quarterback vs take the reins

quarterback

verb
  • To lead a team or group; to be primarily responsible for some group project or activity. 

  • To play the position of quarterback. 

noun
  • An offensive back who receives the snap (hike) and then blocks the defense from crossing the line of scrimmage; a blocking back. 

  • An offensive back whose primary job is to pass the ball in a play. 

  • A position just behind the forwards, or one who plays this position. 

take the reins

verb
  • Synonym of take control. 

How often have the words quarterback and take the reins occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )