Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith is a proverbial “game manager” — and that title should strike fear in the hearts of Patriots fans, and others who harbor hopes of their team beating the Chiefs in the postseason.
Smith is a quietly efficient passer who, yes, has the benefit of being paired with an elite defense. But he wins games when he protects the football and when he posts a high passer rating — even if his total numbers, those big but ultimately meaningless volume stats that fuel fantasy football fervor, fail to impress the casual observer.
“Game manager” is used as a back-handed compliment at best, an open insult at worst — at least by folks who know little about the factors that win and lose NFL games.