The Broncos backup QB position is more important than people think
May 7, 2020, 6:34 AM
The backup quarterback has turned into one of the most popular positions in Denver with the Broncos. Fans have fallen in love with Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Chad Kelly and much more! Well, the backup quarterback position has actually been valuable not just for the Broncos, but around the NFL.
The Broncos have found their starting quarterback for the 2020 in Drew Lock, but should Broncos Country be fine with Jeff Driskel being the backup QB?
Everyone knows that you need an elite quarterback to win a Super Bowl, but recently we’ve also seen that you need a stable backup quarterback just in case the starter goes down. A perfect example is Bubby Brister back in the 1998 season. Bubby filled in for an injured John Elway during the Broncos second Super Bowl season, winning all four starts.
The backup quarterback has had huge impacts on recent Super Bowl champions, as well.
Dating back to last season, Patrick Mahomes went down in October against the Broncos after dislocating his knee cap and would end up missing the rest of that game, plus two more games. Matt Moore would lead the Chiefs to a big victory over the Broncos and would go 1-1 in the next two games, helping the Chiefs solidify a first-round bye over the Patriots.
In the 2017, the Eagles were flying high with Carson Wentz leading the MVP race until experiencing a knee injury late in the season. Nick Foles would start the final three games and finish with a 2-1 record. Foles would then play some of his best football of his career getting Philadelphia through the playoffs to the Super Bowl. Foles would play arguably a perfect game in the Super Bowl against the Patriots and win the Super Bow MVP.
In 2016, the Patriots needed three quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl! Tom Brady was suspended the first four games of the season for being part of a cheating scandal that involved deflating footballs. Backup quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garoppolo stepped right in and won three out of those first four games. The Patriots would finish the season with the No. 1 seed and an eventual Super Bowl victory.
In 2015, Peyton Manning went down with a foot injury and Brock Osweiler had to fill in for the Hall of Fame QB. Osweiler would keep the Broncos rolling with a 5-2 record in the games he started. Peyton would come back in Week 17 and lead the Broncos right into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and eventually a Super Bowl parade!
Not only have we witnessed the value of the backup quarterback here in Denver during Super Bowl runs, but it’s happened quite a bit as of late. The Broncos missed an opportunity by not signing Andy Dalton to be the guy behind Drew Lock. This doesn’t mean that the Broncos need a quarterback to push Lock or compete for his job, but to be a reliable option just in case the second-year gunslinger has to miss some time during the season.
The Broncos better hope Drew Lock has success and doesn’t miss time this season because Jeff Driskel isn’t the best option to fill in for the time being. Maybe Cam Newton wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.
