Ranking every rookie QB from Week 1 of the preseason, plus winners and losers and NFL team valuations
The first week of the NFL preseason is officially in the books, and if there's one thing I noticed after watching 16 games over three days, it's that the Browns might want to think about making a switch to the single-wing offense. At this point, I'm starting to feel like running an offense that doesn't throw the ball might be in their best interest.
The first week of the preseason can sometimes be kind of boring, but it wasn't this year, and that's mostly because we got to see 15 different rookies quarterbacks make their NFL debut over the weekend.
If you didn't get to watch every rookie quarterback play, don't worry, we have you covered. Zach Pereles watched every snap from all 15 quarterbacks and then he ranked each of guy based on how they played.
Let's check out the top three names on his list:
1. Steelers QB Drew Allar (Pittsburgh 28-9 over Green Bay)Stats: 10 of 13 for 153 yds and two TD; 2 carries for two yards and 1 TDZach's breakdown: Did it come against backups? Yes. Was it mainly on quick, open completions? Yes. But the numbers don't lie: Drew Allar balled out in Week 1. Allar displayed the sort of easy arm strength that made him such an intriguing project coming out of Penn State; the zip on several of those intermediate throws was undeniable. The accuracy was impressive, too -- even while on the move.
2. Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza (Arizona 27-14 over Las Vegas)Stats: 10 of 16 for 97 yds and one TDZach's breakdown: Fernando Mendoza's numbers weren't otherworldly, but the throws he did make and against whom he made them deserve praise. Mendoza led four drives (not including a kneel down to end the first half), resulting in two punts, a touchdown and a missed field goal. The touchdown drive, it should be noted, came against the Cardinals' starting defense (or at least several members of it). Mendoza had some misses and moments when he took too long to get the ball out, but he also had moments when he got through his progressions well and connected on second- or third-read options. He also looked comfortable dropping back from under center, a key change from his time in college.
3. Rams QB Ty Simpson (Los Angeles 20-12 over Kansas City)Stats: 21 of 25 for 190 yards and two TDZach's breakdown: No matter how you feel about the Rams selecting Simpson, it was hard not to be impressed by his preseason debut. The Alabama product was one of two rookies to throw multiple touchdown passes this week, with both going to running back Dean Connors. Simpson will be hoping to unseat Stetson Bennett as the QB2 behind Matthew Stafford. He should get plenty more chances in the next two weeks to build upon a nice start.
If you want to check out Zach's full ranking of all 15 rookie QB performances, you can do that here. The list includes Cade Klubnik, who cracked the top five.
The guy who ranked at the bottom of the list actually got cut over the weekend and if you want to know who that is, you'll have to read Zach's full story.
As everyone knows, you can't have a week of NFL action without having winners and losers, so we have some winners and losers from the first week of the preseason. I teamed up with two other writers -- Carter Bahns and Zach Pereles -- and we came up with what might be the comprehensive winners and losers list that you'll ever read after one week of preseason action.
Let's check out two winners and two losers who made the list this week:
If you want to see our full list of winners and losers, be sure to click here.
Everyone on the internet loves to overreact to things, and that's especially true when we're talking about the the NFL. With that in mind, Tyler Sullivan decided to take a look at several things that happened during the first week of the preseason to decide if we're all overreacting.
Statement: There will be no real winner in the Falcons' and Browns' QB battles. Overreaction or reality: Reality. With Kyler Murray declared the Vikings' starter, the only true QB battles left are in Atlanta and Cleveland. Of course, someone will have to win these jobs. That said, judging by what we saw in the preseason opener, the word "winner" is used very loosely. Yes, someone will have their name listed atop the depth chart when the dust settles on the preseason, but will they play well enough to move the needle and swing losses into wins? As things stand, it's hard to feel optimistic that either of these QB questions will be truly answered.
Statement: DJ Moore will super charge the Bills' offense. Overreaction or reality: Reality. The Bills got a glimpse of what their new No. 1 wideout looks like in the offense during the preseason opener against Carolina. Moore hauled in three of his four targets for 61 yards, while flashing a blossoming rapport with Josh Allen. The Bills have been starved for a top receiver ever since trading away Stefon Diggs. Judging from what we saw in Moore's brief debut, his arrival could help swing the balance of power in the conference.
Statement: The Titans have a Cam Ward problem. Overreaction or reality: Overreaction. Against the 49ers, Ward completed just 5 of 12 for 57 yards over the course of three possessions. Accuracy issues reared their head in this matchup, which probably has people in Nashville a bit tense as they move forward with the preseason. While Ward didn't have the most encouraging night, we're still a ways away from pressing the panic button. If Ward doesn't make the necessary corrections and these struggles bleed into the regular season, then serious conversations will need to be had. Until then, however, this is just a second-year quarterback going through the lumps of learning a new offense in August.
There are plenty more overreactions from the first week of the preseason, and if you want to check those out, you can do that here.
The most intriguing QB competition in the NFL is happening in Cleveland, where Deshaun Watson is in a battle with Shedeur Sanders to win the starting job. Both quarterbacks were on the field over the weekend during Cleveland's 34-10 preseason loss to the Bears and Jordan Dajani is here to break down how everything went.
Who has the edge? If you had to pick a winner from today, it's Watson. Since he received the start, he had to play against the Bears' starting defense. Watson's offense scored all 10 of the Browns' points, and he was the only quarterback who didn't throw an interception. Sanders had more explosive plays in the passing game, but it's hard to ignore his throw to the wrong team.
If you want all the details on the Browns' QB battle, Dajani has that here.
Jerry Jones hasn't been able to figure out how to win a Super Bowl over the past 30 years, but he has figured out how to turn the Cowboys into the most valuable franchise in the NFL. According to the latest numbers from Sportico, Jones is basically printing money out in Dallas with the Cowboys worth an estimated $15.5 billion, which is the highest number in the NFL.
Owning an NFL team is a profitable business if you can get into it. The least valuable team -- the Cincinnati Bengals -- was still worth $7.4 billion. To put that in perspective, as recently as 10 years ago, there were eight teams in the NFL that weren't even worth $2 billion.
Let's take a look at the five most valuable and five least valuable franchises:
1. Cowboys: $15.5 billion2. Rams: $12.7 billion3. Giants: $12 billion4. Patriots: $10.4 billion5. Jets: $10.35 billion
Jones bought the franchise for $140 million in 1989, so if he ever decides to sell the team, he's going to get a nice return on his investment.
28. Cardinals: $8 billion29. Jaguars: $7.91 billion30. Colts: $7.77 billion31. Saints: $7.59 billion32. Bengals: $7.4 billion
If I gave you five guesses to name the five least valuable teams, you probably could have done it one try.
Anyway, if you want to see the full ranking of each team's valuation, you can do that here.
It's been a busy few days around the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything, I put together a quick roundup for you.