By Evan Krueger
Few activities captivate the hearts and minds of the American public like watching gridiron savants hurl the pigskin to new strata, the likes of which have never been seen in the history of American professional sports. 2016 promises to be a year in which the quarterback position is of more consequence than ever before. Those teams which possess the coveted "franchise quarterback" are like the gods sitting atop Mount Olympus, hurling lightning bolts down at the mere mortals of the NFL (sorry Cleveland). But which quarterbacks will have the best seasons, and which will crash and burn? Let's dig into the stats, examine the trends, and grade every starting quarterback to determine which team is most likely to climb the mountain to the top. Chicago Bears QB- Jay Cutler 2015 Stats Passing Yards:3,659 TD: 21 INT:11 QBR:92.3 Jay Cutler missed time with injuries in 2015, but when he played he actually wasn't THAT bad. His QBR of 92.3 ranked him 16th of all quarterbacks that attempted at least 300 passes in 2015. However, his reputation as an interception thrower and poor locker-room presence hurt his stock, as well as the fact that the Bears have been perennially mediocre since he joined them. GRADE: C Cincinnati Bengals QB- Andy Dalton 2015 Stats Passing Yards:3,250 TD:25 INT:7 QBR:106.2 For Bengals fans, 2015 was the season they had been waiting for from Andy Dalton. He finally broke the mold of "most average quarterback" and started heading toward that sacred elite category of quarterbacks.... until he got hurt, and crushed the hopes and dreams of Bengals fans around the world. However, with Dalton back healthy in 2016, he should look to have a very good year, and possibly end the Bengals' playoff win drought, especially when he has AJ Green to throw to. GRADE: B+ Buffalo Bills QB- Tyrod Taylor 2015 Stats Passing Yards:3,035 TD:20 INT:6 QBR:99.4 In 2015, Tyrod Taylor surprised everyone by being a good quarterback for Buffalo, unheard of since the days of Jim Kelly. He managed to minimize his turnovers, which is an impressive feat for such an inexperienced quarterback. Now, I'm not ready to crown Tyrod Taylor as a next generation star. However, his 2015 probowl season is good enough to garner a decent grade from this sports writer. Whether Taylor will continue his upward trend remains to be seen. GRADE: B- Denver Broncos QB- Mark Sanchez 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 616 TD: 4 INT: 4 QBR: 80.7 I'm not even going to entertain the prospect that Mark Sanchez will be a good quarterback this year. With the loss of Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler to free agency, the Broncos were forced to scrape the bottom of the quarterback barrel. I sincerely doubt that Sanchez will retain the starting job the entire year. Plus, you know, butt fumbles and stuff. GRADE: D Cleveland Browns QB- Robert Griffin III 2015 Stats: None Robert Griffin III was on IR for all of 2015 after being benched in favor of Kirk Cousins. Griffin is an injury prone quarterback, without much success since his spectacular rookie year. It is highly unlikely that he will achieve his former glory considering that he is trying to resurrect his career with the (shudder) Cleveland Browns. GRADE:D+ Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB- Jameis Winston 2015 Stats Passing Yards:4,042 TD:22 INT:15 QBR:84.2 Jameis Winston turned out an impressive rookie year. Although his inexperience showed at times, he also showed flashes of brilliance. He's a definite standout, but he still has a lot to prove. Whether Winston can cut down on interceptions is a key part of whether he will trend upward or have a sophomore slump. GRADE:B- Indianapolis Colts QB- Andrew Luck 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 1,881 TD:15 INT:12 QBR: 74.9 Andrew Luck's 2015 season was disappointing. When he was on the field, his play was obviously hindered by the injuries that he had suffered. However, if Luck is truly healthy, the odds are good the he will return to his near-MVP form of 2014 when he threw for more than 40 TD's. That's a big if, and Luck has always seemed to have a penchant for poorly thought through throws resulting in interceptions. Luck's plan this year is to get the ball out quickly, before pass rushers can get to him. If his decision-making and timing improve this year, look for him to have a great season. GRADE:B Arizona Cardinals QB- Carson Palmer 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,671 TD:35 INT:11 QBR:104.6 Carson Palmer's 2015 campaign was spectacular. He transformed the Cardinals into an offensive juggernaut that fell just one game shy