By: Jake Rajala

The Indianapolis Colts and their unearthly quarterback-running back duo were expected to steamroll the Houston Texans in Week 1. Well, it was safe to say that the Houston Texans and their Rudy-like attitude came to play against the Colts. The Texans tied the Colts by a score of 20-20. I believe the Texans ultimately won the day. With that said, I’m going to untwine five takeaways from the Colts-Texans showdown.

• Jonathan Taylor

If it wasn’t for a Hulk-like performance from Jonathan Taylor, the Houston Texans would have surely won the AFC South battle. JT ousted an incredible 161 rushing yards and a touchdown (as shown above). It was clear that Frank Reich wanted to defeat the Texans by a thousand cuts with Taylor leading the charge.

• Kwity Paye

The Colts did witness growth from second-year edge rusher Kwity Paye — which brought a smile to a lot of Colts fans. After having four sacks a season ago, Paye flexed two sacks on the day (which both arrived in OT). He may be on his way to garnering his first Pro Bowl nod.

• Alec Pierce

The Colts rookie wideout, Alec Pierce, was essentially MIA in the Week 1 showdown. Pierce had a whopping zero catches in his rookie debut. He was widely dubbed as a darkhorse OROY candidate entering 2022, but he still hasn’t quite got in sync with Matty Ice.

• Davis Mills

Davis Mills didn’t play like a vintage Tom Brady, but he was definitely efficient in the Week 1 showdown. Mills had 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and most importantly: a 98.9 passer rating. The second-year QB is off to a superb start in the frigid AFC South.

• Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan didn’t exactly look like the next Johnny Unitas in Week 1. Ryan had 1 TD to 1 interception and he also botched numerous snaps. I (and countless others) felt quite confident that Ryan would mop the floor against the Texans with his new Colts squad. Let’s hope that Ryan can quickly improve his chemistry with his toys moving forward. Perhaps the Colts will also sign OBJ?

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By: Andy Davies

The AFC South has been won by the Tennessee Titans, but the addition of Matt Ryan by the Indianapolis Colts and the loss of A.J. Brown for the Titans means the division is as usual, very wide open.

Since 2013, all four teams in the AFC South have won the division. However, who has the best quarterback?

In our final quarterback ranking list, here are your AFC South quarterback rankings.

1. Matt Ryan (Indianapolis Colts)

The only MVP winner in this list, Ryan joined the Colts this offseason after over ten years with the Atlanta Falcons.

In 2021, he still managed to throw for 3,968 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.  Unless injury strikes, Ryan will reach the 60,000 career passing yards mark, currently being 265 away. Only seven players have previously reached the 60,000 mark and Ryan , who is currently eighth on the list for most career passing yards, can eclipse Phillip Rivers into sixth place on the list should he throw at least 3,705 yards or more.

A really good season, where he throws at least 33 touchdowns will also allow Ryan to reach 400 career passing touchdowns. He would become just the eighth player in NFL history to reach the 60,000

Whilst he showed signs of ageing last season, he still makes it as the best quarterback in this list, in what is a bad bunch.

2. Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans)

Tannehill was an eighth overall pick in 2013, when he was selected by the Miami Dolphins. However, injuries and inconsistent play (as well as bad coaching) saw him eventually traded to the Titans in 2018.

He came in for Marcus Mariota mid-season and ended up winning Comeback Player of the Year. Over the course of his career, he has thrown for over 30,000 passing yards, 199 touchdowns and 102 interceptions. Despite this, he has shown signs of decline in the past twelve months. 

In 2021, he threw for 3,734 touchdowns, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. This is a stark contrast to the 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions he threw in 2022.

His position as the Titans’ starter is also in question, with the team choosing to draft Liberty QB Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He showed his potential in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, completing 6 of his 11 passes for 107 yards  as well as a 7-yard touchdown run.

Tannehill has proved to be a good quarterback for Tennessee, excelling in particular when using RPO plays. However, he has yet to prove he can be the guy to take the Titans to the next level. 

