QB Report Cards for 2025 NFL Week 1

NFL quarterbacks face unmatched pressure and responsibility, even from the very first week. Every snap is scrutinized, and public perception can swing wildly long before the season is in full swing.

Seeing two former league MVPs Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson go blow-for-blow during Sunday Night Football doesn't help others around the league just trying to win games. Those two showed what elite play means in today's NFL.

That's the standard right now and the basis for how others will be graded each week by Bleacher Report.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Score: 20-13 win vs. New Orleans Saints

Stat Line: 21 of 29 for 163 yards and two touchdowns; seven carries for 38 yards

Considering Kyler Murray found himself on the injury report the day of Arizona's first contest against the New Orleans Saints due to an illness, the Cardinals quarterback's performance should be viewed in a positive light, even though the team struggled to pull away from the Saints.

Despite being sacked five times and battling an illness on game day, Murray helped his team to a win and began establishing Marvin Harrison Jr. as a go-to target.

More could and should be expected from Murray in the coming weeks. Though no one should sniff at a solid start to the season.

Grade: B

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Score: 23-20 loss vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stat Line: 27 of 42 for 298 yards and a touchdown; six carries for 21 yards a touchdown

Michael Penix Jr. had what could have been a strong season-opening performance ruined by a missed game-tying kick with less than a minute to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, his performance caught the eye of a rival on the the other sideline.

"I told him after the game, he's going to be a problem in this league for a long time," Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield told reporters. "I think he's a great player. He's decisive, goes through his reads, trusts his guys. He's young but he's got it."

The final point is important and became apparent on Sunday.

Penix stills needs to do a better job layering throws at times, but he sees it well and rips passes to his receivers. He should only get better as the season progresses and he gets more comfortable as the leader of the Falcons offense.

Grade: B

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Score: 41-40 loss vs. Buffalo Bills

Stat Line: 14 of 19 for 209 yards and two touchdowns; six carries for 70 yards and a touchdown

For over three quarters of their opening game, the Baltimore Ravens looked like the NFL's best team only to have the Buffalo Bills come roaring back to win.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was a huge reason why the Ravens looked so good to start, only to have the ball taken out of his hands once the team built what it believed to be a comfortable 15-point fourth-quarter lead.

During the Ravens' final three possessions—which resulted in a punt, fumble and punt—Jackson threw the ball only twice and those attempts came on obvious third-and-long situations.

As good as Jackson had been throughout, he wasn't placed in a position to put the game away. Instead, the Ravens went conservative and the approach cost them.

"You just got to finish the game," Jackson said. "It's not over until there is zero, zero, zero on the clock. And we found that out tonight."

Grade: A-

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes

Score: 41-40 win vs. Baltimore Ravens

Stat Line: 33 of 46 for 394 yards and two touchdowns; 14 carries for 30 yards and two touchdowns

Josh Allen is reaching legendary status as the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, because the team is never out of the game, even when trailing by 15 points with four minutes left to play.

"And I guess when you have Josh Allen, you just have to give him a chance, and anything's possible," defensive end Joey Bosa told reporters after the miraculous comeback.

The Bills' "win probability was as low as 1.1 percent with 8:37 remaining in the fourth quarter trailing 40-25," according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Allen became the first player in NFL history to throw for 250 or more passing yards and run for two touchdowns in any single quarter, per OptaStats.

In this particular case, he did so with the game on the line in the fourth quarter to overcome one of the league's most talented teams.

Grade: A+++

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Score: 26-10 loss vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Stat Line: 18 of 35 for 154 yards, one touchdown, two interception and a fumble lost; five carries for 40 yards

Bryce Young had built some momentum toward the end of the 2024 campaign after being benched earlier in the year.

As a result, the Carolina Panthers went through the offseason with hopes of him regaining his status as the potential franchise quarterback the organization thought he'd become when they made him the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023.

