Is this really the best you can do, NFL?

[The Leaper]

It may be above me to pontificate about the craziness of the Packers return to greatness, but there is clearly one aspect of the NFL that I can certainly hold over the barrel and...well, you get the picture.

Here we sit on the second Sunday in December. College football won't rear its controversy-ridden head for another 2 weeks, the NBA is a farse, and no one knows exactly where the NHL is on TV anymore. The NFL is the creme-de-la-creme...the top dog...the big kahuna...

And what do we get for this?

We get treated to an awe-inspiring bevy of QBs yesterday...beginning with Brock Berlin playing for the Rams (wasn't that an NFLE team?)...punctuated with Vinny Testaverde limping around for the Panthers (is he wearing Depends?)...and for the really hard-core fan, you could feast your eyes on the epic Sage Rosenfels-Luke McNown matchup in the Tampa-Houston tilt (yes, Sage is an NFL QB, not a porn star).

This doesn't even include the pathetic play of other current NFL starters...like Vince Young (66.9 rating), Kellen Clemens (61.1), Kyle Boller (75.1), Eli Manning (75.2) Damon Huard (72.6) or Tarvaris Jackson (73.0).

Only 17 qualifying QBs in the NFL have a QB rating over 80. In other words, half the teams in the league have relatively piss-poor QB play to rely on. While New England, Indy, Green Bay and Dallas shred the league behind elite level QBs, is it any wonder why these teams are winning nearly every week when you look at who they are matching up against? How can you expect AJ Feeley (again, not a porn star) or Brian Griese to have any chance against Peyton Manning or Tom Brady?

For all those wishing for Favre to ride off into the sunset...be careful what you wish for.

[hoosier]

I don't think what you're describing (poor QB play overall) is all that unusual, at least not by this time of year. What I see is a a normal talent pool going through a mixture of injuries (Bulger, McNabb, Leinart), underperforming supporting cast (Palmer), predictable growing pains (Cutler, Schaub, Campbell, Clemens) and over the hill hangers on (McNair before he broke). But last year, it would have been pretty easy to put Favre in this last category too. It's been fun to watch his revitalization this year, but I have a feeling it will also be fun to watch Rodgers grow into the position soon.

[The Leaper]

Yeah, it does normally take a plunge at this point...but I think this year has even more subpar QBs than normal, some due to injury...some due to crappy QBs.

Perhaps it is more of a commentary on the WRs. I remember many more dynamic receivers in the NFL 5-10 years ago. It seemed especially true around early this decade...around the rise of the Rams, along with guys like Moss, Owens and Harrison hitting their prime. There seemed to be far more elite talents at WR out there. There are still guys getting numbers this season...but most of them don't seem to be on par with the receivers from 5-10 years ago. Joey Galloway? A top 10 receiver? He wasn't even a top ten receiver 5 years ago in his prime...why is he one now?

[fan4life]

Defenses have gotten faster, better.
Rookie contracts have gone through the roof.
Coaches' leashes have gotten shorter.

All this adds up to teams not taking the time to slowly and methodically develop QBs. Too many young guns are thrown into the fire their first or second year in the league ... and get beaten up by opposing defenses, judgemental fans and the rabid media. They lose confidence or worse.. get physically knocked around and beat up (Carr and Ramsey come to mind.)

Green Bay is very, very lucky to have Brett Favre. Sure, Rodgers would love to play, but he will be much better for having sat and learned a couple of years much like Romo did in Dallas.