@the-gipper said:

On another thread the question of a QBs completion pct. and TD/INT ratio was at issue, and I noted that these vastly improved after the late 70s rules changes.

Here are those stats from all HOF QBs, and some certain or possible future HOFers. First the name, then the completion pct, then the TD/INT ratio:

Aikman 61.5, 165/141

Baugh 56.5, 187/203

Blanda 47.7, 236/277

Bradshaw 51.9, 212/210

Dawson 57.1, 239/183

Elway 56.9, 300/266

Fouts 58.8, 254/242

Graham 55.8, 174/135

Griese 56.2, 192/172

Jurgenson 57.1, 255/189

Kelly 60.1, 237/175

Layne 49.0, 196/243

Luckman 51.8, 137/132

Marino 59.4, 420/252

Moon 58.4, 291/233

Namath 50.1, 173/220

Starr 57.4, 152/138

Staubach 57.0, 153/109

Tarkenton 57.0, 342/266

Tittle 55.2, 242/248

Unitas 54.6, 290/253

Van Brocklin 53.6, 173/178

Waterfield 50.3, 97/128

Young 64.3, 232/107

And look at some certain or potential future HOFers:

Favre 62.0, 508/336

P. Manning 65.2, 436/209

Brady 63.7, 334/123

Brees 65.6, 324/165

McNabb 59.0, 234/117

E. Manning, 58.6, 211/144

Ben Roeth. 63.1, 191/108

Rodgers 65.7, 171/46

The completion pcts. and the TD/Int. ratios of the latter group that has played primarily in the 21st century seems to me to be exponentially higher overall than those of the first group.

Can you imagine how guys like Namath, Layne, Waterfield, Blanda and a few others would be viewed today with a barely 50% completion pct. and a vastly upside down TD/INT. ratio?

I mean, these guys would probably be considered better than them:

Derek Anderson 52.8, 53/55

Tim Couch 59.8 64/67

The run game was much more prominent then, especially in scoring opportunities.

No doubt today's QB's are leaps and bounds ahead of the QBs of lore in terms of preparedness, athleticism and football knowledge. But a lot of those yesteryear QB's didn't have the same opportunities as those today do. Give Montana and Baughaccess to minicamps and clinics from adolescence, HD film at the touch of a button, super complex statistical breakdowns of each and every opposing defense and 6'5 WRs that run 4.3 40's, and I think the numbers would be slightly more even.

Each generation just stands on the shoulders of their predecessors.