Backup Quarterback

It's a play that is old as the game of football, and to work, the timing of the call and its execution have to be flawless. Pete Pompey reached into his bag of tricks, pulled out the hook-and-ladder play and gave it to senior backup quarterback Tavon Williams with just over a minute remaining yesterday. The 65-yard pass and run play concluded with 56 seconds on the clock and lifted No. 4 Edmondson to a 43-37 victory over Northwest of Montgomery County in a Class 2A quarterfinal at Poly's Lumsden-Scott Stadium.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Heading into yesterday's Patriot League game, Towson University knew that Bucknell had a dangerous weapon at quarterback. However, the Tigers were preparing for the wrong guy. After starting quarterback Daris Wilson was injured midway through the opening quarter, backup John Henry Jackson came in and rallied the Bison to a 14-10 win before a homecoming crowd of 6,212 at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium. "We thought that when Daris Wilson was hurt that we had a chance," Towson coach Gordy Combs said.

The Washington Redskins' backup quarterback dilemma is suddenly the least of the team's problems.The Redskins ended their preseason on a frustrating note Saturday night, losing to the New York Jets, 13-9, in Columbia, S.C., to finish 1-3 in the practice games.It was only the second time the team has had a losing record in the preseason in 11 years under coach Joe Gibbs, and he wasn't happy about it."For three quarters, that's the poorest we've played since I've been here, including the first year [when the team started 0-5 in regular season games]

ASHBURN, Va. - With every passing day, Washington Redskins coach Norv Turner is becoming increasingly skeptical about when quarterback Brad Johnson will be available. Turner won't have Johnson on Sunday. Backup quarterback Jeff George will make his first start of the season against the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium. George is starting because Johnson suffered a Grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during Monday night's 27-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

WASHINGTON -- The future is not now for Cary Conklin.After the wreckage of the Washington Redskins' 24-21, overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns at RFK Stadium Friday night, Conklin appeared to be the biggest loser.The second-year quarterback was given an opportunity by Redskins coach Joe Gibbs to beat out Stan Humphries for the backup quarterback job, but he wasn't up to the test.After replacing Mark Rypien in the third period, he completed five of 16 passes for 70 yards, and he fumbled while trying to dive for a first down in overtime.

The Ravens and New England Patriots agreed to a deal yesterday that would send tight end Lovett Purnell to Baltimore in exchange for the Ravens' sixth-round pick in the 1999 draft, the 180th choice overall.Ravens vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome and coach Brian Billick confirmed that the deal was close to being completed, with both teams basically waiting for the league to give final approval. Purnell, 26, has agreed to a one-year offer from the Ravens worth about $500,000.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- At the time, it made little sense: Why would the Ravens trade for Jim Harbaugh, relegating Eric Zeier to the bench, and then sign Zeier to a two-year contract worth $2.6 million?Why would they spend precious salary cap money on a guy they had just layered over?Well, now we know why. Zeier played in the Ravens' season opener against the Steelers last week, and he might play again today against the Jets at the Meadowlands, depending on Harbaugh's sore elbow and injured finger.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- John Elway's latest Super Bowl bid ended yesterday with the Denver quarterback being helped from the interview room in Rich Stadium.Elway had answered reporters' questions for several minutes following the 10-7 loss to Buffalo in the AFC championship game when he winced and doubled over."I'm getting kind of lightheaded," he said. "I think I've got to cut this off."Elway was helped from the podium by two Denver staffers and escorted to the team bus. Later reports said the 31-year-old quarterback was simply worn out following the punishing contest.

Cigars are usually handed out in celebration. New babies, a promotion. When Sonny Jurgensen went searching for Jeff Hostetler at Redskin Park on Monday, he didn't know the handful of cigars he was delivering to the backup quarterback would be viewed a few hours later as a celebratory gesture.But once Jurgensen found out that Hostetler would be finishing the season as Washington's starter in place of Gus Frerotte, who fractured his hip against the St. Louis Rams last week, the old quarterback grinned as if something good might be about to happen.