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: Andy Davies

The NFC West was considered the elite division in the NFL as little as a year ago but things have progressed since, despite having the current Super Bowl champions in the Los Angeles Rams. 

Russell Wilson is no longer in the division, and no one quite knows who will be the QB1 in San Francisco. 

But who is the divisions best quarterback? Here are the rankings of the NFC West quarterbacks from best to worst.

Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)

What better place to start than with the QB1 of the Super Bowl Champions. Whilst Stafford was not the reason the Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals, with 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, he was certainly the final piece of the jigsaw as the Rams hoisted the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since the 1999 season. 

The Rams were always contenders, making it all the way to Super Bowl 53, but there was always something missing at the quarterback position. Jared Goff did well but even he would admit he was probably not good enough to take the Rams where they needed.

He was traded to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Stafford and the rest is history. Stafford had reached the postseason on three previous occasions, but each time came up short at the first attempt. His lack of playoff wins was a factor pointed out by sceptics when he arrived but when the Rams made the playoffs, Stafford showed why the team gave up so much to get him. In four games, he threw for 1,188 yards, 9 touchdowns and 3 interceptions as well as having a 70% completion percentage (98 from 140).

In the regular season, Stafford also impressed. Only Tom Brady (43) threw for more touchdown passes (41), with Stafford throwing for the third-most passing yards (4,886). 

Stafford is clearly the choice for the number one spot on this list and it will take a lot for the other players in this list to catch him up.

Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)

Murray’s future is unclear, with his fifth option exercised but no longer-term deal in place at time of writing. 

The 2019 first overall pick has shown signs of his potential but is yet to fulfil this on a consistent basis. In three seasons, he has thrown for 11,480 yards, 70 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, whilst also recording  1,786 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. 

A trend of Murray’s career so far is starting off the season well but tailing off down the stretch. He will need a big year to convince the Cardinals front office that he is the player moving forward. Either way, he still remains second on this list.

Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco 49ers)

When the 49ers lost to the Rams in the NFC Championship game back in January, it was seen by many to be the end of Jimmy G in San Francisco. However, he is still on the team.

Having missed OTA’s due to rehab on his shoulder,  he has yet to be traded. Say what you want about Jimmy G, but he wins games. Simple as that. Whilst he has never been the reason for the 49ers winning games, he is a very serviceable quarterback. With uncertainty over Lance after reports of the organisation being underwhelmed, Garoppolo is the right guy to be under centre for the 49ers in week one. 

Drew Lock/Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Whether it is Lock or Smith, there is no way they aren’t at the bottom of this list. Lock has a great start to life in the NFL, when he started for the Denver Broncos towards the end of the 2019 season, his 2020 and 2021 campaigns flattered to deceive. Meanwhile, Smith has been a backup for most of his career. Neither of these quarterbacks, whoever starts against the Broncos in week one, are likely to inspire confidence from fans or the Seattle coaching staff. 

The post Ranking the NFC West Quarterbacks right now appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

When Arthur Smith was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he came into the role with a great reputation for improving players after a two-season spell as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.

One player he helped improve was quarterback Ryan Tannehill. The former first-round pick arrived after a mixed spell with the Miami Dolphins. Tannehill improved massively, earning the award for Comeback Player of the Year after his first season with the franchise despite starting the season as the backup to Marcus Mariota. When Smith was promoted to offensive coordinator, he only got better.

Smith was predicted by many to help Matt Ryan get back to his former MVP self after what he did for Tannehill. Ryan has not improved or regressed in 2021. Instead, it has been Cordarrelle Patterson that has been the biggest improver under Smith. 

Here is why Patterson is Smith’s new Tannehill. 

Overcoming Expectation

The Falcons experimented with the idea of bringing Todd Gurley back to his best in 2020 but this only lasted one season. Instead of giving Gurley a new deal, they went for the versatile Patterson in Free Agency who signed a one-year $3 million deal. 

Patterson has been seen as somewhat of a journeyman during his NFL career, with the Falcons his fifth organisation since being drafted 29^th overall in 2013. For a while, he was seen as a great return specialist at best, with the occasional snaps as a running back or wide receiver.

He is a Super Bowl champion, earning a ring with the New England Patriots after their 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53. However, he had just two rushing attempts for 7 yards and two receptions for 14 yards as well as a 38-yard kick return. He did not exactly have a big role in the game, in what is the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history. 

Patterson has started eight games this season. This is tied for the most games he has started, alongside his 2016 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings. The growth of Patterson and improvement made under Smith can be seen when you compare these two seasons.

