Pocket Presence: AFC Playoff Contenders

It's often said that a team with two quarterbacks really doesn't have any. With that spirit in mind, FanHouse will keep you updated weekly on NFL teams facing potential quarterback controversies.

We thought we'd take a short break from making fun of JaMarcus Russell to discuss something important: with just three games left in the regular season, which of the AFC's playoff contenders have the most depth at the game's most important position? Who would be in trouble if the unthinkable happened? Is there a team that would actually get better if they had to go to the backup?

Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning and Curtis Painter

We can say what we want about the Colts, but it's hard to mask the truth.

Manning is a great player, an MVP candidate, and the Colts' unquestioned leader. He sometimes seems to know the offense -- and how to attack opponents -- better than his coaches do, and he is capable of making just about any personnel work.

Normally, the Colts could call on veteran backup Jim Sorgi, but he's on injured reserve. Instead, they have Painter, who is a rookie from nearby Purdue, where he had a bit of an inconsistent college career.

While "quality of the backup" is a bit of a shady way to define an MVP candidate, it's totally fair -- in this context -- to say that the Colts could very well be screwed if Manning were to get hurt. Status update: Potentially very shaky

San Diego Chargers: Philip Rivers and Billy Volek

While Rivers is having a great season, the Chargers have surrounded him with some good talent. They don't have many superstars running around, but they're also not terribly vulnerable at any position. San Diego has offensive balance, they don't wear down their best players, and they also could argue they have the Colts' number, which only adds confidence heading into the playoffs.

In Volek, San Diego boasts one of the best backups in the league. He's a guy who has stepped in and won playoff games before, and he's more than capable of running the offense if Rivers goes down. Status update: Likely stable

Cincinnati Bengals: Carson Palmer and J.T. O'Sullivan

The Bengals are another team that has to be a bit frightened about the prospects of life without their starter. O'Sullivan has never inspired confidence during his NFL career, bouncing around from team to team and even getting a few chances to prove himself.

Should Palmer go down, a Bengals passing attack that is already struggling mightily would be severely tested. O'Sullivan's past indicates that he would have issues getting the team going. Status update: Potentially shaky

New England Patriots: Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer

Brady might not be the Brady of 2007 (look out next year), and Randy Moss might be back to acting like a petulant child, but this is a pretty easy team to read. Like Painter, Hoyer had his struggles in college, but has physical tools.

While Brady is still somewhat in recovery mode, he's going to keep playing until he has to shut it down. It's a combination of coach Bill Belichick's faith in Brady and his lack of faith in everyone else. As long as Brady is healthy, and Hoyer remains in a position to learn at a comfortable pace, there's no reason to think the Patriots won't be fine. The great unknown, however, is how the team would respond if Hoyer had to play significant snaps for Brady at some point.

The team's history is that they would do just fine. However, history doesn't win football games. Status update: Unknown

Denver Broncos: Kyle Orton and Chris Simms

We all saw how highly coach Josh McDaniels thinks of Simms. He started a game against San Diego because Orton had a sprained ankle, and Simms ended up yielding to Orton before halftime.

Not a good sign.

Luckily for Denver, Orton appears to have recovered nicely, and the team is in good position to make the playoffs. Of course, the nature of this exercise is to discuss how teams would fare if the starter went down. We saw it here, and we don't like it.

Unless McDaniels has found a way to get Simms some confidence through limited reps in practice, the Broncos could be in more trouble than even Indianapolis should their starter go down. Status update: Potentially shaky