What are your thoughts on the St. Louis Rams? Quarterback controversy? (1 Viewer)

[KeithH]

No one said being a head coach in the NFL is easy. Mike Martz has a real problem on his hands. With Kurt Warner, the Rams, where the expectations were very high coming into the season, started 0-5. Enter Mark Bulger, and the Rams win five straight to get to .500. Today, Warner comes back from injury, and although he throws for 301 yards, the Rams lose to the Redskins, 20-17, to fall to 5-6. Warner fumbled the ball on a sack to seal the win for the Redskins. Now, I am not going to say that Warner should be benched, but I am sure that members of the media will. They probably already are. I know that Bulger has an injury, but it was said during the game today that he could have played had Warner gotten hurt or played very poorly. Anyway, if you are Martz, who do you start next week, assuming that both Warner and Bulger are healthy enough to play? This is a tough one. Warner is an exceptional talent, and he has done a lot for the Rams over past few years. However, he should not get the starting job based on past efforts. In my view, Bulger is no Kurt Warner, but Bulger was on a role in the Rams' five wins. Who starts next week?
No one said being an NFL quarterback is easy either. This has to be tough on Kurt Warner, both physically and mentally. He has had to battle injury, and he is now trying to get his rhythm back. Add to that the enormous expectations everyone has of him and he has of himself. Then compound these factors by the possibility that he has to look over his shoulder as Bulger waits in the wings. The situation with the Rams may not be exactly the same as with the Patriots last year, but perhaps Warner can identify with what Drew Bledsoe went through. If Warner is feeling at all uneasy about his situation right now, perhaps he should call Bledsoe for advice.
O.K., I'm done for now. Your turn to chime in.

 

[Josh Lowe]

I am by -no- means a Kurt Warner fan. He really rubs me the wrong way. But I think he at least deserves the opportunity to get his job back. I think he did pretty well considering this was his first full game back, plus no Marshall Faulk.

The Rams' problem this season is the lack of a running game. You can't pass every down.

 

[KeithH]

Josh, it is understatement to say that Marshall Faulk makes a difference in what the Rams' quarterback, whoever it is, can do. It's a cliche, but it's true -- you need a good running game to set up the passing game. I have the Colts-Broncos game on as I type (Sunday Night Football), and they just talked about how much better Peyton Manning has played since Edgerrin James returned. Manning looked lost without a running game.

 

[Josh Lowe]

it's also why jay fiedler and ray lucas look like they're worth a damn. when ricky williams opens things up they can throw with impunity. someone please invent a time machine and retrieve dan marino from about 1988 and put him on this year's fins. please. pretty please.

 

[KeithH]

Josh, that's funny. Danny Wuerffel looked good today, as Stephen Davis was wearing down the Rams' defense a bit.

 

[Evan Case]

I'm for whatever better allows the Rams to lose next week. After that they can go nuts.
Evan

 

[Jim_C]

Having lived through the Bledsoe/Brady controversy I'd have to say that Bulger should be in. Last year Belichick went with the quarterback that was winning, Brady. It didn't matter that Bledsoe was the Franchise.

Warner had lost what, 5 in a row? Bulger brought them to 5-5. I think it's pretty cut and dried, despite the fact Warner is a great QB.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Warner did not look good this season even before his injury, so no one should be surprised that he's still a little shakey. As others have stated, though, without a healthy Marshall Faulk it will not matter who plays QB. Faulk is the most important piece of their offense.

 

[James Q Jenkins]

Warner won the Super Bowl. Bledsoe did not. That's a CRITICAL difference in the situation with the Rams this year versus last year's Pats. The Rams under Warner were more successful than Bledsoe's Pats ever were.

You stick with Warner and use Bulger to get a good draft pick or trade in the off season. That is the only choice. There is no controversy.

 

[Malcolm R]

Warner won the Super Bowl. Bledsoe did not.

That's because even after Bledsoe was healthy, the Pats stuck with Brady who was responsible for getting the team back on track after Bledsoe screwed up the first few games of the season prior to his injury. However, no one will ever know if the Pats still would have won the SB if Bledsoe had started. He was healthy and ready, but they correctly stuck with Brady because he was winning games.

The only reason to play the game is to win. If you have a QB that's 0-6 and another QB that's 5-0, regardless of who's the "star" and who's the "backup," it seems pretty cut and dried to me. Stick with the winning combination.

 

[Tim Markley]

Warner was the MVP of the NFL 2 out of the last 3 seasons. I really don't get where this controversy is coming from. It wasn't just Warner that was playing terrible in the first 5 games and it wasn't Warner that cost them the game yesterday. Their defense and offensive line have been pretty bad all year. Add in the injury to Faulk and I don't think you need to look any further.

 

[Malcolm R]

It wasn't just Warner that was playing terrible in the first 5 games and it wasn't Warner that cost them the game yesterday.

Perhaps not, but the fact remains that Bulger is (was) getting wins while working with that same defense/offense, something Warner is unable to do for some reason.

 

[KeithH]

Interesting debate. This is why I said that Martz has a tough decision to make. What Warner did over the past few years really has no bearing on what he can do in the here and now, but it is hard to overlook Warner's past accomplishments.

I agree that either quarterback has an uphill battle ahead with Faulk out. If I am Martz, I watch both quarterbacks in practice, paying particular attention to Warner's health and attitude in practice (i.e., confidence, assertiveness, etc.). Then I simply make a decision based on which guy I feel is sharper in practice. It may be a game-time decision. It may be a decision I make with my gut.

 

[Jim_C]

>>Warner won the Super Bowl. Bledsoe did not. That's a CRITICAL difference in the situation with the Rams this year versus last year's Pats. The Rams under Warner were more successful than Bledsoe's Pats ever were.

You stick with Warner and use Bulger to get a good draft pick or trade in the off season. That is the only choice. There is no controversy.

 

[KeithH]

Hey, Koy Detmer is playing well for the Eagles tonight. Maybe there will be a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia when McNabb has healed.

 

[KeithH]

Oh no, now Detmer is hurt. :frowning:

 

[DeanR]

Not after that disgusting elbow dislocation he just suffered :frowning: .

 

[KeithH]

Yeah, I am a bit concerned if the Eagles have to go with Feely for an extended period. They will have to go shopping for a quarterback, like pronto.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

They will have to go shopping for a quarterback, like pronto.

Yes, there are all kinds of great QB's that are not currently on NFL rosters. Maybe they can land Scott Mitchell.
That was a brutal injury to Detmer. I thought he had broken the arm when I saw the play. It's a shame, since he was playing so well in his first real opportunity in the league.

 

[Mark Dubbelboer]

Yeah, I am a bit concerned if the Eagles have to go with Feely for an extended period. They will have to go shopping for a quarterback, like pronto

meh, didn't we decide in this thread as long as duce keeps chugging away on the ground he'll make whoever is back there look good?

Feeley is supposed to have an even stronger arm than Detmer, the last two games a pocket passing qb has worked wonders for the eagles. wonder if it'll change the way they use mcnabb when he comes back.

as far as warner/bulger, they both seem to be sore and out for this week? let's see Martin step it up and cause some real headaches for martz.

p.s. the only person i hate in the nfl more than warner is martz