Houston Texans: Can Brock Osweiler lead AFC South QBs?
By Luke Sims
Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler has plenty of work to do in order to make sure he stays ahead of the pack in the crowded AFC South.
In 2015, the AFC South was essentially a joke. If the NFC East hadn’t completely imploded as well, there would have been no other division as unworthy of nominating a team to the playoffs.
In a sense, the 2015 Houston Texans were a saving grace for the division, finishing the year at 9-7 and thereby being respectable enough (above .500) to enter the playoffs and compete against the superior teams the AFC had to offer. Of course, it was clear from the start that the Kansas City Chiefs had them outmatched and that quarterback Brian Hoyer was a liability.
Enter Brock Osweiler, the chosen one for the Denver Broncos and a quarterback more than willing to leave the team that just won the Super Bowl, so long as the money was right. He left a championship defense for another team featuring a bold, brash, dominating D as well. His record is just 5-2 as a starter, but the Texans believe he can do so much more.
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Getting the Texans above 9-7 is going to be a difficult task for Osweiler. Six of the Texans’ games this season will be against three teams that are quickly climbing and working to shrug off the negative stigma of the AFC South. The Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Indianapolis Colts are not going to roll over in 2016.
Osweiler will have to be one of the better quarterbacks in the division if the Texans want to pull ahead.
And that may be rather difficult.
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles is primed for a breakout, writes Eric Tessin at iSports Web, and that opinion is becoming increasingly common. Bortles leads a strong offense that will have the added stability of a rebuilt defense as well.
Colts QB Andrew Luck is just as good as he has always been. 2015 was an outlier in a stellar, young career for the quarterback. In May, NFL.com experts commonly picked Luck as the best young quarterback in the NFL, even after his forgotten year in 2015.
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Even the Titans are primed for more success with 2015 rookie sensation Marcus Mariota. Mariota’s time with the Titans has already yielded more highlights than many quarterbacks acquire throughout their careers. He cannot be forgotten in the mix of AFC South quarterbacks.
Osweiler will have to be on top of his game to compete with the young guns the AFC South has to offer. He left a Super Bowl team in a tough division to go to a less sure thing in a division that is in turmoil and could see any of its four QBs ascend to greatness.
The AFC South won’t be the laughing stock of the NFL in 2016. It’s going to be competitive. It’s going to be a gritty battle through the entire season. Osweiler will be expected to prove himself and show that he can make the Texans more complete because of his abilities. He’ll have to show he can keep pace with his young, surging peers.
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The talent is there for Osweiler to be something special. He has the right support of skill players in Houston to get it done. But don’t expect the rest of the AFC South QBs to rest on their laurels while he works to become the best quarterback in the division. He can set the pace among the four, but any of his peers could also end up doing the same.