Gas2No99 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Rating all 32 backup QB plans: Decent to bleak Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Brett Hundley was thrust into the spotlight when Aaron Rodgers -- who could miss the rest of the season -- went down with a broken collarbone on Sunday. Hundley will likely start Green Bay's remaining 10 games. What would happen if your team's starting QB had to miss time? Would the team be in good hands? NFL Nation reporters rated all 32 teams' backup QB situations. Here's the scale on which every team was rated: 4: Good shape (relatively speaking)3: Better than most2: Total mystery1: Looks bleak - Jets are here Note: The following analysis is based on current starting quarterbacks. Rating 4: Good shape (relatively speaking) Arizona Cardinals Everyone knows the Cardinals backup is Drew Stanton, and he'll continue to have that role as long as Bruce Arians is the head coach. Stanton is 6-3 since coming to Arizona in 2013, but he has seen just a handful of snaps the past two seasons, save for one start in 2016 when starter Carson Palmer was out with a concussion. Stanton might know Arizona's complex offense better than anyone because he was in Indianapolis with Arians in 2012. He might not be the long-term answer if Palmer were to go down early in a season, but he's capable of getting the Cardinals through a difficult stretch. -- Josh Weinfuss Houston Texans The Texans clearly think highly of Tom Savage because he entered the regular season as their starting quarterback. Now they've seen that Deshaun Watson is better, but if the Texans had to rely on Savage, they would be in good shape -- especially with an improved offensive line. -- Sarah Barshop New England Patriots If there were a category for "best in the NFL," the Patriots might qualify. Jimmy Garoppolo has shown almost every sign the team would need to see to indicate that he's a capable starting quarterback, with maybe the only question being his durability. This is why the Patriots didn't entertain trade offers for Garoppolo in the offseason: If a team with Super Bowl hopes doesn't have its backup quarterback situation accounted for, it puts the entire team and any Super Bowl hopes at risk. The position and Garoppolo were more valuable to the Patriots than anything they could've received in return. -- Mike Reiss Rating 3: Better than most Atlanta Falcons Matt Schaub, 36, is a veteran of 14 NFL seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2012 with the Texans. That's not to say Schaub still plays at a Pro Bowl-caliber level, but he has been there and done that. He knows how to run an offense and has seen many defenses. If forced into a starting role, Schaub knows he wouldn't have to force the issue passing the ball with a dynamic running back tandem of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Having big-play wide receiver Julio Jones as a threat to throw to would help any quarterback pressed into action. -- Vaughn McClure Chicago Bears Second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky has shown flashes of being the real deal. Barring something unforeseen, Trubisky should be Chicago's quarterback for the next six to eight years -- minimum. For the first time seemingly in forever, the Bears might have found an actual solution at quarterback. But they can't have too much confidence in backup Mike Glennon, who turned the ball over eight times before losing his starting job to Trubisky. -- Jeff Dickerson Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals got to see what they had in AJ McCarron during the 2015 season, when he started three games and the AFC wild-card game after Andy Daltonbroke his thumb. Although McCarron had a passer rating of 68.3 in his lone playoff start, he led a potential game-winning touchdown drive. Although events out of McCarron's control prevented his team from winning that game, the Bengals came out of it with a lot of confidence in their backup -- enough for him to be the subject of several trade rumors the following offseason. -- Katherine Terrell Carolina Panthers Derek Anderson is a former Pro Bowler who has proven he can step in and replace starter Cam Newton, at least for a few games. Anderson was 2-0 as the starter for Newton during the 2014 season, albeit both wins came against a not-so-good Tampa Bay team. Because of his experience and ability to efficiently run the offense, Anderson consistently is considered one of the better backups in the NFL. -- David Newton Denver Broncos Brock Osweiler helped the Broncos get to the Super Bowl in 2015, when he made seven starts for the injured Peyton Manning. Manning replaced Osweiler in the regular-season finale that year and started all of the team's postseason games en route to the Super Bowl 50 victory. The Broncos believed they were signing that quarterback just before the regular season -- not the quarterback who went on to struggle with the Texans and Browns before ending up back in Denver. Osweiler knows Mike McCoy's offense and has shown decisiveness as well as the arm the Broncos remember in practices, and they believe he could get them wins they would need if Trevor Simian were injured. The Broncos also have former first-round pick Paxton Lynch on the roster, but he is still working his way back from a preseason shoulder injury. -- Jeff Legwold Jacksonville Jaguars Chad Henne has played in two games and thrown just two passes since being benched for Blake Bortles at halftime of Week 3 in 2014. However, he has started 53 games in his career and played in 66 and has 58 touchdown passes and 63 interceptions, so he at least he has significant experience. Coach Doug Marrone opened up the competition for a week during the preseason, but Bortles held on to the job. That shows that Marrone has enough confidence in Henne to make a change if Bortles really struggles. -- Mike DiRocco Los Angeles Chargers Kellen Clemens has been the backup for Philip Rivers for four seasons and knows the offense well. The