Backups

If you're an I-95 driver frequently stuck in those long daily backups between Routes 413 and 1, you're probably asking yourself: "Christmas, when is this going to end?" That's when - about Christmas, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The $12.9 million repairing and repaving job was supposed to end for the winter last week. But it had to be extended. Now, the schedule involves construction crews ending work in the southbound lanes late next week, but the northbound lanes north of Route 413 will continue to see crews on a daily basis until Christmas.

The Walt Whitman Bridge may be where it's at for construction workers in this normally lean project season, but not for drivers. Motorists who got stuck in any of the recent traffic jams since last weekend should know that the cause was shifting lane patterns - all part of the four-year, $75 million redecking project for the 39-year-old bridge that connects South Philadelphia with Gloucester City, N.J. There are still available travel lanes...

Well, one team from Pennsylvania got a solid effort out its backups. The Pittsburgh Steelers finished a remarkable 15-1 season by beating the Buffalo Bills, 29-24, yesterday with key efforts from backups such as Willie Parker, Brian St. Pierre and James Harrison. "If there was a team that you could put up as a poster boy for a 53-man roster, it's us," said St. Pierre, the Steelers' third-string quarterback, who was activated off the practice squad Friday. "It's special. " And so are the Steelers, who didn't need Ben Roethlisberger, Jerome Bettis or a host of other starters to win their 14th in a row to match the single-season record set by Miami in 1972.

The 7-7 Eagles, as expected, were not well represented on the NFL's 1994 Pro Bowl squad. Defensive end William Fuller and cornerback Eric Allen were selected as backups for the Feb. 5 game in Honolulu in results announced yesterday. David Alexander was accorded first-alternate status at center, his best finish in the voting in his eight seasons. Herschel Walker was a third alternate at fullback and Randall Cunningham was the NFC's fourth alternate at quarterback. Allen, who has not enjoyed a Pro Bowl season, will make his fifth trip to Hawaii.

Spin just about any kind of worst-case-scenario story for broadcasters who are planning live, anchored coverage from Times Square on New Year's Eve - and nearly every live Y2K welcoming show around the world plans to have at least one person standing by at the Crossroads of the World - and they'll tell you they've got a backup plan. Their concerns? Massive traffic in and around the famed square - or even no vehicular access - all day Friday, Dec. 31. Power failures and computer meltdowns brought on by possible Y2K snafus.

Donovan McNabb put on a spectacular show. Chris Warren played a fine game. Hugh Douglas, Jeremiah Trotter, and Brian Dawkins came through like the big-time players they are. But in what has been a recurrent theme with the Eagles this season, it was the contributions made by the team's lesser stars, backups, and role players that contributed significantly to yesterday's 21-3 victory over Tampa Bay in their NFC wild-card game. No one epitomizes the success the Eagles have achieved via their backup players more than tight end Jeff Thomason, who scored the game's last touchdown on a 2-yard pass from McNabb.

Get him in and get him out quickly and safely. Then get the backups in and give them a chance to play. That was the Eagles' plan last night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Quarterback Donovan McNabb is so important to the Eagles' playoff success that he never even got the chance to throw the football against the Buccaneers. Why risk an injured shoulder in a virtually meaningless game? A pulled groin? Turf toe? Besides, backups Koy Detmer and A. J. Feeley needed some playing time.

The Pro Bowl was pretty good to the Eagles. Running back Ricky Watters and defensive end William Fuller were named as backups for the Feb. 2 game in Honolulu, Hawaii. Wide receiver Irving Fryar, quarterback Ty Detmer and linebacker William Thomas were named as alternates. Fryar thought Watters deserved better than second team. "He should be a starter," said Fryar. Washington's Terry Allen and Detroit's Barry Sanders are the starters at running back. Watters shares the backup role with Arizona fullback Larry Centers.

Maurice Comfort couldn't help feeling a little greedy. "I was planning on scoring more," the Coatesville junior fullback said after his three first-half touchdowns helped the Red Raiders to a 30-8 season- opening win against visiting William Penn (York) on Friday. After his offense sputtered through a dismal first quarter - gaining just 4 yards on three possessions - coach Jack Helm decided to shake things up and put in his backup running backs - Comfort and Ian Johnson, a sophomore tailback.

What do you expect from a popularity contest? That was the response of several Eagles yesterday after hearing who made and who didn't make the Pro Bowl. Defensive end William Fuller and - surprise! - cornerback Eric Allen were selected as backups; you know, as in reserves. It will be the second Pro Bowl for Fuller, who was deserving. He made it in 1991 with the Houston Oilers. It will mark the fifth time that Allen, who admits he hasn't had a good season, will be going to Hawaii.

