Rookie QBs had impressive debuts, fueling more hype

By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer

Justin Fields outshined his fellow first-round quarterbacks in their preseason openers. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Mac Jones also made a positive impression in their debuts. So did Jordan Love, who isn’t a rookie but didn’t take a snap last year. A few series against backups, third-stringers and future practice squad guys won’t determine much about any young player but a strong start is better than a poor one. While fans and analysts will overhype preseason performances, most coaches put more stock into practices than games, especially the joint sessions against other clubs.