By KALLE SORBO
This is the best Quarterback class since 1983.
The famed quarterback class of 1983 gave us three hall of famers. John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino were all taken in the first round of that famous draft. There was a lot of talk leading up to this year’s draft comparing the two QB classes. After this weekend, that talk started up again for a good reason. This was the first week in the Super Bowl era that starting rookie QBs combined for a 4-0 record.
Not an overreaction: The QB stat lines don’t necessarily jump off the page from the games this weekend, but here’s the point. All of these quarterbacks can play. Josh Rosen threw for less than a 50 percent completion percentage, but the Cardinals put up 28 points, and the offense had been anemic previously. The Browns keep finding ways to come back and keep themselves in games. The Bills should be losing a lot more games, and Sam Darnold lit up a once famed Denver defense. Bradley Chubb and Saquon Barkley look to be really productive players on their respective teams; they may even end up being elite regardless of this QB Draft class, both the Broncos and the Giants are going to regret passing on a pass caller for the future. It may be such a draft mistake that it costs these GM’s their jobs. It’s almost fitting since Elway came from that famed ‘83 draft class.
The Rams will go 16-0
The Rams squeezed out a victory over Seattle on Sunday to move to 5-0. The Rams were heavy favorites, and the Seahawks haven’t played their best this year. However, division rivalry games are often different and more contested games, and the Seahawks seemed out for blood after getting blown out at home last year. A win is a win, and every one is hard. I wrote last year that the Rams were the best team since the ‘07 Patriots. I still believe that.
Overreaction: I know I just said that this is the best team since the Patriots undefeated season in 2007. That being said, going 16-0 is just that hard in 2018. The Rams are easily still the favorites to represent the NFC in the Superbowl. Jared Goff has been playing well and should be in the MVP conversation, but he’s still only a third year quarterback. (Although at this point it’s Pat Mahomes award to lose). Peak-form Brady and Belichick were only able go undefeated once in that 2007 season, and it was in Brady’s seventh year. The Rams have an easier schedule that could enable them to finish first in the NFL, but have to play the Packer, Saints, Chiefs and Bears. I don’t know if any team can go 4-0 against those teams right now.
Pat Mahomes is the Second Coming of (Insert Hall of Fame QB here).
As it has been in the headlines of sports articles and talk shows, Pat Mahomes could be the next Brett Favre, the next Jim Kelly, the next John Elway. Pat Mahomes throws as good of a ball as Dan Marino.
The kid that sounds like Kermit the Frog has been phenomenal. He finally threw a couple of picks this weekend, and didn’t throw a touchdown, so he fell back to earth a little bit. However, the game was against the best secondary in the league. It’s hard to not look at his Monday night fourth quarter comeback in Mile High and not draw parallels to John Elway. The scrambling and his ability to make plays when they simply weren’t there were definitely Elway esque. He has faced some real defenses this season and held up.
Overreaction: Like I said earlier: Pat Mahomes is the favorite to win MVP this year and through five games, he should be. He’s been incredible, and I am not denying that at all. I’m just not ready to put a guy into the hall of fame five games into his first season as a starter. What made Elway, Elway and Favre, Favre was not one amazing game. (Unless you’re talking about “The Drive” or the Helicopter play). It was their sustained success over more than a decade of play. This is an over reaction because we don’t have enough of a body of work to compare him to guys that are on the Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks. Can we just let Pat Mahomes be Pat Mahomes? He doesn’t have to be the next anyone. He can be him. What he is doing is great, and so much fun to watch. Let’s just sit back and enjoy this young talent blossom. Leave the Hall of Fame guys in the Hall o Fame.
