Quarterback play drives race in AFC South
Watson, Mariota, Luck have teams on win streaks
HOUSTON — Terrific play during current winning streaks by quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, Marcus Mariota and Andrew Luck has turned the AFC South into an interesting and competitive race going into the last seven games.
Watson, Mariota and Luck have helped the Texans, Titans and Colts overcome losing streaks that threatened to derail their seasons.
The Texans have a sixgame winning streak after an 0-3 start, and their 6-3 record is good enough to lead the division.
The Titans have earned back-to-back victories over Dallas and New England after losing three consecutive games. They’re 5-4 and one game behind the Texans.
The Colts’ 1-5 start included a four-game losing streak, but they’ve won three in a row, leaving them two games behind the Texans with a 4-5 record.
The Texans play at Washington. The Colts host the Titans.
Interestingly, the defending AFC South champion and division favorite this season, Jacksonville, has a five-game losing streak and a 3-6 record that has caused the Jaguars to fall from first to worst. They’re the only team with a quarterback, Blake Bortles, who’s not playing exceptionally well.
When the Jaguars won the division last season and came within one game of the Super Bowl, Bortles was the only AFC South quarterback to stay healthy. This season, Mariota missed two starts — the only division quarterback not to start every game.
Watson has played through a partially collapsed lung, a broken rib and a bruised sternum. He’s completed 64.9 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He averages 8.4 yards per attempt, and his rating is 100.8.
During the Texans’ last three victories, they didn’t commit a turnover. Watson had eight touchdown passes and a 132 rating.
In the Titans’ last two victories over Dallas 28-14 and New England 34-10, Mariota had four touchdown passes and one rushing. He didn’t throw an interception against the Cowboys or Patriots. In their last three victories, the Titans averaged 29.3 points.
Mariota has overcome an uneven performance. He has seven touchdown passes and five interceptions, but if he plays as he has in the last two games, the Titans are capable of bypassing the Texans.
Luck has been outstanding. Considering he didn’t play last season after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder, what he’s accomplishing is amazing.
In the Colts’ three-game winning streak, Luck had 10 touchdown passes, one interception and ratings of at least 123.5 in each game. He’s thrown at least three touchdown passes in six consecutive games, giving him 26 for the season to go with nine interceptions.
Playing behind a rebuilt offensive line, Luck has been sacked 10 times, but none in the last four games. Compare that to Watson (30) and Mariota (25).
“Right now, you’re seeing the benefits of each team drafting well at quarterback,” Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph said.
Luck was the first overall pick in 2012. Mariota was second overall in 2015 and Watson 12th in 2017. Bortles was third in 2014.
When asked to evaluate the recent performances by Mariota and Luck, Joseph started with the Titans.
“Mariota had a great rookie season, and he’s built on that,” he said. “Right now, they’ve got some pieces around him, and he’s having success. He’s making a lot of plays.
“Luck is Luck. He’s come back from that injury and is playing great. We know what kind of quarterback he is.”
Joseph hasn’t been surprised by the way Luck has played. The Texans were fortunate to win 37-34 in overtime at Indianapolis to start their winning streak.
“I didn’t expect anything different from him,” Joseph said. “It just took him a little time to shake the rust off. You’ve got to bury that guy. If you give him any time on the clock, he can put you away, and it doesn’t matter if they’re down two or three scores.”
Watson, Mariota and Luck are throwing the ball well, and they cause problems for the defense with their mobility.
“We know those guys can make splash plays with their arms and legs,” Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “That adds stress on the defense. It’s important for them to use their legs to keep the defense honest.
“And those three quarterbacks are really taking good care of the football.”
During their winning streaks, Watson, Luck and Mariota have combined for 22 touchdown passes and one interception.