Opinion: How important is the backup quarterback?
Quarterbacks seem to epitomize what a celebrity is. They have the best opportunity to garner fame, get a ton of endorsements from companies, and they’re usually the ones to get the biggest contracts. Quarterbacks seem to have it all going for them. Well, this year has proved otherwise. Despite those characteristics being true for some quarterbacks, such as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, quarterbacks seem to be struggling this year with injuries.
According to USA Today, 11 of the 32 NFL teams have had to start a new quarterback because of poor play from the previous starter, or because of injury.
This year, quarterbacks have been falling like crazy. Some of the game’s top quarterbacks, such as Aaron Rodgers, and the up-and-coming Brian Hoyer, have gone down because of injuries. Other quarterbacks like Jay Cutler, Sam Bradford and Michael Vick have had injury problems throughout the year, with Bradford’s ending his season.
They are seen as invincible because of the demands of the position. It is apparent however, especially this season, that quarterbacks are not invincible and are prone to injury. As of Oct. 23, according to USA Today, 45 different quarterbacks have started a game this season.
One of the main causes of these injuries is the increasing number of scrambling first quarterbacks. The NFL still might be a pocket-passer league, but the gap between pocket-passing quarterbacks and scrambling quarterbacks is closing quickly. This is why you have seen some of the game’s top scrambling quarterbacks go down this season and in past seasons, such as Robert Griffin III, Michael Vick and EJ Manuel.
All of these injuries are causing fans of the game to wonder how important backup quarterbacks really are. Starters usually get all the reps in practice, leaving a void when a backup quarterback is called upon to win the game. It is hard enough for starting quarterbacks to win in the NFL, let alone the often not-as-skilled and poorly prepared backups who are now being forced to play.
A prime example of this issue was on display during the Monday Night Football game Nov. 4 between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. The Bears knew going into the game that they were going to play with backup quarterback Josh McCown. The Green Bay Packers however, did not know they would be using their backup, as well. On the opening drive for the Packers, star quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down due to a shoulder injury, now confirmed to be a broken collarbone. This forced Seneca Wallace into action. Wallace however was not well prepared and it showed during the game. Rodger’s receives most of, if not all, of the reps in practice leaving Wallace and the Packers in a tough position. The Packers were forced to run the ball more than they would have liked, making their offense not only predictable, but also one-dimensional.
On the other side of the ball, the Bears were able to prepare their backup quarterback for the game and it showed. McCown had a great game, throwing for 272 yards with two touchdowns and no picks, while Wallace had 114 yards and one interception. McCown has proven two weeks in a row that he is a very capable backup while Wallace wasn’t even on the Packers’ preseason roster. McCown’s abilities have helped keep the team competitive and focused on winning games. The preparations and ability that McCown possesses in comparison to Wallace was the key to the Bears’ win over the Packers, 27 to 20. Wallace has proven to be a capable backup, but he was not prepared by the Packers for the event of an injury to Rodgers and this was evident in the game.
The Cleveland Browns provide another great example as to how vital a backup quarterback is. Brandon Weeden was the Browns’ starter going into the season, but when he got injured, third-string quarterback Brian Hoyer came in. With Weeden the Browns started off with a two-game losing streak. However, when Hoyer came in, he not only took over the offense, but he propelled the team to a two-game winning streak until his season-ending injury during his third start against the Buffalo Bills. Since the injury to Hoyer, the Browns’ starting quarterback position has been in disarray. Weeden and Campbell have both been given opportunities, and as of right now, it seems Campbell will be the starter. Since Hoyer went down, the team has gone 1-1 with Campbell under center, and 1-2 with Weeden as the starter.
Backup quarterbacks are vital to a team’s success because, no matter what anyone says, the starting quarterback is not always invincible or capable. Backup quarterbacks are far more important to a team than one might think and it could be the difference between a successful season or an abysmal one.
