16. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
You think the Lions are going to miss Ben Johnson this year? It was not a good debut for the Detroit offense against the Green Bay Packers, and we saw Detroit really make this thing look better on paper than it actually was when they got a touchdown late in garbage time of the fourth quarter. And it was a nice one for rookie Isaac TeSlaa, but it meant nothing. Jared Goff deserves the benefit of the doubt after the past couple of seasons, but in a week where a lot of quarterbacks struggled, his performance was notably poor (4 sacks, INT, poor third down execution).
15. Justin Fields, New York Jets
As great of a debut as it was for Justin Fields, it’s a shame he couldn’t come away with a win. Fields was signed to a rather hefty free agent contract this offseason by the New York Jets, and a lot of folks in NFL spheres believed it was a waste of time and money. Fields, however, was extremely effective as both a passer and runner, completing 16-of-22 passes with a touchdown and running for another pair of scores. This might be the right fit for him.
14. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
You always know you’re going to get a mixed bag in the matchups between the 49ers and Seahawks, and that’s exactly what Brock Purdy gave us. He had a pair of touchdown passes, a pair of picks, and he made a few really big plays down the stretch in this game proving his clutch factor. Purdy was a playmaker when the 49ers needed him to be, and he got his new #1 receiver Ricky Pearsall heavily involved.
13. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts debut for Daniel Jones could not have gone much better. Jones was stellar from the very start of the game, orchestrating four straight scoring drives in the first half to take a dominating lead over the Dolphins. Jones finished with three touchdowns and was efficient. He might be the biggest story of Week 1 as a whole.