This was proved in their Divisional Round when the number one seed Titans lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, despite Joe Burrow being sacked nine times. Tannehill threw three costly interceptions, and his future has been questioned ever since.

Despite having running back Derrick Henry and a brilliant head coach in Mike Vrabel, the loss of A.J. Brown could end up being the final nail in the Ryan Tannehill Titans coffin.

3. Davis Mills (Houston Texans)

Houston could be a realistic destination for Tannehill should the team decide they don’t want to pursue long term with their current starter Davis Mills. 

Mills was drafted 67^th overall out of Stanford and actually had a solid first NFL season in 2021. He was arguably the second-best rookie quarterback in a class that albeit did not exactly light up the league. In 13 games, he threw for 2,665 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. 

These are neither outstanding nor terrible stats. He did a solid job in a season of turmoil, with everything that went on off the field. 

Solid is exactly why Mills is third on this list. He wasn’t terrible but also hasn’t quite done enough to break into the top two.

4. Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars)

The 2021 first overall pick had a torrid rookie year but is now free from a dysfunctional Urban Meyer. He threw for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions.

However, he can no longer use the Meyer excuse with new head coach Doug Pederson. Should Lawrence have another bad year, there will be more and more usage of the word “bust”. 

Right now, it is hard to put him anywhere but the bottom of this list. Despite this, should he fulfill the potential that we all saw in Clemson, then he will certainly be a lot higher than fourth.

The post Ranking the AFC South Quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Houston Texans brought in the defensive sage Lovie Smith to be the new head coach this off-season. Smith, who was once the youngest head coach in the league, is currently 64 and tasked with leading a young, flawed team in Houston. Smith may not have a sexy roster, but he is familiar with designing a successful team from scratch. Smith had a porous 5-11 record in 2004, but he really elevated the team to an NFC Championship appearance in 2006.

The bearded figure was with CHI from 2004 until 2012. He was questionably fired from the Bears after a 10-6 record in 2012. He had a very short stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 and 2015, but he wasn’t deemed the best fit for the team that wanted to draft a quarterback first overall in the 2015 draft.

He would transition to the college ranks, as he became the Illinois head coach from 2016 until 2020. He was hired as the defensive coordinator of the Texans in 2021 and then ultimately given the keys as the new ring leader in 2022. With that said, the question is: is Smith really the answer for the Texans long-term?

I firmly believe Smith will need to have success, lots of energy, and growth from Davis Mills if he aims on being the long-term answer in Houston. The Detroit Lions may have retained Dan Campbell after a 3-13-1 record, but the Texans were not satisfied with David Culley leading the Texans to a 4-13-1 record in 2021. It would seem like Nick Caserio and the Texans will expect Smith to have more wins than last season. With that said, It will still unequivocally be a serious challenge for the Texans to have 5+ wins in 2022. Pro Football Focus ranked the Texans as the worst roster entering the 2022 season.

I believe Smith will certainly need to have around five wins next season, but I expect the Texans to mainly gauge Smith’s value off of the growth of Mills and the improvement on defense. It would be hard to ignore the fit with Smith if Mills can develop nicely without a young, offensive-minded HC, while his defense that ranked 31st in yards allowed per game last season improves in 2022. Mills will be able to rely on Brandin Cooks to terrorize opposing defenses in premature years — as Cooks inked a two-year contract extension worth $40 million dollars.

The Texans defense doesn’t exactly have a ton of talent, but they do have a shiny rookie in Derek Stingley Jr. Smith will do everything in his power to ensure the former LSU DB is a DROY-candidate next season. The Texans will certainly have growing pains, but Smith will block out the noise and strive to beat each opponent by a thousand cuts. Smith might be in a tough situation on a short deal, but he can absolutely turn heads with his young QB, potentially score an upset against the Matt Ryan-led Indianapolis Colts, and turn around a struggling franchise for the second time in his career.

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By: Jake Rajala

The AFC South may have the most complex group of quarterbacks in the league. With that said, I’m going to simply rank the AFC South quarterback bunch and untwine the outlook for each mysterious AFC South signal-caller.