of the Super Bowl. Common sense dictates that Palmer, with a strong supporting cast, will replicate his success in 2016. However, there is one big question mark that hangs around Palmer. He is getting up there in age, and he has been injury-prone for much of his career. If Palmer stays healthy, though, he will most likely have another very good season. GRADE:B+ San Diego Chargers QB- Philip Rivers 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,792 TD:29 INT:13 QBR:93.8 Philip Rivers's huge sum of passing yards is a little deceiving because his Chargers spent most of 2015 playing from behind. This is completely a reflection on him because he has been cursed with a poor defense for much of his tenure in San Diego. Rivers is not an elite quarterback, and his prime is fading fast, but he is still a reliable option that could potentially keep the Chargers in contention in the AFC West. GRADE:B- Kansas City Chiefs QB- Alex Smith 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,486 TD:20 INT:7 QBR:95.4 Alex Smith is a game manager. He has been for years, and that is never going to change. He will never win games with his arm, but he will never lose them either. He rarely turns the ball over, and every once in a while he can come up with key conversions with his legs. Nevertheless, I don't foresee Alex Smith taking the Chiefs anywhere past the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, even with their quality defense. GRADE:C+ Dallas Cowboys QB- Tony Romo 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 884 TD:5 INT:7 QBR:79.4 Tony Romo had a rough 2015. He spent most of the season sitting out with injuries, notably a broken collar bone that ended his season. One can't exactly claim that he was successful when on the field in light of his spectacular Thanksgiving Day debacle against the Panthers. He has only 2 playoff wins in his career, and Romo now has the ominous "injury prone" label attached to him. It is most likely that Romo's glory days are behind him, though no one knows that for certain. He is certainly still a better option at quarterback than many others in the league. GRADE:C+ Miami Dolphins QB- Ryan Tannehill 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,208 TD:24 INT:12 QBR:88.7 Ryan Tannehill is an enigma. Every time he seems to take a step forward, he soon takes a step back. He quaterbacked his Dolphins to a disappointing 6-10 finish in 2015. If Tannehill ever wants to become a franchise quarterback, he will need to step up and lead his team to the playoffs. Average play won't be good enough to keep the Dolphins in contention in the AFC East. Does Tannehill have the skills? I would say so. Will he make it happen? That remains to be seen. GRADE-C+ Philadelphia Eagles QB- Sam Bradford 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,725 TD:19 INT:14 QBR:86.4 Sam Bradford just hasn't been able to get off the ground. He's been in the league 8 years now, and he's been plagued by injuries. Though he did show occasional flashes of success last year, Eagles fans have largely turned against him. Curiously, after giving Bradford a (largely undeserved) sizable contract of $36 million dollars over 2 years, the Eagles drafted quarterback Carson Wentz, seemingly demonstrating their lack of faith long-term in Bradford. How long Bradford will retain his starting job is anyone's guess. GRADE-C Atlanta Falcons QB- Matt Ryan 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,591 TD:21 INT:16 QBR:89.0 The Falcons started out hot last year. However, after their 5-0 start, they fell flat on their faces and wound up missing the playoffs. Despite his vast amount of passing yards, Ryan was largely inefficient, throwing only 21 touchdowns despite having Julio Jones at his disposal. The Falcons have only had a few very good seasons with Matt Ryan, and the window is closing for him to make the leap to the top tier of quarterbacks. GRADE-B- New York Giants QB- Eli Manning 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,432 TD:35 INT:14 QBR:93.6 Eli Manning gets a bad rap. He has a reputation as an interception thrower, but last year he threw only 14 compared to an excellent 35 touchdowns. Even still, outside of his 2 Super Bowl seasons, Eli hasn't led the Giants to much success. The Giants look to bounce back in 2016 with a bolstered defense, and if Eli can once again limit his interceptions, he will keep his Giants in contention in the NFC East. GRADE-B Jacksonville Jaguars QB- Blake Bortles 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,428 TD:35 INT:18 QBR:88.2 Blake Bortles is still very young, but he has a bright future ahead of him. His