Ian Allan
I think the Buccaneers quietly made a very nice signing when they signed Byron Leftwich to a two-year contract. I think he'll be their starter, and I think he could be pretty good.
Leftwich had some initial success in Jacksonville, then hit a rough patch in his career. He got overweight, which probably played a role in him losing his job to David Garrard (and then getting released).
But Leftwich looked good, I thought, in his limited work with the Steelers last year. I remember him playing better than Ben Roethlisberger in a win at Washington, and I remember him throwing a perfect bomb in the playoff win against San Diego that bounced off Limas Sweed's hands.
The Bucs also have Luke McCown and Josh Johnson, but those two guys - certainly Johnson - aren't experienced. They also have Brian Griese, but I don't think there's any comparison between Leftwich and Griese. Leftwich is so far superior that I don't think it's even a competition.
As I glance over Griese's portfolio, I notice that he, remarkably, has thrown more interceptions than games started in each of his last seven years as a starter. This is the same guy who at times has been unusually accurate, right? I think Griese's lack of arm strength is just too much of a liability for him - defenders are being too much time to close on his floaters.
Check out the following chart, which shows interceptions per games started (so only throwing interceptions in games that the guy started - come off the bench and throw a pick, and that doesn't counted). Of the 48 guys who've started at least 20 games in the last five years, Griese comes in last. I don't consider Leftwich to be a true stud in terms of avoiding interceptions, but he weighs in at No. 4 on this list.
INTERCEPTION RATES, 2004-2008
Shows all quarterbacks who've started at least 20 games, with games started, interceptions, and interceptions per game.
St Int PG
45 25 .56 Jeff Garcia
45 27 .60 David Garrard
33 20 .61 Mark Brunell
33 21 .64 Byron Leftwich
36 23 .64 Jason Campbell
64 41 .64 Donovan McNabb
80 55 .69 Peyton Manning
48 35 .73 Philip Rivers
65 48 .74 Tom Brady
23 17 .74 Trent Edwards
56 44 .79 Chad Pennington
52 42 .81 David Carr
21 17 .81 Damon Huard
44 36 .82 Steve McNair
33 27 .82 Kyle Orton
46 38 .83 Michael Vick
64 55 .86 Jake Delhomme
79 68 .86 Drew Brees
24 21 .88 Matt Schaub
30 27 .90 Brad Johnson
43 39 .91 Jake Plummer
65 59 .91 Marc Bulger
47 44 .94 Kerry Collins
65 61 .94 Matt Hasselbeck
33 31 .94 Kyle Boller
51 48 .94 Kurt Warner
71 67 .94 Ben Roethlisberger
46 44 .96 Trent Green
28 27 .96 Josh McCown
33 32 .97 J.P. Losman
38 37 .97 Daunte Culpepper
48 47 .98 Joey Harrington
37 37 1.00 Jay Cutler
65 67 1.03 Carson Palmer
30 31 1.03 Alex Smith
71 74 1.04 Eli Manning
29 31 1.07 Vince Young
38 41 1.08 Drew Bledsoe
39 43 1.10 Tony Romo
37 41 1.11 Aaron Brooks
28 32 1.14 Rex Grossman
25 29 1.16 Vinny Testaverde
27 32 1.19 Derek Anderson
20 24 1.20 Charlie Frye
80 101 1.26 Brett Favre
39 50 1.28 Jon Kitna
29 38 1.31 Gus Frerotte
27 36 1.33 Brian Griese
-Ian Allan
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