Football is the #1 sport with most injuries. 

Every year, quarterbacks account for 5.8% of the total number of injuries. If there was no Plan B, the club would succumb to a losing streak. 

And 2019 is no different wherein 1 in 5 quarterback situations is panic-inducing. 

According to one study, QBs are disproportionately impacted by shoulder injuries compared with other playing positions. The high risks of shoulder and elbow injuries, however, are caused by direct contacts, not by the throwing motions.

That’s how valuable a QB is—a club cannot do without one.

Enter Plan B or the backup quarterbacks.

Backup QBs are a necessity, not a luxury

The reserve role may not be as prestigious as it seems. Definitely, not at the level of the true QBs (looking at you Tom Brady).

In retrospect, the names of the best backup QBs popped up intermittently. These are Earl Morrall, Jim Plunkett, Doug Williams, and Jeff Hostetler.

Nick Foles is the backup QB that led the Philadelphia Eagles into a Super Bowl showdown against New England Patriots. Foles, who replaced Carson Wentz, went on to receive an MVP performance with a 41-33 win.

In the NFL today, there are just two QBs—the starter and the backup.

However, seven weeks into the 2019 NFL season, six starting QBs already missed the games following an injury. But only two teams have used their backup QBs to full advantage.

The majority of the teams who lost a starter QB relied on the assistance of Ordinary Joes off the bench. So unlikely.

About 107 games have already been played, but there are 214 more to go, which means the high chance of more QBs getting hurt during the game.

In the years to come, the competence of an NFL team will depend on both the starter and the backup QB. Having one isn’t a luxury anymore, but a necessity.

Teams with backup QBs have a winning record

In what can be considered as the year of the backup QB, the teams are [ever too] slowly turning their heads to the role of backups.

The sentiment is clear: if number 18 or 12 got injured in the pitch, the team is f***ed!

This was epitomized when Patrick Mahones was sidelined with ligament damage due to dislocated kneecap recently. A backup QB has to step in for Mahones while he was away for at least a month.

So each NFL team today has a backup QB. Having one is still a game plan.

The teams playing with a backup QB is not at all screwed.

In about 25 games that a backup QB started, the teams have 20-15 upper hand. Teddy Bridgewater, for instance, led the New Orleans Saints with 5-0 as a backup for Drew Brees. 

Same with Kyle Allen who filled in Cam Newton when he had to miss a game where Allen had gone 5-1 for the Carolina Panthers.

Not just as replacements for the injured starter QBs, but backup QBs can be the driving force when the starters struggle with the offence.

Featured Image Source

How important backup QBs will be this year and beyond? Let us know.

It’s always a wild NFL ride, but you have to credit the cleverness of the people—the teams, players, fans and even the media—in coming with witty nicknames like the below.

Papa Bear

George Halas is the founder-owner and head coach of the Chicago Bears. He was referred to as the Papa Bear for this reason.

However, there is more to it—Halas was also a co-founder of the NFL. He also played for the league that in 1973, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

New York Sack Exchange

Of course, you knew it refers to the New York Jets. It specifically started in the 1980s to refer to the triple threat Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons, and Joe Klecko. 

They were known as the defensive line to boot then sans a Super Bowl appearance.

Ain’ts

Sometimes, the fans display their dismay over the team’s performance by giving it a name. For New Orleans Saints, it was Aints where the fans wear paper bags to hide their face in disgust.

That was before they first appeared in the playoffs in 1987 after more than 20 years. More specifically, it was first used when the franchise lost 14 consecutive games in 1980.

Now, fans call them The Black and Gold or The Who Dats.

Tom Terrific

Tom Brady is a prowess of terrific moves in the field—no doubt about it.

With three Super Bowls and two MVPs each for the NFL and Super Bowl, he only proved how deserving he is of the moniker. 

The Minister of Defense

Reggie White, the all-time greatest defensive lineman, earned this title. He was awarded two NFL Defensive Player of the Year titles.

He has a total of 198 sacks, 33 forced fumbles amassed while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, and Carolina Panthers. 

