FOXSports.com Senior NFL Writer Alex Marvez looks at eight teams who are taking a gamble by entering the regular season without a proven backup quarterback:
New England: Starter — Tom Brady. Backup — Matt Cassel.
Brady hasn't missed a start since replacing an injured Drew Bledsoe early in the 2001 season. That has given Cassel scant opportunity to play. In fact, Cassel's passing attempts have dropped each season since being a 2005 seventh-round draft pick. Cassel also had a disastrous fourth-quarter outing last October at Miami, forcing an irate Bill Belichick to insert Brady back into a game the Patriots were winning handily. Cassel's long-term future with the Patriots is in question after San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell was selected in the third round of this year's draft.
Carolina: Starter — Jake Delhomme. Backup — Matt Moore.
Moore was one of the few beneficiaries of Carolina's revolving door at quarterback in 2007, getting three starts and extensive playing time as an undrafted rookie. Moore showed enough promise that the Panthers released David Carr in the offseason and didn't sign a veteran replacement.
Indianapolis: Starter — Peyton Manning. Backup — Jim Sorgi.
Playing behind an ironman like Manning, Sorgi's only game opportunities the past four years have come in blowouts or meaningless late-season contests. The Colts, though, have confidence in Sorgi and proved it last October by signing him to a three-year contract extension.
Seattle: Starter — Matt Hasselbeck. Backup — Seneca Wallace.
All of Wallace's career NFL starts came during a shaky four-game stretch in 2006 (the Seahawks went 2-2). But Wallace showed marked improvement when completing 17 of 22 passes in last year's finale against Atlanta. Now in his sixth season with the Seahawks, Wallace is a rushing threat under center and has extra roster value because he can play wide receiver and return punts/kicks in a pinch. Charlie Frye, who started 19 games with Cleveland between 2005 and 2007, is also on the roster.
Cleveland: Starter — Derek Anderson. Backup — Brady Quinn.
At this time last year, nobody could have predicted Anderson would emerge from obscurity to keep the highly-touted Quinn on the bench. Quinn threw only eight passes as a rookie but should make big strides this preseason after missing much of his rookie training camp in a contract holdout. If Quinn isn't ready, the Browns have six-year veteran Ken Dorsey in reserve.
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