By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

One of the main topics of discussion as we exit the football season is the importance of having a capable backup at the quarterback position.

Teams like Green Bay and Miami struggled mightily when they were forced to rely on their 2nd string QB.

I mean, Miami had so much faith in Matt Moore they signed Jeff George’s twin brother from a different mother, Jay Cutler, and started him Week 1.

Teams like Minnesota, and obviously Philadelphia, we’re able to keep their season afloat despite losing their starting quarterbacks.

So, this got me thinking: How much faith should fans of the NFC South have in their respective team’s backup quarterback?

Since things could, and probably will change over the next few months, I’m going with who the backup quarterback was at the end of the season.

Atlanta Falcons: Matt Schaub. All you need to know is that Schaub is currently 54 going on 83 and over the past 2 years has only thrown three more passes in an actual NFL game than I have.

Look, I like Schaub’s game, from 7-8 years ago and if this were being written during his first stint with Atlanta I would be really high on his ability to lead the Falcons for an extended period, if needed.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I can’t imagine a scenario where Dan Quinn doesn’t bring someone else in back up Matt Ryan. Falcons’ fans better hope Ryan is the Cal Ripken of NFL Quarterbacks.

Carolina Panthers: Derek Anderson. See Matt Schaub. The only difference is I can count on Anderson to throw at least one red zone interception for every game he plays.

If Schaub actually played I feel like he would just hand the ball off every play, which is what I would want the Panthers to do with Anderson.

New Orleans Saints: Chase Daniel. This one is interesting, mainly because I have no idea how good Daniel is.

I know a lot of teams think highly of him and he’s made really good money over his 10 year career based on those opinions. I also know he’s never thrown more than 38 passes in a season.

In fact, he’s only thrown 78 passes in his entire career. Seriously, there’s not enough info on him for me to even poke fun at. He’s truly “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ryan Fitzpatrick. I guess out of all the backup quarterbacks the NFC South has to offer, Fitzpatrick is the best.

I’m not really sure that’s saying a whole lot though. I will say this, he did do an admirable job filling for Jameis Winston at various times this past year. And he has proven himself to be a decent quarterback in recent years.

I guess it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility to see him have the type of season Case Keenum had if Fitzpatrick needed to run the show in Tampa. Not saying it’s likely to happen, just that it’s not impossible.

Basically, while the NFC South may have the strongest group of starting of quarterbacks in the league, they also have the male version of the “Golden Girls” as their backups.

And if I’m being completely honest, with the exception of Ryan Fitzpatrick, I’m pretty sure I’d rather have Bea Arthur as my backup as opposed to the other three. You can even include Fitzpatrick if you’re giving me Betty White.