Caleb Hanie: 5 First-String QBs Who Are Worse Than the Bears' Backup

Caleb Hanie definitely made the most of his opportunity on Sunday.

The Chicago Bears were put in a bind when starting quarterback Jay Cutler left the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay with a knee injury. Todd Collins replaced him briefly, but threw four incomplete passes. That then allowed Hanie, a third-stringer, to enter, and he completed 13-of-20 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown.

The touchdown, a 35-yard pass to Earl Bennett, cut Green Bay's lead down to a touchdown at 21-14 with 4:43 remaining. But Hanie came back and threw his second interception of the game on fourth down, this time to Sam Shields, which clinched the win for the Packers.

Considering the circumstances, Hanie did great. What's more shocking, though, is knowing there are actual starting quarterbacks in the NFL who are worse than him. Here are five:

5. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 26: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Buffalo Bills readies to pass against the New England Patriots at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

He's shown glimpses of potential, throwing for four touchdowns against Baltimore and completing 51 percent of his passes against Pittsburgh. While he threw for 3,000 yards, Fitzpatrick also had a quarterback rating of 81.8 and had five games with two interceptions or more.

4. Jimmy Clausen, Carolina

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Jimmy Clausen #2 of the Carolina Panthers looks on from the sidelines during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on January 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

He was sacked 33 times, never threw for 200 yards, had three touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 58.4. It's still early to tell if Clausen's numbers were due to a lack of protection or from bad mechanics and the inability to make plays.

3. Joe Webb, Minnesota

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DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 02: Joe Webb #14 of the Minnesota Vikings throws a first quarter pass while playing the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 2, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Webb became the starter last season after Brett Favre and Tavaris Jackson were both injured. A third-stringer, Webb threw for 477 yards and rushed for 120 yards in four games. He threw for 100 yards in three games and had no touchdowns and three total interceptions.

Webb tried to make plays running, but he wasn't much better than backup Tavaris Jackson. Neither are a long-term answer for the Vikings.

2. Alex Smith, San Francisco

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SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 16: Quarterback Alex Smith #11 of the San Francisco 49ers goes under center against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on December 16, 2010 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

He completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 2,370 yards, but had a rating of 82.1, threw for 300 yards just once this season and had two games with three touchdown passes.

The former No.1 pick has had to adjust to numerous offensive coordinators, but Smith still hasn't taken over and lived up to his potential.

1. John Skelton, Arizona

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GLENDALE, AZ - DECEMBER 25: Quarterback John Skelton #19 of the Arizona Cardinals scrambles with the ball past Jay Ratliff #90 of the Dallas Cowboys during the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on December 25, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The C

Skelton originally sat behind Derek Anderson and Max Hall, but took over and eventually completed nearly 48 percent of his passes for 662 yards. He also had two touchdowns, two interceptions and a quarterback rating of 62.3.