NFL Analysis
8/19/24
6 min read
2024 NFL Preseason: Grading Week 2 Rookie QB Performances
Week 2 of the preseason brought the best, and possibly the last, chance for us to see the top of the 2024 rookie crop of quarterbacks before the regular season arrives.
Traditionally, starters won't suit up in the final week of preseason action, leaving this to be the full dress rehearsal before the results matter. The bad news of Week 2 is that two of the six first-round quarterbacks did not play.
While Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix got enough run for us to have solid takeaways, Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy weren't as fortunate. The latter, McCarthy, was ruled out for the rest of the year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee. While McCarthy is on the shelf until 2025, we thankfully have the rest of this loaded class to analyze.
NFL Preseason Week 2 Rookie Quarterback Grades
Our grading scale is typical of A through F, where C defines average. Some rookies only threw the ball a couple of times, so their grades naturally skew closer to average than extreme.
That's just beautiful 🥹
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 17, 2024
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/JOQoHwRRC5
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears: B
The Chicago Bears showed off more of their regular season plan for Caleb Williams in Week 2, moving the pocket on several attempts to maximize his immense athleticism and arm talent. The early results weren't great, as Williams misfired on a few attempts and opted to throw short of the first down sticks on his second third-down attempt. But Williams settled in on Chicago's fourth drive.
A deep pass to Tyler Scott that resulted in a 43-yard defensive pass interference penalty led to a field goal. On Williams' fifth drive, he uncorked several throws that demonstrated what made him the unanimous No. 1 quarterback. The 45-yard completion to Rome Odunze below set social media ablaze as Williams rolled out to his left and launched a perfectly thrown pass across his body.
Later in the drive, he retreated as far as 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage as he evaded a rusher and delivered a dart into his receiver's chest at the back of the end zone. It should've been a seven-yard touchdown, but Odunze had stepped out of bounds before completing the catch.
It wasn't a perfect drive, as the throw that came directly before the deep completion to Odunze was a reckless toss, as he tripped and missed an open receiver for a big gain. However, his pocket presence and slippery nature suddenly returned, which made him a must-watch player at USC. It's clear Williams' confidence surged before halftime, and his seven-yard touchdown scramble on third down was the cherry on top.
Williams produced the highlight plays that made him so entertaining and valued as a prospect. He also played a bit robotic and slow before hitting his stride. This game was a great step forward from Week 1 and an example of development within one half, but it wasn't a stellar performance from the first snap to the last.
Every Jayden Daniels Throw and Run vs the Dolphins
— awthentik (@awthentik) August 18, 2024
10/12 for 78 yards#raisehail pic.twitter.com/2Y9K2Xy1r1
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders: B+
Unlike Week 1, the Miami Dolphins forced Jayden Daniels to beat them with a flurry of short passes. Daniels completed 10 of 12 passes for 78 yards and added 13 rushing yards. The former LSU star was sharp with his decision-making and accuracy, only missing one throw to his left and a deep pass he put too much air under.
Washington's trust in Daniels to deliver underneath throws in rhythm and with accuracy is as promising as Daniels' ability to convert those opportunities. The standout moment came on a short pass to Daniels' left to Terry McLaurin, who caught the ball on third and 3, made a defender miss, and ended up with a 20-yard gain.
The ball had to be out on time and to the correct shoulder for McLaurin to have the chance to shake his defender and turn upfield. This is where Daniels has to win to become a Pro Bowl or better quarterback, so it's great to see this aspect of his game.
The Commanders failed to score a touchdown with Daniels in the game but had two field goal attempts. Since Daniels' drives ended with field goals instead of a touchdown, he missed an A, but it was a good outing nevertheless.
Every Throw from Patriots QB Drake Maye vs PHI 🔥#NEPATS pic.twitter.com/lQEXMeqRfg
— awthentik (@awthentik) August 16, 2024
Drake Maye, New England Patriots: B
Drake Maye's stat line wasn't impressive. He completed only six of his 11 attempts for 47 yards and took one sack. He added 15 yards on four rushes, including his first touchdown. Maye's passing performance looked better than the raw numbers, though.
What's not included is a pair of dropped deep passes by Javon Baker that should've been completions of 30 and almost 50 yards. Neither drive resulted in a touchdown because of the drop, and both were good throws on third down. It's hard to knock Maye for those plays not panning out when he did his job.
Most of New England's passing game plan was vanilla outside of these attempts. Maye connected with Baker for a solid 12-yard gain over the middle of the field on his first drive. He had two inaccurate passes that sailed over his target's head, which has been an issue for Maye since he debuted at North Carolina.
Considering Maye only threw three passes last week, and one was downfield at all, this was a step up in game planning and opportunity. Maye passed the test, delivering several chances to strike on chunk plays. Unfortunately, the early returns on New England's surrounding cast are as bad as most projected, and Maye suffered from the mistakes of others and incredibly dull play-calling.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos: A
One week after putting together a solid stat line despite timid feet and double-clutching the ball, Bo Nix confidently led the Denver Broncos down the field into scoring position.
He was about a half-yard away from a terrific touchdown throw after escaping the pocket and throwing across his body, but he was over the line of scrimmage when he released the ball. Denver settled for a field goal, but it was a great drive that showed off Nix's skill set.
After starting four-for-four for 26 yards on the first drive, Nix's role was mitigated on the following set of plays. He hit Tim Patrick on an underneath curl route to convert a first down and later found Courtland Sutton on a post route that put Denver inside of the five-yard line.
Nix is still prone to scrambling over attempting contested catch windows with his cast of tall receivers who theoretically have an advantage, but this game was a step in the right direction as far as aggression.
Nix handled pressure effectively, threw his first touchdown pass, and got rid of the concerning footwork that was littered throughout his debut. He was the best rookie quarterback of the week from start to finish.
