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

Paul Attner

We see it every week. Inexplicable interceptions, passes that bounce at the feet of open receivers, throws not even close to intended targets, hapless hot reads, no-clue thinking. We see it every week--too many quarterbacks simply overmatched by defenses, stumbling around with awful mechanics and terrible execution, producing mindless mistakes and embarrassing performances. It doesn't matter if they are old or young; lots of this quarterbacking is just plain lousy.

How lousy? Let's go back to Week 7. There were so many frightful displays of bad play that you wonder how in the name of Johnny Unitas this could be happening. Here are some passer ratings from that nightmare--and remember, anything below 80.0 is mediocre at best: Michael Vick 16.3, Trent Dilfer 22.4, Gus Frerotte 37.3, Alex Smith 41.7, Drew Bledsoe 50.0, Carson Palmer 53.8, Josh McCown 55.7 and Matt Hasselbeck 58.0. Another nine were below 77.4. To earn these woeful numbers takes a combination of poor accuracy, low yards per completion, too many interceptions and not enough touchdowns. So imagine the level of dreadfulness produced by 17 of 28 starters in those 14 games.

But Week 7 is not an exception; it is close to reflecting the norm. Some lowlights from a season of shameful quarterback play.

Week 1: David Carr has a 12.1 rating against Buffalo, with three interceptions.

Week 2: Joey Harrington and Daunte Culpepper each throw five interceptions.

Week 3: Kyle Orton's line: 17-of-39 with five interceptions and a 14.7 rating against Cincinnati. Aaron Brooks' line: 12-of-32 with two interceptions and a 43.6 rating against Minnesota.

Week 5: Smith commits five turnovers against the Colts.

Week 6: Tommy Maddox has an 11-of-28 embarrassment against Jacksonville, including four turnovers, the last of which is an overtime interception for the winning touchdown.

Week 8: Jeff Garcia's horrible across-the-body overtime pass is returned by the Bears for the winning score. Brett Favre has five interceptions against the Bengals.

Week 10: The 49ers' Cody Pickett is 1-of-f3 for 28 yards and a 7.5 rating against the Bears.

Week 11: Frerotte's line against the Browns: 4-of-18, 53 yards, 39.6 rating.

Week 13: Brooks has four interceptions and Ben Roethlisberger three. Bledsoe is 15-of-39 with two interceptions and two fumbles against the Giants.

Week 14: Rams rookie Ryan Fitzpatrick throws five interceptions against the Vikings, Kyle Boiler has a rating of 31.4 after three quarters against the Broncos, Mark Brunell racks up three interceptions and a 34.2 rating against Arizona, and J.P. Losman has an 8.5 rating with 3 minutes left against the Patriots.

Week 15: Vick goes 13-of-32 for 122 yards on one interception (25.8 rating) against the Bears; Brad Johnson throws for 9 yards in the second half against the Steelers; and Todd Bouman, starting for Brooks, has four interceptions and loses a fumble against Carolina.

If this is not the worst quarterbacking we've ever witnessed, it's close. Eight teams have benched their opening game quarterback, at least briefly. In all, 54 quarterbacks have started at least one game, including four for the 49ers. This clearly is a league with a quarterback crisis: Too many 30-and-older quarterbacks are nearing the ends of their careers with no replacements waiting, and too many young quarterbacks aren't ready to grasp the base fundamentals of being a pro, much less to assume star status. As the level of quality at this position deteriorates, it drags down the quality of play within the league. The NFL is quarterback-driven; most of the stars come from this position--and without stars, not even a Goliath like the NFL can escape unaffected. After all, would you really pay to see Frerotte play against Brooks Bollinger every week?

"We've always been as good as our quarterbacks have made us," says Texans G.M. Charley Casserly. "It's a concern when the position has problems."

Right now, the NFL is being driven by a handful of elite quarterbacks. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are future Hall of Famers. Culpepper and Donovan McNabb, both out with injuries, are dominant, and Vick is unimaginably exciting. They've been joined by Palmer, already a striking player in his second year as a starter. With Favre slumping and Steve McNair hobbled, those are the marquee names. That's it. Roethlisberger is close, and maybe others eventually will emerge, players such as Byron Leftwich and Eli Manning. But it is a short list. Otherwise, we have too much of what's not good. After all, this is a league in which Chicago, a potential division winner, has the 34th and last-rated passer in Orton (59.5), and he was replaced last Sunday in the second half by Rex Grossman.

"It makes me puke every week," says one NFL team executive about the league's level of quarterback play.

"We are in trouble in the quarterback ranks," says ESPN analyst Joe Theismann, a former Redskins quarterback. "I came into this season wondering, 'Is this going to be the year of quarterbacking?' I am getting an answer, but I don't like what it is. It just amazes me how sloppy the play at this position has become. Sometimes I wonder, 'Can some of these guys do any of it right?'"

