The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and Week 1 is a chaotic frenzy of overreactions all over the place. Especially when it comes to reactions to quarterback performances, you wish you could bottle up every sentiment expressed by individual fan bases and revisit them at the end of the year.
Some quarterbacks got off to slower starts than others, while others really impressed in a good way.
Our latest NFL Power Rankings are going to take a look at each quarterback’s performance from this past week and rank each of them worst to best after the wild week that was.
NFL Power Rankings: Daniel Jones skyrocketing in Week 1 QB rankings
32. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Well, it’s safe to say that the Miami Dolphins weren’t planning on seeing Zach Wilson this early in the season, unless it was for a blowout going the other direction. Wilson came in for Tua Tagovailoa in a blowout loss to the Colts, and Tua was terrible. He threw a pair of interceptions, lost a fumble, and was sacked three times. Considering the result of the game, you couldn’t have started much worse if you’re Tua and the Dolphins.
31. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
We saw some signs of life after the weather delay, but this wasn’t the type of debut anyone wanted or hoped for from Bryce Young. Young had three turnovers on the day including two picks, and the Panthers’ offense struggled to get anything going as a result. It’s going to be interesting to see how this develops, because Carolina felt like Young had turned a corner last year. This was a rough debut.
30. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
There were some plays in the Browns’ upset bid against the Bengals that were completely out of Joe Flacco’s control. The Browns had to ask Flacco to throw the ball a whopping 45 times in this game and his receivers dropped some passes that could have changed the outcome of the game. So it goes in the NFL. The Browns also had no running game to speak of, but it feels like this is the type of stuff they’ll deal with most of the year. Harold Fannin Jr. might be a dude.
29. Russell Wilson, New York Giants
Russell Wilson led the New York Giants in passing and rushing in his G-Men debut. That’s the good news. The bad news is, the Giants’ offensive operation was outrageously bad. They averaged 3.7 yards per play and were 4-of-16 on third downs. Wilson led the team in rushing because nobody else could do anything. He didn’t throw any picks,
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.
24. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Bears play Monday night vs. Vikings
The debut of Caleb Williams under new head coach Ben Johnson is going to be must-see TV on Monday night. Obviously, the Bears have high expectations for the former #1 overall pick, but especially so in this case because Williams has been so highly touted dating back to his time at Oklahoma. The Bears believe they’ve got the right head coach to unlock his skills, and they’ve certainly surrounded him with plenty of weapons in the passing game.
23. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
There’s no question that the excitement for Drake Maye and the Patriots was through the roof this offseason. Maye has been picked by just about every pundit out there to be one of the top breakout players in the league. But his performance against the Raiders – a horrendous defense on paper – left a lot to be desired. The future is still bright, but he struggled in Week 1.
22. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence didn’t have to do too much for the Jacksonville Jaguars in their weather-delayed win over the Carolina Panthers. In the battle of 90s expansion teams, Lawrence and the Jaguars were victorious, and Lawrence was just “fine”. He had a touchdown and a pick, but maybe most importantly for the long-term outlook, he was not sacked a single tim,e and the Jags ran for 200 yards. If the Jags can get their stud receivers going, it could be a fun year.
21. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
As it was for many quarterbacks in Week 1, it was really tough sledding for Kyler Murray going on the road to face the Saints. As bad as people expect the Saints to be, it’s hard for West Coast teams to travel to the East Coast and play early window games. Murray made some nice throws in this game, and we saw improvement in his connection with Marvin Harrison Jr., but he was sacked five times and was limited to small chunks most of the game through the air.
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.
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.
12. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rough starts for quarterbacks must have been the theme for Week 1, because even Baker Mayfield had his share of issues. And still, he somehow found a way to lead his team to a 4th quarter comeback and throw three touchdowns. Even if Mayfield barely completed 50 percent of his passes (17-of-32), he found a way to get the job done.
11. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
A couple of years ago, Geno Smith called everyone out who had written him off. I think it’s safe to say his debut with the Raiders was a sequel to that. Geno put on a really nice performance against the New England Patriots, throwing for 362 yards (most in the NFL) on 24 completions. The bigger story this week for the Raiders will be the health of Brock Bowers, but the talk this offseason was how clear of an upgrade this team got at QB. Smith delivered.
10. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
A healthy Matthew Stafford is going to have the Los Angeles Rams competing for an NFC title this year. Or pretty much any year. Stafford may be older now, but he’s still got it. He was still dropping no-look dimes out there for the Rams, connecting on 21-of-29 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown. He had no picks on the afternoon, and we have only scratched the surface of what he can do with Davante Adams.
9. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
As we all would have expected, Patrick Mahomes had his team in it late on Friday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, but the majority of his performance in Week 1 fell flat. Part of the problem is that Mahomes doesn’t have the best targets to get the ball to – again – but the Chiefs have been struggling with the same stuff for quite some time. Mahomes made some big throws in the game, but it fell short.
8. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
It felt like the Washington Commanders sort of coasted to a win, but Jayden Daniels quietly put up over 300 yards of offense in his return to the field after winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. Daniels got his new weapons involved in this game, especially Deebo Samuel. He didn’t exactly have the Commanders’ offense firing on all cylinders, but Daniels looks like he’s going to be picking up right where he left off last season.
7. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers got off to a great start this season, not only notching a win in Week 1, but kind of dominating their division rival Detroit Lions. And the Lions appear to be exactly as feared. But Jordan Love was exactly what he needed to be in this game for the Packers. He was efficient with two touchdowns, no picks, no sacks, and no real concerns. Love has the potential to reach top-5 status this year, so we’ll see how he continues to progress. With just 16 completions needed in Week 1, more will be asked of Love in the near future.
6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
What can you really say about Jalen Hurts, other than the fact that the guy is an absolute gamer. The outing wasn’t overly spectacular from Hurts passing-wise, but he did everything he needed to do in order to lead his team to a win. And that’s the thing with Hurts, he doesn’t really care how the job gets done. He just wants it done. That’s part of what makes him special. The Eagles dodged a bullet late with CeeDee Lamb dropping passes, but Hurts did his part.
5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
What a return to the field it was for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. It obviously wasn’t a flawless performance, but Prescott looked like he was in midseason form from the start of the game and the Cowboys took advantage of Jalen Carter being kicked out of the game. Maybe the spit motivated him. Whatever it was, it’s great to see Prescott healthy again. He was at the top of his game and was let down big-time by CeeDee Lamb.
4. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
It was a vintage performance for Aaron Rodgers against his old team on Sunday afternoon. Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in his Steelers debut, and did a great job of spreading the ball around to all of his new targets. The only major issue with the debut of Rodgers in Pittsburgh was the fact that he was sacked four times. Getting hit that much won’t fly at his age.
3. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
To say Justin Herbert was dialed in against the Kansas City Chiefs would be a massive understatement. Herbert was able to sort of have his way with the Chiefs’ defense on Friday night, and to the surprise of many, he was pushing the ball to all of his different receivers. He was nearly flawless against a defense that has been one of the best in the league over the past couple of years.
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
It just feels like Lamar Jackson is on another MVP course here in 2025. Jackson lacks nothing as a player at this point. He is one of the most dynamic players at quarterback the league has ever seen, but we’re also witnessing the game slow down for him year after year. It feels like it will take a monumental collapse for Jackson and the Ravens not to win it all this season. He’s locked in. The Ravens couldn't finish the job against the Bills but Jackson wasn't the reason for that.
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
As the league MVP, Allen did his part out there in the absolute NFL game of the week against the Ravens. The Bills’ defense simply could do nothing to stop Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, at least until late in the game, and then Allen took over. It was like he turned on another mode within. The way Allen took over the game in the final five minutes against the Ravens was our latest sign of just how focused he is, and how locked in to that Super Bowl goal he is after winning the MVP last season.