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In Week 17, 11 of the AFC’s 16 teams had backup quarterbacks starting in an unprecedented year of injuries to the position. Is one of them primed to make history repeat itself this season?
Backup QB Nick Foles led the Eagles to a victory in Super Bowl LII after QB Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury during the 2017 season and a couple of backups could do the same thing this season.
Browns QB Joe Flacco, who took over in Week 13 following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury, seems to be the one with the best chance to do it. He has given his team new life, throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the past five weeks.
The 38-year-old knows what it takes to hoist a Lombardi Trophy as he led the Ravens to a Super Bowl XLVII win and was named the MVP of the game. He also has one of the league’s most complete teams around him.
Flacco has his offense clicking, averaging 31 points per game on Cleveland’s four-game win streak and the defense is allowing the fewest total yards per game (266.6).
If he does lead the Browns to the Super Bowl, it would leave them with the difficult decision between sticking with Flacco or going back to Watson. Philadelphia had a similar decision to make with Foles and Wentz following its Super Bowl season. But that is, of course, a good problem to have.
Colts QB Gardner Minshew and Steelers QB Mason Rudolph also have a chance to clinch a playoff berth in Week 18. But it would take some postseason heroics from either player to propel their team to the Super Bowl.
Nonetheless, it is truly the year of the backup quarterback, and we could certainly see a repeat of Super Bowl LII because of it.
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