Matt Bowen, The Examiner
2007-12-28 08:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

The backup quarterback in the NFL is every sports fan’s dream. Everyone at the local bar talks about it, because, to them, it looks easy. Wear a ball cap, hold a clipboard, scribble down some notes, and collect your check on Tuesday.

Make the big bucks while watching the live action from the sideline.

The only issue, and the one that is the difference between the actual backup quarterback and the guy with the tall Budweiser in front of him on Sunday, is that he might actually have to play.

Still, you won’t see a guy like Todd Collins, who went 10 years between starts, playing a nearly flawless game each week.

The old adage in pro football is simple: If you aren’t a starter, you’d better be a pretty good special teams player to make the team. Well, quarterbacks don’t play special teams so if their number is called, they’d better produce. Hundreds of guys have been called upon to lead a team to victory, or close out a season, only to sign their name on an unforgettable performance.

Those guys ... well, let’s just say, the NFL isn’t their employer anymore. You only get one, maybe two, shots in this league to play quarterback if you aren’t the guy, and when I say the “guy,” I am talking about the starter; the one with the nice car.

Those guys lead teams; the whole organization, and the players of this league respect those guys. Drop the ball and you won’t be employed much longer.

Collins hasn’t dropped the ball. And now he has every right to compete for the starting job next year. This is a production-based league. If Jason Campbell is healthy in January, he should be on the sidelines. No way would I take a guy who has been in street clothes for four weeks and throw him in front of a guy who has the team on a winning streak.

A guy like Collins can be frustrating because on top of being accurate, he only takes calculated risks. I’d rather face an erratic passer with a strong arm because you never know what a guy like that is going to do.

Regardless, Collins has earned the right to wear that ball cap again next year, and maybe, just maybe, play a little football in January.

Not a bad gig if you ask me.

Former Redskins safety Matt Bowen, a seven-year NFL veteran, contributes a weekly column to The Examiner during the NFL season.