THE C-LIST
Unknown QBs will step into spotlight in Week 17
Week 17 typically brings its share of unheralded quarterbacks getting whattheheck auditions from teams playing out the string. Rarely, though, have we seen such a collection of scrubs under center in meaningful games as we will this Sunday.
Here’s the postseason scenario for the 87 Texans: A win, plus losses by the Ravens and Chargers. For that firststep victory over the Jaguars, Houston turns to thirdstring quarterback Case Keenum, who owns nine career starts, eight last season before the arrival of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Mallett.
Oh, but there’s more. The Ravens are facing the Browns, who will trot out thirdstringer Connor Shaw, an undrafted rookie out of South Carolina who had to be promoted from the practice squad for the occasion. Shaw was behind the injured Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer on the depth chart, and his next NFL pass will be his first.
“I’m excited about it,” Shaw said on Friday. “It was a good week of practice and I had a lot of support from coaches and teammates and I’m confident going into this game with the game plan. We’ll see what happens on Sunday.”
It got even weirder and more complicated Friday. The 87 Chiefs, also still alive for the AFC’s No. 6 seed, announced quarterback Alex Smith will miss Sunday’s game against the Chargers because of a lacerated spleen. Chase Daniel, with a career passing line of 32for48 in six pro seasons (one start), will get the surprise nod.
Smith wasn’t diagnosed with the injury until undergoing a scan Thursday after several days of what felt like a stomach ache. He would not be able to return in time for a potential playoff game.
“The guys have a lot of trust in Chase,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “Our heart goes out to Alex. It’s not something he wanted to happen. He wanted to be out there. But the guys know Chase. They’re comfortable with him.”
The Chiefs’ playoff parlay: Beat the Chargers (go get ’ em, Chase) and get losses from the Ravens (go, Connor) and Texans (boo, Case).
The oddity of this random collection of quarterbacks with “C” names is matched only by the playoffbound Cardinals’ situation this week.
Fed up with the wildly inaccurate thirdstringer Ryan Lindley (40.7 percent completions in two games), coach Bruce Arians named fourthround rookie Logan Thomas the starter for Sunday’s game in San Francisco, which will determine the Cardinals’ playoff seeding. But after watching Thomas in practice on Wednesday, Arians was so aghast he went back to Lindley.
“I was hoping that he [Thomas] was going to be able to handle it,” Arians said, “but it’s not the time right now.”
The decision has multiweek ramifications. Arizona backup Drew Stanton, who has been sidelined by a sprained right knee, but was believed to have a chance at returning in time for the playoffs, acquired an infection in the knee that required arthroscopic cleanup. He’s out indefinitely, so buckle up for playoff Lindley.