It didn't carry into Week 1, though. Did Young look as lost as he did a year ago at the start of the season? No. The 24-year-old signal-caller shows more poise in the pocket and confidence in delivering some throws, but his level of play still isn't anywhere near good enough.

"We're all talking about looking in the mirror," Young said after the Panthers' third-straight opening weekend loss, with a minus-67 point differential, since he joined the team. "Of course, no one in this locker room, including myself, is looking, 'What about this person?' It's all about what you can control, what you can improve because that's all as individuals we can control."

Grade: D

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

AP Photo

Score: 27-24 loss vs. Minnesota Vikings

Stat Line: 21 of 35 for 210 yards and a touchdown; six carries for 58 yards and a touchdown

New Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson will have his hands full with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.

After what turned out to be a disastrous rookie campaign, where the 2024 No. 1 overall pick didn't receive the direction or coaching he needed, Johnson is almost starting from scratch with the mega-talented passer.

The 23-year-old has too much wild stallion in him. The horsepower in his arm and athleticism are present. These traits allow him to make some wow plays, as he did during the opening drive with a couple lasers and a nine-yard rushing touchdown.

However, Williams had multiple overthrows and ill-placed passes. He can be late with his eyes and try to make up the difference through arm strength, which lessens his accuracy.

After an impressive initial drive, the Bears went scoreless on nine of their next 10 possessions. Those failures don't fall entirely on Williams, but the offense isn't going to dramatically improve until he learns to consistently make the throws available to him.

Grade: C

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/David Richard

Score: 21-20 win vs. Cleveland Browns

Stat Line: 14 of 23 for 113 yards and a touchdown

Joe Burrow is so much better than how he played Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, particularly in the second half.

The Cincinnati Bengals managed a woeful minus-18 yards in the fourth quarter, which is the fewest by an team since at least 1991, per Jay Morrison of Bengals Talk.

In fact, they should have lost this contest if not for a missed extra point and field goal by rookie Browns kicker Andre Szmyt. Burrow and Co. didn't do enough to hold up their end of the bargain, yet they somehow walked away with a victory.

"Anytime you can win like this, you kind of steal one," Burrow said. "So we stole one today, and we're gonna have to be better. We didn't win many of these games last year, and so usually when you can win a game like this, that's a recipe for success."

Grade: D

Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/David Richard

Score: 21-20 loss vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Stat Line: 31 of 45 passing for 290 yards for one touchdown and two interceptions

Joe Flacco did enough for the Cleveland Browns to emerge victorious Sunday, but the team still didn't.

Andre Szmyt's missed kicks aside, the Browns must help their aging quarterback far more than they did in Week 1.

Two interceptions look bad on paper, but both were dropped passes that were tipped to Bengals defenders. Could both throws have been slightly better placed? Yes. But these are professional receivers who are supposed to be able to make adjustments on the ball.

Furthermore, the Bengals did a good job of forcing Flacco to check down on numerous occasions, which is why running back Dylan Sampson led Cleveland with eight receptions.

Flacco has consistently put up yards and helped place the Browns in a position to win, whether we're discussing the 2023 season or Week 1. He's not the type of quarterback, particularly at 40 years old, to elevate the entire offense.

Others need to make plays, and not enough did that on Sunday.

Grade: B

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Score: 24-20 loss vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Stat Line: 21 of 34 for 188 yards

All of the hullabaloo aside—from the Micah Parsons trade to Jerry Jones' detached view of what it takes to win in today's NFL to the Jalen Carter spitting incident—quarterback Dak Prescott played as well as anyone could have expected in the Dallas Cowboys' season opener.

However, his teammates didn't help as much as they should have.

CeeDee Lamb is one of the league's best wide receivers. But three official drops, not including a fourth where he could have made a driving grab, all but sealed Dallas' defeat at the hands of the rival Eagles.

"That's terrible," Lamb said. "Honestly, I can't point no fingers at nobody else. I take full accountability and everything else that comes with it. For me as a player, I pray for moments like that for the ball to come my way. Obviously for me to not come up with it, that stings a little bit."

