Saturday’s make-or-break contest in Indianapolis between the Steelers and the Colts will go a long way toward determining which team has realistic playoff hopes going forward. For a couple of franchises that used to duel in the playoffs with Terry Bradshaw and Bert Jones behind center or Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning, this game inside Lucas Oil Stadium will be decidedly different.
Their hopes for a playoff berth this season are riding on the right arms of Mitch Trubisky and Gardner Minshew. It might seem like desperate times, but they’re hardly alone in an NFL season that is being defined by backup quarterbacks.
Of the 15 teams in the AFC that are still alive for a playoff berth, eight of them are playing with backups. All three teams that are currently in position to earn a wild card berth — the Browns, Steelers and Colts — are playing backups.
In Cleveland, the Browns signed Joe Flacco off the street last month, and the 38-year old threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns against the Jaguars on Sunday.
In Cincinnati, the Bengals are still in contention despite the season-ending injury to Joe Burrow. Jake Browning, who made his first career start against the Steelers in late November, has won two in a row to help the Bengals stay afloat.
In the NFC, the Vikings are the No. 6 seed. On Saturday, they will start Nick Mullens, their fourth quarterback to start a game this season.
It’s not a matter if a backup will be in the playoff field; it’s a matter of whether any of them are capable of leading a postseason run.
The Steelers planned for this scenario. With starting quarterback Kenny Pickett on a rookie contract, they are paying Trubisky $8 million a year for just this circumstance. He is one of the highest-paid backups in the NFL, and they expect him to perform at a high level.
Trubisky did not play well in his first start of the season — a 21-18 loss to the Patriots — but interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner is trying to streamline the offense this week in an effort to take advantage of the things Trubisky does well.
“That’s what all of our thoughts are about,” Faulkner said. “How do we skinny down the game plan in an effort so he can play fast, get the ball out of his hand and get it to the playmakers?. Our thoughts are always wrapped around better ways to do that.”
How does Faulkner envision Trubisky at his best?
“He’s out there just slinging it, having fun and playing ball,” Faulkner said. “That’s what Mitch is. He’s a guy who’s going to push the ball down the field, take shots and take opportunities. Hopefully, we’ll continue to build on that and what his personality is.”
That’s certainly a different approach than what the Steelers had with Pickett, who is defined more as a game manager with a flair for the dramatic in the fourth quarter.
When Trubisky was in Chicago, he had some big games that helped the Bears make the playoffs. In the 2020 season, after being benched early in the season, the Bears turned back to Trubisky late in the year when the playoffs were on the line.
In a December game against the Texans, he threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-7 victory. Two weeks later, he threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-17 win against the Jaguars.
Those victories helped the Bears earn the final wild card berth from the NFC. They fell to the No. 2 Saints 21-9 in the wild card round.
That’s how the story goes with most teams that are playing backups, but there have been a few notable exceptions over the years.
The Eagles didn’t know what they had in Nick Foles when he replaced Carson Wentz late in the 2017 season. He ended up leading the Eagles to their first and only Super Bowl win.
Five years earlier, Colin Kaepernick took over for an injured Alex Smith late in the season and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. Only a pass breakup in the end zone with 1:46 remaining denied Kaepernick his Cinderella story.
Way back in 1979, the Rams made it to the Super Bowl behind backup Vince Ferragamo. Only the Steelers — with the help of a late Jack Lambert interception — stood in his way of a storybook ending.
The way the NFL playoffs are shaping up this season, a few backups will be on center stage. In the next month, the Steelers and other teams are trying to find their Nick Foles.
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: December 13, 2023, 8:15 p.m.
Updated: December 13, 2023, 10:57 p.m.