In a team sport like football, quarterbacks are often the difference between victory and defeat. In this respect, consistency is required at best in this position. But the NFL is currently experiencing noticeable quarterback turnover due to injuries and also coaches who are eager to change. In many cases the backups cannot shine, but there are exceptions like in Cleveland.
For years, Joe Flacco has been somewhat smugly viewed as a “Stone Age Pony,” an immobile quarterback from an aging generation. However, the now 38-year-old proved all his critics wrong once again and led the Cleveland Browns into the playoffs with four wins in a row in the regular season.
Even in his advanced football age, Flacco still has an arm like a howitzer, with which he can easily carry the ball 20, 30 or even 40 yards if his O-line gives him some time.
Before Flacco basically rolled off the couch at home and took over at the quarterback position in Week 13, the Browns had already used three other quarterbacks. In addition to the designated starter and big earner Deshaun Watson, who struggled with injuries until he retired for the season, there were PJ Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
The latter two combined for two touchdowns in five starts, but also threw the ball to the opponent nine times. It may come as no surprise that the quarterback room in the Browns building needed a revolving door at some point. Flacco came, saw and threw 13 touchdowns – Cleveland can now even expect to be in the playoffs. On Saturday (10:30 p.m. live on RTL) the NRG Stadium will take place against the Houston Texans with the convincing rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. Flacco led Cleveland to a 36-22 win in Week 16.
Few teams have a capable backup
So far this season, there have been 70 quarterbacks across the league who have attempted double-digit passes. Last year, including the playoffs, there were 71 quarterbacks. Before that, however, a few less. Injuries have always been a part of the game and the risk of injury for quarterbacks has continued to increase despite some rule adjustments – keyword “roughing the passer”.
Precisely because quarterbacks are increasingly running with the ball themselves or trying to prevent a sack with tricky movements, injuries or even more serious incidents can occur. At the same time, coaches seem less likely to shy away from demoting their actual starters, especially this season – as happened, for example, in Denver, Las Vegas, New England and Tennessee.
However, many teams are insufficiently staffed at the backup position at the start of a season. Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Indianapolis Colts, who had a veritable backup for rookie Anthony Richardson in Gardner Minshew from the start.
After the draft, in which he was selected number four by Indy, there were a few question marks behind Richardson about the limited number of games he played in college for the Florida Gators. Richardson, a naturally strong and aggressive runner, was forced out with multiple injuries and ended the season early after week five. The fact that Minshew was able to step in straight away was a blessing for the Colts, even if it was ultimately just not enough to qualify for the playoffs.
Two substitutes in the playoffs
Some other teams, on the other hand, first had to look around on the free agent market or initiate a trade of some kind. Successful firefighters like Flacco or, to a lesser extent, Minshew were rare, even when the need was great. Josh Dobbs even managed the feat of being given a chance as a substitute on two teams. He initially played eight games for the Arizona Cardinals, who at that time were not yet able to rely on their star quarterback Kyler Murray.
When Dobbs’ time in Arizona was up, he went to Minnesota and was allowed to try out as a fill-in for the injured Kirk Cousins. However, such moves are even more challenging in the middle of a season because the new player must first familiarize themselves with a coach’s playbook.
This is especially true for a quarterback who not only calls the plays in the huddle, but also has to understand and time them correctly. Dobbs, who holds a degree in aerospace engineering, did his best but was out after five games for the Vikings.
The general question is how many quarterbacks really have the technical, athletic and cognitive skills to perform at a high level in the NFL. The time pressure due to the ever-increasing pass rush and the need to play highly precise passes can only be achieved by a manageable number of people. Everyone else usually slides into ruin quite quickly, sometimes with a delay.
In the upcoming playoffs, two teams are expected to compete with quarterbacks who were not starters at the start of the season: One team is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are now playing with their number three quarterback, Mason Rudolph. While head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers deserve credit for keeping Rudolph in the organization as a quasi-backup to the backup at the start of the season, that doesn’t bode well.
The second team is the aforementioned Cleveland Browns, who have apparently found their savior in “Stone Age Pony” Joe Flacco. However, Flacco is the exception because the high turnover of quarterbacks has not been good for part of the league.
Constantine Eckner