Prescott just needs to keep playing the same way he did in Week 1 and good things should start to happen for the Cowboys.

Grade: A

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Bart Young

Score: 20-12 win vs. Tennessee Titans

Stat Line: 25 of 40 for 176 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble lost

Bo Nix turned into a pleasant surprise after being the sixth first-round quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft. He was an ideal fit for Sean Payton's offense and a mature prospect, which led to an easier transition compared to most.

At the start of Year 2, though, Nix didn't look nearly as comfortable and had to rely heavily on his defense to get the job done against a Tennessee Titans team not expected to do much this season.

Three turnovers, while averaging 4.4 yards per attempt, won't be enough against much better opponents.

"You don't ever want to throw interceptions, but when you do, as tough as it is you just have to move on and respond with positive plays after that," Nix said. "Both times I thought I had decent vision, just was a 50-50 that didn't go our way. [I] probably shouldn't have thrown both of them. You live and you learn.

"Sometimes you can be a little too aggressive, and I was too aggressive. I just ultimately have to be smarter than that and take care of the football. Especially with our defense, as well as they're going to play this year, I can't put them in bad spots."

Grade: F

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Matt Ludtke

Score: 27-13 loss vs. Green Bay Packers

Stat Line: 31 of 39 for 225 yards, one touchdown and an interceptions

The Detroit Lions are still considered one of the NFC's best teams, but the coaching staff underwent significant changes this offseason after losing their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs.

Ben Johnson's departure is particularly difficult, because the Lions offense became a well-oiled machine under his direction.

Quarterback Jared Goff and the unit didn't seem as prepared going into Week 1 against the rival Green Bay Packers. The group struggled with pressure and wasn't able to generate many chunk plays.

And Goff wasn't nearly as efficient or as effective.

"You know, I don't know. A little bit of us, a little bit of them," he said, particularly about the Lions' red-zone struggles. "Obviously, one of them I threw a pick on, and that doesn't help. But, yeah, I don't know. That's something I'll have to look at. I really don't have a good answer for you. They played well on defense. They got a good defense and certainly we didn't play as close where we need to play.

Grade: C

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Morry Gash

Score: 27-13 win vs. Detroit Lions

Stat Line: 16 of 22 for 188 yards and two touchdowns

At this point, it's clear Jordan Love has full control of the Green Bay Packers offense and continues to play at a high level.

As NFL Next Gen Stats noted, Love completed six of eight passes into the intermediate area (10-19 yards) and spread the, er, love by completing throws to 10 different targets. He went eight-for-nine against the blitz and converted five first downs, per Peter Bukowski of The Leap.

The 26-year-old was dealing to open his 2025 campaign despite not posting huge numbers.

"We've got playmakers all around and guys that can all come in here and catch the rock and make plays," Love said. "I think that's what you want as an offense, be able to spread the wealth around and keep their defense on their heels on who we're going to be targeting."

Grade: A

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Score: 14-9 loss vs. Los Angeles Rams

Stat Line: 19 of 27 for 188 yards and an interception

C.J. Stroud faces an uphill battle when it comes to dealing with the Houston Texans' rebuilt offense line and trying to build a rapport with multiple targets in the offense.

At the same time, though, the quarterback is the offensive leader and supposed to set the tone.

"We didn't deserve to win that game [against the Los Angeles Rams] because we didn't do the right things," Stroud said. "When you come out in the NFL lollygagging and going through the motions, that kind of happens. I think we'll be all right, but I think it's a good wakeup call for us."

It's one thing to make these comments; it's another to make sure the entire team doesn't "lollygag" the next time it's on the field. Stroud must establish the latter.

Otherwise, his 2025 campaign will look more like last season rather than his rookie campaign, when many were ready to anoint him an elite quarterback.

