The Sportsletter - Rookie QB Report Cards 📝

BY JEFF YODER & MARISSA KASCH

AUG. 20, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning 👋

We’re one week away from the NFL’s 53-man roster cuts, but all eyes have been on the rookie quarterbacks this preseason. Our Marissa Kasch has first impressions. Plus, the MLB standings are ridiculous right now. Eleven teams at the top are separated by just six games with less than 40 to go. The next six weeks will decide the playoffs.

Scroll to the bottom of today's edition for the rookie QB poll and a new section we're testing out (and let us know if you'd like to see more).

Letter Rip!

  NFL  

Rookie QB Report Cards 📝

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

The Year of the 1st-Round Rookie Quarterback Will Soon Be Upon Us — Which Ones Are Ready for Week 1? (By Marissa Kasch)

Last April’s draft class was replete with talent, especially at the QB position. A record six quarterbacks were selected in the first round, and they were claimed in the first 12 picks on a historic night. But when QBs transition from college to the NFL, they are often doubted (at first). Fans wonder whether their talent translates. We’ll have to wait on two of the six. Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending injury will delay his takeover in Minnesota. Michael Penix Jr. is the future in Atlanta, but Kirk Cousins holds the keys to the Falcons. That leaves us with four remaining rookie QBs to watch this season.

These rookie seasons can be very telling, or they can simply be an adjustment period. Either way, we could find the next Patrick Mahomes. We could also find the next Jamarcus Russell. Let’s grade what we’ve seen so far. Bring out the red pen!

A- Caleb Williams (Bears) — Starter

Barring any injuries or unforeseen circumstances, Caleb Williams will get the start for the Bears in Week 1. That decision was made back in May to douse the flames of any QB controversies in Chicago. Williams won the Heisman during his time at USC, and he totaled 9,782 passing yards, 966 rushing yards, and 120 total touchdowns in his three-year college career. So far, he’s looked like a force to be reckoned with. He’s also equipped with an important tool for any rookie QB: a great receiving corps. The Bears are giving him every chance to succeed with weapons all over the field — Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D’Andre Swift out of the backfield. Preseason Stats: 10/20 | 170 Yards | 1 Rushing TD

B+ Jayden Daniels (Commanders) — Starter

Jayden Daniels was named the Week 1 starter for the Commanders yesterday. Daniels has had an impressive preseason so far and appears to have all the makings of a starting QB in the modern NFL. He already has a Heisman under his belt from last season at LSU where he had 3,812 passing yards, 1,134 rushing yards, and 50 total touchdowns with only four interceptions. Daniels differs from Williams in play style. While Williams is hesitant to run at times, Daniels is eager. If Daniels can learn when to pass, when to slide, and when to get out of bounds, he should have an impressive rookie season. It helps that Washington’s expectations are in check, too. That roster needs help. A few flashes of excitement from Daniels will be enough to keep the Commanders optimistic. Preseason Stats: 12/15 | 123 Yards | 1 Rushing TD

A- Bo Nix (Broncos) — Potential Starter

It’s still unclear who will be the Week 1 starter in Denver. Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson, or rookie Bo Nix? It’s getting clearer, though. Wilson and Stidham have been lackluster during their NFL careers, but they have experience, and they’re not exactly throw-away quarterbacks. Nix, however, enters 2024 as the most experienced rookie in the draft as a five-year starter for Auburn and Oregon. He’s played in two major collegiate conferences and was successful in both. Last season alone, he recorded 4,508 passing yards, 51 total touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Head coach Sean Payton’s positive feedback is evidence to where this thing goes. Nothing is set in stone yet, but don’t be surprised to see Bo Nix suiting up Week 1 in Seattle. Preseason Stats: 23/30 | 205 Yards | 2 Passing TDs

B- Drake Maye (Patriots) — Unlikely Starter

Drake Maye is New England’s hope for revitalization, and he’s capable of it. But this might be the waiting game. The Patriots have veterans Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe, who are more experienced. Another rookie, Joe Milton III, has turned heads, too. There are decisions that need to be made in New England’s QB room, but Maye — the No. 3 pick — is the future. The Patriots have a tough start to the season, and I doubt they’ll take the gamble on Maye in those matchups. Due to their strength of schedule and the departure of Bill Belichick, the Pats are one of the NFL’s most obvious rebuilding teams. Maye totaled 8,018 passing yards, 1,209 rushing yards, and 79 combined touchdowns during his two years at North Carolina. However, he has way less experience than Williams, Nix, and Daniels. Preseason Stats: 8/14 | 66 Yards | Zero Touchdowns

This weekend brings one more preseason tune-up with roster cuts to follow. Check the bottom of today's edition for a poll regarding the four rookie QBs.

Read More

SI: Caleb Williams is Already Showing His High Potential

CBS Sports: Good, Bad & Ugly From Each NFL Team’s Week 2 Preseason Game

The Ringer: What We Learned From the Rookie Quarterbacks’ NFL Preseason Debuts

  MLB  

Power Rankings Getting Spicy 🌶️

Photo: Maria Lysaker / Getty Images

Who’s the Best Team in Baseball? Answering That Question Has Become Impossible — 11 Teams Are Separated by 6 Games at the Top

We hear from you every week. One team didn’t get enough love. The next minute, they’re soaring. We rank a team in the top five, then they tumble into a five-game skid. This task is impossible, especially in 2024. Finding the best team feels like sweating through a hot wing — just finishing the job is enough. Each season unfolds with a hierarchy that usually brings transparency by this point in the calendar. This year? No dice, spice. After 125 games played and less than 40 to go, 11 teams are now separated by just six games at the top. One week-long win streak could take a team from 10th to 1st, and one week-long skid could do the opposite. Remarkable.

