Can you smell it in the air? The National Football League is just one weekend away from providing the viewing pleasure of watching televised preseason games again. With training camp in full effect for all 32 teams and just six weeks away from the official start of the season, let’s take a look at the top five quarterbacks who are under pressure that must produce this season for a successful 2019 campaign.
Five Quarterbacks Under Pressure in 2019
5. Andrew Luck
The Indianapolis Colts were a bit of mysterious team in 2018 as star quarterback Andrew Luck made his return to NFL action after nearly missing two seasons due to injury concerns. Luck and the Colts also got off to a horrendous 1-5 start under first-year head coach Frank Reich.
However, the Colts found their groove in the second half finishing with a 10-6 record and defeating the Tennesee Titans in Week 17 in a win-and-in game for the playoffs. There’s no debate that when Luck is healthy he is one of the most consistent quarterbacks across the league who gives his team a winning chance every night.
Luck played in all 16 games for the Colts in 2018 throwing for 4,240 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions en route to earning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award. Luck basically won two playoff games on the road (WK 17 at TEN) and in the Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans before being eliminated by the Kansas City Chiefs the following week.
With a full season back under his belt, Luck should thrive even more in 2019 to compete for a division crown and more. As with all franchise quarterbacks, this team only goes as fas as he goes because we’ve seen what a Luck-less Colts team looks like. It’s not pretty.
4. Matt Ryan
It’s hard to honestly say if the Atlanta Falcons have recovered from their Super Bowl loss in 2016. More or less, has Matt Ryan fully recovered from the meltdown that plagued 28-3 memes for years.
Nevertheless, Ryan has always been that middle of the pack guy of elite and great quarterback conversations. Ryan has had a great career up to this point, but if you’re measuring success by playoff wins, then you start to argue where Ryan truly lies in the modern era of quarterbacks.
Not to mention Ryan plays in the NFC South that features a Hall of Famer in Drew Brees and another conversation starter in Cam Newton. Quarterback-play is the measuring stick of every franchise and you can’t win without a good one. The intriguing part when dissecting Ryan is looking at the cast around him. He has Julio Jones — who for the sake of arguments sake is a top-10 wide receiver — a strong, workload running back in Devonta Freeman and a defensive-minded head coach in Dan Quinn.
Give credit where credit is due, Ryan threw for 4,924 yards, 35 touchdowns and seven picks with a quarterback rating of 108.1. This is not a slouching season by any means but it still didn’t land them in the playoffs or a winning record.
3. Kirk Cousins
We all know the story of the Minnesota Vikings at this point. They needed a quarterback after Case Keenum took them to the NFC Championship Game. They said see ya to Keenum, Sam Bradford, and Teddy Bridgewater. Then they brought in former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, paid him a bunch of money, and then like the 20 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs, they watched everyone else play on from their couches at home.
If the Vikings are going to go anywhere this season, then not only does it start with Cousins, but it also starts with his primetime performance. Cousins is a mere 5-13 in primetime games for his career. Now, it may not sound like a truly concerning issue on paper, but the fact remains that primetime games are usually against prime opponents.
Whether it be against the AFC or NFC. these are games that you have to win to prove to the world that your team can compete on big stages and in the playoffs. Minnesota got bounced by the upstart Chicago Bears last season while competing for the final Wild Card spot for most of the year.
If Cousins plays any better and wins a game against the Los Angeles Rams or New England Patriots or any primetime opponent they don’t lose to, then they most likely qualify for the playoffs. Cousins didn’t, so the Vikings didn’t.
2. Aaron Rodgers
Looking at the Green Bay Packers the past few seasons has become increasingly apparent on what needs to happen for them to make a run at the playoffs: keep Aaron Rodgers healthy.
Two seasons ago, he was lost due to a broken collarbone. Last season, while he wasn’t a loss for the season he did play on a severely sprained knee that may well have been a torn ACL. Rodgers, without question, is the lifeblood of the Green Bay Packers. Few other quarterbacks –modern era or yesteryear — can make the plays we’ve seen him make since becoming the starter in 2008.
It’s been beaten to death by Packers fan and non-Packers that Rodgers has to stay healthy in 2019 if they’re going to get back on track. Enter a new head coach in Matt LaFleur, year two for D.C. Mike Pettine, a flurry of free-agent signings and a pretty strong draft class has all the makings of a return to form for Rodgers and the Packers.
Right now, no one is talking about Rodgers and the Packers as a contender in the NFC. Could this be shades of the 2010 season where their strong play led them to a Lombardi Trophy? Time will tell, of course, but Rodgers has to take them there. Healthy, making ridiculous throws and making Lambeau Field one of the toughest places to play at for opposing teams.
1. Patrick Mahomes
You might be thinking: “How does the reigning league MVP have even more pressure on his shoulders than in 2018?” And it’s very simple: Patrick Mahomes cannot become a one-trick pony.
Mahomes is very gifted, there’s no denying that, but now the league will have an entire year’s worth of tape to gameplan against him in 2019. The big plays, explosiveness, and mental fortitude are all there for Mahomes. However, it’s not crazy to think Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t completely over last year’s AFC Championship game against the Patriots.
All the storylines were there for Mahomes after easily tossing 50 touchdowns, getting the No. 1 seed, and hosting the AFC Championship game at home for the first time in franchise history. The stars aligned and all was right in Kansas City — until it wasn’t. Tom Brady has made a lot of hopes and dreams die in the past and to see Dee Ford lined up offside is as brutal of a play as they come.
A hopeless Mahomes watched Brady marched down the field and end their season in dramatic fashion. They say you have to put the past behind you to move forward, but can Mahomes and Co. do that? Or will teams figure Mahomes and adjust to the bigtime playmaker?
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