Which presumable playoff teams would still be considered a presumable playoff teams if they lost their starting QB within the first 4 offense played in game 1 if the regular season? I asked this question in another thread but so far there have been no takers. We all have a good idea of who the playoff favorites were coming into this season. Which of those teams has a QB2 that could take over as QB1 and still get them there? I'm not saying there aren't any. I'm just interested in hearing your thoughts. Let's see who else dropped the ball like JD.
This is an interesting question because on the round 2 prediction thread 67% of us don't even think were a .500 team without Rodgers. If we not a .500 team without Rodgers we were never close to being a SB team with him. That said, I'd say Miami, Phily, SF, and Cinn would all still be valid playoff contenders with their starter. Maybe even NE and Detriot. KC defense is to wonky.
Cowboys SanFran-Maybe Phily-With Mariotta (Doubt it) NE- They are not a playoff with their starter Detroit-Goff does not get enough credit
Phily is a run first team loaded with playmakers. Their DL is on par with us. They wouldn't need Hurts to make playoffs. Detriot is close to being on par with Phily. Amazing running game, WR weapons, solid defense. NE looked good in the loss to Phily. Don't sleep on them. One thing they all have that we don't is a solid o-line. It all begins up front.
So Darnold could QB thr Niners to the playoffs. Interesting. Jake Browning in Cincy? I don't think so. NE isn't even considered a playoff team. Bridgewater in Detroit? I think Miami would be a better choice with White. And forget about KC.
It’s a difficult question to answer since there aren’t always large sample sizes of QB’s going down for the entire season on good teams. Baltimore lost Lamar for 5 games and made it. Tennessee lost Tannehill who kinda sucks anyways and lost 5 of their last 8 by one score or less. You also have to remember that a lot of these teams with high paid QB’s (Chiefs, Bengals now, Ravens moving forward, Cowboys, Bills) have decided that they can sacrifice a fifth of their cap space or more for their given QB to carry most of them. The teams most likely to make the playoffs without them usually have the cap space to invest in other parts of the roster so it’s stronger and they can withstand a QB injury.
I would like to see how Darnold would fare on this 2023 Jets team…..I bet he’d look a lot better then when he was originally on the team with that crap….. As far as Miami - White is just as brittle as Tua and remember he doesn’t have that deep ball to take advantage of the outside speed. He could lead a team to victory for a a week or so before defenses wise up … Everything else is 100% true …
The role of the backup QB on a good team is to step in for a few games and win a couple. It's not to replace QB1 for the entire season and lead them to the playoffs. We all knew we would be screwed if Rodgers missed a lot of time and you can't miss any more time than he going to miss this year. I'd say all the playoff teams would be screwed if they lost their guy for the year. I've yet to hear a compelling case that they wouldn't be. Is it possible? Absolutely. But their odds of winning it all would drop significantly, just like the Jets.
Would depend on Division, Schedule and the health of other teams. Panthers last year cycled through QB's but were in the race till the last week due to a weak division. We ourselves had terrible sub-QB2 play for a large part of our season but got wins off Skylar Thompson, Siemian and Pickett in his first start that almost got us to the cusp of a WC. If you refined your question to qualifying as divisional winners then the results would probably be clearer as the only results would be the historical samples of teams that stumbled across an unexpected diamond - Purdy, Prescott, Warner, etc...
I don’t think the Cowboys are a playoff team. I think the only surefire answer is San Fran. With that Roster they would easily still make the playoffs with Darnold. Going deep in playoffs is a different story.
I think Darnold would get the 49ers to the playoffs. He's not a franchise QB, but he's not terrible either. He had to put up with a lot of shit while he was here.
But his schedule would include 4 tough divisional games, Eagles, Cowgirls, Bengals, Ravens, Browns & Jags. Those same Jags with Beathard under center have only to see off the Titans (who may make a QB switch themselves at some point) for the Division whilst facing a schedule featuring a pretty bad NFC South. You could argue that any QB2 in the NFC South (Dalton, Heinicke, Winston, (maybe not) Trask) could compete for the Division winners slot against Ridder, Mayfield, Young, Carr led teams. But as this relates to the Jets.....We've little hope in the division if Allen and Tua remain fit and a schedule of KC, Chargers, Browns, Cowgirls, Eagles isn't conducive for a WC run. There might be a historical path to success of suddenly finding out we have an unheralded Warner, Prescott or Brady suddenly thrust into the starters role. However we have someone on who the book has been written & that book is a QB bust.
I think the point is that most teams super bowl aspirations would be shot to pieces if they lost their QB1. Look at the front runners. Where is KC going without Mahomes? Where are the Bills going without Allen? Even the Niners would be hampered with Darnold at QB. 10-7 was a realistic expectation with Aaron Rodgers. I don't see how we don't have a worse record than that with any of the backup QB's that were available in the off-season. The very worst thing happened to the Jets and I can't blame JD for not having a QB1-A on the roster ready to take over. If this was a case where Rodgers sprained an ankle, missed 3 games and Wilson played poorly while we lost all 3 then JD would deserve to get roasted. But that's not the case.
JD will be roasted because he could of got Dalton, Bridgewater, Taylor, Brissett, Winston or even Minshew for Whitehead or Huff money. The reason he didn't get us a guy who has some experience and even moment of success playing the role of QB1 is that he's personally tied to the draft bust that's put up some of the worst statistics and tape over the last 2 seasons and cannot demote him to QB3 for a season or two. That connection is the reason that we were effectively out of the Carr, Garrapolo or even any potential Cousins or Tannehill stakes as any of those QB's would expect to be the starter beyond the length of Zach's contract and would of amounted to admitting that Wilson was done.
Did you make a prediction on the Jets record this year with Rodgers? If so, what was it tell me what you would have predicted with any of those QB's you've mentioned.
I had Rodgers going 10-6 the rest of the way through the schedule based off his 2022 performance with a shot at 12-4 if he was closer to his MVP form. In Round 2 I had Zach leading us to a best of 5-11 down the stretch with more probable low of 2-14 as the D tired and got hurt and the Offense would struggle to put up 17 ppg. With the QBs I listed I think our PPG would be in the 21-24 range (thus closer to my original, cautious prediction) so a 10 or 11 win season for a WC slot but we'd miss the Rodgers upside of competing for the AFC East title. Basically we'd win games because of Rodgers, we'd win games with <insert average QB> and only win games in spite of Zach.
So you basically think this team is the same with Rodgers at QB or one of the myriad of QB's that have been mentioned. Sounds reasonable
It's all 'floors and ceilings' I think if Rodgers plays average or competent (2022) then the record will be the same as another QB playing average or competent = 10-7 & a WC Rodgers has however shown he can play better then average (2020 - 2021), he can in fact play to MVP levels = 13-4 & The Division & maybe a Superbowl! We may end up one and done, we may go on a magical and unlikely run - with Zach we're not even going to qualify.
