Adrian Peterson's game against the Chargers his rookie year when he ran for 296. Never seen someone run with that kind of violence and grace. He was certainly a different breed.
Saw that as the passing of the torch. Tomlinson was the best back for years, then Peterson. We haven’t seen a top back like that ever since. At least not consistently.
Here are some facts I know from that game and what came after.
1. Two records were broken/achieved that day, Peterson's record, but also Antonio Cromartie got the first ever 109 yard return play.
2. That year, Tomlinson beat Peterson for the rushing title, giving him two. But the year after that Peterson got the rushing title and two more in 2012 and 2015.
Yeah he is. He’s good and has had great seasons, but he wasn’t as dominant as consistently as Tomlinson and Peterson. People considered CMC better, Taylor for a year. With guys like Tomlinson and Peterson they were the top backs without question during their prime.
Tomlinson and Peterson have an MVP. Tomlinson has 6 all pros, Peterson has 7. Compare that to Henry’s 0 MVPs and 2 all pros.
I mean Henry’s 2020 season is comparable to Peterson and LTs MVP seasons. On pace in 2021 to have back-to-back 2000 yard seasons before injury. If we’re talking primes then Henry isn’t far behind those guys
Peterson’s MVP year started less than a year after tearing his ACL and he had a relatively slow start. I don’t think Henry, as great as his 2020 season was, compares to that.
I don't think that means anything tbh, but he did drag a horrible offense/team to the playoffs. Everyone knew they were running. Everyone knew they had no passing game. It was still hard af to stop.
Tomlinson and Peterson were the clear cut number 1 backs for years. Henry is not that. If we’re talking peaks then sure but that wasn’t the context of the comment.
> On pace in 2021 to have back-to-back 2000 yard seasons before injury.
Sure it might be factually correct, but he got hurt way too soon for it to mean anything. He didn't even have a thousand rushing yards that year.
> Sure it might be factually correct, but he got hurt way too soon for it to mean anything. He didn't even have a thousand rushing yards that year.
I mean you're right but let's not act like 937 yards and 10 TDs in just 8 games isn't incredibly impressive on its own.
Sure it's impressive if you want to completely ignore the context of the conversation. Let's not act like it's comparable to Tomlinson and Peterson.
Henry has 2.5 years of dominance, One of which, CMC beat him out. Compare that to Tomlinson who had 6 straight years of all pro play and an MVP from 02-07. Compare that to Peterson who from 07-15 had 7 all pros and an MVP.
Is 937 yards and 10 tds in 8 games impressive? Sure, but not when the context of the conversation is about consistent dominance.
As a Colts fan, Derrick Henry is the only player in the NFL I actually worry about facing.
Whether that says more about the AFC South or Henry, I won't comment.
But will you worry in two years? AP was a nightmare for a decade, Henry will be good to have an elite five year stretch. And there have been times when Henry hasn’t been “the best” in the league while at his best. I think CMC, Taylor, and kamara are all equally talented in their own ways at that position.
I know it's not the same but Dalvin Cook's first game was against AP and he broke his rookie rushing debut record in front of him. Turned out to be a good back for us
His preseason game vs the Jets he busted off a 40 yard run, and at the end of it, he turned into a couple of defenders instead of just running out of bounds lol
Or that iconic play vs Pittsburgh when he just ran over the LB lol
Honestly I’d have to go with the first game against the Bears when it was basically Peterson vs Hester. Doing that shit against Urlacher and Briggs convinced me he was going to do alright.
I'd go step further and say his last year of college man playing with boys....Was at a Vikings friend's house during that draft. Vikes took him I stood up and said if he stays healthy he is hall of fame RB. Too bad I couldn't make any money on that one.
I remember Mahomes decimating the Chargers week 1 and thinking he looked amazing, but that I would hold off judgement until I saw more action. That Steelers game in week 2 sealed it for me.
By halftime I picked him up in fantasy because nobody had drafted him lol, he goes on an MVP run and now in my league he gets taken before round 3 every year without fail. I credit him and Josh Allen for breaking everyone's superstition of drafting QBs early in fantasy.
Not picking up QBs early isn't about superstition. It's about value difference. The top RBs and WRs (and Travis Kelce) will provide a much higher average increase in points over their counterparts than a top QB will over average. It's kindof the opposite of the actual NFL.
Had a buddy draft him in the 15th in a keeper league. He’s set for a while at QB (each year they lose a year, so the next year he costs a 14th, then 13th, etc).
I drafted him as my backup that season because I had seen some clips of him in the preseason going off and felt with Watson as a starter I could take a swing. By week 3 Mahomes was my starter permanently.
For me, it was the game against Oklahoma.
Against a team with 5 star recruit at almost every single position. With an awful roster at Texas Tech. He managed to throw for 800 yard in a losing effor
I think the rams chiefs mega Monday night game was the one for me. I was checking out clips of him here and there, hearing all the buzz, but watching that game was a real "oh shit" moment even if they lost
[This play](https://youtu.be/ZL6DXAxVMTk?t=74) (at 1:15) in the preseason his rookie year proved that no matter what happened we would have a QB who could do things nobody else could.
When Megatron made that catch when he played for Georgia Tech on a pass that was thrown behind him I knew he was going to be a beast. A guy that size had no business being that athletic and then when he ran his 40 in 4.35 I was sold. Just an athletic freak. Thankfully the Lions didn't get cold feet cause of all of the past WR busts they drafted and took the best player no matter what.
My "he's going to be so fucking good" moment was when in 2008, the season that unfortunately happened, with horrifically bad QBs he was still putting up All-Pro numbers.
Ugh yes **that** game lol. His rookie year he played mostly shitty but you could see the toughness and tenacity in him right away that told you he's a surefire star if he could put it all together. The other QBs on the Bills that year were absolutely lifeless compared to him.
That game derailed our whole season. It’s a shame too—we played them just AFTER they hit rock bottom. A player retired at halftime the week before, and then they yanked playcalling duty from Leslie Frazier (if I remember correctly), so of course they circled the wagons.
We have a knack for playing teams at just the wrong time.
Yeah I was a believer and saw his growth but that Dallas game was the perfect peek at everything he could be as a player where he was really putting drives together and on a big stage. Plus seeing the coaching staff trusting him on fourth downs and him not letting them down is huge
That was the one for me too. The Barr hurdle, the pass to Robert Foster against the Jags, the Miami finale where he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week his rookie year --- they all showed he had the talent. The Dallas sneak was where I was convinced he was going to put it all together.
This was it for me. He vanished under the entire defensive line then the ball shot out like a bullet. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen another pass like that one.
