Rookies Shine in NFL Week 8

Deshaun Watson is one of this NFL season’s top performers.

One of the most exciting things about any NFL season is seeing what the rookies are made of. Fans of every team hope that a potential new talisman will break into the side. Now, halfway through the season, we can assess who is here to stay.

Week 8 was a good week for rookies, with some stand-out performances from some of the league’s most exciting prospects.

Marshon Lattimore

This weekend Marshon Lattimore consolidated his claim for defensive rookie of the year. He will feel vindicated by his performances this season, as 10 teams including Week 8 opponents Chicago Bears passed on him before he ended up at New Orleans. Having began Week 8 as the highest-rated cornerback in the NFL, he ended it with a crucial interception against Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky with 1:22 left on the clock to guarantee a 20-12 victory for the Saints. Lattimore has drawn praise from Coach Sean Payton, who said “he works his tail off”. If he can maintain this level of performance, he will play a vital role in the Saints’ NFC resurgence.

Juju Smith-Schuster

It’s not every day a rookie writes themselves into franchise history. That’s exactly what Pittsburgh’s Juju Smith-Schuster did in Sunday’s 20-15 win against the Detroit Lions. He recorded the longest pass play in Steelers history in the third quarter when he ran 97 yards for a touchdown catch. He is the first player in the history of the NFL to score four touchdowns before his 21st birthday. The wide receiver from USC is fast becoming one of the NFL’s most exciting performers. He ended the game with seven catches for 193 yards and his teammate Le’Veon Bell described him as “the best player ever under 21”.

DeShone Kizer

Browns fans looking for a ray of hope in a disastrous 0-8 season so far may have found one in the performance of their rookie quarterback. DeShone Kizer caught the eye in Cleveland’s 33-16 loss to Minnesota. Under-fire coach Hue Jackson said after the game that “today was a better version of DeShone”. Playing his first full game since Week 3, Kizer lead the Browns to a 13-12 lead at halftime. It was the first time they have lead after a quarter all season and the first time they lead at the half. At that point, Kizer had completed 8 out of 12 passes for 101 yards and achieved a 92.7 rating. He finished the game 18-of-34 for 179 yards. Although he didn’t throw any interceptions, he wasn’t helped by his receivers, who only caught 6 passes between them.

Deshaun Watson

By now, it’s not a secret that Deshaun Watson is a good player, but he deserves a mention for another stellar game in what has become an amazing breakthrough season for the rookie. It’s easy to draw comparisons with his opponent for the day, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who became one of the NFL’s best players after building on a successful debut season. He finished the game with 19-of-30 for 402 yards and four scores while gaining 67 yards on eight carries. Despite being picked off three times by Seattle at CenturyLink Field, his numbers for the season are looking outstanding. Watson is the first quarterback to play 19 touchdown passes in his first seven games.