Week 1 Grades for 28 Starting NFL QB's

Class has only been in session for one week....and grades are already being handed out.

Here are the marks for the 28 quarterbacks that have taken their initial exam and started the regular season premieres.

The final four pieces to this first week puzzle will be completed on Monday night when the last two opening games are played, but let's get the snap judgements on those that represent each team behind center.

Drew Brees: A

The Thursday night opener between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers got the 2011 campaign off to a spectacular start, with two of the best quarterbacks playing in midseason form.

Unfortunately, one had to come up on the wrong side of the scoreboard in this offensive shootout.

In a losing effort, Brees went 32-of-49 for a game-high 419 yards passing and three touchdowns through the air.

Brees made very few mistakes, as he did not throw an interception. The costliest error came when WR Marques Colston fumbled after a catch on the Saints' second play from scrimmage, putting the Packers in prime position to take a 14-0 lead in the early going and putting the Saints offense in catch-up mode from there on out.

That forced Brees to throw more often, and he did that with supreme efficiency.

Aaron Rodgers: A+

The Super Bowl XLV MVP picked up right where he left off during last season's playoff run.

Rodgers completed 27 of his 35 pass attempts for 312 yards and three touchdowns as the Packers edged the Saints 42-35 on Thursday at Lambeau Field.

Green Bay and its elite QB didn't waste any time in showing off how effective the offense can be.

The opening drive lasted nine plays and 4:52, totaling 74 yards and finishing in the end zone. In that march, Rodgers was 5-for-5 passing, the final toss being a TD strike to WR Greg Jennings. 

It would also create a pattern that would continue for the remainder of the contest.

Matt Ryan: D

Atlanta is a chic pick to reach this year's Super Bowl. And why not? The Falcons, led by Ryan's quarterbacking, won 14 games last year. However, they continued to play in the same sluggish style that affected them in the NFC Divisional playoff win against Green Bay.

Ryan's 31-of-47 for 319 yards is a deceiving stat line. That's because he failed to have a touchdown pass and had two costly turnovers.

Jay Cutler: B

Cutler has heard the wrath of criticism from local and national football observers ever since he took himself out of the NFC Championship Game last season.

But in Sunday's 30-12 win over Atlanta, he proved why the Bears reached the conference title game in 2010. Cutler completed 22 of his 32 passes, totaling 312 yards with two TD's and an interception.

The first touchdown was a 56-yard pass to running back Matt Forte in which Chicago vaulted into the lead. The latter was a one-yarder to Matt Spaeth that put the Bears up a commanding 23-7.

Kerry Collins: D-

The nightmare scenario is playing out.

Indy's opener versus the Houston Texans proved the incredible worth of Peyton Manning.

Without their star QB, the Colts offense looked completely inept. Kerry Collins had the look of a guy that had spent most of the offseason not training to play football. He completed barely 50 percent of his passes and fumbled twice. The Indianapolis offensive line, which constantly put him under pressure, didn't provide much help.

No. 18 can't come back soon enough.

Matt Schaub: B-

Even without the services of Arian Foster, Schaub was able to shred the Colts offense from the start and put Indy in a position that they could not recover from.

With the help of Andre Johnson, he threw his lone touchdown pass and connected on seven of his 17 completions.

Schaub did have two interceptions, which is slightly concerning, but the game was so out of reach early on that it had no real impact on the outcome.

Ryan Fitzpatrick: A

For a team that hasn't had a winning record since 2004, the 2011 season couldn't have started much better.

Against a Kansas City team that is coming off a postseason appearance, the Bills and Ryan Fitzpatrick operated a balanced offense that blew away the Chiefs, 41-7.

Fitzpatrick's 208 yards came on an efficient 17-of-25 passing. Those numbers aren't spectacular, but four touchdown tosses is quite impressive.

Matt Cassel: D-

Maybe Matt Cassel needs Charlie Weis after all.

With his former offensive coordinator now at the University of Florida, Cassel didn't look like the quarterback that led his club to 10 victories.

Instead, he was 22-of-36 for a paltry 119 yards with a pick and one touchdown against the Bills.

In the end, the Chiefs were handed their worst opening game loss in franchise history.

Andy Dalton: B

The first game for the rookie from TCU looked promising at first.

In the initial three offensive drives, Dalton piloted the Bengals to 13 points–including a touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham from two yards out.

But, it was derailed near the midway point.

Dalton was hit by Browns rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor on Cincinnati's final offensive play in the first half. It forced Dalton out of the game, and he was relieved by back-up Bruce Gradkowski, who led the Bengals to victory.

For the short time that he was on the field, Dalton may be showing that he can manage a Bengals team that is expected to go through many growing pains.

Colt McCoy: C-

McCoy's two touchdown passes gave his Browns a 14-13 advantage in the third period. However, they weren't able to hold on.

