A Hard Lesson On the Importance Of the Backup QB
Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Much to the surprise of the entire NFL world, Deshaun Watson was a late scratch against hated division rival the Baltimore Ravens. With little warning, the league got its first regular-season look at preseason darling Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
It, unfortunately, was not a good look.
DTR threw an ugly pick that set up Baltimore’s first touchdown en route to three total interceptions. He finished 19/36 with an abysmal average of 3.4 yards per completion and a QBR of 18.8. He also took 48 yards worth of sacks. The rookie even managed to take an ugly penalty for an illegal forward pass on the Browns’ only scoring drive.
Sundays performance, in which the Browns essentially appeared to be playing with their hands tied behind their backs, brought into focus the importance of a backup quarterback, especially as it pertains to teams who consider themselves to be potential contenders.
Too often we have discussions about NFL rosters in a vacuum. We ignore the fact that a salary cap exists and rarely mention that for every expense there needs to be a requisite cut. And you certainly don’t hand out the best contract in history to your starting QB and not expect to have to make some hard choices. Unfortunately for Cleveland, one of Andrew Berry’s hard choices was to trade veteran backup Josh Dobbs in late August and head into 2023 with an unproven mid-round rookie as their QB2.
A glance around the league tells you this is not how potentially elite teams handle the position.
Sam Darnold – San Francisco
Marcus Mariota – Philadelphia
Blaine Gabbert – Kansas City
A.J. McCarron – Cincinnati
Tyler Huntley – Baltimore
Mike White – Miami
Kyle Allen – Buffalo
At worst, each of these players are long-in-the-tooth NFL veterans. Most have spent significant time manning a regular-season offense.
Yes, Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the talk of the preseason with his stat-stuffing outings and scene-stealing perfomance on Hard Knocks. But as the great Lou Brown once said of exhibition opponents in Major League, it was all “off a guy who’ll be bagging groceries in a couple of weeks.” The preseason is a time where nobody is willing to show anything. Offenses run against base defenses and vice versa. And now with the reduction in games and the changes in roster cut-down dates, you see even less relevant competition on the field.
Berry’s decision to assess DTR off his preseason, trade Dobbs, and enter the year with an unproven rookie looked like malpractice on Sunday. To make matters worse, as DTR struggled, Dobbs has quietly thrived versus his expectations.
Through four weeks Dobbs has amassed 814 yards on a 72% completion percentage with four touchdowns and no picks while leading his team to a huge Week 3 win against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s not Hall Of Fame-level play, but it would’ve been a welcome sight in Cleveland today.
This team was built to do something special. Jim Schwartz was a home-run hire, and the additions of Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson have elevated the defense to a championship level. Even with the loss of Nick Chubb, the offense was coming into focus last week. Then, bam! They sit at 2-2 after a game in which they never had a realistic chance.
None of this is any slight on DTR. He may go on to have an incredible career, and it’s not his fault for taking an opportunity put in front of him. But with so much on the line, was it the right opportunity for Berry to give back in August? Hopefully, with the bye week Watson will be back on the field in time for the San Francisco 49ers game. But then what? What happens in Week 14 in a must-win game when he can’t go? What if he misses a four-game stretch in November? What if he can’t go for a quarter and half in a playoff game?
A Solution?
This team needs to get serious about getting a different presence in the quarterback room. The options aren’t great, but there is an intriguing possibility.
Yes, Wentz’s name seems to be poisonous among NFL ffans. His ugly stint in Philadelphia, followed by somehow uglier stints in Indianapolis and Washington, have pushed him out of the league. But he is an experienced starter with, at the very least, game manager potential. The former NDSU Bison could absolutely hold the fort down while the big-contract quarterback tries to get back on the field.
There’s a lot to address during the bye week for Stefanski, Berry, and company. It’s hard to predict if they could make the money makes sense but the first thing the Browns should do this week is get Carson Wentz’s phone number and give him a call.
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