After five weeks of action, grumbles are beginning to grow louder in several NFL cities. So let's humor the fan bases that would like to see a change under center. Which starting quarterback most needs to be replaced by his backup?
I like Matt Cassel. This has nothing to do with his concussion or cheering an injury -- something that made offensive tackle Eric Winston lash out -- appropriately -- at fans. Instead, it's the reality of the NFL. Cassel is not the long-term answer for the Kansas City Chiefs. Great guy, good leader, but not a good enough quarterback. Through five mistake-filled games, Cassel is in the bottom half of the league in quarterback rating, completion percentage, yards, etc. Yet he also has a stellar running game, which should make him more efficient.
Backup Brady Quinn came in Sunday and, though it's a limited sample size, went 3-for-3 for 32 yards. It's time for more snaps from Quinn.
I love Russell Wilson as a player. He has a ton of potential and should be a good NFL quarterback someday. He's not that guy now, though, and it doesn't make sense that Pete Carroll continues to start him, despite having a veteran like Matt Flynn on the bench. The Seattle Seahawks have a playoff-ready defense and running game. They could be title contenders with even marginal quarterback play. They are trying to hide Wilson and play around him.
Seattle is very lucky to be 3-2. Wilson's time will come, but this team screams to be taken over by a veteran.
Mike Vick has given head coach Andy Reid little choice but to consider sitting him for at least a week. As electric as he can be with the ball in his hands, Vick's 11 turnovers (plus a number of kept fumbles and near interceptions) are making it difficult for the Philadelphia Eagles to overcome any mistakes made by anyone else on the team.
Giving rookie Nick Foles at least a taste of action could be the wake-up call Vick needs to lock up the ball more consistently.
The one team I would look at is the Chiefs. With Matt Cassel struggling and then getting hurt, it could be time for a change in Kansas City. Besides the fact that Brady Quinn came into the game and did some positive things, Cassel is a middle-of-the-road quarterback who needs to play smart, turnover-free football to be successful. He also needs a talented cast around him.
The momentum is there for a switch in K.C. and I would do it. They're 1-4 and not playing well. If Quinn fails, they can go back to Cassel. And maybe the break would be good for him anyway.
Forgive me for sounding like a conspiracy theorist, but I imagine some New York Jets fans -- maybe even some people in the Jets front office -- are quietly rooting for Mark Sanchez to fail so that Tim Tebow can take the reins as the team's starting quarterback.
So far, so good.
I'll admit, I was kind of rooting for Sanchez when he boldly proclaimed he was the starting quarterback of the New York Jets. You kind of like that swagger. Too bad it didn't translate on the field. Sanchez's 69.6 passer rating is miserable, and he has nearly as many interceptions (4) as touchdowns (5).
So the Jets have their excuse for turning to Tebow. They gave Sanchez a shot (just no weapons). Now the team can finally see what it has in the most-talked-about backup quarterback in NFL history. He could provide the spark that helps save the season. He could do nothing. Either way, the move will help the bottom line when it comes to merchandise sales.
You mean besides Mark Sanchez? You mean besides Matt Cassel? How about Ryan Fitzpatrick? The Buffalo Bills gave him a huge contract extension just when the league started to figure him out, which gives them the Bad Timing Award for this millennium. He simply can't win games against good defenses.
Much like Tony Romo, or anyone else who wasn't drafted, he's made the most of his ability to get this far, but he's hit his ceiling. Not that Tyler Thigpen is the full-time answer, but he's a mobile playmaker who's done well when given opportunities in the past. And maybe he won't turn the ball over as much. In his last 16 games, Fitzpatrick has thrown 26 touchdowns ... and 27 interceptions.
It's not that Fitzpatrick is bad, he's just gone as far as he can go -- and so have the Bills with this current situation.
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