QB Injuries Pile Up

If there's any professional sport out there that is powered by one player at one position right now, its the National Football League. It's really started to show over the last five or so years that the NFL truly has become a Quarterback driven league. QB's are throwing the ball a lot more now then they have in the past, and maybe that's just the way the offensive game plan is leaning towards now a days. With that being said, two teams are really being hit hard by it heading into the start of the season. Both the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings are hit with QB injuries and will have to find a way to make up for some of that this year.

The biggest story of late is Teddy Bridgwater, the Minnesota Vikings QB. He suffered a dislocated knee and a torn ACL when he went down during a noncontact drill at practice Tuesday, ending his 2016 season. He was getting ready to start his 3rd year under center in the NFL, this coming a year after leading the Vikings to an NFC North title and almost pulling off a major upset in the Wild Card game against Seattle. Last year he threw for 3,231 yards and 14 TD's to go with only nine picks. It was a pro bowl year for Teddy. Him and the vikings were expected to have a monster year this year, but that went right down the drain when he's knee gave out on him. Now it looks like Saun Hill might be the starting option for the Vikings under center. He's 36 years old and only played sparingly over the last few years.

An injury like this could be deadly for the Vikings because they have no stability at the QB position behind Teddy. This is afterall the NFL a very pass happy league and now its up in the air as to how well Shaun Hill or whoever is under center in Minnesota. Can they perform well with such big expectations in Minnesota? And can Adrian Peterson still put up great numbers running the ball when a lot is expected of him? Only time will tell.

You can make the same argument with the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas has yet to announce who is going to be the opening week starter. Why? Because Tony Romo is out for six to ten weeks with a broken bone in his back. So now it falls on Dak Prescott to take over the duties Now its not set that Dak will start, but that's where the signs are pointing. Dallas was supposed to be one of the favorites to win the NFC East, but with Romo hurt, that kinda puts that plan in jepordy. Dallas has a good team, but much like Minnesota, if they don't have a solid Quarterback, then they may miss out on the playoffs. This also brings to light another issue in Dallas, that being the health of Tony Romo. Between dealing with his back, collar bones, shoulder and other various injuries, he's been a constent question mark.

Don't get me wrong, Romo is a great quarterback when he's healthy and on the field, the Cowboys are a very very good team. They were 3-1 with him last year before he got hurt, but ended up missing the playoffs. I'm sure that the running back combo of Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris can handle the load, while Dez Bryant, Jason Whitten, Cole Beasley and company will have to be counted on to help out Dak as he gets adjusted to life in the NFL. Dallas could be OK and may end up in better shape then the Vikings are at the end of the year so who knows.

Bu this will really be a tell tale sign of things for the National Football League. Its been well documented that the NFL really is a QB driven league, so we will see how well both Minnesota and Dallas handle things without their two regular gun slingers under center