How will Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels fare in NFL debuts? | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

third time in the last four years three rookie quarterbacks will start week one 2021 it was Trevor Lawrence Zack Wilson and M Jones 2023 it was Bryce young CJ strad and Anthony Richardson this weekend on Sunday Caleb Williams for the Bears Jaden Daniels for Washington and B Knicks for Denver and really when you look at 20123 and 2021 it's a 333 batting average now Richardson could still turn it around and he expects to this year Bryce young could still turn it around and we don't expect him to this year Zach Wilson and M Jones are backups now so just starting week one does not mean you have pass the test there's still a 66. 6667 per chance that you will fail and thanks to everyone in the room there for this stat because it's a great when the last rookie to win in week one was Sam darnold in 2018 against the Lions I would not have guessed that at all um but that's what it is Mike it's been a long time since a rookie quarterback has won in week one they're not very good in openers just because it takes a while to develop in this game CJ stra had a great season last year he didn't beat Baltimore in week one last year it takes a while to to get going for a rookie quarterback it's different than the preseason they're going to find that out rookie quarterbacks are 1635 And1 in openers 07 And1 The Past 5 years let's start with the first overall pick in the draft Caleb Williams the Tennessee Titans come to town the Bears are favored by three and a half points it's is the largest rookie point spread wait a minute let me try that again it is the largest point spread I blame the sleep sleep deprivation for a rookie in week one since Terry Bradshaw all the way back in 1970 when he was playing for the Steelers I'm surprised but I'm not and I think that the Bears will win and the Titans will cover I think we picked at 2320 yesterday and by the way Sims and I both picked 2720 last night nobody cares except us but we were very happy when the get when we realized the AA likely touchdown didn't count we were like holy crap we both got lucky and picked 2720 is the final score so I think that the Titans Are Better Than People realize and the Bears might not be ready to waltz right into the postseason there's a lot of hype and a lot of pressure and expectation but it is going to be different in Chicago they have not had a high-end offense in our lifetime Shireen or for more than a few years before we arrived on the planet Sid luckman's last season Mike was 1950 he went into the Hall of Fame in the great year of 1965 so it has been a long long long drought for the Bears to have a truly great quarterback since then last 60 years Mike they've had three Pro Bowl quarterbacks two of them are pretty easy can you name can you name two of the three I wouldn't have gotten the third well Jay Cutler is the no-brainer and probably Jay Cutler wasn't a pro bowler no wow well I let's see how about Eric Kramer did he make it no wow well who the hell else would it be Jim McMahon yep Jim McMahon in 1985 yeah well because the Bears were so good so that makes sense who else trabis in 2018 and Bill Wade in 1963 I have to admit I had no idea Bill Wade so I wouldn't have gotten that one good lord well yeah we talked earlier this week that you know Caleb Williams could set the franchise single season passing record this year because it's 3838 yards Devin mccordi called out the back room he thought they were fact errors in our statistical recollection and research so no that's the truth 3838 is the altime single season passing yardage record the Bears are the only team that does not have a quarterback who has thrown for 4,000 yards in a single season the high water mark is 38 38 from 1995 by said Eric Kramer um and look who knows when you're dealing with a situation where the defense's game planned for you but Williams looked special in the preseason and that moment where you know it was a sluggish start in one of the preseason games but I think we learned from Hard Knock there was an issue with the communications and then once they got that settled he he really does look like play like Mahomes I do believe because he was 16 when Mahomes arrived on the scene he was influenced by this Awakening that we all had that you can play quarterback and different way and be successful and you can do things with your body and do things with your arm that we see Short Stops do and it's worked for Caleb Williams and I think it's going to work for the Bears yeah I do too Mike I I had them as a playoff team and I think they will be but it all depends on Caleb Williams first rookie quarterback to have a thousand yard rusher and two th yard receivers and it it's great offense that he's walking into that defense the second half last year was the top five defense they were very very good I think they're going to be better this year so he's got all the parts but it's going to come down to how he plays how the offensive line can block for him and then ultimately how he plays is going to determine the Bears Faith this year and and we saw it last year we just talked about the top two picks last year Bryce young didn't get it done with the Panthers and CJ stad did so now with what str's done everybody's expecting their rookie quarterback to walk in and play just like like that we saw it last year and it's not that easy and it won't be that easy for Caleb Williams I think he's going to be very good but it's not going to be that easy and that leads us to the next game the debut of the number two overall pick in the draft the Heisman Trophy winner the guy that all of the SCC defensive players when we met with them at the combine and said who's the toughest guy you've ever faced it was Jaden Daniels Jaden Daniels Jaden Daniels commanders taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the woefully underrated Buccaneers Daniels to me is in a situation that tracks better to CJ strad than Caleb Willams beyond the fact that it's the