Armful of analysis on quarterback battles, Jets' troubles - SportingNews.com

NEW YORK â€" The preseason is halfway over, but plenty of teams still have quarterback issues.

Is Russell Wilson really a threat to unseat Matt Flynn as the Seattle Seahawks’ starter? Who will start Week 1 for the Arizona Cardinals at quarterback? And can the New York Jetsâ€"unable to move the ball consistently so farâ€"solve their offensive problems with either Mark Sanchez or Tim Tebow at the controls?

Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson are in an unexpected quarterback battle in Seattle. (AP Photo)

Here are five quarterback questions that still need to be answered before Week 1:

Who is the right quarterback for the Cardinals â€" Kevin Kolb or John Skelton?

The Cardinals have a potential mess on their hands. They paid Kolb a lot of money, and he has not looked good. Skelton has been better but not overly impressive, either.

That leaves coach Ken Whisenhunt with a tough decision, and time is growing short to make it. CBS Sports held a luncheon Tuesday in Manhattan featuring its NFL analysts, and the former quarterbacks in the group were divided on what the Cardinals should do.

“I think Kevin Kolb should be the guy who gets the first shot at it, until he shows he can’t handle it,” CBS analyst Steve Beuerlein said. “If he doesn’t separate himself, he doesn’t belong in there.”

CBS analyst Phil Simms said neither quarterback is likely to have success if the Cardinals don’t do a better job of protecting them.

“Every time I watch during the preseason, they’re getting hit,” Simms said. “It could be rough with either guy.”

My take: Go with Skelton. The Cardinals just seem to respond better with him on the field, and his size (6-6, 244) makes him more suited to take a pounding.

Will the Jets’ offense featuring Sanchez or Tebow look much better once the regular season begins?

The Jets are still looking for their first touchdown of preseason, and their fans are panicking. Simms understands their concerns, but he is not ready to trash the Jets’ offenseâ€"yet.

“They don’t have all their pieces healthy, and I think they’ve been really conservative in the preseason,” Simms said. “It’s a team that needs all its parts to be successful. So we won’t really know until they get into the season.”

CBS studio analyst Dan Marino is not a big fan of any two-quarterback system.

“If I was playing, I wouldn’t like it,” Marino said. “But if you’re a quarterback, you better understand that there could always be competition. To me, it’s my job, and nobody’s taking it. That’s the attitude Mark Sanchez should have. It puts more pressure on him, but that could be a good thing. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out.”

My take: The Jets have too many offensive weaknesses for this to work well, no matter who is playing quarterback. Get ready for controversy.

“It’s going to be difficult for Sanchez, for Tebow, for the play-callers, and for everybody,” CBS analyst Rich Gannon said. “I wouldn’t want any part of it.”

Can Andrew Luck look this comfortable directing the Indianapolis Colts’ offense once the regular season begins?

Simms has been blown away by Luck’s pocket presence.

“He has been the most impressive rookie, by far,” Simms said. “I’m really shocked. He looks like he did in college, like he’s still a man among some boys. It looks like they’ve got a pretty good offensive line in Indianapolis. Maybe they’ve put more planning into their games than their opponents. But if they haven’t, they’re going to be a pain in the rear end to play.”

My take: Luck looks like a can’t-miss quarterback. He will only get better, and his rookie season could be special.

Is Flynn the guy for the Seahawks, or should it be Wilson?

Simms believes the talk about Wilson being a potential starter is more than just lip service.

“He might have been a top-five pick if he was 6-foot-2,” Simms said. “They’re treating him like they think he can start. If Wilson doesn’t start, the team better winâ€"and Flynn better play well.”

My take: The Seahawks should start Flynn, but they will find out right away what he’s made of, with Wilson looking over his shoulder.

“The Seahawks love Wilson, but I think they’re really high on Flynn, too,” Gannon said. “I like that they made it competitive. They didn’t do what the Cardinals did last year with Kolb, give him $63 million and the keys to the car.”

Brandon Weeden is the oldest rookie in the NFL (28), but is he also in the toughest spot?

The Browns named Weeden their starting quarterback, but facing the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals twice each in the AFC North will be a tough baptism.

“The Browns might start four rookies on offense,” Gannon said. “I saw Weeden against the Packers’ first defense, and I thought his movement was pretty good, the ball was coming out, and he was making quick decisions. Now, can he sustain that, and will they get better around him? There’s no question they’re the worst team in that division.”

My take: Weeden will lose games, but if he does not lose confidence, playing this season will help his growth.

“You don’t want to ruin a guy,” Gannon said. “Blaine Gabbert, at the end of last year, didn’t look confident. He looks better this year, but we’ll get a better sense of how much Gabbert has improved once the regular season starts. But I also think they’ve gotten better around him. This is a big year for him, too. These quarterback situations around the league are really interesting.’’