First impressions aren’t everything in the NFL, but several rookies, veteran newcomers and coaches in new spots stood out in a big way in Week 1.
J.J. McCarthy’s first showing was ugly through three quarters, but the Vikings QB flipped the script in the fourth with three TDs.
Micah Parsons proved not only to be a one-man wrecking crew but also a force multiplier for the Packers defense.
First impressions aren’t everything in the NFL.
Recall that at this time last year, Jerod Mayo had the league buzzing about his coaching debut when he guided the New England Patriots to a stunning upset of the Cincinnati Bengals. On the flip side, the Washington Commanders didn’t look ready to compete in their 17-point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Of course, neither data point ended up being indicative of an emerging trend.
But it’s always tantalizing to get a first glimpse of rookies, veterans in new places and coaches in new posts. Regardless of where things are headed, here are USA TODAY Sports’ ranking of the best and worst debuts from Week 1 in the NFL.
Best NFL Week 1 debuts
1. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A game-winning touchdown in his first pro contest puts Egbuka above the rest of his competition. In snaring the go-ahead, 25-yard strike from Baker Mayfield to help give the Buccaneers a 23-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Ohio State product joined former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Ernest Wilford as the only players since the 1970 merger to record a game-winning touchdown reception with less than a minute remaining in regulation or overtime in his first career game. The play itself was thanks in part to the attention Mike Evans drew underneath, which left Egbuka free to burn cornerback Mike Hughes on a post route. But the 6-1, 205-pounder was the savvy and reliable presence the Buccaneers envisioned him as right out of the gates, and his contributions – four catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns – were paramount on a day when Mayfield struggled to settle in behind a reworked offensive line.
2. Micah Parsons, DE, Green Bay Packers
In just 29 snaps while still fighting a back injury, Parsons reaffirmed his place in the game’s elite class of game-wreckers. But what was truly special about the edge rusher’s first showing with Green Bay in a 27-13 win over the Detroit Lions wasn’t what he did on his own, but rather the effect he can have as a force multiplier. Beyond his sack and three pressures – one of which directly led to an Evan Williams interception before halftime – Parsons seemed to change everything for a Packers defense that previously lacked the juice to create havoc without significant schematic assistance. When Parsons was on the field, Jared Goff sped up his time to throw by more than a half-second, according to Next Gen Stats. With a promising group of playmakers – including fellow pass rusher Rashan Gary, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Xavier McKinney – poised to capitalize on the attention dedicated to Parsons, this could be the first step toward the unit becoming one of the league’s most imposing matchups.
3. Geno Smith, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
His underappreciated brand of passing now figures to be properly respected not only by Pete Carroll, under whom he revived his career in a three-year starting stretch with the Seattle Seahawks, but also a Raiders franchise desperate for some semblance of an answer behind center. Despite the soggy conditions, Smith confidently attacked the New England Patriots’ defense in a 20-13 win. He was once again unafraid to take vertical shots but largely was efficient in doing so, posting the second-highest average intended air yards (10.6) of any Week 1 quarterback while still ranking third in completion percentage over expectation (8.9), according to Next Gen Stats. The effort was all the more impressive given how lopsided the Silver and Black’s attack became with the ground game averaging just 2.3 yards per carry. Pass protection woes could be problematic down the stretch given the nine hits he took, but Smith has ample experience navigating issues up front after his time in Seattle. More importantly, he has the backing of a coaching staff that knows what it will get from him and is prepared to ride out the ups and downs of his aggressive style.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers’ veteran newcomers
A group project deserves group recognition. Naturally, Aaron Rodgers was destined to remain the focus throughout the Steelers’ 34-32 comeback win over the New York Jets, and the four-time NFL MVP shook off his recent habit of slow starts with four touchdown passes. But a game plan predicated on allowing his receivers to rack up yards after the catch – his 4.3 average intended air yards were the lowest of any quarterback in Week 1, according to Next Gen Stats – shifted plenty of responsibility to the skill-position players. Offseason acquisitions DK Metcalf (four catches, 83 yards), Ben Skowronek (one 22-yard touchdown catch) and Jonnu Smith (3-yard touchdown on a pop pass) all made meaningful contributions. But cornerback Jalen Ramsey delivered the definitive play of the day when he sealed the result by forcing a fourth-down incompletion with his perfectly timed leveling of Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Tougher tests await, but the present-minded approach paid off for at least one week.
