Whether you love it or hate it, it’s undeniable: Johnny Football has been the biggest talking point of the NFL off-season.
Well, now the off-season is over, and — in case you weren’t aware — there are some other rookie quarterbacks who could have a bigger impact on their teams this season than Mr. Manziel. Unthinkable, isn’t it?
Who are these guys and just how far can they take their teams? Our panel of NFL diehards — Geoff Lowe, Jeff Simmons and Justin Dunk — are here to debate just that, and more, as Week 1 of the 2014 season continues on Sunday.
Which rookie quarterback will have the most success?
LOWE: Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars — Despite the third-overall pick’s impressive play throughout the pre-season, Jags coach Gus Bradley maintains Bortles will ride the bench in 2014. I’m not buying it. The kid shocked everyone – including the Jags – with his progression in August. If Chad Henne and Jacksonville get off to, let’s say, a 1-4 start over the first month of the season (which may be generous given their schedule), it would be hard to justify leaving Bortles on the sideline. Derek Carr may get more starts, but Bortles will end up having the better debut season.
SIMMONS: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders — Down the road, I agree that Bortles will end up being the best quarterback of the 2014 draft class. But this is about the 2014 season and Bortles is starting the year on the bench. Gus Bradley has a defensive background and defensive coaches hate turnovers, which is why he may bring Bortles along slowly. In the meantime, Carr has the arm strength and accuracy to succeed right away.
DUNK: Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings — Carr is an easy choice because he’s going to start from game one in Oakland. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and the rest of us know exactly what Matt Cassel is: a game manager. Teddy Ballgame, on the other hand, has flashed the potential to be a playmaker at the position. Bridgewater threw five touchdowns to zero interceptions and had a 111.2 rating in the pre-season. His sense of anticipation and consistently proper ball placement will give the rookie a chance to be successful from the get-go when he eventually gets the call to start. Minnesota has the one and only Adrian Peterson to take pressure off Bridgewater, while Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings and Kyle Rudolph provide him with talented receiving options.
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Which 2013 playoff team is most likely to miss the post-season in 2014?
LOWE: Carolina Panthers — The Panthers surprised everyone last season by winning 11 of their final 12 games on the way to an NFC South title. It’s hard to imagine the Panthers do the same again this season. First off, Cam Newton (who’s not 100 percent) lost a pile of offensive weapons – including his favourite target Steve Smith – and will be leading an entirely different group of wide receivers, led by a rookie. Secondly, the NFC South is one of the toughest divisions in the league. The Saints are Super Bowl contenders, the Falcons are sure to bounce back and the Lovie Smith-coached Bucs could push for a playoff spot. The Panthers may be in tough.
SIMMONS: Kansas City Chiefs — Andy Reid is a heck of a coach, but his team benefitted from a paper-thin schedule last year. Kansas City had a tough off-season. They lost three starters along the offensive line and didn’t add any proven playmakers at wide receiver. Dwayne Bowe will serve a one-game suspension and Eric Fisher may not be ready to handle the left tackle position. There’s a reason Alex Smith’s agent tried to cash in before the season. They overachieved in 2013 and are the prime candidate to regress this season.
DUNK: San Diego Chargers — I’m with Simmons; one of the three AFC West teams to make the playoffs last year won’t get in this season, and Denver sure isn’t missing out. Perennially since 2007, San Diego has started the season slowly and then turned around to make a late-season run at a playoff spot. The Chargers pulled off the feat last year, beginning with a 5-7 record before running off four straight wins to sneak into the AFC’s final post-season spot. Time and time again the Chargers stack the odds against themselves early in the season, and if the Bolts do it again in 2014 they will be watching the playoffs from the couch.
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What team will be have the league’s worst record and end up with the No. 1 overall pick?
LOWE: Jacksonville Jaguars — Despite having who I predict will be the best rookie quarterback this season in Blake Bortles, the outlook for 2014 doesn’t look promising for the Jaguars. Gus Bradley’s team could easily, unless there’s a drastic on-field improvement, lose six of its first eight games, if not more. With intriguing offensive pieces like Bortles, Marqise Lee and Toby Gerhart, the future in Jacksonville shows some promise. I just don’t see it manifesting in 2014.
SIMMONS: Tennessee Titans — I actually think the Jaguars could be a bit of a surprise this season. They went 4-4 down the stretch in 2013 and made some good additions in free agency and the draft. For the worst, let’s stick in the AFC South — easily the league’s least exciting division. Tennessee has an unsettled quarterback situation with Jake Locker. He’s too inconsistent with his accuracy and hasn’t been able to stay healthy. If he goes down, the only options behind him are Charlie Whitehurst and rookie Zach Mettenberger. Yikes.
DUNK: Cleveland Browns — Even with all the hype surrounding Johnny Football in Cleveland, they won’t be celebrating many wins. The Browns had the leading receiver in the NFL last season in Josh Gordon and still ranked 27th in points per game at 19.3. Gordon is suspended for the 2014 season and the offence — outside of tight end Jordan Cameron — lacks high-end playmakers. Division foes Pittsburgh and Baltimore will likely be much improved this season after down years in 2013, making it even tougher on the Browns.
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