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

In 2011, the Kansas City Chiefs made one of their draft picks in Chiefs history, and they unequivocally landed one of the best third-round draft choices of all time in Justin Houston. The Chiefs fearless pass-rusher made four straight Pro Bowls from 2012-to 2015 while notching an All-Pro spot in 2014 (22 sacks in 2014).

Houston exited Chiefs territory after the 2018 season and fled to IND. He would play two seasons in Indianapolis and then fight for a new AFC contender in Baltimore last season. There is no secret that Houston is an aging defender (33 years old) and he may only have a few seasons left in the tank. With that said, I believe it’s worth reflecting on the previous magic and resume of Houston. Furthermore, I’m going to untwine if he is on a path to Canton.

Well, Houston has been a mythical Chiefs figure. Yet, it’s clear that the NFL HOF is a different animal than the Chiefs ring of honor. For example, the legend OLB Demarcus Ware wasn’t a first-ballot HOF, but he is surely a future HOF. He unleashed 138.5 career sacks, nine Pro Bowl selections, four All-Pro teams, and he has a Super Bowl ring.

It’s safe to say that Ware unveiled has noticeably more impressive accolades than Houston’s career output. Although, it should be noted that Houston has had four seasons of 8+ sacks that didn’t equate to Pro Bowl glory.

I believe another fascinating, younger comparison for Houston is the Saints 2011 draft pick Cameron Jordan. Jordan has very similar overall production as Houston. The Saints pass rusher has 107 career sacks, while Houston has 102 career sacks. They both also only have one All-Pro team. Although, Jordan has three more Pro Bowl honors than Houston and he was named to the 2010 decade team (while Houston was not given a spot).

I feel like Cam needs a couple of Pro Bowl seasons (or SB ring) to cement himself as a future HOF. With that said, I believe that Houston’s outlook for Canton doesn’t look promising. I feel like he has been close to garnering a DPOY award and numerous extra Pro Bowl awards, but he hasn’t quite ousted top-tier on enough occasions. If Houston wants to be cast in football paradise, I believe he will need to have two-three more Pro Bowl seasons including a Super Bowl ring on a squad like LA to finish his career as a football god.

The post Is Justin Houston a future Hall of Famer? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Justin Houston might be 33, but he’s still a productive player at this stage in his career. Houston unleashed 4.5 sacks in 2021 and 8 sacks in 2020. Here is a closer look at how productive Houston has been in his career.

• 102 career sacks
• 22 sacks in 2014
• Four time Pro Bowl selection
• eight seasons of 7.5+ sacks

It’s clear that Houston has been one of the best pass rushers of all time. Houston is still seeking to add a Lombardi trophy to his legacy. With that said, which team could look to obtain Houston? Here are a few squads that would make a ton of sense.

• Kansas City Chiefs

It wouldn’t only be poetic if Houston returned to Arrowhead Stadium, but they desperately need him. The Chiefs inked Melvin Ingram, but they won’t be head over heels to bring him back after his earth-shattering 1 sack in 2021. They were aching for pass rush help in the AFC Championship matchup against Cincy and they get a pass rush boost from an old friend in Houston.

• Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens mistakenly let Yannick Ngakouye and Matt Judon leave the building and they can’t afford to let Houston leave, too. The Ravens really need Houston in their lineup, especially after they finished 24th in sacks last season. The Baltimore Ravens and not the Cleveland Browns were last in the AFC North last season. They can’t allow Lamar Jackson, who received the torch from Tom Brady, to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals will likely lose Chandler Jones this offseason, but they can replace him with a cheaper veteran edge rusher in Houston this offseason. Houston and J.J. Watt can wreak havoc on opponents next season. It may not be 2015, but the two pass rushers can still be stars on the big stage in 2022. The Cardinals would be a nice fit scheme-wise, plus he can really pursue a Super Bowl trophy with Watt and Kyler Murray.

The post Potential landing spots for Justin Houston appeared first on Pro Football Mania.