5. Justin Fields, QB, New York Jets
Moral victories are clearly of no interest to Aaron Glenn and a new Jets regime not satisfied with merely being competitive. But legitimate hope is nothing to take for granted given how things have panned out for Gang Green the last two years, and Fields provided plenty of it in his first showing with his new team. His integral role in a rushing attack that reeled off 182 yards – with the quarterback accounting for two of the three scores on the ground – came as no surprise. What was most encouraging, however, was the elevated poise and precision Fields exhibited as a passer, connecting on 16 of 22 attempts for 218 yards and another touchdown. It’s probably unfair to expect Fields’ progress to be linear, as setbacks seem inevitable. But the offense’s production was early validation of a formula that should allow New York to stay in the mix in the early portion of a broader reset.
6. Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts
There’s a good chance that much of Sunday’s 33-8 romp was more reflective of the Miami Dolphins’ problems rather than the Colts’ aptitude. But there’s not much more that could have been asked of Jones in his first game back as a starter since he was dumped by the New York Giants midway through last season. After coach Shane Steichen harped on decisiveness and precision in declaring the veteran signal-caller the winner of the quarterback competition over incumbent Anthony Richardson, Jones got the ball out quickly – his 2.52-second time to throw was the fifth lowest of the week, according to Next Gen Stats – and put Indianapolis’ playmakers in prime position to do damage. Yes, the degree of difficult was dialed down considerably. But Indianapolis will take whatever semblance of cohesion it can get after Richardson’s inconsistent results clearly wore on the franchise. The Colts also got great debuts out of rookie tight end Tyler Warren, who racked up seven catches for 76 yards, and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who reanimated a previously listless group with his variety of different looks.
7. J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Maybe this is an overly forgiving assessment for a player who through three quarters looked destined to end up on the flip side of this list, especially after a particularly ill-advised pick-six. But McCarthy and the Vikings offense flipped the emerging narrative surrounding them with a surprising surge in a 27-24 win over the Chicago Bears. The 2024 first-round pick, who missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn meniscus, became the first player to score three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of his NFL debut. His performance was, as expected, linked to the efficacy of the run game, which was non-existent early on but came alive late. While McCarthy still needs plenty of help – just as coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah planned for – he also demonstrated that he can at least occasionally be more than merely a product of his surroundings.
8. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders
This nod easily could have gone to Commanders all-purpose threat Deebo Samuel Sr., who had 96 yards from scrimmage on eight touches and went full ‘wide back’ on his 19-yard touchdown scamper. But there’s no going against a rookie who had the crowd cheering his nickname whenever the announcer called him out. Elongated chants of ‘Bill’ were routine on Sunday as Croskey-Merritt piled up 82 yards on 10 carries in a 21-6 win over the New York Giants. The seventh-rounder immediately made the backfield more dynamic and explosive with four runs of 10-plus yards, including a 42-yard gain that was longer than any rush in former starter Brian Robinson Jr.’s three-year stretch with the team. There are sure to be some hiccups along the way, but the quick-cutting Croskey-Merritt unquestionably looks like a better fit than Robinson for what offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury wants to do in fully weaponizing the run game from the shotgun and pistol.
9. Jihaad Campbell, LB, Philadelphia Eagles
When the Eagles selected Campbell with the No. 31 pick in April’s draft, it stood to reason that they would slowly bring along a player who was still finding his way at his position and underwent surgery in March to repair a torn labrum. So much for that. With fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean still sidelined by the torn patellar tendon he suffered in January, Campbell was everywhere in the Eagles’ season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, playing 92% of the defensive snaps. His biggest play of the night came late in the third quarter, when he forced a fumble deep in Eagles territory and ended the Cowboys’ threat of retaking the lead. The 6-3, 235-pounder also showed remarkable range in covering tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford down the seam and breaking up Dak Prescott’s pass. With Dean set to come back at some point and Zack Baun continuing to operate at an elite level after re-signing on a three-year deal this offseason, Campbell gives Howie Roseman a true embarrassment of riches in the middle of his defense.