Matt Ryan

The former Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan is unequivocally the top QB in the AFC South. Ryan has averaged 4,338 passing yards per season over the last three seasons. Aaron Rodgers lost his best friend in Davante Adams, while the veteran Ryan gained Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr, and Alec Pierce. The former NFC Champion honestly has a strong chance to return to the Super Bowl in the near future in my opinion. Ryan is also 37 years old, so he could absolutely play for 4-5 more seasons.

Trevor Lawrence

I really believe the 22-year-old Trevor Lawrence will have a monster sophomore season. Lawrence will have a wiser head coach in Doug Pederson — who won a Super Bowl trophy with Nick Foles. T-Lawrence will also have Christian Kirk, who ousted career numbers in receptions (77), yards (982), and catch rate (74.8) in 2021. He will also have the underrated Evan Engram — as Pederson will look to utilize in a similar way that he incorporated Zach Ertz. Last but not least, Lawrence will enjoy witnessing a healthy Travis Etienne exploit defenses. To be honest – Lawrence could edge out Ryan in passing yards and/or passing touchdowns, but I feel like Ryan will be more efficient and likely have more victories than Lawrence in 2022.

Ryan Tannehill

It may be very hard for Ryan Tannehill to return to Pro Bowl form in 2022 — as he won’t have A.J. Brown and a potentially Top-3 performance from Derrick Henry. Yet, he still should make occasional magic happen with Robert Woods — as the former Rams WR averaged 1,096 yards a season from 2018 to 2020. Furthermore, I expect him to take care of the football and have more success than Davis Mills (who is in a worse situation).

Davis Mills

The Houston Texans second-year quarterback Davis Mills was one of the biggest surprises last season. Mills only had two wins, but he certainly stood out amid the rookie QB class. He had a 66.8 completion percentage and 16 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in 11 games. It may be quite difficult for him to keep pace with fellow AFC South and AFC teams, but I trust that the Mills-Brandin Cooks connection will be electric in 2022.

The post Ranking the AFC South quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The NFL is very entertaining largely because there are special stories of breakout players and surprising game outcomes. In particular, there have been utterly impressive QB introductions to the NFL. Tom Brady clearly has the biggest Cinderella story in the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick from the University of Michigan. The NFL has witnessed many other QB surprises in recent memory like Mac Jones (15th overall), Lamar Jackson (32nd overall), and Patrick Mahomes (10th overall).

With that enunciated, I’m going to outline several quarterbacks that will turn heads and take the next step in 2022. Let’s begin.

• Mitchell Trubisky

I am a big fan of the former Nickelodeon champion Mitchell Trubisky heading into the 2022 season. Trubisky displayed growth with CHI in 2020, as he unveiled a 6-3 record and led his team late in the season to a playoff berth. Unfortunately, the silly mistakes by the young QB amid a “playoff team that needed Pro Bowl QB talent” didn’t allow him to retain a job after the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to make the playoffs with the 2021 version of Ben Roethlisberger and I believe Trubisky can be more than adequate to lead PIT back to the post-season. The QB that catches a lot of heat for being drafted over Patrick Mahomes will have Najee Harris, Chase Claypool, and Diontae Johnson to help him return to Pro Bowl form in 2022.

• Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence is out of Urban Alcatraz Meyer island and he will also have a couple of new toys to help him succeed in 2022. I am not completely bought into the charisma of Lawrence, but he will have better weaponry (a healthy Travis Etienne, Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Zay Jones) and a more prepared HC in Doug Pederson. The Jags also inked the elite OG/OT Brandon Scherff to help protect the prized QB.

Jameis Winston and Matthew Stafford were both former first overall picks that had personal-best seasons in 2021. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the 2021 first overall pick Lawrence has a monster turnaround in the near future.

• Davis Mills

The Houston Texans QB Davis Mills had a quality rookie campaign in a brutal situation. Mills is still in a not so sexy situation, but he will have Laremy Tunsil and the underrated Brandin Cooks still in his offense moving forward. The Texans have shown trust in their QB that threw 16 touchdowns and 2,664 yards in 11 games last season.

