AFC South: Watt shines, Luck loses out, Arians prevails

JJ Watt, Andrew Luck, and Bruce Arians were all involved in the NFL awards season, but for different reasons

By Jeremy Philipson

Watt wins DPOY: Many expected the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting to be suspenseful, but not for the reason you may think. Everyone was waiting not to see who won, but how he won.

(Kirby Lee/US Presswire)

JJ Watt took home DPOY honors in his second NFL season almost unanimously, raking in 49 of the 50 votes. Watt recorded one of the most dominant seasons by a defensive end in recent memory, and was rewarded with the highest honor a defensive player can receive.

Other players who had big years, like Bears’ defensive back Charles “Peanut” Tillman and 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith, were shut out of the vote completely, with the other vote going to Von Miller, the second-year defensive end for the Broncos.

Here are some numbers to quantify just how good Watt was this season*:

·      He led NFL with 20.5 sacks (tied for the sixth-most all-time).

·      He became one of nine players to register at least 20 sacks since sacks began to be recorded in 1982.

·      He batted or tipped 16 passes this season, most in the NFL

·      He disrupted 5.7 percent of the drop-backs he faced. In the past three seasons, no other player posted a number higher than 4.3 percent (Jared Allen in 2011).

Watt has said he has even higher goals for next year, and it will be fun to see how defenses adjust to compensate for his talent.

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who has coached greats like Reggie White and Bruce Smith, recently said that Watt “had the absolute best year any defensive lineman has ever had.”

Pretty high praise for a kid from Wisconsin.

*All stats from ESPN Stats and Information

Luck not so lucky: Most years, breaking the rookie passing record and turning a 2-14 team into an 11-5 wild card team would be enough to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Unlike most years, this year featured three of the best rookie quarterbacks of all time. And unfortunately for Andrew Luck, he was on the wrong side of the vote. Luck tallied just 11 votes, compared to 29 for RGIII, who took the league, and ultimately the trophy, by storm.

Throwing for the seventh most yards in the NFL, more than former Super Bowl and NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning? Not enough. Breaking the rookie records for most yards in a single game, 300-yard passing games, game-winning drives, and fourth quarter comebacks? Maybe next time.

Luck has been bested by Griffin III previously, with the first time coming in 2011, when both players were Heisman finalists. That ended with the Baylor QB hoisting the trophy, and Luck finishing as runner-up for the second year in a row.

NFL fans can only hope these two players continue to battle for NFL awards over the next decade. And next time, maybe RGIII will be the runner-up.

Arians wins as Interim HC: How many times has an interim head coach won the AP Coach of the Year award? Before last week, the answer would be zero. 

After leading an emotional Colts team to a 9-3 record while head coach Chuck Pagano battled leukemia, Bruce Arians became the first interim head coach to win the award, and the first coach from Indianapolis to win since the team moved from Baltimore in 1984.

Arians took over in October and led the team through December, compiling a record of 9-3. Pagano is officially credited with all wins and losses, so Arians wins the award with a record of 0-0. Not only is this an awkward situation, but it is one that is likely to never happen again. When interim coaches take over teams, it usually means the head coach is fired. Head coaches usually get fired on poor teams, and coaches of the year do not come from poor teams.

Arians benefited from a strong organization and one of the best rookie quarterbacks ever. When he takes over as the head man in Arizona next season, his task will be much tougher. With no quarterback of the future in place, Arians will have an opportunity to prove that this year was no fluke.

AFC South: With Luck, Colts Future is Bright for Years to Come

With the Colts season officially over, lets take a look back at an incredible year.

If you told Colts fans last year that their team would be 11-5 and make the playoffs this year, most would have laughed in your face. If you added that their head coach would miss a majority of the season, they would call you crazy.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

When Indianapolis drafted Andrew Luck with the first overall pick, it signaled a new direction for the franchise. It was the end of the Manning Era, and the beginning of the Luck Era.

I was talking to one of my friends, Bob Wolfley, who is a lifelong Colts fan, and asked him what he thought this season would bring.

“Honestly, I am an optimistic person. Immediately after the draft, I predicted the Colts would go 8-8 this season. I didn't even think we had a chance at the playoffs.”

An 8-8 season would have made most Colts fans ecstatic. But 11-5 with the No. 5 seed in the playoffs? With a rookie quarterback and a patchwork offensive line? Better than most people could have imagined.

Bob went on to talk about how good he thinks Luck can be. “I don’t think any of the other rookie quarterbacks are as mentally tough as he (Luck) is. He did so much with so little this year. I believe he can be a top five quarterback in the next two years.” Luck had to take over a team that had gone 2-14 the previous year, with gaping holes on the offensive side of the ball, and won nine more games.

