If everyone took Week 1 of the preseason seriously, the Seattle Seahawks would probably go 0-17, the Chicago Bears would be the undisputed champions, and the Los Angeles Rams would've found the next Tom Brady.
Football-starved fans and pundits will always rush to conclusions with hyperbole and overreaction after finally getting their fix with 60 minutes of sloppy, ugly, and poorly planned football with two teams full of roster hopefuls and third-stringers.
That's why, just like the fans shouldn't be worried about the ugly loss to the Dallas Cowboys, they shouldn't let Simpson's impressive first taste of NFL action versus the Kansas City Chiefs scare them one bit.
The Seattle Seahawks can't fixate on the Los Angeles Rams
Simpson turned some heads in his debut, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He became the first player with those numbers in his preseason debut since rookie Baker Mayfield.
It didn't take long before fans hyped him up as Matthew Stafford's heir apparent, even though he's not even leading the QB2 race. Of course, it's hard to imagine a scenario where he won't beat Stetson Bennett for a roster spot if they only keep two quarterbacks, but still.
Taking Simpson so early in the first round was a questionable decision. Stafford isn't going anywhere for the next year or two, so they're essentially banking on his steady development. That might be the case with Sean McVay at the helm, but a lot can happen, and jumping to conclusions based on a game against third-stringers won't cut it.
A lot has been said about how the Seahawks need to counter the Rams' slew of big moves from this offseason. That might be fair to a degree, but it's not like there were many flaws on this team or avenues for significant improvement.
The Seahawks have arguably the most stacked defense in the game at all three levels. They also have more playmakers than they can feed on the other side of the ball, and while some argue that Sam Darnold is a weak link, he's still a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
Making moves just for the sake of it or fixating on an opponent has rarely worked. Sure, it might help beat that particular team, but there are 32 franchises in the NFL, and winning teams force the opposition to adjust, not the other way around.
Ty Simpson might end up being a very good quarterback, a great one, even. But until he at least becomes a threat to be the starter, the Seahawks shouldn't even bother looking his way. What's the point, even?
If watching Jalen Milroe throw for 200 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2 of the preseason won't convince the fans that he's the right guy for the future, why should they feel any different or threatened by a divisional rival's third-string rookie quarterback two years before he even plays?
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