Maybe a job

Backup QB fight thrown in quandary
By Karen Guregian / Patriots Beat Friday, September 4, 2009 - Updated 4h ago+ Recent Articles
Boston Herald General Sports Reporter and Columnist
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yahooBuzzArticleSummary = " FOXBORO - A backup quarterback, or in this case, Tom Brady’s understudy, needs to meet certain criteria to survive on Bill Belichick’s watch. We’ll call them Belichick’s commandments for backups. He must be able to manage a game. He must be able to throw accurately. ...";
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FOXBORO - A backup quarterback, or in this case, Tom Brady [stats]’s understudy, needs to meet certain criteria to survive on Bill Belichick’s watch. We’ll call them Belichick’s commandments for backups.
He must be able to manage a game.
He must be able to throw accurately.
He must be able to make good decisions on a consistent basis.
He must be a guy who can win games.
The last commandment is really what it’s all about for Brady’s primary sidekick. That’s what Belichick and his offensive coaches have always sought.
That’s why Kevin O’Connell was sent packing, because Belichick didn’t think he could win with him if Brady went down. He didn’t perform any of the top three criteria particularly well during camp and the preseason, didn’t seem to fit in their system, and didn’t look like he could win games. So that was why the third-round pick was waived on Sunday, and ultimately picked up by the Detroit Lions.
The question now is can they win with Andrew Walter, who was curiously kept out of last night’s 38-27 exhibition-ending win over the New York Giants? Can they win with a guy who was a stud at Arizona State, who has all the physical tools to be a stud in the pros, but has yet to see it translate in the NFL?
Or, maybe we should be focusing on rookie Brian Hoyer, who went cover-to-cover last night, and looked pretty darn good against the Giants second teamers by going 18-for-25 for 242 yards and a touchdown. This is the quarterback who Belichick & Co., insiders say, are more impressed with to this point.
The Walter benching just provided more head-scratching and less comfort with the situation. After all, isn’t he the guy with the experience? Didn’t he leap into the No. 2 spot after O’Connell was dumped?
After the game, Walter was clearly peeved, fielding two questions before fleeing.
“It’s my job to be a pro. I’m going to leave it at that,” he said, when asked if he felt like he had gotten enough time in the preseason to be prepared to play if called upon.
While it looked like Belichick missed the mark with his choice of Matt Cassel last year when Brady’s knee blew out, history proved otherwise. While unimpressive during the preseason, Cassel proved a terrific backup in the long run. It’s not easy finding fault with a guy who wins 11 games.
So the Pats have learned they need a dependable guy riding shotgun. As much as Brady is an iron man, the unthinkable does happen. That’s why there’s so much interest now in who ultimately gets the job.
Walter’s lack of overall playing time in the preseason - he was just 5-of-9 passing for 62 yards - raises a red flag. It’s possible they didn’t play him last night because they didn’t want to risk him, with Brady’s health a bit questionable. Or, he’s safe and they really wanted to see more of Hoyer, who has opened some eyes.
The Michigan State product nicely rallied the team from a 21-0 hole, completing 18-of-25 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown. Still, it’s doubtful the Pats would want a first-year player as the primary backup.