Ahead of the 2015 NFL season beginning on Thursday night (Friday morning UAE), Gregg Patton identifies his five most intriguing quarterbacks woth capturing your attention this season and to avoid at all costs.
The Good
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
Height: 1.98 metres. Weight: 113 kilos. He is not just a load to bring down in the pocket. He has quick feet, can make you miss a tackle and is happy to run you over if necessary. Newton, television analyst Jon Gruden said, “is physically different than any man I’ve ever seen play quarterback”.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
It was Pete Carroll’s play call that ended the season on a bitter note. But it was Wilson who threw the intercepted pass that caused widespread grumbling – even within the team. Leader that he is, he organised an off-season meeting to air grievances and leave the mess behind, as if he will not remember.
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
If anything is wrong with the former No 1 draft pick, the Stanford graduate, the personable young man who studies the game, who was born to lead and throws such tight spirals – we have not heard about it, yet. Unless, of course, it is that he congratulates opponents after they sack him.
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys Nation once basted him in verbal barbecue sauce and put him in a 24-hour cooker. The heat, however, did not stunt his steady progression into a calm, poised presence on the field with 34 touchdowns, nine interceptions last year. He would look good playing in sunglasses.
Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings
He grew as a rookie in relative anonymity for a mediocre team, winning six of 12 starts. He mentioned this summer that he wanted to complete 70 per cent of his passes this season, a feat achieved only five times in the league. In the preseason, he completed 83 per cent.
The Bad
Josh McCown, Cleveland Browns
A tough cookie who will take a hit, which does not erase his propensity for missing targets or delivering a soft ball that puts his receivers in jeopardy. Consistency? A pipe dream.
Nick Foles, St Louis Rams
The Rams trading Sam Bradford for Foles was a head-scratcher. In Philadelphia, Foles missed reads, hurried throws and often looked uncomfortable in the pocket. Plus, he is not athletic.
Brian Hoyer, Houston Texans
Cleveland’s failed quarterback surprisingly landed in Houston. He has coach-like analytic skills, but also coach-like passing and running skills. The Browns remember lots of overthrown passes.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets
He went to Harvard, which tells you both that he is smart and no one expected him to be a starting NFL quarterback. Previous jobs in Buffalo, Houston and Tennessee have not proved otherwise.
Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins
As a back-up, he mixed in some spectacular performances that made you think he could actually do this – until you realize his turnover total led the league.
