Coaches are going to the hook early and often when the quarterbacks come up short this year.
By Richard Rosenblatt
Two games into the season, and benching the quarterback is a trending topic in the NFL.
Almost everywhere you look, there's a team with a quarterback conundrum: bench the starter; bench the backup for the healthy returning starter; replace an injured backup with another backup; stick with your starter despite few bad games.
What's a coach to do?
Plenty.
Carolina's Matt Moore and Buffalo's Trent Edwards? Benched for poor play.
Michael Vick? Kevin Kolb's backup was superb in leading the Eagles to a win over the Lions in his first start since 2006, and a day after Kolb (concussion) was declared ready to return, coach Andy Reid called an audible. Now Vick is now his starter.
Oakland's Jason Campbell? Benched in the second half of the second game, against St. Louis. Coach Tom Cable says he'll pick his starter later this week.
Tennessee's Vince Young? Jacksonville's David Garrard? Both benched in the fourth quarter of losses last week but will be starting Sunday. The Jaguars have little choice since backup Luke McCown is out for the season after he was injured in the game.
Cleveland's injured starter Jake Delhomme? Backup Seneca Wallace likely starts again Sunday. Possibly the same situation in Detroit, with injured starter Matthew Stafford and backup Shaun Hill.
There's a lot of quarterback shuffling going on. Here's a look six of the most dramatic moves:
• PHILADELPHIA: On Monday, Reid called his QB issue a "beautiful situation," after declaring Kolb his starter for this Sunday's game. A day later, he said Vick had performed too well to be sent back to the bench. "When someone is playing at the level Michael Vick is playing, you have to give him an opportunity," says Reid. So much for Kolb being Donovan McNabb's successor.
• CAROLINA: Delhomme was released, and Moore already is the unsuccessful successor -- four interceptions, two fumbles in two losses. Coach John Fox is turning to rookie Jimmy Clausen. "We'll see if this works," the coach in the final year of his contract says. The second-round pick from Notre Dame is 7 of 15 for 59 yards and one interception in two brief stints.
• BUFFALO: New coach Chan Gailey is looking for a spark after Edwards failed to generate much offense in two losses (one TD pass, two interceptions, seven sacks) Ryan Fitzpatrick's task? End the Bills' 13-game losing streak against the Patriots on Sunday. It's the Bills' fifth in-season QB change in six years.
• OAKLAND: Once Cable decides between season-opening starter Campbell (acquired from the Redskins) and Bruce Gradkowski, he says there no longer will be a quarterback controversy. Campbell was yanked in favor of Gradkowski, who led the Raiders to a 16-14 win over the Rams last week. "I'll make a good decision, the right decision, and we'll go from there," Cable says.
• PITTSBURGH: Two games to go before Ben Roethlisberger returns from suspension, and his replacement, Dennis Dixon is out with a left knee injury. Charlie Batch came on in the Steelers' win last week, but Byron Leftwich, re-signed Monday, could start against Tampa Bay on Sunday. And by the way, does it really matter who subs for Roethlisberger for the unbeaten Steelers?
• ARIZONA: Kurt Warner retires (he made it to the second round of "Dancing with the Stars," by the way), Matt Leinart is cut in preseason, and Derek Anderson moves in as the starter. What happens? The Cardinals are 1-1 but have produced only 24 points, and Anderson has been hit hard in both games. He'll start against the Raiders, simply because the Cardinals other QBs are rookies Max Hall and John Skelton.