NFL season off to strange start for quarterbacks
Injuries are dropping quarterbacks left (clavicle) and right (elbow) just two weeks into the season. Catch up on football news in this week’s installment of NFL takeaways by writer Bob McManaman.
Cardinals insider and NFL writer Bob McManaman shares his observations and thoughts about what’s going on with the Cardinals and the rest of the league in his weekly offering that we like to call Tuesday’s Takeaways:
Only two weeks of the NFL regular season are in the books and with the alarming news that keeps spreading around the league, it’s difficult not to borrow a tearful line from that wise and whimsical philosopher of our time, Terrell Owens: “That’s my quarterback.” No, T.O., that was your quarterback.
In one of the strangest starts to a season perhaps ever, starting quarterbacks are disappearing left (clavicle) and right (elbow) before our sobbing eyes.
Five teams have already been forced to turn to backups, a sixth is making a change this week based on a coaching decision, and a seventh switch could be afoot Sunday because of, well, a foot problem.
“That’s a part of our sport,” Saints coach Sean Payton said after losing Drew Brees to a thumb injury in a Week 2 loss to the Rams.
Maybe, but this is crazy. Let’s just recap what we’ve witnessed thus far:
❚ It started with Andrew Luck’s blockbuster announcement two weeks before the season opener that he was re
tiring from the sport. The Colts, who were considered Super Bowl contenders, are now relying on Jacoby Brissett as their starter.
❚ Nick Foles of the Jaguars suffered a broken left clavicle during the first quarter of Jacksonville’s Week 1 loss to Kansas City. He’s since been replaced by rookie Gardner Minshew, the team’s sixth-round draft pick who, at the time, was the only other quarterback on the roster.
❚ Three more starting quarterbacks went down during Week 2 in Brees, who will miss at least six weeks following hand surgery, the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger, who will be lost for the year after undergoing elbow surgery, and the Jets’ Trevor Siemian, who injured his ankle Monday night and is also lost for the year after making an emergency start for Sam Darnold, who is sidelined with mononucleosis.
“Yeah, it’s been a weird week,” Jets third-stringer Luke Falk told reporters following Monday’s 23-3 loss to the Browns. “A week ago, I was on the practice squad and then tonight I’m standing in front of you guys after playing in a game.”
❚ More breaking news hit on Tuesday when Giants coach Pat Shurmur announced he is benching longtime starter Eli Manning in favor of rookie Daniel Jones.
“Ultimately, this is a move that I felt was best for the team at this time,” Shurmur said.
❚ Also on Tuesday, it was learned Panthers quarterback Cam Newton reaggravated a foot injury, leaving his status for Sunday’s game in Glendale against the Cardinals up in the air.
Newton, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery, hasn’t looked right at all. If he can’t play, Carolina will likely lean on Kyle Allen, the former Scottsdale Desert Mountain standout.
But wait, there’s more. The 0-2 Dolphins and 0-2 Redskins are both a mess and could be on the verge of making quarterback changes themselves with Miami possibly switching from Ryan Fitzpatrick to second-year pro Josh Rosen and Washington perhaps moving on from Case Keenum to rookie Dwayne Haskins.
Yeah, it’s not a great time to be a quarterback in the NFL.
Things I liked from Week 2
❚ After rushing for 120 yards in a 2317 win over the Cardinals, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a great comment when asked about the intangibles he brings with his running ability.
“I’d rather throw,” he said. “That what my job is — just get the ball to my guys, the receivers and tight ends. I’d rather throw than run. I’d rather win, too.”
❚ Garett Bolles’ honesty and humility. After getting called for holding four times during the Broncos’ loss to the Bears, Denver’s starting left tackle told reporters, “I’m going to turn this around, I promise y’all that.”
He better, because after getting penalized 34 times in 34 career starts, his job is in jeopardy.
❚ Julio Jones’ game-winning touchdown against the Eagles when the Falcons wide receiver caught a screen pass from Matt Ryan on fourth and 3, got a pair of awesome blocks from Jake Matthews and Mohamed Sanu and exploited a defense playing without any safeties deep for a 54-yard score.
Things I didn’t
Texans pass rusher J.J. Watt’s comments to the Houston Chronicle in which he said a member of the officiating crew told him he saw Watt being held by a Jaguars’ offensive lineman but decided not to throw a flag.
“The ref literally admitted to me that guy held me on one play and he didn’t throw the flag,” Watt said. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that after a play. I look over at the ref and he says, ‘Yes, I saw him hold you, but I didn’t throw the flag.’ I’ll probably get fined for this and that’s fine, but I don’t know what to do with that.”
❚ Watching some of the Browns’ star players such as Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and Baker Mayfield whipping out their cell phones during pregame warmups Monday night when they should be focusing on preparing for a game.
And I like the Browns.
❚ The Cardinals’ Kyler Murray trying too many fade passes to Larry Fitzgerald in the end zone that never had a chance of being caught.
❚ Seeing a pyrotechnics machine catch fire and erupt into flames at Nissan Stadium in Nashville before the Titans-Colts game. Luckily, no one was hurt when the unit tipped over and shot out a massive flame horizontally instead of vertically.