Was Earl Morrall the greatest backup quarterback ever in the league?

And who was King Hill and Rick Arrington?

Morrall undoubtedly was the best or among the elite in the role with the Colts and the Dolphins. He was the “super sub” who easily stepped into the lineup behind Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese respectively, helping the Colts to a Super Bowl, and the Dolphins to their undefeated run in 1972 and two titles.

Back in yesterday’s game, as well as today’s, the backup quarterback continues to play a vital role for every team. Just ask the Dolphins, who are looking for a suitable replacement for Tua Tagliavola, whose latest concussion may have cost him his career.

In this week’s version of my Inside the Huddle column — reviewing the present and past state of the Eagles, Giants and Jets and the league as well as Notre Dame football — I’ll look at the role of former NFL notable backups and some Eagles’ No. 2s.

Age Isn’t A Number ... Morrall usually is viewed for his days with the Colts, and Dolphins, but he had a stellar 21-year career that began in San Francisco in 1956 and ended in Miami at age 42 in 1976. His other stops were with the Steelers, Lions, and Giants.

I’ll always remember him for his crew cut and No. 15, yet Morrall had a banner year for an injured Unitas in 1968 when he threw for a season-high 2,909 yards and a league-high 26 touchdowns. Morrall threw for 22 touchdowns in leading the Giants to a 7-7 mark in 1965.

Morrall has the propensity to throw interceptions (161 touchdowns, 148 interceptions), but he was part of the game’s fabric.

If you remember Morrall, you will remember the legendary Raider (yes, Oakland) George Blanda, who played to age 48 (yes, 48, which we didn’t think about when we watched him). Blanda began his career with the Bears in 1949 and ended with the Raiders in 1975, ironically a year before Morrall.

Blanda was the ultimate football utility-man, as he converted 335 of 641 field goal attempts and 943 of 959 extra-point attempts as a kicker.

We all remember Zeke Bartkowski just for his name alone, and his association as Bart Starr’s backup on the Packers’ Super Bowl teams.

Bartkowski began his career with the Bears in 1954, and had a brief stop with the Rams before his Packers’ days.

In 1954 with the Bears, Blanda was the starter, and Bartkowski was the backup.

Sonny, George, Rick, Mike, and the Rest: As far as the Eagles, I went back to the Eagles’ NFL Championship when Sonny Jurgenson was their backup behind Norm Van Brocklin. Jurgenson was the Birds’ backup from 1957, and he later was still a viable reliever behind Billy Kilmer in Washington. He certainly had the talent to be among the league’s best at the time.

Beyond Jurgenson, some of the other Eagles’ backups in the 60s and early 70s were George Mira, King Hill and Benji Dial (tell me how many of you remember him?).

Hill had a primarily eight-year run in the role, and Arrington had a three-year stay in the early 70s.

In the early 70s, Mike Boryla was a starter and reliever, and John Walton was a backup in the Dick Vermeil days.

Some of the Birds’ backups and part-time starters you may easily remember were Ty Detmer, Koy Detmer, Bobby Hoying, Rodney Peete, Michael Vick, Jim McMahon, Jeff Garcia, Kevin Kolb, Gardner Minshew, and of course, Super Bowl savior Nick Foles. There also was Mike McMahon, who didn’t thrive in the role.

Peete won a playoff game in 1995, and Garcia nearly won a playoff game after leading the team to the NFC East title. Vick stepped in for an injured Kolb in 2010 and led the team to 20 wins and a playoff bid.

Down Memory Lane ... When you recall of the more memorable league part-time tossers (and sometime starters) were Minnesota’s Bob Lee, Detroit’s Bill Munson, Kansas City’s Mike Livingston, Giants’ Craig Morton, Pittsburgh’s Terry Hanratty and Joe Gilliam, Jets’ Al Woodall, Cincinnati’s Virgil Carter, and Miami’s Don Strock to name a few.

Top of the List: After Week Two, here are my top five teams:

1. Chiefs- They pulled it out again over the Bengals, and answered any questions about their receivers.

2. 49ers - A tough loss last week, but they’re still among the elite.

3. Bills - Josh Allen could have an MVP year.

4. Eagles - Both offense and defense need to raise their levels.

5. Texans - They may be the surprise of the season.

Bottom Five: Here’s how I see the league’s bottom five teams: (worst is first)

1. Panthers - Carolina has been downed a combined 55-3 at halftime so far.

2. Giants - Daniel Jones looked good, but overall, they look bad.

3. Titans - They should have beat the Jets, but couldn’t put it together

4. Broncos - Need an influx of the old “Orange Crush” to get going.

5. Commanders - A win hasn’t changed the complexion much.

Matriculating Down The Field ... Each week, I’ll briefly reflect on a former player, game or situation from our NFL days.

Unlike Monday night, The Eagles and Falcons met on Monday Night Football on Oct. 5, 1981 with the Eagles pulling out a 16-13 victory to remain undefeated at 5-0.

Tony Franklin booted three field goals, and Ron Jaworski connected with Charlie Smith on a 30-yard touchdown pass for the lone score.

Atlanta’s Steve Bartkowski threw for 242 yards, but was intercepted by Reggie Wilkes and Al Chesley.

Golden Dome Gallery ... Each week, I’ll recall a former Notre Dame game against one of its recent opponents.

The Fightin’ Irish bounced back from a major upset by Northern Illinois and throttled Purdue, 66-7. In the long-running series between the two, the Fighting Irish lead the matchup, 58-26-2 that dates back to 1950.

Back in 1971, Notre Dame downed Purdue in the “Genuflect Game.”

Notre Dame was trailing 6-0 late when Clarence Ellis hit Boilermakers’ punter Scott Loughead inside the 5-yard line and jarred the ball loose. Notre Dame’s Fred Swendren fell on the ball in the end zone to tie the game.

Then Irish quarterback Pat Steenberge hit Lou Creaney with the winning two-point conversion when he faked a block and dropped to one knee — or the genuflect — to make the catch for an 8-7 victory.

Don’t Bet The House ... In last week’s opening-game selections, I went 1-3 with the Eagles, Jets and Giants, succeeding only with Jets.

This week, I like the Jets (-6.5) over the Patriots (Jets 30-17), the Eagles (-2.5) edging the Saints (20-14), and the Giants (+6.5) staying close to the Browns (Cleveland, 17-14).

Best bet ... Bengals (-7.5) over the Commanders. Cincinnati (0-2) will put it together at home.

Your Thoughts ... I’d like to hear some of your stories about Eagles’ backups and your football memories. Email me at tnsports@ tnoline.com