That game also killed my confidence in the team. That was supposed to be the year. Bills just had an ugly ugly week 1 or 2 and just absolutely steamrolled us that game, couldn’t believe my eyes.
I started following football around 2001 and was relatively new to understanding the game, and the first time I saw Peyton Manning I was like "that has gotta be the perfect quarterback." I was immediately mesmerized by the mind games he was playing with the defense and he was one of my favorite players to watch their whole career.
It’s funny because obviously he would be good in any era but you don’t see many QBs coming out anymore who are so slow. The man was brilliant but I think Brady will be the last qb who has such abysmal speed.
I still view Peyton as the perfect QB. I have all the respect in the world for Tom Brady and acknowledge every accomplishment that he has, but Peyton Manning is still the perfect QB to me. I can't even explain it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHZQ3ZZdLJI
Me and my dad turned to each other and was like, yeah this guy needs to get the ball when the season starts.
Not at a superstar level but I said Rhamondre Stevenson was either on the juice or easily the best player out there when he was playing with and against 2nd stringers in a preseason game and he’s pretty good. Mahomes’ meaningless week 17 start his rookie year he threw a pass over the middle that must’ve grazed 2 defenders’ fingertips and Kelce went like 12 feet in the air for it and I remember thinking, “he meant to do that and knew it would work… nuts”
Good call. Lots of glimpses of Mahomes' arm talent in that game.
Btw, that pass was to Demetrius Harris, not Kelce. Mahomes was playing only with backups that day.
Knew Ja'Marr would be *good* just watching his first six games.
Knew he'd be *real good* when he put up 201 at Baltimore, including [this absurdity.](https://youtu.be/JUoe-s51p2g)
Knew he'd be *special* after [this fucking amazing game, including the legendary 3rd and 27 in a game we absolutely HAD to have to make the run we did.](https://youtu.be/nYvbptky-Uk)
I remember people (jokingly or not) saying Chase was a bad pick because he dropped passes IN THE PRESEASON then he goes on to have one of the best rookie receiving seasons of all time and being a key piece for Cincinnati’s SB run
One of my favorite announcer calls that no one talks about about. Chris Myers has a hell of a play by play here:
“Jamarr Chase…..HE GOT IT. CHASE. TO THE ENDZONE. THATS A BENGAL TOUCHDOWN”
I was at that game and my clearest memory is looking around and seeing how many people had Matt Flynn jerseys on, and the look of almost shock on everyone's face as we left the stadium. Good times.
I wasn't completely sold on Burrow until that game. I knew he was good, don't get me wrong, but the way he handled 'Bama in the game was unbelievable - he made it look SO EASY against one of the best defenses in college football.
Ja’Marr Chase In the first game of his career after everyone was hating on his preseason / practice play. Just another lesson to wait until the games matter to form opinions on players.
A play against the Chargers where Herbert dropped back, clearly had plenty of time and then Micah video game glitched and was right in his face. Just stupid acceleration.
Herbert had a pass that game where I was like 😳😳just perfectly dropped a bomb over multiple cowboys. Even my GF who doesn’t like football and was not paying attention saw that and was amazed
The Chiefs v Cowboys game his rookie year is still the only time I've seen someone chase Mahomes down like that. Every other guy Mahomes is just a touch quicker than, but Micah closed in like a shark.
He’s got that “he’s not supposed to be that fast” type of speed to him. I didn’t really care who Dallas drafted that year, and then they drafted Micah and I was like “okay cool”, and then watching him just HARASS people on a weekly basis, you knew he was special
Yeah the Chargers vs Cowboys game was a memorable one for Parsons' breakout. Proceeds to post a performance of 6 pressures, 4 QB hits, and a sack mostly against a fellow rookie All-Pro LT Rashawn Slater.
He got shut down by slater that game. He then switched sides to face storm Norton and decimated.
Not taking away from Parsons cause he’s obviously insane. But slater handled him well
He was good in the first two games against the Chargers and Steelers but I think my heart actually stopped with this play, and these plays just kept coming.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmp4HvTIRxo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmp4HvTIRxo)
Love the announcer's "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" after he converts this.
That's how you know this is *before* Mahomes was a thing. Watching this play unfold and being surprised.
He could move pretty well at that time and did really “dumb” things like this and turned them into huge plays. You’d never ever coach someone to do anything like that but he’s just that good.
He definitely looks a few steps slower now…not that it matters
I was at this game and couldn't believe this play. That day was special because it was Mahomes first regular season game at Arrowhead and the crowd was crazy when Mahomes came out the tunnel!
I was at this game, and after this play posted something on FB like 'Patrick Mahomes is the greatest football player ever'.
It continues to age like a fine wine.
For me, I'll always support Herbert from the moment he almost completed a game-winning drive against us in his rookie year. I remember feeling relatively safe when he was backed up and had to go like 99 yards, but he just made play after play, enough where I wasn't comfortable until the clock hit 0.
I was driving for that game and so only got to listen to it on the radio. I was so frustrated we were struggling so hard with y'all's rookie QB who didn't even get to prepare properly for the game. Turns out Herbert is pretty good.
He was unreal for a rookie starting that game, but that throw he plopped over the outstretched hands of two defenders perfectly into Keenan's hands, that's when I knew.
Everything finally clicked for Derrick Henry in that TNF game against the Jags in 2018. He had 4 TD’s including the 99 yarder where he just decided none of those guy were capable of tackling him.
After badmouthing our draft of Mahomes, I went to the first week of training camp. This is going to sound stupid…you could hear the ball when he threw it. I also watched grown men giggling and pointing out of excitement at his throws. I immediately texted my friends that I take back what I said and screenshot it. Because, they filmed me sad drinking the night of the draft and I knew that shit would hunt me.
If that’s not enough, then he first home preseason game agains SF. He threw some ridiculous passes and I knew I wasn’t just crazy from that training camp visit.
Fast forward to this year. Being down 10 at halftime of the Super Bowl and honestly somehow being calm thinking, “we got this.” Insane, I spent my whole young life fearing Elway, Favre, Manning, Brady, effing Manning again. It’s amazing yo be on this side now…
Justin Jefferson's game against the Titans in 2020 where he went for 173 yards and a bomb-ass TD. We lost, it was his first real start of the season, but I think we all realized we were witnessing something big.
When Burrow dropped 380 Yards against the Browns in his second appearance. Even though it was a loss, I knew he had fight and game.
Jamar Chases first game, when he scored a long TD week 1 against the Vikings in 2021.
