The backup quarterback is the most popular guy in town — until he plays.
But, even then, the backup can sometimes fool the fans.
Consider Devlin “Duck” Hodges. You can’t spell “quarterback” without “quack.”
In 2019, Hodges may have been the worst quarterback to ever start in the NFL. But he had a catchy nickname, won a few games despite himself and sold a lot of merchandise. Hodges was better at being a cottage industry than at throwing a football.
Hodges not only hoodwinked the fans, he deceived coach Mike Tomlin. Hodges stayed in the lineup a bit longer than he should have, and it may have cost the Steelers a playoff berth. (Then, as always, you’ve got to beat the New York Jets.)
The Steelers have had a few ideal backup QBs.
Charlie Batch and Mike Tomczak were good enough to start, and sometimes did. But they were content to be backups, were students of football, and were always ready when called upon, whether to start or come into a game cold.
Tomczak won two of four starts in 1995 when the Steelers made Super Bowl XXX.
Batch won both his starts in 2005 when the Steelers barely grabbed a wild card but went on to win Super Bowl XL. His contribution was essential.
Mike Kruczek had a short, spectacular run as the Steelers’ backup. In 1976, Kruczek was a rookie. He started six games when Terry Bradshaw got hurt, going 6-0. The Steelers rallied from a 1-4 start to finish 10-4 before, riddled by injury, they lost to Oakland in the American Football Conference final. Kruczek started just once more the rest of his NFL career.
The Steelers don’t currently have a classic, proven backup QB. They do have a lot to throw at the wall.
Mason Rudolph is a capable backup, or at least close. The citizens would think more highly of Rudolph if he hadn’t looked so wide-eyed and panicky in 2019 during his Week 11 blowup at Cleveland with a helmet-swinging Myles Garrett. The Steelers got beat.
Getting his bell rung and face mask cut off in the Steelers’ Week 5 home loss to Baltimore didn’t make Rudolph look like Rambo in the first place.
Dwayne Haskins says he intends to compete with Rudolph for the No. 2 job. That’s the equivalent of cutting a promo before a dark match.
Haskins hinted that he’d been made promises by Tomlin. If Tomlin doesn’t live up to those promises, well, nor has Haskins: Namely, his promise as the No. 15 pick overall in 2019. Haskins has fallen very far, very fast.
Josh Dobbs is literally a rocket scientist, having majored in aerospace engineering at Tennessee.
Perhaps there’s more money and opportunity for Dobbs in that profession than there is in quarterbacking. He’s thrown 17 passes in four NFL seasons.
Rudolph outperformed Haskins in Thursday’s exhibition opener vs. Dallas. Rudolph was 6 for 9 for 84 yards, 9.3 yards per attempt and a passer rating of 96.9. Haskins was 8 for 13 for 54 yards, 5.4 yards per attempt and a passer rating of 70.7.
But Steelers Twitter has already determined that Rudolph stinks and Haskins is the post-Ben Messiah. Performance and stats won’t affect that opinion.
Statistically, Dobbs did better than both Rudolph and Haskins. But he did so against foes who may be cut by the time you read this. It’s difficult to prove much in the fourth quarter of the first (and extra) exhibition game.
There are 32 NFL teams. There aren’t 32 good starting quarterbacks. Any team thinking it has a good backup is usually lying to itself.
Rudolph, Haskins and Dobbs might all make the Steelers. Four quarterbacks seem too many, but three weren’t enough when Hodges had to start six games in 2019.
But imagine being the backup to the backup to the backup.
You’re one slot below Hodges in ’19. It would require extreme circumstance to get you in the game — like maybe another pandemic, only worse.
My predicted depth chart at quarterback: 1. Ben Roethlisberger, until his own offensive line kills him. 2. Rudolph, until Garrett or Twitter kills him. 3. Haskins, until…uh, never mind. 4. Dobbs, until Jeff Bezos hires him away.
At that point, Landry Jones returns.