Grade: C

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Score: 33-8 win vs. Miami Dolphins

Stat Line: 22 of 29 for 272 yards and a touchdown; seven carries for 26 yards and two touchdowns

To paraphrase the famous Paul Rudd meme, "Hey, look at the Indianapolis Colts and Daniel Jones. Who would have thought? Not any of us."

The Colts made the decision this preseason not to move forward with Anthony Richardson as their starting quarterback despite investing in the fourth overall draft pick just two years ago.

Instead, head coach Shane Steichen chose Jones as the safer option because of the veteran's preparation and consistency each day in the building.

Initial returns indicate Steichen made the right choice, because the Colts offense lit up the Miami Dolphins defense.

Jones regularly put the offense in the right play, completed 75.9 percent of his passes and helped lead his team to an achievement even Peyton Manning didn't unlock. The Colts became the first team since at least 1978 to score on every offensive possession, according to NFL Communications.

Grade: A+

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Score: 26-10 win vs. Carolina Panthers

Stat Line: 19 of 31 for 178 yards, one touchdown and an interception

One of the biggest selling points to Trevor Lawrence coming out of Clemson in 2021 was his calm and confident demeanor.

His approach has been rattled in recent years due to poor coaching situations and injuries, but the old Lawrence seemingly showed up in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.

"I felt very prepared, ready for everything Carolina could, and did do," Lawrence said in a postgame interview with Fox Sports.

One of the biggest differences is Lawrence's surrounding cast.

Travis Etienne Jr. ran the ball extremely well with 143 yards. Tight end Brenton Strange showed up at the start of his third campaign. Most importantly, the Jaguars' front five kept their quarterback clean.

Lawrence could get comfortable in the pocket without getting sacked, while being pressured on just 18.2 percent of his dropbacks, per NFL Next Gen Stats (h/t Daniel Griffis of Action News Jax).

Grade: B

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Score: 27-21 loss vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Stat Line: 24 of 39 for 258 yards and a touchdown; six carries for 57 yards and a touchdown

Patrick Mahomes is something truly special. Once or twice per game, he's going to make a play that makes onlookers simply shake their heads and smile. But even he needs help, which has been proved on the biggest stage twice now.

The Chiefs' two biggest concerns entering this season centered on the left side of their offensive line and the weapons around the quarterback.

Kansas City appears to have two good young offensive linemen in Josh Simmons and Kingsley Suamataia. However, both allowed multiple pressures against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kansas City is still trying to figure out who is going to be its top receiving threat beyond tight end Travis Kelce. Hollywood Brown played well against the Chargers, with 10 receptions for 99 yards, but will he be the same type of weapon on a weekly basis?

Mahomes can do so much, but he can't do everything.

Grade: B

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Score: 20-13 win vs. New England Patriots

Stat Line: 24 of 34 for 363 yards, a touchdown and an interception

With everything swirling around the Las Vegas Raiders organization in recent days, quarterback Geno Smith overcame and experienced a sterling first start with the franchise.

Despite Amari Cooper abruptly retiring and Jakobi Meyers not being happy with his contract situation, Smith and the Raiders passing offense lit up the New England Patriots defense.

In his first game, he threw for over 350 yards while completing over 70 percent of his passes. Only one Raiders quarterback, Rich Gannon, has done that more than once, per the Associated Press' Josh Dubow.

Despite no semblance of a running game to draw the Patriots' secondary up into the box, Smith completed nine passes of 20 or more yards.

"I don't think it was a big statement game or anything like that. I just think it's just what he does," Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said.

Outside of one throw that turned into a tipped interception thanks to heavy coverage around tight end Brock Bowers, Smith looked great in his Las Vegas debut.

Grade: A-

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Fernando Llano

Score: 27-21 win vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Stat Line: 25 of 34 for 318 yards and three touchdowns; seven carries for 32 yards

Justin Herbert doesn't get the recognition he deserves as an elite quarterback, because his team hasn't fared as well as others.

