Just one day after Caleb Williams set a Chicago Bears rookie record with 363 passing yards in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts, another rookie quarterback took center stage and made history of his own.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels enjoyed his breakout game on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 and put on quite the show. Daniels finished the game going 21-of-23 for 254 yards and two touchdowns while adding 39 rushing yards and a score on the ground as well.
Daniels' big night earned him a spot in the history books. His 91.3 percent completion for the night was the highest ever for a rookie. He also became the first player since 1950 to pass for 250 yards with two or more touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and a 90 percent completion rate.
A performance like this was certainly worth celebrating, but some folks took this in a way that only critics could.
Former NFL offensive lineman, now analyst, Ross Tucker, took to social media in order to spread the latest and hottest of hot takes.
Did the team with the first pick take the wrong guy two years in a row?
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) September 24, 2024
Obviously, Tucker is referring to the Carolina Panthers selecting Bryce Young no. 1 overall last year while the Houston Texans were lucky enough to nab C.J. Stroud then at no. 2. After the Panthers opted to bench Young this past week and watched former Bear Andy Dalton light it up in a win, the narratives became even easier to write in this regard.
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Young's benching has been arguably the hottest topic around the league for a week now, so Tucker's attempt to play into that story was evident, here.
Judging Caleb Williams based on three games is only part of the problem with Ross Tucker's take
First and foremost, to make a judgement call like this after only three games is utter tomfoolery. For Tucker to even suggest the Bears made the wrong decision in drafting Williams after watching Daniels' performance is hilarious.
If we're going based on a one-game sample size, then after each of the Commanders' first two games of the season, fans should have been alarmed with Daniels' performances, because he didn't look anywhere near ready for the NFL.
Daniels ended Week 3 with an impressive QBR of 93.0, however after his first two games in Week 1 and Week 2, Daniels' QBR finished at only 43.3 and 52.2, respectively. That, alone, should speak volumes.
Yes, we're in a "what have you done for me lately" type of league. But, a take like this is dangerously foolish.
We don't even need to get into all of the "excuses" for Williams at this point such as the poor offensive line, coaching issues and play calling. Anyone with any semblance of knowledge in regards to Williams and the Bears should be able to tell you just how many things are working against the rookie, right now.
Daniels had himself a phenomenal game. That much is true. Williams has also shown improvement without a lot of help around him. That much is also true.
There is no need to relate the two quarterbacks after just three games. Leave those types of comparisons to the true experts, Ross.