Mills should also expect help at the WR position via pick 3 or pick 13th in the 2022 NFL draft. The former third-round pick can really rise up with a WR like Chris Olave or Jameson Willaims in his offense.

• Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones is literally the cat with nine lives, as he keeps getting opportunities to prove his value. I don’t love Danny Dimes’s ceiling, but there are lots of reasons to believe he unleashes a career season in 2022. He has the rubber-like WR Kadarius Toney (who missed 7 games last season) and the highly motivated Saquon Barkley to help him be efficient. The elite, 25-year-old RB has stated that he feels like he has a lot to prove, as well.

Most importantly, the Giants are really focused on improving the OL for the Giants QB-RB tandem. They’ve signed Jon Feliciano and Mark Glowinski (both potential starters) and it would be ideal if they draft 1 or 2 stud OL. The former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll should honestly be a massive upgrade at the HC position from Joe “run a lap” Judge, too.

• Trey Lance

The game manager Jimmy Garoppolo is MIA for OTAs (as expected) and the San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance has the golden ticket in the Bay Area. Lance had a 1-1 record, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and 168 rushing yards in his rookie season. He will likely miss his disgruntled Deebo Samuel, but he will still have a few elite pieces in his o-unit and the genius Kyle Shanahan calling the shots.

Lance will still have 28-year-old George Kittle, third-year WR Brandon Aiyuk, superb RB Elijah Mitchell, and the fearless LT Trent Williams. Lance had the classic apprentice role as a rookie, but expect the “special athlete and in-sync QB” to be a Pro Bowl-caliber QB in 2022.

• Tua Tagovailoa

The Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is really built to succeed at this point in time. Tagovailoa will have an ambitious, smart coach in former Kyle Shanan disciple Mike McDaniels brewing together creative play designs. He will not only have a new weapon in Tyreek Hill to make special plays with the ball after the catch, but he will also have the elite LT Terron Armstead. The former Pro Bowl Saints LT will help a Dolphins OL that allowed the 13th most sacks in 2021.

Tagovailoa has an incredible floor, but he could also pad on his stats with the electric WR duo of Jaylen Waddle and Hill against weak opponents. The AFC East should have at least a few fantastic signal-callers for many years to come.

• Justin Fields

I believe Justin Fields is the perfect cherry on top of this breakout QB list. Similar to T-Lawrence, Fields will have a more wise HC and he should really hit the ground running with his new leader in Matt Eberflus. The NFL world witnessed Nick Fole’s Field’s magic with his legs (420 rushing yds), but he should finally put it all together in year two. Fields and his RB David Montgomery should benefit from better pass protection via the NFL draft.

The veteran Allen Robison may be gone to LA, but WR Darnell Mooney has really burst onto the scene (1,055 yards in 2021). The TE Cole Kmet is also a diamond in the rough, as he notched 60 receptions for 612 yards at 22 years old in 2021. The presence of the 35 year old TE Jimmy Graham will not be missed with Kmet in the building.

The post Best breakout QB candidates in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Houston Texans closed the door on the possibility of trading Brandin Cooks by awarding him a contract extension. The 28-year-old Texans wideout was spectacular with average QB production in 2021. The former Saints first-round pick reeled in a career-high 90 receptions (from a career-high 134 targets), 1,037 yards, and six touchdowns.

Cooks is currently ranked as the 37th dynasty WR (PPR) via Fantasy Pros. I believe that now is the time to BUY Cooks. I fully expect him to grow with Davis Mills (who had a very, very similar season as Tua Tagovailoa in his “rookie year”).

Mills didn’t start in four games, yet Cooks was still dynamite as the focal point of the offense. I also expect Cooks to be the main target for many years ahead. I really don’t believe his future in Houston is a death sentence, to say the least. If Mills can be a QB that can throw 3,500+ yards and 25+ touchdowns within a couple of years, I expect the workaholic Cooks to be a monster for a few seasons. Cooks might be getting older, but I expect him to follow in the footsteps of WRs like Emmanuel Sanders, Tedd Ginn Jr, and Desean Jackson by keeping the juice late in his career.

