How did some big name NFL quarterbacks perform in their first NFL start?

[BadLandsMeanie]

This in excerpted from an article that is 3 years old. So I am hoping it isn't bad form to show it here because of how old it is. Also I stole the post from a poster somewhere else. So it is was basically stolen already.  I hope that is ok. I thought it was decent information for us.

 

• 
• By Gil Brandt 
• NFL Media senior analyst
• Published: Dec. 17, 2014 at 02:58 p.m.
• Updated: Dec. 17, 2014 at 05:00 p.m. 
•  

Troy Aikman
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in 1989.

First start: Loss (28-0) to the Saints in Week 1 of 1989; 17 of 35 (48.6 percent) for 180 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, two sacks and a passer rating of 40.2.

Aikman -- whom I helped scout and draft -- was thrown right into the mix as a rookie. While he didn't seem lost or overwhelmed at all in that first game, he finished his first season -- which was interrupted by a broken finger that cost him five games -- with nine touchdowns against 18 interceptions while averaging just 5.9 yards per pass. Those are not very good numbers. In fact, it wasn't until his third year in the NFL that he managed to throw more touchdowns (11) than picks (10).

So what -- aside from playing for a team that finished 1-15 a year after going 3-13 -- held Aikman back in that first start and the rest of Year 1? I think, in general, a lot of rookie quarterbacks are surprised by the complexity of the game at the pro level and the sophistication of their opponents -- how well people disguise coverages and how effectively they exploit weaknesses. Even while he struggled, though, Aikman still threw a big ball and showed excellent accuracy. Norv Turner -- Aikman's offensive coordinator from 1991 to 1993 -- will tell you he's never seen a quarterback as accurate as this guy.

 

John Elway
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Colts in 1983 (traded to Denver Broncos).

First start: Win (14-10) over the Steelers in Week 1 of 1983; 1 of 8 (12.5 percent) for 14 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, four sacks and a passer rating of 0.

Elway's debut was marred by an elbow injury that forced him out of the game, but his second start (9 of 21 for 106 yards, zero touchdowns and three sacks) wasn't much better. He went on to have a relatively rough rookie season -- 7:14 TD-to-INT ratio and 28 sacks in 11 games -- in which he was benched after three consecutive losses. But he also was part of a team that made the playoffs that year, and he ended up leading the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances, five playoff berths and six winning seasons over the next nine years. Still, in many ways, the jury was still out on the quarterback, who threw just one more touchdown pass (158) than he did picks (157) from 1983 to 1992. He was kind of like a wild colt, so to speak, in that he would run around and scramble somewhat recklessly and make risky throws across his body.

In 1993, he seemed to turn a corner, and he really took off in 1995, when Mike Shanahan -- who spent two previous stints on Denver's staff during Elway's career -- became the Broncos' head coach. In the final four years of his career, Elway posted a record of 43-16, threw 101 touchdown passes against 49 picks and, of course, won two Super Bowls.

 

Andrew Luck

Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.

First start: Loss (41-21) to the Bears in Week 1 of 2012; 23 of 45 (51.1 percent) for 309 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, three sacks and a passer rating of 52.9.

Luck struggled some initially with the speed of the game and maybe tried to force the ball more than he should have. But he seemed to compress the normal timeframe of development for a rookie quarterback, bouncing back from a 1-2 start to lift Indy to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. The Colts' relatively easy schedule and roster -- which, though it lacked some pieces, was better than what most No. 1 picks have to work with in Year 1 -- helped. But Luck also showed a knack for winning games, compiling seven game-winning drives as a rookie. It couldn't have hurt that his father, Oliver Luck, and his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, were both former NFL quarterbacks.

 

Peyton Manning
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.

First start: Loss (24-15) to the Dolphins in Week 1 of 1998; 21 of 37 (56.8 percent) for 302 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, four sacks and a passer rating of 58.6.

Manning has, of course, become one of the premier quarterbacks in the game, earning 13 Pro Bowl nods and five MVP awards in 14 years with the Colts and two-plus years with the Denver Broncos. And though he set what was then a rookie record with 3,739 yards, he also went 3-13 in his first year with Indy -- and believe me when I tell you that a lot of people were asking whether he was good enough to hack it. In fact, after a less-than-stellar performance in a Week 5 victory over Ryan Leaf's Chargers that season, there were even some folks hollering that Indy should've taken Leaf instead of Manning with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.