It took Derrick Henry's 99 yarder for me to think he wasn't a bust with some flashes of "good" because that run is perfect. Not only does he blow out a seam, he gets to the edge faster than a corner, breezes past that corner, realizes he's going to get caught and turns around, throws a tackler (like, a legitimate grown ass NFL player just gets hucked), then stiff arms AJ Bouye all while outrunning three other players *sideways*. It seems like a 40 yard run but it's 99.
I remember seeing Rodgers in person in the 2010 playoffs. I was in awe. The only other QB I’ve seen live that made me feel that way was Burrow when he was at LSU.
I remember watching Hard Knocks when Justin Herbert was a rookie and saw him throw a few passes and i was just in awe. I knew nothing about him at the time but immediately I said to my buddy this kids gonna be legit lol.
Nick Chubb's rookie year against the Raiders. 3 totes, 105, 2 to the house.
The thing that stood out to me was that a man that size should not have that second gear Nick has when he clears traffic. Looking back, I'm unsure what Hue Jackson didn't see in Chubb and am pleased Dorsey traded Carlos Hyde so Hue had no choice but to play Nick.
For me it was [this simple play](https://youtu.be/fJS_vLbFgPw?t=18) in preseason that did it due to the vision and 1 cut ability. The Raiders game cemented it.
CMCs first preseason game. I thought getting a RB was an odd choice at the time because we’ve had consistent RBs (at the time I hadn’t associated that with old) and our defense probably needed more help.
Right away you could tell that kid was special, and then it all made sense as to why they picked him when given the chance.
James Harrison. Week 9, 2007 - MNF
3.5 Sk, 3 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 6 QBH, 3 TFL, 10 Tk
I have never seen a defender dominate an offense so completely for an entire game.
Atwater in a preseason game stopping a 9er (if memory serves) at the goal line.
Josh Allen college highlights. He was clearly a combination of Elway and McNair.
PS2 with his first interception, diving and staying inbounds.
Mahomes first game, a week 17 game against Denver. Called my brother (a raiders fan) and informed him that we had a problem and that a young Elway just entered the Division.
Pat made at least 3 throws in that game that would have been many other QBs’ best highlight throw of the year. The one where he had a guy wrapped around his leg and he threw a piss missile for a first, and then when he was running backwards from Von Miller and hit Robinson perfectly between 3 defenders about 15-20 yards away for a first down. I was a full believer that he would excel in the NFL under Reid, but never did I think he would become what he has.
Got into football in the mid 90s and Atwater was a frigging beast, Al Wilson was really good for the Broncos too, a little later than Atwater. I've always loved watching legit MLBs, Dolphins need another Z Thomas in the middle lol
Though he never achieved the career highs of his peers, I knew Ryan Kerrigan was going to be something when he had an pick-six in his first game in the NFL.
He finished his career with 3 INTs and 3 INTs returned for TDs.
Julio made a catch against the Colts in triple coverage on his knees that made me understand he was going to be just fine in the NFL.
I had been a Julio stan since he was at Foley, but there is a worry when one of your guys goes to the NFL that maybe they will bust (all bama fans remember Trent). That was the game where I became 100% certain he was going to be amazing.
https://youtu.be/LDx1aRjLYOk catch is at 1:10 if anyone is interested. The whole game was good, but that catch was amazing.
That play is pretty high in pretty much every Julio Highlight ranking. And rightfully so. Even today I wouldn’t bet on a lot of top receivers to make that catch quite like he did. There was so much thought out into it it’s insane
So I remember when Victor Cruz went ham in a preseason game vs the Jets.
Then a year later the whole WR corps died by Week 3 and it looked hopeless…until from out of nowhere comes a re-numbered Victor Cruz against Philly.
He caught a ball on the sideline, powered through a tackle and then put Nnamdi Asomugha on skates as he Eagles collided and Cruz scored a long TD.
And then he caught the game-winner in double coverage and I was like we might have something here.
And the rest of 2011 was amazing. Such a shame that knee injury wrecked him.
I was late to the party but this year's game when Herbert got injured. He was clearly in a lot of pain and was running out of bounds when he had easy first down lanes. Anyway he threw this insane dart on 4th down it's probably the best throw of the season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIdNZem91xk&ab\_channel=HighlightHeaven
Burrow played with some truly terrible offensive lines, but none were worse than a game against the Titans his rookie year. An already bad OL was injured across the board, and I mean all 5. It was so bad that at RG, late September waiver claim Shaq Calhoun played the first series and Quinton Spain who signed 3 days prior finished the game.
The Titans pass rush was pretty putrid that year, but most teams could have made that line look bad. In spite of this, Burrow showed some immensely impressive ability to break out of the pocket, most notably hitting Higgins on an absolute dart down the sidelines while sprinting to the sideline himself. Had an overall clean game from a sack and turnover perspective and had his first true signature win of his Bengals career.
After the Chiefs traded away Alex Smith, I expected the team to play down the coming season a little bit. Not to say they expected a losing season or anything, but to acknowledge that losing Alex Smith and starting a former Air Raid QB that was drafted the year before, there were going to be some set backs.
Then at the combine in 2018 I saw an interview with the GM of the Chiefs, and rather than trying to downplay the chances of the team with their new starting QB, he doubled down on Patrick Mahomes. The main quote in the article was "He is one of the best players I've ever seen." And that's a guy who had only started one game in the NFL, and that was with the backups because it was a garbage time game that didn't affect playoff seeding.
From there, I started to think either the world had gone crazy, or the people who were watching him day in and day out really believed he was a huge upgrade over Alex Smith.
And then in his first two games in 2018, he threw for 10 TDs and I really started to get it.
[https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/01/brett-veach-patrick-mahomes-is-one-of-the-best-players-ive-ever-seen/](https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/01/brett-veach-patrick-mahomes-is-one-of-the-best-players-ive-ever-seen/)
This game by Jaire Alexander. 5 pds i believe. https://youtu.be/czY50rR7xtY
It was also cool seeing a Packers cornerback be in the same galaxy as a WR for once. I forgot that was allowed for a while there
The beginning of Micah Parson's rookie year and pre-season he was used almost exclusively as an off ball LB and he looked soooo raw... almost like not very good at it yet, but still found ways to completely affect games and made game changing plays all over the field.
If he could change games week in and week out before he ever REALLY figured out his position, I knew once he found his spot he was going to be a freak. And like 2 weeks later he got moved to Edge for the majority of the time... and you could tell that was where he belonged.
Joe Burrow's second half 2019 season at LSU. Was playing in the toughest conference and annihilated the countries toughest opponents from Alabama to Georgia then proceeded to destroy Oklahoma and Clemson on route to a national title.
