Has September been the worst month in NFL history for quarterback play?
Think about it. The following quarterbacks have logged significant playing time this month:
Gus Frerotte
Tyler Thigpen
Tarvaris Jackson
Matt Cassel
Kerry Collins
Kyle Orton
Brian Griese
Jon Kitna
Beyond them, Derek Anderson has been terrible.
Matt Schaub has been worse.
Carson Palmer is struggling.
Marc Bulger has been benched.
JaMarcus Russell hasn’t been good.
By my count, that’s thirteen NFL teams that have had bad-to-terrible quarterback play this month.
Even Peyton Manning has struggled at times.
I miss Tom Brady.
(Home teams in CAPS)
Denver (-9.5) over KANSAS CITY
Sometimes, picking games against the spread comes down to simple math.
Denver’s offense has scored 114 points over three games. Kansas City’s offense has scored 32 points over three games. That’s a difference of 82 points.
To put that point differential into perspective, only six NFL teams have scored 82 points this season. And the Broncos have scored 82 points MORE than the Chiefs.
Do you really think they’ll have trouble covering a 9.5 point spread?
CINCINNATI (-3.5) over Cleveland
Back in the late nineties, it was pretty awful being a Boston sports fan. Cleveland isn’t exactly on that level, but they’re close.
Their baseball team is constantly one or two players away, and when they finally put it together, they blow it all up the next season.
Their basketball team has one of the greatest players in the NBA and is one of the top teams in their conference, yet all anyone can talk about is when, not if, LeBron James leaves for New York.
Their football team was supposed to be one of the best teams in the AFC, now I’m picking them to lose to the winless Cincinnati Bengals.
Come to think of it, it might be as bad in Cleveland as it was in Boston back in the late nineties…
JACKSONVILLE (-7) over Houston
Houston’s world has been turned upside down this season with the hurricane and the unexpected bye week. But that’s not their only problem. I’m watching their quarterback, Matt Schaub, looking tentative, slow, and sometimes downright frightened.
This is a serious problem.
Five interceptions and only one touchdown is a problem. Eight sacks in two games, and about thirty additional quarterbacks hits is a problem.
I’m not sure if Schaub is the problem—I’m more inclined to blame it on the offensive line. But a switch to Sage Rosenfels, who played pretty well last season, should probably be on the table right now.
NEW YORK JETS (-1) over Arizona
It’s do or die time for the New York Jets.
I’m not on board with the “Jets are playoff bound” crew, but I’m not counting them out just yet either. The Jets aren’t great, but they’re too good to start the season 1-3.
They know they have to win this game. They will win this game.
Plus, let’s be honest, if their offense needs to get healthy the Arizona defense isn’t the worst medicine for them to take.
NEW ORLEANS (-5) over San Francisco
Martin Gramatica, he of the dancing Gramaticas, should have been cut before he reached the sidelines last week.
By all rights, the New Orleans Saints should be 2-1 right now. They lost last week because, to coin a Peyton Manning phrase, their idiot kicker couldn’t put the ball between the uprights.
As punishment, since apparently there’s nobody else in the country who is available to play kicker, they should have made him play scout team linebacker in practice.
Atlanta (+6.5) over CAROLINA
Couple of interesting stats: Michael Turner is averaging 6.2 yards per carry so far this season. His backup, Jerious Norwood, is averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
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