NFL Notebook: time for Bucs to pick a QB

If I were running the Bucs, the quarterback battle between Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown would be decided today — so this team can move forward and prepare for the regualr season.

APRaheem Morris

We have to understand that this is a young team that needs leadership at the quarterback position, and considering that the third preseason game is crucial for the development of the first-team offense, delaying this decision could be detrimental to the Bucs’ success in September.

I understand that Raheem Morris is a young coach and that this is the biggest decision he has probably ever had to make, but he’s seen Leftwich and McCown since spring minicamps, throughout training camp and now through two preseason games. Plus, if you can’t put your confidence into a quarterback, what does that tell the rest of the team?

If Morris can’t make a decision now, when can he? One game is not going to make a difference in the overall evaluation process. I am still surprised that the Bucs haven’t given the job to Leftwich, who gives them the best chance to win, and delaying the inevitable isn’t doing this team justice right now.

Is it time to worry about Carson Palmer, who is on track to miss his second consecutive preseason game? High-ankle sprains can be debilitating to any position, and I can’t help but think back to the 2008 season, when Bears QB Kyle Orton saw his production drop significantly after he suffered the same injury, missed some time and then came back and threw erratically.

Cincinnati has to be careful here as the Bengals cannot compete in this league without their franchise player under center making plays. 

APKyle Orton

Kyle Orton had a good night against the Seahawks over the weekend in Seattle, and from a player’s perspective, this was a huge step for the former Bear. Orton needed to show his teammates that he could produce in Josh McDaniel’s system — plus put to bed any notion of Chris Simms getting an opportunity to challenge for the job. And that’s what he did by going 18 of 26 for 182 yards with a TD and a pick.

By the way, that offense, when run right, is tough to stop. Now all the Broncos have to do is figure out the Brandon Marshall drama — because this offense will score points in ’09. I guarantee that.

I can see why the Vikings are monitoring Brett Favre’s throwing attempts in practice — just like a pitch count in the big leagues — but that’s usually done during the first week of camp, not in late August. Is there enough time for Favre to get ready for the opener? Something to think about as the Vikings try to rush him into playing shape for September.

I still stand by my statement that Favre makes the Vikings a more complete football team, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to walk away with the NFC North title. Until I see Favre win in September, I still have to believe that this division will come down to who plays better in December — Chicago or Green Bay.

The injury to Bucs LB Angelo Crowell is another example of how quickly career paths can change in this league. I was a teammate of Angelo’s in Buffalo, and from my perspective, he was the perfect fit for the linebacker position in the Tampa 2 defense — quick, aggressive and athletic enough to drop into coverage and make plays. But after missing all of 2008 with a knee injury and now a torn bicep that will force him to miss the 2009 season, you have to wonder when he’ll get another chance. Injuries can send you from the starting lineup to the bench and out of league just like that in the NFL.

APMichael Vick

Can you feel the anticipation in Philly right now about Michael Vick? I can’t think of a player in recent memory who will have so much hype — and so many questions — heading into a preseason game than Vick.

If I’m the Eagles, I play him on Thursday, then give him the bulk of the second half in the last preseason game — because after that, all he’ll have is practice time — where he can’t get hit in order to prepare for his eventual return to regular-season action. Let the guy play and let us all see what he can do on the football field again.

A tough camp for Cardinals rookies as linebacker Cody Brown, a second-round pick from UConn, is expected to miss the entire season with a wrist injury, according to reports. Add in the fact that first-round pick Beanie Wells of Ohio State has been slowed all August with an ankle injury, and this team is looking at going into the regular season with little or no production from two rookies it was counting on to make plays on both sides of the football.

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