Cooks will also benefit from his QB receiving better pass protection next season. The Texans signed Justin Britt and A.J. Cann in free agency. The Texans allowed the ninth most sacks last season and I expect Mills to be slightly happier about the outlook with two stout OL added.

Cooks was the 20th best WR last season in PPR. I expect him to be a Top 15 with 17 games from a more improved Mills in my opinion. I truly love his outlook with the Texans for the next 4-5 seasons.

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The Houston Texans rookie quarterback Davis Mills has impressively outperformed expectations in his first year as an NFL pro. The former Stanford signal-caller has registered a 66.6% completion percentage, 2,200 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns to nine interceptions, in 11 games of action. 

As of late, Mills has really shown quality improvement. The Texans QB has thrown five passing touchdowns, one interception, and he’s averaged 265 passing yards over the previous three games. Outside of the stats, the buff-neck QB has ousted monster victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Los Angeles Chargers. 

The Texans win over the LA Chargers has specifically given the rookie QB more credit, David Culley more respect, and likely has helped the Texans realize that they have a QB to lean on for the next two to three years. According to the Texans Wire, the first-year Head Coach should feel safer about his job and the growth of the HC joined with the QB clearly can’t be overlooked. 

I do believe that the Texans should be more open to keeping Culley on board. The momentum riding with the rookie QB shouldn’t be overlooked, especially with how badly he is needed for their franchise.

Most importantly, I feel comfortable stating that the Texans should give the keys to the 23-year-old QB. The Las Vegas Raiders (Derek Carr), New Orleans Saints (Jameis Winston), Miami Dolphins (Tua Tagovailoa), and Buffalo Bills (Josh Allen) were patient with young QB projects and it’s safe to say they progressed very well. The NYG are even reportedly being relaxed with Daniel Jones, who’s had growing pains with the rest of Big Blue. 

The Texans should feel optimistic about the strides that the rookie QB has taken. It’s especially magic how Mills has performed with a very below-average supporting cast. Besides Bill O’Brien secretly working for Bill Belichick and trading away DeAndre Hopkins, the Texans have seen their playmakers exit the building one by one over the past couple of seasons. In the very early stages of the 2021 season, starting RB Mark Ingram would also see himself shipped back to his home. The current leading rusher on the Texans is Rex Burkhead with 356 yards, which is only 60 more yards than what Mark Ingram recorded in seven games with the Texans.

The lone bright spot is of course Brandin Cooks, who recorded 945 receiving yards and five touchdowns. After Cooks in the receiving yards category is Niko Collins with 344 yards. If Mills can look like a modest QB with these weapons, every fan in Houston should brag about what he can conquer with a modest group of talent around him.

The post Davis Mills is a bright spot on the rebuilding Texans team appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Chris Thomas

Now that the NFL is in the midst of their mandatory minicamps, quarterbacks competitions around the league have officially begun. Every year a couple of teams will have two (or three in rare cases) quarterbacks compete for the starting job. Quarterback competitions could be between two veterans, a veteran & a younger player, or an incumbent starter & a rookie. Every once in a while, a quarterback who many believe will lose the quarterback competition has a great camp and can be awarded the starting job.

There are a couple quarterbacks who may seem like long shots to win the starting quarterback job, but may end up being the Week One starter. Here are three quarterbacks who can surprise the league and be the Week One starter for their team.

Washington Football Team: Taylor Heinicke

The quarterback situation for the Washington Football team is not as open-and-shut as many believe it is. According to ESPN staff writer John Keim, Washington will still have a quarterback competition after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year $10 million deal. The competition will be between Fitzpatrick, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, and Steven Montez.

