28. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
After looking a little rough in his rookie season, Spencer Rattler clearly progressed a little bit here in year two. You’ve got to give credit where it’s due, and Kellen Moore had a young QB in position to get a win in Week 1. And if Juwan Johnson holds on at the end of the game, we might be having a very different discussion about Rattler here. The Saints kept it rather simple for him, but he threw way too many passes (46). The Saints need a consistent running game to support this guy.
27. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward showed some guts going into Denver and playing against what could be the #1 defense in the NFL this season. The Broncos got to Ward in a big way, racking up six sacks, 12 QB hits, and limiting the Titans to just 2-14 on third downs. But Ward made some nice plays in this game, didn’t throw any picks, and was let down tremendously by his top receiver, Calvin Ridley. He’s got a bright future in the NFL.
26. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Everyone who was skeptical of the Sam Darnold-Seahawks marriage this season feels validated after watching Week 1. We’ll see how he progresses as the season rolls along, but Darnold’s first game in Seattle was not good. He completed 16-of-23 passes for just 150 yards and lost a fumble. The Seahawks were just 3-for-10 on third down. It was not a smooth operation, scoring just 13 points at home.
25. JJ McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Vikings play Monday night vs. Bears
Of course, the grade on JJ McCarthy’s debut with the Vikings in the regular season is to-be-determined as the Vikings play Monday vs. the Bears. We’ll see how the former Michigan star and 1st-round pick looks with a tough divisional matchup to kick off his NFL career. The Vikings will also be without Jordan Addison for the first three weeks of the season, so we’ll expect McCarthy to lean heavily on Justin Jefferson.