If Mike Kafka is indeed the Eagles' backup quarterback, odds are he'll start a few games this season. The message boards have been up in arms over this possibility. Despite a small sample of throws, the third-year quarterback continues to fight the perception that he doesn't have an NFL arm. "It depends on who's saying it. You know what I mean?" Kafka said Friday at the NovaCare Complex. "I don't really look that far into it because there's been plenty of great quarterbacks that couldn't throw the ball through a wall if they wanted to. "There's actually a great quote by Joe Montana.

WHAT WILL happen to Tim Tebow now that Denver has signed Peyton Manning? There are no shortage of scenarios. Yesterday, John Elway, the Broncos executive vice president, said the team will consider trading Tebow. "It is a possibility," Elway said, "and he knows that's a possibility. " There are, reportedly, up to five teams interested in acquiring Tebow. The Eagles aren't one of them, but Tony Dungy thinks they should be. Dungy, a former NFL coach and pro football analyst for NBC, played a large role in bringing Michael Vick to the Eagles.

Just in time for the new iPhone 4s comes the Third Rail auxiliary battery system , an ingenious way to repower your iPhone while providing an additional backup battery at the same time. The system includes a protective iPhone case with a built-in iPhone charging port, into which you slide the phone, and a battery that snaps onto the case and charges via an included USB cable. Additional Third Rail batteries (sold separately), can be piggybacked on top of the first battery, building a big brick of charge power.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - It won't go down as an artistic success, but Vince Young did enough to manage the Eagles offense during his first start at quarterback in a year. And despite an uneven performance that started poorly but got progressively better, Young guided the Eagles to Sunday's 17-10 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Young was replacing Michael Vick, out with two broken ribs. For the game, Young completed 23 of 36 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Jhonas Enroth recorded his first shutout of the season by making 34 stops to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 1-0 win over the reeling Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday. Jason Pominville had the game's lone goal. Enroth is filling in for Ryan Miller as the Sabres' top goaltender recovers from a concussion suffered Nov. 12 against Boston. It was the second career shutout for the Sabres' second-round draft pick in 2006. Carolina has lost seven of its last eight games, prompting speculation about the job security of coach Paul Maurice.

MILWAUKEE - A backup catcher's job is one that is difficult to measure with statistics, particularly when a team has an established starter like the Phillies do in Carlos Ruiz. His No. 1 job is to make the pitching staff feel comfortable on the rare occasions he starts. Any offense he brings to the table is a bonus. At least that is the way the Phillies feel, and they feel strongly enough about the veteran stability Brian Schneider brought over the last two seasons that they are on the verge of bringing him back for at least one more campaign.

With Malvern Prep quarterback Tom Rumer injured on the field in the fourth quarter of a tied game, junior backup Bill Ford didn't have a lot of time to think. "First I was wondering if he was going to be ready to go back in," Ford said. "Then my coach was screaming in my ear to get snaps, so I did. I was trying to calm myself down because I was a little pumped up. " Ford gained his composure in time to lead the Friars down the field for the go-ahead field goal, enabling host Malvern Prep to edge Haverford School, 17-14, on Saturday in an Inter-Ac League game.

Evening rush-hour traffic is moving slowly off the Walt Whitman Bridge onto Route 76 in New Jersey due to a backup created by a multi-car accident on southbound Route 42 in Deptford, according to the Delaware River Port Authority and State Police. A dump truck overturned and spilled gravel on Route 42 between exits 12 and 13 around 3 p.m., according to State Police Lt. Stephen Jones. At least four vehicles were involved. Drivers suffered minor to moderate injuries, he said. All lanes are open, State Police said shortly before 5:30 p.m. Police are gathering details on the accident.

The Eagles traded out-of-favor running back Ronnie Brown to the Lions on Tuesday for running back Jerome Harrison and a 2013 draft pick. The pick is a seventh-rounder, according to a league source. The deal, completed just before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, amounts to a swap of backups who have been unproductive so far in 2011. Brown, 29, was one of several big-name free agents who arrived in the heat of a summer spending spree, but his most notable contribution was a terrible lost fumble against San Francisco.

Molly Doyle was in goal when Council Rock North opened the field hockey season with a big, 4-3 win over defending District 1 Class AAA champion Wissahickon, but when her doctor said she was not recovering sufficiently from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, he ordered her to stop playing. So North coach Heather Whalin needed a goalie. With her junior-varsity goalies relatively inexperienced, Whalin decided to turn to Katie O'Neill, a field player, and the team's first sub off the bench.