With a low completion percentage (47.5 percent) and a interception, Cleveland was far from crisp on offense in its first game under new head coach Pat Shurmur.

Ben Roethlisberger: F

The defending AFC Champions were done in by a team prepared to make a statement.

Baltimore destroyed Pittsburgh 35-7 thanks in part to forcing the black and gold into a staggering seven turnovers.

Roethlisberger was part of this sloppy offensive performance by the Steelers. The usually error-prone QB had had three interceptions, lost two fumbles and was sacked four times.

Joe Flacco: B+

Baltimore's young quarterback played a smart game, mainly due to the fact that he handed the ball often to running back Ray Rice, who combined for 149 total yards and found the end zone twice.

Flacco wasn't too shabby, either, as the Ravens took a key game against hated Pittsburgh and gained a leg up in the race for the AFC North.

The opening drive was a true indicator of what was to come on this afternoon in the Charm City. Flacco found Anquan Boldin on a 27-yard scoring strike.

Of Flacco's 29 passes, 17 of them were caught, compiling 224 yards in the air and three TD's. Unlike his opponent, he did not turn the ball over.

Michael Vick: B

With fresh legs and a fresh start, the Eagles and Michael Vick ran away from the Rams by a score of 31-13 in St. Louis.

The numbers weren't overwhelming, but Vick's ability to escape the pocket and make plays was the difference, as it's been on several occasions in his career.

Football's newest highly-paid quarterback did most of his damage, with 98 rushing yards on 10 attempts to complement his 187 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Sam Bradford: C

In defense of Sam Bradford, he couldn't catch many breaks.

The main problem for him was the fact that his receivers had hands of stone. Several of Bradford's on-target tosses resulted in drops.

The end of his 17-of-30, 188-yard day came when his throwing hand struck the helmet of an Eagles defender on the follow through to a pass in the fourth quarter.

Matthew Stafford: A

Stafford helped prove why the Detroit Lions are the team on the rise.

A signal-caller who has struggled to stay healthy, the third-year QB started this season with 305 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 24 completions in 33 attempts as the Lions prevailed by a score of 27-20 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Two of those TD tosses went to his favorite target: Calvin Johnson. The other went to tight end Tony Scheffler.

Stafford was able to wear down the Bucs defense with four scoring drives of at least 70 yards.

Josh Freeman: C-

Freeman went from zero to near-hero as the Buccaneers ultimately came up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. His final stat line was 28-of-43 for 245 yards with one touchdown, a pick and a pair of sacks by the Lions defense.

After struggling for the majority of the contest, Freeman was forced to head to the locker room after suffering a shoulder injury.

But he returned to the field and improved his overall performance with a five-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams with less than two minutes to go.

Freeman, who has led seven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, was unable to complete the comeback as the offense came up short of pay dirt when time expired.

Matt Hasselbeck: C

The Jaguars sacked Hasselbeck on the Titans' first offensive play...and things didn't get much better from there. In fact, it was a microcosm of his day.

In his first game wearing the colors of Tennessee, Hasselbeck received little support from his running game, as Chris Johnson had just 24 yards rushing. The Titans also had seven penalties that covered 60 yards.

Hasselbeck's day ended up 21-of-34 passing for 263 yards and two touchdowns. His one interception—which was severely overthrown from the intended—target came in the game's waning moments and sealed the Jacksonville victory.

Luke McCown: C+

A week ago, few could have expected that David Garrard would not be the man under center for the Jacksonville Jaguars come Week 1.

However, management decided to unceremoniously cut the veteran Garrard on Tuesday. The move is to make way eventually for rookie Blaine Gabbert. But for the time being, it'll be McCown who will take the reigns.

The Jags' current starter didn't wow anyone 175 yards through the air and no touchdowns, but he did run the team's run-first offense well and kept the mistakes to a minimum in a 16-14 win.

Donovan McNabb: D-

When you see that McNabb was only 7-of-15 for a miniscule 39 yards, with one touchdown and one interception against the San Diego Chargers defense on Sunday afternoon, it's hard to believe that the Vikings had a chance to tie in the late going.

It's even harder to conceive that Minnesota was up 17-7 when he had his lone TD completion in the third quarter.

Quarterback ratings don't always tell the story, but a 47.9 mark does.

Philip Rivers: C+

Just like the way his team usually starts the their regular seasons, Philip Rivers was slow out of the game in Week 1. However, he regained his form and pulled out a home win versus Minnesota.

With the score knotted at 17 with just over five minutes to go, Rivers found Mike Tolbert for a 19-yard TD pass in what proved to be the winning score.

Last season's leading passer connected on 33 of his 48 attempts through the air, racking up 338 yards. His pair of touchdowns were countered with his two INTs.

