NFL Roundtable: Peyton, Luck Or Dalton Missed The Most?

Nov 8, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) shakes hands with Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) moments after Indianapolis defeated the Broncos , 27-24 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL roundtable this time focuses on an incredible situation happening out in the AFC where three playoff contenders now sit without their starting quarterbacks at the apex of the December stretch.  All three lost in pretty ugly fashion on Sunday.  This begs the question.  Of those three teams, which one is missing their starter the most?  Is it the Denver Broncos with Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts with Andrew Luck or the Cincinnati Bengals with Andy Dalton?

The Mocks crew was presented this question.  Here are there answers.

Shawn Spencer:

Has to be the Bengals at this point. Brock Osweiler and Matt Hasselbeck have already proven they can win, but A.J. McCarron is a big question mark. The Bengals have the inside track to a playoff berth, but they’re not yet a lock. As poorly as Andy Dalton has performed in the postseason, he’s by far the team’s best option. The Broncos and Colts are better off right now with their backups.

Joe Wedra:

The Colts need Luck as much as possible at the moment. It’s an immediate need. In the midst of such a battle, they’re going with a third-string QB. What luck! Denver and Cincinnati have locked in spots, while Indy desperately clings on sans Luck. Quite unlucky, and certainly of note as we enter the final stretch.

Eric Robinson:

I’m going to go with Dalton in Cincinnati. Everything was falling in line for Cincinnati and we all are aware of their playoff shortcomings. At least Indianapolis and Denver have experience of playing deep in the postseason and know how to persevere in tough moments. We can’t say the same for Cincy. The loss of Dalton on the field is one thing but for a relatively young team, this loss could hurt the team mentally.

Sayre Bedinger:

Andrew Luck – the Colts easily have the worst roster of those three teams. Of those three, no teams success is as dependent on a QB as the Colts is with Luck, but let’s be real – are any of these teams strutting into New England and beating Brady with a backup? We may have no choice but to find out.

Erik Lambert:

It has to be the Indianapolis Colts with Andrew Luck.  Cincinnati and Denver have good enough defenses and running games to compensate for their issues at quarterback for a few more weeks.  The Colts are relying on a defense that has allowed 45 and 51 points the past two weeks and a running game that features the ancient legs of Frank Gore and Ahmad Bradshaw.  It’s not enough to keep them afloat, even in a division as bad as the AFC South.  Luck is their best and only hope at this point.