Life on the NFL Bench: Do Demoted Quarterbacks Have A Right To Feel Aggrieved?

Just two weeks into the new season, and it is clear to see that teams in the NFL are becoming increasingly impatient.

The win-now-or-else nature of the NFL has become more apparent with a number of teams benching their starting quarterbacks early on. Panthers quarterback Matt Moore, Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell and Bills quarterback Trent Edwards will all be disappointed after being replaced this early in the season. Do they have a right to be?

Absolutely.

Take Jason Campbell for instance.

After being acquired in a trade from the Washington Redskins, the quarterback was ready to step into the starting job and start winning games for the Raiders. Two weeks in, and he's sat on the bench behind Bruce Gradkowski.

Has Campbell's performance been poor enough to bench him? Certainly not.

Campbell was unspectacular in Week 1, completing 60 percent of his passes with one touchdown and one interception in a loss to the Titans. The Raiders were never really expected to win this game and the defense was shredded by the Titans offense.

After a half of play against the St. Louis Rams, Campbell was pulled for backup Bruce Gradkowski. This turned out to be a good move as the Raiders came out on top with a 16-14 win. But Campbell was benched despite being down by only four points at halftime and although he lead the Raiders to a win, Gradkowski's numbers were hardly great.

For me, Gradkowski wasn't good enough to dislodge Jason Campbell from his starter's job. It was enough to give Campbell a wake-up call and say, "If you don't play well you'll be benched," but he should feel hard done by not starting in Week 3. Especially after JaMarcus Russell lasted all of nine games despite an awful start to the season last year for the Raiders.

It seems half the teams in the NFL have quarterback crises and the Carolina Panthers are no different.

The Carolina Panthers decided enough was enough and benched quarterback Matt Moore for rookie Jimmy Clausen late in the third quarter during their Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. Matt Moore has voiced his unhappiness with the decision and has every right to be.

Going back to last season, Jake Delhomme was very poor for the Panthers and tossed interceptions galore, seven in the first three games to be precise. The Panthers were 4-7 before Matt Moore got his chance, so it seems harsh that Moore has been demoted after two games.

Matt Moore actually won four of his five games last year, showing he can produce for the Panthers. Did Jimmy Clausen show he could produce when he came on in relief of Matt Moore?

I don't think so.

Yes, he lead a drive downfield to the one-yard line, which resulted in a turnover on downs but he also threw a pick and didn't look that much better than Matt Moore throwing the ball.

Another 0-2 team, the Buffalo Bills, made changes under center. Ryan Fitzpatrick will step in to replace Trent Edwards this week against the Patriots.

Does Ryan Fitzpatrick really give the Bills a better chance of winning games? We'll see. But if you look at who the Bills have to throw to, I don't think there will be much difference.

Trent Edwards actually almost lead the Bills to an upset win over the Patriots in the season opener last year. He tossed for 212 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions and was unlucky as the Bills fell to a 25-24 defeat, so I'd have kept Edwards in for at least another week.

The quarterback position is the most important position in the NFL and so quarterbacks often come under fire for their team's failures and become the scapegoat. It isn't just up to the quarterback to win games and although a change can often breathe life into teams, these teams aren't struggling because of their quarterbacks. The whole team is struggling.

With teams' impatience growing, expect to see even more changes under center.

There are very few quarterbacks nowadays whose jobs are "untouchable."