NFL QB Rotation: Why the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles Suit It

By the halfway point of the NFL season, which is rapidly approaching, it becomes clear which teams have issues at quarterback and who are sitting pretty. On one side of the spectrum are the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers, who have established quarterbacks who give week in, week out performance.

On the other end, the end with alarm bells ringing and fans chanting "We Want Carr!", 2010 is euphemistically called a "rebuilding" season. For those unlucky teams, drastic actions is required to wring effective play from the signal caller, and one rarely voiced opinion which I share is to run a quarterback rotation.

A quarterback rotation is seen by many in the business as amateur and counter-productive. The reigning logic is that a quarterback must play often and get as many reps as possible in practice to play well.

This is true, but when the starting quarterback on the roster just does not play at an NFL level, like the situations in San Francisco and in Buffalo, it is likely that in the 2011 NFL Draft they will pick a young face for the franchise.

In this case, a cynic would say that no matter what happen this season, it is positive. If the team loses most of their games, they pick in the top three or four and get the young college stud.

If the team finally performs, then they win games now and could maybe salvage the season and build confidence for the future. Hence, the 2010 season is perfect for experimentation.

The theory behind running a quarterback rotation is that instead of defining a starter for the game and riding on his performance through thick and thin, instead have two starters!

For the first half, give them roughly half the snaps each and then at halftime choose the player with the hot hand and start him for the whole of the second half. Of course, if one player throws a few interceptions in the first quarter, bench him early, and conversely if he is on fire, then hand the reigns over to him early.

The first advantage of this method is that the opposing defense will have to game-plan for two players. Obviously then, if the team's two quarterbacks play a different style, then this will be even more effective.

This is why the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers would suit this system so well. Michael Vick and Alex Smith's styles use movement in the pocket and the ability to scramble for yards to open up the passing game, and defenses like to play zone coverage against them, so corner backs and safeties do not have their backs turned when the quarterback takes off.

In contrast, a pocket passer like Kevin Kolb or David Carr tries to pass to the gaps in coverage, so a mixture of man and zone coverage is preferred to keep the quarterback on his toes. Defenses will have to game-plan for both scramblers and traditional quarterbacks, so it follows that they will be less prepared for both.

The second advantage occurs on game day. Defenders, especially linemen, will have to change their approach every time a new quarterback enters the game. Returning to the Eagles example, while playing Vick, the linemen will be focusing on filling their run gap responsibilities before going after the quarterback. Then, when Kolb checks in, they will convert to launching straight for the quarterback.

Adjusting like this will place extra mental stress on defenders, which could compromise their on-field performance. It is also likely to stifle the pass rush somewhat, which is a tremendous relief for any quarterback.

Finally, the ability to choose which quarterback to hedge your bets with on the day, depending on form and the play of the opposing defense would become invaluable to a coach.

Instead of continuing with the same quarterback after a bad string of interceptions, he can be given a chance to take a breather and contemplate his performance while another QB takes a series or two.

Also, for teams with inconsistent quarterbacking like the Buffalo Bills and the Oakland Raiders, the coach can choose the better player on the day at halftime, which removes some of the risk normally involved. This would result in significantly improved third and fourth quarter performances. Also, the extra pressure of direct competition with the other quarterback every practise and every game should elevate the play of both quarterbacks.

Moreover, for teams with leaky offensive lines, breaks would help quarterbacks recover if they suffered a series of hits in a drive and improve their longevity over the season.

So there it is. Three reasons to defy reason and try a quarterback rotation. It may be bold, but the rewards could help save a season and a high draft pick in the 2011 Draft. 

Innovators are almost always rewarded in the NFL. Look no further than the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 season.

The Wildcat formation won games outright and helped them into the playoffs after a 1-15 season in 2007. As they say, "Fortune favours the brave."

I would also like to apologize in advance to fantasy footballers, I don't have it out for you.