National Football League

What we learned in NFL Week 1: Dolphins leveled up, terrifying Cowboys, standout rookies

Updated Sep. 11, 2023 5:38 p.m. ET

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FOX Sports NFL Staff

Fifteen NFL games are down, one remains in Week 1. It's hard to ask for a better matchup than Jets-Bills, but Thursday and Sunday's games gave us more than enough to talk about. 

What have we learned from the early batch of games? FOX Sports' staff of NFL writers joined forces to deliver insight and analysis from around the league. In this weekly story, we'll tell you what we noticed, what we heard and what to keep an eye on next.

Without further ado, here's what we learned!

Calvin Ridley is "Him" 

It did not take long for the former Pro Bowl receiver to remind the football world of his impact potential as a playmaker. After missing part of 2021 due to injury and all of 2022 due to a violation of the league's gambling policy, Ridley posted a 100-yard game in his debut with the Jacksonville Jaguars while exhibiting all the traits that made him a borderline top-five receiver when he played his last full season. 

From his spectacular route-running ability to his exceptional running skills, the veteran receiver did not show any signs of rust despite a two-year layoff. Considering the lengthy sabbatical, it was a surprise to see Ridley hit the ground running as a WR1 with limited experience with Trevor Lawrence & Co. The duo was in sync from the game's initial snap, as evidenced by the flurry of "pitch-and-catch" plays executed against the Indianapolis Colts with perfect timing. 

With the rhythm throws revealing the chemistry and trust between passer and catcher, the bond between Lawrence and Ridley looks like an established connection that's been forged for years on the practice field. 

If the Jaguars' new WR1 can make an immediate impact in his first game after a two-year layoff, imagine the challenge Ridley will pose after he is completely comfortable with his new team, quarterback and scheme. —Bucky Brooks

[Ben Arthur: Calvin Ridley shines in Jaguars' sloppy season-opening win over Colts]

Trevor Lawrence after Jaguars' 31-21 win against Colts

The Lions don't look so crazy now, do they?

General manager Brad Holmes faced a lot of criticism all offseason for the players he took and where he took them in the 2023 NFL Draft. After Detroit beat the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs at their place on Thursday night with plenty of help from those aforementioned players, those criticisms have quieted.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, the No. 12 overall pick, had nine touches for 60 yards and was somehow the least productive of the starting rookies. Linebacker Jack Campbell, the No. 18 overall pick, laid multiple big hits and broke up a pass to Kadarius Toney in the third quarter as the Chiefs were driving to add to their 14-7 lead. 

Not only did Campbell force an incomplete pass on that series, but rookie safety Brian Branch, the No. 45 overall pick, then intercepted quarterback Patrick Mahomes off a deflection two plays later and took the ball to the house. So instead of the score being 21-7, it was tied at 14. 

Tight end Sam LaPorta, the No. 34 overall pick, looked like T.J. Hockenson 2.0, except maybe a better blocker. In an age where most tight ends are just big receivers, LaPorta showed the all-around skills to be a true combo tight end. He also caught all five of his targets for 39 yards.

The Lions also got help from 2022 first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson, who tallied three quarterback hits and seven pressures. According to PFF (via team reporter Dannie Rogers), Hutchinson had five of those pressures on 14 third or fourth-down pass-rush snaps for a 35.7% win rate. Even if you don't totally believe Detroit is for real this year, you have to hand it to Holmes. With all the production the Lions are getting out of their young players, he doesn't deserve your armchair-GM draft criticism. —Carmen Vitali

Dave Helman reacts to Jared Goff, Detroit Lions' STUNNING win over Chiefs

Anthony Richardson shows incredible promise 

The Colts did not chalk up a win in Richardson's debut but the team should feel good about the performance of its new franchise quarterback. Richardson completed 24 of 37 throws for 223 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while adding 40 rushing yards and a score on 10 rush attempts. 

Although the rookie's play was a bit of a roller-coaster ride — with misfires and miscues sandwiching a handful of splash plays — Richardson is a rare athlete, as advertised, with a set of dual-threat skills that could make him an All-Pro at the position in time. He displays elite arm talent with flick-of-the-wrist throws that show off his limitless range, and his combination of speed and strength make him a challenge to take down when he flees the pocket on scrambles or designed quarterback runs. 

With the Colts featuring a high school/college playbook with a variety of zone-reads, RPOs, designed quarterback runs and bootlegs, the freak athlete was allowed to play to his strengths in his debut. The playbook was eerily similar to the game plans that have helped Jalen Hurts flourish with the Philadelphia Eagles. 