The biggest change started late last season and continued into Week 1, with a shift from being a typical Jim Harbaugh-led, run-first offense toward a Herbert-centered offense.

"They finally started throwing the ball (on early downs) with Herbert," an anonymous coach told The Athletic's Mike Sando. "They might have won the division the last couple years if they had done that. He is so good, and people don't give him his due."

Herbert delivered against the rival that has won ninth straight AFC West division titles. For comparison, the Chargers haven't won their division since the 2009 campaign.

The signal-caller spread the ball around to his wide receivers. Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen, who each caught at least five passes for 68 yards.

Grade: A

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Score: 14-9 win vs. Houston Texans

Stat Line: 21 of 29 for 245 yards and a touchdown

After weeks of worrying about Matthew Stafford's ailing back and what it may mean for the Los Angeles Rams' 2025 campaign, the 37-year-old looked and played like himself during the team's victory over the Houston Texans.

"Your leader embodies... the personality the team takes on," Rams head coach McVay said of Stafford. "Grateful to have someone as resilient, as steady, as calm in the middle of the chaos as what he is."

McVay added: "He's also got this fire and this competitiveness that's what's great for this game."

A fine line exists between the spreading the ball around and not doing so enough. In Stafford's case, he completed passes to eight different receivers. However, Puka Nacua caught nearly half of his completions.

As the season progresses, the Rams will be better as the quarterback starts to work Davante Adams and others into the mix more.

Grade: B

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Score: 33-8 loss vs. Indianapolis Colts

Stat Line: 14 of 23 for 114 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble lost

To understand how poorly Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played, he posted a 2.7 QBR. The stat goes to 100.

For comparison, he only posted a sub-10 QBR once previously and it came during a contest when he suffered a rib injury against the Buffalo Bills in 2021 and attempted only four passes.

Tagovailoa looked lost when it came to facing Lou Anarumo's defense. He didn't understand the looks the Indianapolis Colts were giving him and couldn't adjust properly.

The unit had the quarterback completely baffled with no responses to their attacking approach, which resulted in three turnovers.

"I wouldn't say I am pressing," Tagovailoa told reporters. "It's a part of the game. Like, you obviously don't want to turn it over. I thought that was a wild comment. That I turn the ball over in bunches? That is crazy. It just so happened that is what happened today. It was what it was. You've got to move forward from that. Can't make the same mistakes and move on from that."

Grade: F

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski

Score: 27-25 win vs. Chicago Bears

Stat Line: 13 of 20 for 143 yards, two touchdowns and an interception; two carries for 25 yards and a touchdown

For all intents and purposes, J.J. McCarthy was a rookie quarterback making his first start Monday against the Chicago Bears.

The Minnesota Vikings drafted him with the 10th overall pick last year, but he never played a meaningful down due to a season-ending knee surgery.

How he responded after a poor start in his debut says a lot about where he and the Vikings can go this season.

Through seven offensive possessions, McCarthy had played mostly terrible, which culminated in a pick-six when the quarterback was late and behind on an out-route to wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Once the fourth quarter began, a different version of McCarthy showed up. He helped lead three touchdown drives and his team to victory.

According to Real Sports, he became the first player in NFL history with three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his debut.

Young QBs are going to make mistakes. McCarthy playing much better after a critical mistake speaks to his resiliency and how the team responds to him, which is exciting for Minnesota.

Grade: B

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty

Score: 20-13 loss vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Stat Line: 30 of 46 for 287 yards, one touchdown and an interception

The version of Drake Maye everyone hoped to see this fall didn't show up in Week 1.

As a rookie, he was forced to carry the weight of an understaffed offense that didn't have much talent around him.

The New England Patriots quarterback showed flashes of brilliance, which led many to believe he would take a huge step in Year 2. Instead, his first performance as a sophomore saw more inconsistencies, including missed throws that often went high, plus a poor interception.

