Picking a quarterback to start for the Seahawks this weekend against Drew Brees and the Saints has proven tougher than most expected. Just look what the candidates have to offer:
The first guy has won many games as a starter in the NFL, far more than the other guy. He has won tough games at home and on the road. He has faced varying defensive schemes and coordinators, and has a good understanding of how to attack them. He has had seasons where his QB rating eclipsed the other guys best game. There have been some terrible games in his career, but some real beauties as well. He is older, and probably does not have a long future as an NFL starter in front of him, but there are reasons to think he gives the team the best chance to win.
The other guy has only started two games, and has won only one. In the 11 quarters he has been on the field, the team has been outscored 85-31. Until his last start, his QB rating was under 50. In the best start of his career, he completed exactly one pass over 10 yards out of six tries. Outside of one pass that went for over 60 yards, he averaged an infinitesimal 3.74 yards per attempt. Like Hasselbeck, he has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. He has never faced Gregg Williams’ defense, never played in the playoffs, never even started two games in a row. He has proven he can face a mediocre defense with an ultra-conservative game plan, and play a decent game.
It’s not a contest from where I sit. You play the first guy. Not all Seahawks fans will be behind the idea of starting JP Losman, but it definitely makes more sense than Charlie Whitehurst.