Quarterbacks running for their lives

The NFL is a passing league, and to pass the ball efficiently, teams have to protect their trigger men. This is the list of those quarterbacks that don't have a chance, and frankly, probably never had a chance. These are the quarterbacks scrambling for their lives more often than for yards.

Chad Henne/Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars' offensive line was supposed to be a much improved unit, but that just hasn't been the case. Through two games, Jacksonville's quarterbacks have been sacked 11 times. It looks like it really doesn't matter who's under center; they're a goner before the play even starts.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger has played behind some pretty awful offensive lines, but this one may take the cake. Big Ben is usually able to find time in the pocket to push his team down the field, but that hasn't been the case so far this season. With just 19 points under their belts, the Steelers' offense is going nowhere fast, and it's not Roethlisberger's fault — entirely. Roethlisberger will buy time in the pocket, but he also takes a lot of sacks. The problem now is, he has no time, and those sacks are piling up fast.

Geno Smith, New York Jets

What do you get when you throw a rookie scrambler into an offense with little to no significant weapons? Sack City, that's what. To Smith's credit, he's doing the best he can in a rough position, but without open receivers, defenses are bound to tee him up, and the results won't be pretty. If New York can't protect their young quarterback, he may not be able to stay healthy enough to help them in the long run.

Brandon Weeden, Cleveland Browns

No weapons and now no running game. Basically, he's a less athletic quarterback in Geno Smith's position. In other words, he's a sitting duck.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning survived so long in Indianapolis without missing starts simply because he avoided hits at all costs. That's not Andrew Luck's game, and it could bite him later in his career. Fortunately, help is on the way in the form of Trent Richardson, although I'm not sure how much help Luck will really be getting.

About Shane Clemons

Shane Clemons came from humble beginnings creating his own Jaguars blog before moving on to SBNation as a featured writer for the Jaguars. He then moved to Bloguin where he briefly covered the AFC South before taking over Bloguin's Jaguars blog. Since the inception of This Given Sunday, Shane has served as an editor for the site, doing his best not to mess up a good thing.

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