Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season is basically complete aside from Monday Night Football, and we saw some great performances from quarterbacks all around. Some of these performances were expected, especially from guys like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, but some players shocked us with their performances. Let's get into the four quarterbacks who exceeded expectations.
4 surprise star quarterbacks from NFL's Week 1
Quarterback #1: Jameis Winston
All offseason there were questions about who the Saints quarterback would be in life after Drew Brees. Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill were the two battling it out, and eventually Winston took the job for himself. Many were skeptical, especially after watching Drew Brees for the last decade and a half, but Winston came out absolutely on fire in Week 1. He played a huge role in the Saints dismantling Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a game not many thought the Saints would win. Not only did New Orleans win, but they blew out the Packers, 38-3.
Winston looked great using both the eye test and looking at the statistics. He only threw 20 passes, but that was all that was needed as he completed 14 of them, five for touchdowns and zero for interceptions. Winston avoided turning the ball over, which has been his kryptonite in years prior.
Using passer rating, this was the third-best game of Winston's career, falling behind performances from 2015 and 2017. The Saints got exactly what they wanted from Winston and more. If this can be the type of performance to expect week in and week out, the Saints shouldn't have any quarterback issues in this 2021 NFL season.
Quarterback #2: Jalen Hurts
Hurts was coming off a strange rookie season where he played in 15 games but only started four, and we didn't even get a definitive look at him. It was obvious from the start that his running ability would translate and be among the best of his abilities, but the passing and leadership was a question mark. Hurts silences his doubters, at least for now, because of his big performance in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni came out after the game to praise his quarterback, saying Hurts was in “‘complete control” of the offense, an ability very few were sure Hurts had.
While in control of the offense, Hurts threw the ball 35 times and completed 27 of those passes for a 77.1 completion percentage in Week 1. He also threw for three touchdowns and avoided an interception. His quarterback rating of 126.4 in this game was his best career rating, making this the best game Hurts has ever played in an Eagles uniform. There were questions all offseason about Hurts' ability to lead an NFL team, but the Eagles' trust in him has paid off so far.
Quarterback #3: Joe Burrow
Expectations for Burrow and the Bengals weren't high in Week 1, but they proved the odds wrong by beating the Minnesota Vikings in overtime. Many weren't exactly sure what to expect from Burrow, who was playing his first game since suffering a season-ending knee injury last season. The offensive line had some new pieces but still isn't great, and Ja'Marr Chase was added but apparently couldn't see the ball well in preseason. None of that mattered as the former LSU duo played much better than anyone saw coming.
Burrow didn't have the best game, but he did exactly what was needed, making clutch throws all game until he was able to put the Bengals in perfect range to win the game with a field goal. When the dust settled, the Bengals were 1-0 and Burrow threw 27 passes with 20 completions for a 74 completion percentage in Week 1. He threw two touchdowns, including one absolute bomb to a wide-open Ja'Marr Chase, and zero interceptions against a revamped Vikings defense. This is the quarterback the Bengals were hoping to get with the first overall pick just a couple seasons ago.
Quarterback #4: Teddy Bridgewater
If there were any questions about why the Denver Broncos selected Bridgewater over Drew Lock to be their starting quarterback, they were pretty much answered in Week 1. This is exactly who Bridgewater is when he's at his best. He won't carry a team, but that's not what Denver needs him to do. Bridgewater is solid enough to win when the defense does its job, and that has seemed to be what Bridgewater does no matter the team he's playing for. Week 1 was just another example of that consistency, but it was even better than usual.
Bridgewater threw the ball 36 times, something he has done in just a handful of his NFL starts, and completed 28 of them for a completion percentage of 77.78% against New York. The Giants didn't have a good enough answer for Bridgewater and the young receivers in Denver as the Broncos took this game with ease, winning by a final score of 27-13. Daniel Jones played okay on the opposite side, but the king of consistency, Teddy Bridgewater, did it again.
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Players like Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, and Tyrod Taylor also deserve recognition for their games, but these four listed rose above the expectations and led their teams to victory. If these four quarterbacks can stay hot, their teams could all make a leap in the projected NFL standings for 2021.
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