From a critical standpoint, Richardson needs to continue to work on his accuracy and ball placement on traditional drop-back passes. He sailed or short-hopped a handful of throws to open receivers that should have been layups for an NFL passer. In addition, Richardson needs to find a way to avoid big hits when he runs the ball. The rookie took a couple of avoidable shots that left him battered and bruised by the end of the game. 

Overall, it was a solid start for a wild-card prospect with ridiculous potential.  —Bucky Brooks

Jay Glazer updates us on Justin Jefferson contract talks, Aaron Rodgers' goals and Anthony Richardson

Christian McCaffrey an offensive MVP frontrunner with 152-yard effort

Much was said about the Stanford product's injury history since joining the 49ers in a midseason trade last season. But McCaffrey hasn't missed a game during his time with San Francisco. And he has served as the igniter of the team's running game.

In an impressive 30-7 win on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McCaffrey finished with a league-high 152 rushing yards. But it was his 65-yard run for a touchdown in the second half that put a punctuation mark on San Francisco's victory.

Receivers Ray-Ray McCloud and Brandon Aiyuk made key blocks downfield, with McCloud driving cornerback Patrick Peterson into the end zone. Peterson said in the lead-up to Sunday's game that he knew where Brock Purdy was going with the ball pre-snap and would wind up with an interception. Instead, the eight-time Pro Bowl corner gave up two touchdowns to Aiyuk.

"We've had a couple of encounters," Aiyuk said about Peterson. "I've been talking to him for a while now. It's always fun to go against him." —Eric D. Williams

Dave Helman reacts to Brock Purdy, 49ers' DOMINANT victory over Steelers

NFC South demands your respect

The NFC South, skewered in power rankings all offseason after the division didn't produce a team with a winning record in 2022, somehow went 3-1 in Week 1, and the only loss came internally.

The Bucs won at Minnesota as six-point underdogs, the Saints held off the Titans for a 16-15 home win and the Falcons posted a 24-10 home win over the Panthers. While much of the talk this summer was about the turnover at quarterback, with basically four new starters, the common thread in Sunday's wins was defenses dominating the turnover game. Tampa Bay, Atlanta and New Orleans each forced three takeaways in their wins.

Baker Mayfield, who has thrown as many interceptions as any quarterback in the league since his arrival in 2018, played a mistake-free game. You can't say that often, but in his career he's 8-1 when his team has a plus-3 turnover margin or better, as the Bucs had Sunday.

Can the NFC South somehow validate this success with more of the same in Week 2? The Bucs are at home against the Bears (drubbed by Green Bay on Sunday) while the Falcons have a more difficult test against those Packers; the Panthers and Saints play each other in Charlotte. —Greg Auman

How will the Buccaneers fare without Tom Brady? And who will win the NFC South?

Bijan Robinson outplays Bryce Young — but what's up with Drake London's targets?

Sunday featured a much-anticipated showdown of two of the most-hyped rookies in this draft class, with Carolina quarterback Bryce Young squaring off against Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson.

Give the first round to Robinson, both on the scoreboard with Atlanta's win and in the overall buzz following their debuts. Young, playing without injured receiver D.J. Chark, didn't have a completion longer than 14 yards and threw two interceptions, both to new Falcons safety Jessie Bates. 

Robinson, meanwhile, showed a flash of the big-play potential that made the Falcons take him No. 8 overall. His first career touchdown was a beauty, as he caught a screen pass from Desmond Ridder, made the first defender miss, then drove through two more at the 5-yard line on his way to the end zone.

Robinson's overall numbers weren't huge — 10 carries for 56 yards, which ranked fourth in the game. But the ease with which he cut through defenders and his comfort in catching a team-high six passes were all encouraging signs in a debut.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith isn't always known for getting the ball to his high draft picks. A reporter pointed out to him in postgame that 2022 first-rounder Drake London somehow had fewer catches than Ridder Sunday, on a single target. But Smith insisted the only thing that matters for him and his team is the final score.

"Let the fantasy guys worry about that," Smith said. "Targets is the most misunderstood thing in the National Football League. … We don't care. Drake London doesn't care. All we care about is 1-0. … We don't care about the stats. We care about winning."  —Auman

Top 5 NFL Rookies of the week ft. Bijan Robinson, Anthony Richardson, and Puka Nacua

Will Anderson shows out in NFL debut

Will Anderson Jr. played as advertised in his NFL debut. The Texans fell 25-9 on the road to the Ravens, but the No. 3 overall pick showed that he has the potential to be one of the league's elite pass rushers. 

