• Cards, Jets, Vikings Make the Word Quarterback a Relative Term

    by
    Rich Gapinski
    Published on 12-03-2012 05:40 PM
    11 Comments Comments


    Above, folks, is a picture of Ryan Lindley. He is the current starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. He also is somehow playing worse than Christian Ponder; a quarterback readers probably have heard of. Ponder is somehow playing worse than Mark Sanchez; a quarterback everyone has heard of. I think he must have had a cameo on one of those "Housewives" shows because even my wife knows he stinks. These three quarterbacks are trying to make the world reminisce about the good old days of 40% completion rates.

    Sanchez has had a special aura around his stink this season. After getting slightly better the last two seasons, The Sanchise has six games this season in which he has had a completion percentage of 50% or less. He had five such games during his rookie season. He may get a reprieve this week because Tim Tebow's ribs were not healthy enough to have him play. Had Tebow played, Mark Sanchez may have never played quarterback for the Jets again. Just how did Tebow's ribs get hurt again? Did Sanchise attempt to smite the chosen one?

    Greg McElroy, a guy who once backed up John Parker Wilson, came in and threw the game-winning touchdown pass while averaging a robust 4.3 yards per attempt. By the way, did you know that John Parker Wilson is employed in the NFL, too?

    The Jets probably do not have a quarterback at all, but there is one guy who is definitely the #1 guy that is playing worse than Mark Sanchez. Esteemed colleagues, I give you Christian Ponder. Now, Leslie Frazier may have not taken much time to mull over his decision for the coming week, but it is possible that he should have.

    Ponder, after declaring a goal of completing 75% of his first and second down throws, actually started the season well and was close to that number. Since about week three, though, he is not only having a tough time completing passes. He also is having a tough time out-pacing his running back in yards. Adrian Peterson has 937 yards rushing in the last six games while scoring six touchdowns. Meanwhile, Ponder has thrown for 871 gross yards with six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Who said that 1974 was dead and buried? With numbers like that, I have to wonder what Joe Webb did to make Frazier not like him.

    Finally, we come to the epic failure known as Ryan Lindley. This is not Lindley's fault, mind you, but his Iliad and Odyssey-esque tale must be told. Lindley was thrown into the fire after Kevin Kolb got injured for the 11th time in his last 11 games (or something close to that) and after John Skelton could not stop the Cardinals losing streak once the offensive line suffered injuries and went from terrible to five Doug Free clones. Still, Lindley has thrown 103 passes while completing 55 of them. Fifty of those completions are to his team and the other five were wearing either green or blue jerseys. He has not found his own guy in the end zone yet but has given Janoris Jenkins two free trips to six points. Ken Whisenhunt now is unsure of his starter in week 14.

    I wonder how the Vikings, Jets and Cardinals feel about the situation in San Francisco. Will Harbaugh makes these teams kiss his ring before giving them Alex Smith?

    Comments 11 Comments
    1. Trumpetbdw's Avatar
      And it looks like Lindley and that {fantastic} offensive line may be in the process of costing Ken Whisenhunt his job.

      Christian Ponder has been BQBL gold! Those of use who decided to participate in that fantastic league will be telling tales to our grandchildren about the Ponder/Sanchez/Lindley-Skelton triumvirate.
      Reply
    1. Rich Gapinski's Avatar
      I have been very happy in the FP BQBL. I got my Manning and Brady starts out of the way and I've got the Titans and Cardinals playing every week now.
      Reply
    1. Colts01's Avatar
      Free Larry Fitzgerald......That is all.

      Reply
    1. Trumpetbdw's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Rich Gapinski View Post
      I have been very happy in the FP BQBL. I got my Manning and Brady starts out of the way and I've got the Titans and Cardinals playing every week now.
      I also have all of my starts out, but with Fitzpatrick, Newton, and Rivers, sometimes it's tough to choose just one to go along with Ponder.
      Reply
    1. Trumpetbdw's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Colts01 View Post
      Free Larry Fitzgerald......That is all.
      Amen, and amen.
      Reply
    1. iwatt's Avatar
      Whiz has dug his own grave. They took a WR when everybody knew they needed some help on the line.

      I waffle about the Sancheese. The butt fumble was both awesome and terrible.

      Ponder has struggled without Harvin.

      My BQBL year was definitely cursed when I started Kaepernick against the Bears.
      Reply
    1. wxwax's Avatar
      I suspect the only reason that Wilson is still in the NFL is that he worked under Mularkey in Atlanta and the coach wanted someone familiar with his offense when he moved to Jax. A lucky break for Wilson that Mularkey moved, because Atlanta had seen enough.

      I can't believe that there would be much of a market for Alex Smith. Other than playing a bunch of games because nobody could take the job from him, what has he accomplished? His offense was designed to prevent him from failing, not to exploit his talents.

      On the other hand, I would think there might be considerable interest in Michael Vick. I wonder how Whisenhunt would do with him, assuming he survives in AZ?

      I once had quite a bit of hope for two young QB's, Ponder and Jake Locker. Now I believe that neither will ever be a true threat in the NFL. Ponder hasn't grown and Locker is still wild.
      Reply
    1. Pruitt's Avatar
      Last season I spent considerable time on this forum telling all and sundry that Sanchez was actually a good QB.

      I don't even take medication that would excuse such a ridiculous opinion.
      Reply
    1. hobbes27's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Pruitt View Post
      Last season I spent considerable time on this forum telling all and sundry that Sanchez was actually a good QB.

      I don't even take medication that would excuse such a ridiculous opinion.
      That was accurate a couple of years ago. But Sanchez has degenerated. Although it doesn't help that hee doesn't have any talent around him on the offensive side of the ball.
      Reply
    1. darvon's Avatar
      I spent a few weeks in the summer saying Ponder isn't going to be any good.


      Neener, neener, neeeeeeeener.
      Reply
    1. wxwax's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Pruitt View Post
      Last season I spent considerable time on this forum telling all and sundry that Sanchez was actually a good QB.

      I don't even take medication that would excuse such a ridiculous opinion.
      I thought he could be a perfectly serviceable QB. But his decision making is just horrid right now. I assume he's forcing things because he wants to prove he can produce points. Forcing things with a mediocre arm is not likely to bring success.
      Reply