Alas, the season is over for Indianapolis. Now it is time to look forward to April’s draft. In his first mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay has Indianapolis taking Ezekiel Ansah, a DE from BYU. McShay cites a new 3-4 scheme as a main reason for taking Ansah, who has taken “huge strides in 2012.”

If it were up to Bob Wolfley, the Colts would address their offensive line. If Luck has a solid line and has time to sit in the pocket, “he is going to crumble defenses.”

No matter whom the Colts draft in April, this season was an immense success. With solid player development and sound front office decisions, Indianapolis will be a playoff mainstay for years to come.

When I asked Bob for any last thoughts on the season, he replied with one simple hashtag:

#ColtsStrong

AFC South: Quarterback Rankings

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be ranking each of the position groups in the AFC South. Up this week: Quarterbacks.

(AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)

By Jeremy Philipson

1) Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts)

No one has done more with less this year than Andrew Luck. He became the face of the Colts’ franchise and has turned an awful team into a respectable one looking to land a playoff berth. Take at look at these two stat lines:

Player A: 59.2% completion, 1,814 yards, 12 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 0 rushing touchdowns

Player B: 57.5% completion, 2,631 yards, 10 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 5 rushing touchdowns

Player A has a better completion percentage, better touchdown to interception ratio, but has thrown for over 800 fewer yards. Player B, has 3 more total touchdowns, and clearly his team needs him to throw a lot to win games.

Player A is Jay Cutler. Player B is Andrew Luck. With almost no rushing game and an aging defense, Luck has been asked to be the best player on the Indianapolis roster. He has revived a team that was 2-14 a year ago, and will be a mainstay at Lucas Oil Stadium for years to come.

2) Matt Schaub (Houston Texans)

While many may think that Schaub deserves to be at the top of this list, he has been the beneficiary having an All-Pro running back behind him and a top ranked defense. Schaub has been just as efficient as last year, throwing for a high completion percentage, but less yards and a lower average completion. Although Schaub has less yards, yards, and passing touchdowns, he does not need to throw for 4,500 yards or 40 touchdowns with Arian Foster behind him. 2009 Matt Schaub may have been at the top of this list, where he threw for 4,770 yards and 29 touchdowns, but 2012 Matt Schaub is a much more efficient player, better fit for a Super Bowl run.

3) Jake Locker/Matt Hasselbeck (Tennessee Titans)

Because Locker has been hurt, and has only appeared in 5 games, the Titans’ quarterback duo will be evaluated as one player. With that being said, their combined stats are 61.5% completion, 2,270 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. Had one player put up those numbers they would be high on this list. The Titans are all in on Locker as the quarterback of the future, and should be excited with his progress thus far. But, until he can stay healthy for an entire season, he will be third best in the AFC South.

4) Blaine Gabbert (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Blaine Gabbert finds himself at the bottom of this list for numerous reasons. First off, he has not developed as expected in second year in the league. Although his completion percentage is way up (+7.2%) and is on pace to throw for more yards and touchdowns, that success has not translated to the win column. Last year, the Jaguars were 5-11 with Gabbert starting 15 games. This year, Jacksonville is only 1-8 and without running back Maurice Jones-Drew, could end up with only a few wins. Until Gabbert starts putting up numbers in the win column, he will be looking up at the rest of the quarterbacks in this division.

Next week: Running Backs

Luck of the Draw

At 2-2, the Colts have been surprisingly competitive, led by rookie quarterback Andrew Luck

By Jeremy Philipson

After going 2-14 in 2011, the Indianapolis Colts won the “Luck Sweepstakes,” and drafted Andrew Luck first overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. The 2012 Colts was a team that many figured would not win more than five or six games this year. A new general manager, head coach and quarterback signaled a season of rebuilding in Indy. But, Luck and this team has done anything but rebuild. 

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 

After losing Peyton Manning for all of last year, and cutting ties with him in the late winter, the Colts needed a new face for their franchise. Enter Andrew Luck, Heisman-finalist and consensus number one overall pick. After being drafted, Luck was surrounded by media hype all summer. He was being touted as the best prospect since John Elway and the savior of the franchise.

Luck didn’t miss a beat transitioning from the college ranks to the NFL, showing promise in his first start. Although the Colts lost on the road to a veteran Chicago Bears team, Luck threw for 309 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs.

His second start went better, getting his first NFL win and beating a surprisingly good Vikings team by throwing for 224 yards and 2 TDs without committing a turnover. This was the quarterback the scouts were salivating over, showing poise in the pocket and coming back from a tough loss the previous week.

Everything came together on Sunday, when Luck and the Colts came back from a 21-3 halftime deficit to beat the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. Luck finished with 362 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT, and led a game-winning drive, throwing a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

The Colts have a favorable schedule over their next few weeks, facing a battered New York Jets team, then the winless Cleveland Browns, followed by the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars, all teams under .500. If Luck continues to grow and progress as a player, the Indianapolis Colts could make some noise in the division they once used to own.