Blake Bortles was best AFC South QB and it wasn’t even close

Blake Bortles took a big step forward in 2015 but what may be the most impressive takeaway from his performance was just how much better he was when compared to his division rivals.

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At the start of the 2015 season it may have been ridiculous to think that Blake Bortles would outstrip players like Andrew Luck and even Brian Hoyer. Luck is a generational talent and Hoyer is a competent, oft-maligned starter. Bortles’ closest competition in the division figured to be rookie first rounder Marcus Mariota.

Things got off to a rough start in Week 1 when Mariota clearly showed he was more ready for the NFL than anybody had previously though.

But as the dust settles around the 2015 season, it’s important to look back and see just how things shook out. While it’s tough to separate each QB from the collective team performance, we’ll focus mostly on the statistics that the QBs put together.

Let’s dive in.

5) Andrew Luck, quarterback, Indianapolis Colts

2-5 record, 55.3 completion percentage, 1881 yards, 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions

Andrew Luck was supposed to be the guy in 2015. He and the Indianapolis Colts are the top of the class in the AFC South and behind his arm they were expected to be the division’s representatives to the playoffs (again).

Instead, the Colts saw an implosion centering around the quarterback and everything fell apart thereafter. Finishing second in the division isn’t anything to scoff at, but it certainly wasn’t because of the golden boy quarterback.

Luck didn’t compete in many games this season due to injury but his performances before injury weren’t anything to write home about either. After strong seasons where Luck proved to be everything we thought he would be, 2015 looked like a major regression.

It was so bad that head coach Chuck Pagano wasn’t expected to retain his job. It was so bad that Luck’s poor performances made 40-year old backup Matt Hasselbeck look like the quarterback messiah.

Overall, Luck’s numbers are not horrible. They certainly aren’t up to par for the quarterback, though, and he is expected to do better. He wins games for the Colts usually but in 2015 he was a liability and quite literally cost his team games.

Next: A backup turns in some impressive work as a competent replacement