"I think I've got to step into it more," Maye said after the game. "I think I may have got hit up front. But that's just part of playing quarterback in this league. You've got to step into the throw and take hits and be accurate.

"There's plays throughout the game I wish I had back. It's a bummer thinking back and looking at those."

Maye's potential is still evident. The follow-through is what's needed next.

Grade: D+

Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Score: 20-13 loss vs. Arizona Cardinals

Stat Line: 27 of 46 for 214 yards; four carries for 29 yards

After trudging through a quarterback competition where no clear winner really emerged, the New Orleans Saints moved forward with Spencer Rattler as QB1.

Based on his Week 1 performance, the team made the right choice, even though the organization didn't register a win against the Arizona Cardinals.

"Spence did some good stuff," head coach Kellen Moore told reporters. "I love the way he approached it, the mindset he played with. He gave us a chance."

Rattler always displayed tremendous natural throwing ability. His biggest issue stemmed from making a critical mistake at inopportune times. He refrained from any major errors Sunday and provided a clean performance with no turnovers.

The sophomore QB also placed his team in a position to tie the game late in the contest, though tight end Juwan Johnson wasn't able to secure a well-thrown pass into the end zone with five seconds remaining.

Grade: B

Russell Wilson, New York Giants

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Score: 21-6 loss vs. Washington Commanders

Stat Line: 17 of 37 for 168 yards

It's probably not a good sign when a head coach is already being asked about the starting quarterback after one week of play.

Case in point, Brian Daboll said Russell Wilson is expected to be the New York Giants starter going into Week 2.

"I'd say [Wilson] made good decisions," he told reporters. "Again, we missed on, again, the one-on-one matchups, sometimes it's the throws, sometimes it's a contested catch. It's a collective. It's not just Russ. It's the entire offense, everybody."

The coach can protect his QB1 all he wants. Wilson is on borrowed time with first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart on the bench, and the clock is ticking. The timetable will only speed up if the 14-year veteran doesn't play significantly better in the near future.

The only thing Wilson did that proved to be productive was lead his team with 44 rushing yards, which in itself is an indictment of the offense and where it's at currently.

Grade: F

Justin Fields, New York Jets

AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis

Score: 34-32 loss vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Stat Line: 16 of 22 for 218 yards and a touchdown; 12 carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns

Justin Fields is on his third team in three years, while still trying to prove he's a franchise quarterback. But the initial return as a member of the New York Jets proved positive.

How the Jets' offense performed with Fields leading the way served as a silver lining to the team's loss Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 26-year-old was efficient from the pocket, hit multiple difficult throws and continued to show what he can do by moving the pocket or using his athleticism as a runner.

"I think each one of you guys [the media] were dogging him all during preseason about what he can't do and I think he just showed what he can do," head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters. "We are all gonna say this that there are some things that he could have done better, and obviously, he is going to feel the same way. But man, this is a step-by-step process, and we know that he is not done with his progression as far as getting better."

This version of Fields, coupled with the Jets' talented running backs, can make New York a difficult opponent every week.

Grade: A-

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Score: 24-20 win vs. Dallas Cowboys

Stat Line: 19 of 23 for 152 yards; 14 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns

Any discussion of Jalen Hurts being overrated needs to stop.

He answered his critics Thursday with an outstanding performance against the rival Dallas Cowboys, in a game the Philadelphia Eagles would not have won without his ability to layer a few key throws and his athleticism to keep plays alive.

"You have to make the plays and Jalen does that," running back Saquon Barkley said. "He keeps things calm and cool and when it's time to step up, that's exactly what he does."

Even if some still want to point toward his mobility as a primary asset and how he's not a polished passer, those arguments are quickly going by the wayside.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats (h/t Eagles Nation), Hurts posted a +15.2 completion percentage above expectation against the Cowboys.

The Eagles have their franchise quarterback, and they continue to win with him behind center.

