By E. Spencer Kyte
Bernard Pollard is the most hated man in the New England area, and Patriot fans everywhere are trying to convince themselves that all is not lost.
Tom Brady’s done for the year. Whatever are we going to do?
You remember back to 2001, that’s what.
That season, Mo Lewis became the most hated man in the New England area for a quick minute. That’s when Lewis levelled Drew Bledsoe and forced the Patriots to turn to some late round draft pick from Michigan who hadn’t thrown a meaningful pass in the National Football League.
That kid’s name was Tom Brady. The rest, as they say, is history.
And his story isn’t all that unfamiliar, either. This kind of thing happens all the time in the NFL, so the Patriots, the pundits and the prognosticators need to calm themselves and have a read of the list that follows.
The Best Backup Quarterbacks Ever
10. Nearly Every Quality CFL QB
Seriously, run down the rosters over the last 20 years or so, and you’ll see that every single signal caller spent some time biding his time. Only a few short years ago, Casey Printers went from unknown backup to league MVP and that was after another former backup turned All-Star, Dave Dickenson, went down to injury.
9. Ty Detmer
This is a “length of service” award for the long-time backup who held a clipboard for Hall of Famers like Brett Favre and Steve Young, not to mention useless sacks of nothing like Scott Mitchell and Tim Couch. The former Heisman winner never really did much as an NFL starter, but his longevity in his mentorship role earned him a berth on this list.
8. Gus Frerotte
The consummate backup of the last 10 years, hands down. He can come in and light up a team for stretches, but handing him the controls on a long-term basis is like Kardi and Akon – Dangerous. Besides, it’s a lot harder to slam your head into the wall while celebrating with a clipboard in your hands.
7. Drew Bress
Because, well, Drew Brees….
6. Frank Reich
The only true backup on this list, Reich only got a legitimate shot as a starter once he left Buffalo and went to Carolina, but as the second fiddle to Jim Kelly, he was truly outstanding. Who could ever forget the 32-point playoff comeback he led against the Houston Oilers in 1992? I can assure you no one in Western New York ever will.
5. Earl Morrall
All he did was step in for Bob Griese when the Dolphins’ starting QB went down with leg and ankle injuries in 1972 and help the team complete the first undefeated season in NFL history. While Griese came back for the playoffs and finished out the perfect year with a Super Bowl victory, the Fish never would’ve done it without the waiver wire wonder that was Earl Morrall.
4. Jeff Hostetler
After throwing a combined 109 passes in his previous five years as a Giant, Hoss replaced the injured Phil Simms during the final couple weeks of the 1992 season and marched the team through the playoffs and onto a Super Bowl victory. Not bad for a backup, eh?
3. Kurt Warner
Everyone knows the story, so I won’t get into it again, but the truth is that if Trent Green hadn’t been Trent Green, Warner probably never would’ve happened. But one preseason injury led to The Greatest Show on Turf being born, two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl ring and two league MVP trophies. Pretty phenomenal.
2. Tom Brady
Yeah, remember him? Like I said in the intro, it wasn’t that long ago Brady was in Matt Cassel’s shoes. Things seemed to have worked out OK for the him and the Patriots since then, no? Dude is arguably the best quarterback of his generation and one of the best of all-time. If not for Bledsoe going down in a heap, maybe he never becomes Mr. Gisele Bundchen.
1. Steve Young
When you’re in the Hall of Fame, you get to top the list. Young rode shotgun for another Canton, Ohio resident by the name of Joe Montana for three years before becoming the face of the 49ers. How can you argue with the guy who holds the record for most touchdown passes in a Super Bowl (six against San Diego, in case you forgot) when putting together a list like this?
