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NFL Backup Quarterbacks

Written by Jimmy Boyd

You can almost hear the collective breath go out of every fan in the stadium when the starting quarterback is laying on the field with an injury. It’s a sense of hopelessness, that all is lost, and that the team no longer has any shot at winning. However, most NFL backup quarterbacks at one time or another were highly touted whether it was early on in their pro careers or back in their glory days on a college field. From an NFL handicapping perspective, keep the bigger picture in mind. The general public is going to be all over the opposing team if a starter is out and a no-name will be taking his place. The thing is, you have to do your homework before making your NFL expert picks because sometimes the guy behind the starter is actually pretty good, and you can make some money fading the average Joe.

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Let’s look at a few examples and maybe this strategy for NFL betting will start to sink in. It seems impossible to fathom, but Tom Brady was a fifth-round draft pick out of Michigan sitting on the bench behind Drew Bledsoe for the New England Patriots during the 2001 season. But, as fate would have it, Bledsoe went down early on that year and it was Brady who came in and saved the day. He managed the team so well that he lead the Pats to the Super Bowl against the Rams, and then accomplished the improbable by beating St. Louis as a 14-point underdog. Not too shabby for a guy most people wouldn’t have known to start the season.

Remember back in 1991 when the New York Giants beat the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl? Sure, Phil Simms had a great year managing his ball club, but he wasn’t the one under center that night. It was little known Jeff Hostetler who led the team to victory. Ok, maybe it was a key missed field goal by Scott Norwood and a great running attack, but you get my point.

Then there is the classic. The greatest comeback in the history of the NFL occurred when the Buffalo Bills were trailing the Houston Oilers 35-3 in the third quarter. All seemed lost since Jim Kelly wasn’t even playing, it was Frank Reich commanding the offense, but Reich engineered a stunning upset as the Bills won in front of a half-empty home stadium to win 41-38 in overtime.

These are some obvious examples, but I hope we got our point across. When the starter goes down, the NFL lines are going to be pretty skewed against that team, but a smart handicapper knows that this could be a time to take advantage. Obviously the key is to do your homework and don’t just take this advice blindly, does anyone really want to see the Colts try to replace Peyton Manning with Jim Sorgi? I didn’t think so. Remember that handicapping NFL backups and handicapping injuries in football are arts that take practice.

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