Up and down they go

You may have noticed I changed the look of the blog. I did this for two reasons. One, I was getting bored with the old look. And two is because this format makes it easier to look in the archives for old posts. Now on to the column…


Being an NFL quarterback is a hard job. They have to study more then any person outside of MIT, watch more film then Roger Ebert and on Sunday, make plays while facing 11 guys who all want to knock off their head. They have to talk to the media, deal with fans, and are constantly looking over their shoulders for coaches who may want to make a change at the position. So there are obvious reasons that there is always some type of news involving the position. But it seems like now more then ever, NFL QB’s are dominating the news. Injuries, benchings, choke jobs, comebacks, and bird flippings. And since there are so many signal callers vying for front-page news, I decided to sort them out.

Stock Up

Phillip Rivers, Chargers---Sure, its easy to be a QB when you have Ladanian Tomlinson in your backfield, but Rivers is still putting up some amazing numbers. Over 2,400 yards, 15 touchdowns, only six picks. Plus San Diego is 9-2. And remember, this is pretty much Rivers’ rookie year. He didn’t play much the past two years, because the Chargers had….

Drew Brees, Saints---When he left San Diego last winter, NFL people were confused. Is this guy 100% healthy? Can he make plays without just dumping it off to L.T. or Antonio Gates? Will his lack of size hurt him? It looks like Brees has answered those questions. He’s already thrown for over 3,400 yards, including a 502-yard performance a few weeks back against the Bengals, and he has the surprising Saints in first place.

Tony Romo, Cowboys---What’s more impressive? The fact that since Romo has become the Dallas QB, the team is a lucky last second field goal away from being 5-0 or that this guy is dating Jessica Simpson? I was close to saying his 13 touchdowns and non-statue like style was tops, but its so difficult to deny Jesse the Body. Pretty good for a guy from Eastern Illinois.

Joey Harrington, Dolphins---Yes, you are reading this correctly. The Piano Man has played pretty well for the Fish. Since the Miami bye week in week eight, Harrington and the Dolphins are 4-0 with wins over playoff contenders like the Chiefs, Vikings and Bears. He also had his revenge game on Thanksgiving versus the Lions, where he threw three touchdowns in 27-10 win.

Vince Young, Titans---His performances may not be translating into too many wins for the Titans, but Vince is playing better then any other rookie QB is this season. Just look at that game last week versus the Giants. Sure, you can blame Eli Manning for that (See below) or Mathias Kiwanuka for not tackling V-10 (My new nickname for Young) when he had the chance, but give the QB some credit. Young made plays with his arm and his legs and gave Tennessee win number four of 2006.

Stock Down

Donovan McNabb, Eagles---Getting an ACL tear should not be a reason for getting on this list. But when it’s McNabb’s third season ending injury in five years, you get the label of injury prone, and that is the reason he’s on the list. Eventually the Eagles will have to move on and start re-building the team for another Super Bowl run. With him McNabb, Philadelphia was a borderline playoff contender. Without him, they have no chance.

Eli Manning, Giants---Other then A-Rod’s psychiatrist and Isaiah Thomas’ public relations manager, is there a worse job in the Big Apple then being Eli Manning these days? Not only does he have the pressure of playing the most important position in the most popular sport in the countries biggest city, but he is always going to be compared to his brother, who by the way is on his way to winning MVP number three this season. Plus Eli is struggling horribly and the G-Men have blown a division lead. Not so good.

Michael Vick, Falcons---Remember in 1998 when Jamal Anderson was leading the Falcons to the Super Bowl and after every touchdown he would do the chicken dance, and it became known as the Dirty Bird? Mike Vick has taken that to a whole new level. Now whenever the Falcons lose a game, Vick is going to flick the dirty bird. Eventually Atlanta is going to realize that Vick is never going to be the second coming of Steve Young. He is a great runner and a bellow average passer. Unless the Falcons get a great defense, Vick will never lead a team to a Super Bowl.

Jake Plummer, Broncos----Getting benched is never easy. Getting benched when your team is in the middle of a playoff race is even harder. But getting benched and being replaced by a rookie is the worst. Unfortunately for Jake the Snake, that’s what’s happening to him. I guess when you throw more interceptions then touchdowns and your QB rating is below the league average, the bench may be the best place for Plummer.

Rex Grossman, Bears---I didn’t want to do this. It hurts me to write this paragraph. I’m a big Rex fan. Always have been, ever since he led the Gators to the Orange Bowl in 2001. But right now, it is hard to see a reason why Rex should be the Bears QB for much longer. Last week versus New England, he threw three interceptions and fumbled a snap inside the Patriots ten-yard line. For the season he has thrown 14 interceptions, 11 of which have come in the Bears last six games. And this is the guy I said should be in the Pro Bowl last week.


Since the NFL has added a weekly Thursday game, I will be making that pick today and then selecting the other 15 games on Friday. My pick as always is in bold.

Baltimore at Cincinnati