Ravens D Has Benched Starting QB 4 Years Straight

[theFRANCHISE]

With the benching of Browns QB Brady Quinn in Week 3, the Ravens defense has now benched an opposing team's starting QB due to poor performance and/or injury four seasons in a row, each time creating a QB controversy.

2009 - Cleveland Browns, Brady Quinn benched in favor of Derek Anderson
2008 - Philadelphia Eagles, Donovan McNabb benched in favor of Kevin Kolb
2007 - Arizona Cardinals, Matt Leinart benched in favor of Kurt Warner
2006 - Oakland Raiders, Aaron Brooks benched in favor of Andrew Walter

Though the fallout of Quinn's benching remains to be seen, only Donovan McNabb kept his job the rest of the season, as his benching was late in the year and he quickly earned his job back by proving he was far better than Kevin Kolb. However, with McNabb's latest injury and Kolb's consecutive 300-yard passing performances, another QB controversy is brewing in Philly, especially with Michael Vick and Jeff Garcia also breathing down his neck.

Aaron Brooks was injured against the Ravens but never regained the confidence of the Raiders' coaching staff, despite Andrew Walter's anemic performance in his stead. Being the worst of two evils, Brooks was never embraced by Raider Nation, who believed that Walter showed promise in his inconsistencies. Brooks would later be released in favor of Walter, who was assumed to be the full-time starter until the drafting of JaMarcus Russell in the 2007 Draft.

Matt Leinart was benched by new Arizona head coach Ken Wisenhunt, and veteran Kurt Warner gave the Cardinals new life after a Ravens blowout seemed all but certain. Warner's heroics, despite falling just short, gave Wisenhunt and the Cardinals reason to believe he was the QB-of-the-present; their faith was rewarded with a Super Bowl bid in 2008, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite a rough start to 2009, the Baltimore Ravens defense has proven that it hasn't lost its ability to frustrate opposing QBs. Starting passers must worry not only about losing games, but also losing their jobs.

[tweety]

Did you forget we benched Brady Croyle in our first game? Thigpen didnt do much better though.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='tweety' date='28 September 2009 - 10:32 AM' timestamp='1254148349' post='243442']
Did you forget we benched [b]Brady Croyle[/b] in our first game? Thigpen didnt do much better though.
[/quote]
[u]Brodie[/u] Croyle wasn't benched; Tyler Thigpen was put in for one or two trick plays.

[McBoller]

[quote name='theFRANCHISE' date='28 September 2009 - 10:33 AM' timestamp='1254148428' post='243445']
[u]Brodie[/u] Croyle wasn't benched; Tyler Thigpen was put in for one or two trick plays.
[/quote]
Im pretty sure they said Croyle was benched due to ineffectiveness and Thigpen finished the last 5 or so minutes of the 1st quarter before Croyle was reinserted. The whole thing seemed odd. Neither of them played super in the first half, but Thigpen was in for more than two plays, and they were for from tricks.

[theFRANCHISE]

[quote name='McBoller' date='28 September 2009 - 10:39 AM' timestamp='1254148742' post='243454']
Im pretty sure they said Croyle was benched due to ineffectiveness and Thigpen finished the last 5 or so minutes of the 1st quarter before Croyle was reinserted. The whole thing seemed odd. Neither of them played super in the first half, but Thigpen was in for more than two plays, and they were for from tricks.
[/quote]
That must've been when they were all the way on the other side of the field from where I was sitting.

Not that it mattered since Croyle wasn't even a threat to supplant Matt Cassel, so no QB controversy there. And Thigpen, even though I believe he is infinitely more talented than Croyle, (presumably, since I didn't see him) couldn't do much against the Ravens -- and I can't blame him.

I only remember Thigpen scrambling once on an attempted option, and never threw a pass.

[Ed_Reed20]

McNabb getting benched is probably the most significant but that's a very cool tidbit.

[RedFire]

we broke teams spirits last yr

redskins...clinton portis went off on jim zorn in the media.
cowboys...the media grilled the cowboys
eagles....mcnabb

outstide of the giants....we smacked up the "NFC BEAST" and made them question their skills like the Ravens were a bum sqaud, lol.

[PuRock]

[quote name='RedFire' date='28 September 2009 - 04:00 PM' timestamp='1254168020' post='243723']
we broke teams spirits last yr

redskins...clinton portis went off on jim zorn in the media.
cowboys...the media grilled the cowboys
eagles....mcnabb

outstide of the giants....we smacked up the "NFC BEAST" and made them question their skills like the Ravens were a bum sqaud, lol.
[/quote]

....and they also broke my heart. When they lost to the Steelers who went on to win the SB. *Barf*

[WinnipegRaven]

They did yank Croyle.

[CorvusCorax]

Not only that but if I remember correctly, last season we game Carson Palmer one of his worst career days as a QB with an embarrassing QB rating. I do remember him being frustrated.

[darklight1216]

Great post, Franchise. If you add Tommy Maddox, the Ravens have benched at least one starting qb for 5 of the last six years.