Now that the New York Jets have named rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez their starter, here's a look at other teams with question marks halfway through the preseason schedule, including a few that might surprise you.
-- OAKLAND: JaMarcus Russell was named the team's starter Monday, beating out veteran Jeff Garcia. Russell was supposed to be a star by now, his third season in the pros, but he remains full of holes. You have to wonder if the Raiders made a mistake taking him No. 1 overall and if he'll lose his job eventually to Garcia.
-- MINNESOTA: When you pull the aging Brett Favre out of retirement, it's safe to say you have issues. The thing is, Favre, 39, is a better option than Minnesota's other choices -- Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Favre seems capable of some magic, but can he stay healthy for the whole season? Ask the Jets how this might end.
-- KANSAS CITY: After a rough first week when Matt Cassel went 2-of-5 for 15 yards, the Chiefs must have been swallowing hard, wondering if they made the right call bringing in Cassel. He rebounded in Week 2, but there has to be this nagging question in Kansas City until Cassel proves himself in the regular season -- is he really good or was he a product of New England great offense last season?
-- DENVER: The first three drives with Kyle Orton behind center in Denver ended in interceptions. You could almost hear Bears fans laughing. Orton did bounce back in Week 2, but he isn't making anyone forget the traded Jay Cutler. In fact, Orton's performance so far this summer, especially that awful opening start, has opened up a QB battle with Chris Simms, who has looked strong but has played against backups.
-- SAN FRANCISCO: A couple of days after Saturday's game against the Raiders, San Francisco named Shaun Hill the starter for the regular-season opener. It's not that Hill was that good but that Alex Smith was that bad. Smith was 3-of-9 for 30 yards and an interception. When asked about whom the starter would be, coach Mike Singletary at first said he hadn't been impressed by either quarterback and needed more time to decide. That's not good.
-- PHILADELPHIA: There isn't a controversy in Philadelphia ... yet. But you know how fickle Philly fans are. All it's going to take is one bad throw by Donovan McNabb and fans are going to start screaming for Michael Vick, who should be eligible to play in the regular season by the sixth or seventh week. But let's not forget Vick has been out of football for two years.
-- WASHINGTON: Jason Campbell has played five series this preseason, has completed only 30 percent of his passes and hasn't led a touchdown drive. Confidence in him isn't real high, especially after he started to slide last season. After a 6-2 start, the Redskins went 2-6 in the second half with Campbell throwing only five touchdowns with six interceptions. It's no secret that the Redskins showed interest in Cutler and now we're starting to understand why.
-- DETROIT: No. 1 overall pick Matt Stafford is the future, but he isn't ready yet. Until he is, the Lions will go with veteran Daunte Culpepper, who hasn't started and won a game since Nov. 25, 2007. And many experts aren't convinced Stafford has the makeup to be a good pro quarterback.
-- TENNESSEE: When Vince Young led Texas to the national championship in January 2006, did you think we would be starting his fourth season as a backup? To Kerry Collins, no less? While Young brags that someday he's going to the Hall of Fame as one of the best quarterbacks ever, he can't even lay claim to being the best quarterback in his locker room.
-- CLEVELAND: It's a close race between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Anderson has shown flashes in the past and Quinn is full of potential. But it's a close call because neither is playing well. Neither has thrown a touchdown in the preseason, and they've combined for three interceptions.
-- CINCINNATI: Carson Palmer is a solid quarterback, but he can't stay healthy. He missed much of the 2008 season with an elbow injury, and now he's sidelined with an ankle injury. Palmer's ankle problems don't appear serious, but last year showed that when Palmer is hurt, the Bengals are in big trouble.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
column
Post new comment