University of Oregon product is 8-13 as a starter and could get the Chargers through a rough patch if Rivers were unavailable for a few games. -- Eric Williams Miami Dolphins Matt Moore replaced injured starter Ryan Tannehill in 2016 and won two of Miami's final three games to get to the playoffs. Some Dolphins fans are clamoring for Moore to replace current starter Jay Cutler, but the team isn't budging. -- James Walker New Orleans Saints Chase Daniel hasn't been able to establish himself as a starter in his nine NFL seasons, but he has been a coveted backup in three spots. The 31-year-old spent his first four seasons in New Orleans before he branched out to Kansas City and Philadelphia, even making two starts with the Chiefs. When Daniel was available again this offseason, the Saints re-signed him because they considered him an upgrade to another solid veteran backup, Luke McCown. -- Mike Triplett Oakland Raiders The Raiders have already taken a test ride with EJ Manuel. Now, this is not to suggest Manuel is the second coming of Jim Plunkett, who came off the bench to lead the Raiders to a title in Super Bowl XV after Dan Pastorini went down, but Manuel was serviceable against the Ravens in Week 5, completing 13 of 26 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Plus, he has already been a starter in the NFL. -- Paul Gutierrez Philadelphia Eagles The Eagles know Nick Foles has the ability to be a competent starter because they've seen him do it. They drafted him in the third round of the 2012 draft and watched him put together an improbable 2013 season (27 touchdowns and two interceptions) before coming back down to earth. He ended up as a backup in Kansas City under his old coach Andy Reid, operating in a system similar to the one Doug Pederson employs. He knows Philly, and he knows the offense. Although there'd obviously be a drop-off from Carson Wentz, the Eagles have faith that Foles could hold down the fort if called upon. -- Tim McManus Pittsburgh Steelers Landry Jones has been in the Steelers' system for five seasons, and though he isn't an accomplished or flashy backup, the Steelers feel he's better than most. That's why they re-signed him to a two-year deal as soon as free agency started. With a good ground game, the Steelers feel they could win games with Jones if necessary. -- Jeremy Fowler San Francisco 49ers Brian Hoyer was just benched in favor of rookie C.J. Beathardfor a reason. As the starter, Hoyer wasn't getting the job done. But that doesn't mean Hoyer isn't a good option to have as a backup. Keeping in mind that it's all relative when it comes to backup quarterbacks, you could do a lot worse than a steady veteran presence who has complete knowledge and understanding of coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. If you were to rank starters, Hoyer would be near the bottom of the league. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a backup with as much experience (37 career starts in more than eight seasons) and production (9,853 passing yards and 48 touchdown passes) as Hoyer. -- Nick Wagoner Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Bucs got a good look at their backup quarterback situation last week against the Cardinals, when starter Jameis Winston suffered a right shoulder sprain and left in the second quarter. Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three touchdowns and led four scoring drives in the second half, overcoming a 31-0 deficit and almost pulling off a win. But he also threw two interceptions, which is the biggest reason for concern. He takes a lot of risks, and sometimes they don't pay off. His 3.2 percent interception rate is the highest in the NFL since 2013. There's a good chance the Bucs have to use him again this week against the Bills. -- Jenna Laine Washington Redskins Colt McCoy knows the offense well, having played in it for four seasons now. Coach Jay Gruden is a big fan of McCoy's because he not only knows the offense well but also plays with a little swagger. McCoy has started 34 games in his career and understands that the perception is that he's just a backup. But McCoy's confidence has increased in recent years, and he says his arm strength has improved after working in recent offseasons with Tom House. McCoy says the shoulder he hurt in his last game at Texas finally feels back to normal. He's smart, he studies, and he has the respect of the players. -- John Keim Rating 2: Total mystery Baltimore Ravens Ryan Mallett has been a major question mark during his limited action with the Ravens. He showed his potential when he led Baltimore to an upset win over the rival Steelers in 2015, but he has been wildly inconsistent since then. In filling in for the injured Joe Flacco, Mallett threw countless interceptions during training camp. He has also never had a season in which he threw more touchdowns than interceptions. -- Jamison Hensley Buffalo Bills Rookie fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman leapfrogged veteran T.J. Yates on the depth chart during training camp to become the Bills' top backup to Tyrod Taylor. Peterman's preseason stat line was pedestrian -- he completed 54 percent of his passes for a 75.6 passer rating -- but the rookie outperformed Taylor in August to generate some buzz among fans that he should get a crack at the starting job. It'll most likely take an injury to Taylor for Peterman to see his first meaningful NFL playing time this season, and if he does, it's anyone's guess as to how he will perform. -- Mike Rodak Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys believe they're in good shape with Kellen Moore as their backup because of his knowledge of the offense, but he has played in just three games in his career, with four touchdown passes and six interceptions. There is no question that he knows what offensive coordinator Scott Linehan wants, given that they have been together since their days with the Lions. Moore can't do all that Dak Prescott can do, but the Cowboys