He generated six pressures Sunday, the most by a rookie in Week 1 since the 49ers' Nick Bosa and the Jaguars' Josh Allen in 2019, according to Next Gen Stats. Anderson also had six defensive stops, tied for the most by a rookie edge rusher in the season opener since at least 2016, per NGS. 

Anderson's debut included a sack of Lamar Jackson, one of the league's most elusive quarterbacks. On a third-and-long early in the fourth quarter, Anderson beat Ravens right tackle Morgan Moses on the edge, then grabbed the 2019 MVP by the legs before he could get out of the pocket. 

"Will has been who he's been," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. 

The former Alabama standout could be the Texans' best defensive lineman as a rookie. Houston's defensive line has nowhere to go but up, after contributing to what was the worst run defense in franchise history last season (170.2 rushing yards allowed/game). That's a department in which Anderson figures to elevate the unit, too, on top of his pass-rush skills. He was a stout run defender for the Crimson Tide. His six tackles, including a stuff, marked a team high Sunday. —Ben Arthur

[Brooks: NFL top 10: 49ers, Cowboys separate themselves from the pack in Week 1]

Ryan Tannehill's disastrous opener puts spotlight on Titans' 2024 QB outlook

Ryan Tannehill was the primary reason the Titans fell in their season opener Sunday as the veteran QB threw three interceptions in a 16-15 loss at New Orleans. 

None of the picks came on a fluky play. He underthrew his intended target each time (DeAndre Hopkins twice, Chris Moore once), and could have wound up with one or two more interceptions on the day. Tannehill's decision-making and timing were off. He missed open receivers. It was his first three-interception game since the Titans' divisional-round playoff loss to the Bengals in the 2021 season. Tannehill on Sunday completed just 47.1% of his passes (16-of-34) for 198 yards and no touchdowns with a career-low 28.8 passer rating.

Tannehill's showing ruined the excitement surrounding Hopkins' addition to the offense and new playcaller Tim Kelly. On the macro level, it was a reminder of the quarterback decision that looms over 2024. If Tannehill continues to play like this, it would make the verdict easier: to move on in the offseason from the 35-year-old QB, who's in the last year of his deal.

And that's not just a post-Week 1 hot take. The reality is that the Titans have traded up for quarterbacks on Day 2 of the past two drafts: Will Levis in the second round this year, Malik Willis in the third round last year. The writing has been on the wall for Tannehill's future in Tennessee beyond his existing contract. The Titans need to see what they have in the young signal-callers, and Tannehill's play to kick off a critical 2023 — what could be the last year of this iteration of the Titans — doesn't help his case to stick around beyond this season. —Arthur

2023 AFC South Preview ft. Jaguars, Titans, Colts & Texans

Minnesota comes back down to earth in one-score games

The Vikings played in 11 one-score games during the 2022 regular season. They won all of them. Quarterback Kirk Cousins engineered multiple comebacks and the defense seemed to show up at just the right time to stave off opponents.

It all shifted in the postseason.

Minnesota suffered its first one-score loss in the wild-card round against the Giants at home. On Sunday, the Vikings continued that trend to open the 2023 season, losing a one-score contest to last season's NFC South champion, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs went up by three with just over five minutes to go in the game. It was a perfect opportunity for Cousins and the offense to put together a pretty standard offensive drive. Go down the field and score; that's all they had to do. Despite the low 20-17 score at that point, the Vikings' best player, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, had once again lived up to his Offensive Player of the Year standard. He had caught nine passes for 150 yards despite Tampa Bay's best cornerback, Carlton Davis, on him for most of the game. Surely, Cousins and Jefferson could muster one more drive, even if it was just to tie the game.

Alas, the Vikings went three-and-out and surrendered the ball to the Bucs with 3:52 left. And then instead of the defense coming up with a crucial stop, Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin made the catch of his life on third-and-10 to give the Bucs a first down inside the two-minute warning.

I'm not going to overreact. It is Week 1, after all. The Vikings defense went through a dramatic makeover and will take a minute to get used to new DC Brian Flores' system. Cousins can hopefully return to form and not commit multiple turnovers on a regular basis (he threw an interception and lost two fumbles). And the good news is that rookie WR Jordan Addison looks to be everything Minnesota had hoped. He caught four passes for 61 yards and scored the Vikings' first touchdown. 

