Welcome to Week 7 of the Kaepernick Rankings, a weekly analysis in which we lowlight some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL.
As the season progresses, games become harder to watch due to dreadful quarterback play. While it’s been amazing to witness future Hall of Famers Tom Brady and Drew Brees defy Father Time. The same can’t be said for some of the other signal-callers in the league. Even former MVP’s Matt Ryan and Cam Newton have been the model of inconsistency.
It’s no secret that NFL viewership and attendance across the league is down. Of course, people want to correlate that with the ongoing protests going on in the NFL, but let’s be honest here, it is attributed to the horrid quarterback play that’s going across the league.
The ongoing conundrum that Colin Kaepernick does not have a roster spot is beyond mind-boggling. No-name quarterbacks such as David Fales (Miami Dolphins) and Mike Bercovici (Cardinals) have recently signed contracts. To dive deeper into the numbers, NFL teams have acquired a whopping total of 65 quarterbacks since Kaepernick has been a free agent. That in itself proves that team are refusing to sign him due to his protests.
The narrative that NFL teams that don’t want to face distractions with signing Kap is coward-like.
Enough of me ranting, let’s dive into Week 7 of the Kaepernick Rankings.
The Player: DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns
The Box Score: 12/20 114 Yards, 2 INTs, 17.5 QBR
Here is your weekly reminder that the Browns passed on Carson Wentz and took DeShone Kizer. #Browns pic.twitter.com/py7kgu350j
— Austin (@AustinCTweets) October 22, 2017
The numbers may not say it, but Kizer has shown some flashes during his rookie season. After being benched by Kevin Hogan, he was put back into starting lineup—only to be benched again in favor of Cody Kessler. Kizer’s been a mainstay on the Kaepernick Rankings, and it looks like it is going to stay that way at the rate the season is going.
The Player: Cody Kessler, Cleveland Browns
The Box Score: 10/19, 121 Yards, 1 INT, 12.4 QBR
Speaking of Kessler, he was oh so close to leading the Browns to their first victory of the season. Despite looking at his numbers, he didn’t have a terrible game, but when you are a Browns quarterback, you are judged differently. Kessler had an untimely turnover and made some errant throws, but hey, isn't that’s the norm when you have the hex of being a Browns QB?
The Player: Drew Stanton, Arizona Cardinals
The Box Score: 5/14, 62 Yards, 1 INT, 11.2 QBR
In case you were wondering how it's going for Drew Stanton/Supergirl at QB after the Carson Palmer injury pic.twitter.com/9aRClY8bKO
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 22, 2017
I didn’t know Drew Stanton was still in the NFL until Carson Palmer got injured. How in the hell is Drew Stanton still a backup quarterback is beyond me, but here we are. The former MSU Spartan has been in the league for ten years, and he is best known for his role as a sideline dancer.
I know Bruce Arians knows a thing or two about quarterbacks, but Stanton isn’t the answer. I know, I know, Kap doesn’t fit the Cardinals because of contrasting playing styles, and he doesn’t respect the American flag like Stanton does.
The Player: Eli Manning, New York Giants
The Box Score: 19/39, 134 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Fumble, 15.7 QBR
Prior to the start of the season, I was inspired to see Eli Manning play after he did a one-two step to Trick Daddy’s “Take it to the House.” From there I thought, the greatness sprinkled from Dade County would entice him to have one of his best seasons yet. Well, that hasn’t been the case as Eli lost his top three targets in Brandon Marshall, Sterling Sheppard, and the leader of the frosted blonde faux hawk coalition, Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants are 1-6 in large part due to their sputtering offense. This past Sunday was no different as the Seahawks dominated the Giants in route to a 24-7 victory. As you might expect, with no true No.1 target, the bad version of Eli Manning showed up to MetLife Stadium. The Legion of Boom didn’t intercept any passes, but they didn’t give him a lot of room to hit his targets. Manning’s less than 50 percent completion percentage indicates he was under duress and off-target for all of the game. The loss of his top three targets is huge, and it will only get worse going forward for Manning and the G-Men.
#FreeKap