believe they can get by with him. Undrafted rookie Cooper Rush opened eyes in the preseason to earn a roster spot, but he has been inactive every game. If Prescott is gone for an extended amount, the Cowboys might go to Rush. -- Todd Archer Detroit Lions Jake Rudock has looked decent in the preseason, but he has yet to take a regular-season snap in his career. The second-year pro improved his arm strength in the offseason and has the intelligence to be a starter in the league. He played for Big Ten schools Iowa and Michigan, so he has been in big atmospheres before, but there is legitimately no way to know how he would do in a game that matters. Anyone who says otherwise is just taking a guess. -- Michael Rothstein Green Bay Packers We're about to find out if this should be upgraded or downgraded. Brett Hundley will make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Saints. He didn't get much done after Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone last Sunday, but now he has a full week to prepare. Although he played lights-out in his rookie preseason, he hasn't done much in the two-plus years since then. His backup, Joe Callahan, was undrafted and has never taken a snap in a regular-season game. -- Rob Demovsky Los Angeles Rams Sean Mannion, a third-round pick out of Oregon State in 2015, has thrown 14 regular-season passes in three NFL seasons. The Rams' current coaching staff has seen him throw only one of them. He went from third string to backup after 2016, so Mannion saw extended preseason action this summer, completing 64.5 percent of his passes for 490 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He's also getting a lot more practice snaps. But the 25-year-old Mannion simply hasn't had enough exposure to games that count. He has elite-level arm strength but has shown that he needs to work on his touch. -- Alden Gonzalez Minnesota Vikings Kyle Sloter was a stud during the preseason, and the Vikings clearly see potential, otherwise they wouldn't have fought so hard to land him on the practice squad and then elevate him to the 53-man roster when Sam Bradford's knee became an issue. Sloter hasn't taken a single snap with Minnesota, so there's a lot unknown about how he can orchestrate the offense should he need to step in for backup-turned-starter Case Keenum. The Vikings need another backup other than Sloter, which could be a way to ease Teddy Bridgewater in before he takes his job back. Bridgewater returns to practice for the first time in 14 months on Wednesday. -- Courtney Cronin New York Giants Geno Smith is the Giants backup quarterback. And there is a lot of unknown right now with Geno Smith. This is his first year with the team in Ben McAdoo's system and he's started just one game in the past three years. He hasn't taken a snap yet this season. Adding to the unknown is that Smith had an up-and-down summer and, once upon a time, did flash ability to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. The threw for over 3,000 yards as a rookie with the Jets in 2013. -- Jordan Raanan Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes II showed his ability during training camp and the preseason, but he has never taken a snap in a regular-season game, so how he would play is anyone's guess. The Chiefs would trim some calls from the playbook and tailor the ones that remain to his skills to try to help ease his transition. But as Mahomes showed over the summer, he might be at his best after a play breaks down. His vision and ability to throw on the move are excellent. -- Adam Teicher Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson hasn't missed a start since he was drafted in 2012, so we haven't seen what the Seahawks' offense looks like without him over the course of a full game. Chances are, it wouldn't be pretty. That isn't a reflection on Austin Davis so much as it is the offensive line that would be protecting him. Davis has some experience with 10 career starts, and he won the backup job in large part because he was much more reliable than Trevone Boykin over the summer. The Seahawks could count on Davis to make sound decisions, but so much of their offense depends on Wilson avoiding sacks and making plays on the move, and Davis just doesn't have the mobility to mitigate Seattle's limitations in pass protection the way Wilson does. -- Brady Henderson Rating 1: Looks bleak Cleveland Browns Kevin Hogan was given a chance to start against Houston last week after starter DeShone Kizer struggled through the first five weeks. Hogan threw three interceptions, had one safety, was sacked four times, had numerous overthrows and passed for just 140 yards. He has looked capable in relief roles, but given the starting spot for a game, he struggled, and the team was blown out. -- Pat McManamon Indianapolis Colts If Andrew Luck were healthy right now, the Colts might have the NFL's second-best backup quarterback in Jacoby Brissett. But with Luck's outlook still uncertain, Brissett is the starter, leaving Scott Tolzien as the No. 2. That means their backup situation looks bleak. Tolzien was ineffective in his lone start, throwing two pick-sixes in an ugly 46-9 loss to the Rams in Week 1. He hasn't shown enough in four starts over seven NFL seasons to inspire confidence that he can handle filling in for the starter. -- Mike Wells New York Jets Bryce Petty beat Christian Hackenberg for the No. 2 job, but he isn't considered the heir apparent. He can come off the bench to finish a game, but he has yet to prove he can win in the league. He played poorly and went 1-3 in four meaningless starts at the end of last season, completing only two of those games due to injuries. Petty is a fiery leader and ultra-competitive, but his ability to read defenses isn't where it needs to be. His future with the Jets beyond 2017 is up in the air. -- Rich Cimini Tennessee Titans Six quarters of Matt Cassel were enough to see that the Titans don't have a backup quarterback who can move the offense along and win