Hopefully the Browns and the rest of the NFL teams learned a valuable lesson from what the San Francisco 49ers and the two Super Bowl qualifiers, the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, went through this season with quarterback injuries.
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The lesson? The value of having good backup quarterbacks.
The 49ers, of course, lost four different quarterbacks, including the final two in Sunday’s 31-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Yet, because of the play of those backups, they kept winning, rallying from a horrible start.
The Chiefs were able to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC divisional playoffs due to Chad Henne’s great play when Patrick Mahomes exited for a time with an ankle injury. He even led the Chiefs on a franchise playoff-record 98-yard touchdown drive.
And when quarterback Jalen Hurts missed two games with injuries, the Eagles lost twice and looked bad doing it.
Quarterbacks are going to get hurt — it’s inevitable in such a physical sport — and the key is to have at least one, or, in the case of the 49ers, several backups who can step in and keep the team from going into a free fall.
Steve King
G Wyatt Teller named to Pro Bowl
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns G Wyatt Teller has been named to the Pro Bowl. Teller joins DE Myles Garrett, G Joel Bitonio and RB Nick Chubb as the Browns’ representatives in Las Vegas for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games.
This marks Teller’s second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. He started 15 games at right guard this season as the Browns compiled 2,490 rushing yards, the third-highest total in team history and most since 1963 (2,639). Teller is replacing Kansas City’s Joe Thuney, who is unable to participate due to the Super Bowl.
The Pro Bowl Games is a new format the NFL implemented for Pro Bowlers this season and will feature skills competitions and a non-contact flag football game, which will take place Feb. 5 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and will be televised on ESPN/ABC.
