With five touchdown passes in New Orleans ’stomach over Green Bay, the quarterback was the best among the best on Sunday
Week 1 gave us an extraordinary number of stellar performances, worthy of recognition in our weekly piece, which debuts for the regular season of 2021.
Six quarterbacks, 3 runners, 3 open receivers and a linebacker make up the first group of highlights in our list of the best of the day, with one of those pins – debuting as a starter in front of his team – leading the highest honors as the Colossus of Week 1:
Curiously, just a few days ago, there were those who argued in Taysom Hill as the best option as Drew Brees ’successor in the Saints’ title.
Sure, Week 1 isn’t necessarily indicative of what the rest of the season will be like, but Winston’s performance this afternoon injected a lot of confidence into head coach Sean Payton in command of plays.
Because?
Simply because Winston did everything right. He held the ovoid when he had to, held it firmly in his pocket, made proper readings, and generally placed the passes where he should place them, even though he was without two of the his top three open receivers, Michael Thomas and TreQuan Smith.
Winston came up with a super-efficient start in his Saints debut, completing 14 of 20 submissions for just 148 yards, but with five touchdown submissions and zero interceptions, even though some were already betting on to the number of interceptions with which the former Heisman winner would start the campaign.
He also collaborated with 37 ground yards on six carries in the Saints ‘stomach to the Green Bay Packers, 38-3, in Aaron Rodgers’ worst loss as a starter.
It’s not about nominating Winston as the Most Valuable Player of the season, but recognizing him as the best during Sunday’s Week 1 game.
honorable mentions
Melvin Gordon III: The Denver Broncos put up a solid show against the New York Giants, with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater showing confidence in the controls, but with Gordon dominating the floor. At the start of his sophomore year with the Broncos, Gordon ran the ovoid only 11 times but added 101 yards and a touchdown, plus three receptions for an additional 17 yards per game. It was a good collective effort for Denver, who won 27-13, but Gordon was the best in or statistically.
Tyreek Hill: One has to wonder, sometimes, if Hill is made of butter, because it is very difficult to think of a more slippery player to knock down when he has the ball in the open field. The Kansas City Chiefs opener was sent off with 11 receptions for 197 yards including a long 75-yard touchdown that was key to Kansas City’s victory, arriving as an immediate response to a Cleveland Browns goal that had put them away. to 9 points in the fourth period. I think it’s clear: Hill is almost impossible to contain for 60 minutes.
Jalen hurts: Many people seemed to be betting on the failure of Jalen Hurts, in his first full season as a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, but those people will have to wait at least another week. The sophomore quarterback completed 27 of 35 passes for 264 yards with three touchdowns without interceptions, and Philly’s win over the Atlanta Falcons was one of the clearest of the day, 32-6.
Chandler Jones: Still, a few weeks ago, it was questionable whether Jones would remain in the Arizona Cardinals squad, who have refused to extend the external linebacker’s contract. Today, Jones reminded them why he’s so valuable in Arizona, dispatching with a personal five-catch mark – which also ties a franchise mark, plus two forced loose balls in the Cards ’overwhelming victory over the Tennessees Titans.
Tyler Lockett: That being said, communication between Lockett and his quarterback must be telepathic. With just four receptions in the beating that the Seattle Seahawks nailed to the Indianapolis Colts, by 28-16, Lockett added two touchdowns and 100 yards on receptions, including a beautiful 69-yard rainbow at the end of the third period. While it’s DK Metcalf that gets most of the attention in Seattle, it’s hard not to admit that Lockett is the Seahawks ’most polished receiver right now.
Patrick Mahomes: The Browns did almost everything well in their visit to the Chiefs, but they lacked the most important detail: they gave Muhammad too many chances towards the end. With touchdowns on Hill and Travis Kelce in the final quarter, Kansas City managed to complete the comeback after going down for most of the afternoon. Muhammad completed 27 of his 36 passing attempts for 337 yards with three touchdowns without interceptions, and to that he added five carries for 18 yards with another touchdown.
Elijah Mitchell: The San Francisco ground attack is extremely predictable in that it was regularly highly effective. But, it is highly unpredictable in that, it is not always known who will be the star of the day. After injury to Raheem Mostert, and with rookie Trey Sermon inactive for the game, Mitchell took the set and ran for 104 yards and a touchdown in 19 carries for the Niners to dominate, for much of the afternoon, in Detroit. Lions at home.
Joe Mixon: The best addition Joe Burrow can have as a Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback is a runner as complete as Mixon, who shone brightly in Week 1 with 29 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown, along with four receptions for 23 yards in the Cincy’s overtime victory, 27-24, over the Minnesota Vikings. A 31-touch afternoon reveals how much the Bengals trust Mixon.
Kyler Murray: There were not one, but two, highlights for the Cardinals in the afternoon, with Murray driving the Titans defenders crazy with their legs and arm. The third-year passer completed 21 of 32 passing attempts for four touchdowns with one interception, and added 20 ground yards with another touchdown in five carries, to leave the Titans out by a 38-13 lead.
Deebo Samuel: The score between Niners and Lions barely points to a touchdown of difference, and if it is true that the Lions seemed to threaten in the final moments, after a lost ball lost by Samuel himself in the final moments, it is also true that San Francisco was in absolute control of the game for most of the match, thanks in large part to Samuel. The receiver scored nine receptions for 189 yards and one touchdown, frequently roasting the defensive backs of the Lions trying to run with him. There are plenty of females to squeeze for St. Francis – especially head coach Kyle Shanahan – in terms of handling the lead, but the 41-33 away win is a great start to the season.
Matthew Stafford: The new Angeles Rams quarterback took very little time to make his impact felt in the air attack, debuting with a 20-complete outing of 26 passing attempts for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns in one of the most productive performances of the day. The Rams beat the Chicago Bears 34-14, hitting the table as one of the teams to keep in mind in the NFC.
Russell Wilson: Performances like Wilson’s this afternoon are anything but amazing. The Seahawks quarterback completed 18 of 23 passes for 254 yards with four touchdowns without interceptions, making a very bad appearance to a Colts defense that was supposed to be one of the strongest in the campaign. As long as Wilson maintains that level, the Seahawks will be candidates for the National Conference.