That Manning -- who was very well coached at Tennessee and has such a great understanding of the game -- stumbled out of the gate like that just illustrates how hard it is to start right away as a rookie, especially with the competitive balance being so great in the NFL. Of course, Manning was a tireless worker even then, and, with the help of assistant Tom Moore, grew into the all-time talent we know today.

 

Alex Smith
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005.

First start: Loss (28-3) to the Colts in Week 5 of 2005; 9 of 23 (39.1 percent) for 74 yards, zero touchdowns, four interceptions, five sacks and a passer rating of 8.5.

Smith is very smart, but it took time for that to translate to the NFL gridiron. He had a horrifically bad rookie year, taking 29 sacks and throwing 11 picks in just nine games (seven starts) while posting a sub-40 passer rating four times. Smith didn't find the end zone until the final game of the season, a 20-17 win over Houston. He seemed reluctant to throw downfield and didn't break out of checkdown mode for years.

It wasn't that Smith, who was neck and neck with Aaron Rodgers in my pre-draft scouting as a prospect, lacked talent. I think a key factor was that he just didn't get as lucky as other guys did in terms of the kind of coaching he received as a rookie. When Jim Harbaugh arrived in 2011, he turned Smith into a good quarterback, and the signal-caller has continued to thrive with the Chiefs under Andy Reid. Just look at his numbers since '11: 38-15-1 record with a TD-to-INT ratio of 71:23.

 

Fran Tarkenton

Drafted: No. 29 overall (third round) by the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.

First start: Loss (21-7) to the Cowboys in Week 2 of 1961; 8 of 24 (33.3 percent) for 117 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, three sacks and a passer rating of 15.5.

Tarkenton's first official start paled in comparison to what he accomplished in his true debut the week before, when he came off the bench to complete 74 percent of his passes for 250 yards and contribute five touchdowns (four in the air and one on the ground) to a 37-13 win over the Bears -- the first ever victory for the Vikings franchise. The rest of his season was a bit rockier, as he went 2-8 in 10 starts while posting a TD-to-INT ratio of 18:17 over 14 games. He had mixed results over the next few years before being traded to the Giants in 1967. This, he recently told me in a conversation on the phone, is when he turned his career around, installing the offense himself and calling the plays in New York as a 27-year-old quarterback; he credits himself as being the person most responsible for his ascension.

After a successful stint in New York, Tarkenton was traded back to the Vikings in 1972 -- and proceeded to make the playoffs from 1973 to 1978, going on a run that included three Super Bowl appearances and saw him win the MVP award in 1975. He was a scrambler who overcame a lack of height -- he was 6 feet if you stretched him out -- and learned how to complement his scrambling ability with his arm.

 

Steve Young

Drafted: No. 1 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1984 supplemental draft.

First start: Win (19-16, OT) over the Lions in Week 12 of 1985; 16 of 27 (59.3 percent) for 167 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, six sacks and a passer rating of 77.2; 10 carries for 60 yards.

Young wasn't exactly a rookie when he entered the NFL, having spent two years with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL before going to Tampa Bay. Perhaps Young became used to the lesser competition he saw in his first pro league, because he struggled with the Bucs, compiling a record of 3-16 as a starter while throwing nearly twice as many interceptions (21) as he did touchdown passes (11). Tampa Bay shipped him to San Francisco for a second- and a fourth-round pick in 1987 -- laying the groundwork for his career to take off into the stratosphere.

Even that took time, of course, as Joe Montana was entrenched at quarterback when Young joined the Niners. But ultimately, coach Bill Walsh and his West Coast system shaped Young into the man who won two MVP awards and helped San Francisco score the third-most points in Super Bowl history in a 49-26 win over San Diego.

Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter @Gil_Brandt.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000445192/article/troy-aikman-peyton-manning-among-qbs-with-bad-first-starts

 

 

[zow2]

Pretty sure Peterman will get another chance. If not this season than beginning in spring 2018. He was so hyper-over aggressive in his play. Just being so careless.  He will learn a lot from it. Just hope he gets one more crack to do something positive.

[BadLandsMeanie]

9 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Pretty sure Peterman will get another chance. If not this season than beginning in spring 2018. He was so hyper-over aggressive in his play. Just being so careless.  He will learn a lot from it. Just hope he gets one more crack to do something positive.

I hope so too.

Mind you I am sure plenty of bad QBs had bad first games also. But this article gave me some perspective.

 

 

[26CornerBlitz]

[BobChalmers]

I think it's pretty likely Peterman will get a few (1-3) more starts this year.  Tyrod and the Bills need at least a win against KC or NE to remain at all in the playoff conversation.

