NFL preseason Week 1 takeaways: Tyler Shough’s debut a mixed bag for Saints
Giants: The Giants have to feel good about their biggest additions this offseason. Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, rookie QB Jaxson Dart (No. 25) and rookie linebacker Abdul Carter (No. 3) had successful debuts versus Buffalo. Dart was most impressive of all. He was decisive and efficient, completing 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards with…
Giants: The Giants have to feel good about their biggest additions this offseason. Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, rookie QB Jaxson Dart (No. 25) and rookie linebacker Abdul Carter (No. 3) had successful debuts versus Buffalo.
Dart was most impressive of all. He was decisive and efficient, completing 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards with a touchdown. The score came on a 29-yard strike down the left sideline to receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey with pressure in his face. He also rushed three times for 24 yards.
Wilson, meanwhile, led the Giants to a field goal on his only drive, while Carter had a pair of pressures on six snaps. New York couldn’t have drawn it up better. — Jordan Raanan
Bills: The Bills made several additions to the defensive line this offseason, and some of those new faces popped.
Two of the Bills’ rookie defensive linemen made strong first impressions. Second-round defensive tackle T.J. Sanders nearly sacked Dart on his touchdown throw in the first half. DT Deone Walker, a fourth-round pick, got pressure and then batted down a pass from Dart; he finished with two quarterback pressures.
Despite the Bills limiting his practice time, defensive end Joey Bosa played 10 snaps over two drives with the first-team defense and made a solid first impression. — Alaina Getzenberg
Friday
Browns: Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders shined as he got the start in Cleveland’s preseason opener, throwing a pair of first-half touchdowns. Sanders has been QB4 in Cleveland’s quarterback competition but got the start because of injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel. In about three quarters of action, Sanders showed the pinpoint accuracy and poise that led many to believe he was a top quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft before falling to the fifth round.
It was also a strong debut for two other members of the Browns’ rookie class, linebacker Carson Schwesinger and defensive tackle Mason Graham. Schwesinger, a second-round pick, led the Browns with six tackles in the first half. And Graham, the No. 5 pick in the draft, also had a quarterback pressure in a couple of drives. — Daniel Oyefusi
Next game: at Philadelphia Eagles (1 p.m. ET, Saturday)
Panthers: It was an underwhelming day for the class overall. First-round pick Tetairoa McMillan had a great over-the-shoulder catch of a Bryce Young pass for 30 yards. But he finished with only two catches on five targets, and should have had a touchdown catch but ran a bad route. Sixth-round pick Jimmy Horn Jr. caught four of five targets, but for only 15 yards. Edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen combined for only one sack (Scourton) — Umanmielen also lost containment on a Sanders scramble — so plenty of room for improvement there. — David Newton
Next game: at Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET, Saturday)
Note: The preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons was suspended with 6:19 left in the fourth quarter after Lions safety Morice Norris left the field in an ambulance after sustaining an injury after a collision with a Falcons player. The Lions said he was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, but was talking and moving.
Lions: Rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa scored his first NFL preseason touchdown off an 11-yard pass from backup QB Kyle Allen. TeSlaa, a third-round pick out of Arkansas, gave Detroit a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. TeSlaa, a Michigan native and lifelong Lions fan, ended with two catches for 18 yards. He has continued to make plays through training camp and preseason action. In practice, TeSlaa has earned some first-team reps with the offense. Lions rookies DL Tyleik Williams and OL Tate Ratledge also made their preseason debuts after being held out of the Hall of Fame Game versus the Chargers last week. The most underwhelming performance of the night was from third-year QB Hendon Hooker, who started for Detroit and fumbled twice in the first half. He went 7-10 with 38 passing yards. — Eric Woodyard
Next game: vs. Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Saturday)
Falcons: If the Falcons were to find a trade partner for quarterback Kirk Cousins, they might be comfortable with Easton Stick as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup. Stick, a free agent signing from the Los Angeles Chargers, was 15-of-18 passing for 149 yards and a touchdown. Stick’s 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Blair put the Falcons ahead 10-7 with :34 left in the first half.
Atlanta’s rookies were relatively quiet. No. 26 pick James Pearce Jr. was often double-teamed on the edge. No. 15 pick Jalon Walker, an edge rusher, and third-round pick safety Xavier Watts had one tackle apiece. Fourth-round pick cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. had a great open-field tackle in punt coverage. Seventh-round pick Jack Nelson had some struggles at right tackle. — Marc Raimondi
Next game: vs. Tennessee Titans (7 p.m. ET, Friday)
Patriots: Second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson made an immediate impact, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against Commanders backups. When the Patriots selected Henderson 38th out of Ohio State, they touted his speed and big-play ability — both as a running back and returner — which is the type of juice the team has been lacking in recent seasons. Henderson added one carry for 18 yards and caught three passes for 12 yards. He is projected to complement starter Rhamondre Stevenson and No. 3 option Antonio Gibson.