But until they prove to themselves that they can win those close games again, 2023 might be a bit more rocky. Don't be surprised if the Vikings lose more than four games this season, even with a better roster on paper. —Vitali

2023 NFC North Preview ft. Bears, Lions, Packers & Vikings

Dolphins face down their offensive demons from 2022

A number of things stumped the Dolphins last season. But we didn't see any of them on display Sunday when Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill won a 36-34 shootout with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers defense stumped Miami last year. Coach Brandon Staley developed a game plan that disrupted the Dolphins offense in a way few teams had done at that point in the season. The L.A. secondary, in 2022, was able to pull off press coverage and disrupt the timing between Tua and his pass-catchers. But on Sunday, Hill and Jaylen Waddle simply blasted past the Chargers secondary for 47-yard and 35-yard chunk plays. Hill finished the day with 11 receptions, 215 yards and two touchdowns

Another problem from 2022: The Dolphins struggled without a healthy Terron Armstead, their left tackle. But with Amstead inactive on Sunday, Miami allowed just two quarterback hits and zero sacks. Again, that's exactly what the Dolphins want to see because it will correlate with their final issue.

Tagovailoa struggled to stay healthy last year. He dealt with concussions. So far, he looks healthy. He made it through Week 1 and had one of the best games of his career, with 466 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Most importantly, he got the number that counted: 36 points. In what is sure to be an incredibly competitive AFC East, the Dolphins are undefeated.

The running game remains a question, with Miami averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. But when the Dolphins are averaging 10.4 yards per pass attempt, they seem to be doing just fine. —Henry McKenna

Dolphins def. Chargers in Week 1: are Tua & Tyreek the NFL's most dangerous duo?

The Chargers keep Chargering

The start of 2023 began much like the end of 2022 for the Chargers. After running out to a 27-0 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in the AFC wild-card game, the Bolts collapsed and lost 31-30.

Even with a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and even with franchise quarterback Justin Herbert signing a lucrative new deal, the Chargers are still Chargering — finding unique ways to lose games.

The latest example is a 36-34 defeat to the Miami Dolphins in L.A.'s home opener at SoFi Stadium, a game the Bolts led by four points with just under four minutes remaining. Led by one of the best defensive minds in the business in Brandon Staley, the Chargers allowed 538 yards of total offense, including 466 through the air.

That's the worst defensive performance by the Chargers during Staley's tenure. It's not a good look for a head coach who's on the hot seat entering the 2023 season. 

"We have to move past this one," Staley said. "Learn from all the tough things that we're going to have to learn from in this game, and then get moving on to the Titans."

The Chargers have allocated more of their cap to linebackers than any team in the league ($44.5 million), per Spotrac — and the third-most to defensive backs ($43.2 million). Those defenders particularly need to step up. —Williams

Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez provides major bright spot in loss

On the Friday before Week 1, Bill Belichick was asked about how he prepares his rookies for their NFL debut.

"Just have to jump in and start swimming. There is no baby pool. Just dive right in and try not to drown," Belichick said.

On Week 1 vs. the Eagles, no Patriots rookie had a bigger challenge than cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the No. 17 overall pick. But no rookie performed better than he did. He spent the night in coverage on DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. He did not allow any long passes, though a few short throws were completed.

When it mattered most on a fourth down, Gonzalez logged a pass breakup — generating a turnover on downs that gave the Patriots offense an opportunity to win the game (which they couldn't capitalize upon). He had seven tackles, including hits on running backs — easing some of the pre-draft concerns that he wasn't physical enough. Gonzalez was also, surprisingly, the first Patriots rookie to log a sack in the game. Who saw that coming? 

He's yet another playmaker for the Patriots defense, which isn't short on them. He, Matthew Judon, Josh Uche and Kyle Dugger should create massive problems for offenses in 2023. —McKenna

[McKenna: Patriots will need an alpha to emerge on offense if they want to sniff playoffs]

Commanders need to protect Howell better

For a team that is banking everything on a 22-year-old quarterback this season, the Washington Commanders sure did a terrible job of protecting their most important asset on Opening Day. And if they don't fix their offensive-line issues quickly, that's going to be a huge problem for Washington over the rest of the season.

Sam Howell was sacked six times in the Commanders' otherwise-festive 20-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. And the only reason it wasn't twice that was because he's so good at escaping trouble. Howell was 19-of-31 for 202 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a fumble, but he did that while constantly scrambling from a collapsing pocket.