 

AND highly probable he will start the 2018 season for the Bills.

 

How he does in his other chances this season and how the draft falls next year will determine whether he's starting long-term or just as a placeholder for the rookie they get.

Edited November 24, 2017 by BobChalmers

[26CornerBlitz]

5 minutes ago, BobChalmers said:

I think it's pretty likely Peterman will get a few (1-3) more starts this year

 

AND extremely probable he will start the 2018 season for the Bills.

 

How he does in other chances and how the draft falls next year will determine whether he's starting long-term or just as a placeholder for the rookie they get.

 

Not really.

[Norwood for Wall of Fame]

It all kind of makes me miss Jeff Tuel

[Comebackkid]

Definitely illustrates the patience needed wth a rookie QB.  Good post BLM.

[Bangarang]

More than likely Peterman sucks. This team better be targeting a QB early next year.

[BobChalmers]

2 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

Not really.

 

Who do you think will start _week_one_?  A FA pickup, the 1st round rookie, or TT?

 

Personally I think there's no way they pay starter money to a QB they don't believe in (Taylor) when they have so many other needs for that money.

Edited November 24, 2017 by BobChalmers

[26CornerBlitz]

7 minutes ago, BobChalmers said:

 

Who do you think will start?  A FA pickup, the 1st round rookie, or TT?

 

Anything could happen with regard to those possibilities with so much to be determined.  Peterman could start, but posting that it's extremely probable is far too premature. 

Edited November 24, 2017 by 26CornerBlitz

[klos63]

44 minutes ago, BadLandsMeanie said:

This in excerpted from an article that is 3 years old. So I am hoping it isn't bad form to show it here because of how old it is. Also I stole the post from a poster somewhere else. So it is was basically stolen already.  I hope that is ok. I thought it was decent information for us.

 

• 
• By Gil Brandt 
• NFL Media senior analyst
• Published: Dec. 17, 2014 at 02:58 p.m.
• Updated: Dec. 17, 2014 at 05:00 p.m. 
•  

Troy Aikman
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in 1989.

First start: Loss (28-0) to the Saints in Week 1 of 1989; 17 of 35 (48.6 percent) for 180 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, two sacks and a passer rating of 40.2.

Aikman -- whom I helped scout and draft -- was thrown right into the mix as a rookie. While he didn't seem lost or overwhelmed at all in that first game, he finished his first season -- which was interrupted by a broken finger that cost him five games -- with nine touchdowns against 18 interceptions while averaging just 5.9 yards per pass. Those are not very good numbers. In fact, it wasn't until his third year in the NFL that he managed to throw more touchdowns (11) than picks (10).

So what -- aside from playing for a team that finished 1-15 a year after going 3-13 -- held Aikman back in that first start and the rest of Year 1? I think, in general, a lot of rookie quarterbacks are surprised by the complexity of the game at the pro level and the sophistication of their opponents -- how well people disguise coverages and how effectively they exploit weaknesses. Even while he struggled, though, Aikman still threw a big ball and showed excellent accuracy. Norv Turner -- Aikman's offensive coordinator from 1991 to 1993 -- will tell you he's never seen a quarterback as accurate as this guy.

 

John Elway
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Baltimore Colts in 1983 (traded to Denver Broncos).

First start: Win (14-10) over the Steelers in Week 1 of 1983; 1 of 8 (12.5 percent) for 14 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, four sacks and a passer rating of 0.

Elway's debut was marred by an elbow injury that forced him out of the game, but his second start (9 of 21 for 106 yards, zero touchdowns and three sacks) wasn't much better. He went on to have a relatively rough rookie season -- 7:14 TD-to-INT ratio and 28 sacks in 11 games -- in which he was benched after three consecutive losses. But he also was part of a team that made the playoffs that year, and he ended up leading the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances, five playoff berths and six winning seasons over the next nine years. Still, in many ways, the jury was still out on the quarterback, who threw just one more touchdown pass (158) than he did picks (157) from 1983 to 1992. He was kind of like a wild colt, so to speak, in that he would run around and scramble somewhat recklessly and make risky throws across his body.

In 1993, he seemed to turn a corner, and he really took off in 1995, when Mike Shanahan -- who spent two previous stints on Denver's staff during Elway's career -- became the Broncos' head coach. In the final four years of his career, Elway posted a record of 43-16, threw 101 touchdown passes against 49 picks and, of course, won two Super Bowls.

 

Andrew Luck

Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.

First start: Loss (41-21) to the Bears in Week 1 of 2012; 23 of 45 (51.1 percent) for 309 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, three sacks and a passer rating of 52.9.