number two overall pick each year Stroud last year and Daniels this year stad benefited from low expectations anonymity go about your business 1:00 Eastern every week up until week 18 now look the commanders get started at 4:25 Eastern but no one's going to be paying attention to that game it's Cowboys Browns and if you haven't heard Tom Brady making his historic debut as a broadcaster they've set the bar for that guy as high as they possibly could good luck Tommy so while everyone's focused on that the commanders will be playing the Buccaneers and it'll probably be delayed by storms why do you start a game at 425 Eastern in Tampa in September I don't know but uh Jaden Daniels I think has a chance to be really good and it was between the Bears and the commanders for me stealing one of the low playoff spots on the playoff tree that absolutely means nothing except to us and only for a short period of time I think the commander is in a better position with Jaden Daniels to have an impact this year because the division is not as difficult as the division Caleb Williams is in well he does have an opportunity I agree with you and I I do think he's special and I think we're going to see that right away um he has a chance to do I think in this game Mike what RG3 did in his first game if you remember 4032 over in New Orleans it was a great game 320 passing yards two touchdowns no interceptions he had a 139.99 would have been if not for the knee entry late that year but he has a chance to make that impact right off the bat with this team and I agree with you they've got a chance because nobody's talking about them nobody's except you had them go into the playoffs but I think they could be that team sneaks in there and ends up with a wild card birth um something they haven't done since they won the division with what the eight and eight record a few years ago but they've had 12 different starters in the last six seasons this guy is going to make 13 obviously but I think they found their franchise quarterback and I think he's going to be there a long time actually made the playoffs with seven and nine not eight now oh yeah that's right so losing and and and I'll be completely transparent I picked the commanders to make it to the playoffs just because I knew it would make G very happy and as a commander fan there aren't many occasions for happiness but they may be coming cuz I do believe in Jaden Daniels and in any other year he would have been the first overall pick in the draft all right Broncos at the Seahawks another game that will not be noticed two years after these two teams started the season in the same spot on Monday Night Football with a pretty significant game with Russell Wilson going back to Seattle for his first game out of Seattle this is the dreaded 405 Regional broadcast which will be seen in Denver and Seattle and that's it but those who do get to see the game will see Bo Nicks making his debut and the first rookie with the c on his jersey since long before they even started putting C's on the jerseys 1967 for the Broncos Floyd little was a captain Bo Knicks a captain right out of the gates here's both Bo Nicks and Shawn pyton on the fact that Nicks was given that distinction for his first season yeah it's an honor um it's a privilege I'm excited to uh you know be with this group excited to be a captain um I don't take it lightly I know it's a um it's a big deal and um you know it hasn't happened often but I'm not going to take it for granted I got to come to work every single day and uh just prove that that you can be a captain but I'm excited to work with these these other guys and um you know I think um it's good that that we can get out there and set the tone and um you know it's always good to be a captain so first for me you know just just say rookie period you know In fairness to the process um and yet um you know I think it is what it is I I think it's a you know credit to him and and and you know I think his teammates uh you know felt that he belonged in that position Shawn pton yeah trying to find another Drew Brees and there were moments in the preseason where B Nicks looked a little Drew Breeze is someone who can run that offense exactly the way Payton wants add in new plays on the Fly put them in the walkth through in the ballroom at the hotel the morning of the game and figure it out and make it work make all the checks at the line of scrimmage get the plays called get the plays communicated and be very robotic in doing exactly what pton wants and nicks is the guy that pton pton wanted I mean and who knows how much of its revisionist history or it's self- serving but it sure sounds like the Broncos sat back back and hoped that Nicks would be there at 12 and we're pleasantly surprised that he was yeah and you know he wanted Patrick Mahomes in that draft and I think if he'd gotten Patrick Mahomes he would still be coaching the Saints but now he's in Denver and has Bo Nicks as his franchise quarterback and Nick s in your average rookie Mike he started 61 college games at Power five schools I guess power four now but when he was playing it was power five schools at Auburn and at Oregon and played great at both of those schools so opposite of Anthony Richardson who hasn't had much experience has not started many games this guy has started a ton of games which gives him an opportunity to be good right out of the gate and those are the three who will be starting right out of the gates we could still see Michael Pennock Jr but that would be only in the event of injury and we know that JJ McCarthy won't be playing he's on season ended injured reserve and Drake May could make an appearance if jacobe brassette would be injured and I feel like at some point this year may will become the starter penx ideally won't so we'll have four most likely at some point unless there is that injury and then we could have five of the six rookies playing this season hi it's Mike Florio thanks for watching PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the latest news and Analysis from pro football talk