Factoid

Two rookie quarterbacks are going to start on opening day. Matt Ryan for the Falcons, and Joe Flacco for the Ravens.

A good time to trot out the stats, in other words, showing that while each of those guys might someday become solid pro quarterbacks, you don't tend to see much success from rookie quarterbacks.

The below chart shows how today's NFL quarterbacks -- all the active ones -- did in their first starts as rookies.

ROOKIE QUARTERBACKS STARTING THEIR FIRST GAME
List shows all quarterbacks on quarterbacks currently listed on an NFL roster who started at least one game as a rookie. The stats below show how each quarterback fared in his first start.

Com  Att  Pct  Yds  TD-Int  Year  Player (Team) 
 17  32  53.1  226  2-0  1994  Gus Frerotte* (Wash.) 
 18  32  56.3  234  1-1  1995  Kerry Collins (Car.) 
  6   15  40.0   30  0-1  1995  Todd Collins (Buff.) 
 23  37  62.2  283  1-2  1997  Jon Kitna* (Sea.) 
 21  37  56.8  302  1-3  1998  Peyton Manning (Ind.) 
 20  40  50.0  160  0-2  1998  Charlie Batch (Det.) 
  8   21  38.1   60  0-0  1999  Donovan McNabb* (Phil.) 
 10  22  45.5  145  2-1  2002  David Carr* (Hou.) 
 15  35  42.9  182  2-4  2002  Joey Harrington (Det.) 
 21  43  48.8  320  1-4  2002  Patrick Ramsey (Wash.) 
 13  26  50.0  135  0-0  2002  David Garrard (Jac.) 
 22  43  51.2  152  1-1  2003  Kyle Boller (Balt.) 
 13  30  43.3  157  0-0  2003  Rex Grossman* (Chi.) 
 17  36  47.2  231  1-3  2003  Byron Leftwich (Jac.) 
 17  37  45.9  162  1-2  2004  Eli Manning (NYG) 
 17  41  41.5  188  0-2  2004  Matt Schaub (Atl.) 
 12  22  54.5  163  1-1  2004  Ben Roethlisberger* (Pitt.) 
 20  34  58.8  277  2-2  2004  Luke McCown (Clev.) 
  9   23  39.1   74  0-4  2005  Alex Smith (S.F.) 
 15  28  53.6  141  0-1  2005  Kyle Orton (Chi.) 
 21  36  58.3  163  0-1  2005  Ryan Fitzpatrick (St.L.) 
 13  20  65.0  226  2-0  2005  Charlie Frye (Clev.) 
 22  35  62.9  253  2-1  2006  Matt Leinart (Ariz.) 
 10  21  47.6  143  2-2  2006  Jay Cutler (Den.) 
 10  20  50.0   50  0-1  2006  Tarvaris Jackson (Minn.) 
 20  31  64.5  225  2-0  2006  Bruce Gradkowski (T.B.) 
 14  29  48.3  155  1-2  2006  Vince Young (Tenn.) 
 23  31  74.2  224  1-1  2007  JaMarcus Russell (Oak.) 
 16  33  48.5  199  1-0  2007  Troy Smith (Balt.) 
 22  28  78.6  234  1-1  2007  Trent Edwards* (Buff.) 
 19  27  70.4  208  0-0  2007  Matt Moore* (Car.) 
  9   22  40.9  109  0-0  2007  John Beck (Mia.) 
 17  28  60.7  153  0-1  2007  Brock Berlin (St.L.)

16  30  53.3  181  28-44    Average

* -- won game (combined record of the 33 quarterbacks listed: 8-25)

-Ian Allan

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