National Football League

Count on Collins to be ready; Former Skins mate lauds QB's ability to step up in pinch

Published Oct. 13, 2010 2:18 a.m. ET

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Todd Collins prepared as if he were going to start for a decade before finally getting his chance in 2007, and it was the discipline and work ethic that he showed during that span that gave his teammates supreme confidence in him when he finally stepped into the huddle.

''A lot of guys have respect for him because we knew we could count on him if he ever got in the game,'' former Redskins tight end Todd Yoder said.

''We trusted him because he was prepared, so when he did get in the game there was no lack of confidence or feeling of, 'Oh [expletive], here comes the backup.' It was more like, 'Let's see what he can do.' ''

''One of his first passes, he threw a 30-yard touchdown and things started rolling and popping and it was like we never missed a beat. Guys start rallying around him because of that.''

Actually, it was a 20-yard touchdown pass that Collins completed to Yoder in 2007 in what became a 24-16 win over the Bears, ironically enough. Collins led the Redskins to three more victories and a wild-card berth.

The Bears hope Collins can duplicate that success when he fills in for concussed starter Jay Cutler on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C.

''The thing that has kept Todd in the league as a backup for so long is he's always prepared,'' Yoder said. ''Mentally, he's one of the sharpest quarterbacks I've been around as far as knowing the game plan and knowing the system he's in. He was able to step right in and just go to work like he'd never missed any time at all, which was amazing given how long it had been since he started.''

His new Bears teammates haven't had a chance to get to know Collins the way Yoder did when they were both in Washington. Listening to Yoder talk about the 16-year veteran, who signed with the Bears during the preseason, makes it easier to understand why coach Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator Mike Martz chose the veteran over Caleb Hanie, who has completed six passes in his NFL career.

''Quarterback is the most demanding position in football as far as the amount of mental preparation, film preparation, amount of time those guys spend working on play calls, hand signals and all the different stuff they have to learn and practice week in and week out,'' Yoder said. ''He's one of those guys who just gets it. He naturally gets it.''

Something else the Bears might not know about Collins is he probably already is working on impersonations of Smith and Martz.

''He's really dry and sarcastic,'' Yoder said. ''Some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth is really comical.

''You can't help but laugh. Some of the impressions he used to do of our coaches were hysterical. Most guys would never know that because he never acts like that out of his inner circle.''

Comment at suntimes.com.

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