Cutler may be a savior -- but probably not this season

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Everybody Loves Romo -- especially the headline writers.

Tony Romo -- the quarterback of the "Romo Empire" -- has brought euphoria to Dallas in the same season that Philip Rivers has San Diego atop the AFC West.

Novice signal-callers are so in vogue that Joe Gibbs --- who treats green quarterbacks like poison ivy -- recently embraced Jason Campbell to reinvigorate his sputtering club.

Of course, the latest club to make such a move is Denver, which shed the Snake for talented rookie Jay Cutler. But Denver fans mesmerized by his rifle arm and the magical seasons of Romo and Rivers shouldn't overlook one small -- or big -- detail: Cutler, who hasn't taken a snap since preseason, is still a rookie quarterback.

The one near-certainty in an unpredictable league is that rookie QBs will struggle adjusting to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses. Almost every star quarterback over the past quarter-century sputtered in his rookie season.

Although Romo hadn't thrown a pass until this season, he benefited from being in the NFL for three years. Rivers had played two seasons behind Drew Brees, and admits being helped by the experience. As splendidly as Rivers and Romo have performed, they have an immensely talented supporting cast with top 10 defenses.

I'm not saying I fault Mike Shanahan's decision for a team averaging 17.7 points -- the lowest in his Broncos tenure -- while clinging to a playoff spot. At the very least, Cutler should help revive wideout Javon Walker -- the terrific long-ball threat -- who recently turned invisible. And Cutler's deep throws -- if he's accurate -- should clear the lanes for Denver's runners.

Nonetheless, with five games left -- including against Seattle, San Diego and Cincinnati -- don't expect Cutler to be a panacea on a club with several ills.

The best forecast for the 11th overall pick from Vanderbilt is the performances of the rookie quarterbacks drafted ahead of him.

• Vince Young, picked third by Tennessee: At 4-4, Young has shown some of his playmaking ability, but has struggled overall: eight touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 49.9 percent.

• Matt Leinart, drafted 10th by Arizona: Despite a sparkling game against Chicago, Leinart is 1-6, which means he already has three times as many losses as he had at USC. Leinart has seven touchdowns and nine interceptions with 55 percent accuracy.

(Bruce Gradkowski, Tampa Bay's sixth-round pick is 3-7. He has nine touchdowns and six interceptions with 53.7 accuracy.)

The cocksure Cutler believes his situation differs because he's surrounded with more talent. Sure, the club that Jake Plummer led to the AFC championship is mostly intact. But Denver is in such a rut that, of all things, it lacks a rookie quarterback's best friend: a reliable tailback. The duo of Tatum and Mike Bell has been anemic. And Shanahan already benched right tackle George Foster and tight end Tony Scheffler.

Probably the next most important boost for a green quarterback is a sturdy defense. And Denver's 16th-ranked unit hasn't been quite the same since being emasculated by Peyton Manning last month.

Also, the quarterback switch won't impact a special-teams unit that has been anything but.

There's no shame for Cutler posting similar stats as Young and Leinart. As rookies, they've actually performed better than almost everyone who's landed on the Mount Rushmore of NFL quarterbacks:

Terry Bradshaw? He was 5-9 with 24 interceptions and six touchdowns while completing less than 40 percent.

Troy Aikman? The first overall pick in 1989 went 0-11 as a starter.

Peyton Manning? The top choice in 1998 went 3-13 with an NFL-high 28 interceptions despite a lineup with Marvin Harrison and Marshall Faulk.

The most fitting example is John Elway, the top pick in 1983. He went 4-6 while throwing 14 interceptions and seven touchdowns. Elway's most embarrassing moment came when he was so discombobulated that he tried to take a snap from behind the left guard.