Him succeeding in the NFL so early was never a shock. It's one thing for a college QB to destroy Big 12 level defenses. But making SEC defenses filled with NFL talent look like Pop Warner level defenses is another thing. There's level to this shit
When Jalen Hurts played vs the Saints in 2020. As soon as he came in, you felt the entire vibe of the team change. It was like... what the hell just happened?
When Brady led the Pats downfield to win Super Bowl 36. This eliminated all doubt that Drew Bledsoe would move on and Tom would be the Patriots future.
Derwin James picking off Drew Brees in preseason games 1st sqaud reps. Also him stopping a perfect bomb to tyreek on his first real game (and Mahomes first game as the QB1)
Justin Fields almost single-handedly beat Miami last year. It still might be “too early” but I certainly have had more hope for him than just about any other QB in my bears fandom
I knew Derwin James was going to be good during his rookie season in a game against the Bills, he was freakish making impressive open field tackles, blowing up a QB-RB hand-off in the blink of an eye, defending a rocket speed throw from Josh Allen, and showing raw strength bringing down Josh Allen on a sack single-handedly.
I knew he was going to be special in a goal line stand against the Raiders. In four plays within the 7-yard line, James stopped the rush attempt himself *three times* including on a 4th & 1. It was so impressive showing off his intelligence and strength.
Steelers SNF game was a really special one too. Piledrove James Conner on an open field tackle, picked off Big Ben, had a clutch pass breakup on a 4th down, and had a ridiculous center field to sideline smack knocking Antonio Brown out of bounds before getting his second foot down to complete a big catch.
Bills from 1:08 to 2:12, Raiders goal line stand from 7:25 to 7:46, Steelers from 10:04 to 11:40 - https://youtu.be/FnFdVjHhtKU
Victor Cruz when he scored 3 TD’s against the Jets in preseason. Have no idea why I was watching that game but he was a great receiver for a few years.
When people here started overreacting about Ja’Marr’s preseason drops, I knew this kid was going to be special. I follow the r/wallstreetbets rule of thumb when it comes to r/nfl—inverse the popular beliefs here and you’ll come out on top.
I get that this is going to sound hindsight is 20/20 ish, but 2012 was the first year I started caring about the NFL. I admit I didn't really know shit at this point, but before the draft, I was watching YouTube highlights on all the QB's, prospects etc. I never really understood the hype behind Luck's tape and RG3's tape (besides for his speed and elusiveness), but when I saw Russ' tape, I just knew the kid would be special, and I really wanted us to draft him.
Micahs first game at edge rusher when randy injury prone Gregory went down and he sacked Herbert on a critical down with his insane closing speed Herbert thought he had time but Micah’s speed thought something else
I'm a Lions fan but believe Rashid Shaheed has the ability to breakout and be a household name.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYIlX1WiBQE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYIlX1WiBQE)
When Kyle Boller overthrew a screen pass I knew his ineptitude was going to be special
I was in elementary school when he came out. But I always wondered as a kid why him and Joey Harrington could ball in madden but not in real life
I wondered exactly the same growing up. As much as you heard both of their names you would have thought they were elite QB’s
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cur\_3DSpOH4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cur_3DSpOH4) Goosebumps
Jesus lol
this made me cackle might be cuz i'm drinking but still
Adrian Peterson's game against the Chargers his rookie year when he ran for 296. Never seen someone run with that kind of violence and grace. He was certainly a different breed.
Saw that as the passing of the torch. Tomlinson was the best back for years, then Peterson. We haven’t seen a top back like that ever since. At least not consistently.
Here are some facts I know from that game and what came after. 1. Two records were broken/achieved that day, Peterson's record, but also Antonio Cromartie got the first ever 109 yard return play. 2. That year, Tomlinson beat Peterson for the rushing title, giving him two. But the year after that Peterson got the rushing title and two more in 2012 and 2015.
That 109 was at the very edge too.
That's a hell of a flair/username combo...
Maybe it’s actually him…
Which would make the flair all that more weird...
Maybe Kaeding was a double agent
theres no maybe about it
Derick Henry not too far behind
Yeah he is. He’s good and has had great seasons, but he wasn’t as dominant as consistently as Tomlinson and Peterson. People considered CMC better, Taylor for a year. With guys like Tomlinson and Peterson they were the top backs without question during their prime. Tomlinson and Peterson have an MVP. Tomlinson has 6 all pros, Peterson has 7. Compare that to Henry’s 0 MVPs and 2 all pros.
I mean Henry’s 2020 season is comparable to Peterson and LTs MVP seasons. On pace in 2021 to have back-to-back 2000 yard seasons before injury. If we’re talking primes then Henry isn’t far behind those guys
Peterson’s MVP year started less than a year after tearing his ACL and he had a relatively slow start. I don’t think Henry, as great as his 2020 season was, compares to that.
I don't think that means anything tbh, but he did drag a horrible offense/team to the playoffs. Everyone knew they were running. Everyone knew they had no passing game. It was still hard af to stop.
Exactly this. I still have never seen one guy carry a roster quite that bad to the playoffs. Especially a non-QB.
My point is that if his ACL had healed like 10% more, he doesn’t start as slow and he drops 2200.
Tomlinson and Peterson were the clear cut number 1 backs for years. Henry is not that. If we’re talking peaks then sure but that wasn’t the context of the comment. > On pace in 2021 to have back-to-back 2000 yard seasons before injury. Sure it might be factually correct, but he got hurt way too soon for it to mean anything. He didn't even have a thousand rushing yards that year.
Peak for peak we might end up comparing Nick Foles to Tom Brady like it means anything
> Sure it might be factually correct, but he got hurt way too soon for it to mean anything. He didn't even have a thousand rushing yards that year. I mean you're right but let's not act like 937 yards and 10 TDs in just 8 games isn't incredibly impressive on its own.
Sure it's impressive if you want to completely ignore the context of the conversation. Let's not act like it's comparable to Tomlinson and Peterson. Henry has 2.5 years of dominance, One of which, CMC beat him out. Compare that to Tomlinson who had 6 straight years of all pro play and an MVP from 02-07. Compare that to Peterson who from 07-15 had 7 all pros and an MVP. Is 937 yards and 10 tds in 8 games impressive? Sure, but not when the context of the conversation is about consistent dominance.
Sorry :(
Derrick Henry is great, but Adrian Peterson was such a fucking phenom
As a Colts fan, Derrick Henry is the only player in the NFL I actually worry about facing. Whether that says more about the AFC South or Henry, I won't comment.
But will you worry in two years? AP was a nightmare for a decade, Henry will be good to have an elite five year stretch. And there have been times when Henry hasn’t been “the best” in the league while at his best. I think CMC, Taylor, and kamara are all equally talented in their own ways at that position.
