Quarterback Controversies Highlight the Seahawks @ Broncos

The 2010 Denver Broncos season did not have many highlights, but one of the few times Broncos fans had a lot to cheer about was when the Seattle Seahawks came to Mile High Stadium. That 31-14 victory in the second week of the season gave us all a little hope, but it would be short lived in a season we can’t forget soon enough. This Saturday night, the Seahawks will return to Mile High for the 3rd of 4 preseason games this year. And in an interesting twist, the most compelling quarterback competition may be taking place in the Seahawks camp.

The Seahawks are coming off an ugly loss to the Minnesota Vikings which has some fans questioning their quarterback situation. Tarvaris Jackson, whom the Seahawks acquired this offseason to be the heir apparent to Matt Hasselbeck, went 11 for 21 passing with 1 interception and a QB rating of 40.8. The assumed back-up Charlie Whitehurst finished 14 for 19 with 97 yards and a rating of 102.3. Even though Coach Pete Carroll insists that Jackson is the unquestioned starter, it will be interesting to see what happens on Saturday night.

Meanwhile in Denver, the quarterback circus has become comical.  The Kyle Orton trade rumors earlier in camp turned out to go nowhere, and now John Fox has named him the starter for the season opener. Typically, this means the quarterback competition is over and we can all move on. But the popularity and polarizing effect of Tim Tebow has turned this into a huge story. The national media have become obsessed with whether or not Tebow will be the backup quarterback, and almost every network talking head seems to have a strong opinion on Tebow one way or the other.

My take is that everyone needs to take a deep breath. If Tim is not ready to start right now based on the judgment of Fox and John Elway, then he should continue working until he gets his shot. Any other rumor or criticism concerning Tebow is irrelevant until we see what actually happens down the road. People should stop watching this story like it is the Cuban Missile Crisis and focus on things that will matter when the first real game kicks off in a few weeks. Things like how our starting quarterback is playing and whether or not guys like Von Miller, Rahim Moore, or Orlando Franklin are ready to make an impact on a team that really needs it.

Regardless of what story you are following on Saturday night, it will be must-see-television. Go Broncos!

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