And if he was forced to do that against an underwhelming Arizona defensive front, imagine what's going to happen against a Philadelphia defense that had 70 sacks last season, or a Dallas defense that pummeled Giants quarterback Daniel Jones for seven sacks on Sunday night.

"You know, we take that very personally up front," said right tackle Andrew Wylie, who was responsible for at least two of the sacks. "Plain and simple, we've got to do better. We didn't necessarily do our best job of that tonight."

They better hope not, or Howell will never have a chance to show he's the capable quarterback the Commanders think he will be. —Ralph Vacchiano

[Do you want more great stories delivered right to you? Here's how you can create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow your favorite leagues, teams and players and receive a personalized newsletter in your inbox daily.]

Commanders' Sam Howell on the defense creating opportunities for the offense to win late

Eagles' run game struggles as D'Andre Swift watches

The Eagles were praised for getting a talented running back like D'Andre Swift from the Detroit Lions for only a fourth-round pick in the offseason. The Eagles raved over the summer about Swift's ability and the many different ways they could use him.

So where was he on Opening Day?

Mostly standing on the sidelines watching the Eagles offense and rushing attack sputter in a sluggish 25-20 win over New England. Kenneth Gainwell took the lead role in the Philly backfield, rushing 14 times for 54 yards and catching four passes for 20 yards. Swift took only 19 snaps, ran the ball once (for three yards) and was targeted twice as a receiver (catching one pass for no yards). And he still fared better than the other half of the Eagles' Budget Backfield — free-agent signee Rashaad Penny was a healthy scratch.

The Eagles were a powerhouse running the ball last season. They averaged 4.6 yards per carry and scored 32 rushing touchdowns. Swift and Penny were supposed to be the ones to keep that going behind Philly's dominant offensive line.

So what happened? Nick Sirianni blamed it on "a number count" — whatever that means — though he admitted, "I don't ever want to come out of a game where D'Andre Swift has only two touches either."

Presumably, he will get Swift more involved and figure out his problem with numbers. But the regression of the rushing attack was still alarming. The Eagles ran 10 times for 38 yards in the second half. They had trouble sustaining drives in the fourth quarter and finishing drives throughout the game. They even called a pass play on a fourth-and-2 from the Patriots' 44 coming out of the two-minute warning when a first down would've just about sealed the game.

Last year's Eagles would have powered that ball right up the middle. Maybe they were just a better running team then. —Vacchiano

[Vacchiano: Philadelphia Eagles will win Super Bowl LVIII, and here are the reasons why]

Cowboys send a message — and make us ponder history

The Cowboys obliterated the Giants on Sunday night in a 40-0 win. It was the most lopsided shutout in Dallas' 63-year history — and the previous biggest margin was a 35-0 beatdown … of the Giants, in another season opener: 1995. Yes, that's the last time the Cowboys won the Super Bowl. 

When you win 40-0, it's easier to draw all these silly parallels. Dallas had a 26-0 lead at halftime. The offense barely had to do any heavy lifting. That's what happens when your defense blocks a field goal and returns it for a touchdown, has a pick-six and forces five fumbles on the day. Dallas had a plus-three turnover margin for the game.

It's easy to say now that the Cowboys should have dominated; that they're the better team. But this was a 3.5-point betting line coming into the game. Most analysts didn't see a blowout coming. Dallas — particularly on defense — made a statement about its intentions for this season; about its level of talent; about where its bar is set. 

It's just Week 1. But the Cowboys could not have started the year on a more emphatic note. On the NFL on FOX podcast, I picked Dallas to reach the Super Bowl this year. I see no reason to back down from that call. —David Helman

Dave Helman discusses Dak Prescott, Cowboys' defense in CRUSHING win over Giants

This story was compiled by:

AFC South reporter Ben Arthur (@benyarthur)
NFC South reporter Greg Auman (@gregauman)
NFL analyst Bucky Brooks (@BuckyBrooks)
Dallas Cowboys reporter David Helman (@davidhelman_)
AFC East reporter Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis)
NFC West reporter Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams)
NFC East reporter Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano)
NFC North reporter Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV)

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National Football League

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

Justin Jefferson

Micah Parsons

Calvin Ridley

Jacksonville Jaguars

Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts

Will Anderson Jr.

Detroit Lions

Brian Branch

Sam LaPorta

Jack Campbell

Jahmyr Gibbs

Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson

Bucky Brooks

Greg Auman

Carmen Vitali

Ben Arthur

David Helman

Henry McKenna

Eric Williams

Ralph Vacchiano