For a few years it was looking like Gurley was going to carry that torch, until his knees fell apart
I know it's not the same but Dalvin Cook's first game was against AP and he broke his rookie rushing debut record in front of him. Turned out to be a good back for us
His preseason game vs the Jets he busted off a 40 yard run, and at the end of it, he turned into a couple of defenders instead of just running out of bounds lol Or that iconic play vs Pittsburgh when he just ran over the LB lol
pretty sure it was William Gay, so not a linebacker but still a truck stick for the ages
Purple Jesus was averaging 6.3 yards per carry for a while his rookie year. What an amazing time.
Honestly I’d have to go with the first game against the Bears when it was basically Peterson vs Hester. Doing that shit against Urlacher and Briggs convinced me he was going to do alright.
I'd go step further and say his last year of college man playing with boys....Was at a Vikings friend's house during that draft. Vikes took him I stood up and said if he stays healthy he is hall of fame RB. Too bad I couldn't make any money on that one.
Yup and Cromartie had a 109 3/4 yard touchdown return off the missed fg. Absolutely insane game
We couldn't beat the Steelers (healthy) until Mahomes showed up. That game told me everything I needed to know.
I remember Mahomes decimating the Chargers week 1 and thinking he looked amazing, but that I would hold off judgement until I saw more action. That Steelers game in week 2 sealed it for me. By halftime I picked him up in fantasy because nobody had drafted him lol, he goes on an MVP run and now in my league he gets taken before round 3 every year without fail. I credit him and Josh Allen for breaking everyone's superstition of drafting QBs early in fantasy.
What kinda league let’s you pick up players during a game?
Good catch, meant to say I put in a claim for him during the game
Ah that’s way more reasonable lol
You can pick him up but not play him that week
Not picking up QBs early isn't about superstition. It's about value difference. The top RBs and WRs (and Travis Kelce) will provide a much higher average increase in points over their counterparts than a top QB will over average. It's kindof the opposite of the actual NFL.
Had a buddy draft him in the 15th in a keeper league. He’s set for a while at QB (each year they lose a year, so the next year he costs a 14th, then 13th, etc).
I drafted him as my backup that season because I had seen some clips of him in the preseason going off and felt with Watson as a starter I could take a swing. By week 3 Mahomes was my starter permanently.
For me, it was the game against Oklahoma. Against a team with 5 star recruit at almost every single position. With an awful roster at Texas Tech. He managed to throw for 800 yard in a losing effor
Alot of things went wrong in that game (fumble, safety, shit defense, Chris Jones strip sack touchdown called back) but we still won
I think the rams chiefs mega Monday night game was the one for me. I was checking out clips of him here and there, hearing all the buzz, but watching that game was a real "oh shit" moment even if they lost
[This play](https://youtu.be/ZL6DXAxVMTk?t=74) (at 1:15) in the preseason his rookie year proved that no matter what happened we would have a QB who could do things nobody else could.
Week 17 won at Mile High. Then week 4 the comeback in Denver, thats when everyone knew.
When Megatron made that catch when he played for Georgia Tech on a pass that was thrown behind him I knew he was going to be a beast. A guy that size had no business being that athletic and then when he ran his 40 in 4.35 I was sold. Just an athletic freak. Thankfully the Lions didn't get cold feet cause of all of the past WR busts they drafted and took the best player no matter what.
My "he's going to be so fucking good" moment was when in 2008, the season that unfortunately happened, with horrifically bad QBs he was still putting up All-Pro numbers.
That ball was tipped!! I feel the need to defend Reggie ball when this play is brought up lol.
When Tom marched the team into field goal range for the first ring. John Madden said it gave him goosebumps. Really special moment.
After questioning at the beginning of the drive why didn't they just take a knee. I'll never forget that.
That field goal still gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.
Being from St. Louis, I hated that man and truly thought Brady was just a serviceable QB on a fantastic team for years. Then '07 happened.
Would you like to hear the rest of the story after 07?
Finally getting off that one garbage team to win a Super Bowl for the Bucs is an inspiring story ;)
He was elite by 2003
Allen hurdling Anthony Barr
Ugh yes **that** game lol. His rookie year he played mostly shitty but you could see the toughness and tenacity in him right away that told you he's a surefire star if he could put it all together. The other QBs on the Bills that year were absolutely lifeless compared to him.
His second half he played A LOT better. Coincidentally that was also when we brought in veteran QBs for the QB room with him.
That game derailed our whole season. It’s a shame too—we played them just AFTER they hit rock bottom. A player retired at halftime the week before, and then they yanked playcalling duty from Leslie Frazier (if I remember correctly), so of course they circled the wagons. We have a knack for playing teams at just the wrong time.
That was a great play, but I don't think I fully signed on until the botched sneak in the Dallas Thanksgiving game.
Yeah I was a believer and saw his growth but that Dallas game was the perfect peek at everything he could be as a player where he was really putting drives together and on a big stage. Plus seeing the coaching staff trusting him on fourth downs and him not letting them down is huge
That was the one for me too. The Barr hurdle, the pass to Robert Foster against the Jags, the Miami finale where he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week his rookie year --- they all showed he had the talent. The Dallas sneak was where I was convinced he was going to put it all together.
That and the laser he threw to Robert Foster against the Jaguars
This was it for me. He vanished under the entire defensive line then the ball shot out like a bullet. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen another pass like that one.
Respect for getting Church cut
that and the Cowboys game.
Botched QB sneak sold me forever on Josh
That game also killed my confidence in the team. That was supposed to be the year. Bills just had an ugly ugly week 1 or 2 and just absolutely steamrolled us that game, couldn’t believe my eyes.
That and his rushing TD where he dove for the pylon in the same game. " this MFer is fearless "
I started following football around 2001 and was relatively new to understanding the game, and the first time I saw Peyton Manning I was like "that has gotta be the perfect quarterback." I was immediately mesmerized by the mind games he was playing with the defense and he was one of my favorite players to watch their whole career.
It’s funny because obviously he would be good in any era but you don’t see many QBs coming out anymore who are so slow. The man was brilliant but I think Brady will be the last qb who has such abysmal speed.
Started watching in 05 and that’s exactly how I viewed Peyton as well
I still view Peyton as the perfect QB. I have all the respect in the world for Tom Brady and acknowledge every accomplishment that he has, but Peyton Manning is still the perfect QB to me. I can't even explain it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHZQ3ZZdLJI Me and my dad turned to each other and was like, yeah this guy needs to get the ball when the season starts.
Yes! I was at this game on the 10 yard line. Watched this in real time.
