Our weekly guide to the biggest probems, issues and general things that are going on in the world of NFL Quarterbackery. It's the most important position in football, so it gets a column all to itself. Fair? Maybe not, but the truth is nobody in the world would read NFLPunterwatch...

Tony Romo

If we had to put our money on whether Romo will play – and that’s kind of the point – we’d say yes, he will. Will he be effective with an injured back? Well, it’s hard to say for sure, but there is no team more conducive to easing your QB back into action than the Jaguars and their shambolic collection of zombies that they call a secondary.

If Romo doesn’t start, it’s just about possible that the Jags could pressure the ‘Red Trifle’ Brandon Weeden into enough errant throws to make this a winnable game. My concern would actually be that if Weeden and the offence had prepared to play to his strengths, they would have a much better chance of winning than if they – as has happened – prepare with Romo and cast the Wobbler in to throw gunslinger style.

You have to imagine that the Jags D-line know exactly where Romo is hurting and that their best chance of winning comes from causing him to leave the game. Don’t like it? Unfortunately for Tony Romo, the players don’t need a ‘bounty’ to do the math on that one.

I think this game ultimately depends on how likely it is that Romo starts AND finishes the game – but also when that occurs. The Cowboys could well build a big lead by half-time and the game could be won. Alternatively, if you put the over-under of when Romo will go down at say, end of the first quarter, then I’d probably give the edge to Jacksonville.

Colin Kaepernick

11 yards on the ground last week is not enough for a QB like Kaepernick. Of course, it’s easy to say that if all of those rushes accounted for first downs, then that would be enough, but they didn’t, so they weren’t. When he has over 300 yards passing and the 49ers score just 10 points, that’s a bad sign for the balance of this team.

I’m not saying Kaepernick needs to be a run-first guy at all, but the 49ers should be a run-first offence given their talent spread. They have Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde and Kaepernick, plus great blockers such as FB Bruce Miller and Anquan Boldin. Last week Gore had 49 yards, Hyde 17 and Kaepernick the aforementioned 11. The 4-4 49ers are 3-1 in games where they have more than 100 yards rushing this season.

This is a big week for Kaepernick and the 49ers. The novelty value is wearing off for 49ers fans as they glance at the Chiefs who are winning with Alex Smith pulling the same dink-and-dunk routine that took the 49ers to the brink of an NFC Championship 3 seasons ago. If his replacement endures a stretch of losses, the pressure could reach boiling point.

I’d like to see Kaepernick attempt more rushes when they’re available. He’s not a ‘sneaker’, he’s the type of guy that should force defences to account for him rushing, and at the moment that’s rarely happening with much effect.

Jay Cutler

Is there a player with more pressure on him than Cutler right now? The problems in Chicago are twofold – a porous defence and a QB who can’t chase the game without throwing it away.

Cutler’s fumble last week was one of the most ridiculous by a QB I’ve seen in many years. It was almost like Cutler couldn’t see that the 3 guys dragging him down would prevent him from getting rid of the ball, yet he didn’t just accept the sack and tuck the ball away. Of course, the Pats waltzed in for a fumble return TD. It’s just Cutler in a microcosm.

As an admitted Bears fan, Cutler’s travails have to be put into perspective: He’s the best QB the Bears have had in maybe 30 years – possibly longer. Obviously that doesn’t excuse the mistakes and baffling throws that he makes 2-3 times a game, but Cutler is still the best option for the Bears as it stands.

What is clear is that the Bears are at a crossroads now in terms of how they move forward with Cutler. He reminds me of Donovan McNabb in that period around 2007 where he was the best QB on the Eagles roster, but it was difficult to see how he could avoid making game-killing mistakes that ultimately ensured the Eagles would move on from him.

Cutler is now at the stage where he needs a very solid final 7 games to solidify his ‘unquestioned’ status next season. As it stands, it’d be inconceivable that Phil Emery wouldn’t consider round 3-4 QB prospect in the 2015 draft. The rest of this season will dictate whether the Bears end up spending more or less than that.

Other Week 10 QB storylines

Can Blake Bortles and Derek Carr keep the critics off their back?

Both have shown flashes of ability in the first half of the season. Neither has the supporting cast necessary to win consistently. With just a single win between them, at some point the onus will – perhaps wrongly – fall on the ‘QB’s of the future’ to perform miracles and take the two worst teams in football to victory.

Can Josh McCown save Lovie Smith?

Make no mistake about it, Lovie Smith is in serious trouble. His Bucs have been humiliated enough this year to make his tenure a potentially short one. They have a winnable matchup hosting Atlanta this week, but McCown will be the key piece of this jigsaw. Last year he made use of two big targets - Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey – in Chicago, and he needs Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans to offer him the same type of ability to make up for his markedly poorer play in 2014 so far.

Will Russell Wilson exploit a skeleton Giants secondary?

This is a big one for bettors. The Seahawks are currently -9 point favorites against the Giants, but with Zack Bowman now apparently suffering from an illness serious enough for him to end up in hospital, this is a perfect opportunity for the Seahawks to finally beat the spread after a number of underwhelming performances this year. This is a fine season for taking the points, but the Seahawks are one of those teams that always manages a big blowout win at some stage. I think this is it.