PROVING GROUND
Whether returning from injury or a subpar season, they are aiming for validation
Now you see him, now you don’t. That’s basically the script for AFC South quarterbacks.
Is Andrew Luck a generational quarterback, as he appeared to be early in his career with the Indianapolis Colts, or an overrated player — as some critics suggest — who slowly wore down under a barrage of hits?
Is Marcus Mariota the Tennessee Titans leader who inspired so much hope with his 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions two seasons ago, or the guy who had more passes picked off (15) than touchdown passes (13) last season?
Is Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles the first-round pick widely written off as a bust — “He trash,” Houston’s Jadeveon Clowney famously scoffed in December — or the inspirational leader who went on to help the young Jaguars to consecutive playoff victories?
And what about the Texans? The NFL world got a glimpse of a phenom last season, as Deshaun Watson got off to a dazzling start before his season ended abruptly with a noncontact knee injury in practice.
The Texans, typically known for their defense, scored more than 33 points in each of Watson’s four starts.
He had 19 passing touchdowns in his first seven games, more than any quarterback in the modern era. He was spectacular.
Even Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who caused a stir this summer with his unbridled critique of various NFL quarterbacks in a GQ article, was effusive in his praise of Watson.
“Deshaun Watson, he’ll be the league MVP in a couple years,” Ramsey told the magazine. “One hundred percent. There’s not even a debate about that. Him and [Philadelphia’s] Carson Wentz, for every year starting now until five to 10 years, it’s gonna be them two. They’re that good.”
After an offseason of rehabilitating, Watson is back and ready to go.
“It’s been hard work,” he told reporters. “Long days, early mornings, late nights, tough times. There were mornings I didn’t want to get up, drills I didn’t want to do. But I’d still do it. I appreciate the training staff and all the people that helped me get through the process.”
Watson was on pace to throw 43 touchdown passes as a rookie, and the team averaged 34.7 points in his six starts, so it’s difficult to overstate the excitement surrounding the team.
“I mean, the potential is there, but we’ve got to transfer that potential to the field and go put in the work each and every day, try to get 1% better, just trust the process and take it one day at a time,” he said recently. “We can’t look forward to the future. We’ve got to put in the work because we can’t just walk on the field and make it happen.”
In Indianapolis, Luck is making a triumphant return of his own after sitting out the 2017 season because of a shoulder injury. That came a season after he signed a $140-million extension, then threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns with a careerhigh completion percentage of 63.5.
Now he’s back — heathier, yes, but also a little older and wiser.
“What I’ve learned about myself is that I’m quite impatient as a person and it’s gotten me to a place that maybe I shouldn’t have been in the first place,” he told reporters. “I don’t want to repeat those missteps. Some things take time and I’ve learned that. When I have the urge to do something silly, I talk to myself and say, ‘It’s not worth it.’ ”
At the start of camp, Luck said: “I understand how passionate Colts fans are and how excited they are for the season. But I can assure you this, no one is as excited as I am and no one cares more about it than I do.”