Not just the teams and football players

The Cleveland Browns fans are known as the Dawg Pound. And they continue to mobilise and fill up stadiums to the Browns’ delight. 

The Dawg Pound also refers to the bleacher section at the FirstEnergy Stadium dedicated to the franchise’s most passionate fans.

Dawg Pound Daily, a fan site, was created out of that historic name.

On the other hand, when one says the Cheeseheads, he was probably referring to the Green Bay Packers fans. They wear their foam cheese hats on the stadium regardless of the weather.

Then, there’s also a game

When fans remember the 1958 NFL Championship between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts, they would only say one thing: it was The Greatest Game Ever Played.

It was the very first overtime match in NFL history. The game is also considered one of the reasons for the popularity that the league enjoys today. 

The Colts won the match 23-17. 

St. Louis Rams fans surely still remember the Greatest Show on Turf. The players, specifically, Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, and Marshall Faulk, played on a domed turf during the Super Bowl XXXIV.

The Rams took over the Georgia Dome against Tenessee Titans, 23-16. 

Featured Source Image

Certainly, there are more remarkable NFL nicknames, but these are the few wittiest. Subscribe to read more interesting stories like this!

The spirit of the game lives in the hearts of fans everywhere who support their teams so passionately. ~David Baker, President and CEO of Pro Football Hall of Fame

Do you ever wonder what would happen to NFL teams and players without their fans? Well, that’s an undesirable place for sure.

It’s good to know that starting 2019, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is opening up its halls to accommodate the NFL’s super fans. 

In January 2019, the organization inducted three fan honourees into the Ford Hall of Fans. Over 170,000 ballots are cast through online polling that began months before the announcement of finalists. 

These are Don Wachter, a Chicago Bears fan; Rick Holman, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan; and Roger Avila, a Miami Dolphins fan.

Here’s a list of the most passionate NFL fans.

Don “Bearman” Wachter

Wachter is a 56-year-old Plainfield, Illinois resident. He was a season-ticket holder for 33 years and counting. 

Also known as the Bearman, other than painting his face, Wachter also wears a bear head hat to games—where he got his moniker from. 

Between 1998 and 2004, he was the Bears most reliable ally in firing up the home crowd. Wachter would run onto the Soldier Field 

Roger “Dolfan Maniac” Avila

Avila, who is also 56 years old, is from Miami. He was a season-ticket holder for 24 years now.

Avila was called the Dolfan Maniac and considered one of the faces of the team. He appears on TV broadcasts on his usual attire—his No. 40 white Miami jersey. 

Rick Holman

Holman is the youngest of the three, at only 39 years old. He was a season-ticket holder for 18 years. From Beaver, Pennsylvania, Holman is a history teacher.

Holman never missed a match played in Heinz Field, whether a preseason, regular or playoff game. Holman also travels to Dallas, Tampa, and Detroit to watch the championship games of the Steelers.

Other NFL superfans

Wachter, Avila, and Holman are on a different league now that their names are up in the wall.

And while fans are not created equal, many others are worthy of the same recognition.

100% Cheese Free

Syd Davy’s alter ego, 100% Cheese Free first appeared in Halloween 1993. Other fans motivated him to continue dressing up because they loved how it looks. He is regarded as the face of the Minnesota Vikings.

Hunka Burning Fan

John Lang, 56, is a Buffalo Bills fan who dons Elvis Presley garb. It started with a bet that he couldn’t appear on TV, only he did. He received an airtime thanks to his old guitar, white jumpsuit and painted sideburns. Now known as the rock n roll fan, Lang is now a staple at every Bills game.

Sound and Fury

Leroy Mitchell has been wearing a giant whistle headdress since 1996. A fan of the New Orleans Saints, his whistle can hit up to 120 decibels.

Queen Falcon

Carolyn “BirdLady” Freeman started following Atlanta Falcons in 1998—after 12 years of confinement in bed. She was a deputy sheriff and was severely injured while on duty. She was in every Falcons game, even flying to Houston to watch the Super Bowl LI. Freeman also painted her home black, white, grey, and red or the Falcon colours.

Featured Image Source

Subscribe to know more about your favourite NFL teams and their fandoms!