Backup Quarterback Situation - Steeler organization to blame

[BURGH86STEEL]

What round was Brady taken in? To say only Qbs in the first can be effective back ups is short sighted at best. So unless we draft a QBS in the first, we should just settle on a terrible ancient back up? Not buying it.

Brady was a once in a a hundred year phenomenon. Some would suggest Brady was a miracle of epic proportion.

It's not so short sighted when one actually pays attention to the past and what's out there at the QB position. Most 2nd and 3rd string QB's marginal to terrible players. If they were better players they would be starters in the league. Why is that so difficult to understand? If it was easy to find a Tom Brady in the 6th round of the draft every team would have one waiting in the wings.

[RuthlessBurgher]

If it was easy to find a Tom Brady in the 6th round of the draft every team would have one waiting in the wings.

I want to add the "except the Browns" zinger, but I'm finding it difficult to do so after yesterday.

[Shawn]

In a given practice week, the backup QB gets minimal reps with the starters (like, single digits), and the 3rd QB gets none (he runs the scout team).

All things considered, you'd prefer to have backup QB's with NFL experience, because if your QB gets injured, they will be entering the game with very few practice reps with the starters (if any) that week.

It would be one thing if Jerrod Johnson had a strong preseason and Leftwich and Batch stunk up the joint, but that wasn't the case. Here are the preseason stats:

Leftwich: 8-13, 61.5%, 119 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
Batch: 18-24, 75.0%, 186 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Johnson: 14-21, 66.7% 236 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

All of those guys had impressive preseasons, but Leftwich and Batch had more experience (and therefore wouldn't require a ton of reps during the week like Johnson would to progress), plus Johnson tended to play the latest in the preseason games, where the talent he was playing against was the poorest overall.

I buy that...except for the 3rd stringer. That is where you usually have the luxury of keeping a younger guy to develop. Keeping Batch has proven to serve no purpose other than keeping a younger more athletic guy from this squad.

[steelz09]

Unless the Steelers draft a QB to groom in the first round the chances are slim that they will be able to draft a quality backup in the later rounds of the draft. John Skelton played as well as Batch and Leftwich. I don't see the Steelers drafting a QB in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd round as long as Ben is the starter.

Bottom line on all of this is that there are not enough quality QB's to go around. It's really that simple.

Sorry but I'm not buying what you're selling. You don't need a 1st, 2nd or 3rd rounder to be a legit backup.

[steelz09]

It's easy to blame the organization with 20/20 hindsight. Coming out of training camp many NFL pundits believed that the Steelers backup quarterback situation was as good as it gets in the NFL. The past two weekends have proven differently, there's no way to determine who will or won't perform, but the things you look for in a backup quarterback are experience in game situations and some one that can manage a game successfully. The Steelers believed they had that in Leftwich (a former starter) and Batch (old reliable). You can't assume that a player will get injured, regardless of what we believe as armchair GMs.

The Ravens have Tyrod Taylor as their backup. Is he winning any games if Flacco gets injured? Doubtful How about Bruce Gradkowski or Colt McCoy? Highly unlikely

How Graham Harrell? Exactly, who you say, he backs up Aaron Rogers
Like McCown? Matt Ryan's backup
TJ Yates? Doubtful

Every team is in the same place with backup quarterbacks, it's someone that can finish a game and not lose it. If the backup has to play more than two or three games the season is finished for that team. You can't win in the NFL if only 2 of the 3 facets of the game are functioning at an NFL caliber level. Right now would I liked to have had Jerrod Johnson or Hoyer from the beginning? Of course, but coming out of training camp I believed the Steelers to be in a sound position should they need to play a couple games without Ben. Leftwich and Batch have proven otherwise, but there's no way of knowing that in August and September, IMO.

Pappy

I would take Yates or McCown. If you remember, the Packers backup signed a huge deal with Seattle to become the starter. Instead, they decided to go with Russell Wilson.

Gradkowski? Well, he was good enough to torch the Steelers D a few years back. McCoy? I'd take him over our backups any day.