inexperience showed at times during his 2015 campaign, and his numbers are a bit bloated because his Jaguars spent most of the year playing from behind, but he also showed flashes of brilliance. If he continues his upward trend, he could soon be labeled as a franchise quarterback. Even still, he has quite a way to go before he can be crowned a next-generation star. GRADE-B- New York Jets QB- Ryan Fitzpatrick 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,905 TD:31 INT:15 QBR:88.0 Ryan Fitzpatrick revived his career in 2015 with the Jets. He had one of the best seasons any Jets quarterback has ever had. However, he was far from perfect. He threw a costly interception in Week 17 that kept the Jets out of the playoffs. Even still, Fitzpatrick is a good option at starting quarterback and will keep the Jets in contention in the AFC East. GRADE-B- Detroit Lions QB- Matthew Stafford 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,262 TD:32 INT:13 QBR:97.0 Matthew Stafford had a good season last year. It's hard for people to admit that because of the Lions' poor showing for most of the season. Stafford's numbers may be a bit bloated because of the Lions' over-reliance on the passing game, but even still his 2015 numbers are nothing to sneeze at. As a former 5,000 yard passer, we know that Stafford has the tools to succeed. The biggest questions for him right now are about the supporting cast the Lions will put around him, especially with the legendary Calvin Johnson retiring. GRADE-B Green Bay Packers QB- Aaron Rodgers 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,821 TD:31 INT:8 QBR:92.7 Aaron Rodgers had a "down" year in 2015. That is, if you consider throwing 31 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions down. Amazingly enough, Aaron Rodgers does. He has consistently been the best quarterback in the NFL for most of the past 8 years or so. Most of the Packers' offensive struggles in 2015 can be attributed to the poor play of Eddie Lacy and their wide receivers being unable to get any separation. However, with Jordy Nelson back from injury, look for Rodgers and the Pack to have a stellar 2016 season. GRADE-A Carolina Panthers QB- Cam Newton 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,837 TD:35 INT:10 QBR:99.4 Cam Newton was nearly unstoppable in 2015, as he led his Panthers to a 15-1 record and a spot in Super Bowl 50, collecting an MVP trophy on the way. In addition to his passing numbers, Newton also racked up 636 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. I don't see any reason why Newton won't continue this trend in 2016, especially with the return of Kelvin Benjamin. GRADE-A New England Patriots QB- Tom Brady 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,770 TD:36 INT:7 QBR:102.2 While Tom Brady will be suspended for the first 4 weeks, rating Jimmy Garropolo seems like a waste of time considering he is nothing more than a place filler for Brady. As soon as week 5 hits, Brady will be back, and back with a vengeance. However, Tom Brady is not immortal, no matter how much Patriots fans wish it to be so. While he shouldn't see a significant dip in his production this year, it is coming. Nevertheless, Tom Brady is still one of the nest QB's of all time, and as long as he is on the field he makes the Patriots better. GRADE-A- Washington Redskins QB- Kirk Cousins 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,166 TD:29 INT:11 QBR:101.6 Kirk Cousins surprised everyone in 2015. He was efficient and productive, and led the Redskins to a playoff berth. But to crown him as the next great thing seems hasty. Remember when we did the same thing with RG3? Redskins fans should rightly be optimistic about his future, but that should also come with caution. We've seen flukes before, and completely attaching the bandwagon to someone after just his first productive is risky. Nevertheless, Cousins will most likely at least match his success from last year. GRADE- B Oakland Raiders QB- Derek Carr 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,987 TD:32 INT:13 QBR:91.1 Derek Carr had a very good rookie season. He and Amari Cooper proved to be a dynamic duo, and they played a huge part in bringing the Raiders up from the NFL cellar. The fear with every QB that has a good rookie year is a sophomore slump, but Carr appears to have the tools to overcome that. However, he is still inexperienced, and the journey from average to contender in the NFL is a tough one. So while he is definitely promising, caution should be taken when assessing him. GRADE-C+ Los Angeles Rams QB- Case Keenum or Jared Goff This is a tricky one because, as of right