| There is nothing more potentially distracting to an | | | | has pictures of someone on the coaching staff |
| NFL team than a quarterback controversy. When a | | | | cheating on his wife -- and he appears to be about |
| starter has his job threatened by a precocious | | | | to pull it off again. The difference is that this year |
| backup, or loses it altogether, it can divide the team | | | | there is a decent quarterback behind him (apologies |
| and hurt a whining millionaire's feelings. Ask Trent | | | | to Kyle Orton and Chad Hutchinson) in the form of |
| Green or Rob Johnson if they are sending Christmas | | | | Brian Griese. Chicago hasn't had a good QB since Jim |
| cards to Kurt Warner or Doug Flutie.The | | | | McMahon tortured us with the Super Bowl Shuffle. |
| quarterbacking is so inconsistent in the league these | | | | Griese is no Jim McMahon, but Grossman isn't a Super |
| days that half of the teams have real problems | | | | Bowl quarterback (although if Jeff Hostetler can win |
| heading into the season, and that's being generous. | | | | the big one, anyone can), so Griese should be in |
| Beyond the handful of star-caliber players, any | | | | charge of the offense before the Jets have been |
| quarterback could be a starter in September and | | | | eliminated from playoff contention (about October 3). |
| unemployed at Thanksgiving. Here's a look at eight | | | | Grossman will probably suffer his annual |
| teams with the most tenuous starters, and my odds | | | | season-ending injury by then, too.Green Bay Packers |
| that the player finishes the season with his job:Dallas | | | | (25/1) - How would the Rolling Stones tell Mick Jagger |
| Cowboys (3/2) - Stop me if you've heard this before | | | | that his lips are too big to be in the band anymore? |
| - Drew Bledsoe has a high-potential young QB with | | | | The Packers face a similar dilemma. The team is |
| no pro experience stuck behind him on the depth | | | | going to be bad, and Favre is going to struggle and |
| chart. The last time this happened some guy named | | | | get frustrated. However, it is doubtful that there are |
| Tom Brady took over after an injury and earned the | | | | enough balls in the state of Wisconsin for someone |
| right to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy while Bledsoe | | | | to tell him to shut up, sit down and give Aaron |
| got to polish his resume. The Dallas starter is having a | | | | Rodgers the ball. This could get ugly. Really, really |
| good training camp, and his role isn't in question. | | | | ugly.Buffalo Bills (75/1) - Can you have a quarterback |
| However, Tony Romo is playing so well that Bledsoe | | | | controversy when you don't really have a |
| is destined to end up with an ulcer worrying about | | | | quarterback? J.P. Losman is the starter, but no one is |
| what could happen to his job. I hope that Parcells | | | | mistaking him for Jim Kelly in Buffalo. Kelly Holcomb is |
| does bench Bledsoe at some point, just because the | | | | the backup. He's so good he couldn't even cut it with |
| explosion would be so much fun to watch. Bledsoe | | | | the quarterbacking powerhouse that is the Cleveland |
| wouldn't find his demotion nearly as funny as I | | | | Browns. The only saving grace for the Bills is that |
| would.Denver Broncos (8/1) - At this point, Jay Cutler | | | | they are going to be so bad that no one will notice, |
| apparently walks on water and is on the verge of | | | | or care, who their QB is.New York Jets (85/1) - You |
| curing cancer. That shining golden boy will be | | | | thought the Bills had it bad! Chad Pennington is |
| tempting for Bronco's fans, especially since Jake | | | | damaged goods, and he's fragile. Patrick Ramsey is, |
| Plummer is guaranteed to make 3.4 awful plays per | | | | well, Patrick Ramsey. Kellen Clemens is probably the |
| game. Cutler, of course, won't be nearly as good | | | | best of the bunch, but he is raw and a long way |
| under real conditions as he has been in the | | | | away from being ready for the primetime. Pennington |
| preseason, but that won't matter to the fans that | | | | is apparently going to start the season, but it doesn't |
| are booing and crying for the Snake's head. Plummer | | | | matter, because all three players will take a turn at |
| better win early and win often.Arizona Cardinals (20 | | | | starting before this nightmare season ends.Oakland |
| 1) - Kurt Warner went from best grocery store clerk | | | | Raiders (900/1) - The fact that Aaron Brooks is still a |
| in Iowa to the best quarterback in the league. That | | | | starting quarterback in the NFL is proof that there |
| was a long time ago. The last few years he has been | | | | isn't enough quarterbacking talent on the planet. It's |
| uninspiring. His numbers last year were helped by a | | | | not good enough to look eerily like Martin Lawrence. |
| freakishly talented receiving corps, and he will be | | | | Brooks got progressively worse in his last three |
| further helped by the addition of Edgerrin James. No | | | | seasons in New Orleans, and he wasn't exactly |
| amount of offensive strength around him, however, | | | | standing on top of Mt. Everest when he started this |
| can hide the fact that his spiral looks like a duck with | | | | freefall. Oakland is going to be a very bad team, and |
| a bullet in its gut. Matt Leinart hurt his case by holding | | | | Brooks certainly won't help the situation. One of his |
| out, but the Cards have a new stadium, which means | | | | backups will take over, probably right after Randy |
| more than 17 people will be attending their games. | | | | Moss runs Brooks over in the parking lot. I hope it's |
| When the Cards get off to a typically bad start (and | | | | Andrew Walter, because Tuiasosopo is way too hard |
| they will - they're the Cards), the pressure will be | | | | to spell.Check Doc's Sports site for daily sports |
| intense for Leinart to get the ball. The only reason | | | | betting articles, College Football Odds, NFL Odds, and |
| Dennis Green might not make the change is if he's | | | | NFL Power Rankings.Doc's Sports Handicapping |
| afraid of what Mrs. Warner might do to him.Chicago | | | | Service |
| Bears (25/1) - There is something in the water in | | | | 1-866-238-6696Since 1971 Doc's Sports has been |
| Chicago that blinds coaches to the fact that Rex | | | | recognized as one of the leaders and most trusted |
| Grossman is a truly terrible quarterback. He keeps | | | | names in sports handicapping information. |
| getting named starter -- proving that he definitely | | | | |