Throws of a crisis: the quarterback play has been largely lousy this season—and don't look for it to improve anytime soon

"I am finding out that more games are being lost than won with the quarterback play," says CBS analyst Solomon Wilcots, a former NFL defensive back. "If this is not the worst I have seen it, it certainly is getting there. This one position is holding teams hostage."

The league only has to look inward to see reasons for the quarterback decline. Blame two culprits: parity and its brother demon--lack of time. Then mix in the dilution of talent at the position created by the needs of 32 teams. Supply doesn't come close to meeting demand.

With everyone in the rush to win immediately, teams no longer feel they have time to properly develop young quarterbacks. Remember the conventional thinking that it takes four or five years to groom a quarterback? Well, the Bengals, who kept Palmer on the bench his rookie season, are considered radical within a league that almost inevitably uses highly regarded quarterbacks for at least some of their first seasons. And most simply can't handle the complexities of NFL defenses, which are making it the hardest it has ever been for a quarterback to play in the league. "We are asking these young guys to be legends from the moment they hit the field, and that is unfair," says Wilcots.

"Coaches have to do what they have to do to win," says Theismann. "They have so much pressure to produce now that no thought is given to the long term--what's best down the road for the team or the quarterback. So they wind up playing the young guy too fast. Or they might stay with a vet who isn't very good but can manage a game. And then they hope that is enough. It's crazy." Coaches get fired quickly, offensive systems change, the quarterback has to start over; all are impediments to producing quality at the spot.

Wilcots has studied the development of quarterbacks. He maintains it takes about 32 starts for most to sufficiently grasp the intricacies of the NFL before they actually can excel. "But during that road to 32 starts, there are so many inconsistencies and down moments that the kid and his coach have to be strong to fight through it," says Wilcots. "And that is not always the case. But if you don't let them get to those 32 starts, you are never going to find out if they can play or not."

Maybe if some of the struggling youngsters can reach that 32-game mark, this mess might at least be mitigated. And maybe more incoming college quarterbacks will learn faster than expected.

Otherwise, the league better hope McCloughan is right when he says, "This is a league of trends, and that's what this is. In 10 years, we'll be talking about how good the quarterbacking is." Maybe. But until then, ouch.

RELATED ARTICLE: A lack of luminaries.

Let's face it, quarterbacks are stars. So let's judge them accordingly. We tested the QBs with significant playing time this season on the star meter and came up with some pretty bleak results. Our conclusion: The NFL is lacking abundant brightness at the position.--P.A.