*Backups being QBs who started the year as backups
1. Daniel Jones 23/31, 225 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 5 carries, 33 yards
Jones might not wind up as the great white hope that the Giants want him to be, but the early results have proved promising. While the numbers aren’t eye popping, and we’re in an era of eye-popping numbers, seeing Daniel Jones look like a veteran in just his second career start has to make Giants fans happy.
When things got tough for the Giants, Jones found a way to make things worse. Facing a 3rd and 13, Jones got swallowed up in the pocket, fought his way free and ran for a first down. His ability to keep plays alive with his feet and quick thinking mean that Jones and the Giants might not be the train wreck we all expected.
2. Gardner Minshew II 19/33, 213 yard, 2 TDs
Minshew Magic is real! When Denver scored the go-ahead TD with under 2:00 to go, it appeared the Jags were headed towards the kind of loss that they’ve experienced far too often in recent years. Instead, Minshew led the Jags downfield where they kicked a game-winning FG.
The aspect of Minshew’s game that is setting him apart is his ability to avoid mistakes. 7 TDs to 1 INT so far in his young career. He also has 0 delay of game penalties. 3.5 games is a small sample size but the early returns are hopeful.
3. Kyle Allen 24/34, 232 yards, 0 TDs
Allen has been under the radar in his two starts for Carolina this season. Counting his one start last year he’s 3-0 at the helm of the Panthers, and that’s both good and bad news for them. The good news is they may have an answer for what happens if Cam Newton can’t come back. The bad news is what do they do with Kyle Allen if Cam Newton comes back?
Carolina barely snuck past Houston today, but Allen has consistently put up solid numbers, 6 TDs to 0 INTs in his time with the Panthers. They may not be a playoff team this year, but the possibility of Kyle Allen leading them there in the future is not unrealistic.
4. Chase Daniel 22/30, 195 yards, 1 TD
Like Kyle Allen, Chase Daniel is in his second season as a backup with his franchise. The Chicago Bears have been inconsistent under Mitchell Trubisky, aka Mitch Trubisky. Chase Daniel put up decent numbers coming off the bench today, and never looked out of place. If Trubisky is out for a long period of time, Daniel could be a solid enough replacement to keep Chicago in the running for a playoff spot.
Daniel is an odd horse to bet on in terms of being the long-term starter. He’s 32, in his 10th year in the league, and the Bears are his 6th franchise he’s played for in that time. Whatever Daniel has to offer will be on display this season.
5. Josh Rosen 17/24, 180 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
The continual head scratching over what Rosen brings to the table continues. These are better numbers than last week against Dallas (18/39, 200 yards, 0 TD), so perhaps the reps are starting to pay off. The main question surrounding him is does he have what it takes to be an NFL starter? Arizona said yes, and then quickly said no. Miami’s response so far seems to be “Well, we were going to lose all these games anyway so who cares who’s at QB?” That’s not a terrible attitude to have for a team that is headed towards 0-16, but it’s certainly left Rosen in the lurch. He has no weapons around him, no offensive line (he’s already been sacked eight times), and no real hope of succeeding.
Even worse, the only plan the Dolphins appear to have is let Rosen survive if he can, and hope he’s bad enough not to improve because they need that first pick where they presumably take a quarterback. Rosen likely will be on his 3rd team in three years in 2020, but for now his best hope is to be slightly better next week.
6. Dwayne Haskins 9/17, 107 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs; 2 carries, 23 yards
The good: He led all the scoring drives that Washington had.
The bad: The only scoring drive was the first one he was on, and they only got a FG.
The good: The offense hummed much better under Haskins than it was under Case Keenum.
The bad: Against a bad defense, Washington still only managed to put up 176 yards.
The good: He had 130 of those yards!
The bad: Haskins doesn’t have a great command of the field just yet. He’s easily pressured into making mistakes
The bad: The team around him isn’t any good. Even when Haskins made throws, his WRs would drop the ball or bobble it, a scenario that led to the 3rd interception.
The good: Washington plays Miami in two weeks.
The bad: Washington plays New England next week.
7. Matt Barkley 9/16, 127 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT
It wasn’t a terrible performance from Barkley. Against arguably the best team in the league, and having no first-team reps during the week, Barkley came off the bench and held his own for most of his time on the field.
The final drive was going quite well until the interception – the only real mistake he made while on the field.
If Buffalo is without Josh Allen for an extended period of time, they might be in real trouble. Barkley is 2-5 as a starter, although he was 1-0 last year with Buffalo. This feels like a situation where you may hear about multiple QBs coming in for tryouts during the week.
Fun fact: Matt Barkley has never led a game winning drive!
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