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Snap Judgments

QB questions abound; heroes, zeroes from Week 5

Posted: Sunday October 7, 2007 7:23PM; Updated: Monday October 8, 2007 9:58PM
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Trent Green was taken to a hospital during the Dolphins' loss to the Texans, but he returned to be with the team after the game.
Trent Green was taken to a hospital during the Dolphins' loss to the Texans, but he returned to be with the team after the game.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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Quarterback issues. They're everywhere in the NFL. Injuries and ineffectiveness in Week 5 gave us a whole new set of topics to sink our teeth into. To wit:

• The predictable happened to Miami's Trent Green, who suffered another serious concussion in the first half of the Dolphins' last-second loss at Houston. Green, 37, had half his season wiped out by a concussion last year in Kansas City; and for the life of me, I can't figure why a guy with that kind of neurological history is being called on to throw a block on a reverse?

Talk all you want about Green being the ultimate competitor, but there's being short-sighted and then there's being just plain dumb. Asking Green to block Texans defensive lineman Travis Johnson is the height of fool-hardy. It didn't help matters that Green gave it his all, going low and sticking his head directly in the path of Johnson's knees.

What does the future hold now at quarterback in Miami? Backup Cleo Lemon relieved Green, and did a serviceable job, completing 15 of 27 passes for 151 yards with one interception. But if Green misses any significant amount of time, the Dolphins should start planning for the future right now. Lemon shouldn't get as much priority as finding out if rookie quarterback John Beck has what it takes to be the heir apparent.

You're 0-5 as the Dolphins head coach, Cam Cameron. What are you waiting for?

• Well I guess we know now the Cardinals aren't going to "ride'' Matt Leinart any time soon. With Arizona's starter having broken his left collarbone late in the first half at St. Louis, the Cardinals' innovative two-headed quarterback rotation is a thing of the past. These type of things have a tendency to sort themselves out rather quickly at times, and Leinart no longer can bristle about sharing time with Kurt Warner.

This is Warner's team now, and how fitting that the torch was passed in St. Louis, where he triumphantly returned on Sunday to the scene of his Super Bowl-winning glory days. Warner threw for 190 yards, with one touchdown pass and another score on a 1-yard sneak. If Arizona's vastly improved offensive line can continue to protect him, Warner can hurt plenty of defenses.

• Atlanta's quarterback depth chart is also newsy after starter Joey Harrington was yanked early in the fourth quarter of a loss at Tennessee. Byron Leftwich's 2-of-8, 28-yard, one-interception relief appearance didn't spark much of anything in the Falcons' 20-13 defeat. The position that was vacated by Michael Vick this summer is obviously still in need of an upgrade.

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