Which Week 16 starting QB is the least inspiring?

Ten NFL teams started different quarterbacks in Week 16 than they started in Week 1. The list of replacement passers is a veritable who's who of first-round busts and mid-round picks that never really worked out.

Which of the replacements gives his team the most (or any) hope? Let's break them down:

Still some upside

Brock Osweiler, Broncos

Have you heard that Osweiler is really, really tall? The more we see of Peyton Manning's replacement, the more it seems Osweiler's size may be his best attribute. After a strong start, Osweiler has been exposed as slow to make decisions from the pocket. The Broncos seem to have no interest in reinstalling Manning as starter, so they must be convinced Osweiler gives them the best chance of winning.

AJ McCarron, Bengals

We still don't really know what McCarron's upside is. Is he a weak-armed game manager at best or does he have the "intangibles" that will allow him to succeed on the big stage (as he did at Alabama)? Andy Dalton was once written off as a weak-armed game manager, so maybe the Bengals know what they're doing.

Unlikely reclamation projects

Johnny Manziel, Browns

Can we call Manziel a reclamation project when he's still on the team that drafted him? It certainly feels like he's already on his third (and maybe last) chance. The second-year passer has shown very little of the magic he routinely brought to the field in college in his seven starts as a pro. Even setting aside all the off-field stuff, Manziel looks incapable of overcoming his physical limitations against bigger, faster pro defenses.

Ryan Mallett, Ravens

The Ravens say Mallett has matured since getting cut by the Texans earlier this season, but how much can a player mature in a matter of weeks? It wasn't long ago Mallett was sleeping late and pouting on the sideline. He has a huge arm, which is why he keeps getting chances, but unless he's truly had an epiphany he'll probably never be able to withstand the adversity that comes with starting.

Blaine Gabbert, 49ers

Gabbert was a colossal bust with the Jaguars, but has provided shockingly stable play for the 49ers in relief of Colin Kaepernick. Gabbert probably won't ever earn a long-term starting job, but his career resurrection should earn him backup jobs for at least the next several years. At this point, he should consider that a huge success.

Who?

Kellen Moore, Cowboys

Moore was prolific at Boise State, but simply doesn't have the physical prerequisites for success in the NFL. He's short, slow, and has a weak arm. Obviously, that's suboptimal.

Case Keenum, Rams

Keenum keeps switching teams between the Texans and Rams. He's the perfect metaphor for each team's futile search for a quarterback. He's the definition of replacement level.

It hurts to watch

Matt Hasselbeck, Colts

Hasselbeck's body has betrayed him. The 40-year-old dipped into his bag of veteran tricks and directed the Colts to four wins in his first four starts this season, but he hasn't won a game since. In the interim, Hasselbeck has been battered and bruised to the point where his own coaches don't expect him to make it through the game.

No hope whatsoever

Brandon Weeden, Texans

Weeden is the rare player who combines all the athletic ability of your dad with the decision-making of a raw rookie. It's possible his continued employment in the NFL is the work of some kind of Make-A-Wish charity.

Zach Mettenberger, Titans

Mettenberger has somehow started a full half-season's worth of games in his brief career without winning a single one of them. He's a gunslinger in the "I'm throwing this deep whether or not anyone's open" mold. With Mettenberger throwing, no one's ever open.