Luck struggled some initially with the speed of the game and maybe tried to force the ball more than he should have. But he seemed to compress the normal timeframe of development for a rookie quarterback, bouncing back from a 1-2 start to lift Indy to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. The Colts' relatively easy schedule and roster -- which, though it lacked some pieces, was better than what most No. 1 picks have to work with in Year 1 -- helped. But Luck also showed a knack for winning games, compiling seven game-winning drives as a rookie. It couldn't have hurt that his father, Oliver Luck, and his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, were both former NFL quarterbacks.

 

Peyton Manning
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.

First start: Loss (24-15) to the Dolphins in Week 1 of 1998; 21 of 37 (56.8 percent) for 302 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, four sacks and a passer rating of 58.6.

Manning has, of course, become one of the premier quarterbacks in the game, earning 13 Pro Bowl nods and five MVP awards in 14 years with the Colts and two-plus years with the Denver Broncos. And though he set what was then a rookie record with 3,739 yards, he also went 3-13 in his first year with Indy -- and believe me when I tell you that a lot of people were asking whether he was good enough to hack it. In fact, after a less-than-stellar performance in a Week 5 victory over Ryan Leaf's Chargers that season, there were even some folks hollering that Indy should've taken Leaf instead of Manning with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.

That Manning -- who was very well coached at Tennessee and has such a great understanding of the game -- stumbled out of the gate like that just illustrates how hard it is to start right away as a rookie, especially with the competitive balance being so great in the NFL. Of course, Manning was a tireless worker even then, and, with the help of assistant Tom Moore, grew into the all-time talent we know today.

 

Alex Smith
Drafted: No. 1 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005.

First start: Loss (28-3) to the Colts in Week 5 of 2005; 9 of 23 (39.1 percent) for 74 yards, zero touchdowns, four interceptions, five sacks and a passer rating of 8.5.

Smith is very smart, but it took time for that to translate to the NFL gridiron. He had a horrifically bad rookie year, taking 29 sacks and throwing 11 picks in just nine games (seven starts) while posting a sub-40 passer rating four times. Smith didn't find the end zone until the final game of the season, a 20-17 win over Houston. He seemed reluctant to throw downfield and didn't break out of checkdown mode for years.

It wasn't that Smith, who was neck and neck with Aaron Rodgers in my pre-draft scouting as a prospect, lacked talent. I think a key factor was that he just didn't get as lucky as other guys did in terms of the kind of coaching he received as a rookie. When Jim Harbaugh arrived in 2011, he turned Smith into a good quarterback, and the signal-caller has continued to thrive with the Chiefs under Andy Reid. Just look at his numbers since '11: 38-15-1 record with a TD-to-INT ratio of 71:23.

 

Fran Tarkenton

Drafted: No. 29 overall (third round) by the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.

First start: Loss (21-7) to the Cowboys in Week 2 of 1961; 8 of 24 (33.3 percent) for 117 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, three sacks and a passer rating of 15.5.

Tarkenton's first official start paled in comparison to what he accomplished in his true debut the week before, when he came off the bench to complete 74 percent of his passes for 250 yards and contribute five touchdowns (four in the air and one on the ground) to a 37-13 win over the Bears -- the first ever victory for the Vikings franchise. The rest of his season was a bit rockier, as he went 2-8 in 10 starts while posting a TD-to-INT ratio of 18:17 over 14 games. He had mixed results over the next few years before being traded to the Giants in 1967. This, he recently told me in a conversation on the phone, is when he turned his career around, installing the offense himself and calling the plays in New York as a 27-year-old quarterback; he credits himself as being the person most responsible for his ascension.

After a successful stint in New York, Tarkenton was traded back to the Vikings in 1972 -- and proceeded to make the playoffs from 1973 to 1978, going on a run that included three Super Bowl appearances and saw him win the MVP award in 1975. He was a scrambler who overcame a lack of height -- he was 6 feet if you stretched him out -- and learned how to complement his scrambling ability with his arm.

 

Steve Young

Drafted: No. 1 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1984 supplemental draft.

First start: Win (19-16, OT) over the Lions in Week 12 of 1985; 16 of 27 (59.3 percent) for 167 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, six sacks and a passer rating of 77.2; 10 carries for 60 yards.