After Fitzpatrick, the favorite to land the starting job is Taylor Heinicke. The former Old Dominion quarterback was back at school prepping for finals when Washington signed him to their practice squad. He was eventually promoted to the active roster and saw game action Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers. He completed 12 of his 19 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in relief of Dwayne Haskins. Then when Alex Smith was ruled out for their playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Heinicke was named the team’s starting quarterback. During that game, he completed 26 of his 44 passing attempts for 306 yards and one passing touchdown. On top of that, he had six rushing attempts for 46 yards and a rushing touchdown. The most impressive part of that game was the fact that the Heinicke-led Washington team was within eight points of taking down the eventual Super Bowl champions in the first round.

After coming into the year as the team’s fourth quarterback last season he is the favorite to be the team’s backup behind Fitzpatrick. However, it wouldn’t be shocking if Heinicke was named the Week 1 starter. After his performance in the playoffs, the team has rallied around Heinicke. He also showed that he is capable of taking control of an NFL offense and will lay it all on the line for his team. If Heinicke outshines Fitzpatrick in training camp, he could be Washington’s starter Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Houston Texans: Davis Mills

The first draft selection of the Nick Caserio/David Culley era was former Stanford quarterback Davis Mills. Houston took Mills with the 67th overall pick in the third round. The selection was not a popular one because many thought Houston would have been better off taking a potential starter for another position of need with this selection over a project quarterback. But by selecting Mills in the first round the Texans administration feels that he could be their long-term starter and could even be their starter at this point this year. The Texans’ current quarterback room is made up of Mills, Tyrod Taylor, and Jeff Driskel. The belief is that former Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson will not play for the Houston Texans this season or ever again after his trade demands and his off-the-field concerns.

In a deep 2021 quarterback class Mills was considered a candidate to be the sixth quarterback drafted and the first one selected out of the first round. He ended up being the eighth quarterback drafted behind now-former Florida quarterback Kyle Trask who was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 64th overall and former Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond who was taken by the Minnesota Vikings with the 66th overall pick. According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, the Texans were prepared for select Mond with the 67th selection before Minnesota took him with the selection before.

Mills was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and the top quarterback coming out that year. However, Mills only had 11 career starts at Stanford. Mill redshirted his freshman year and only had two passing attempts his sophomore season. During his junior year, he completed 65.6% of his passes throwing for 1,960 yards, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions in eight games. He took a slight leap forward during his senior year completing 66.2% of his passes throwing for 1,508 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions. Mills also had three rushing touchdowns during his senior year.

It isn’t certain that Mills will become the Texans quarterback of the future. It is very possible that the team takes a quarterback in the first round next year and Mills becomes a high-end backup. However, after taking Mills with a high selection the Texans must give him starting reps at some point this season. He was taken as high as he was because of his upside. If Mills shows why he was such a highly regarded high school recruit and has flashes of the upside Houston saw in his tape during training camp, he could easily supplant Tyrod Taylor as the team’s starting quarterback next season as early as Week 1.

Philadelphia Eagles: Joe Flacco

After the 2020-21 NFL season it was believed that the Philadelphia Eagles would have a quarterback competition between Carson Wentz and 2020 Second Round pick Jalen Hurts to determine the team’s starter for this upcoming season. But instead, Philadelphia decided to trade Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts for a package of draft picks. Even with Wentz off of the roster new head coach Nick Sirianni still wants to have a quarterback competition to determine the starter for this upcoming season. The veterans that Hurts will have to compete with for the starting job are recently signed former 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens and former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.

It has felt like a long time since Joe Flacco was considered a borderline Pro Bowl quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. Eight years has passed since Flacco won the Super Bowl MVP winning Super Bowl XLVII against the San Fransisco 49ers. Since that point Flacco had been very average and then was replaced by Lamar Jackson late in the 2018-19 season after a neck injury.

He was traded to the Denver Broncos the following season for a fourth-round pick. He went 2-6 in eight games for the Broncos completing 65.3% of his passes and throwing for 1,822 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. After injuring his neck Brandon Allen and 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock started the rest of the Broncos games that season.