The situation is exaggerated by the looming age problem. On opening day, 12 teams started quarterbacks 30 or older. Bledsoe (33), Kurt Warner (34), Trent Green (35) and Johnson (37), who took over for Culpepper in Week 9, certainly have played well enough to extend their careers. But at least four others--Dilfer (33), Collins (33 on December 30), Frerotte (34) and McNair (32)--are finished or near the end of their effectiveness. Brian Griese (30) will be coming off an injury, and Favre (36) is uncertain about his future. No matter. Within three years--maybe two--none of these 10 men will be starters; most will be retired. And forget, too, about Garcia (35) and Brunell (35). That leaves Jake Plummer (32), Hasselbeck (30) and Jake Delhomme (30) as the only 30-plus players still in their primes.

This offseason, the Dolphins, Titans, Lions, Raiders, Redskins, Cardinals, Jets, Saints and Ravens must address quarterback problems created by age, injury, ineptness or a mixture of all three. Buffalo (Losman), San Francisco (Smith), Tampa Bay (Chris Simms), Cleveland (Charlie Frye), Houston (Carr) and Chicago (Orton or Grossman) don't know whether they have quarterbacks good enough to take them to the playoffs consistently--or at all. Kansas City and Dallas lack quality prospects waiting to replace Green and Bledsoe, and who knows whether Aaron Rodgers can fill any of the void left when Favre retires. Add it up. That's 18 teams without much available as replacements. That's why Philip Rivers, if the Chargers choose to trade him, will create a feeding frenzy in the offseason.

What's more, the league can't look to colleges for immediate help; too many schools are using spread formations with quarterbacks working from the shotgun instead of from behind center, which drastically inhibits their readiness for the NFL From the current crop of draftable quarterbacks, seniors Matt Leinart of USC and Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt are solid NFL prospects. After that, it's bleak.

"If we think we are going to find a lot of replacements from college, we are fooling ourselves," says Scot McCloughan, the 49ers' vice president of player personnel. "Colleges are putting athletes at quarterback who can run and scramble and make plays from the spread look, not dropback passers. So these guys are not being polished. When they get with us, they need more training, and that takes time."

That's what San Francisco has discovered about Smith, the top pick in last April's draft who worked from Utah's spread offense. The 49ers still believe Smith will be a standout, but his rookie season has been a disaster. His development stalled by a knee injury, he has made five starts and has not thrown a touchdown pass but has 10 interceptions and a horrid 26.6 rating. It's difficult for him to progress quickly considering he entered training camp still uncomfortable behind center.

For teams forced to turn to backups, it gets worse. Consider the play of Bollinger, Ken Dorsey, Pickett, Fitzpatrick and Marques Tuiasosopo. That's why the Jets would sign Vinny Testaverde off the streets at age 42 and why some of the old guys playing this year will continue to find employment despite their deteriorating skills.

"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.

PLAYER                   TEAM        AGE   RATING

Peyton Manning (a)       Colts       29     104.3
Tom Brady (a)            Patriots    28      93.3
Carson Palmer (a)        Bengals     26     102.6
Michael Vick (a)         Falcons     25      71.8
Donovan McNabb * (a)     Eagles      29      85.0
Daunte Culpepper * (a)   Vikings     28      72.0
Matt Hasselbeck (b)      Seahawks    30      96.3
Brett Favre (b)          Packers     36      75.4
Jake Plummer (b)         Broncos     32      91.3
Ben Roethlisberger (a)   Steelers    24     102.0
Jake Delhomme (b)        Panthers    30      86.5
Trent Green (b)          Chiefs      35      87.5
Drew Brees (a)           Chargers    26      91.6
Marc Bulger (a)          Rams        28      94.4
Eli Manning (a)          Giants      24      75.4
Drew Bledsoe (b)         Cowboys     33      86.1
Brad Johnson (b)         Vikings     37      83.7
Steve McNair (b)         Titans      32      85.3
Kurt Warner (b)          Cardinals   34      84.7
Byron Leftwich (a)       Jaguars     25      89.3
Chad Pennington * (a)    Jets        29      70.9
Brian Griese * (b)       Bucs        30      79.6
Kelly Holcomb (b)        Bills       32      90.5
Mark Brunell (b)         Redskins    35      87.0
Chris Simms (a)          Bucs        25      79.8
Kerry Collins (b)        Raiders     33      78.2
Jeff Garcia (b)          Lions       35      65.1
David Carr (a)           Texans      26      73.8
Aaron Brooks (a)         Saints      28      70.0
Trent Dilfer (b)         Browns      33      76.9
David Garrard (a)        Jaguars     27      79.1
Gus Frerotte (b)         Dolphins    34      70.3
Josh McCown (a)          Cardinals   26      66.2
Vinny Testaverde (b)     Jets        42      54.9
Kyle Orton (a)           Bears       22      59.9
Mike McMahon (a)         Eagles      26      50.2
Kyle Boller (a)          Ravens      24      63.0
J.P. Losman (a)          Bills       24      64.9
Tim Rattay (a)           Bucs        28      70.3
Jamie Martin (b)         Rams        35      83.2
Joey Harrington (a)      Lions       27      69.2
Ken Dorsey (a)           49ers       24      66.9
Anthony Wright (a)       Ravens      29      71.7
Alex Smith (a)           49ers       21      26.6
Brooks Bollinger (a)     Jets        26      72.7
Ryan Fitzpatrick (a)     Rams        23      58.2

