The Wildcard’s 2015 NFL Pre-Season Quarterback Rankings (Part One)
You know the NFL season is right around the corner when these QB rankings drop. Three years in a row, it’s officially a tradition.
As with previous years, this list is most definitely subjective. You’re welcome to be offended though. The rankings are based on the idea of which quarterback is the best at this point in time. Potential and upside do matter, as does past achievement, but above all else it’s about who you would rather have with the ball in their hands for your hypothetical team if the Super Bowl were on tomorrow.
In as much as it’s possible, players have been separated from the situations and the players around them that affect their performances but, yeah, that’s tough to do. It’s mostly all starters but a few backups have the chance to step in and take the reins so they get a mention.
2015 Rank - 36 (Last Year’s Rank - 34) Johnny Manziel (Cleveland Browns)
And so we begin with the one they call Johnny Football. No more money signs from this lad, just money plays if things go his way. Do we know what to make of him yet after a year in the NFL? Not really. Given his ultra-hyped past and the fact that he’s only attempted 35 passes in his professional career, Manziel comes in last here. Consider it a clean slate to work from.
35 (27) Kirk Cousins (Washington R**skins)
He’s here because he’ll get his chance soon enough. He’d already be starting if he’d taken it last season. Cousins has the tools, he just needs to use them properly.
34 (NA) Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
A man with more than a little Manziel about him. By the looks of pre-season, he could come out on the high side of things, he’s getting plenty of praise from the Buccs. But then they’ve staked their future on him, so… we’ll wait and see what we’ve got here before getting all excited.
33 (33) Josh McCown (Cleveland Browns)
The man keeping Manziel out of the team. How in the hell a guy who had about a months’ worth of good performances (filling in for Cutler at the Bears) has managed to turn that into consecutive starting roles is beyond me. He was abysmal for Tampa Bay in 2014. Probably be more of the same in Cleveland too on account of, well, Cleveland. Also, McCown is 36 years old. He’s not getting better, people.
32 (28) Geno Smith (New York Jets)
Obviously Geno getting sucker punched by a teammate and getting ruled out for like 6 weeks was hilarious. One of those ‘Only In New York’ things. (“Hey, I’m quarterbacking here!”). It might also not have been such a bad thing for a team seemingly tied to an awful QB. He made improvements last year, but we’re still talking about a dude with 34 interceptions (to 25 TDs) in two seasons.
31 (NA) Blake Bortles (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Bortles is one of those guys who everyone likes the look of. The ol’ Eye Test. The numbers don’t give you much, however BB was kept pretty conservative in his offensive scheme. Hopefully they loosen the reigns slightly and we can see if he’s got what they say he has. By the way, is this the oldest looking 23 year old you’ve ever seen?
30 (NA) Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders)
Am I the only one who doesn’t think Carr is all that good? Potential is a siren song. The Raiders are all in on him though so that’s worth something. Maybe he’ll win more than three games this time?
29 (32) Matt Cassel (Buffalo Bills)
Another in the great tradition of building a profitable career off the back of a single decent season filling in for an injured star. It’s been a long time since filling in for Brady in ’08 for Cassel, it’s a long time even since the KC Chiefs fans cheered him getting seriously injured that time. He’s now in a three-way scuffle for the top gig at the Bills, along with E.J. Manuel (who’s fallen off this list after losing that job to the now-retired Kyle Orton last season) and Tyrod Taylor. Who? Exactly. Former Ravens backup. He might just sneak the job too, though Cassel is the man who holds rank because he has a track record. The Bills have the longest playoff drought in the NFL (16 years out of them) but they have a new coach, a great defence and LeSean McCoy at RB.
28 (NA) Mark Sanchez (Philadelphia Eagles)
Despite being a number two option, Sanchez has somehow edged his way back onto the list. Hey, a career completion percentage of 56.3% is rubbish after six years in the league but he does have four playoff wins under his belt. He’s more than just a Butt Fumbler, dammit!
