Dead heats. Lively debates.
That sums up a lot of the quarterback battles around the NFL, and it definitely covers the situation at San Francisco 49ers training camp, where Shaun Hill and Alex Smith are vying for the starting job.
Although Hill seems like the natural choice — the 49ers won seven times in his 10 starts over the last two seasons — Smith will get an opportunity to reclaim the job. Maybe Smith, the former No. 1 draft pick, will finally get career traction with Mike Singletary at coach rather than Mike Nolan.
“There is a lot in front of me, and a lot to prove,” Smith said.
Some other battles to watch:
Vikings: Neither Tarvaris Jackson nor Sage Rosenfels had to be too thrilled with the Vikings’ pursuit of Brett Favre, who, on the eve of camp’s start, announced he planned to stay retired. Still, football is a business, and that was another reminder for them. Jackson, coming back from a knee strain, wants to prove he’s more than a stopgap option. Rosenfels, acquired in an off-season trade with the Texans, has fairly good accuracy but is prone to turnovers.
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Lions: The Lions broke the bank to pay top pick Matthew Stafford, but that doesn’t mean they should hurry him into action. Rushing a rookie can be devastating to his confidence. That’s why it’s important they have a seasoned veteran in Daunte Culpepper, even though he’ll eventually be told to step aside.
Broncos: With Jay Cutler out the door — and the coveted Matt Cassel in Kansas City — the pressure is on new coach Josh McDaniels to win with either Kyle Orton or Chris Simms, neither of whom sets an offensive coordinator’s heart aflutter. It looks like it’s Orton’s job to lose. He has a so-so arm and isn’t very mobile. Simms hasn’t been a starter since 2006.
Jets: They aren’t gift-wrapping a starting spot for Mark Sanchez, even though the No. 5 pick is unquestionably a cornerstone of the team’s future under Rex Ryan. For the moment, Kellen Clemens is competing for the job, and Ryan indicated this week the two quarterbacks are neck-and-neck. Said Ryan: “They’ve both had their moments, and both have had moments where you’re like, ‘What are they doing?'”
Browns: There’s nowhere to head but up for the Browns’ offense, which failed to score a touchdown in the final six games of 2008. It looks as if Brady Quinn will be the starting quarterback, even though he and Derek Anderson — who got a big-money deal before last season — are sharing snaps in camp. Quinn looked solid when he was healthy a year ago, playing in parts of three games and turning in a respectable performance against the Broncos in his first start. An injured index finger that required surgery knocked him off track.
Raiders: The starting job is not up for grabs now, but in the past Jeff Garcia always has seemed to find a way onto the field. Entering his third season, JaMarcus Russell needs to prove he was worth the investment as the No. 1 pick in 2007. He has done his share of struggling but seemed to turn the corner after the midway point last season.
Buccaneers: Were it just based on experience, the starting job would belong to Byron Leftwich, hands down. He has 46 NFL starts compared with Luke McCown ‘s seven. But both players have their individual strengths, and either could wind up with the job … temporarily. Sooner or later, the position is going to belong to first-round pick Josh Freeman.
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