In 2016, he recorded 43 rushing yards from 7 attempts and 453 yards from 52 receptions. In 2021, he has so far recorded 489 rushing yards from 106 carries and 518 receiving yards from 44 catches. He is having the best season of his career by some distance. 

The Falcons need to make sure he is at the franchise for more than one season. Giving him a new contract should be number one on the list of priorities for this team. He has been a brilliant addition to the Falcons offense. Kyle Pitts leads the team in receiving yards this season (770), but Calvin Ridley announced midseason that he would take a break from the sport for personal reasons. With the offseason departure of Julio Jones, Patterson’s rise in form has come at the perfect time. They currently sit at 6-7 with a chance of making the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign.

Smith’s Influence

The aforementioned Tannehill spoke about Smith during the 2021 offseason.

“He’s a great coach. Everything you look for in a coach and a leader and a great offensive mind.”

It is not just Tannehill that saw massive improvement under Smith. Running back Derrick Henry was seen as just a good running back during his first three seasons but saw his best two seasons alongside Smith. He recorded 2,293 rushing yards across his first three seasons in the NFL. His next two (2019 and 2020) saw him combine for 3,567 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns, becoming just the eighth player in NFL history to record over 2,000 rushing yards in a single season when he had 2,027 in 2019. 

Smith clearly knows how to work with running backs, as can be seen with Henry. The same is happening again with Patterson. After their 21-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in November, Smith was in high praise of Patterson.

“He’s a warrior. He’s a big physical presence that can do a lot for us.”

This was proved when he was listed as a back safety earlier this month.  It is a sign of a good coach when they can get the best out of a player and see their potential. Not even the greatest head coach of all time in Bill Belichick realised Patterson’s potential. Smith has taken a player seemingly on the wrong end of his career, to now being one of the best players this season. Some are even viewing him as an outside MVP candidate.

Patterson has a lot to thank Smith for. 

The post Is Cordarrelle Patterson Arthur Smith’s New Ryan Tannehill? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Adam Hulse (@AdamHulseSports)

Times are changing in Atlanta for the Falcons. They have started the process of moving on from the “Matt Ryan Era” and into a new future. Two major moves were made by the organization this offseason to indicate that the time has come to move forward. First, they hired a brand new head coach in Arthur Smith, who is a young and innovative offensive-minded coach. A move like this usually means a new QB is soon to follow and that is probably what will happen with the Falcons. They do not have a real replacement yet for the 36-year-old Matt Ryan, so that will likely be the number one focus in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The young options that they do have on the roster, Josh Rosen and Felipe Franks, are less than inspiring to say the least while AJ McCarron has proven to be no more than a solid backup in his career. When an organization brings in a young and exciting head coach, it only seems right to allow him to seek out a young and exciting quarterback to pair with him. The Draft is the best place to do that, especially considering the Falcons will likely have a top 10 pick this year. The rebuild has already started, and is signaled by the second major move they made this offseason. That is of course trading their superstar wide receiver, and probably the best WR in the NFL over the last decade, in Julio Jones. All of that being said, here is who the Falcons can target at QB in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

Oklahoma and the Lincoln Reilly offensive system have been a factory for quarterbacks in recent years, producing first overall picks and Heisman Trophy winners in Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield. Next up is Spencer Rattler and he has all of the tools to follow in their footsteps. He is the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and is projected to have a huge season with the Sooners. He had a solid 2020 season passing for 3031 yards and 28 touchdowns while also rushing for an additional six touchdowns. He is a very high upside prospect, especially coming from this program that has proven they can develop NFL-ready quarterbacks. If Rattler lives up to his expectations he very well may command the first overall pick in the draft, which is unlikely to be the Falcons pick. If he falls a bit, or Atlanta trades up, Rattler would be a very intriguing pairing for head coach Arthur Smith.

Malik Willis, Liberty

Willis is an incredible athlete with extreme raw talent and has some of the highest upside of any player in the entire country. He fits the modern-day style of NFL quarterback with his true dual-threat ability. In the 2020 season, he threw for 2250 yards with 20 touchdowns and added an additional 944 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. Of course, playing at Liberty means that he is not exactly going against the toughest of competition, but those types of numbers are extremely impressive regardless. Arthur Smith is a creative offensive mind and a talent like Willis would open up endless possibilities for schemes and designs. It would be an exciting opportunity for Smith and an ideal situation for Willis, especially considering the Falcons have a reputation for being very patient with the growth of their coaches and key players. If all things play out the way they “should” than this is an ideal match.