games without Marcus Mariota. Tennessee chose familiarity and veteran presence in Cassel, who led the Titans to 212 total yards in his six quarters of action this season. Cassel, 35, is a great mentor for Mariota, but he can't make all the throws anymore, and the offense becomes limited with him under center. It's clearly an area to seek improvement this offseason and hope that Mariota remains healthy for the rest of the season. -- Cameron Wolfe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxman Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 New York Jets Bryce Petty beat Christian Hackenberg for the No. 2 job, but he isn't considered the heir apparent. He can come off the bench to finish a game, but he has yet to prove he can win in the league. He played poorly and went 1-3 in four meaningless starts at the end of last season, completing only two of those games due to injuries. Petty is a fiery leader and ultra-competitive, but his ability to read defenses isn't where it needs to be. His future with the Jets beyond 2017 is up in the air. -- Rich Cimini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Ryan Mallett and Geno Smith are not a "total mystery". We know what they are. Except maybe the 1-2 posters here still hoping Geno gets a "real shot". **Cough** Pac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsfan80 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Also, the Bears should drop to the bottom of this list. Mark Sanchez is their 3rd-stringer. Bleak as bleak gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevisIsland610 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Don't think Petty as your backup is any more bleak than 3/4 of the other teams. The LA Chargers are "in good shape" with Kellen Clemens as the backup? Give me a break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Considering we have a jag back up starting not sure what to say... uh,err, ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UntouchableCrew Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 2 hours ago, RevisIsland610 said: Don't think Petty as your backup is any more bleak than 3/4 of the other teams. The LA Chargers are "in good shape" with Kellen Clemens as the backup? Give me a break. Totally agree. I don't think much of Petty but the idea that he's a disaster while Clemens is a good #2 is preposterous. One of these goofy ESPN lists where each beat writer ranks their own team... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philc1 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 3 hours ago, RevisIsland610 said: Don't think Petty as your backup is any more bleak than 3/4 of the other teams. The LA Chargers are "in good shape" with Kellen Clemens as the backup? Give me a break. I’d say Petty and Clemens are even. Both suck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Clemens is a much more experienced, less injury-prone version of Petty, not sure why him being considered a better backup is such a great shock to some. In truth, Petty's 2016 was pretty much a poor man's Clemens' 2007 season. A couple of second-year kids eventually getting a chance ahead of the old, crappy starter. However, Clemens ultimately did more (going 3-4) with an arguably worse team. I don't even have anything against Petty, but there's no particular reason for anyone else to think highly of him, outside of us Jets fans desperate for a potential young answer over another old retread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philc1 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 2 minutes ago, Bleedin Green said: Clemens is a much more experienced, less injury-prone version of Petty, not sure why him being considered a better backup is such a great shock to some. In truth, Petty's 2016 was pretty much a poor man's Clemens' 2007 season. A couple of second-year kids eventually getting a chance ahead of the old, crappy starter. However, Clemens ultimately did more (going 3-4) with an arguably worse team. I don't even have anything against Petty, but there's no particular reason for anyone else to think highly of him, outside of us Jets fans desperate for a potential young answer over another old retread. Clemens is horrible. He’s lucky the Charger GM likes him should have been out of the nfl like 6 years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleedin Green Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 44 minutes ago, Philc1 said: Clemens is horrible. He’s lucky the Charger GM likes him should have been out of the nfl like 6 years ago Almost every single backup QB in the NFL is horrible. A number of the starters too. Doesn't really change my point in any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurnleyJet Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Total legit story Rich Cimini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UntouchableCrew Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 1 hour ago, Bleedin Green said: Clemens is a much more experienced, less injury-prone version of Petty, not sure why him being considered a better backup is such a great shock to some. In truth, Petty's 2016 was pretty much a poor man's Clemens' 2007 season. A couple of second-year kids eventually getting a chance ahead of the old, crappy starter. However, Clemens ultimately did more (going 3-4) with an arguably worse team. I don't even have anything against Petty, but there's no particular reason for anyone else to think highly of him, outside of us Jets fans desperate for a potential young answer over another old retread. I don't think people are thinking highly of Petty. I think they know Kellen Clemens stinks. His 2007 season is basically exactly the same as Petty's 2016 with more starts. Is "experience" that valuable when you haven't actually been playing? I applaud Clemens for sticking around the league but I see him more as an older version of the exact same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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