PLAYER                   COMMENT                    STARS

Peyton Manning (a)       The current standard       *****
Tom Brady (a)            Hall of Fame lock          *****
Carson Palmer (a)        Best of the young guys     ****1/2
Michael Vick (a)         Scariest for defenses      ****1/2
Donovan McNabb * (a)     All he does is win         ****1/2
Daunte Culpepper * (a)   Scary big for a QB         ****1/2
Matt Hasselbeck (b)      Entering his prime         ****
Brett Favre (b)          One of the best ever       ****
Jake Plummer (b)         Finally has matured        ****
Ben Roethlisberger (a)   Ad-lib playmaker           ***1/2
Jake Delhomme (b)        Erratic but dangerous      ***1/2
Trent Green (b)          Experience helps           ***1/2
Drew Brees (a)           No longer a surprise       ***1/2
Marc Bulger (a)          Fits into Rams' scheme     ***1/2
Eli Manning (a)          Improving quickly          ***
Drew Bledsoe (b)         Just protect him           ***
Brad Johnson (b)         A major surprise           ***
Steve McNair (b)         Too many injuries          ***
Kurt Warner (b)          Pressure hurts him         ***
Byron Leftwich (a)       Made progress in '05       **1/2
Chad Pennington * (a)    Chronic arm problems       **1/2
Brian Griese * (b)       Never a star               **1/2
Kelly Holcomb (b)        Quality backup             **
Mark Brunell (b)         Bad second half            **
Chris Simms (a)          Is surviving Gruden        **
Kerry Collins (b)        Treading water             **
Jeff Garcia (b)          Injury prone               **
David Carr (a)           Sack battered              **
Aaron Brooks (a)         Saints ready to move on    **
Trent Dilfer (b)         Could be done              **
David Garrard (a)        Maybe he can play          **
Gus Frerotte (b)         Dismal year                **
Josh McCown (a)          His coach is impatient     **
Vinny Testaverde (b)     Back to retirement         **
Kyle Orton (a)           Lots to learn              **
Mike McMahon (a)         Career backup              *1/2
Kyle Boller (a)          Still plays nervous        *1/2
J.P. Losman (a)          Needs grooming             *1/2
Tim Rattay (a)           Lacks leadership           *1/2
Jamie Martin (b)         Not much upside            *1/2
Joey Harrington (a)      No future with the Lions   *1/2
Ken Dorsey (a)           Decent No. 2               *1/2
Anthony Wright (a)       Ravens washout             *1/2
Alex Smith (a)           Not ready to play          *
Brooks Bollinger (a)     Too much too soon          *
Ryan Fitzpatrick (a)     Has Martz's OK             *

* On injured reserve. Rating through Sunday.

(a) under 30

(b) 30 and up

RELATED ARTICLE: Let's fix this problem.

So, what can be done to improve the quality of NFL quarterbacking? Our suggestions.

1. If you have a young quarterback, follow the Bengals' model. Hire a veteran offensive coordinator who has worked with young quarterbacks and a well-qualified QBs coach who is responsible for day-to-day development. Then sit the rookie for a year--don't play him at all--and allow him time to learn. To jump-start Palmers development, the Bengals had him run the offense in a short segment of every practice during his rookie season. Most backups take no snaps during regular-season practices. And sign a veteran who can mentor the young quarterback, as Jon Kitna did Palmer.

2. Make sure quarterbacks coach isn't considered an entry-level staff position. Remarkably, until recently, a number of clubs had a tight ends coach but no quarterbacks coach. And don't let your coordinator also be the quarterbacks coach. "There isn't enough time in the day to do both; says ESPN analyst Joe Theismann.

3. Draft al least one quarterback a year. It's the Ron Wolf Model, named after the former Packers general manager. He felt it was a way to develop an unheralded player with little pressure and give him years to grow. The model works. Players drafted late by Wolf who eventually started for other teams include Matt Hasselbeck (sixth round), Mark Brunell (fifth) and Aaron Brooks (fourth). Kurt Warner also was on the Packers' roster briefly.

4. Develop a long-term growth plan for the team that allows the coach to have patience with his quarterback. This means the owner has to be strong and not give into the lures of parity and quick turnarounds. A constant shuffling of head coaches--and offensive systems--leads to quarterback problems.--P.A.

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