Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001

Stopgap measures

Batch, Brady, Chandler merit starting consideration

By Jeff Agrest, Senior editor

Three in particular cross my mind: Charlie Batch, Tom Brady and Chris Chandler. All three have turned it up a notch in recent weeks, and they could save you from any QB problems you’re facing.

For instance, if you’re muddling along with Brad Johnson, Steve McNair or Elvis Grbac, you might want to consider making a change. Brady, Chandler and Couch may not be long-term answers, but they have the hot hand — and that’s worth something.

Below is a look at each of the potential stopgap quarterbacks and their short-term prospects.

Charlie Batch, Lions — In two games since returning to his starting role, Batch has broken the 300-yard mark twice and thrown six TD passes, three in each game. Not only is he throwing the ball more (41 and 42 pass attempts in two games), he’s throwing it with more authority. In Week Five, Batch rallied the Lions from a 31-6 deficit to within five points, and last week he took advantage of a porous Titans pass defense. Next up is a susceptible Bengals defense, followed by the 49ers. The one monkey wrench in Batch’s emergence is the loss of WR Germane Crowell, who was coming on just as he went down. But Johnnie Morton has been playing very well, and TE David Sloan has had a larger role in the offense. His size poses matchup problems for defensive backs, and he has the ability to get downfield. Batch is hot, and if you need a stopgap starter, give him a try.

Tom Brady, Patriots — Two things stand out to me about Brady’s emergence. First, his 364-yard game of Week Five came against a tough Chargers defense. Second, his three-TD game of last week came without Terry Glenn. Those are two stumbling blocks Brady overcame. And against San Diego, it wasn’t like he was getting the support of a strong running game. The Patriots totaled 29 yards on the ground. Brady might be playing above his ability, but you have to catch lightning in a bottle when you can. He’s appeared poised in the pocket, has completed a high percentage of his passes and has shown big-play ability. This week he’ll face a Broncos defense that could be susceptible to the big play because of its reliance on blitzing. Denver’s secondary also has struggled with its tackling. The Broncos rank 22^nd in the league in passing yards allowed per game. Brady’s best test could come the following week against the Raiders.

Chris Chandler, Falcons — Question: Who leads the NFL with four TD passes of 40 yards or more? Answer: Chandler. Surprised? Don’t be. Chandler’s nine TD passes are third in the NFC behind only Warner and Favre. And Chandler missed the entire second half of Atlanta’s Week Four game. What’s helped Chandler produce is the play of RB Maurice Smith, who took over for the injured Jamal Anderson in Week Three. Smith has performed well, rushing for 70, 71 and 83 yards, to maintain some semblance of balance. Meanwhile, in his last two games, Chandler has thrown four TD passes, including two last week in an impressive showing against the Saints. Chandler also may have added another weapon to his arsenal in TE Alge Crumpler, who caught five passes for 78 yards last week. Crumpler’s 57-yard score proved he can get downfield, and we already know Terence Mathis, Tony Martin and Shawn Jefferson can too. Unfortunately, the Falcons are on bye this week, but the Cowboys are on the horizon in Week Nine. Atlanta hosts New England next.

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2001 - 2002 Season