10. Will Johnson, CB, Arizona Cardinals
It wasn’t a fall of Shedeur Sanders proportions, but the Michigan product’s tumble to the second round was one of the draft’s most intriguing Day 1 developments (Johnson ranked No. 6 overall on my final big board rankings). After a strong camp, he continued Sunday that the Cardinals possibly got a steal. In Arizona’s 20-13 win over the New Orleans Saints, Johnson provided his usual steady coverage presence while adding three pass breakups as well as an interception that was called back to a teammate’s penalty far away from the play. His highlight, however, came on a perfectly timed crushing hit that broke up a swing pass to Chris Olave. With Johnson, Garrett Williams and Max Melton all under 25, the Cardinals have the makings of a formidable secondary for years to come.
Worst NFL Week 1 debuts
1. Russell Wilson, QB, New York Giants
It took all of one game for Wilson to shift from Big Blue’s unquestioned starter to a veteran at least temporarily twisting in the wind regarding his status when Brian Daboll wouldn’t commit to keeping him in place immediately after the loss to the Commanders. At least that was clarified one day later, when Daboll shot down any notion of going to first-round pick Jaxson Dart right away. But the change in tone was notable after Giants brass went to great lengths this offseason to stifle any notion of a quarterback controversy. Wilson’s debut was a full-on systemic failure, but the combination of New York’s pervasive protection problems and the signal-caller’s panicked responses proved to be a lethal cocktail. That dynamic rendered Wilson’s deep passing ability moot, sapping the team of one of its primary sources of optimism. Inserting Dart might not be the answer, either, especially given the continued absence of left tackle Andrew Thomas, the one strong link in an otherwise broken chain. But unless Wilson and the rest of the unit can get right in a hurry, the franchise’s embattled leadership might soon have to consider taking drastic action.
2. Andre Szmyt, K, Cleveland Browns
Szmyt’s first NFL game was one to forget. The kicker not only botched an extra-point attempt that proved to be the difference in a 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, he also missed a 36-yard field-goal try that could have put Cleveland up with a little more than two minutes remaining in the game. Coach Kevin Stefanski stood by him but said ‘those are kicks that we expect him to make.’ The Browns likely won’t find themselves sticking with many teams late into games this season, so Szmyt can’t afford any recurrences of his nightmare outing.
3. John Morton, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions
Following Ben Johnson was never going to be easy, with Morton tasked with maintaining the magic behind the league’s top scoring offense. A once tightly bound operation might not have come fully unraveled in the loss to the Packers, but the threads are surely loosening. The problems seemed to start up front, where a line that lost Kevin Zeitler and Frank Ragnow looked thoroughly out of sorts. That manifested in a ground attack that mustered just 46 yards on 22 carries. With that threat absent as Detroit tried to climb out of an early hole, Jared Goff repeatedly reverted to checkdowns to mitigate Green Bay’s pass rush, with just eight of his 39 passing attempts being delivered more than 10 yards downfield, according to Next Gen Stats. Only an impressive scoring grab by rookie Isaac TeSlaa with less than a minute remaining spared the Lions the indignity of being held without a touchdown against a division rival. Dan Campbell after the game called the issues ‘so correctable,’ but Morton has plenty to sort out after just one week.
4. Nick Caley, offensive coordinator, Houston Texans
Jettisoning Bobby Slowik and reconfiguring the offensive front were essentially musts given the toll the protection problems took on C.J. Stroud during his relative letdown of a sophomore campaign. But based on the offense’s play in a 14-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, you’d be forgiven if you briefly assumed that Houston had run things back from its 2024 form. Stroud was pressured on 41% of his dropbacks and took seven hits as the Texans were held without a touchdown and mustered just 265 yards. Given the wider reshuffling up front prompted by injuries, it should come as no surprise that Caley’s system empowering Stroud with more responsibility didn’t take hold right away. But the inability to scheme up better opportunities for Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins, who finished with just 25 yards on three catches, needs to be revisited.
5. Mike Vrabel, coach, New England Patriots
A new day in New England seemed imminent upon Vrabel’s arrival, with the organization embarking on a serious free-agent spending spree to overhaul its roster. Why, then, did the Patriots present such intensely familiar feelings of ineptitude in their loss to the Raiders? Drake Maye yet again didn’t receive nearly enough support from either his surrounding personnel or the coaching staff. With quick pressures on the quarterback quickly piling up and the dead-on-arrival run game essentially abandoned, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels reverted to a bevy of throws behind or near the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, a Raiders defense that looked prone to being exploited on the back end managed to force four three-and-outs. Most disappointing of all was New England’s overall lack of fight, as Vrabel opted to punt on a fourth-and-10 with his team down 10 points and less than five minutes remaining.