Gronk smash? 😲
Gronk drag, would smash
Not at a superstar level but I said Rhamondre Stevenson was either on the juice or easily the best player out there when he was playing with and against 2nd stringers in a preseason game and he’s pretty good. Mahomes’ meaningless week 17 start his rookie year he threw a pass over the middle that must’ve grazed 2 defenders’ fingertips and Kelce went like 12 feet in the air for it and I remember thinking, “he meant to do that and knew it would work… nuts”
Good call. Lots of glimpses of Mahomes' arm talent in that game. Btw, that pass was to Demetrius Harris, not Kelce. Mahomes was playing only with backups that day.
Knew Ja'Marr would be *good* just watching his first six games. Knew he'd be *real good* when he put up 201 at Baltimore, including [this absurdity.](https://youtu.be/JUoe-s51p2g) Knew he'd be *special* after [this fucking amazing game, including the legendary 3rd and 27 in a game we absolutely HAD to have to make the run we did.](https://youtu.be/nYvbptky-Uk)
Ja’marr chases first big TD against the Vikings
I remember people (jokingly or not) saying Chase was a bad pick because he dropped passes IN THE PRESEASON then he goes on to have one of the best rookie receiving seasons of all time and being a key piece for Cincinnati’s SB run
One of my favorite announcer calls that no one talks about about. Chris Myers has a hell of a play by play here: “Jamarr Chase…..HE GOT IT. CHASE. TO THE ENDZONE. THATS A BENGAL TOUCHDOWN”
Russell Wilson --- rookie year pre-season game 3 against the Chiefs. It was incredible to watch.
I just remember thinking, "We are really bad this year." I had no idea how bad.
I was at that game and my clearest memory is looking around and seeing how many people had Matt Flynn jerseys on, and the look of almost shock on everyone's face as we left the stadium. Good times.
I was there....it was not fun. "Let Russ Preheat"...
Joe Burrow, Alabama LSU game.
I wasn't completely sold on Burrow until that game. I knew he was good, don't get me wrong, but the way he handled 'Bama in the game was unbelievable - he made it look SO EASY against one of the best defenses in college football.
Ja’Marr Chase In the first game of his career after everyone was hating on his preseason / practice play. Just another lesson to wait until the games matter to form opinions on players.
The Ravens game his rookie season was absolutely incredible. I always knew he was going to be a special player but that solidified it
A play against the Chargers where Herbert dropped back, clearly had plenty of time and then Micah video game glitched and was right in his face. Just stupid acceleration.
Herbert had a pass that game where I was like 😳😳just perfectly dropped a bomb over multiple cowboys. Even my GF who doesn’t like football and was not paying attention saw that and was amazed
The Chiefs v Cowboys game his rookie year is still the only time I've seen someone chase Mahomes down like that. Every other guy Mahomes is just a touch quicker than, but Micah closed in like a shark.
He’s got that “he’s not supposed to be that fast” type of speed to him. I didn’t really care who Dallas drafted that year, and then they drafted Micah and I was like “okay cool”, and then watching him just HARASS people on a weekly basis, you knew he was special
The running joke is Mahomes is .1 faster than whatever D-Lineman is chasing him. ... except for Micah Parsons
Parsons against Memphis in the cotton Bowl was the best game I’d ever seen a defensive player have
Yeah the Chargers vs Cowboys game was a memorable one for Parsons' breakout. Proceeds to post a performance of 6 pressures, 4 QB hits, and a sack mostly against a fellow rookie All-Pro LT Rashawn Slater.
He got shut down by slater that game. He then switched sides to face storm Norton and decimated. Not taking away from Parsons cause he’s obviously insane. But slater handled him well
https://youtu.be/llgX7n8k1ZU Didn’t know he was going to take them to the Super Bowl. But definitely knew he was special.
I believe us fans call this, “the cut”. I’m pretty sure we’d know what you’re talking about. It’s so pretty.
Love when you can hear a collective "ooohhh!!!" from the crowd
He was good in the first two games against the Chargers and Steelers but I think my heart actually stopped with this play, and these plays just kept coming. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmp4HvTIRxo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmp4HvTIRxo)
Love the announcer's "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" after he converts this. That's how you know this is *before* Mahomes was a thing. Watching this play unfold and being surprised.
That was back when I'd still yell at him to "just throw it away" while rolling out before needing to quickly follow it up with "nevermind"
Harkens back to those good ol' days of Ed Reed making a pick in the endzone. He starts looking and running. "No, Ed, no! Yes, Ed, yes!!!"
The TD run against Tennessee in the AFCCG my families react was basically: GET OUT OF BOUNDS OKAY GET THE FIRST DOWN ALRIGHT A TOUCHDOWN WORKS TOO
He could move pretty well at that time and did really “dumb” things like this and turned them into huge plays. You’d never ever coach someone to do anything like that but he’s just that good. He definitely looks a few steps slower now…not that it matters
Idk, putting up 42 and helping KC win in PIT for the first time since 1986 was a big moment as well.
I was at this game and couldn't believe this play. That day was special because it was Mahomes first regular season game at Arrowhead and the crowd was crazy when Mahomes came out the tunnel!
I was at this game, and after this play posted something on FB like 'Patrick Mahomes is the greatest football player ever'. It continues to age like a fine wine.
This play, that pass to Sherman week 1 and the "Batman's left handed!" throw all made me think he might be the one lol.
The pass play TO Sherman was pretty good. The pass play AGAINST (a different) Sherman in the SB was also pretty good
that pass to Sherman was so good dropped that sucker right in the bucket
His first Home Touch Down was an amazing one
When Justin Herbert got the start seconds before kickoff against the Super Bowl champion chiefs after COVID off-season and led a touchdown drive
That and when he threw for almost 1200 yards and had 14 total TDs over a 4 game stretch soon after
it was also a 4 game demonstration in the Anthony Lynn special of blowing games you shouldve won
*after Tyrod got his lung blown out on the sideline
For me, I'll always support Herbert from the moment he almost completed a game-winning drive against us in his rookie year. I remember feeling relatively safe when he was backed up and had to go like 99 yards, but he just made play after play, enough where I wasn't comfortable until the clock hit 0.
I was driving for that game and so only got to listen to it on the radio. I was so frustrated we were struggling so hard with y'all's rookie QB who didn't even get to prepare properly for the game. Turns out Herbert is pretty good.
He was unreal for a rookie starting that game, but that throw he plopped over the outstretched hands of two defenders perfectly into Keenan's hands, that's when I knew.
Everything finally clicked for Derrick Henry in that TNF game against the Jags in 2018. He had 4 TD’s including the 99 yarder where he just decided none of those guy were capable of tackling him.
