When it came to quarterbacks in Week 3, there was a common theme. There was a major youth movement across the NFL.
Some of it was because teams had no choice after their starters went down with injuries and another was because a veteran was benched. One highly-regarded rookie made his third start and another that came into the league with no fanfare made his second start. In those two cases, the results were the exact opposite of what you would expect.
Each week in QB Watch, we pick out a theme and analyze quarterbacks who are trending up and down. This is not a ranking of any sort. It’s just an overview of a hot quarterback topic.
In this week’s QB Watch, the focus is strictly on young quarterbacks.
Trending Down
Kyler Muray, Arizona Cardinals
He was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and great things were expected. They haven’t happened so far. Murray has started three games and the Cardinals are 0-3. Against Carolina on Sunday, Murray had his worst outing yet. He threw for just 173 yards, two interceptions and was sacked eight times, although he did throw for two touchdowns. Murray is the face of the franchise, but his problem is that the rest of the franchise is terrible. The Cardinals need to do a better job of protecting Murray. If he keeps getting beat up, he’s either going to get hurt or end up like David Carr, who had his confidence shattered behind a terrible offensive line in Houston.
Luke Falk, New York Jets
You have to feel sorry for Falk because he was thrown into an impossible situation. The second-year pro was forced to make his first career start because starter Sam Darnold is out with mononucleosis and back Trevor Sieman was injured last week. Throw in the fact that Falk’s first start was against the New England Patriots and he never had a chance. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 98 yards and was intercepted twice. He also was sacked five times. Perhaps the only good news for the Jets, especially Falk, is that New York has a bye in Week 4. The team has said Darnold may be ready to return after that.
Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
With starter Ben Roethlisberger out for the season, Rudolph, a second-year pro, made his first career start. He wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t good enough to come up with a win against San Francisco. Rudolph completed 14 of 27 passes for 174 yards with two touchdown and an interception. Chalk this one up as a learning experience. Not just for Rudolph, but for the Pittsburgh coaching staff. After a first-half in which Rudolph didn’t throw downfield, he connected on touchdown throws of 76 and 39 yards in the second half. There’s a lesson to be learned from that. Let Rudolph take some chances. There will be some ups and downs, but Rudolph is going to be the quarterback the rest of the season.
Trending Up
Kyle Allen, Carolina Panthers
With starter Cam Newton out with a foot injury, Allen made his first start of the season and only the second of his career. He was nearly flawless, completing 19 of 26 passes for 261 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Granted, this came against the Cardinals, but those numbers are impressive any way you look at them. But the next step is going to cause controversy among Carolina fans. They already were growing restless with Newton, who did not start the season well. Some Carolina fans are calling for Allen to continue starting when Newton is healthy. It’s unclear if Newton will miss more time with the injury. But the reality is the Panthers have to turn things back to Newton when he’s healthy. He’s the face of the franchise and a former MVP. Allen might be nothing more than a one-hit wonder.
Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Minshew, a sixth-round draft choice, is turning into something of a cult figure in Jacksonville. Although the Jaguars are 1-2, fans are more than happy with Minshew, who stepped in after Nick Foles broke his left clavicle in the opener. Minshew has played well all along, but he led the Jaguars to their first win Thursday night against division rival Tennessee. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 204 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Once Foles is healthy, he’ll return as the starter because he’s the big-money guy. But that’s going to put Foles in a tough spot. Every time he makes a mistake, fans will be screaming for Minshew.
Daniel Jones, New York Giants
The Giants started a new era Sunday against Tampa Bay as the rookie Jones took over for Eli Manning. If Jones’ debut is any indication, the changing of the guard will go down as a prominent moment in franchise history as he led an 18-point comeback and ran for the game winning touchdown. Jones completed 22 of 36 passes for 336 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Jones also ran for two touchdowns. Make no mistake, this job now belongs to Jones. He’ll be the quarterback for the Giants for at least the next decade. The only way Manning gets back on the field this season will be if Jones gets injured.
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.
