Quarterback Question Marks
This is a new category that has been made in part to deal with some of the team that should be playoff contenders but are dealing with major questions at the quarterback position. They are a highly volatile group of teams and could end up being top-10 teams or crashing out among the bottom 10.
12. New Orleans Saints (1-1) – Previously 7. The Saints lost Drew Brees for 6-8 weeks as he deals with torn ligaments in his thumb. This is awful news for the squad, but the NFC South is looking a lot weaker than it was at the start of the season. They still have a chance to stay afloat if the Buccaneers can’t play consistent offense, the Falcons can’t keep Matt Ryan clean, and if Cam Newton can’t get healthy (more on that later).
With Brees out, Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill will be the starting quarterback options. The Saints should be in good enough hands with that duo that they should stay afloat. But tougher test against the Seahawks and Cowboys in the coming weeks should tell us more about what they’re really capable of.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) – Previously 6. The Steelers lost Ben Roethlisberger for the season with an elbow injury. They are a surprising 0-2 to start the year as they were blown out by the Patriots and lost a very close one to the Seahawks despite losing Roethlisberger. People may write them off but new starting QB Mason Rudolph is an effective game manager and should get his feet wet against the 49ers and Bengals and have a chance to get the team back on track and into the wild card race. But if he flops, the team will certainly be in trouble.
14. Carolina Panthers (0-2) – Previously 12. The Panthers are insisting that Cam Newton isn’t hurt. Well, it looks like he is. He has been hobbling around on his bum foot/ankle and still appears to lack zip on his passes due to a sore shoulder. He couldn’t score a touchdown against the Buccaneers and if he can’t play at a high level, the Panthers offense will struggle. Right now, they’re not out of the NFC South race. But Newton needs to turn things around quickly.