20. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Oh how the turntables…Who would have thought that it would actually end up being Joe Burrow who needed to get bailed out by his defense in Week 1? The Cleveland Browns had their way with Burrow, who didn’t make any mistakes with the ball, but he wasn’t really able to do much of anything either. On one possession, Burrow was sacked three times in a row. He was held to just 113 passing yards with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase combining for just 59.
19. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix turned the ball over three times in the Denver Broncos’ win against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. The Broncos’ offense has been expected to take a big jump forward, but Nix didn’t deliver for his part. He was a little too sloppy and aggressive against Tennessee, and we didn’t see enough of him making plays as a runner. Nix has a lot to improve on for Week 2.
18. CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
We spent all offseason hoping that last year was a fluke for CJ Stroud and the Texans, but was it more of a regression to the mean? Again, as is the case with every Week 1 situation, take what you’ve seen with a grain of salt. CJ Stroud has proven what he’s capable of in the past, but this was a rough debut for he and the Texans. They put up just nine points and he threw an interception with no touchdowns, and Houston’s offense was just 2-of-9 on third downs.
17. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
It certainly wasn’t a perfect debut for Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in 2025, but he also put his team in position to win a divisional game. Penix made just enough plays to get the Falcons a lead in the 4th quarter, but his defense let him down. The Falcons didn’t run the ball well at all in this game, so they’re going to have to find that balance to help Penix be as effective as possible the rest of the season.