NFL preseason Week 1 came and went over the past few days. Sure, starters played seldomly as the exhibition slate really got going this summer. But there was a lot to take away from what youngsters and fringe veterans did.
Justin Fields struggled in his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the other hand, rookie signal caller J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings did his thing. Here, we look at 10 winners and losers from NFL preseason Week 1.
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Winner: Joe Milton, QB, New England Patriots
Most of the talk heading into New England’s preseason opener dealt with rookie No. 3 pick Drake Maye. The quarterback completed 2-of-3 passes for 19 yards in a cameo appearance. Though, it was all about fellow rookie Joe Milton from Tennessee. The sixth-round pick was spectacular throughout, including a crazy scramble after being pressured. Milton also completed 4-of-6 passes for 54 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown pass to JaQuae Jackson. Milton had been the talk of camp. He’s now showing out in live-game action.
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Loser: Taylor Heinicke, QB, Atlanta Falcons
Rumors are now popping up that the Falcons could very well trade Taylor Heinicke ahead of Week 1. He did nothing to show them confidence that the veteran should be on the 53-man roster. Heinicke completed 4-of-11 passes for 11 yards in Friday night’s loss to the Miami Dolphins. QB1 Kirk Cousins did not play. Rookie signal caller Micahael Penix Jr. outperformed his veteran counterpart in a big way, completing 9-of-16 passes for 104 yards. It sure looks like Heinicke will be the odd-man out in Atlanta.
Winner: C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
NFL preseason Week 1 included this stud young quarterback surprisingly putting in work. Most figured that C.J. Stroud would sit. That was not the case. His one series of action concluded with Stroud hitting wide receiver Tank Dell in stride for a 34-yard touchdown. It was an absolute dime. If this is it for Stroud during the preseason, he’s already proven to be ready for Week 1.
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Loser: Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Justin Fields has been the talk of Steelers camp this summer. He had performed well as QB1 during practices with fellow new Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson ailed by injury. That did not equate to Fields’ preseason debut for the Steelers. Fields fumbled the ball twice in the loss to Houston, leading to head coach Mike Tomlin calling him out after the game. Fields did complete 5-of-6 passes for 67 yards. But those two miscues has him as a loser following Week 1 of the NFL preseason.
Winner: Jaylen Wright, RB, Miami Dolphins
A fourth-round pick out of Tennessee in the 2024 NFL Draft, Wright performed at a high level in his preseason debut. The rookie went for 55 yards on 10 rush attempts, including a six-yard touchdown. He looked explosive. The game did not look too fast for him. That was magnified by a brilliant 14-yard run. It sure looks like Miami has found another weapon in the backfield behind Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane.
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Loser: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
This former first-round bust returned to the Chiefs on a one-year contract during the offseason. He’s certainly on the roster bubble. Isiah Pacheco and Deneric Prince are ahead of CLE on the depth chart. Kansas City will also look to add a veteran ahead of Week 1. If what we saw against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday is any indication, the Chiefs might move on from Edwards-Helaire sooner rather than later. He put up exactly zero yards on two rush attempts. Fellow Chiefs running back Carson Steele gained 29 yards on four attempts, including a touchdown.
Winner: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Big play J.J. McCarthy? The rookie No. 10 pick struggled initially in his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, throwing an ill-advised interception. McCarthy then followed that up by tossing a 48-yard touchdown pass to Trishton Jackson and a 33-yard score to Trent Sherfield Sr. This came after likely QB1 Sam Darnold was uneven in his only drive to open the game. “Clearly, everybody can see the arm talent,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said after the game. Yeah, he’s not wrong.
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Loser: Easton Stick, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
With Justin Herbert sidelined to injury, the Los Angeles Chargers’ quarterback situation did not look good in a 16-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Primarily, this veteran struggled big time. Stick completed just 5-of-13 passes for 31 yards with an interception in the defeat. He’s just not it as a QB2 for Jim Harbaugh’s squad. It should lead to the Chargers signing a veteran off the street.
Winner: Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
This rookie No. 1 pick was as advertised in his NFL preseason debut against the Buffalo Bills. Williams completed 4-of-7 passes for 95 yards. The USC product was in rhythm throughout the game, showing great arm strength and accuracy in the process. Williams also scampered for a 13-yard run in his debut. He’s QB1 in Chicago. Even against primarily backups this weekend, Williams proved that he’s going to be more than up to the task.
Loser: Stetson Bennett, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Ouch! This fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft made his preseason debut Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. This comes after he missed his rookie season for personal reasons. Bennett is battling with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo to be Matthew Stafford’s primary backup. He pretty much lost that shot against Dallas. Bennett threw four interceptions in the game. All four were similar. You simply can’t make mistakes like this and expect your coach to have confidence in you. Despite the walk-off win, Bennett was certainly a loser this weekend.