The Latest: The Astros can't stop winning (a walk-off last night). The Padres are a different team than they were in the spring, too. The Phillies have busted out of a slump. The AL Central gets more chaotic every day. And as of last night, three more teams hit 70 wins (10 total). Let’s crunch the rankings once again. For now, it’s the Dodgers at No. 1 (by default).

MLB Power Rankings

1. Dodgers (74-52) —

2. Phillies (73-51) ↑4

3. Yankees (73-52) ↓1

4. Orioles (73-53) ↓1

5. Brewers (72-52) ↑1

6. Guardians (72-52) ↓2

7. Astros (68-56) ↑3

8. Padres (71-55) ↓1

9. Twins (70-55) ↓1

10. Royals (70-55) ↓1

Teams 11-20: 11. Diamondbacks (70-56), 12. Braves (66-58), 13. Mariners (64-62), 14. Red Sox (65-59), 15. Mets (65-60), 16. Giants (64-63), 17. Rays (62-62), 18. Tigers (61-64), 19. Cardinals (61-63), 20. Cubs (61-64)

Teams 21-30: 21. Reds (61-64), 22. Blue Jays (58-67), 23. Rangers (58-68), 24. Pirates (58-66), 25. Nationals (56-69), 26. Angels (53-71), 27. Athletics (54-71), 28. Marlins (46-79), 29. Rockies (46-79), 30. White Sox (30-96)

Read More

MLB: Players Weekend Crushed It! Here’s What Happened

FOX Sports: MLB Power Rankings: Who’s Really the Best Team in Baseball?

CBS Sports: MLB Power Rankings: With 6 Weeks Left, Division Chaos Seems More Likely Every Day

  HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

⚾️ MLB

Mets Walk-Off Orioles (4-3)

Francisco Alvarez Crushes Huge Walk-Off HR

Astros Walk-Off Red Sox (5-4)

Yainer Diaz’s Walk-Off HR Erases 4-Error Night

Dodgers Blank Mariners (3-0)

Max Muncy HRs in Return, Gavin Stone Ks 10

⚽️ Premier League

Leicester City Earn Draw With Tottenham (1-1)

Veteran Jamie Vardy Scores Equalizer

🎾 Tennis (Cincinnati Open Finals)

M: #1 J. Sinner def. F. Tiafoe (7-6, 6-2)

W: #3 A. Sabalenka def. #6 J. Pegula (6-3, 7-5)

🏁 NASCAR

Tyler Reddick Wins Rain-Delayed Michigan Race

Wrecks & Overtimes Make Reddick New Points Leader

⚾️ Little League World Series

Chinese Taipei def. Cuba (10-2)

Japan def. Venezuela (2-1)

Nevada def. Hawaii (3-2)

Texas def. Florida (4-1)

Julian Hurst Throws 10-K in Complete Game

  NEWS   📰 

🏈 Former Texas & NFL Quarterback Colt McCoy Retires From Football for TV Job (ESPN)

🏀 Dennis Schroder Calls Kevin Durant ‘Weak’ After Olympics Social Media Beef (B/R)

🏈 Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Rips Ex-Coach Brian Flores, Calls Him ‘Terrible Person’ (FOX Sports)

🏀 Jeff Bezos Might Be ‘In the Mix’ to Buy Boston Celtics for $6 Billion Valuation (CBS Sports)

🏀 Referee Called Caitlin Clark ‘Disrespectful’ After 5th Technical Foul (Sporting News)

🏀 Steve Kerr ‘Not Expected’ to Return to Coach USA Basketball (SI)

⚽️ Barcelona’s Ilkay Gundogan Exploring Possibility of Return to Manchester City (Yahoo! Sports)

⚾️ Braves’ Austin Riley to Miss 6-8 Weeks With Fractured Hand (ESPN)

  SCHEDULE   🗓️

Today's Must-Watch List

⚾️ MLB

Guardians at Yankees (7:05 pm ET, MLBTV)

Phillies at Braves (7:20 pm ET, TBS)

Brewers at Cardinals (7:45 pm ET, MLBTV)

Red Sox at Astros (8:10 pm ET, MLBTV)

Mariners at Dodgers (10:10 pm ET, MLBN)

🏀 WNBA

Sparks at Sun (7:00 pm ET, Spectrum)

Wings at Liberty (7:00 pm ET, NBATV)

⚾️ Little League World Series

Round of 16 (Noon — 6:00 pm ET, ESPN)

  ON THIS DAY   

Ryan Spins Triple Digits

Photo: Bettman / Contributor / Getty Images

On This Day in Sports History: Nolan Ryan Breaks the 100-MPH Pitch Barrier

August 20, 1974 — Angels pitcher Nolan Ryan broke the Guinness World Record with a 100.9-mph pitch. The pitch was recorded in the 9th inning of a game against the White Sox, and it was the first pitch to surpass the 100-mph mark. The current record for the fastest pitch now belongs to Aroldis Chapman (105.8 mph). Athletics' ace Mason Miller has been touching 104-and-change this season. Ryan also threw two of his MLB-record seven career no-hitters in that '74 season.

Want more "On This Day in Sports" History?

Yes, Please ✅

Not Really 🚫

  POLL   📊

Question of the Day

Which 1st-Round Quarterback Will Have the Best Rookie Season? (click to vote)

Caleb Williams (Bears)

Jayden Daniels (Commanders)

Drake Maye (Patriots)

Bo Nix (Broncos)

Michael Penix Jr. (Falcons) — Unlikely to Start

J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) — Out for Season

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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