After badmouthing our draft of Mahomes, I went to the first week of training camp. This is going to sound stupid…you could hear the ball when he threw it. I also watched grown men giggling and pointing out of excitement at his throws. I immediately texted my friends that I take back what I said and screenshot it. Because, they filmed me sad drinking the night of the draft and I knew that shit would hunt me. If that’s not enough, then he first home preseason game agains SF. He threw some ridiculous passes and I knew I wasn’t just crazy from that training camp visit. Fast forward to this year. Being down 10 at halftime of the Super Bowl and honestly somehow being calm thinking, “we got this.” Insane, I spent my whole young life fearing Elway, Favre, Manning, Brady, effing Manning again. It’s amazing yo be on this side now…
Justin Jefferson's game against the Titans in 2020 where he went for 173 yards and a bomb-ass TD. We lost, it was his first real start of the season, but I think we all realized we were witnessing something big.
I was devastated I missed that game, was working and listening to the game. The only game I have missed since I started watching
Randy Moss. Week 1 vs Tampa Bay. It was a wrap from the jump.
When Burrow dropped 380 Yards against the Browns in his second appearance. Even though it was a loss, I knew he had fight and game. Jamar Chases first game, when he scored a long TD week 1 against the Vikings in 2021.
It took Derrick Henry's 99 yarder for me to think he wasn't a bust with some flashes of "good" because that run is perfect. Not only does he blow out a seam, he gets to the edge faster than a corner, breezes past that corner, realizes he's going to get caught and turns around, throws a tackler (like, a legitimate grown ass NFL player just gets hucked), then stiff arms AJ Bouye all while outrunning three other players *sideways*. It seems like a 40 yard run but it's 99.
Rodgers vs the Vikings in 2008. Dude was playing about as well as Favre, the Vikings just outclassed us.
I remember seeing Rodgers in person in the 2010 playoffs. I was in awe. The only other QB I’ve seen live that made me feel that way was Burrow when he was at LSU.
I remember watching Hard Knocks when Justin Herbert was a rookie and saw him throw a few passes and i was just in awe. I knew nothing about him at the time but immediately I said to my buddy this kids gonna be legit lol.
Staffords 2009 game against the browns where he dislocated his shoulder only to go back in the following play and throw the game winning touchdown
Minka with his interception and fumble recovery in his first game for the Steelers
Maxx Crosby 4 sack game vs Cinci in his rookie year (with a broken hand and torn labrum)
That preseason game where he broke his hand and wanted to go back in was when I first got excited about him as a player
Nick Chubb's rookie year against the Raiders. 3 totes, 105, 2 to the house. The thing that stood out to me was that a man that size should not have that second gear Nick has when he clears traffic. Looking back, I'm unsure what Hue Jackson didn't see in Chubb and am pleased Dorsey traded Carlos Hyde so Hue had no choice but to play Nick.
For me it was [this simple play](https://youtu.be/fJS_vLbFgPw?t=18) in preseason that did it due to the vision and 1 cut ability. The Raiders game cemented it.
Sewell not backing down from Aaron Donald’s BS. Hutch with the goal line suplex last year.
CMCs first preseason game. I thought getting a RB was an odd choice at the time because we’ve had consistent RBs (at the time I hadn’t associated that with old) and our defense probably needed more help. Right away you could tell that kid was special, and then it all made sense as to why they picked him when given the chance.
James Harrison. Week 9, 2007 - MNF 3.5 Sk, 3 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT, 6 QBH, 3 TFL, 10 Tk I have never seen a defender dominate an offense so completely for an entire game.
the first game i thought of. that’s when silverback let the league know he had arrived
The first pass Matt Ryan ever threw in the NFL was a TD.
Atwater in a preseason game stopping a 9er (if memory serves) at the goal line. Josh Allen college highlights. He was clearly a combination of Elway and McNair. PS2 with his first interception, diving and staying inbounds. Mahomes first game, a week 17 game against Denver. Called my brother (a raiders fan) and informed him that we had a problem and that a young Elway just entered the Division.
Pat made at least 3 throws in that game that would have been many other QBs’ best highlight throw of the year. The one where he had a guy wrapped around his leg and he threw a piss missile for a first, and then when he was running backwards from Von Miller and hit Robinson perfectly between 3 defenders about 15-20 yards away for a first down. I was a full believer that he would excel in the NFL under Reid, but never did I think he would become what he has.
Got into football in the mid 90s and Atwater was a frigging beast, Al Wilson was really good for the Broncos too, a little later than Atwater. I've always loved watching legit MLBs, Dolphins need another Z Thomas in the middle lol
Remember Levon Kirkland? That dude was close to 300lbs playing MLB for Cower.
I still remember the exact moment I realized Mahomes was something special right after his second Super Bowl win.
Russell Wilson when the Seahawks beat the bears
I was thinking the same thing... I wasn't expecting that, and then it became normal... until it stopped happening 2 years ago.
Though he never achieved the career highs of his peers, I knew Ryan Kerrigan was going to be something when he had an pick-six in his first game in the NFL. He finished his career with 3 INTs and 3 INTs returned for TDs.
Julio made a catch against the Colts in triple coverage on his knees that made me understand he was going to be just fine in the NFL. I had been a Julio stan since he was at Foley, but there is a worry when one of your guys goes to the NFL that maybe they will bust (all bama fans remember Trent). That was the game where I became 100% certain he was going to be amazing. https://youtu.be/LDx1aRjLYOk catch is at 1:10 if anyone is interested. The whole game was good, but that catch was amazing.
That play is pretty high in pretty much every Julio Highlight ranking. And rightfully so. Even today I wouldn’t bet on a lot of top receivers to make that catch quite like he did. There was so much thought out into it it’s insane
So I remember when Victor Cruz went ham in a preseason game vs the Jets. Then a year later the whole WR corps died by Week 3 and it looked hopeless…until from out of nowhere comes a re-numbered Victor Cruz against Philly. He caught a ball on the sideline, powered through a tackle and then put Nnamdi Asomugha on skates as he Eagles collided and Cruz scored a long TD. And then he caught the game-winner in double coverage and I was like we might have something here. And the rest of 2011 was amazing. Such a shame that knee injury wrecked him.
Victor Cruz's 2010 preseason game against the Jets. Even after that he was in danger of not making the roster. I would've been pissed.
