One Word to Describe Every Starting NFL QB

No position in the game of football is more heavily judged than the quarterback.

But instead of expounding with gaudy phrases that praise or criticize the NFL's signal callers, let's simplify our analysis to just a single word for each starting QB.

Some have an entire season of play with which to be examined, while others have been the first-stringer for only this most recent game.

Kevin Kolb: Unfulfilled

It's hard to imagine that the Arizona Cardinals would regret the trade for Kevin Kolb in late July.

After all, this was a position that struggled mightily in 2010.

However, with more interceptions that touchdowns, Kolb has played below the expectations that were placed upon him when he moved to the desert.

Matt Ryan: Rebounding

The funk that Matt Ryan has been in so far in 2011 hasn't completely expired, but he did put on an impressive showing against the Lions with his ability to guide his team to victory despite not playing his best.

Ryan (20-of-34 for 218 yards) used a 1-yard quarterback sneak into the end zone to put visiting Atlanta up 10-3 on Detroit after one quarter. He later found Roddy White on an 18-yard TD strike late in the second.

In the third quarter he limped off the field and into the locker room after getting hit by his own lineman. Ryan returned and the Falcons eventually topped the Lions in a game that they hope can help them turn the corner.

Joe Flacco: Thankful

The lack of accuracy is the most glaring statistic for Flacco, who has a completion rate of 51.4 percent this season and an even more paltry 46.9 percent in the month of October.

But this inconsistency can be masked when you have an effective running game and a unit that can limit the opposition. Flacco has both.

Ray Rice is emerging as one of the best feature backs in the league, while veterans Ray Lewis and Ed Reed lead a defense that is rated third yards allowed.

Ryan Fitzpatrick: Identifiable

After six professional seasons in relative obscurity, Ryan Fitzpatrick has emerged as a Pro Bowl-caliber signal-caller.

In the six games in 2011, the Harvard grad has twice as many touchdowns (12) as interceptions (6) and has accumulated 1,477 yards through the air. The Bills, like their quarterback, are also emerging from mediocrity.

Cam Newton: Energetic

It may not show in victories, but the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft has inflicted a once-morbid club with a jolt of electricity.

Cam Newton is the unquestioned face of the franchise for the foreseeable future, one that should produce plenty of W's.

His latest win came just last week when he engineered a 24-point second half to trump the Washington Redskins, 33-20 for career victory No. 2.

Jay Cutler: Standing

Bet you didn't think this word would ever be used to describe a player that has been under as much duress as Cutler has so far.

With Matt Forte's exceptional rushing and Cutler's stubbornness in the pocket, the Bears have produced a 4-2 record.

The game plan for Mike Martz and the Chicago offense appears to be shifting more toward a ground game, which is the best thing for the well-being of their QB.

Andy Dalton: Overshadowed

With all the hoopla for top pick Cam Newton, Andy Dalton has quietly put together a solid season for the 4-2 Cincinnati Bengals.

The TCU product has thrown for 1,311 yards, seven TDs and five picks in Cincy's ball-control offense. With some improvements, Dalton's smart play can certainly make Bengals fans forget about their former QB who is now slinging the pigskin in Oakland.

Colt McCoy: Confused

After a promising first year at the helm of the Cleveland Browns offense, it would seem only natural for an improvement from Colt McCoy in 2011.

That hasn't happened yet. Instead, he has taken a slight step back with a 55 percent completion rate after six games. 

It's quite apparent there are still plenty of skills for McCoy to improve on.

Tony Romo: Perplexing

The St. Louis Rams were far from the stiffest test.

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys cruised to a 34-7 victory with the aid of rookie running back DeMarco Murray's breakout effort on the ground.

But as is well known, Romo's performances are confounding.  He can come back from injury to beat the 49ers.  But he can also self-destruct, as he did against the Jets and Lions.

The Cowboys and their fans now hope that a meeting with the Eagles' porous defense will mean another solid showing from Romo.

Tim Tebow: Tempered

The end doesn't justify the means.

In his first start of 2011 and a homecoming of sorts against the Miami Dolphins, Tebow struggled severely with an array of overthrows and ulcer-inducing scrambles.

That was until he executed a remarkable comeback.

Down 15-0 with just over three minutes to go, Tebow threw a touchdown pass, was aided by an onside kick recovery, tossed for another score and then tied the game with a QB draw for a two-point conversion.

The Broncos prevailed in overtime. However, the jury is still out on whether Tebow can remain as the team's starter in the long term.

