It wasn't a good week to be an NFL quarterback, as six -- count 'em six! -- QBs were replaced during the game. Doesn't anybody have any faith anymore?
No.
- After destroying the Packers for 51 points, the Saints decided to give Drew Brees the final two minutes of the game off. Mighty gracious of them. Mark Brunell came in to mop up.
Next week's starter: Brees, of course. Unless he's really cramped up.
- The Chiefs were getting crushed by 54-24 in the fourth quarter when they decided to protect QB Tyler Thigpen and replace him with Quinn Gray. Gray promptly engineered a 7 play, 71 yard drive culminating in a TD pass to WR Dwayne Bowe. Although to be fair, the Bills defense only had 6 players on the field at that point because nobody cared anymore. Still, it was a nice drive.
Next week's starter: Definitely Thigpen, as he was only pulled as a protective measure.
- In St. Louis, the Rams started off with Marc Bulger, only to see him get injured after two passes. In came the headbanging Trent Green, who promptly threw four TDs over the course of a 27-3 loss. After the fourth interception, the Rams replaced him with Brock Berlin, just to rub it in.
Next week's starter: Unknown. It's Bulger if he's healthy, but at his age a concussion is no small thing. If he's out, there's no telling which backup will start.
- In the football wasteland known as Detroit, the Lions benched terrible, horrible, no-good QB Daunte Culpepper in the 3rd quarter after a 6 for 18, 88 yard, 2 INT performance. Yes, those were his stats up until 8:54 left in the third quarter. His benching meant the new starter was Drew Stanton, a QB considered so bad that rather than start him, the Lions went out and signed Daunte Culpepper. Just think about that for a minute. Stanton lived up to his reputation by completing 33% of his passes for 13 yards -- and then suffering a concussion. That meant Culpepper was back in the game, where he contributed on the very next series by getting sacked, fumbling, recovering his own fumble and getting hit with a delay of game penalty. Matt Cassel's agent is cutting a highlights DVD for the Lions right this minute.
Next week's starter: Probably Culpepper unless Stanton can heal from the concussion and start not-sucking in only three days. That's when the Lions face the Titans. Imagine how that will go.
- In a move that absolutely nobody saw coming </sarcasm> Browns' Coach Romeo Crennel pulled starter Brady Quinn in the second half after an 8 for 18, 94 yard performance in favor of new/previous starter Derek Anderson. Anderson responded by going 5 for 14 with no TDs and an interception as the Browns lost to the lowly (but not that lowly) Texans.
Next week's starter: Coach Crennel says it will be Quinn, but check the news wire every ten minutes or so up until the game starts. Then check every three minutes.
- The biggest QB move of the day was Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb getting the hook in favor of Kevin Kolb after throwing two interceptions and coughing up a fumble -- making a total of seven turnovers in the past seven quarters. Seeing Daunte Culpepper or Brady Quinn get benched is one thing, but McNabb is an established veteran QB, a guy that led his team to the Super Bowl only a few seasons ago. This has a big impact. However, there's good news for both McNabb and Kolb. The good news for Donovan is that Kolb stunk up the joint with a 73 yard, two interception performance including one interception that was returned for an NFL record 108 yards for a touchdown. Gotta love that. The good news for Kolb is that the game was played in Baltimore, so he didn't have to face an angry mob of Eagles fans burning him in effigy on top of his own car in the players' parking lot.
Next week's starter: Supposedly McNabb, though a Thursday night game against the Cardinals won't do anything to help his confidence.