Sam Howell, North Carolina

In two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Tar Heels, Howell has passed for 7227 yards with 68 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions. Many scouts believe that he is the best pure pocket passer available with the best arm talent in the country. While he is less dangerous with his legs than some of the other quarterback options, he is still mobile enough to roll out of the pocket and make things happen on the move. He has the “typical build for a quarterback” at 6’1 and 220 pounds with elite accuracy and very respectable throwing power. He is still only 20 years old so he can realistically still get even bigger and can definitely improve his game and raise his rating as a prospect even higher than it already is. Like Rattler, Howell is an early candidate for the Heisman and for the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Arthur Smith would be excited to work with Howell if he ends up in Atlanta.

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By: Jeremy Trottier

Two of the greatest quarterbacks of this generation still remain in the NFL playing to this day, that being Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.  These two quarterbacks have had extremely successful careers from an individual standpoint, and Brady has had an extremely successful team career as well with his seven SuperBowl victories.  With that said, both quarterbacks seem to be in a good position to make a deep playoff run again in the 2021-2022 season.  In this article, I will be going over each team in depth and coming to a conclusion as to which of these two elite QBs has a better chance to get another ring this year.

Tom Brady ”“ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The reigning SuperBowl champions return into next season with all 22 of their starting lineup from last season, which is a huge feat as this is extremely uncommon.  The Bucs are the first team to return all 22 starters to an SB roster during the salary cap era, and the first to do it overall since 1979 when the Pittsburgh Steelers did the same thing and repeated as SB champs the next season.  The chances of this happening with a salary cap now are very, very slim, but the Bucs were able to do it with franchise tagging Chris Godwin and signing the rest of their free agents.

They will also be returning Antonio Brown to the team, who after a solid showing in 2021 with them should be looking to have a breakout season as WR3 on the roster behind Mike Evans and the previously mentioned Chris Godwin.  They will also get Alex Cappa back at offensive tackle from the IR, a full-strength Ali Marpet after his mid-season injuries, O.J. Howard from his almost full season of IR, as well as A.Q. Shipley and Brad Seaton to bolster the O-line off IR.

Aaron Rodgers ”“ Green Bay Packers

One of the main things we see with Rodgers that we do not with Brady is his improvisational skills outside the pocket and even his mobility at times.  This gives the Packers the benefit of not necessarily needing an elite offensive line but more focusing on the defense and weapons around Rodgers.  The Packers have a good secondary, even great with the addition of a true CB2 in Eric Stokes, but their linebacking core and edge rushers are relatively lacking at the moment outside Preston Smith.  De’Vondre Campbell is definitely a quality starter, but nothing elite, and with Kingsley Keke injured at the moment their next option at DE is Tyler Lancaster or Delontae Scott alongside Dean Lowry.

The Packers have more upside from their top receiver, however, as Davante Adams is arguably the top receiver in the NFL currently, top three at the least.  They also brought back Randall Cobb and drafted Amari Rodgers to have alongside Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.  Robert Tonyan at the TE spot will definitely also be a high-quality starter after his extremely strong efficiency in the red zone last season.

Overview

After reviewing the two rosters at their current states before the pre-season, and where they will likely be with their rookie and free-agent additions/losses, I would say the Buccaneers and Tom Brady have the edge to take home another Super Bowl ring.  The main contributing factor is the Packers struggles in the front seven outside Kenny Clark and Preston Smith, while the Bucs have an absolutely amazing front seven and solid secondary. 

If the Packers were able to add at least one more quality linebacker and edge rusher, then they could be significantly closer to the likes of Tampa Bay, but for now it seems that Brady is firmly in the drivers seat in terms of which of the two QBs has better odds to win another ring.

The post Which all time great quarterback is more likely to win another Super Bowl: Rodgers or Brady? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

The last two NFL Drafts have had quarterbacks who came out of nowhere and become top two picks in their class.  In 2020 it was Joe Burrow, who after a phenomenal senior season became the number one pick in his class, and in 2021 it was Zach Wilson who went number two in his class.  This trend could definitely continue into the 2022 draft class, as there is a huge amount of quarterbacks who have large amounts of potential in this class.  In this article, I will be going over three quarterbacks who have somewhat gone under the radar so far who could break out in a big way in 2022 and improve their draft stock drastically.

Jayden Daniels ”“ Arizona State University

One of the most explosive and fun to watch quarterbacks in all of college football right now is junior Jayden Daniels out of Arizona State University.  After a down 2020 season since ASU only played four games, he likely will be looking to bounce back to his freshman form to prove he is worth a high draft pick.  His 2019 freshman stats looked like this:

• 12 games played
• 205 completions on 338 attempts (60.7% completion)
• 2,943 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 149.2 passer efficiency rating
• 125 rushing attempts, 355 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns

His versatility as a dual threat QB really started to show in the 2020 season however, averaging 6.8 yards per rushing attempt and 4 rushing touchdowns in only 4 games, as well as 223 yards on 33 attempts, showing his effectiveness as well.  If he can continue this rushing success into the next season and improve his passing accuracy slightly he could be an elite prospect for the 2022 class.