now, Case Keenum is the starter for the Rams. However, past history tells us that Keenum won't have much success, and most expect the rookie Jared Goff to take the starting job sometime this year. Regardless of who plays, one shouldn't expect much from either quarterback this year. GRADE- D Baltimore Ravens QB-Joe Flacco 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 2,791 TD:14 INT:12 QBR:83.1 Oh, Joe. Ever since the Ravens won Super Bowl 47 and Flacco reeled in his massive contract, his performance just hasn't been on par with his pay. Before his 2015 campaign was cut short by injury, he turned out some very poor play. This formerly "elite" quarterback has dropped out of the elite category entirely. GRADE-C New Orleans Saints QB- Drew Brees 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,870 TD:32 INT:11 QBR:101.0 One should be careful when assessing Brees' 2015 season. While he did throw for the most yards in the NFL, he did so because his Saints spent much of the year playing from behind. Nevertheless, he did prove to be an effective quarterback, even with his increasing age. This former Super Bowl champion should have another good season through the air, with a host of young weapons around him. GRADE-B+ Seattle Seahawks QB- Russell Wilson 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 4,024 TD:34 INT:8 QBR:110.1 Russell Wilson is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. He rarely turns the ball over, and he is effective on the ground as well as through the air. One may argue that his success has been due to the Seahawks' crushing defense, which may be true. But you can't overlook his talent and heart, which he has plenty of. Look for him to be even better through the air in 2016. GRADE-A- Pittsburgh Steelers QB- Ben Roethlisberger 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,938 TD:21 INT:16 QBR:94.5 Ben Roethlisberger was hampered by injuries in 2015, and it showed in his play. As Big Ben gets older, he just can't afford to take the kind of punishment that he does on a regular basis. While he does have the best wide receiver in the NFL to throw to, Antonio Brown, it won't matter if he isn't on the field playing. He still has a big arm and a lot of talent, but injuries are the biggest knock on him heading into 2016. GRADE-B Houston Texans QB- Brock Osweiler 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 1,967 TD:10 INT:6 QBR:86.4 How good is Brock Osweiler? No one really knows the answer to that question. While getting benched in favor of a returning legendary is no knock on him, his interim performance was short of inspiring. While he guided the Broncos to a winning record in Manning's absence, much of that can be attributed to the Broncos stifling defense. The Texans are largely putting an unknown at quarterback, and only time will tell if Osweiler can prove his 2015 performance was no fluke. GRADE-C+ Tennessee Titans QB- Marcus Mariota 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 2,818 TD:19 INT:10 QBR:91.5 Marcus Mariota came out of the gate firing in 2015, throwing 4 touchdowns in his first game. He cooled off as the season progressed, and he was hampered by injuries. Nonetheless, he provided a glimmer of hope for Titans fans. With a season under his belt and no injuries, Marcus Mariota will look to keep the Titans in the race for the AFC South. However, I don't expect him to be quite at the franchise quarterback level just yet. GRADE- C Minnesota Vikings QB- Teddy Bridgewater 2015 Stats Passing Yards: 3,231 TD:14 INT:9 QBR:88.7 Teddy Bridgewater played most of 2015 as a game-manager, handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson. He also proved at times that he could step up and make some big throws. But 14 touchdowns is a dismal total for a starting quarterback, and the aging Peterson can't carry the Vikings forever. Teddy Bridgewater will really need to step up his game if he wants to become a big time QB in the NFL. GRADE- C+ San Francisco 49'ers QB- Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder Yikes. This collection of odd-balls is enough to make any football fan shudder. Colin Kaepernick is a washed-up has-been, Christian Ponder is the Ponder-est Ponder to ever Chirstian Ponder, and Blaine Gabbert... somehow looks decent by comparison. Expecting any production out of this sad group this year seems like an overreach. GRADE-F Based on my grades, I can see the Panthers and Packers having the best seasons because of their incredibly talented quarterbacks.
1 Comment
Big Time Timmy Jim
8/25/2016 09:19:26 am
How is Jay Cutler only a C
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