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When you have two quarterbacks, you have nothing. When you have two active pitchers on game day and both are injured, you have nothing.
The 49ers learned that the hard way in the NFC Championship on Sunday. Brock Purdy suffered an elbow injury. Then, after quarterback Josh Johnson suffered a concussion, the 49ers couldn’t throw the ball more than five yards, but had to rely on Purdy.
During the season-ending press conference in Santa Clara, the question of the now-defunct third quarter rule was raised. Coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch were asked if they supported the move.
“Yeah, I definitely support it,” Shanahan said. We were scared to death when this rule ended, whatever that was years ago, but you forget about it because you don’t see anyone having to go through this rule, but then you remember how fast the game of football is. It ended after it happened, so I think that’s a very smart thing to do. “
But the rule ended in 2011 because, instead of allowing the 46th player to be the backup quarterback, all teams put 46 players in uniform. Teams can choose to be the 46th quarterback in uniform if they want. Many chose not to make the fourth 46th man on game day.
So, basically, the return of the rule is that the 47th man – the third quarter – wears a uniform.
“I think it’s good for football,” GM John Lynch said. “You’re always trying to develop those guys, but you’re always going to carry those three, as opposed to being able to accommodate a whole range of players in different positions, so I think if the league is like that. You put it there, everyone is forced to do it. A lot of people improve in the camps, I think it’s good for football.
Of course, if there was no conference championship game for football, it would be better if both quarterbacks on the same team were injured and the team used an injured quarterback who couldn’t throw or wasn’t. And, yes, that’s more than enough to allow teams to have a third-quarter comeback ready to go.
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