A recent tweet from former NFL GM Michael Lombardi calling the Detroit Lions backup QB situation the worst in the league got me thinking. Surely the Lions aren’t deserving of that ignominious title.
If Lombardi was referring to 2018, I might be inclined to agree. Matt Cassel was neither capable of running the Lions offense nor blessed with any foreseeable upside. Typically a quality backup QB situation will possess one or the other, or in some cases both.
But this is 2019. Cassel remains unemployed. The Lions have Tom Savage as Matthew Stafford’s backup, with David Fales replacing Connor Cook as the competition. Detroit almost assuredly will not keep three QBs.
I decided to test Lombardi’s thesis. Do the Lions really have the worst backup QB situation heading into 2019?
My basic criteria for judgment: how well does the backup fill the No. 2 (and No. 3 for those few teams who keep three) role for that specific team?
This requires understanding what the team wants from its backup. Are they developing a youngster to take over for an aging veteran, or do they want someone who can play in case of injury and run the offense with the goal of winning games? Or is the No. 2 simply the guy who loses the battle for the No. 1?
The Lions fit into the middle category, a team hoping the backup can play if needed and not embarrass the team. Savage strikes me as a distinct upgrade over Cassel from last year in that vein.
I covered the Texans when Savage was there, and I’ve witnessed every one of his NFL throws in both preseason and the regular season, most several times. My quick summation of Savage is that I hope he never starts a game but he’s capable of not losing games if he has to play a few series. Not always, but most of the time Savage can be that level of player.
Teams definitely better off than the Lions
Los Angeles Chargers – Tyrod Taylor led the Bills to the playoffs in 2017. He could start for some teams and he can run the offense Philip Rivers operates.
Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck’s backup is Jacoby Brissett, the team’s full-time starter in 2017 while Luck was injured. He’s too careful and takes too many sacks but Brissett is a very good No. 2.
Miami Dolphins – Ryan Fitzpatrick is freakishly streaky but the grizzled vet has been an effective starter in his career and still has something left in the tank. This presumes newcomer Josh Rosen beats him out for the job.
Baltimore Ravens – Robert Griffin III might be the optimal guy to back up and help groom Lamar Jackson. Injuries aside, Griffin is stylistically similar and mentally tough to help young Jackson.
New Orleans Saints – Teddy Bridgewater has been an injury-plagued disappointment, but there is still enough there to operate Sean Payton’s offense. Adding in Taysom Hill as an athletic changeup elevates the Saints.
Tennessee Titans – Bringing in Ryan Tannehill to back up (and push) Marcus Mariota is one of the better under-the-radar offseason moves. Third-stringer Logan Woodside could be better than a lot of the guys listed in the bottom group here.
San Francisco 49ers – Nick Mullens posted three games with a QB Rating over 100 last year in eight starts as an undrafted rookie. With Jimmy Garoppolo’s long-running injury struggles, the 49ers are lucky to have him. C.J. Beathard as a No. 3 is decent insurance, too.
Teams in the Lions relative range
Chicago Bears – Chase Daniel has only thrown 154 passes in nine seasons, but nearly half of those came with last year’s Bears and he was serviceable in lieu of Mitchell Trubisky. Daniel cannot emulate Trubisky’s style of play, otherwise I’d probably rank the Bears above the Lions here. He’s a solid mentor, too.
New England Patriots – Brian Hoyer is basically Tom Savage with a few more years of experience. They do have rookie 4th-rounder Jarrett Stidham to get groomed as a potential successor behind Tom Brady.
Cleveland Browns – Former Lion Drew Stanton bumps up to No. 2 behind Baker Mayfield after being the 3rd behind Tyrod Taylor last year. Stanton remains streaky and unorthodox but he has a winning record as a starter.
Los Angeles Rams – Blake Bortles was in way over his head as Jacksonville’s longtime starter, but backing up Jared Goff is a good situation for both him and the Rams.
Houston Texans – AJ McCarron takes over as the No. 2 behind Deshaun Watson. He’s more skilled than Savage but not exactly capable of doing the things with his legs that Watson can do, hence the push.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Backing up Jameis Winston is Blaine Gabbert, who has reinvented himself as a journeyman backup with a strong locker room presence and some positive moments for the 49ers, Cardinals and Titans in recent years.