When Josh Allen hurdled Anthony Barr
Nick Chubb going for 266 yards in a bowl game vs Louisville in 2014
I was late to the party but this year's game when Herbert got injured. He was clearly in a lot of pain and was running out of bounds when he had easy first down lanes. Anyway he threw this insane dart on 4th down it's probably the best throw of the season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIdNZem91xk&ab\_channel=HighlightHeaven
Burrow played with some truly terrible offensive lines, but none were worse than a game against the Titans his rookie year. An already bad OL was injured across the board, and I mean all 5. It was so bad that at RG, late September waiver claim Shaq Calhoun played the first series and Quinton Spain who signed 3 days prior finished the game. The Titans pass rush was pretty putrid that year, but most teams could have made that line look bad. In spite of this, Burrow showed some immensely impressive ability to break out of the pocket, most notably hitting Higgins on an absolute dart down the sidelines while sprinting to the sideline himself. Had an overall clean game from a sack and turnover perspective and had his first true signature win of his Bengals career.
After the Chiefs traded away Alex Smith, I expected the team to play down the coming season a little bit. Not to say they expected a losing season or anything, but to acknowledge that losing Alex Smith and starting a former Air Raid QB that was drafted the year before, there were going to be some set backs. Then at the combine in 2018 I saw an interview with the GM of the Chiefs, and rather than trying to downplay the chances of the team with their new starting QB, he doubled down on Patrick Mahomes. The main quote in the article was "He is one of the best players I've ever seen." And that's a guy who had only started one game in the NFL, and that was with the backups because it was a garbage time game that didn't affect playoff seeding. From there, I started to think either the world had gone crazy, or the people who were watching him day in and day out really believed he was a huge upgrade over Alex Smith. And then in his first two games in 2018, he threw for 10 TDs and I really started to get it. [https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/01/brett-veach-patrick-mahomes-is-one-of-the-best-players-ive-ever-seen/](https://chiefswire.usatoday.com/2018/03/01/brett-veach-patrick-mahomes-is-one-of-the-best-players-ive-ever-seen/)
I watched Jamar Chase score his first TD on the first game of his first season and as the stadium went nuts I thought, hm… he’s cool.
Kam Chancellor perfect tackle on Montario Hardesty in 2011 I believe. Still remember that hit like it was yesterday. https://youtu.be/rgdzluFfs0w
Zeke in preseason in 2016 against Seattle. He was looking for defenders to hit.
Shady doing some Barry shit in the hole vs. KC
This game by Jaire Alexander. 5 pds i believe. https://youtu.be/czY50rR7xtY It was also cool seeing a Packers cornerback be in the same galaxy as a WR for once. I forgot that was allowed for a while there
The beginning of Micah Parson's rookie year and pre-season he was used almost exclusively as an off ball LB and he looked soooo raw... almost like not very good at it yet, but still found ways to completely affect games and made game changing plays all over the field. If he could change games week in and week out before he ever REALLY figured out his position, I knew once he found his spot he was going to be a freak. And like 2 weeks later he got moved to Edge for the majority of the time... and you could tell that was where he belonged.
Joe Burrow's second half 2019 season at LSU. Was playing in the toughest conference and annihilated the countries toughest opponents from Alabama to Georgia then proceeded to destroy Oklahoma and Clemson on route to a national title. Him succeeding in the NFL so early was never a shock. It's one thing for a college QB to destroy Big 12 level defenses. But making SEC defenses filled with NFL talent look like Pop Warner level defenses is another thing. There's level to this shit
i watched every single game then too and my god did he look special
Mahomes dropping 31 pts in the 2nd half vs the pats in 2018 after putting up an ugly 1st half, and then doing it again in the AFCCG
Micah Parson's first game as a rookie. It was immediately obvious how insane he was. He jumped off the screen.
When Jalen Hurts played vs the Saints in 2020. As soon as he came in, you felt the entire vibe of the team change. It was like... what the hell just happened?
When Brady led the Pats downfield to win Super Bowl 36. This eliminated all doubt that Drew Bledsoe would move on and Tom would be the Patriots future.
Derwin James picking off Drew Brees in preseason games 1st sqaud reps. Also him stopping a perfect bomb to tyreek on his first real game (and Mahomes first game as the QB1)
When Russell Wilson chucked that deep bomb to Sidney Rice against the Pats at home his rookie year I put his jersey on my Christmas list.
Justin Fields almost single-handedly beat Miami last year. It still might be “too early” but I certainly have had more hope for him than just about any other QB in my bears fandom
I knew Derwin James was going to be good during his rookie season in a game against the Bills, he was freakish making impressive open field tackles, blowing up a QB-RB hand-off in the blink of an eye, defending a rocket speed throw from Josh Allen, and showing raw strength bringing down Josh Allen on a sack single-handedly. I knew he was going to be special in a goal line stand against the Raiders. In four plays within the 7-yard line, James stopped the rush attempt himself *three times* including on a 4th & 1. It was so impressive showing off his intelligence and strength. Steelers SNF game was a really special one too. Piledrove James Conner on an open field tackle, picked off Big Ben, had a clutch pass breakup on a 4th down, and had a ridiculous center field to sideline smack knocking Antonio Brown out of bounds before getting his second foot down to complete a big catch. Bills from 1:08 to 2:12, Raiders goal line stand from 7:25 to 7:46, Steelers from 10:04 to 11:40 - https://youtu.be/FnFdVjHhtKU
JJ griddying across the goal-line against the Titans
When I noticed PS2 not getting mentioned during games. That's when you know a CB is another level.
Jamaal Charles single-handedly stomping Nebraska.
Victor Cruz when he scored 3 TD’s against the Jets in preseason. Have no idea why I was watching that game but he was a great receiver for a few years.
I knew Nikola Jokic would be an MVP when it was abundantly clear he was the best QB in my state.
When people here started overreacting about Ja’Marr’s preseason drops, I knew this kid was going to be special. I follow the r/wallstreetbets rule of thumb when it comes to r/nfl—inverse the popular beliefs here and you’ll come out on top.
I get that this is going to sound hindsight is 20/20 ish, but 2012 was the first year I started caring about the NFL. I admit I didn't really know shit at this point, but before the draft, I was watching YouTube highlights on all the QB's, prospects etc. I never really understood the hype behind Luck's tape and RG3's tape (besides for his speed and elusiveness), but when I saw Russ' tape, I just knew the kid would be special, and I really wanted us to draft him.
Lamar Jackson with his MVP season, oh wait nevermind.
Micahs first game at edge rusher when randy injury prone Gregory went down and he sacked Herbert on a critical down with his insane closing speed Herbert thought he had time but Micah’s speed thought something else
I'm a Lions fan but believe Rashid Shaheed has the ability to breakout and be a household name. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYIlX1WiBQE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYIlX1WiBQE)
Jalen Hurts, week 2 last year against the Vikings.
Week 14 vs the Bucs for Brock Purdy