About This Quiz
The first game of the regular season is always a pacesetter for NFL teams, whether they are coming off a championship or a losing season. Either a win or a loss usually sets the tone for the rest of the year. Not that teams can't recover after a Week 1 loss. But team morale is built around winning, so it's always good to start off with a "W" in the first game of the season.Â
Of course, one of the most important positions to help usher in a Week 1 victory is the quarterback. Whether they are a veteran or a rookie, all eyes are on how they perform in the opening contest. Fair or not, they are often judged by their Week 1 performance. Though some go on to have stellar seasons even if they start off with a loss, there's always the potential that a quarterback's confidence is ruined if they play poorly.
Do you know these quarterbacks who tried to start the 2019 season off right for each NFL team in the first game of the season? Some got the victory, while the others did not. Here's your chance to identify them. Will you get a victory on this quiz or falter under the pressure?
Though some questioned his passing ability, Lamar Jackson proved the critics wrong in just the first game of the 2019 season. Throwing for five touchdowns, Jackson only had three incompletions the entire game as the Baltimore Ravens blew out the Miami Dolphins 59-10.
Though Eli Manning got the starting spot in the first game of the season, that role was eventually taken over by Daniel Jones. Having been the starter for the New York Giants since 2004, the fact that Manning was replaced means that 2019 is the end of an era in "The Big Apple."
The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to stick with Ben Roethlisberger coming into 2019 despite locker room concerns from the year prior. However, Roethlisberger has been the longtime team leader, and the two other problematic players were both shipped out of town as the team put its trust in the veteran quarterback.
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Russell Wilson came into the NFL as a game manager with the Seattle Seahawks, playing that role as the Seahawks went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII. However, he has since evolved into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, consistently in the MVP conversation as he racks up wins year after year.
After adding Odell Beckham Jr. in the offseason, the Cleveland Browns were supposed to have a high-powered offense led by Baker Mayfield. That offense didn't show up Week 1, putting up only 13 points as Mayfield threw three interceptions and only one touchdown.
Kirk Cousins threw only 10 passes in the opening game of the 2019 season, but it was enough to get a win for the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins was able to secure the win by relying on his run game and defense while not turning the ball over.
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The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Carson Wentz with the second pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Knowing how much they had invested in their young quarterback, the team decided to stick with him coming into the 2019 season despite a history of injuries that have kept him out of the playoffs the past two seasons.
The Buffalo Bills faced off against a divisional rival in the New York Jets to kick off the 2019 regular season. Despite throwing two interceptions, Josh Allen was able to do enough to get a one-point victory over the Jets.
Viewed as a potential bust after a horrible rookie season, Jared Goff's career with the Los Angeles Rams turned around when Sean McVay was hired as the head coach of the Rams in 2017. Since then, Goff has made back to back Pro Bowls coming into the 2019 season, and he'll look to continue that success moving forward.
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Following the 2007 season, the Green Bay Packers had to make the tough choice of moving on from longtime quarterback Brett Favre. However, they had a future Hall of Famer sitting on the bench in Aaron Rodgers, which made their decision much easier.
The New York Jets came into the 2019 season having not made the playoffs since 2010. Things didn't start off well in 2019, as the Jets lost the first game of the season against the Buffalo Bills with Sam Darnold struggling to show he could be a franchise quarterback.
Derek Carr was on an upward trajectory with the Oakland Raiders after being drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft. However, his numbers have tailed off in recent years, as Oakland has gone through several changes including hiring head coach Jon Gruden in 2018.
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The New England Patriots came into the 2019 season off a Super Bowl victory. Tom Brady led the charge on offense in the Super Bowl to earn his sixth NFL championship, the most all time for any NFL player.
When Drew Brees went to New Orleans in 2006, he completely reinvigorated the franchise, immediately becoming an impact player. By the time the 2019 season came around, Brees was the all-time leader in career passing yards, career passing completions and career completion percentage.