Cornerback DJ James, a 2024 sixth-round pick of the Seahawks who spent last year on the Patriots’ practice squad, also had a notable performance with an INT. That reflects how he has had a strong training camp in which he has consistently been around the football. — Mike Reiss
Next game: at Minnesota Vikings (1 p.m. ET, Saturday)
Commanders: Rookie corner Trey Amos played two series and continued his strong summer. He defended a fade ball well and came up on the run one time to make a stop for no yards. Meanwhile, first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. started at right tackle and played 22 snaps. He continues to look more comfortable on the right side. He was solid on the edge, with one hiccup vs. a stunt, and blocked well in space. Seventh-round pick running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt finished with only 24 yards on seven carries, but he typically gained more than what was available because of his sharp cuts and vision. — John Keim
Next game: vs Cincinnati Bengals (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 18)
Thursday
Seahawks: One play from Jalen Milroe ‘s NFL debut showed exactly how he can help the Seahawks’ offense this season even as their third QB. Milroe gained 27 yards on a zone-read keeper, flashing the impressive running ability that Seattle plans to take advantage of on occasion via specialty packages. He ran three times for 38 yards and also fared well with his arm, completing 6 of 10 attempts for 61 yards. He led one TD drive in five possessions and was sacked on Seattle’s final drive.
Rookie fifth-round pick Tory Horton continued to make his case to beat out Marquez Valdes-Scantling for the No. 3 receiver role. With Valdes-Scantling getting the night off along with several other veterans, Horton caught three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown pass from Drew Lock in the first half. — Brady Henderson
Next game: vs. Chiefs, 10 p.m. ET, Friday
Raiders: Ashton Jeanty‘s preseason debut was underwhelming. On three carries, the Heisman Trophy finalist totaled minus-1 yards. His longest carry was for three yards. But a few plays later, Jeanty was stopped for a 4-yard loss.
The Raiders’ offensive line didn’t provide much support for Jeanty and the run game as a whole. Las Vegas averaged 2.6 yards on nine carries in the first half.
Jamal Adams — who signed last month — looked solid at weak-side linebacker, as he was active around the line of scrimmage. In 14 defensive snaps, Adams had three tackles, including two run stuffs. On third and long in the second quarter, Adams burst up the middle before tackling Seattle running back Damien Martinez. — Ryan McFadden
Next game: vs. 49ers, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday
Ravens: Rookie sixth-round pick LaJohntay Wester provided much-needed juice to the Ravens’ punt return game when he scored on an 87-yard runback in the first quarter.
Wester, whose college coach was Deion Sanders at Colorado, flashed some “Prime Time” elusiveness when he darted around three would-be Colts tacklers in the middle of the field before racing down the right sideline.
Baltimore’s punt return game was an issue last season. The Ravens used four punt returners who averaged 9.7 yards, which ranked 16th in the NFL, and failed to break a punt return longer than 22 yards. Wester also had team highs with two catches for 41 yards with a long of 30.
.@la_wester TO THE HOUSE
Tune in on WBAL! pic.twitter.com/kNQd43xeDs
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 7, 2025
Rookie kicker Tyler Loop hooked a 46-yard field goal attempt wide left in his first attempt, but he nailed a 52-yarder in the fourth quarter. Loop is the only kicker on the roster, but coach John Harbaugh said Loop has to prove himself in the preseason. In training camp, Loop is 58-of-62 (93.5%). — Jamison Hensley
Next game: at Cowboys, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday
Colts: Tight end Tyler Warren, the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft, made his anticipated debut and wasted little time making an impact. Warren caught all three passes on which he was targeted, generating 40 receiving yards in the process. On his longest play, a 23-yard reception from Daniel Jones on a slant route, Warren showed the breadth of his talent, catching the ball cleanly and running 14 more yards after the catch.
Elsewhere, the Colts got a long look at new kicker Spencer Shrader, who had a big workload with four first-half field-goal attempts. He connected from 53, 33 and 39 yards and missed from 52. Shrader, who kicked for three teams as a rookie last season, is replacing veteran kicker Matt Gay, whom the Colts released earlier this year. — Stephen Holder
Next game: vs. Packers, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday
Eagles: Running back AJ Dillon had an encouraging debut, rushing five times for 27 yards (5.4 average) and catching three passes for 27 yards. He showed some wiggle with a jump cut on a 9-yard gain and moved the pile when he lowered his shoulder. It was a good start after sitting out all of last season because of a neck injury.
Undrafted rookie receiver Darius Cooper (6 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD) raised his profile. He regularly separated from defenders with sharp routes and good burst.
First-round pick linebacker Jihaad Campbell nearly came up with an interception, and fourth-round defensive tackle Ty Robinson registered two pressures, a sack and demonstrated good awareness by sniffing out a screen and taking that option away from the quarterback. — Tim McManus
Next game: vs. Browns, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday
Bengals: Defensive end Shemar Stewart took a while to get onto the field because of contractual issues, but the first-round pick out of Texas A&M has been as advertised. He was disruptive on a couple of his 18 defensive snaps against the Eagles.
He had a 3-yard tackle for loss on a run play. Then on a play-action bootleg, Stewart did a good job pursuing Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee and nearly forcing an interception.
Rookie left guard Dylan Fairchild, a third-round pick and projected starter, had a very nondescript outing, which is a very good thing for an offensive lineman. Right guard Lucas Patrick, who is battling for a starting spot, had a couple of miscues on the opening drive, including a costly penalty. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Commanders, 8 p.m. ET, Aug. 18
