Halfway through the 2023 NFL season, a prevailing theme of media coverage and fan discourse has been the consistently (allegedly) bad quarterback play.

Here in Las Vegas, I’m living in one of the hot zones: The Raiders began this season with veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo managing to lead the NFL in interceptions even while missing multiple games with injuries; at one point he was replaced by rookie Aidan O’Connell, who was sacked seven times in his pro debut; and another time, Jimmy G was replaced by aged veteran Brian Hoyer, who threw two picks in an embarrassing loss to a team that was starting an undrafted rookie quarterback. Before the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels (who was supposed to be a quarterback guru) on Halloween, commentary on the team’s poor performance constantly centered on the underperforming quarterbacks.

At one point or another this season — or just covering the whole season — the same tune was being sung by people who follow the Cardinals, Falcons, Panthers, Bears, Browns, Cowboys, Broncos, Packers, Colts, Rams, Vikings, Patriots, Saints, Giants, Jets, Steelers, 49ers, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Titans, and Commanders. Almost every team in the league has suffered from what’s been called an epidemic of bad quarterback play. Even proven superstar QBs like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow have had stretches of subpar play by their lofty standards.

I’m not going to argue with the statheads and claim that the numbers will show that NFL QBs are just fine this season and that the whole thing is being blown out of proportion.

Rather, I’ll just offer a seemingly obvious reason for the rough QB play that isn’t being talked about enough: If NFL quarterbacks are really bad, it’s because NFL defenses are really, really good.

One thing to remember about NFL quarterbacks is that every single one of them was great before they got to the NFL. Whether it was playing for a national championship powerhouse at Clemson, or a Division II squad you’ve never heard of such as Shepherd University, a quarterback has to be great in college to even get a job in the NFL. They had to have a cannon for an arm, and/or pinpoint throwing accuracy, and/or sound decision making and leadership skills, and/or proven bona fides in clutch situations with the ball in their hands and an offense under their control.

It’s not like they forgot how to play football as soon as they reached the pro level. Their arms didn’t get weaker; their laser-like focus didn’t dissipate; their ability to thread a needle with a football didn’t go away; they didn’t lose football IQ points or suddenly become scared of big moments. In fact, the traits that allowed them to excel pre-NFL should theoretically improve in the NFL, as now it’s their job to get stronger, smarter, and more accurate without having to bother with going to school.

What happened wasn’t a regression in the skills of the quarterback; rather, it’s the drastic leveling-up of their competition — that is, the defenses they now face in the NFL.

When Mac Jones was racking up passing yards and touchdowns at Alabama, he was doing it against, say, a Mississippi State defense that might have two or three NFL talents among its 11 starters. Now when he takes snaps in the NFL for the Patriots, Mac Jones is facing defenses that have 11 NFL talents among its 11 starters, and 11 more NFL talents among their 11 backups. He’s facing 11 All-Americans, all-conference picks, award winners, five-star recruits … the best football players in the world. And those players are often coached by a veteran defensive coordinator who’s been around the NFL for years, with the best support staffs in the sport as far as defensive assistants.

And, yes, Mac Jones is supported on offense by 10 teammates who are all NFL talents, and led by NFL offensive coordinators and assistants. So it evens out in a sense. But it also means that QBs aren’t the only ones who struggle. There are great college linebackers who aren’t great pros because the competition got better. Explosive college receivers who fade into the background in the NFL surrounded by similarly talented athletes. Safeties, kickers, running backs, nose tackles … every position on the field.

Quarterbacks aren’t worse than the rest. Quarterbacks just get the most attention and have their struggles cast under the brightest spotlight because they play the game’s most glamorous and scrutinized position. Some of that spotlight should go where it belongs, to the NFL’s great defenses.