Oakland Raiders – It’s fashionable to bash Nathan Peterman, but Mike Glennon projects as Derek Carr’s top backup and he’s proven he can play well in spurts.
Seattle Seahawks – Behind Russell Wilson exists a camp battle between Paxton Lynch and Geno Smith. Neither holds a candle to Wilson but Smith brings experience and is equivalent talent-wise to Savage.
Carolina Panthers – I’m giving some credit to Taylor Heinicke that most will not; I think he can be a solid No. 2. Drafting Will Grier in the third round creates depth with some upside.
Teams definitely worse off than the Lions
Green Bay Packers – We all saw what DeShone Kizer offers. He was the primary QB for the winless Browns in 2017 and led the Packers to a 31-0 shutout loss to the Lions in Week 17 after Aaron Rodgers tapped out.
Minnesota Vikings – Kyle Sloter is Kirk Cousins’ backup. I bet you didn’t know that. He’s never been active for an NFL game. The Vikings better hope Cousins plays every snap.
New York Jets – The Jets have a camp battle between Trevor Siemian and Davis Webb to see which sucks less in the quest to back up Sam Darnold.
Dallas Cowboys – Cooper Rush and Mike White are fighting for the No. 2 spot behind Dak Prescott. Rush wasn’t awful in the 2018 preseason but he’s never taken a regular-season snap and has a limited arm. He can play his way out of this bottom tier.
Atlanta Falcons – Matt Schaub has thrown exactly 100 passes in the last five years, netting 613 yards with a TD-to-INT ratio of 3/6. At 38, he’s cashing checks more than he’s helping the Falcons akin to Cassel last year in Detroit.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Nick Foles is backed up by a troika of Tanner Lee, Gardner Minshew and Alex McGough. Oof.
Buffalo Bills – Matt Barkley was God-awful in his one shot at extensive NFL playing time. Starting six games for the 2016 Chicago Bears, he threw 14 INTs. Given Josh Allen’s extensive injury history, the Bills might have the worst situation in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs – you don’t get much more stylistically divergent than the gap between starter Patrick Mahomes and reserve Chad Henne, who has thrown just five passes since 2014. Henne is probably better than Savage but he cannot run the Mahomes offense.
Philadelphia Eagles – Nate Sudfeld has been efficient in very brief mop-up duty in his two seasons, but he’s always struggled with accuracy and staring down his targets. He has enough ability to move up from this category…maybe. Third-stringer Cody Kessler does not.
Arizona Cardinals – Backing up No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray is, uh, hmmm…Brett Hundley? About the only positive about Hundley is that he wasn’t quite as awful as Kizer when given his own shot to take over for an injured Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. Get this team a veteran mentor, please!
Teams grooming future starters
Denver Broncos – First-round rookie Drew Lock is backing up newly acquired vet Joe Flacco and learning on the job.
Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals drafted Ryan Finley as a possible long-term successor to Andy Dalton. Undrafted rookie Jacob Dolegala has impressed early on, too. If they’re not developing them to replace Dalton, they’re worse off than the Lions.
New York Giants – Eli Manning backed up by Daniel Jones is going to be fascinating to watch to see how long that situation can last.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Joshua Dobbs and Mason Rudolph are engaged in a battle to take over for Ben Roethlisberger in a year or two. Don’t bet against Dobbs, one of the smartest players in the NFL.
Washington Redskins – I don’t know where to put the Skins, who drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round but still have Case Keenum and Colt McCoy. If Haskins wins the job (and he should) the Skins go in the top category. If not, they belong here in the developmental range with perhaps the worst starting situation.
Overall
I found seven teams definitively better than the Lions. There are 10 definitively worse off than Detroit, including two NFC North rivals.
Of the other 14 in the same range with the Lions or grooming future starters, I would concede Savage and David Fales is probably near the bottom of that tier. But it’s not even close to the bottom of the league. At worst, the Lions backup QB situation ranks between 18-22 overall.