Matthew Stafford: Teetering

Could the shine be wearing off the Detroit Lions and their prized quarterback?

With a 23-16 setback to the Atlanta Falcons, they have now dropped two in row after rattling off 10 consecutive regular season victories.

The offense underperformed, with Stafford inaccurate for the entire afternoon and failing to score in the fourth quarter.

Add in the fact that his last play resulted in a leg injury, and Stafford's health is also in question.

Aaron Rodgers: Elite

Tom Brady may be the best historically of all the active quarterbacks, but there's no doubt that no one is performing at the that Aaron Rodgers is.

Green Bay's No. 12 ranks at the top of the league leaderboard in terms of touchdowns thrown, completion percentage and QB rating as the Packers are cruising at 7-0.

Matt Schaub: Anticipating

The entire Houston Texans team, including Matt Schaub, should buy their running back a steak dinner.

Arian Foster carried the load on Sunday against Tennessee, totaling 234 yards in their easy victory.

Credit should also be spread to other areas, especially Schaub. He was 18-of-23 for 296 yards with a pair of scores and a QB rating of 147.7.

If the offense can perform like this without star wideout Andre Johnson, imagine the possibilities with him.

Curtis Painter: Lackluster

Everything that could go wrong for Curtis Painter and the Colts did go wrong against New Orleans.

Before he could blink, Indy was down 21-0 to the potent Saints offense. If future Hall of Farmer Peyton Manning was active, the contest would be far from decided.

But as we've seen in four starts, Painter is no Peyton.

Blaine Gabbert: Raw

It appeared as if it would be at least past October before we'd see the first of Blaine Gabbert being the main guy taking snaps behind center. That was until David Garrard was released prior to the opening of the regular season.

Back up Luke McCown's ineptitude resulted in Gabbert's insertion into the starting role during Week 3. The rookie has shown his youth so far as he still searches for his first win.

Gabbert came up short against a stout Pittsburgh Steelers defense, falling 17-13. There are likely to be more rough days that good ones over the course of the 2011 campaign.

Matt Cassel: Revised

While Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer combined to create a putrid quarterback showing for the Raiders, Matt Cassel has shown in-season improvement for the Chiefs.

That wasn't entirely showcased in Oakland, as Cassel threw no touchdowns and two picks on Sunday. But it was no matter thanks to his counterparts' willingness to turn the ball over to the Kansas City defense.

The previous two games are better examples of Cassel's development following an 0-3 start. He's averaged a 67 percent completion rate with five TDs and zero picks.

All of a sudden, the Chiefs are right back in the thick of the AFC West race. Most of the credit has to be given to Cassel.

Matt Moore: Temporary

Dolphins fans are eying Andrew Luck. For the time being, they're having to deal with Matt Moore.

He appeared to have his club in prime position for a victory that would lessen their chances to gain that coveted top pick in next April's draft.

In his third game replacing Chad Henne, Moore was 22-of-33 for 197 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

But the defense couldn't prevent overtime. In the extra session, Moore couldn't prevent a fumble that ensured the Dolphins would be winless for yet another week.

Christian Ponder: Promising

Putting a rookie out for his first start against the defending Super Bowl champions is the equivalent to throwing out a steak to a hungry pack of wolves.

Nevertheless, Christian Ponder handled himself as well as could be expected.

The first-year player out of Florida State started out well with a two-yard TD pass to Visanthe Shiancoe.

After a dreadful third period, Ponder rebounded with a fourth quarter scoring strike to Michael Jenkins that brought the Vikings back into contention.

Tom Brady: Reliable

For all but a few moments in this 2011 season, Tom Brady has been what he's always been over the course of his NFL career: a quarterback who always gives his Patriots a chance to win with his skills and leadership.

And when the game is on the line (like last week vs. Dallas), he rarely fails to deliver. Whenever Brady is on the field, the opposing defense is instantly at a disadvantage.

Drew Brees: Controlling

Talk about a bounce back.

Drew Brees had thrown eight interceptions in his previous four games, including three last week in a road loss to Tampa Bay. He made up for that in fine fashion at home against the hapless Colts.

In a 62-7 demolishing, Brees was 31-of-35 for five touchdowns and no interceptions with little resistance from the Indianapolis defense.

Eli Manning: Underappreciated

As stated in the introduction, no position is more closely examined than quarterback. And in no city are its athletes more heavily judged than in New York.

When Eli Manning struggles, Giants supporters quickly forget that this is the same guy that led their team to Super Bowl victory in February 2008.

