Quarterback carousel should start
spinning for a couple of NFL teams: Analysis
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[November 13, 2024]
By ROB MAADDI
Joe Flacco is still a starter. Daniel Jones might get benched. Bryce
Young earned another opportunity. Caleb Williams isn’t losing his
job.
The quarterback carousel isn’t spinning. It should in some cases.
The Colts are sticking with Flacco over Anthony Richardson despite
another poor performance in a 30-20 loss to Buffalo on Sunday.
Flacco is 1-3 as a starter this season and has six turnovers,
including four interceptions, in the past two games.
Coach Shane Steichen made the switch from Richardson to Flacco
because he felt the 39-year-old veteran gave Indianapolis a better
chance to win now. That hasn’t happened and the Colts (4-6) are
headed nowhere.
Even if they manage to make the playoffs, this team isn’t a Super
Bowl contender. The 22-year-old Richardson needs game experience. He
threw just 393 passes in college at Florida before Indianapolis
selected him with the fourth pick overall in last year’s NFL draft.
Richardson has raw talent but coaches have to help him develop. It
made sense to turn to Flacco a few weeks ago. But the 2023 AP
Comeback Player of the Year hasn’t sparked the Colts the way he did
for the Browns last season. So going back to Richardson is the right
move now for the future. Finding out if he can be the franchise
quarterback should be the priority over the final seven games.
The New York Giants (2-8) have a different situation with Jones,
whose contract is a factor. Jones has an injury guarantee for $23
million for 2025. Benching him to prevent an injury is a likely
scenario. The Broncos did it to Russell Wilson last year and the
Raiders did it with Derek Carr in 2022.
The Giants are in position to get the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL
draft so they’d be wise to start whichever quarterback — Drew Lock
or Tommy DeVito — gives them the least chance of winning. Securing
the top pick would give New York its choice of college quarterbacks
whether it’s Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Miami’s Cam Ward or
Georgia’s Carson Beck.
The Carolina Panthers already benched Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall
pick. But Young returned to the lineup when Andy Dalton was injured
three weeks ago and he’s shown improvement while leading the
Panthers (3-7) to consecutive wins.
Like the Colts and Richardson, the Panthers need to find out what
they have in Young. Playing him the rest of the season is the best
way to learn.
In Chicago, Williams has regressed since an excellent stretch helped
the Bears win three straight games. But they’ve gone from 4-2 to 4-5
and Williams has struggled. He has completed just 50.5% of his
passes with no TDs and no interceptions over a three-game losing
streak.
Embattled Bears coach Matt Eberflus has no plans to bench the rookie
No. 1 overall pick. And, he shouldn’t. Offensive scheme and system
is the bigger problem in Chicago and that cost Shane Waldron his
job. Thomas Brown was been promoted to offensive coordinator to
replace him on Tuesday.
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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) looks to throw a pass
during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo
Bills, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron
Cummings)
Micah’s mouth
Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons returned from an ankle injury
and made more headlines with postgame comments about coach Mike
McCarthy. Parsons had two sacks and forced a fumble but Dallas lost
34-6 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Asked about McCarthy’s job status, Parsons said:
“That’s above my paygrade if Mike is coaching again next year. All
coaching aside, Mike (McCarthy) can leave and go wherever he wants.
Guys I kind of feel bad for (are) guys like (guard) Zack Martin and
guys who might be on their last year or on their way out, because
that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for. You want to win games
and do great things with those types of legends who put in more time
and work than Mike McCarthy ever did.”
Parsons was heavily criticized for throwing McCarthy under the bus.
Former Jets and Bills coach Rex Ryan blasted him on ESPN.
“I never once threw, or even intended to throw Mike McCarthy under
the bus,” Parsons explained on his podcast Monday. “The question
that was asked about here and the Dallas Cowboys, did I see Mike
McCarthy in our future? I said, ‘That’s above my pay grade.’”
McCarthy took the high road.
“Micah and I had a conversation this morning about it, and we
handled those things as men should handle it,” McCarthy said. “That
wasn’t his intent, but that’s something he can talk on.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defended Parsons in his weekly radio
appearance on 105.3 The Fan.
“It wasn’t meant as a critique of the coach. It was meant as a
concern for veteran players, like Zack Martin, who might not have
that much more left in their career,” Jones said. “That’s how it was
meant. There is no doubt in my mind that it was meant that way.
Micah does not feel a lack of appreciation for (McCarthy). I visited
extensively with everyone involved here."
The Cowboys (3-6) have lost four in a row and Dak Prescott is done
for the season. With McCarthy in the final year of his contract,
Jones and his players are going to hear the same question over the
final eight weeks.
Everyone has to answer it better than Parsons did.
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