Flacco was then released by Denver the next offseason and picked up by the New York Jets to be the backup to Sam Darnold. When Darnold missed four games due to a shoulder injury, Flacco played decently well as the starter. He completed 55.2% of his passes and throwing for 864 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions during that time.

After how Hurts played during his four starts last season it would be shocking if he was not the teams starting quarterback in year one. But if he has a rough camp and doesn’t show improvement in a new system with a healthy offense around him, Nick Sirianni may feel that the 13-year veteran may give them a better chance to win early on. It is important to note that Nick Sirianni has done a lot of more work with veteran pocket passers versus younger mobile quarterbacks like Hurts.

More backup QBs who can become starters later in the year

Minnesota Vikings: Kellen Mond

One of the biggest surprises of the 2021 NFL Draft was the Minnesota Vikings selecting Kellen Mond with the 66th selection in the third round. According to Mike Florio of ProFootball Talk, the Vikings were prepared to move up to the eighth overall selection to take Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields to eventually replace Kirk Cousins as the team’s starting quarterback. That didn’t work out and Fields ended up with division rival Chicago Bears. So their plan B was the take Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond in the third round to potentially fill that void. Similar to Fields, Mond is a mobile quarterback that may be rawer than Fields but has the upside to become an NFL starting quarterback.

In 2016 the Dallas Cowboys did not land Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch in the first round and settled for Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott in the fourth round. It is fair to say that their plan B worked out for them extremely well. That is what Minnesota could hope for in Mond. If the Minnesota Vikings struggle early in the 2021-22 season, they could turn to Mond and see if he could potentially be the team’s long-term future at quarterback.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mason Rudolph/Dwayne Haskins

After the Pittsburgh Steelers crushing playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns the biggest question surrounding the team was how would the team be constructed and whether Ben Roethlisberger would return for another season. Roethlisberger decided to return for his 17th season after taking a pay cut. He is expected to be the team’s starter in Week 1, but at this point of his career, Roethlisberger may not be capable of competing at a high level for a 17 game regular season and potential postseason play. Pittsburgh may have to evaluate their options in the house and make the tough decision of replacing Roethlisberger midseason with one of the younger quarterbacks on their roster.

Their quarterback situation this season may be similar to what the Super Bowl 50 Champion Denver Broncos’ was during the 2015-16 season. 2021 Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning only played in ten games during his finals season in Denver and was relieved by Brock Osweiler midway towards the season. But Manning returned as the team’s starter right before the playoffs and had enough in the tank to win the Super Bowl. That should be the blueprint for the Pittsburgh hopes to achieve this season with their aging quarterback and the younger quarterbacks behind him on the depth chart.

The battle for the backup job in Pittsburgh is between Mason Rudolph and 2019 first round pick Dwayne Haskins. Both have underachieved throughout their careers, but feel that they could be the Steelers long term option at quarterback if Roethlisberger decides to retire after this season. In 2019 Rudolph went 5-3 as a starter, but only threw for 1,765 yards, 13 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Last season Rudolph threw for 324 yards two touchdowns, and an interception in five games (only one start).

Haskins spent his first two seasons in the league in Washington and was thrown in as the starter about midway through the season when he clearly wasn’t ready yet. In his first season, he went 2-5 as a starter, threw for 1,365 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The following season new head coach Ron Rivera made it clear early on that Haskins would have to earn the starting job and showed signs of not believing in him long term. Due to the lack of depth in the quarterback room, Haskins was named the starter and started six games for Washington last season. He went 1-5 as a starter, threw for 1,439 yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions. After a photo leaked of Haskins breaking COVID-19 protocol and attending a party with strippers, he was stripped of captain and later released after a brutal start against Rivera’s former team the Carolina Panthers. This offseason he signed a futures contract with the Steelers.

An interesting transaction that occurred this offseason is that the Steelers did give Rudolph a one year extension after this season worth $5 million. That is a sign that they view him as the potential replacement for Roethlisberger long-term or is comfortable with him competing for the job with Haskins or a rookie next season. It would be hard to imagine one if not both of these quarterbacks getting a shot at being the teams starting quarterback for a couple games this season to preview what their quarterback situation could look like next season and beyond.

