Second String is a direct-to-TV film from 2002 about the Buffalo Bills football team who find its first string (led by real-life Bills quarterback Doug Flutie, who had left the team by the time the film was released) out for a month after a food poisoning incident, leading the team's head coach, "Chuck Dichter" (portrayed by Jon Voight), to hire an insurance salesman and former college quarterback named Dan Heller (played by Gil Bellows) as the team's backup quarterback. Teri Polo also appeared as Heller's wife; Flutie, Mike Ditka, Chris Berman, Van Miller, Bills cornerback Donovan Greer and Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson appear as themselves. The film originally aired on TNT.

When the Buffalo Bills enter the playoffs Coach Chuck Dichter feels that his team has the advantage. The only way he sees that they could be vulnerable against the San Diego Chargers, in the first round, would be if they allowed the deep ball. So to practice defending against the deep ball, and not tire out the incumbent quarterbacks, Dichter has the general manager sign a free agent QB to just throw deep in practice. The GM signs Dan Heller. Heller, working as an insurance salesman, comes home from work and his wife, Connie, tells him that the Bills gm has given him a chance. He's reluctant to come to Buffalo as he and Chuck have a hostile past from their days in Philadelphia. Connie convinces him to come anyway. It's a free vacation and an opportunity to visit their friends Buffalo Bills wide receiver Jerry Fullerton and his wife, Larissa. And if nothing comes to fruition they come home and stick Chuck with the airfare.

Dicther immediately shows his disdain for Heller. He even gets him a San Diego Chargers jersey for Practice instead of the usual red shirt that the quarterbacks wear. He also encourages the practice blitz not to brake before hitting the QB, which is usually football practice etiquette as A football team would never want to injure a quarterback in practice.

The starting offenseive squad is invited to a special dinner, but they get food poisoning from oysters. The doctor informs the Bills coach that these players will not be available for several weeks as it will take that long for their bloodstream to absorb the poison. They will not be able to perform in any activity until the poison passes through their system.

This means that Dan Heller will be the starting quarterback in the first round of the playoffs. That's not the only problem though. The entire offense is second fiddle. Two of the linemen are solid and would be starters on most teams. Wide Receiver, Jerry Fullerton, would also be a starter on most teams. However, one lineman is extremely slow. Although a good athlete, The 6 foot 3, 300 plus pounder is as sensitive as a grade school child. Worse yet he does not understand the playbook and confesses to Heller that his high school and college quarterback gave him the run down before each individual play. He even followed his high school quarterback to the same college Just so the play would be spoon fed to him. Randy Johnson [no relation to the baseball player] is a good blocking Tight End, but rarely is targeted for a pass. Curtis Hooks is a Good blocking full back but not usually used carry the ball. Next we have Lenny Voyals. Voyals rarely sees the field as he is known for his fumbling. His fumble prone ways cost his college team a bowl game. It's somewhat of a miracle he still got drafted to the NFL. The defense is solid though. The stalwart defense holds the San Diego Chargers to a single field goal. At the last minute the defenseive captain, safety, Jack Mumms, who also returns punts, brings one in for a touchdown and a shocking Bills win. Offensive line man Earnie Weathers is furious--Because he came to Buffalo for a chance for a winner, but was bumped when a rookie had a outstanding training camp. At this point he would like his season to just be over. And now because of a fluke punt return he's faced with another nationally televised game. With a new week on the horizon, the Bills have an opportunity to sign one more free agent. They have their eye on 3 time Super Bowl winner, Tommy Baker. Baker's agent is not willing to let him sign. He sees this as a trainwreck and figures that will destroy Baker's possibilities of getting a long-term contract. After negotiation and no agreement, talks pause. Baker's agent had no intention of making an agreement unless the Bills by some miracle defeat the Miami Dolphins. But they would have to do so without the services of Baker.

Dan Heller works with various players to try to get them prepared for the game. He has Voyals carry a football, And he must pay twenty dollars to their party fund if anybody knocks the ball out of his hands. The players do it several times. Curtis Hooks runs through a cemetery crashing into a headstone and bruises his shoulder. But that proves to be good practice. The name on the headstone is Florence Stampkowski. Hooks indicates that none of The Dolphins will hit him as hard as that woman.

The game against the Dolphins predictably starts out poorly. Miami gets on the board early and with vigor. Dichter, already ready to surrender, orders Heller to kneel on the ball twice to run out the first half. Instead, in the huddle, he switches the plan. Heller sends the Tight End, Johnson, deep and fires him a touchdown pass to put the Bills on the board. Followed by the 2 point conversion to Fullerton, the Bills are in business. On the way to the locker room for the halftime break, Dichter approaches Heller and screams at him--demanding that if he does anything other than what he's told, he will be benched. The 2 argue. Both men bring up their differences over the years--with Heller saying that Chuck never let him live up to what he knows how to do Which is win games. Heller also says that the coach ruined him in Philadelphia. Dichter replies with, " You weren't any good in Philly and you certainly aren't any good now!" Dichter also mentioned that they had traded up in Philadelphia to draft Heller by giving up on Junior Seau and Emmett Smith. Heller says that he's heard about that, "50-thousand times on tv." Heller then doubles down that he knows how to win if he is allowed to use his methods. He also points out that Chuck is a defenseive minded coach and doesn't understand offense as well as he thinks he does.

