Daniel Jones (3-10) @ Mitchell Trubisky (24-18)
This is a look into the future and past for both men. Daniel Jones is looking to prove that he’s the true heir to the New York Giants QB legacy and avoid the pitfalls of failure that have trapped Mitchell Trubisky. Daniel Jones entered into his second season as starter with a decent performance including a small rise in completion percentage (61% last season to 63% last week). His interception rate is massively high, and while it’s only one game it’s certainly something Giants fans should be aware of as the Giants played a Pittsburgh defense that was 10th last week in giving up the most passing yards. So the Steelers were definitely allowing Jones to complete passes but somehow Jones still threw a few interceptions. Keeping that number down going forward will be crucial.
At one point, Mitchell Trubisky was comparable to Daniel Jones, and was a QB of the future for the Chicago Bears. Now, Trubisky is looking to redeem himself as he ventures into the ugly and deep waters of free agency. His first game of the season was a mixed bag. Trubisky was essentially not there for three quarters and then woke up in the fourth as he threw three TDs to push Chicago past Detroit. His 55% completion percentage was far down from last season’s 63%. Trubisky will need a major game here to prove that he’s worthy of staying above Nick Foles on the depth chart.
This one will be left up to the gods of football. If mercy is shown, Trubisky will eke out a victory and keep his comeback alive. If the gods favor fortune, then sun will shine on Daniel Jones and the Big Apple.
Gardner Minshew (6-6) @ Ryan Tannehill (8-3)
A game of two men who weren’t expected to be starting for these teams. Minshew was drafted as a 6th round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and was thrust into the spotlight after starter Nick Foles got injured and missed most of the season. Minshew made the most of his time as the starter and is showing signs of development. Minshew will be looked upon as a failure because his passing numbers will likely never be close to the heights he hit at Washington State University, but that’s mostly because he’ll never play in an offense that devoted to the passing game.
Minshew went 19/20 with a startling 95% completion percentage last week, while only throwing 173 yards and 3 TDs. The TDs give him an absurd league leading 15% TD rate, a number that will certainly drop rapidly but it gives Jags fans hopes that Minshew can flourish at the pro level. Minshew is also showing signs of development in throwing the ball downfield. His yard per attempt last was season was a solid 7.0, but he upped that to an 8.7 last week. If he can keep throwing the ball farther and farther downfield while upping his completion percentage he’ll be on his way to reaching the next level.
Like Minshew, Tannehill was brought into Tennessee to be a backup for the middling Marcus Mariota. Mariota was banished and Tannehill took over and also made the most of his time putting up career high numbers across the board. Tannehill’s numbers were so above his usual stats that there was a concern here at QBW that he was likely to regress hard in 2020. Though he led the Titans to a big win on Monday night on the road and had a very successful final drive, Tannehill’s numbers definitely lead one to ask questions. His TD rate dropped from a career high 7.7 to 4.7, but that could be a one week aberration. The larger concern is his yards per attempt, which was a career high 9.6 and last week was 5.8. Staying at this level would put him almost a full yard below his lowest season when he averaged 6.7 Ypa in 2013.
This game will come down to whether or not Jacksonville can move the ball in any shape or form. Jacksonville is currently 31st in the league in offensive yards and will need a vast improvement in order to win this game.
Dwayne Haskins (3-5) @ Kyler Murray (6-10-1)
The battle of the surprise guys. While they were both drafted exceedingly high, there were huge questions about whether either guy was capable of leading an NFL team. Haskins was considered unready, out of shape, and still even more unready than that first one when he took over last year for the Washington Football Team. Washington seemed to have almost no use for him as they let him ride the bench and even allowed Colt McCoy to start a game over him.
Haskins showed little signs of promise last year with a dull sub 60% completion percentage, and looked almost lost every time he snapped the ball. While his completion percentage did not improve during the first week of this season (54%), Haskins did show more poise and showed signs of life during the second half against Philadelphia. A 4th quarter comeback and a game winning drive against a divisional foe has helped turn a few heads in Haskins’ direction. An improved performance this week against Arizona, one that includes a higher comp pct and signs that TDs will start raining down, will make a lot of people really think twice about him.
Similarly, Murray was considered good but too small and without the arm strength to lead a team in the NFL. THe fact that he was going to be playing for a coach who had flamed out in college and never coached in the NFL made many think twice about this pairing. But so far the results have been promising. Murray finished last season with a solid 64% completion percentage and is right back on track after a 65% showing last week against San Francisco. While he was gifted several drives due to incompetence on the 49ers part, Murray made the most of those errors and turned them into points including a game winning drive in the fourth quarter.
Murray has yet to show signs that he’s capable of reaching the next level as a quarterback but he does add an extra element with his run game. He ran 13 times for 91 yards last week, an average of 7 yards a carry. That adds extra spice to the offense and makes defense have to work twice as hard to curtail him when Arizona has the ball.
On paper this looks like an easy Arizona victory. Arizona was 7th in the league in offense last week, while Washington was dead f’n last. Yet Washington’s defense rose the occasion and is currently in 4th in yards given up while Arizona is currently in the middle of the pack. My guess is Arizona’s defense can keep Haskins in check long enough for Murray to make a few plays and give Arizona a small but narrow victory.
Honorable Mention:
Teddy Bridgewater (0-1) @ Tom Brady (0-1)
Oh yeah, that Brady guy is playing. Eh, Carolina by 7.
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