"Behind the Star" The History of Back-up Quarterbacks The Dallas Cowboys (1960 – 2017)

The 2016 NFL postseason will be largely defined by quarterbacks who began the year as backups. Connor Cook, Matt Moore, and Dak Prescott will attempt to become part of a rare group of quarterbacks to lead their team to a Super Bowl after replacing an injured starter.
There are a number of variables to consider when examining the performance of backups in the NFL, including the talent of the player, the quality of the team around him, and the amount of time he has had to adjust to his role. Nevertheless, aside from the few aforementioned exceptions.

There are just a few instances in NFL history of a quarterback replacing an injured starter and leading his team to a Playoff or Super Bowl victory. The two quarterbacks to join the list did so in legendary fashion, and their stories should be familiar: Kurt Warner in 1999 and Tom Brady in 2001.
The Cowboys turned to the examples of Brady and Warner for inspiration the moment they lost Tony Romo to injury in August.