The NFL's 10 Worst Quarterbacks of 2008
By (Senior Writer) on June 10, 2009
1,338 reads
(Left: Where does Marc Bulger place on this list?)
It's summertime.
It's getting hotter. The Brett Favre drama is heating up, NFL teams are gearing toward another season, and everyone is finally starting to forget about last season.
That is, until I decided to give one last look into the past and fill everyone in on the 10 quarterbacks who let us down.
While 31 starting quarterbacks shamed their respective fanbase in one way or another by not winning the Super Bowl, these 10 guys, regardless of their talent, had less than spectacular 2008s.
10. Brett Favre (Jets)
(Left: The final five games were ugly.)
Even the best of Favre fans (and I'm one of them) have to admit defeat when they see it. While Favre and the Jets' late-season slump was arguably due to his torn biceps, it was still an ugly sight.
After throwing 20 touchdowns while leading the Jets to an 8-3 record, Favre fell into a downward spiral in the final five games.
That season-closing stretch saw Favre throw only two touchdowns to nine interceptions while failing to crack a passer rating of 62 or better.
Needless to say, the Jets struggled, going 1-4 over that span and missing the playoffs at 9-7.
Final Stats: 3,472 yards, 22 TD, 22 INT, 30 sacks, 2 FL
9. Derek Anderson (Browns)
(Left: Braylon Edwards left him hanging.)
While many of the Browns' problems can be attributed to dropped passes, bad blocking, and poor run support, Anderson still wasn't nearly as sharp as he was during his Pro Bowl 2007 season.
Anderson led the Browns to a dismal 3-7 record while throwing for more than 200 yards just three times, after doing so 11 times the previous season.
As previously mentioned, Anderson wasn't done any favors by receivers who routinely dropped well-placed balls, but his atrocious 50.2 completion percentage is still unacceptable.
Final Stats: 1,615 yards, 9 TD, 8 INT, 14 sacks, 2 FL
8. Trent Edwards (Bills)
(Left: Don't worry, he has T.O. now.)
While Edwards probably wasn't the main reason the Bills were so inconsistent in 2008, he definitely didn't offer much help down the stretch.
Edwards had a great start to the season though, throwing a touchdown in four straight games, as the Bills took the league by storm with a 4-0 record.
However, a concussion against Arizona in week five (Buffalo lost 41-17) sent Edwards and Co. into a whirlwind of games they'd rather forget.
Edwards proceeded to throw just four touchdowns to eight interceptions in his next five games, while the Bills dropped four of five games.
After a solid game against Kansas City where Edwards threw two touchdowns and the Bills won, 54-31, he and the rest of the offense fell apart and dropped four of their remaining five contests.
Final Stats: 2,699 yards, 11 TD, 10 INT, 23 sacks, 5 FL
7. JaMarcus Russell (Raiders)
(Left: Until the final three games, things were bad in Oakland.)
Let it be known, Russell did make some progress in the final three games of the season, as he threw for two touchdowns in three straight games while leading Oakland to a 2-1 finish.
However, three games is not a season.
Before his season-saving run, Russell was as ineffective as a starting quarterback can get.
In the first 13 games, he had just three games of 200 or more passing yards and only one game with more than one touchdown pass.
He also held onto the ball too long, as he was routinely hit and sacked in the pocket.
Still, a 5-11 record keeps him from being the worst quarterback of 2008.
Final Stats: 2,423 yards, 13 TD, 8 INT, 31 sacks, 7 FL
6. J.T. O'Sullivan (49ers)
(Left: When wasn't he on the ground?)
O'Sullivan only lasted eight starts with San Francisco, but his dismal 2-6 record and 17 combined turnovers land him on the list.
O'Sullivan began the season with some promise, but he struggled behind an average offensive line and lost his composure, throwing only one touchdown to five interceptions in his final three starts.
Final Stats: 1,678 yards, 8 TD, 11 INT, 32 sacks, 6 FL
His poor record, turnovers, and ridiculous sack total through eight games make him one of the worst quarterbacks of 2008.
5. Marc Bulger (Rams)
This is about as comfortable as it got for Bulger in '08.
After a very displeasing 2007 where the Rams finished near the bottom of the league at 3-13, there was nowhere to go but up.
That is, until Bulger's offensive line caved in and his so-called receiving talent realized it was old, tired, and slow.
Bulger pieced together another woeful season, as he failed to top 2,800 yards or 12 touchdowns for the second straight year.
He also failed to complete more than 59 percent of his passes for the second consecutive season while getting sacked 38 times (fourth in NFL).
Final Stats: 2,720 yards, 11 TD, 13 INT, 38 sacks, 4 FL
4. Ryan Fitzpatrick (Bengals)
(Left: He's lucky he's still in the league.)
In 12 games as the starting quarterback, Fitzpatrick mustered only one game with multiple touchdowns, while turning the ball over a combined 14 times.
While his numbers aren't atrocious, the game tape revealed his instincts and pocket presence are.
Fitzpatrick looked like a scared rabbit most of the time, and a deer staring into the headlights for the rest of the time.
Final Stats: 1,905 yards, 8 TD, 9 INT, 38 sacks, 5 FL
3. Trent Green (Rams)
(Left: Clearly, you cannot go home.)
Green returned to the team that made him a rich man, but this time he KNEW he was going to be a backup.
However, injuries to Marc Bulger blessed Green with three opportunities to show if he still had it—and like a few others on this list, he showed that he clearly did not.
Final Stats: 525 yards, 0 TD, 6 INT, 6 sacks
2. Brad Johnson (Cowboys)
(Left: With Johnson, it was picks or sacks.)
After Tony Romo hurt his pinkie, we all got to see what the 40-year-old Brad Johnson had left.
Not much.
In three starts, Johnson pieced together two games with passer ratings below 46, with his best reaching just over 75.
He finished 1-2 as the starter while proving to be by far one of the most ineffective quarterbacks of 2008.
Final Stats: 427 yards, 2 TD, 5 INT, 8 sacks
He only played three games, but he was too awful to not make the list. The Cowboys were lucky to get Romo back when they did.
1. Ken Dorsey (Browns)
(Left: Poor, poor Ken Dorsey.)
We now know FOR SURE that Ken Dorsey can't hack it in the NFL.
Yes, grab hold of that clipboard, Dorsey. You're gonna need it.
After injuries to Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn thrust him into the lineup, Dorsey could do little else than play dead.
He had the unfortunate task of facing the Colts, Titans, and Eagles over a three-game span while guiding the Browns to the end of their dismal 4-12 season.
Final Stats: 370 yards, 0 TD, 7 INT, 5 sacks
He only made three starts, but zero touchdowns, seven picks, and no wins get him the coveted "Worst Quarterback" award.
I'd hate to think what 2008 would have been for him and Cleveland had he started 13 more games.
Honorable Mentions
1. Dan Orlovsky (Lions): The guy ran out of the back of an end zone.
2. Sage Rosenfels (Texans): The Colts game and "The Human Helicopter" says it all.
3. Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks): Blame the back all you want. Hass was off in '08.
4. Daunte Culpepper (Lions): Looked like a shell of himself.
5. Jake Delhomme (Panthers): Had a very average regular season (only 15 TD) and a horrible postseason (five INT in one game).
6. Carson Palmer and Jon Kitna were both winless and lost for the season due to injuries that sent them to IR.
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