Brunell vs. Bledsoe

[Schneed10]

The stats do have some value if you apply some interpretation. I agree that a QB's stats are somewhat reflective on him, and somewhat reflective of the surrounding circumstances. So in order to gain any real meaning from them, let's interpret:

Regarding the sacks, Bledsoe had almost twice as many as Brunell. Granted Brunell had better protection, especially at the LT spot given the injuries to the Dallas line. But Brunell also managed to avoid some other would-be sacks by rolling out and throwing the ball away.

Regarding INTs, I think this stat goes hand-in-hand with completion percentage. Brunell chose to throw a lot of balls away this year rather than force something, and I'd argue that's the biggest difference between him and Bledsoe. Bledsoe forced more balls than Brunell, and some connected, helping him get to 60%. But he also connected on 7 more INTs than Brunell.

I'd argue those are the two most important stats for a QB. Sacks and INTs. I think Brunell did a better job managing them. He avoided more sacks than Bledsoe did, and he made fewer dumb throws.