Week 1 has a humorous approach of constructing everybody overlook all the pieces that occurred earlier than it. One nice efficiency can abruptly revive a quarterback’s fame, whereas one horrible afternoon can begin conversations a few participant’s decline.
Give it just a few weeks. These three performances aren’t going to age effectively.
Jacoby Brissett could not have requested for a significantly better begin.
The Arizona Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14, and Brissett completed 27 of 37 passes for 277 yards and a landing with out turning the ball over. Arizona walked away 1-0, and its 33-year-old quarterback seemed utterly snug working the offense.
We have seen this film earlier than.
Brissett has been within the NFL since 2016 and has bounced from New England to Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland, Washington and Arizona. There have been good stretches alongside the way in which. There have additionally been loads of reminders why no group has ever settled on him as its long-term reply.
Even last season tells the story. Brissett threw for 3,366 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions for Arizona. These aren’t dangerous numbers. The Cardinals nonetheless misplaced their last 9 video games. He has additionally had a QBR rating lower than 42 over the previous two seasons.
That is Brissett. He can provide a crew afternoons just like the one Arizona bought in Week 1. The consistency has by no means adopted.
Possibly he retains it rolling for one more week or two. His decade-long NFL profession says the opposite model finally reveals up.
Matthew Stafford will get the other therapy.
Stafford looked awful within the opener in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers, finishing 15 of 25 passes for under 155 yards with out a landing. He threw an interception and completed with a 61.3 passer ranking.
One sport is not sufficient to abruptly bury him.
Stafford spent 2025 playing at a level that made performances like this uncommon. He stays some of the completed quarterbacks in soccer, and nothing about one September afternoon is sufficient to outweigh what he confirmed over a whole season.
The age dialog is not going away. Stafford is 38, so each dangerous sport goes to deliver one other spherical of questions on whether or not that is lastly the start of the top.
Ultimately, any person can be proper.
Week 1 is not sufficient proof to say that point has arrived.
Drake Maye picked a wierd time to overlook how one can shield the soccer.
Maye threw three interceptions in New England’s 13-10 loss to Seattle. He completed with 178 passing yards, one landing and a 54.9 passer ranking.
Now examine that with 2025.
Maye accomplished 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. He did not throw three interceptions in a single sport all 12 months.
Then he did it instantly in 2026.
Defenses will modify to Maye after his breakout season. That is a part of changing into one of many league’s higher quarterbacks. New England must modify proper again.
What does not make a lot sense is anticipating a quarterback who threw eight interceptions throughout a whole season to abruptly make three-pick performances an everyday prevalence.
Do not buy the Week 1 hype
Brissett is not abruptly Mr. Dependable. He wants much more than one sport to be known as that. Stafford did not abruptly overlook how one can play and can solely get higher. Maye did not abruptly develop into a turnover machine. He is confirmed earlier than that he is not.
One Sunday doesn’t outline any quarterback’s season.
Week 1 gave us loads to speak about. It did not essentially inform us the reality.
