NFL Week 1 preview: Who will win the rookie QB battle between Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson?
As the regular season begins, rookie quarterbacks are firmly in focus. Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are all looking to impress after taking center stage. While one game will not define their success or failure, the pressure to succeed in their maiden game will be immense as it will set the tone for the rest of the season.
So who will come out on top after Week 1?
Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence, and Zach Wilson in focus
Mac Jones
Mac Jones is having the best few days of his young career. Having just displaced former league MVP Cam Newton to become the starting quarterback at New England, Jones will be raring to go in Week 1.
In his first game, Mac Jones and the New England Patriots will face their division rivals, the Miami Dolphins, at home. Mac Jones will be up against a defense that was in the top five last season and led the league in takeaways. Expect the pressure to be high on Mac Jones against a solid defense, with the additional burden of expectation contributing to a below-average outing in Week 1.
Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence has the most pressure coming into the season since he is widely regarded as one of the most NFL-ready prospects to come out of college. After a couple of average games, he did come good in his final pre-season outing.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars will play their first game against the Houston Texans and he should be able to put up some good numbers. The Texans defense was awful last season and they lost JJ Watt this offseason. Expect Trevor Lawrence to have a decent, if not spectacular game.
Zach Wilson
It will be fun to observe Zach Wilson and Mac Jones in their first week as they face off against each other in the second week. Contrasting fortunes may carry into the next game .
Zach Wilson struggled during training camp but improved in every pre-season game and now looks the part. The New York Jets will be hoping Zach Wilson can ride that momentum well into the regular season.
Zach Wilson and company will start off against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers defense is OK and they added Jaycee Horn in the draft. However, Zach Wilson should be able to pull them through. Expect Zach Wilson to have a solid performance in Week 1, marginally edging the rest of his rookie counterparts.