The Bad Quarterback League: Week 1

When we last left our fellowship of the Bad Quarterback League, wages were set, a draft was foregone, and our players were ready to cheer against the league's finest. I have to say, watching football from the perspective of the Bad Quarterback league was really a treat. Never, ever, have I enjoyed watching Tavaris Jackson play football, but this Sunday, as he led his team to defeat against San Francisco, the room was filled with cheers. Emotions sailed every time Donovan McNabb sailed the ball over an open receiver, every time Eli Manning hit the dirt, and especially every time Big Ben dialed up a downfield shot to Ed Reed. Some would argue that what we're doing here is "uncouth or against God", but to those people, I have just one thing to say. When's the last time you found yourself cheering for Luke McCown?

I rest my case. Here's the recap of Week 1's Worst Quarterbacks.
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Carpenter (MIA & MIN) vs. Morgan (PHI & GB)

In our first matchup, Carpenter fielded his top unit against Morgan's worst. Chad Henne defied the odds on Monday night, putting up a dazzling -10 on the BQL radar much to the surprise of Patriots and Dolphins fans alike. Most viewers were probably expecting a booing repeat of training camp, but you have to admit, his performance was uplifting for the fans at Sun Life. Luckily for Carpenter, his champion, Donovan McNabb, truly shined. McNabb's 39 yards and interception were the epitome of clutch, despite his short touchdown toss to Michael Jenkins. My team, on the other hand, waved the white flag, getting two of those "required starts" out of the way on a week where no one knew what would happen. Vick managed to find me positive points, but Aaron Rodgers was just too good to keep my squad in the positive. Looking forward, it was very nice to hear Denver fans cheering for Tebow on Monday Night Football.

Winner: Carpenter +35


Loser: Morgan -3


Top Perfomer: Donovan McNabb (45)



Stephens (NYG & NO) vs. McCool (SF & OAK)

McCool caught a bit of a surprise, much like many of Alex Smith's receivers. We all have to admit, Smith didn't look completely horrific, gunslinging in the shadow of Tavaris Jackson, who put on the real (bad) show. Smith still managed an adequate BQL start, and Jason Campbell really stepped up in a rainy Denver game to give McCool success in Week 1. Stephens found a nice surprise as well in a week where he was throwing out some "required starts." Eli Manning, who many believed would carve up Washington, even managed to throw a touchdown to an opposing defensive lineman on his way to a 27 point outing. On the flip side, Drew Brees put on a passing clinic against the Green Bay defense. The Saint's -17 point performance sealed the deal for McCool's Week 1 slide. It's worth noting that the Seahawks rode the bench this week, and Tavaris will most likely get the nod going into Week 2.

Winner: McCool +38


Loser: Stephens +10


Top Performer: Eli Manning (27)


Hall (PIT & IND) vs. Frisbee (JAX & BUF)

Hall made a bodacious move right out of the gate, starting what was imagined to be his worst (best in real life) lineup of Indi and Pittsburgh. He was richly rewarded for his gamble. Ben Roethlisberger led all scorers this week after completing as many passes to Ed Reed as he did teammates Emanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, and Mewelde Moore. With three interceptions and two lost fumbles, Big Ben  was a one man wrecking crew. Add in a darling triple fumble performance by Kerry Collins, and you have the largest margin of victory on our Week 1 scoreboard. Frisbee decided to retort with Luke McCown and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Jacksonville's passing performance would have McCowned most opponents, but Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick ravaged Kansas City en route to a disappointing -3. McCown faces off against Rex Ryan's blitz happy Jets in Week 2, so the stage is set for Frisbee to bounce back.

                                                           David Crary - Associated Press

Winner: Hall +67

Loser: Frisbee +20

Top Performer: Ben Roethlisberger (49)

Cassilly & Pierce (CIN & HOU) vs. Lever (CAR & TEN)

The dynamic duo of Cassilly & Pierce opened by throwing a curveball, choosing to start Houston and Cincinnati. The trio of Schaub, Dalton, and Gradkowski put up solid, but not overwhelming numbers as our ladies posted a solid +18. I think's it's safe to say we can blame Dalton's performance on a Brown's defense that decided to leave receivers wide open. Expect big things in the future. Lever started Cam Newton and Matt Hasselbeck, which many thought would be a lock for huge numbers on opening weekend. Instead, Hasselbeck managed to finagle an 80 yard score to Kenny Britt and Cam Newton set a Week 1 rookie record with his 422 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. The tandem combined for the lowest score of the weekend. The girls start the season with a big win, and the Cleveland Browns have yet to make their first start.

                                                                               Associated Press

Winner(s): Cassilly & Pierce +18

Loser: Lever -5

Top Performer: Matt Schaub (10)

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That's all for an exciting opening weekend!

Moving into Week 2, we'll see the following matchups:

Lever vs. Carpenter
Stephens vs. Morgan
Hall vs. McCool
Frisbee vs. Cassilly & Pierce

Join us next Tuesday for the recap of our second week of Bad Quarterback action!

Inspired by Grantland