One Sorry Blog

Week 8 - Calling All Quarterbacks

By Ace Cummins

A quick scan through the various boxscores of Week 7 and it isn’t difficult to notice that the Quaterback position is having issues. Over one quarter of NFL teams started a different quarterback in Week 7 then they opened the season with. This trend isn’t changing in week 8 either. Check out this list of starting NFL QBs this week: Trent Dilfer (San Francisco), Quinn Gray (Jacksonville), Trent Edwards (Buffalo), Cleo Lemon (Miami), Kerry Collins (Tennessee), Vinny Testaverde (Carolina), and Brian Griese (Chicago). Two teams on byes this week have QB issues as well (Arizona and Baltimore). Six other teams head into week 8 with either someone different under center than in week one or are experiencing instability due to terrible play or injury. The Raiders (McCown/Culpepper), Falcons (Vick/Harrington/Leftwich), Rams (Bulger/Frerotte), Vikings (Jackson/Holcombe), Texans (Schaub/Rosenfels), and Browns (Frye/Anderson) all make the list.

Sure, for teams like the Browns the switch seems to have paid off. But instability at the QB position rarely leads to success in the NFL. Only half of NFL teams have stability at the game’s most important position. Not surprisingly, seven of the eight division leaders headed into week 8 have stable QBs. The lone exception is Carolina of the NFC South that has lost Jake Delhomme for the remainder of the season. However, the stable Bucs and Jeff Garcia are nipping at their heels.

Moral of the story… NFL teams need to do what ever it takes to have an effective, stable QB. And then do whatever it takes to keep them healthy. Without it, playoff chances are slim to none.

Which begs the question: If Vinny Testaverde, Kerry Collins and Quinn Gray can find themselves under center this year in the NFL…. Why are Drew Bledsoe and Jake Plummer in the witness protection program?

Week 8 picks…

Browns (-3) @ Rams
The Rams are 0-7. And for some crazy reason I really like the Browns.

Colts (-7) @ Panthers
Manning vs. Testaverde. It’s Peyton, not Archie. It’s 2007, not 1988. Wait, Testeverde threw 35 INTs in 1988. I wouldn’t take Vinny then either.

Bills (+3) @ Jets
The Bills have quietly put together three solid outings. This includes a three point win against these very same Jets back in September. The Jets have one won one game this year (Miami) and lost four in a row, including the last two to Philly and Cincy. Man-Genius? Not quite. Two teams going in opposite directions. At worst this will be a close game. I’ll take the points, thank you.

Eagles @ Vikings (+1)
The Vikings are dogs at home? To the Eagles? Weird. The Eagles have proven one thing this year: Don’t bet on ‘em. I learned that the hard way. Put a circus over that tent.

*****Five-Star Pick of the Week*****Bucs (-3.5) @ Jags
I rode the Jags to my 5-star victory last week. Quinn Gray made that pick a lock before halftime. Guess what? He’s starting again this week. This time he’s on the road. It is quite possible the Jags will not score a point. And I really like the Bucs at home.

Ace Cummins is 25-25-4 overall and 9-3 on 5-star picks. Please send all hate mail, questions, fantasy football lineup dilemmas and 10% of your profits to ace.osb@gmail.com.