[steelz09]

This is a case of the other guy would be a better option. The facts show differently. Troy Smith or Johnson are not on NFL rosters.
Several teams don't carry a 3rd QB on the roster. The results would more the likely be the same regardless who came in as the 3rd QB for the Steelers. I don't recall a 3rd string QB coming in playing well, do you?

Your acting like GMs never make any mistakes.

So, Johnson isn't on a NFL roster for a reason. For the same reason's Brady lasted to the 7th round? For the same reasons Harrison was cut SEVERAL times? For the same reasons, Kurt Warner was bagging groceries?

[SidSmythe]

Who really wins with their 3rd QB??

I really doubt Josh Johnson is the answer. A veteran is your only hope unless you have a good prospect waiting in the wings. Josh Johnson is NOT that guy.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Sorry but I'm not buying what you're selling. You don't need a 1st, 2nd or 3rd rounder to be a legit backup.

I guess that depends on how one defines a legit backup. The Steelers believed they had legit backups. People will often say they prefer this player or that player until that guys steps into the line up to play. Similar to when fans were clamoring for Batch to play when Leftwich played last week. This week, people think the guys that are no longer in the NFL would be better options, go figure.

The problem that exists is fan's expectations are often unrealistic. All someone needs to do is take a look at the backup QB's in the league to be brought back to reality. Many were given the opportunity to be number 1's at some point of their careers. Here is a list of the backup QB's before the season starter.
[url]http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/nfl/story/2012/09/13/sp-nfl-backups-quarterbacks-rankings.html[/url]

[Chadman]

Being honest here, Leftwich is a fine back-up QB. He didn't do anything to lose the game last week, and if he hadn't been injured, Chadman is willing to bet he'd have beaten the Browns. Having a 31 year old Leftwich to back-up Ben is not a bad situation to be in.

Batch is more questionable. But instead of looking at it as a question of HOW did Charlie get a roster spot- maybe we should ask WHY Charlie retained a roster spot? It's not for his ability to play- that is obvious (although his pre-season stats were quite decent, and history has shown him to be a decent spot guy). But we all know that Charlie is a suedo-mentor to Ben on the sideline. His value is more in his ability to pass information onto Ben on the sideline, offer assistance, guidance- that sort of thing. We've SEEN this at work- how many times do we see Charlie in Ben's ear during a game?

Troy Smith looked like he never stood a chance of making the roster. Johnson, however, was a popular pre-season guy. Maybe the Steelers should have stashed him on the PS?

[ikestops85]

I was hoping they would keep Johnson on the roster and let Batch be a coach/player to be signed if needed. I still think the criticism of Batch, and Leftwich for that matter, based on one game is not fair.

[papillon]

Sorry Pap, but this fan here was smarter than the pundits on this one and has been calling for us to draft a QB to groom the past 3 drafts....I wanted John Skelton the one year. He seems like he would of been a good backup type QB.

Occasionally we all get something right (the blind squirrel and nut rule). Having Skelton around would have been great, I doubt he would have wanted to be Ben's backup for a decade. Someone mentioned Troy Smith, really? Leftwich would have been fine if not for the freak injury when hi tripped and fell. He managed to get through the game taking big hits and continuing to play. The hits aren't what did him in.

Leftwich can win games in the NFL for the Steelers with the defense playing well right now. Batch can not and I'm with everyone on this one he should have been let go and JJ kept on the roster, IMO. No other team would pick him up and he would be there in a pinch for the Steelers.

They had the guy they believed could handle a few games (Leftwich) and the guy to finish a game if necessary and nothing more (Batch). It just didn't work out.

Pappy

[steelz09]

You have two injury prone players in Batch and Leftwich. Add in the fact that Ben is also injury prone and all of this makes no sense.

If someone sneezes on Leftwich, he gets injury. Batch is about the same.

[Slapstick]

I would take Yates or McCown. If you remember, the Packers backup signed a huge deal with Seattle to become the starter. Instead, they decided to go with Russell Wilson.

Gradkowski? Well, he was good enough to torch the Steelers D a few years back. McCoy? I'd take him over our backups any day.

I would also take Colt McCoy...especially with this Todd Haley offense that emphasizes short throws with the occasional deep pass...

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Kordell's kicking himself for retiring a few weeks too soon...