The coach accepts his challenge and says "if you can win games, fine! You have half a game of football left, then win this one!"   

The Bills take over in the second half. With a few trick plays and some long passes they draw within five points. Using the appearance of a botched snap, Heller gets away from center where the ball is snapped directly to Curtis Hooks who runs in for the touchdown and wins the game. The Buffalo Bills have won the AFC championship and will advance to the Super Bowl. In the locker room, Heller reminds the team that they still have the most important game left, and they must stay unfulfilled. When the Hellers and the Fullertons return to the Fullerton home after dinner, Chuck Dichter is standing in the front yard waiting for Heller. The Fullertons and Connie excuse themselves at Chuck's request so that he can talk to Dan. The coach praises the quarterback that he played a fantastic game. However it's not what he would like to see every Sunday. He also confesses that he had never wanted to draft Dan in Philadelphia. Chuck admits that he should have fought the owners harder on that decision. He further concedes that a lot of the things Dan said at halftime were true. Chuck recognizes that perhaps with a different system, and a different coach on another team Dan might have been all right. But they were doomed from the beginning. The quarterback is adliber and a bomber. The coach is a conservative control freak. "A square peg in a round hole if there ever was one." Dichter summarizes.

However, in spite of this fantastic game, The team signed Tommy Baker and will be starting him in the Super Bowl. The coach feels that he owed Dan the respect of telling him in person and not having Dan or his wife hear about it on television.   Chuck apologizes for the rocky history  between the two and even agrees that this is not a fair outcome.   "Dan, I love football the game. It's a greatest game ever invented. But the business end of things?  you can keep that!"

Dan's wife Connie is livid Not only by her husband being replaced but by his cavalier attitude. He explains that away by just letting her know that is the business and the job is not up for grabs. Baker is appalled by how much this offence lacks talent. However, in his contempt for the personnel on this team, He is also not approachable for any advice. Due to poor blocking and poor hands of Voyles The Bills fall behind and Baker is sacked multiple times. Baker has a lot of criticism for the team, but he also does not play like a star. After a shouting match among players and Baker, Heller urges Chuck to put him in. "Put me in Chuck and we will win this game." The coach reluctantly accepts when he sees the reaction of the players. Baker begins to make a scene but is head-butted by a line man Known as 'Big Daddy.' The Bills come back though After a quick pep talk from Heller, Leonard Voyles even catches a pass. After bobbling it for several yards before finding the handle, Lenny runs it in for a touchdown. He did not want to be passed the ball because he knows he has terrible hands. When Heller asks him how many catches he has this year? He answers "zero!" Heller also pointed out that, "if I know that The vikings also know that and would not expect a passing play". Several more unorthodox plays drive Chuck crazy. But he is happy to see his team coming back. Trailing by 2 points late in the game, The Bills get the ball back--thanks to a field goal attempt block by Jack Mumms. During the time-out Heller explains that the sidelines are being covered Very carefully by the Vikings defense. To everyone's surprise, Coach Chuck suggests the risky idea of passing up the middle getting to the other side of the 50 yard line and burning their last time out. The sure-handed Jerry Fullerton makes the catch and gets within field goal range but is tackled with just seconds left. The kicking has been up to Tight End Johnson who has not yet successfully made a kick. Bills real life play-by-play announcer, Van Miller says, "the Bills are in field goal range for MOST kickers." Heller comes out of discussion with Dichter saying that the coach has instructed them to kick. When Johnson runs up to the ball to kick, Heller pulls it back the way Lucy does to Charlie Brown and runs with the ball. He gets almost to the endzone when it's clear he's going to get tackled before he crosses the plane. Heller tosses the ball in a desperation lateral and lineman Ernie Weathers catches it And runs it in for the last few steps scoring a touchdown and winning the Super Bowl. During the celebration it becomes apparent that the trick play was in fact Chuck's idea But Heller kept it between them until after the play was executed. Perhaps a little bit of surprise element rubbed off on the coach.

See also

• List of American football films

References

External links

• Speier, Michael (December 16, 2002). "Second String". Variety.com. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
• Jicha, Tom (December 18, 2002). "Second String should never get off the bench". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved April 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
• Horiuchi, Vince (December 18, 2002). "'Second String' No Christmas Movie, But It's a Lot Better Than It Sounds". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved April 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
• Finder, Chuck (December 16, 2002). "The Big Picture: Movie imitates Maddox's life". Post-Gazette.com. Retrieved April 6, 2020.