Tyler Shough ”“ Texas Tech

Next, we have a quarterback who transferred this offseason from Oregon to Texas Tech in Tyler Shough.  The 6’5” 221 pound QB has an amazing frame for a quarterback and is exactly what you would want to see at the position.  With very good arm strength and the occasional burst of mobility, he could definitely take it to the next level on his new team.  

The Oregon Ducks replacement for Justin Herbert after the 2020 Draft had a solid season, putting up 1,559 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions on a 63.5% completion rate, in only seven games played due to PAC-12 regulations.  On a new team with new coaching and likely a full seasons worth of games started, he could have the chance to turn into one of the top quarterbacks in the class if his efficiency translates over more passing attempts.

Michael Penix Jr. ”“ Indiana University

Finally, to wrap things up, we have Michael Penix Jr. out of Indiana University.  After 2019 and 2020 seasons that were both pretty solid, we should be looking for more passing accuracy out of Michael over anything right now.  He has had back-to-back seasons with 1300+ yards and double-digit TDs with four interceptions each season and has only played in six games each year due to the Big Ten minimum.  With that said, we could expect Indiana to play more than six games this season with COVID-19 protocols starting to be removed slowly.

One of the most amazing things of Michael’s game is his ability to hold out under pressure, he will stand in the pocket with someone rushing at him and stand firm for an extra second just to get the ball out into an open window rather than forcing it.  His passes are sharp and clean, and very fast to get to the receiver, very rarely floating any.  Overall, he could definitely turn up for the 2021-2022 season and become a blue chip prospect. 

The post Which three QBs could break into the first round in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Sam Darnold’s career up to this point has not lived up to expectations. The former third overall pick lasted just three seasons with the New York Jets. The team around Darnold in New York was not in any position to win. In much of a sense, Darnold was “thrown to the wolves”. 

While the expectations were high, Darnold was never placed in a situation to truly succeed. The team that the Jets constructed was below average in nearly every aspect. There were no clear offensive weapons to help Darnold develop. The offensive line was abysmal. The run game was non-existent. Yet, people were in disbelief when Darnold was never able to get his footing in the big apple. 

In Darnold’s three seasons with the Jets, he never played a full season. He also finished with a record of 13-25. Stat wise, he wasn’t much better. He threw 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He ran for five touchdowns but added another 20 fumbles. That brings his touchdown and turnover totals to 50 and 49. Those numbers are not what you would want out of your starting quarterback. But all hope is not lost. 

Darnold will get a second chance with the Carolina Panthers. The Jets sent him away in an off-season trade. Carolina is building a strong team with pieces on both sides of the ball.

They also have youth on their side and time to let the young players develop. This could prove to be beneficial to Darnold. The team will go through growing pains, but with much of the coaching staff also being young, they will all get to grow together. 

But can Darnold be the long term option for the Panthers? All signs point to them being willing to wait and see. They gave us decent draft capital to bring him to Carolina and will have expectations for the quarterback. At least for the moment, there is also no other quarterback for the Panthers.

PJ Walker has been a solid backup for the team and can play when needed but is not the future of the franchise. Will Grier is the only other rostered quarterback and he has not been what Carolina thought he would be when they took him in the third round of the 2019 draft. All roads will lead back to Darnold, at least for now. He is in a good position to be the QB1 and there are a few reasons why. 

Coaching

Sam Darnold is finally away from previous head coach Adam Gase. Gase never utilized Darnold in a way where he could showcase his abilities. From poor play calling to poor offensive schemes, the two were never on the same page. For the first time in his career, Darnold will have both a head coach and offensive coordinator that are fully committed to getting the best out of him.

Head coach Matt Rhule will be entering year two. Rhule was the head coach at Baylor for three seasons where he drastically turned the team around. In his first season in 2017, they finished with a record of 1-11. In his final season in 2019, they finished with an 11-3 record and a berth to the Sugar Bowl. 

While Matt Rhule will play a role in how Darnold does in Carolina, he won’t be the main factor. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady will take on much of that. 

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who played a crucial part in LSU’s 2019 national championship run, will also be entering year two. The former collegiate signal caller is already being viewed as a head coaching candidate; already receiving multiple interviews after just one season of being an offensive coordinator. His ability to make last season’s offense be decent is alone deserving of an interview. The Panthers unit last season was injury plagued and without their star running back for nearly the entire season. 