Young wasn't exactly a rookie when he entered the NFL, having spent two years with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL before going to Tampa Bay. Perhaps Young became used to the lesser competition he saw in his first pro league, because he struggled with the Bucs, compiling a record of 3-16 as a starter while throwing nearly twice as many interceptions (21) as he did touchdown passes (11). Tampa Bay shipped him to San Francisco for a second- and a fourth-round pick in 1987 -- laying the groundwork for his career to take off into the stratosphere.

Even that took time, of course, as Joe Montana was entrenched at quarterback when Young joined the Niners. But ultimately, coach Bill Walsh and his West Coast system shaped Young into the man who won two MVP awards and helped San Francisco score the third-most points in Super Bowl history in a 49-26 win over San Diego.

Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter @Gil_Brandt.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000445192/article/troy-aikman-peyton-manning-among-qbs-with-bad-first-starts

 

 

Keep in mind, except for Tarkenton, you are looking at #1 overall picks, there was a likely expectation of great success for them, not the same case for a 5th round pick. Doesn't mean Peterman can't recover, but it's apples and oranges.

[xRUSHx]

8 minutes ago, klos63 said:

Keep in mind, except for Tarkenton, you are looking at #1 overall picks, there was a likely expectation of great success for them, not the same case for a 5th round pick. Doesn't mean Peterman can't recover, but it's apples and oranges.

Right on with your post man. But I can see where the OP was going with the thread. I'd rather see this team give Peterman experence for next season over watching Tyrod a QB that hopefully will gone. Peterman playing this season gives him experence to sit on next season as the backup as our #1 pick starts day 1.

Edited November 24, 2017 by xRUSHx

[BadLandsMeanie]

Just now, klos63 said:

Keep in mind, except for Tarkenton, you are looking at #1 overall picks, there was a likely expectation of great success for them, not the same case for a 5th round pick. Doesn't mean Peterman can't recover, but it's apples and oranges.

I Get your point but I think it is more like oranges and tangerines.

 

Plus, most or all of those guys were all groomed to start, probably beginning back in training camp. Peterman was groomed to start for 3 days (away game took up a travel day).

 

Anyway I make no bones about Peterman maybe petering out. It is just that I thought he had maybe set himself back years because of how bad that was. So seeing that others had dismal first games too helped me understand things better.

 

 

[Jerome007]

Aikman's offensive coordinator from 1991 to 1993 -- will tell you he's never seen a quarterback as accurate as this guy.

I've read many times that accuracy is the best thing to look for in a QB, as strangely, even if working on throwing motions, footwork and all, it seems the guy has it or don't once in the NFL.

 

And ouch at Alex Smith's debut! Not NP level but close!

[xRUSHx]

9 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Considering this new regimes personnel decisions to date, I would say somebody who's not very good

.

So your saying Tyrod would stay as the starter then?

[hondo in seattle]

A lot of good QBs were horrible in their first start.

 

A lot of terrible QBs were horrible in their first start.

 

One half of one game doesn't prove anything, one way or the other.  But there was nothing in Peterman's first game that suggested he deserves to be a NFL starter.  Time will tell.

[26CornerBlitz]

Just now, BadLandsMeanie said:

I Get your point but I think it is more like oranges and tangerines.

 

Plus, most or all of those guys were all groomed to start, probably beginning back in training camp. Peterman was groomed to start for 3 days (away game took up a travel day).

 

Anyway I make no bones about Peterman maybe petering out. It is just that I thought he had maybe set himself back years because of how bad that was. So seeing that others had dismal first games too helped me understand things better.

 

After an acid drop maybe.  There is no "appropriate" comparison of Peterman to what prime QB prospects did in their respective 1st professional starts.

[Jerome007]

2 minutes ago, xRUSHx said:

Right on with your post man. But I can see where the OP was going with the thread. I'd rather see this team give Peterman experence for next season over watching Tyrod a QB that hopefully will gone

I'm repeating myself but so are you LOL: Why would you want to get rid of the best QB on your roster??? Yes he's no "franchise quarterback" but unless the Bills sign one, and that could be next year as it could be 20 years later, I just don't see the point of losing him! You keep your best players based on results vs salary cap and other factors. Is he among the Top 10 in the league? Nope. But he's by far the best here in a long while.

2 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

A lot of good QBs were horrible in their first start.

 

A lot of terrible QBs were horrible in their first start.

 

One half of one game doesn't prove anything, one way or the other.  But there was nothing in Peterman's first game that suggested he deserves to be a NFL starter.  Time will tell.

Right on target (no INT)

[Roundybout]

14 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Considering this new regimes personnel decisions to date, I would say somebody who's not very good

.

 

Why do you think that? Most of our pickups have been pretty good, Kalen Clay not withstanding.