3 intriguing QB performances from Week 1

Sage Rosenfels is a former 12-year NFL quarterback who now writes, does radio, and podcasts about the NFL and college football.

Every Monday this NFL season, I will be writing an article for theScore to discuss three or so quarterbacks and how they fared on Sunday. After a wild Week 1, I wish I could dissect seven or eight as there were some superb performances by NFL signal callers. This week, I’d like to discuss Jimmy Garoppolo, Trevor Siemian, and Marcus Mariota.

Jimmy Garoppolo

Let’s put this equation together so everyone understands just how challenging the first game was going to be for Jimmy Garoppolo. He was drafted out of a small school in Eastern Illinois to back up/replace first-ballot Hall of Famer Tom Brady. After two years of sitting on the bench he's given his first career start, on the road and in primetime, against one of the best teams in the NFL. The Patriots didn’t have their best weapon in Rob Gronkowski. Their offensive line is a patchwork of guys with little to no experience and they had just replaced both tackles this week because of injuries. So of course, Garoppolo goes out and plays a near flawless game to get his first NFL win and the Patriots’ first win of the season.

A few things impressed me about Garoppolo’s performance. First off, his ability to move around the pocket and extend plays was extraordinary. Anyone who has watched Tom Brady for the last 15 years knows his awareness in the pocket and his ability to make out of rhythm plays. This is not an easy thing to do. You have to be calm, trust your offensive line, have an awareness of the chaos around you, and somehow keep your eyes down the field to find an open receiver. Garoppolo did all of this and actually adds an element which Tom Brady doesn’t have which is the ability to run for a key first down or two. No matter how much Josh McDaniels and his staff have worked with Garoppolo, pocket presence like his can’t be taught.

The second positive was his third-down success. Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak used to say that quarterbacks are paid to do a lot of things for a team and none are more important than winning on third down. “Managing” the game on first and second down, which is usually running the ball, play action, and the quick passing game, is the easiest part of playing quarterback. But third downs, when you get a variety of blitzes, coverages, and pass-rush pressure, is the real challenge. The Patriots were 10-16 on third down with no turnovers. Phenomenal for a young quarterback.

Few people expected the Patriots to win this game. After seeing Jimmy Garoppolo’s performance, I don’t think that mistake will be made again.

Grade: A

Trevor Siemian

Speaking of Gary Kubiak, what a whirlwind he has been through in his short 20 months on the job in Denver. He shows up to a team with Peyton Manning as the quarterback, whose offensive style is on the other end of the spectrum to that of Kubiak’s. You win the Super Bowl with a mix of Manning and an unproven but talented backup in Brock Osweiler and lose both players in the offseason. So now what? What do you do with a team with a top-five defense and a strong running game? You start a second-year quarterback with just a single NFL snap (a kneel down no less) and find a way to win against your Super Bowl foes and their NFL MVP quarterback.

The reasons for playing Siemian are obvious after watching his first performance. He throws a tight, accurate, and catchable ball (note Manning’s wobblers) and has a great feel for Kubiak’s system in only his second season. One advantage to being a young player who has only been on one team is the ability for the offensive coordinator to mold their quarterbacks to fit their system. It was obvious to see Siemian has a full understanding of what Kubiak is trying to do and how he wants to win football games. Siemian had two turnovers but they aren’t of huge concern to me. The first was a tipped pass on a wide receiver screen which was more good defense than bad offense. The second, a play-action pass which would have been a touchdown if Siemian wasn’t hit as he was throwing, was the running back’s mental error which led to the quarterback’s throwing mistake. On that play, the Broncos called for a full play-action fake with the tight end staying in. When the tight end blocked, the strong safety covering him man to man then “green dogged.” Siemian read the coverage perfectly but was hit as he let the ball loose. Peyton Manning quickly gave the analysis while in the booth that the running back is responsible for any secondary player in that protection. In any NFL offense, every player has to do their job to be successful. The quarterback can’t do his unless everyone else executes first.

Though Siemian doesn’t have an exceptionally strong arm, isn’t that big, and has no experience, he checks a lot of other boxes which Kubiak loves. He’s athletic, accurate, smart, competitive, and plays within himself. As a second-year player, he understands his team’s strengths and how the Broncos win. The question remains if Siemian can carry this team when the defense gives up 30 points and Kubiak’s zone running attack gets stuffed. The Broncos have a strong team but it’s highly unlikely they can go far in the playoffs or win another Super Bowl with just a “game manager” at the helm.

Grade: B

Marcus Mariota

The most experienced of the three quarterbacks this week gave the worst performance. Starting his 13th NFL game, Marcus Mariota made key negative plays which you would have expected out of the players listed above who were making their first starts.

Winning in the NFL is hard. Losing in the NFL is very easy. This sounds simple but it can take years for a young quarterback to learn these truisms. A quarterback’s mindset has to change from game to game. Sometimes you have to be aggressive and take shots and other times you need to be patient and allow your team to carry the load. As an example, Jordan Spieth is leaving his driver in the bag when he walks up to the 18th tee box and ahead by three strokes.

Marcus Mariota and the Titans got lucky with their Week 1 opponent. The Titans were playing at home against a Vikings team who had just lost their starting quarterback 12 days prior. It was common knowledge the Vikings’ game plan was to rely on their defense and run game. I’m sure head coach Mike Mularkey emphasized to his team that they had to stop Adrian Peterson and not turn the ball over offensively. This plan was working until midway through the 3rd quarter with the Titans leading 10-6 and driving.

Ask any offensive coordinator in the NFL and they will tell you that on any bootleg type play, the worst they expect is an incomplete pass. The quarterback should never be surprised by a blitzing linebacker, safety, or up-the-field defensive end. Always be prepared for the worst. If it’s a bad look, don’t take a sack; throw the ball away. Survive the play to live another day. On the turning point in the game, Mariota looked surprised to have Everson Griffen in his face. Despite Griffen being a well known up-the-field pass-rusher and in clear view - as Mariota was in shotgun - the quarterback was unprepared for the pressure. There is no excuse for Mariota to have made this very costly mistake. Instead of throwing the ball at the feet of receiver Harry Douglas, Mariota tried to make chicken salad out of chicken s--- and it cost the Titans. Two more turnovers followed, one by Mariota, which led to a win for the Vikings.

For the most part, Mariota played well in the game. He made plays under pressure. He bought time and escaped the pocket to find his weapons down the field. His accuracy and confidence are improved from last year. But decision making on every play is the key to being a great quarterback. The football is gold to every NFL team and Mariota gave it away twice down the stretch. That can’t happen in the NFL if you want to win, especially on an average team like the Titans.

Grade: C