Three NFL Teams Turnover Their Offenses to Backup Quarterbacks
The NFL starting quarterback carousel was in full effect on Sunday. The NFL teams from Washington, the Cleveland Browns, and the New York Jets will turn to their backup quarterbacks to try to win their Week 13 games. So far, Colt McCoy and Johnny Manziel led Washington and the Browns to Week 13 losses respectively. Geno Smith will start against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night. F&TS is not high on any of these players as leaders or even as fantasy football plays. This trio may have shown some promise in college, but they are not NFL-ready.
In terms of the Jets, head coach Rex Ryan met with both Smith and Michael Vick and informed them of the decision on Wednesday morning. Smith started the season’s first eight games but was benched after throwing three interceptions in the first quarter of a Week 8 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He had won only one of his eight starts, completing 58 percent of his passes for 1,459 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Jets benched Geno Smith thanks in large part for being the lowest-rated quarterback in the NFL through eight games.
Vick, 34, started the next three games, including leading the Jets to a 20-13 upset victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10. He was benched in favor of Smith during Monday’s 38-3 loss to the Bills.
Backup Quarterbacks Aren’t The Same in Modern NFL
Our younger readers are never going to recall the reference, but these three QBs couldn’t hold Earl Morrall’s jock. Morrall was the quintessential insurance policy, backing up Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Johnny Unitas, Bob Griese, Fran Tarkenton, Len Dawson, and Y.A. Tittle. Plus, to this day, he is the only backup quarterback to come off the bench and lead his team to a come-from-behind Super Bowl victory. Morrall was so good that he led the Baltimore Colts to a 13-1 record en route to a Super Bowl championship. The only reason he didn’t finish the season is that Johnny Unitas came back from his injury.
This era’s quarterbacks are glorified clipboard holders. They don’t get any first-team reps during the week and barely can grasp team playbooks. Is it any wonder they are so bad? WFAN personality Mike Francesca is famous for saying, if you use two quarterbacks, you don’t have one. Owners, adjust your fantasy rosters.