NFL starting QBs play music chairs

In only the third week of the NFL season, many desperate coaches have already been forced to start playing ‘musical chairs’ with their starting quarterbacks due to injury, ineptitude or some combination thereof. Tennessee Titans veteran signal caller Kerry Collins got the ball rolling last week when he played well in place of Vince Young who is either injured, suffering from depression or just doesn’t want to play. Collins will start again in place of Young as the Titans entertain Houston with Coach Jeff Fisher stating that he’ll be the team’s top QB “as long as they keep winning”. This allows Fisher and the rest of the Titans to defer any decision on what to do with Young for at least another week or two.

In Kansas City, Chiefs’ coach Herm Edwards has named second year pro Tyler Thigpen as his starting QB for Sunday’s game against Atlanta. Thigpen put up impressive numbers during his college career at 1-AA/FCS Coastal Carolina and looked decent in relief of injured Damon Huard last week. Thigpen was 14 for 33, good for 151 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception as the Chiefs lost to Oakland this past Sunday. Huard himself was a replacement for Brodie Croyle, who separated his shoulder against New England in week 1. Despite the team’s public position that Huard is suffering from “minor head trauma” there was no apparent injury on the field, and his removal came immediately after an interception. This may be an effort to give Thigpen some playing time without formally committing to him as the team’s starting QB.

Up in Minnesota, meanwhile, there’s no question about the motive behind Vikings coach Brad Childress’ decision to name veteran Gus Ferrotte the starter for Sunday’s game against Carolina. Starter Tavaris Jackson has been playing with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee, but more dauntingly has been ineffective in the Vikings’ two losses. Whether due to the injury or just a desire to limit mistakes that’s causing him to play tentatively, his numbers aren’t bad but he hasn’t executed when necessary. Minnesota could easily be 2-0 at this point, with their first two losses by a combined eight points.

While injuries are one thing, benching a QB this early in the season as a reaction to poor performance has raised a number of eyebrows around the league. Among them, the QB for the Vikings’ next opponent—Jake Delhomme—has questioned the wisdom of the decision:

"I've never been part of a team where a quarterback was benched that early on. But it can be a spark to a team."

Delhomme’s comments are a nice way of saying that it’s a rush to judgment and reeks of desperation. Of course a solid performance by Ferrotte will vindicate Childress and make him look like a genius.