For a while it looked like the Carolina Panthers and the St. Louis Rams' meet-up would have one extra storyline to recommend it—after Matt Moore suffered a concussion and then just didn't play very well Jimmy Clausen took the starting role in week two and figured to run for it. (After the Rams drafted Sam Bradford people who had declared themselves In The Know were eager to tell me just how ready Clausen was to run an NFL offense.)
↵Unfortunately, Clausen has managed to spoil this meeting of two highly touted rookie quarterbacks by sucking really badly. Bradford hasn't been perfect, but Clausen did everything he could to make Bradford's transition to the NFL appear spotless. His first shot as a starter ended spectacularly October 10 against the Chicago Bears—he went 9-for-22 with 61 yards and an interception. Moore, returned to the starting role the next week, proceeded to have the best game of his career in the course of leading the Panthers to their first win of the season.
↵Which means that the Panthers and the Rams are now just fighting a battle of two teams who drafted quarterbacks in the first round. Proxy-wars are great, and all, but this is just a little less exciting...