A.J. Green and 4 Best Friends for Rookie QBs

The success of a rookie quarterback is determined by more than one factor. And despite the battery of combine tests and the bright lights of a pro day, a lot of those factors are completely out of the quarterback's hands.

First-year passers who actually enjoy their rookie seasons are usually surrounded by better-than-average talent, and having the right mix of supporting cast members can go a long way toward determining the greatness of any career.

Whether it's a stout offensive line, a scintillating receiver, a suffocating defense or a dominant running back, young QBs need all the help they can get. The kind of help offered by these five support systems.

AJ Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

If you knew Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals would be sitting at 5-2 before the season started, don't raise your hand; take that hand and slap yourself for being a liar.

No one predicted that Dalton would become this effective this with this team. And he owes a lot of that success to fellow rookie and wunderkind receiver AJ Green.

Green was Cincinnati's first pick, taken fourth overall, 31 spots before Dalton, and he's done nothing but prove that four might have been a few spots too low. Through seven games, Green has reeled in five touchdown passes to lead all NFL rookies.

He's racked up 33 catches for over 500 yards, and he's done it while adjusting to a new offense with a new quarterback after suffering through the most stunted and disorganized offseason in decades.

Steve Smith, WR, Carolina Panthers

Okay, so he hasn't been exactly the same kind of ally that AJ Green has been, and he was pretty vocal with his disappointment over the Carolina Panthers' supposed under-utilization of his skills. But Steve Smith has been anything but a detractor this season, giving rookie quarterback Cam Newton the electrifying weapon he needs.

Smith's resurgence has certainly strengthened his argument that his lack of production in recent seasons was anyone's fault but his own. Through eight weeks, he's piled up five 100-plus-yard receiving games, four of which saw him eclipse 140 yards. He's snatched four touchdowns, too, his highest mark through Week 8 since 2008.

Newton's presence has obviously aided Smith's own march back up the stat sheet, but without Smith, there's no guarantee we would have seen the same early dominance from Newton. Either way, it's a safe bet that both players are thankful for the other.

A Weak Schedule

Not to pick on our friend Andy Dalton, but even though schedules don't suit up on Sundays, Cincinnati's slate has certainly played a part in the team's early success. 

The Bengals have already played Cleveland, Denver, Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Seattle, and even though they dropped the Denver game, that soft start was a big boon for a rookie quarterback like Dalton, who has thrown only one touchdown against four interceptions against teams with winning records.

The overall combined record of their first seven opponents is a paltry 19-31, and with four total games remaining against Baltimore and Pittsburgh, we could see a late-season swoon from Cincinnati.

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert, a starter since Week 2, has only one career win after being thrown to the wolves during a tough early-season stretch. 

Starting your NFL tenure with a 1-5 mark is no one's wish, but Gabbert might not have even that one without Jones-Drew.

In a game that was sure to be a blowout, Jones-Drew somehow found enough daylight to rack up 105 rushing yards as the Jaguars knocked off the Baltimore Ravens 12-7. Gabbert, meanwhile, completed just nine passes for less than 100 yards.

Against the Houston Texans in Week 8, Gabbert again failed to reach the century mark, but the Jaguars were again within striking distance because of Jones-Drew's late rushing TD. Nothing seems to be going right in Jacksonville this season, but without MJD to lean on, things could be worse.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

"My best friend is better than your best friend" may sound like something you'd hear on Gilmore Girls, but it's a phrase Christian Ponder could utter with some certainty, if he were so inclined. And if he was talking about on-field, football-specific best friends.

There's no better supporting system in the NFL than Peterson, a bruising physical runner capable of bucking the league's recent multi-back trend. When given the opportunity, Peterson has shown the ability to take over a game and carry a team, and with Ponder providing some semblance of balance in the backfield, Peterson's opportunities have only grown.

The Vikings limped to an 0-4 start with Peterson averaging only 20.25 carries per game, but they've gone 2-2 since bumping his number of touches to 23.25. It's not a huge leap, but it's definitely no coincidence that better success has followed more involvement from their start runner.