WebNFL Network's Bucky Brooks shows how Liberty Flames quarterback Malik Willis plays similarly to former Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair. Seattle, meanwhile, didnt miss a beat without its former star, nearly making the playoffs behind QB Geno Smith. Flacco went on to a somewhat ugly injury-plagued 2019 season in Denver as the fit just wasnt there and he may have finished his career as a back-up/spot starter for the Jets in 22. Courtesy: Footballnation.com For two years, I had the pleasure of watching Steve "Air" McNair slice and dice his way through the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for Steve's Analysis: None of Ryans last four seasons with the Falcons produced positive results so it was somewhat surprising to see the Colts put such an investment into him last year. Note that all three of the trends show a tendency of how veteran leadership might positively influence a franchise: - These 13 veteran quarterbacks have produced a record of 37-48 SU but 47-32-6 ATS (59.5) when playing in the underdog or pick em point spread role in the first season with their new teams, including a current run of 17-4 ATS dating back to January 21. College. Heisman Voting : 3rd in 1994. Sam Houston State wisely went into that game with the intent of controlling the football and keeping McNair off the field as much as possible. Regular Season Record (Playoffs): 63-79 (0-1), Key Stats: 217 TD, 99 INT, 91.8 QBR, 7.1 YPA, Last 3 Regular Season Records (Playoffs): 6-9, 10-7 (0-1), 8-8. QB rating: 155.4. That said, the Broncos did average 24.2 PPG in his final five outings so perhaps a better second season is in store. Alcorn's archrival, Jackson State, never beat the Braves while McNair was in college. McNairs July 2009 murder, on Independence Day no less, reverberated throughout the NFL community. He went from a scrambler to a pocket passer. Steve McNair His late-career renaissance would only prove momentary. Steve McNair Stats The Eagles had a decent 2010 season, going 10-7 and making the playoffs, but plummeted thereafter, eventually bottoming out at 4-12 in the 2012 season. While he was an amazing athlete who put up some incredible numbers in college, it still remained to be seen after his college career whether or not he could translate his ability into success at the NFL level. He totaled 2,055 yards and 24 touchdowns on the season while averaging a remarkable 7.61 yards per carry. He ran for over 100 yards in every game except one, and was recognized as a high school All-American as a 1991 senior. There wasn't much national notice to McNair's game until the Tennessee Titans made an incredible playoff run following the 1999 season. Yet, its what the two didnt achieve that famously bookended the season. Salaam won the Heisman handily over second-place Ki-Jana Carter. In fact, all four players that won over 54% of their regular season games in the prior three seasons improved their new teams, by an average of 23.1%. He is the last HBCU quarterback drafted in the first round. After his final playoff game following the 17 season, Newton went just 13-23 as a start. Two others reached the playoffs with their new teams in that first year, and one other, Favre, came a game away from a Super Bowl in a stint with a third team. By the fall of 1994, he had surpassed his older brother (and current Alcorn head coach) Fred, who had been praised as the greatest quarterback to come through the SWAC [Southwestern Athletic Conference]. He was, as Sports Illustrated dubbed him, the best quarterback black or white, big school or small in college football. The numbers didnt lie. He used his celebrity to make lives better for the less fortunate. People say that Brett Favre was good at throwing off balance; McNair was even better, in my opinion. TITANS LEGEND:Remember Steve McNair the way he deserves to be remembered, OPINION:Top 100 NFL players from HBCU programs, ALL-TIME TEAM:Mississippi is essential in NFL history. 1. He curbed the scrambling and in 2003, under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, McNair blossomed and shared the MVP award withPeyton Manningdespite missing two games. Steve's Analysis: In addition to his massive regular season success and six Super Bowl wins as a starter, Brady had a remarkable 189-128-7 ATS record with the Patriots. The 6-foot-3, 236-pound quarterback had 16,823 total yards during his career at Alcorn State, which is still the FCS record 27 years later. McNair had 2,733 completions in 4,544 Regular Season Record (Playoffs): 104-53-1 (9-7), Key Stats: 292 TDS, 87 INT, 101.8 QBR, 7.8 YPA, Last 3 Regular Season Records (Playoffs): 4-11, 6-8 (0-1), 12-4 (1-1), First Season w/ New Team: 4-11 SU, 6-9 ATS, 17.1 PPG, Improvement/Decline for new team: -14.5% SU, -10% ATS, -2.6 PPG, First year w/o Wilson for Seattle: +6.8% SU, -5% ATS, -1.8 PPG. I have been a fan since his college days. Career. McNairs 476 yards in the air and 110 on the ground in a 47-44 win for Alcorn over Troy left no doubt. Four days later the team held a two-day memorial at LP Field in his honor. Steve McNair's college football career was an epic journey at Alcorn However, it could be argued that Baltimores success came in spite of McNair, as he threw for less than 200 yards per game and had a modest 16:12 TD/Int. New Orleans fans can boast some optimism in this regard. The second seasons were much different stories for both players, but it can be said that Stafford made up for all of the low points of his career in Detroit with a single season away from there. The picture isnt quite as clear with Carr and the Saints, but if his career stats are similar to anyone else on the list, it would be Stafford. Steve's Analysis: Im not sure anyone in their wildest dreams figured Wilson would struggle as much as he did with Denver after such an impressive run in Seattle. Under Rhome's tutelage, McNair actually was ahead of his coach's schedule, learning under Chandler as a rookie and actually starting four games in his second season.