The post Three quarterbacks who could be surprise Week 1 starters appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The NFL Draft is less than 28 days away which is both exciting and anxiety-ridden as we wait to see where out favorite rookies will land and who our favorite team takes.  As a rookie off-season fan, I have studied and gone back and forth on the first two rounds meticulously.  There is a plethora of information out there on these first rounds, but what about the deep sleepers, the last ones on the board, and the guys not talked about much?  Remember James Robinson who went undrafted and had an incredible rookie year as the Jaguars starting RB, of course, you do and so do I. 

Let’s dive deep into those sleeper picks who might help you in a dynasty startup or a bench spot because they should be and will be drafted!

1.  Dez Fitzpatrick WR, Louisville.  Fitzpatrick finished his 2020 season with 833 yards and four touchdowns which isn’t as impressive as the top tier rookie wideouts, but at Pro Day he ran a 4.43 40-yard and had a 35-inch vertical jump.  He is lean, strong, and can win the contested deep ball.  Fitzpatrick runs crisp routes and can beat the corners with his speed downfield.  He isn’t flashy, but he is consistent as he finished his collegiate career with 2,589 yards and 21 touchdowns.  He would be an excellent late 3^rd to mid-4^th round pick.  His potential to be a WR3 on a strong offensive-minded team is there. 

2. Jaret Patterson RB, Buffalo.  There are numerous high-end running backs in this year drafts, and quite possibly Patterson isn’t one of the names you have heard.  Well let me tell you, there isn’t much on the field this young man can’t do.  Patterson is versatile running inside the tackles, weaving in between defenders, and yearning for the endzone. He is patient, consistent, and sturdy.  In 2020, he ran for 1,072 yards on 141 attempts and 19 touchdowns as he averaged 7.6 yards per carry.  He can carry a full workload of a game, but he might work better in a RBBC, but he will be a steal for any team. 

3. Cade Johnson WR, South Dakota State.  Johnson is not your typical size threat of the long, lean WR in the NFL as he only stands 5’10” and 180lbs, but he is special.  He has exceptional speed and quickness off the line that leaves defensive backs shaking their heads.  He has superb hand-eye coordination and tracks the ball and is able to hold on seemingly in all situations, which is what stands out most to me”¦his hands.  They are solid and secure and in his 2018 and 2019 season he had zero fumbles!  His smaller stature might throw some scouts off his trail, but that would be a waste as Johnson can easily be a WR2 within a year or two.  He should go off the boards in the 3^rd but it might not happen till the 4^th round. 

4. Kenny Yeboah TE, Ole Miss.  I might be partial to my Ole Miss boys as I project Elijah Moore being a 2nd round pick, but Yeboah is a diamond in the rough.  Yeboah is a huge specimen of a TE at 6’3” and 247lbs., and he reminds me of Gronk.  He is raw and needs professional-level coaching to trim that size to have better route running, acceleration, and speed, but he is already an elite blocker and can separate himself from defenders with ease.  Under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss in 2020, he averaged 20 yards per catch and over 70 yards a game.  With the big TE names like Pitts, Jordan, and Freiermuth, Yeboah might slip to the 4^th round, but he is going to be a TE name that will be in the NFL for years to come.  I see him fitting best as a Steeler, Seahawk, or Panther. 

5. Davis Mills QB, Stanford.  With all the hype surrounding the Top 5 QB in this year’s draft, we are not hearing much about those 5^th or 6^th round picks that are not day one starters but QBs with the potential to learn and conquer.  Mills is one of those young men.  He is very smart with his decisions, timing, and game management but lacks mobility which is what the NFL craves these days in QBs.  Mills is a pocket passer who needs the room to set up and throw, but when he is given that time, his deep ball accuracy is on target.  He needs to be groomed by a veteran like Rodgers, Stafford, Wilson, Cousins, or Ryan.  Mills needs to work on his footwork out of the pocket, but he is a leader and can be a starter in this league within two years barring the right team.

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