Five NFL quarterbacks debuted on new teams Sunday afternoon. We got the full range of experiences, from horrific, Banned-From-Television bad stinkers, to surprising underdog victories. Naturally, most QB debuts are not made with established contenders. These are teams (and quarterbacks) hoping to bring new life to down-on-their-luck fanbases.
Let’s grade each of them according to whether or not faith was restored in Week 1.
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders
Grade: C
Look, what did you expect? Kirk Cousins threw a couple interceptions, but mostly stood tall in the pocket and played point guard, executing at a very high level in the end zone. We know the deal at this point. Cousins’ prime is behind him; he’s immobile and his arm isn’t as strong as it once was. Still, the IQ shines through, and he’s clearly a solid schematic fit in the Klint Kubiak offense.
The Raiders put the Dolphins away with relative ease. Only tougher tests lie ahead, but it’s nice to start the campaign with a W. Cousins’ limitations (and Las Vegas’ personnel deficiencies) probably mean Fernando Mendoza will get the nod midseason, but for now, Cousins can still credibly do his job, if not with much flare.
Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins
Grade: D
The Dolphins did not roll over completely, but the Raiders were far and away the better team on Sunday afternoon. Malik Willis, whom Miami paid $67.5 million over three years to solve their QB crisis, did not exactly look the part of a solution. Willis flashed his impressive arm talent and ran for a touchdown, but he also took five sacks and threw an interception.
Willis does not deserve all the blame — he’s in probably the worst situation of any NFL quarterback, give or take Cam Ward in Tennessee — but great quarterbacks can elevate a poor roster. Willis just could not do much with the hand he was dealt on Sunday, and the Raiders aren’t exactly the most difficult Week 1 test. If Willis can get the ball on quicker and find better ways to balance risk and efficiency, better days are ahead. There’s no shortage of raw talent, but as of now it remains untapped.
Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
Grade: Incomplete
Kyler Murray’s debut was cut short after a brutal helmet-to-helmet hit gave him a concussion. He threw an interception on his first pass as a Viking beforehand, but was otherwise fine in the lead-up to the injury. It’s hard to give him an earnest grade, but Minnesota can feel good about dropping 39 points on Green Bay with Carson Wentz taking the majority of their QB snaps. Wentz is no stranger to the Vikings, of course, but he looked excellent. Sorry, J.J. McCarthy.
Cooper Rush, Atlanta Falcons
Grade: F
Cooper Rush made his Falcons debut as the Week 1 starter after Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa were both scratched with injuries. It was, um, not a great showing. Rush threw two interceptions and only tallied 143 passing yards. His accuracy was all over the place and he consistently crumbled under pressure, taking four sacks.
It’s hard to find a redeeming element of Rush’s performance, to be entirely frank. He was probably the worst quarterback on the field Sunday, and that’s saying a lot considering some of the other QBs who took the field. Penix should be back in time for Week 2; if he’s not, the Falcons should strongly consider breaking the seal on undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who became a cult hero in preseason. Regardless, the Falcons cannot send Rush back out there, lest their fanbase revolt.
Geno Smith, New York Jets
Grade: A
Geno Smith completed 79 percent of his passes for 215 yards, averaging 9.0 yards per attempt. He did not commit a single turnover or take a single sack. Not what one might expect from the reigning NFL turnover leader making his debut for the New York Jets, of all teams. Smith was stuck behind a porous offensive line without much help in Las Vegas last season, though. The Jets can actually battle in the trenches, and Smith isn’t wanting for quality weapons around him.
If the Jets weren’t the Jets, saddled with all the baggage inherent to that organization, we might have slightly different expectations for them. Not that long ago, Smith was a favorite of football sickos everywhere, proclaimed as one of the NFL’s most underrated gunslingers. He’s going to air it out and he can torch a defense at all three levels. The concerns come down to accuracy and decision-making. If he has time in the pocket and New York’s receivers are getting open, good things will happen.
It’s worth noting that Smith made his debut against a potential zero-win Titans team, so take all praise with a grain of salt. They’re still the Jets, and so forth. But as far as QB debuts go, Smith takes the day.
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