Both coaches will look to develop Darnold in a way that the Jets never did. Patience and trust will be necessary to make sure that this is all able to work out.

Receiving Options 

The Panthers have put together one of the most underrated wide receiver rooms in the NFL. With Robby Anderson leading the group, they also have D.J. Moore, David Moore, and rookie receiver Terrace Marshall Jr.

All four receivers have their own specialties and all have played well up to this point. Anderson reached the end zone just three times last season but had over 1,000 yards receiving and 95 receptions.

Fourth year receiver D.J. Moore had a season very similar to Anderson: 66 receptions, 1193 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. The two of these receivers have quickly become one of the top receiving duos in the NFL. 

The Panthers were able to steal David Moore from Seattle. Moore is the type of receiver that every team needs to have. Even with sharing a ball with Seahawk receivers Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, David Moore was still able to reach the end zone six times on 35 receptions. 

A sneaky addition to the group is LSU receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. Marshall played well in his three seasons at LSU. After a freshman season that did not amount to much playing time, Marshall took off in 2019. In his final two seasons he scored 23 touchdowns and had 1,400 receiving yards. His familairy with Joe Brady will also benefit him as he transitions to the NFL. 

This receiving group is very different from what Darnold had to work with in his final season in New York. An improved group will give Darnold the opportunity to showcase his abilities. But it will also cause the criticism to become even worse. Now that he is surrounded with valid options at receiver, there will be smaller room for mistakes.

Christian McCaffrey 

Darnold will also have the luxury of having one of the game’s best running backs in his backfield. McCaffrey appeared in just three games last season but still scored six times, two in every game he appeared in. 

The versatility that McCaffrey brings will be what Darnold profits from the most. McCaffery is dynamic in both the run and past game. He is just one season removed from scoring 19 touchdowns and having almost 2,400 yards from scrimmage.

When healthy, he is arguably the most talented running backs in the NFL. With him being a part of this unit, Darnild will know that he can depend on him and lean on him when needed. In other words, McCaffrey is the league’s best “security blanket”.

With all of the other added weapons to this offense, all the pressure to produce won’t only be on McCaffrey as well. The ball will be distributed and all of the offensive minds will be able to work together to produce a strong unit. 

This will be a big season for Sam Darnold. His future in this game is still very unknown, but his performance this season could directly impact how much longer he’ll be in the NFL. He is also just 24 years old. With the weapons around him, he is in a position that many other quarterbacks would be lucky to have.

Can he be a QB1 in this league? I believe so. He is still the talented passer that he was during his days at USC. Luckily, he will now get the chance to showcase that. It could very well be QB1 season for Darnold.

The post Why Sam Darnold is the sure fire QB1 in Carolina appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

When the Los Angeles Chargers drafted Justin Herbert sixth overall in the 2020 NFL draft, there was plenty of mixed opinions.

Some felt he was one of the best quarterback prospects in the draft, notably Colin Cowherd.

However, others had him as a ”˜boom or bust’ option. Others felt that they should try to trade up to get Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who went fifth overall to the Miami Dolphins.

With Herbert going on to win Rookie of the Year and Tua having a questionable first season in the NFL where he was benched twice, here is why the Chargers have a bright future with Herbert as their QB of the future as we also take a look back at the Chargers’ quarterback history over the past 30-40 years.

Failing To Make Super Bowl With Fouts And Rivers

The Chargers made their first Super Bowl during the 1994 season but have failed to make the big game since. They have made the postseason in eight out of the following twenty-six seasons. Out of those eight seasons ending in postseason football, they reached the AFC Championship once. This saw them lose 21-12 to the New England Patriots.

Quarterback for the Chargers was Phillip Rivers. It is arguably a couple of former Chargers players that are deemed two of the three best QB’s to never play in a Super Bowl, despite 106,480 passing yards and 675 touchdowns between them. These are the recently retired Rivers and Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

Fouts was the starting quarterback before the 1994 season, playing for the franchise from 1973 to 1987. He never made the big game, losing in two Conference Championship games in successive years. Despite being an excellent quarterback in the regular season that set passing yards records, Fouts never seemed to replicate this success in the postseason, throwing 5 interceptions in a Divisional Round loss to the Houston Oilers and doing the same against the Dolphins three years later. 

Rivers was also a quarterback known for throwing interceptions, with 209 across the course of his career. These two quarterbacks had excellent careers but for a reason unknown to many, they could not reach the game they both desired so much.

