Injuries to big name quarterbacks could change the whole NFL season

Richard O’Hagan
15 November 2012

Michael Vick becomes one of several concussion victims in the NFL this week

Join

Twitter

Facebook

View the Betslip

It's week 11 in the NFL and four big teams could be without their starting quarterbacks.

"No fewer than four playoff contenders could be without their number one player this weekend."

One of the big developments in the NFL over the past decade or so has been a change in the type of quarterback that teams are looking for. Up until the early 2000s the key attributes were being able to pass accurately and manage a game. If you could pass accurately over a long distance then so much the better.

Then came the running quarterbacks, players such as Michael Vick, who could move the ball not only with the strength of their arm, but the speed of their legs, too, or Ben Roethlisberger, a quarterback with the size and short-distance speed of a linebacker. Suddenly, offenses had a whole new dimension and, of course, every coach wanted that type of player behind centre.

Now, though, this desire for speed and mobility has come up hard against the biggest issue in the league in recent years, head injuries. Quarterbacks who play like running backs get hit as hard as running backs and that, in turn, leads to injuries and, very specifically, concussions. Once upon a time this was a very loosely regulated area of the game, with teams pretty much left to decide if a player was fit to continue, but not anymore. Now there is a strict protocol to follow for every head injury and teams are fined for not complying with it. Which is largely why no fewer than four playoff contenders could be without their number one player this weekend.

For some sides, losing a quarterback makes little difference. Kansas City have had both Matt Cassell and Brady Quinn out at various times this season but they are still bumping along the bottom of the NFL with a 1-8 record. For Chicago (7-2), San Francisco (6-2-1) and Pittsburgh (6-3) the absence of their leading men could have a serious impact upon their chances of winning their divisions. In Philadelphia (3-6) things are far worse.

When rookie Nick Foles replaced Vick on Sunday he was taking his first snaps in the NFL and it is hard to see him leading the Eagles past the Redskins on Sunday, let alone reversing a season that has limped from one disaster to another. With the Giants having lost two in a row to slip to 6-4 and Philadelphia in freefall, the Redskins fancy their chances of a playoff spot and even the NFC East title, which makes their 10.09/1 price worthy of a speculative wager perhaps.

For the Bears and 49ers the saving grace, if there is one, is that neither plays until Monday and, of course, that means that they play one another. As a result, neither Jay Cutler nor Alex Smith has officially been ruled out and it won't matter so much if either is. In Jason Campbell, Chicago have an eight year veteran as backup and one who seemed to be turning around the Oakland Raiders last year until injury ended his season midway through. The Niners, on the other hand, can turn to Colin Kaepernick, who though without an NFL start has taken snaps on certain plays this season.

Moreover, this is another game which is likely to be decided more on defense than offense. San Francisco are one of the toughest sides to score points against, whilst Chicago still hounded the Texans despite going down 13-6 on Sunday night. All things considered, though, the 2.3411/8 on offer for a Bears win looks too good to pass up.

The exception among the four is Roethlisberger. His injury is to his rib rather than a concussion which, like the Rams' Danny Amendola earlier in the season, came very close to severing his aorta.

Happily for Pittsburgh, veteran Byron Leftwich might be the best back-up they have had since Roethlisberger broke into the starting role. He is a different player to Big Ben though, and the offense will need some serious re-tooling to work in the same way. Leftwich looked rusty on Monday night, having not played a game for two years.

Adding to the Steelers' woes is that they host division leaders Baltimore on Sunday. Their record against the Ravens is a good one, but only when Roethlisberger plays. Without him, they are 0-4 and with Baltimore seemingly back to top form after running up a franchise-record 55 points against Oakland last weekend, this is definitely a game to favour the visiting team in. That said, Baltimore are not going to be sure what kind of offense they will face to begin with, so don't be surprised to see the Steelers ahead at half time, with Baltimore taking the win in the final two quarters at 4.3100/30.