With the exception of the Monday night games, Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books. That means it’s time to unveil a new weekly feature.
It’s called QB Watch. In simple terms, it’s an overview of how the players at the game’s most important position fared. But this won’t just be a weekly review of accolades for Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes.
Instead, we’ll branch out and do a random sampling of the most meaningful quarterback performances. The goal is to not just repeat numbers. It’s to tell you the story of what those numbers mean.
Each week, we’ll examine four quarterbacks that are trending up and four that are trending down.
TRENDING DOWN
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
What he did: In a 31-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Winston completed 20 of 36 passes for 194 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions — including two pick-sixes.
What it means: Wait, wasn’t the arrival of coach Bruce Arians, a supposed quarterback guru, supposed to make Winston into an instant superstar? Well, he looked like the same old Winston, turning the ball over repeatedly. It’s only one game, so let’s not say that Arians can’t rescue Winston. However, the former Florida State star now is down to 15 games to show he can be a franchise quarterback. Winston is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Bucs will have to make a big decision on him after the season. Keep in mind that Tampa Bay has never signed a quarterback it drafted to a second contract. If Winston continues to play like he did against the 49ers, that streak will remain intact.
TRENDING DOWN: Winston / Mayfield / Newton / Darnold
TRENDING UP: Jackson / Minshew / Wentz / Prescott
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
What he did: Mayfield completed 25 of 38 passes for 285 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in a 43-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
What it means: Yes, there really was talk of the Browns being a Super Bowl contender, mostly because Mayfield threw for a rookie-record 27 touchdowns last year and because Cleveland acquired a top-notch receiving threat in Odell Beckham Jr. But in front of a hometown crowd that believed the hype, Mayfield turned in a dud of a game. Even though Beckham drew heavy coverage, Mayfield managed to get him the ball seven times. But there were no explosive plays from Beckham, who finished with 71 receiving yards and no touchdowns. Expectations now have been tempered greatly. The Browns still have the ingredients for a prolific offense, but Mayfield and the coaching staff need to get other weapons involved to take some coverage away from Beckham.
TRENDING DOWN: Winston / Mayfield / Newton / Darnold
TRENDING UP: Jackson / Minshew / Wentz / Prescott
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
What he did: Newton completed 25 of 38 passes for 239 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in a 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
What it means: Newton had offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder, but the quarterback and team said his arm was as strong as ever entering the season. Newton also suffered a sprained foot in the preseason. Again, both parties said the foot was totally healed. But after watching Newton on Sunday, it’s fair to wonder if his shoulder and foot really are fine. Newton’s longest completion of the day was for 17 yards, and he didn’t attempt any deep passes. His trademark mobility also was missing as he ran three times for a career-low minus-2 yards. If Newton really can’t throw the deep ball anymore, the Panthers are in for a long season — and the heat on coach Ron Rivera will keep increasing.
TRENDING DOWN: Winston / Mayfield / Newton / Darnold
TRENDING UP: Jackson / Minshew / Wentz / Prescott
Sam Darnold, New York Jets
What he did: In a 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Darnold completed 28 of 41 passes for 175 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
What it means: The Jets blew a 16-point lead at home and that’s concerning on many levels. But the play of Darnold and the offense (which managed just eight points) was the most worrisome aspect of all. Adam Gase was brought in as head coach because he supposedly had the kind of offensive mind that could take Darnold to the next level. Instead, it looked as if Darnold took a couple of steps backward Sunday. There was basically no downfield passing game, because the offensive line was terrible and didn’t give Darnold time to throw. Gase wasn’t a popular hire among fans in the first place. If he can’t turn this offense around quickly, he could have a short tenure with the Jets.
TRENDING DOWN: Winston / Mayfield / Newton / Darnold
TRENDING UP: Jackson / Minshew / Wentz / Prescott
TRENDING UP
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
What he did: In a 59-10 victory against the Miami Dolphins, Jackson completed 17 of 20 passes for 324 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions.
What it means: After the game, Jackson took a verbal shot at critics who said he should play a different position because he’s better at running the ball than throwing. After this performance, Jackson had every right to say that. He certainly showed he could pass, and he might have had more than five touchdown passes if the Ravens didn’t take him out of the game early. Maybe Jackson really can be a passer. But let’s not anoint him just yet. You have to keep in mind that the Dolphins have the look of a team that could be historically bad. Let’s see Jackson throw the ball well against a good team before fully buying in.
TRENDING DOWN: Winston / Mayfield / Newton / Darnold
TRENDING UP: Jackson / Minshew / Wentz / Prescott
Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars
What he did: In a 40-26 loss to Kansas City, Minshew completed 22 of 25 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
What it means: Entering the day, Minshew was pretty much an unheard-of backup. He was a sixth-round draft choice this year. All the offseason talk in Jacksonville was about Nick Foles, who was brought in to get the Jaguars back to where they were in 2017 when they were 10-6 and reached the AFC Championship Game. They disappointed last year and parted ways with quarterback Blake Bortles. The roster still had plenty of talent and it seemed as if Foles might be all the Jaguars needed to turn things around. But Foles suffered a broken left clavicle and will be out for an extended period. After seeing how Minshew performed, however, it may not be time for the Jaguars to hit the panic button. The rookie’s teammates raved about his play and, with a good team around him, Minshew should be able to win some games. The Jaguars traded for Pittsburgh backup quarterback Josh Dobbs, but he’s inexperienced and doesn’t know Jacksonville’s offense. Minshew did enough Sunday to earn himself at least a few starts.
TRENDING DOWN: Winston / Mayfield / Newton / Darnold
TRENDING UP: Jackson / Minshew / Wentz / Prescott
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
What he did: In a 32-27 victory against the Washington Redskins, Wentz completed 28 of 39 passes for 313 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
What it means: After taking a step backward last year, following a Super Bowl win in the 2017 season, the Eagles are back as championship contenders. That’s largely because the opener showed they have something they lacked last year – a legitimate deep threat in the passing game. There’s no question they have that again in DeSean Jackson, who was with the Eagles from 2008 through 2013. Although Jackson is 32, he showed he has plenty of speed on touchdown catches of 53 and 51 yards. There never was any question Wentz could throw the deep ball. Now, he’s got someone to throw it to. That’s going to open up a ton of options for Wentz and the entire offense.
TRENDING DOWN: Winston / Mayfield / Newton / Darnold
TRENDING UP: Jackson / Minshew / Wentz / Prescott
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
What he did: In a 35-17 victory against the New York Giants, the Dallas quarterback recorded the first perfect passer rating in franchise history. He completed 25 of 32 passes for 405 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
What it means: The Cowboys have been talking off and on about a new contract for Prescott for months. But after Sunday’s game, Dallas owner Jerry Jones said a new deal was “imminent.” There are several reasons for this. First, the Cowboys gave running back Ezekiel Elliott a new deal last week, meaning Prescott was next in line in Dallas. The Los Angeles Rams gave Jared Goff a new deal last week that made him the highest-paid quarterback in history. That put Prescott next in line at the position, and he soon will be the league’s highest-paid quarterback. Jones should be feeling much more urgency after Prescott’s performance Sunday. If Prescott isn’t signed soon, his play is likely to keep driving his price tag up.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