Quarterback Struggles

Despite having Fouts and Rivers, the Chargers have had many years of quarterback struggles. Since the departure of Fouts, in 1987, they have only had two quarterbacks play more than 75 games. Rivers is one and the other is Stan Humphries, who was the starter when the Chargers lose to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 29. Despite being in the Chargers Hall of Fame, he was never the best in the league. He had the 7th most passing yards in 1992 but was 21st in 1993, 12th in 1994, 13th in 1995 and 14th in 1996. Even in the 1994 season that saw them reach the Super Bowl, he only threw for 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Despite the NFL being less of a pass-orientated league than it is nowadays, Humphries threw for just the tenth most touchdowns that season.

Bears Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon joined the organization less than five years after winning the Super Bowl with the 1985 Chicago Bears, arguably the best ever NFL team. He only played in 12 games, throwing for 10  touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

During the 1998 NFL Draft, the Chargers had the second overall pick and the organization were looking to take a quarterback. It was seen as a decision between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf who were seen as the top two quarterback prospects. Some felt Leaf was the best option for the Indianapolis Colts who had the number one pick, with some feeling Peyton was the best choice.

Peyton was seen as the safest option but Leaf was seen as someone with a higher ceiling. However, as things would unravel, it was clear that the Colts made the correct decision in taking Manning number one overall. The Chargers took Leaf with the second pick.

Manning went on to become one of the best quarterbacks of all time, with two Super Bowl rings and 5 MVP awards. He also threw for 71,940 career passing yards, 539 touchdowns and holds many NFL records. He has the most passing yards in a season (5,477), most touchdown passes in a season (55) and has the joint-most touchdown passes in any single game (7). His number 18 jersey is retired from both the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, the two teams he won Super Bowls with and he will be one of the 2021 Hall of Fame inductees.

Leaf is highly considered the biggest draft bust in NFL history, spending just three years with the Chargers and recording 13 touchdowns along with 33 interceptions. He spent one season with the Dallas Cowboys but only started three games, throwing for 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. He would retire in 2004 before going on to be sentenced to seven years in prison in 2012. Legal troubles would continue to follow Leaf’s personal life, as recently as May 2020 where he was arrested for misdemeanour domestic battery.

It was hard to imagine how both careers would pan out, but the pre-draft process should have steered the Chargers away from Leaf. The Colts certainly did this with Leaf failing to turn up for a meeting with Indianapolis. The organisation’s general manager at the time Bill Polian did not feel Leaf was mature or professional, lacking that “football junkie” mindset that Peyton had.

Manning also asked several questions to the Colts, whereas Leaf failed to ask any of the same questions. Leaf partied in Las Vegas on the night after the draft and yawned during his first news conference. Red flags would have surely been surrounding the Chargers front office.

Chargers had the perfect replacement for Leaf in Drew Brees, who was drafted in the second round by the franchise. However, he would only last five seasons before the Chargers failed to match his contract demands due to injury concerns. The New Orleans Saints would sign Brees instead of the Dolphins and the rest is history.  He currently holds the record for most career passing yards and pass completions, the highest single-season completion percentage, most consecutive games with a touchdown pass, most pass completions in a season, highest completion percentage in a game as well as being the player tied with Manning for most touchdown passes in a game.

Rivers was drafted in 2004 and whilst he never made a Super Bowl, he enjoyed a good NFL career despite many years of lacking a great offensive line ahead of him. He fixed a problem position for the Chargers that was around for a while but it is hard to ignore the issues they have had at the position, with the Leaf debacle and the injury problems for a QB such as Brees that had such a successful career after leaving the franchise.

The Move To San Diego

The Chargers decided to relocate from San Diego to Los Angeles in 2016, a decision that angered many. The Bolt’s fanbase have failed to truly support the move, with the franchise being repeatedly mocked for its lack of fans. The team on the road against the Chargers has often been cited as having more fans than the Chargers in Los Angeles. They now play in the new SoFI stadium, which is shared with the Los Angeles Rams, the stadium feels more of a Rams stadium than a Chargers stadium.

Despite this, the Chargers have reason to change that thanks to a new head coach and Herbert’s impressive 2020 season. 

The Hiring of Brandon Staley

Head coach Anthony Lynn was fired after four seasons in charge. Brandon Staley was hired as Lynn’s replacement. He spent one season as the Rams’ defensive coordinator and impressed despite just a single season.

The Rams finished the 2020 season 1st in total points allowed and yards allowed.

Using two high safeties in 2020 was seemingly a large contributor to the success of the Rams defense. With Derwin James looking to spend next season on the field rather than the sidelines, he will be welcomed back with open arms. Staley has also talked about making life difficult for the opposition running back.

“It will be messy in the run game. You want those runs to have to slow down. It allows the second or third guy to get there. It starts upfront with the way we teach our defensive line and edge guys”.

