So when they trot out Thursday night at Cincinnati, the Indianapolis Colts' backup quarterbacks know this game matters.
''You're always trying to be sharp,'' Tolzien said. ''The way I look at it, it's another opportunity to go play in a football game.''
On this team, those chances usually have been rare.
From 1998 through 2010, Peyton Manning started every meaningful game the Colts played. Then after drafting Andrew Luck with the top overall pick in 2012, Indy plugged the rookie into the starting lineup and he started every meaningful game for the next three-plus seasons.