kordell did then.

 

[Steeltime]

I don't know what the guy means "in today's game." Today's game features a ton of quick timing patterns, deep outs, and accuracy. Stewart sucked at all three. Today's game allows QB's to run. Okay. He would be good at that. Today's game protects QB's. Point for Stewart.

But while Stewart was a really, really good runner, he was not as good as Lamar Jackson. He wasn't. And Lamar Jackson is not a QB I think can win a game for a team when he falls behind - just as was true with Stewart.

Stewart benefited from a great offensive line, an excellent RB, a couple of very good WR's and backed up by a great defense. So if he was supposedly so good then, why the hell did he never even make to a SB?? And if scheme is so important in today's, why does Lamar Jackson suck against teams that gameplan to stop his running?

 

[steelerscotty]

He was never used right . . .

 

[Drink IRON City]

A lot of you here quote is inacuracy. I don't remeber what year it was but he was full time QB and finished the season with 60 or 61% completion percentage. THAT was good enough for being an all time high STEELERS QBs percentage completion record. Think about that for a second, NO STEELERS QB had done that before him.


He would carve it up better than Lamar Jackson in today NFL. Kordell's hayday was reading 1/3 of the field wich is commen in todays RPO. Stewart was faster than Lamar and smarter to. I'd take Kordell in today's RPO in a heartbeat vs many of these modern RPO guys. Stewart was a hell of a lot tougher and had meat on his bones to protect him so there is that as well.




Salute the nation

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

People saying Kordell was inaccurate, have you seen Lamar Jackson play?

 

[swal75]

With modern read option concepts implemented I could see him putting up some really big offensive numbers. Could even see him having an MVP season, like Jackson, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'd win anything in the playoffs. His interception percentage is really troubling. I'm not sure how that could be coached out. Also Stewart would have been drafted a lot higher so I don't think he'd fall anywhere near #26(steelers pick) or 60th(where he went)

 

[Steeltime]

People saying Kordell was inaccurate, have you seen Lamar Jackson play?

I saw Stewart play. I saw the Steelers down 24-17 at home against the @#$%ing Patsies, get the ball after the Patsies**** kick a field goal, and Stewart gets one first down, Steelers punt. Defense does the job, gets the Steelers the ball back.

Second chance for Kordell to lead the team to a TD to tie the game. Plenty of time left. He throws across the middle into a crowd, picked off. Plenty of time left, he is in his 7th season, no reason for that throw.

I then saw the Steelers defense do a great job yet again, hold the Patsies**** to 2 yards, they miss a field goal, Steelers get the ball back at their own 40 yard line because of the missed field goal. Excellent field position, 2:15 still on the clock, 2 minute warning available. I saw Stewart throw the ball away on a sideline pattern on first down, then on 2nd and 10 with 2:10 still left on the clock, I saw Hines Ward running wide open 25 yards downfield. And I mean WIDE ******* OPEN.

If Stewart hits him, play gets 30 yards minimum, Steelers are deep in Patsies**** territory with 2 minutes left, plenty of time. Instead, Stewart overthrows Ward by a ton. Not close. I see Lawyer Malloy playing super deep make the ridiculously easy pick, game over.

So please spare me in claiming how good Stewart would be in "today's game." Dude was a bad QB. Inaccurate. Terrible decisions. Forcing into coverage. Three chances to make a statement in the AFC Championship game, and he got worse with each chance. Punt, bad interception, horrible interception.

So yeah, I've seen Lamar Jackson play. He is not a QB I would want on my team. And he is a better passer than Kordell. Fact.

 

[Badcat]

So, you're using one game whereby the opposing team cheated as proof that Kordell wouldn't be a star in today's NFL? Is that right?

BTW....I can't believe it's 2021 and we're STILL having ******* Kordell Stewart debates like it was 2001 all over again. **** me.

 

[Drink IRON City]

So, you're using one game whereby the opposing team cheated as proof that Kordell wouldn't be a star in today's NFL? Is that right?

BTW....I can't believe it's 2021 and we're STILL having ******* Kordell Stewart debates like it was 2001 all over again. **** me.

Just wait another 15-18 years and we'll be argueing about DRI ARCHER........................................




Salute the nation

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

I saw Stewart play. I saw the Steelers down 24-17 at home against the @#$%ing Patsies, get the ball after the Patsies**** kick a field goal, and Stewart gets one first down, Steelers punt. Defense does the job, gets the Steelers the ball back.

Second chance for Kordell to lead the team to a TD to tie the game. Plenty of time left. He throws across the middle into a crowd, picked off. Plenty of time left, he is in his 7th season, no reason for that throw.

I then saw the Steelers defense do a great job yet again, hold the Patsies**** to 2 yards, they miss a field goal, Steelers get the ball back at their own 40 yard line because of the missed field goal. Excellent field position, 2:15 still on the clock, 2 minute warning available. I saw Stewart throw the ball away on a sideline pattern on first down, then on 2nd and 10 with 2:10 still left on the clock, I saw Hines Ward running wide open 25 yards downfield. And I mean WIDE ******* OPEN.

If Stewart hits him, play gets 30 yards minimum, Steelers are deep in Patsies**** territory with 2 minutes left, plenty of time. Instead, Stewart overthrows Ward by a ton. Not close. I see Lawyer Malloy playing super deep make the ridiculously easy pick, game over.

So please spare me in claiming how good Stewart would be in "today's game." Dude was a bad QB. Inaccurate. Terrible decisions. Forcing into coverage. Three chances to make a statement in the AFC Championship game, and he got worse with each chance. Punt, bad interception, horrible interception.

So yeah, I've seen Lamar Jackson play. He is not a QB I would want on my team. And he is a better passer than Kordell. Fact.

and how many playoff games has Jackson won? Jackson has been bad in the playoffs. It's also not a fair comparison because Kordell was playing from the pocket and the ravens designed a whole offense around jackson being a throwing RB. The point of this discussion is that if Kordell had played today with teams now willing to let QBs do read option, he would have been a much better player.

I agree that Kordell would have but still would not have won a SB. Championships are still won making plays from the pocket.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Years ago, I was on a Disney cruise with the family and ran into a Steeler OL player from the mid 90's....a multi-year starter during those years. I asked about Kordell and what happened in those playoffs and he basically flat out said he couldn't read a defense.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Years ago, I was on a Disney cruise with the family and ran into a Steeler OL player from the mid 90's....a multi-year starter during those years. I asked about Kordell and what happened in those playoffs and he basically flat out said he couldn't read a defense.

Who was the OL player ???



Salute the nation

 

[Coryea]

Years ago, I was on a Disney cruise with the family and ran into a Steeler OL player from the mid 90's....a multi-year starter during those years. I asked about Kordell and what happened in those playoffs and he basically flat out said he couldn't read a defense.

He was correct.

 

[Steeltime]

and how many playoff games has Jackson won? Jackson has been bad in the playoffs.

I literally don't know where this theory is that I describe Lamar Jackson as a good QB. How about the possibility that neither one is good? I said Jackson is NOT good, but Stewart was worse.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Who was the OL player ???



Salute the nation

Brenden Stai