Ranking the AFC South: Quarterbacks

6/11/2017

The AFC South is wide open again in 2017. With all four teams believing they have a shot at the division crown we'll rank every position in group in the South. Here we'll start with QB.

By Shareef Alnachoukati

1. Andrew Luck-Indianapolis Colts

Seasons played: 5

Passing yards: 19,078

Tds-Ints: 132-68

Completion %: 59.2%

Rating: 87.3

2016 stats: 4240 yards passing, 31 Tds-13 Ints, 63.5 % completion.

Obvious choice for number 1 here. Although Luck has been dealing with front office insanity for the past five years, he still manages to put up great numbers year in year out. Andrew has took snaps from a variety of different lineman over the years. He has never had a consistent offensive group to help him soar to the next level. That's being said, He does have playoff experience. In his rookie season, Luck threw for 4000 yards and took a team that was 2-14 the year prior to the wildcard round only to lose to Baltimore. The next few years would see him do great things for the team. Accomplishments Including a 28 point comeback in the playoffs, an upset win in Denver against Peyton Manning, and a spot in the AFC championship. Since then, there hasn't been much success with both the team and management. Terrible drafts, injuries, and a plethora of free agent risks that turned out to be a disappointment for the team. Luck wasn't being protected either. A severed artery? Shows you need to invest in a new oline. Overall, Luck is having success in the the stat department. Some even said his 2016 campaign was his best yet. Colts still have time to figure out something with Luck. But when they do, there will be trouble in the division.

2: Blake Bortles-Jacksonville Jaguars

Seasons Played: 3

Passing yards: 11,241

Tds-Ints: 69-51

Completion %: 58.8

Rating: 79.6

2016 stats: 3905 yards passing, 23 Tds-16 Ints, 58.9 % completion.

Now here's where things get interesting. The popular consensus would be Luck first, Mariota comes after, then bortles is third. Now before I start explaining my point on the Mariota-Bortles argument, I'll talk about what bortles has contributed to the Jaguars over the years. The 3rd overall pick from 2014 started off on a rocky road in his career so far. Even though he's been inconsistent, he has still showed flashes of being a franchise leaders. He threw for 4300 yards and 35 tds in 2015 which is incredible. I get that whole “garbage time” thing but does Drew Brees ever get criticised for “garbage time stats”? I didn't think so (No, I didn't just say Bortles is as good as Brees). Bortles still has time to work on his game and improve under new coach Doug Marrone. Now for the good stuff. Why is Bortles better you ask, I'll give you 5 reasons why. 1: Mariota is protected by arguably the best o line in the league (Pro Football Focus ranked them number 1 overall in 2016). 2: Mariota had a great running game, Bortles never did. 3: Mariota didn't deal with Gus and his flawed system. 4: Bortles has beaten Mariota in head to head battles. 5: Bortles is not injury prone.Also, just looking into the future, Bortles has fixed his mechanics and release, he now has Leonard Fournette to help simplify the offense, and he has a deep target in Dede Westbrook. I would go into full detail on all but that's for another time, maybe a new article idea?

3: Marcus Mariota - Tennessee Titans

Seasons played: 2

Passing yards: 6,244

Tds-Ints: 45-19

Completion %: 61.6

Rating: 93.8

2016 stats: 3,426 yards passing, 26 Tds-9 Ints, 61.2 % completion.

Marcus Mariota has had a promising start to his NFL career. An accurate, conservative and mobile type quarterback, Mariota seemed to figure out what it takes to be a star in the big leagues. His first season wasn't so good though. The Titans had the worst record in the NFL and Mariota suffered a season ending injury late in the season. A group of Titans believed Mariota was already a bust and just another Zach Mettenberger. But they were in for a surprise. The Tennessee Titans weren't projected to even win more than six games in 2016 but they entirely exceeded expectations. An elite offensive line, pro bowl tight end, and two good running backs uncomplicated the game and helped Mariota strive in Mike Mularkey and Terry Robiskie’s run heavy system. The Titans were looking at a potential playoff berth but Mariota was crushed with another season ending injury against the Jaguars. Overall, Mariota has improved and helped his team reach an unexpected winning record and has put up impressive numbers. The future looks bright in Nashville.

Tom Savage - Houston Texans

Seasons played: 2

Pasing yards: 588

Tds-Ints: 0-1

Completion: 60.9 %

2016 stats: 461 yards passing, 0 Tds-0 Ints, 63 % completion.

Yes you read that correctly, Tom Savage has yet to throw a touchdown pass. He's played in only 4 career games and started 2. One in which he won a Division clinching game against Cincinnati, the other start was in week 17 against the Titans where he got a concussion on a QB sneak. He also had decent game against Jacksonville in week 15 where he led the texans back from a 13 point deficit. Tom Savage still has much to prove going into the 2017 season. The team traded up 13 spots to take quarterback Deshaun Watson in the first round. He will complete in camp but for now Bill o'Brien has him named the starter. Luckily, Savage is playing for a team that didn't need a great quarterback to make the playoffs. They have a violent defense and a set of weapons he can lean on. The Texans have had the worst quarterback situation out of the division for the past 3 years but they've still managed to pur average QBs in great situations. Not many are expecting Tom to start the whole season but anything is possible.

Do you agree with my rankings? Think I'm crazy? Let us know in the comment section below.

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