Five NFL QBs to Watch in 2006

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. What does the Fourth of July mean? Well, besides flags, parades, fireworks, and backyard barbecues, it means we are another holiday down and that much closer to the start of the pro football season. The question fans are asking themselves as we get ready for training camps: will my team have the talent to produce some fireworks on the field this year?

If there is one position that is key to this question, it is the quarterback. Not to knock the other positions, but if the QB struggles, odds are the team will struggle. So I thought I would share with you five quarterbacks worth watching in the coming season. I believe that these players will make or break their team's chances of success in a significant way. If they shine, their team could be a playoff contender. If they struggle, the team could be at home come the post-season.

Ben Roethlisberger

Let's start with my favorite team, and the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers. It hasn't been a real good offseason for the men in black and gold. They lost Super Bowl star Antwan Randall El to free agency and Jerome Bettis to retirement. Rumors were swirling around that head coach Bill Cowher was also mulling retirement. Number one pick Antonio Holmes has been arrested twice. To top it all off, franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a nasty motorcycle accident while riding without a helmet. Suddenly, it felt like the Steelers' chance of a Super Bowl repeat was slipping away even before the season began.

After a few tension-filled days, however, Ben seems to be making a quick recovery and the Steelers still have the talent to regroup and make a run for the postseason. But Roethlisberger is critical component of that run. Backup QB Charlie Batch is a capable and veteran player, but he is injury-prone and doesn't have all the tools that Roethlisberger does. Rookie Omar Jacobs has a lot of potential, but will need time to develop. No, if the Steelers are going to build on the success they had last year and attempt to build another dynasty, they are going to do it with Ben at the helm.

Besides the obvious issue of his overall health, and his ability to recover from his injuries, what am I looking for from Ben? Two things: leadership and play-making. The first issues is important with the retirement of Jerome Bettis. Bettis was a motivating presence on last year's team. With his absence, Roethlisberger will need to continue to take on more of a leadership role — he'll have to make this his team. In big games and during tough times, the team will look to him and he needs to provide the stability and presence that will make those around him perform at the highest level.

One way to inspire your team mates is to make plays in key situations. Roethlisberger is clearly capable of doing exactly that. During last year's playoffs, particularly in games against Indianapolis and Denver, Ben was in the groove from the start and helped get the Steelers out to an early lead. The success of the passing game seemed to get opponents back on their heels and allowed the Steelers to play with confidence and discipline. Despite making some gutsy plays, Roethlisberger's Super Bowl performance didn't match the expectations of the previous couple of games. He seemed out of sync for much of the game and made a couple of critical mistakes that gave the Seahawks a chance to get back in the game.

Taken together, leadership and play-making abilities is what separates good QBs from great ones. When you think about quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Brett Favre, John Elway, and Joe Montana you think about how they were the unquestioned leader of their teams and how they made the big plays when the game was on the line.

Roethlisberger certainly has had an amazing start to his career. He was thrust into the starting role and took a veteran team on an amazing 15 game winning streak. In only his second season, he was able to reach the Super Bowl and win. He has shown flashes of brilliance and clearly has loads of potential. The question is whether he is going to continue on from good to great. For that, and other obvious reasons, I will be watching Ben Roethlisberger this year.

Steve McNair

Steve McNair is one tough hombre and a dangerous one at that. If he can get his body on the field of play, you can't count him out. On many occasions in the last few years, he has seemingly single-handedly willed the Tennessee Titans to a win. The problem has been keeping that body in one piece so he can lead his team.

So the question is whether his new team, the Baltimore Ravens, will be able to protect him and keep him on the field. If he can stay healthy, the question becomes does he have enough weapons to jump-start an often anemic offense? On paper, things look intriguing. Jamal Lewis is back after a sub-par season and they have added Mike Anderson to add depth at the running back position or alternatively to challenge Lewis.

The receiving corps has some potential. McNair is reuniting with former Titans teammate Derrick Mason who should be his go-to guy. The Ravens are looking to second-year receiver Mark Clayton to continue to develop as a threat opposite Mason. And the excellent pass-catching TE Todd Heap provides another great target.

But can the Ravens put it all together in a tough division? Can the offensive line protect McNair and keep him healthy? Will the defense be porous and force the offense into shootouts? The Ravens seem like a big question mark to me. I wouldn't be surprised if they were highly competitive, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they really struggled. I will be watching to see how a competitor like Steve McNair impacts this organization.

Donovan McNabb

Another tough QB coming off an injury-plagued season is Donovan McNabb. McNabb also plays in a tough division and carries the weight of his team on his shoulders. The question is does he have enough talent around him? I am not so sure. Losing Terrell Owens to Dallas was probably good for the locker room but it will hurt on the field. I am not sure Brian Westerbrook is an every down running back who will keep defenses honest. TJ Smith is a solid TE, but who is the real threat at WR? Reggie Brown? Just to rub salt in the wounds, not only do the Eagles lack a play-maker, but they will have to face T.O. twice during the season.

I think it will be fascinating to see how McNabb responds both physically and mentally to last year's disastrous season. For this reason, and some great divisional rivalries, I will be keeping my eyes on the Eagles this year.

Phillip Rivers

Talk about pressure. Phillip Rivers was a number one draft pick and viewed as a potential franchise QB. And yet he hasn't played more than a couple of regular season games the last two seasons. Now he is thrust into the starting role with Drew Brees' move to New Orleans. The Charger fans were heartbroken about missing the playoffs last year and now are relying on Rivers to get them back to the postseason. I am sure Rivers is excited about finally being the starter, but that is a lot of pressure.

Luckily for him, he has LaDainian Tomlinson in the backfield and that should help take off some pressure. But he will be playing in a very competitive division and lacks a real go-to receiver. Keenan McCardel, Eric Parker, and Rashaun Woods won't scare anyone. I am sure TE Antonio Gates will be a frequent target, but one of the other wideouts will need to step up if Rivers is to be successful.

After the whole Ryan Leaf fiasco, it should be interesting to seem how the Chargers' latest first-round draft pick develops.

Drew Brees

Speaking of Drew Brees, he is another QB I will be watching in 2006. Brews struggled at first, but eventually developed into a Pro Bowl QB at San Diego. He cashed in on that success and is now the go-to guy in New Orleans. The question is can he bring success to the struggling Saints franchise?

Obviously, the people of New Orleans have bigger things to worry about than football. But they have to be excited about the potential of first-round draft pick and Heisman winner, Reggie Bush. Brees also has to be excited about having that type of weapon around him. After all, he was used to having LaDainian Tomlinson around. If Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth can stay healthy and put up consistent numbers, then Brees might have a formidable offense. But the offensive line has to be a concern. Brees will need time to throw if he is to succeed and stay healthy. And that front line doesn't look all that stable or deep.

Rookie head coach Sean Payton will have to try and put the ugly past few seasons behind him and start developing a winning team. With all of the heartache and trouble that town has seen, it would be nice to see him succeed.

***

The above list just scratches the surface of the interesting QB story lines in the NFL. You have Daunte Culpepper in Miami and Carson Palmer in Cincinnati seeking to return from serious injuries and lead their team to the playoffs. You have Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells trying to use Terrell Owens to make one more playoff run. You have Jake Plummer looking to redeem himself after a lackluster playoff performance and after his team moved up to take a QB in the draft. You have Brett Favre hoping to end his career on a positive note after last year's debacle. Practically every team in the league has questions at the QB position in the immediate or near future. It is a position in almost constant flux and yet critical to a team's success.

This is yet another reason why I can't wait for football season. How about you?