In Week 1 of the 2019 season, Patrick Mahomes picked up where he left off the year prior. Facing off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in that matchup, Mahomes completed over 75 percent of his passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns, proving his 2018 season wasn't a fluke.
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The Dallas Cowboys were a favorite for many analysts coming into the 2019 season, and much of the hype was related to Dak Prescott, who was playing for a new contract. The Cowboys backed up the hype in the first game of the season, defeating their divisional rival, the New York Giants, 35-17.
Since getting traded from the New England Patriots to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, Jimmy Garoppolo has put up a winning record as the starting quarterback for the 49ers. That includes a victory in Week 1 of the 2019 season over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Since missing most of the 2010 season, Matthew Stafford has proved to be an iron man for the Detroit Lions, having not missed another game as he came into the 2019 season. Week 1 would be no different, as Stafford suited up to show that availability was his path to success.
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Matt Ryan and the offense for the Atlanta Falcons were shut out for most of the season opener, not scoring until the fourth quarter rolled around. Ryan did put up two touchdowns in the fourth, but it was much too late to make a comeback.
Joe Flacco was subpar on his new team, the Denver Broncos, in the first game of the season against the Oakland Raiders. Flacco completed 21 of his 31 passes for 268 yards but only finished with one touchdown as the Broncos went down 24-16.
The Washington Redskins acquired Case Keenum prior to the 2019 season in a trade with the Denver Broncos for a sixth-round draft pick. Keenum was hot in his debut for the Redskins, throwing for three touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to get the win.
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The Chicago Bears have been up and down on Mitchell Trubisky because he's a developing quarterback on a team with a defense ready to win now. Their concerns were proven correct when the Bears offense only put up three points in the first game of the 2019 season.
Andrew Luck surprised the entire football world when he decided to retire just weeks before the start of the 2019 regular season at the age of 29. That left Jacoby Brissett to take up the reins, but luckily, he had plenty of experience after filling in for an injured Luck in 2017.
Since drafting Marcus Mariota in 2015, the Tennessee Titans have struggled to find consistency from their young quarterback. In Week 1, however, Mariota showed why he was the second overall draft pick, throwing for 248 yards and three touchdowns to help the Titans get a victory.
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After winning a national championship in college, Deshaun Watson was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. It took Watson half a year to get the starting job, but once he did, he was off to the races, even coming into the 2019 season as a favorite for the NFL MVP.
Jameis Winston's play on the field really hasn't been good enough to justify his off-field behavior. However, that didn't stop the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from giving him the start in the opening game of the season, but their decision didn't pay off with a win.
Week 1 of the 2019 season was the start of a horrible losing streak for the Cincinnati Bengals, as they sent down 21-20 to the Seattle Seahawks. After eight straight losses, the Bengals benched Andy Dalton but put him back in the starting lineup when they were 0-11, finally getting their first win against the New York Jets.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins were not prepared for the offensive onslaught from the Baltimore Ravens in the first game of the regular season. By the end of the first half, the score was already 42-10, and there was nothing Fitzpatrick could do to get his team back in the game.
Cam Newton only got to play the first two games of the 2019 season before the injury bug started taking its toll again. Eventually, it was revealed that a foot injury would keep Newton out the entire 2019 season.
Viewed as an undersized athlete, the book was still out on Kyler Murray when Week 1 of the regular season rolled around. The Arizona Cardinals weren't shy about letting him throw the football, though, as he finished the game with 54 pass attempts for 308 yards, showing why he was worthy of being the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
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With a stout defense in years prior, the Jacksonville Jaguars thought they were a quarterback away from making a run at a championship. Sadly, their hopes were dashed when Nick Foles got injured the first game of the season in what would be a losing effort.
The Los Angeles Chargers were picked by many analysts to make a run at the Super Bowl in 2019, primarily because of veteran quarterback Philip Rivers. Though the rest of the season hasn't played out as well, Rivers was good in Week 1, passing for 333 yards and three touchdowns.