OK, the quarterbacking in the NFL is pretty bad in a lot of different places. Now I know there are always people like Dr. Z at SI who are always whining about players not being as good/tough/whatever as they used to be, but I have to say that there are several teams this season whose quarterback play is holding them back royally. I'm talking about quarterback play so bad that it's turning teams that had a shot at being contenders into also rans. Some of these were unexpected, but others should have dealt with before the season started. Let's take a look:
Tavaris Jackson/Gus Frerrotte: Now I'm all for brothers getting a chance to play quarterback, but when they stink they should get benched like anybody else. Jackson stunk up the joint for two weeks, and was a major reason the Vikings blew a week two matchup with the Colts despite thoroughly dominating them defensively for most of the contest. Jackson is one of those guys who just can't seem to connect on passes when you need him to, and for whom a 200 yard game requires a superhuman performance. In two starts he completed barely over 50 percent of his passes and didn't throw for 200 yards either time. Frerotte isn't much better; in a career spanning almost 15 years now, he's managed to make a living by always looking like a better option than a team's awful starter. Somehow he manages to find his way into the starting lineup after the sorry starter stinks it up, looks decent for a minute and then proceeds to suck every bit as much as the guy who used to be in front of him. The Vikings have managed to win three out of four with him, but it's more in spite of him than anything else. Like Jackson, he just has these moments where it seems he's unable to complete a pass, but unlike Jackson he does manage to put together a good drive or two to salvage what would have otherwise been a bad day. This dastardly duo is threatening to destroy the Viking season; a lot of so called experts had them making major noise in the playoffs, but that was dependent on the QB position being at least functional; with things going the way they are, it's highly unlkely that they'll get better than a wildcard berth.
Matt Cassell: Now I didn't expect Tom Brady's backup to play as well as he did himself last year, but Cassell is showing everyone just why he's the backup and Brady is the starter. With Cassell the most potent passing attack in the league has now been turned into one where you can't rely on the quarterback to win the game for you anymore. Cassell's has shown he can move the ball some, and throw for one touchdown every game, but for the most part he's a guy who needs the running game to perform AND the defense to hold the other team down every week. IF either doesn't happen, he's screwed and so are the Patriots. Last year a Brady-led Pats team routed a full strength Chargers team; yesterday, with Brady being the only guy missing for the Pats but the Chargers being down Shawn Merriman, the tables were turned. I'm guessing that Brady was a much bigger loss than Merriman looking at the result. The division was once assumed to be the Pats' to lose, but if Cassell gets no better it's wildcard at best.
Houston: This is mostly the work of backup Sage Rosenels, but starter Matt Schaub isn't totally innocent here. In the Texans first two games, he threw for a combined 390 yards, 1 touchdown, and 5 interceptions. Yikes. He did much better in week four against Jacksonville, but then Rosenfels filled for him in week five and delivered what may have been the worst two minutes of quarterback play out of a veteran that we've seen in a long time. That iff fated helicopter move is one of the most boneheaded plays ever, and it cost them the game. Schaub was back at it this week in the Texans first win of the season, but didn't play a whole lot better. 52 percent passing, 1 TD, and two picks are not the stuff legends are made of. The big question I have is this: Is Schaub really that much of an upgrade over David Carr? Carr was no Pro Bowler, but he did lead them to a competitve 7-9 season in one his years there and wasn't without some good games. I really think that if the Texans are looking for Matt Schaub to get them over the hump in their division they'll be waiting for along time.
Who else should make the 'Bad QBs dragging down otherwise good teams' list? Let's hear it:
i agree
I agree with u on the bad QB play, but u also have to take into account poor coaching in some cases. I'm from Minnesota and watched the colts game, childress called a rollout pass so many times that even the terrible fox announcers saw It coming.
Without a doubt, horrible playcalling gets it's share of the blame. But we never know just how much bad playcalling is based on the coach feeling that his players can't execute certain things right. Top notch QBs can make chicken salad out chicken #@! when stupid plays are called.
Its pretty funny. I bet some of these owners and coaches are putting money on Michael Vick's commissary.
You know they are. I've said it a million times; he will be back.
Jerry Jones is getting that check ready.