It was by no means a typical Rivers performance, but it was just enough to win.

Cam Newton: A

When you're compared to Otto Graham after just one NFL game, it's a pretty impressive debut.

The top pick in this year's draft and last year's Heisman Trophy winner broke the Cleveland Brown legend's record for passing yards in a pro debut.

Newton finished 24-of-37 for 422 yards with two passing touchdowns (both to Steve Smith), one rushing touchdown and one interception.

The only thing missing from this was a "W." That wasn't to be, of course, as a final drive to tie the score went unfulfilled. But for a team that was the worst in the league in 2010, Newton's performance in Arizona is early proof that they have a quarterback that will lead them in a positive direction.

Kevin Kolb: B+

While Sunday marked the NFL debut for Newton, it was the start of the Kevin Kolb era with the Cardinals. Once a back-up for the Philadelphia, he is now center stage in Arizona.

The opener went well for Kolb, despite several throws that were off-target–typical of a QB that's still trying to get in sync with his new offensive weapons. When the game ended, the former Eagle back-up had a passer rating of over 130.

While Larry Fitzgerald is his ultimate weapon, the person he utilized most Early Doucet. The aerial strike from Kolb to Doucet in the fourth period went 70 yards and tied the game at 21 apiece and proved vital in a win for the Cards.

Eli Manning: C

At least one Manning played this Sunday. The younger of the QB brother duo was stifled all game long by a Washington Redskin defense that sacked him four times and forced him into one interception along with a fumble.

In the end, it was the Giants falling 28-14.

Although Eli did not throw a touchdown pass, he did contribute with a QB sneak into the end zone that provided the first score of the contest.That was set up by a long 68-yard connection through the air from Manning to leading receiver Hakeem Nicks.

But Manning was unable to get in rhythm all game, and Ryan Kerrigan's INT return for a touchdown in the third quarter after batting down a pass certainly swung the momentum in the Redskins' favor.

Rex Grossman: B+

When Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan tabbed Rex Grossman the starting quarterback for Week 1 over John Beck against the Giants, many felt he was simply choosing between the lesser of two evils.

But for at least one game, the oft-ridiculed Grossman silenced the critics. He did a fine job at limiting his mistakes, which, in turn, gave the Redskins a better chance to come out on top.

The Washington defense certainly stood out, but Rex's performance can't be overstated. Sunday was the fourth time in his pro career that he went for more than 300 yards passing. In addition, Grossman had two touchdown passes and, more importantly, no picks.

Tarvaris Jackson: C

Jackson didn't totally make Seattle fans yearn for Matt Hasselbeck to return to the Seahawks. However, it didn't remind them of their signal-caller.

Granted, the special teams didn't do any favors and left the former Minnesota Viking in a precarious position.

Jackson and the Seahawks failed to generate much momentum on offense until the second half, when they were behind 16-0. He threw a late 55-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin, but it didn't help his winning plans.

Alex Smith: C+

Sunday afternoon at Candlestick was not the day to watch superb quarterback play. Even in a winning cause, Smith showed why he has struggled since becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Granted, he can chalk up one in the win column, but he shouldn't be seeking election to the Pro Bowl after a 15-of-20 for 124 yard performance against the Seahawks.

Smith did get the lone Niner offensive touchdown on a one-yard QB sneak, but most of the scoring credit should go to kick returner Ted Ginn, Jr.

San Francisco mounted several chances to score, but Smith and company simply couldn't finish the drives with six points. While simply getting points is key, they'll have to do more if they want to win against stiffer competition.

Tony Romo: C

As has sometimes been the case for Tony Romo, he has had solid starts to games. It's just that the ending can take a severe turn for the worse.

Even though it's a new season, there are still some old problems.

Romo and the Cowboys jumped out to a 24-10 lead on the New York Jets early in the fourth period. At that point, Romo had no picks and two touchdown passes.

Then came the rest of the final quarter. After getting to the Jets goal line, Romo tried to scramble and run it in the end zone. His lack of security with the ball caused a fumble, which was recovered by New York. After the Jets tied it at 24-24, it was imperative that Romo be smart with the ball. 

With just under a minute to go, Darrelle Revis intercepted Romo on an ill-advised throw. Revis returned it to the Dallas 34 and eventually led to the winning field goal for the Jets.

Mark Sanchez: B-

Sanchez shook off a rusty start and had just one incompletion in a 90-yard drive that closed the gap with a four-yard pass to TE Dustin Keller near the end of the first half.

His second TD connection, this time to newly-signed wide out Plaxico Burress, cut the Dallas lead to 24-17.

Cowboy mistakes and Jets defense took over from there. As has been the case in many New York games, Sanchez made some critical errors

Nevertheless, that stats were solid. The third-year signal-caller was 26-of-44 for 335 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.