The Kansas City Chiefs found out Sunday that inserting your backup quarterback into the lineup doesn't always solve the world's problems.
With Matt Cassel sidelined with a concussion, Brady Quinn started and lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cassel is healthy again, but coach Romeo Crennel won't name his starter. It's one of the NFL's few active quarterback dramas. We went up and down the list, and one franchise after another -- for better or worse -- appears committed to its starter. Sort of surprising.
Here's our short list of backup quarterbacks most likely to see action this season:
Tim Tebow, New York Jets: We're in the eye of the storm in Florham Park. The Jets played hard for coach Rex Ryan over the past two weeks and sit in a four-way tie for the AFC East. I'm not as down on Mark Sanchez as some, especially when New York runs for 252 yards like it did Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. That put Sanchez back in a scheme that made him a success earlier in his career. Unfortunately, the Jets don't have the line play or running backs to keep up those numbers. Tebow will play before Christmas.
Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert has made progress, but the offense can't score points and looks no different than last year's muddled attack. Mike Mularkey is sticking by the second-year passer for now, but this coach inherited Gabbert. He also went out of his way to lure in Henne, who serves as a logical change of pace if Jacksonville doesn't start mowing down defenses. It's possible this team will look for another quarterback after the season.
Matt Flynn, Seattle Seahawks: It pains me to write this, because rookie Russell Wilson has been Tebow-esque, pulling wins out of his sleeve despite limitations in his game. His play in Sunday's victory over the New England Patriots was a turning point, but Seattle is limiting what it does on offense to suit Wilson. If Wilson struggles, we're going to see Flynn because this is very much a playoff contender. I picked Wilson as my rookie of the year candidate before the season. I believe in his growth as a quarterback, but the Seahawks heavily invested in Flynn, making this a unique situation.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