Diante Lee from PFF talked about Staley in an article back in February and how Staley’s coaching system allows the team to both stop the run and pass. His 3-3-5 scheme will neutralise the run but also deals excellently with both play action and RPO plays.

Lee also showed the difference in the performance of the cornerbacks for the Rams and Chargers in 2020.

The best PFF coverage for any Chargers corner went to Michael Davis, who had a 62.9 rating. Meanwhile, under Staley as the defensive coordinator, Rams corners Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill and Darious Williams all had a rating of 75.7 or more.

Staley has a tough challenge on his hands to help improve the fortunes of an organisation that has struggled for many years. He is a defensive-minded coach, which adds intrigue to how he will manage Herbert, who won the aforementioned Rookie of the Year award in 2020.

The Promise of Herbert

When the Chargers beat the Cincinnati Bengals in week one last season with Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback, no one expected Herbert to start in week two. Fans certainly didn’t expect their rookie quarterback to impress the way he did and for Taylor never to start another game in a Chargers uniform.

When the Chargers faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs in week two, Taylor was still expected to start. This was until Taylor accidentally suffered a punctured lung before kick-off, caused by the team doctor attempting to issue a painkiller injection for a rib injury during the warmups. Herbert was told he was starting just minutes before the game started.

Despite the lack of preparation, Herbert and the Chargers took the Chiefs to overtime before eventually losing 23-20. Herbert threw for 1 touchdown and 1 interception whilst also throwing for 311 yards.

Herbert would continue to excel, only recording one game without a touchdown pass, in the Chargers’ 45-0 defeat to the New England Patriots. The most interceptions recorded in a single game by Herbert was 2 as he finished the season with 31 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, 5 rushing touchdowns, 4,336 passing yards and a 66.6 completion percentage. 

Only Andrew Luck (4,374) has thrown for more passing yards by a rookie quarterback than Herbert and no rookie has thrown for more passing touchdowns than Herbert did in the 2020 season. He has been helped by a great offseason by the franchise.

Impressive 2021 Offseason

The Chargers gave made some impressive additions during this current offseason in both Free Agency and the NFL Draft.

The Chargers did say goodbye to tight end Hunter Henry who joined the Patriots in Free Agency but replaced him with former New Orleans Saints tight end Jared Cook. Green Bay Packers allowed centre Corey Linsley to be available, someone who the Chargers acquired after the retirement of fellow centre Mike Pouncey.

Highly rated offensive tackle Rashawn Slater was taken thirteenth overall by the Chargers, one of two players in the position taken in the draft. The fifth round saw fellow offensive tackle Brenden Jaimes drafted.

Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr was taken in the second round, an indication of Staley’s desire to use the 3-3-5 scheme as Chargers head coach in 2021.  Herbert also acquired help in the draft, with wide receiver Josh Palmer and tight end Tre’ McKitty.

It is clear that the Chargers want to give Herbert the best opportunity possible to succeed in the addition of offensive weapons and offensive lineman.

The Chargers front office, coaching staff and fanbase have a lot to be excited about in 2021. Sharing a division with the Chiefs means that winning the AFC West is a very tough challenge and will be for some time. However, the wildcard spot is a very achievable target as they look to make progress and utilise Herbert’s potential.

The post Why the Chargers have a bright future with Justin Herbert appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Tayyib Abu

It is easy to forget the past in an era of non-stop 24-hour sports coverage, memes, GIFs, and instant hot-takes. Sports fans inhibit a bubble surrounded by recency bias. Everything we see on a Sunday gets labelled as ‘the greatest thing we’ve ever seen’; fans are too quick at forgetting history.

That is why it is time to jump in the DeLorean and examine why former Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre was such a special player.

The Ultimate Entertainer

Favre came into the league after he got drafted by the Falcons. Favre didn’t feature in Atlanta’s plans, and the team traded him to Green Bay. Favre’s career would come alive in Titletown. Favre came into the league after he got drafted by the Falcons. Favre didn’t feature in Atlanta’s plans, and the team traded him to Green Bay. Favre’s career would come alive in Titletown.

Favre entered the league with a reputation as one of the hardest throwers of a ball. Favre’s baseball background developed his incredible ability to throw with astonishing velocity and from different angles. Before Matthew Stafford and Patrick Mahomes, there was Brett Favre.

Favre started life as a backup in Green Bay; he entered his debut game as an injury substitution. His first completed pass was to himself. That was the first sign of things to come in Favre’s career. Favre entered games in the early phase of his career with one aim, hit home runs.

Favre possessed the talent to make any throw from any platform wherever he was on the field. That made him the ultimate entertainer. Favre would drive Mike Holmgren insane with his ill-discipline and willingness to play out of the structure.

