State of the Nation

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By Christian Cook

The starting quarterback is the most important person on the football field at any given time, regardless of the team.  The quarterback is the general of the team and no matter if it is Peyton Manning or Blaine Gabbert they hold the future of your team in their hands.

Now, I don’t mean that the quarterback is necessarily the best player on the field.  We all know Adrian Peterson, Arian Foster, and Calvin Johnson are the top players on their respective teams.  However, every team is one blindside hit to their signal caller away from being virtually out of contention.

The state of the NFL right now shows the importance of backups.  The Bears, Steelers, and Eagles all saw their quarterbacks recently go out.  Playoff hopes could fade quickly if the backup isn’t able to perform in their absence. 

These teams have taken the backup role seriously and would have the best chance of any team to win if the starter were to go out.

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