27 (NA) Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans)
Knock on wood… Mariota could be the best rookie quarterback since Andrew Luck. Although he made his name in college as a run-orientated guy, the Hawaiian is definitely more Russell Wilson than Tim Tebow. Hopefully no jinx.
26 (36) Teddy Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings)
Despite not being the best in any technical terms, Bridgewater was probably the best performing rookie QB of 2014. Dude’s got big play capability, can chew up yardage on his feet and he has an accurate arm. Not much to dislike there.
25 (26) Ryan Fitzpatrick (New York Jets)
You can always rely on two things with Ryan Fitzpatrick. 1) Commentators will mention how smart he is. 2) His beard will be the flashiest thing about him. Expect short passes and good ball protection. And punts on fourth down. If the shoe Fitz, right?
24 (24) Sam Bradford (Philadelphia Eagles)
On one hand this could be his last chance to crack the big time. Quarterbacks don’t tend to get third chances to be franchise guys. Yet on the other hand, the Eagles offence will suit him better than anything he’s ever played in before. At least since his Oklahoma days. Fast paced and innovative, with DeMarco Murray at RB. Yeah, that’ll do fine. The worry is that injuries could ruin it all, this is a man who has played a mere seven games in the last two years.
23 (16) Robert Griffin III (Washington R**skins)
Robert Griffin the Thud, based on the hits he’s taking in pre-season. It’s only a matter of time before RG3 loses his spot at the ‘skins. He can’t throw outside of play action and his offensive line play like turnstiles. That doesn’t mix. It also means that he can’t sit back and let his running back do the hard yards because not even Alfred Morris can play without blocking. It’s like turning up to a sword fight with a feather duster. Add in the fact that Griffin has the durability of a minor character on Game of Thrones and this will not end well. But on the positive side, when he gets his feet going he can still be a very effective player.
22 (31) Brian Hoyer (Houston Texans)
The Goblin left Cleveland for the bright lights in Houston but he may not even be the starter. He’s battling with Ryan Mallett as to who can make the most dumbass plays in one pre-season, loser has to start. But you’d expect Hoyer to win out in the end. When you adjust his 3326 yards @ 55.3% completion for 12 TDs and 13 INTs last year (his first as a starter in the NFL) for the fact that they came in Cleveland then pretty sure he’s on par with Tom Brady (who he began his career as the backup for). Time will tell how accurate my formula was there.
21 (20) Nick Foles (St Louis Rams)
A straight swap between starting QBs? The Foles-Bradford trade was completely wild and yet it made perfect sense. Foles clearly didn’t fit in the Chip Kelly Eagles, his passer rating dropped nearly 40 points (119.2 vs 82.4) between 2013 and 2014, and the Rams and Sam Bradford had reached the point where a divorce might be the best option. Can’t keep letting the kids see us fighting. What we need to find out now is: Is Nick Foles more like the player he was in 2013 where he had a TD:INT ratio of 27:2… or is he the guy that flattered to deceive as expectations grew?
20 (15) Jay Cutler (Chicago Bears)
Let’s play an old Bill Simmons favourite game:
- Player A – 3812 yds / 66% / 28 TDs / 12 INTs / 54 QBR
- Player B – 3475 yds / 63.1% / 20 TDs / 7 INT / 60 QBR
- Player C – 3398 yds / 64.2% / 19 TDs / 17 INTs / 55 QBR
One of those men is a Super Bowl champion, one is ginger and another is Jay Cutler.
(Answer: A is Cutler, B is Russell Wilson & C is Andy Dalton).
See, Cutler really hasn’t been that bad. Far below where he should be but not ‘In Danger of Losing his Job’-bad. The Cutlet needs to improve and people need to give him the chance to do that. Both of those things are true.
19 (19) Andy Dalton (Cincinnati Bengals)
Three years in a row that Dalton’s come in at 19. That about fits with his career trajectory. Good enough to get to a certain level, not good enough to go beyond it. Dalton’s now made four consecutive playoffs with the Bengals and he’s been one and done each time. Hey, at least he’s consistent.