While Favre drove his coaches mad, he wowed and entertained fans all over the NFL. Some professionals play the game far too seriously. Favre played like he was in his backyard with his friends;

he enjoyed playing in the NFL and wanted to have fun. Favre desired to entertain fans and his friends. Despite his accolades, records and successes, Favre’s x-factor and willingness to engage fans are what made him so special.

There have been better quarterbacks than Favre, but none of them thrilled with Favre’s unique blend of talent, courage and chaos. As the years fade by, the yardage numbers, turnovers etc., get forgotten; we only remember the style. And Favre’s style of play was unforgettable.

The Ironman

The other thing that underlined Favre’s special qualities was his Iron Man streak. Favre started in 297 consecutive games. Despite the concussions, injuries and various niggles, Favre continued to trot out onto the field to lead his team. Peyton Manning was the NFL’s Sherrif, Tom Brady was the Golden Boy, and Brett Favre was the unbreakable, unbendable Iron Man.

Even after his father’s death, Favre took the field on a Monday night and turned up for his teammates and fans. His dedication and love for the game marked him out from his contemporaries.

Watching Favre get back up after taking big hits, his jersey stained with grass, and the pads uneven was a sight to see. To start 297 games straight in the NFL is one of the most extraordinary achievements in history.

The post Why Brett Favre was such a Special Player appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

With the 2021 NFL Draft over, and most of the offseason moves made by now, we have a pretty good idea of what the teams look like.  However, in the draft there was three QBs taken in the top three picks.  These rookies could perform exceptionally well like Justin Herbert did last year, or could perform like Mitchell Trubisky has in his first four seasons.

In this article, I will be predicting a few things regarding these QBs, such as:

• How many games they will start/enter
• Their passing stats i.e. yards, TDs, INTs, completion %, etc.
• Their rushing stats i.e. yards & TDs

These will all factor in the team that is around them, how developed they are as of now, the coaching staff they are learning from, and their strength of schedule.  With that said, here are the predictions in order of how they were picked.

Trevor Lawrence ”“ Jacksonville Jaguars – #1 overall pick

Statline: 17 games started : 4,157 passing yards, 25 passing TDs, 9 INTs, 67.9% completion : 54 rushing attempts for 187 yards and 4 TDs

The number one overall pick has a relatively interesting team built around him, as well as coaching staff.  With his college running back coming with him in Travis Etienne, as well as players like DJ Chark, James Robinson, Marvin Jones Jr., and Laviska Shenault jr on the offensive side of the ball, he has a ton of weapons to work with.  The AFC South is primarily going to be an open-ish division, with the Texans rebuilding, Colts at an unknown with their QB, and the Titans likely being #1.  

The coaching staff will be the most interesting part in my opinion, with Urban Meyer coming up from the college ranks to coach professionally.  If he can coach well and continue this roster development, Lawrence could be in for a fantastic rookie year.

Zach Wilson ”“ New York Jets – #2 overall pick

Statline: 17 games started : 3,763 passing yards, 23 passing TDs, 12 INTs, 66.3% completion : 78 rushing attempts for 296 yards and 6 TDs

The number two overall pick is also in a pretty interesting situation in regards to coaching and team.  The Jets brought in Robert Saleh this season to become the head coach, getting rid of Adam Gase thankfully for Wilson.  Saleh will be getting the nod to be HC for the first time in his NFL career, being the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers during their most recent Super Bowl appearance.

The Jets have also made many additions this offseason that should help out Wilson.  They currently have players like Michael Carter, Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims, Jamison Crowder, and Chris Hernedon for skill positions.  They also upgraded their O-line with the additions of Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker in the last two drafts.  Wilson should perform very well in his rookie season, but with all the moving pieces joining the team their expectations overall could be low.

Trey Lance ”“ San Francisco 49ers – #3 overall pick

Statline: 9 games started : 2,197 passing yards, 12 passing TDs, 2 INTs, 65.7% completion : 89 rushing attempts for 576 yards and 6 touchdowns

Trey Lance is easily the most unpredictable of the three top QBs picked, and not because of his supporting cast or coaching.  The 49ers were in the Super Bowl only two seasons ago with a relatively similar roster to now, and had Jimmy Garoppolo at QB1, so clearly the team is quality.  The coaching with Kyle Shanahan should help develop Lance quickly and play to his strengths.

The main issue here is we do not really know when Lance will start, due to his relatively raw traits currently.  If he is to start, it will likely be halfway through the season is my assumption.  However even with this, his production should be very good for only starting nine of the seventeen games this season.

The post Projecting the rookie QB statlines appeared first on Pro Football Mania.