While the younger Manning may not be as consistent as fans would like and not at the "elite" status he feels he deserves to be placed at, consider the depleted receiving corps he has to throw to. With key injuries all around, he has led the club to a 4-2 mark and in a position for the playoffs.

Mark Sanchez: Stagnant

What appeared to be a day that would result in more moans and groans from Jet fans turned into a comeback victory.

Down 21-10 after two quarters, New York recovered. In the second half revival, Sanchez found Plaxico Burress for two of their three TD connections.

That shouldn't be enough to feel Sanchez is making tremendous development as a quarterback. He still appears to be as inconsistent as he was in his first two seasons.

Kyle Boller: Ambushed

Going 15-of-28 for 161 yards in four quarters of play isn't going to do much for one's job security.

Kyle Boller experienced that when the replacement for the injured Jason Campbell was yanked for newly-acquired QB Carson Palmer in a 28-0 thumping at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Michael Vick: Fragile

Each time Michael Vick drops back to pass, Eagles fans hold their breath.

Not for the possibility that No. 7 will make a crucial mistake, but for the possibility that a significant injury is just one big hit away.

They have reason to have such trepidation.

Vick suffered a concussion in Week 2, a bruised right hand in Week 3 and a bum right middle finger in Week 4. Philly has many talented players, but losing their starting quarterback would derail hopes of a turnaround.

Ben Roethlisberger: Durable

Big Ben has shaken off the foot injury suffered in a loss to Houston earlier this month.

He threw for five touchdowns against Tennessee and then tossed three more on Sunday against Arizona as the Steelers appear formidable again at 5-2.

It's not often the Roethlisberger will produce a game like he had against the Titans, but you can always count on him to give his team a chance for victory.

Philip Rivers: Disorganized

This best describes the Chargers' final drive in their 27-21 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday at Metlife Stadium, a contest in which San Diego relinquished an 11-point halftime advantage.

The Rivers-led offense appeared confused in the game's final stages, as their two-minute drill showed a lack of urgency and preparedness.

Rivers' 2011 season hasn't always been on track. He's completed 67 percent of his passes, but has seven interceptions. Two of those were hauled in by the Jets.

Alex Smith: Confident

It's no question that Alex Smith's self-esteem level as a quarterback is 100 percent better than what it was last year as the 49ers are 5-1 and on top of the NFC West.

His statistics aren't Earth-shattering (8 TDs, 2 INTs), but he has been able to limit mistakes and let his running game control the offensive tempo.

Much credit has to be given to new head coach Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback himself.

Smith just better not let Harbaugh teach him how to shake hands after the game.

Charlie Whitehurst: Inadequate

Apparently two Cleveland Browns field goals was too much to overcome for Charlie Whitehurst.

The current Seattle starting QB, in place for the injured Tarvaris Jackson, completed 12 of his 30 pass attempts for 97 yards. In addition, Whitehurst turned the ball over twice in the 6-3 loss.

A.J. Feeley: Unfortunate

With Sam Bradford nursing a high ankle sprain, it was A.J. Feeley that was given the unlikely chance to break the Rams' winless drought.

Against the top-ranked Cowboys defense, Feeley couldn't solve the Dallas riddle.

He found newly-acquired wideout Brandon Lloyd to the tune of 74 yards receiving. However, just about every other offensive option for St. Louis was shut down.

Josh Freeman: Unsupported

Take away any semblance of a running game and its hard for a quarterback to carry an offense on his back, let alone a young one.

Minus Earnest Graham in the backfield, Freeman was left to air it out. It wasn't a completely successful endeavor, as the third-year signal-caller threw four interceptions in a 24-18 loss to Chicago on Sunday in London.

The Buccaneers hope to see more of what they saw from Freeman against the Saints than what they saw against the 49ers and Bears.

Matt Hasselbeck: Regressing

His fine start to 2011 has been mostly washed away with what has occurred over the course of the last two games.

A 3-1 start is now 3-3 with Hasselbeck going 14 of 30 for just 104 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in an embarrassing home loss to the Houston Texans. The final pick was returned to pay dirt and was his final pass of the day, as rookie Jake Locker saw some action in the late going.

John Beck: Ordinary

In his first start since 2007, John Beck accounted for two touchdowns in a decent performance that lacked the desired end result.

The Redskins produced some points, but more often than not they had lengthy droughts where they struggled to make offensive progress.

Losing running back Tim Hightower and top wideout Santana Moss didn't help his cause, either.

He'll be given at least another game to show what he's got, but Rex Grossman shouldn't get comfortable on that bench.