Five for Fighting: When These NFL Backups Hit the Stage, Teams Don't Miss a Beat

(Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images)

In 2009, you'll think Lawrence Timmons.

After recording 13 tackles and zero sacks in 2007, Timmons ratcheted it up, taking playing time away from Larry Foote as he tallied up 65 tackles and five sacks.

That Larry Foote is going to be collecting game checks that have a return address in Detroit, and not Pittsburgh, is largely due to the play of Timmons.

With Timmons taking over Foote's starting role (and even more snaps, one would think) it's very likely that Pittsburgh's defense is only going to get more aggressive and more creative in 2009.

The sound you just heard was the AFC collectively tearing their hair out.

3. Kevin Faulk, RB, Patriots

Kevin Faulk is another name I toyed with not including on this list. He's a career third down back. He probably wouldn't be terribly effective as an every-down threat, these days, and I question what he would do with 300+ carries in a season.

But that doesn't mean he hasn't been one of the best guys who doesn't fill up the "Games Started" column during his 10-year NFL career.

With 35 starts, total, in his time in the league, Faulk has hardly been given the chance to truly shine as a feature back.

At 32, that time is likely well behind Kevin, but he's still done more with limited time than maybe any other player he played with or against.

Coming out of college, Faulk was thought to be the next great thing. He had an amazing career at LSU and seemed to be poised for great things.

Ten years later, Kevin Faulk won't be making the NFL Hall of Fame, but he has managed nearly 6,500 yards from scrimmage and has been one of the most dependable offensive performers in Patriots history.

Starting when necessary but always a fixture on third down, Faulk had a great year in 2008 as the only real constant in a nebulous, shifting backline that saw starts from BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Sammy Morris, Faulk, and Lawrence Maroney while also featuring Heath Evans and a cameo from LaMont Jordan.

If there's room for one "dependable, if not explosive" option on this list, it had to go to Faulk.

4. Jeff Garcia, QB, Oakland

Jeff Garcia has had a very odd career. He was definitely more than adequate in San Francisco and made three Pro Bowls, looked to be done after bad years in Cleveland and Detroit, seemed to have his swan song in Philadelphia and then resurfaced in Tampa Bay to post back-to-back quarterback ratings in the 90s once again.

I wonder if any other quarterback in the league has been dismissed as done more often than Jeff Garcia only to come back, once again.

Now he's in Oakland, backing up JaMarcus Russell, who has way too much money invested in him to not be the starter come opening week.

Still, I think most fans would be surprised to look at what Garcia has actually done in his career.

Four Pro Bowls, a career 87.5 QB rating, more than 25,000 passing yards and 161 touchdowns against just 83 interceptions.

The last couple years he's been especially effective. Much like Brett Favre in his last year in Green Bay (and the total opposite of Brett Favre since he left Green Bay), he finally seemed to realize he's not the same passer he was in his heyday in San Francisco and has focused more on being accurate on short throws and taking few risks.

As a result, his interception percentage has been down to just 1.1%, 1.2%, and 1.6% the last three years...the best three years of his career in that regard and among the tops in the league all three years.

As good as those numbers have been at 39, I don't think Garcia has a lot of years left in him.

But we've said that before.

I guess he'll just have to settle for being on this (esteemed) list for now.

5. Jerious Norwood, RB, Falcons

Jerious Norwood is one of those names that seems to just stick in the back of your mind. You probably know of him. You should've heard of him by now. But you just can't put a face to a name.

Well this might be a refresher, it's his game-winning touchdown run for Mississippi State against Florida in 2004.

I love that video. He bursts past one defender, then completely freezes another with a sidestep before bursting past everyone, even making two Florida defenders crash into one another in a feeble attempt to tackle him.

The sidestep is my favorite part. The guy misses him so bad he ends up in the parking lot. But it's alright, I hear they only charged him half-price to get back in the stadium because the game was over.

I've been waiting for the inevitable NFL Live "Jerious Norwood, 23 carries, 185 yards, 2 TDs)" stat line to scroll across my TV ever since.

It hasn't happened.

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