By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Looking around the NFL we’ve seen the tussle and round about back and forth changes with starting quarterbacks worse than the coaching carousel. In Cleveland, we’ve seen it with Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, San Francisco with Alex Smith and Shaun Hill, Oakland, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Detroit, and the list goes on and on. You’d expect some teams to have an answer somewhere within their depth charts to position their team and be able to lead them.

With Jake Lockler making the announcement that he will return for his senior season that means that there will be less talent for teams to try and correct these awful issues. The quarterback situations in the NFL are at a point of desperate measures. There have been numerous games this season that showcases this point. The following statistics by these quarterbacks actually translated to a win for their respective teams somehow. Luckily at the top of the crop for quarterbacks there are perennial future hall of famers that are taking much attention for how poor the quarterbacking actually is right now. Even last years rookies that came on strong a year ago have struggled in 2009 in Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco.

Jamarcus Russell- 7-24 for 109 yards…translated to a week two victory 13-10 over the KC Chiefs
Ryan Fitzpatrick- 12-20 for 86 yards translated to a week fourteen victory 16-10 over the KC Chiefs
Derek Anderson- 2-17 for 23 yards translated to a week five 6-3 win over the Buffalo Bills
*Jake Delhomme- 9-17 for 65 yards translated to a week 6 28-21 win over the Tampa Bay Bucs
7-14 for 90 yards translated to a week 8 34-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals

This is just stupefying to see these type of performances continue with winning results. How are teams unable to counter such a terrible performance from the lead catalyst on the other side of the ball? Since teams won’t be able to correct these issues in the draft it means they’ll have to dive deep onto other teams rosters in hope of landing some sort of respectable 2010 season. Some teams have excuses as they’re in a transition phase and trying to develop their young quarterbacks. Most though just need to make that tough decision and move on to a future prospect.

We do know this…the way Mike Vick’s played the last few weeks has likely re-entered teams minds to think hard about getting him on their roster. Vick seems to be settling back into NFL game speed and that has translated into more of his involvement with the Eagles packaging him in on crucial plays. Philadelphia actually has the best talented depth chart at the quarterback position. Kevin Kolb played fantastic in two starts due to McNabb’s rib injury. Philadelphia will have to find a way to continue build for a Super Bowl run and Donovan McNabb isn’t going anywhere. Look for the Eagles to shop their primary backup quarterbacks.

Brett Favre’s proved aging at quarterback can be a good thing. Arizona’s Kurt Warner is two years younger (38) and not showing any signs of slowing down. The game he missed with post concussion symptoms showcased just how far along he is running this team than backup Matt Leinart. Once the off-season comes around the Cardinals will likely look for Warner to give them an answer on how many years he plans on playing. If he has multiple years left in the tank look for the Cardinals to shop Leinart and give him a chance to go through actual growing pains on the field.

A couple of other quarterbacks to keep an eye on happen to be quarterbacks that lost their jobs this season. Tarvaris Jackson is in a position where he will have too much pressure and no shot at ever fielding a game in a Minnesota Vikings uniform as a starter. The way Brett Favre has come out and won is exactly how Brad Childress pictured it. It isn’t Jackson that you see Favre going to asking what he is seeing from another set of quarterbacks eyes. It is Sage Rosenfels.

In San Francisco Shaun Hill inevitably was yanked due to his Delhomme like performances and inability to stretch the field. A year ago though he was doing a fine job and had this team clicking. Maybe the pressure of having a former number one pick breathing down his neck to take his job finally got too him. Nevertheless teams like proven winners that can get the job done, and Hill has shown that he can do just that. It appears that Alex Smith is doing enough now that this quarterback battle of three years may finally be over.