Grade: A

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis

Score: 34-32 win vs. New York Jets

Stat Line: 22 of 30 for 244 yards and four touchdowns

The Aaron Rodgers revenge game against the New York Jets proved to be glorious for Pittsburgh Steelers faithful.

"There were probably people in the organization that didn't think I could play anymore," the 41-year-old told reporters afterward. "So, it was nice to remind those people that I still can."

Legitimate questions remained about how well Rodgers can still play at his age. No one expects him to be an MVP-caliber quarterback at this point in his career, but he reverted back to one while wearing a Steelers uniform for the first time.

He threw four touchdown passes during Sunday's action. He became the first Steelers quarterback to do so since Ben Roethlisberger retired. He spread the ball around, too. Seven different receivers caught the ball, with the four touchdowns being spread to four different targets.

Pittsburgh pushed in all its chips with Rodgers. If he plays like he did in Week 1 for an extended period, the Steelers can do legitimate damage in the AFC.

Grade: A

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Score: 17-13 win vs. Seattle Seahawks

Stat Line: 26 of 35 for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions

Too often, a quarterback is described as a "winner" without any context or example of how that works. In the case of Brock Purdy, Sunday's performance provided a prime example of what that description actually means.

Purdy didn't play well for most of the game with the Seattle Seahawks. Deebo Samuel is no longer with the team. Top wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk didn't play due to injury. Tight end George Kittle injured his hamstring during the game.

The running game wasn't all that effective, either, with the Niners backs averaging 3.3 yards per carry.

Yet Purdy made the plays down the stretch for the 49ers to emerge victorious, including a 45-yard sideline pass to Ricky Pearsall and four-yard touchdown toss to Jake Tonges while scrambling to his right with just over a minute and a half left.

Purdy wasn't perfect by any means, but San Francisco emerged victorious because of his late-game heroics.

Grade: C+

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Score: 17-13 loss vs. San Francisco 49ers

Stat Line: 16 of 23 for 150 yards and a fumble lost.

The Seattle Seahawks placed a lot of trust in Sam Darnold to be the quarterback he was last season with the Minnesota Vikings. His Week 1 performance didn't live up to those expectations, but he wasn't terrible by any means, either.

Two issues came to the forefront.

First, Darnold must do a better jobs spreading the ball around to his receivers. Of his 150 passing yards, 124 went to Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Cooper Kupp had only 15 yards on two catches.

Second, the quarterback must take care of the football. Seattle had a red-zone opportunity to take the lead with less than a minute remaining, but Darnold was stripped of the football.

Granted, Nick Bosa trucked right tackle Abe Lucas. At the same time, Darnold had a man open and patted the ball before trying to uncork the pass.

These instances may be little things right now, but the Seahawks ended up on the wrong side of the ledger when they expected their new quarterback to bring a different approach to the team.

Grade: C

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Score: 23-20 win vs. Atlanta Falcons

Stat Line: 17 of 32 for 167 passing yards and three touchdowns; five carries for 39 yards

Baker Mayfield is such a different quarterback since he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. One of the knocks against him early in his career revolved around an inability to lead his team to victory late in contests. Well, that's no longer an issue.

The latest proof came when he lead a five-play, 63-yard drive that resulted in a 25-yard game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left to play.

The performance settled some nerves since the Buccaneers are again transitioning to a new offensive coordinator after Mayfield posted career highs in each of the last two seasons.

"Having been in the offense for a year and coming back in the same system finally, I think [Mayfield] really taken the bull by the horn, so to speak, and (is) kind of just directing people the way (he wants it) and understanding where he wants it and having great conversations with [offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, who previously served as the passing game coordinator] on the field," head coach Todd Bowles said about Mayfield last week. "That's been the biggest growth."

Grade: B+

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Eric Lutzens

Score: 20-12 loss vs. Denver Broncos

Stat Line: 12 of 28 for 112 yards and one fumble lost

The Tennessee Titans were one of three NFL teams not to score a touchdown during the opening weekend. Instead, they settled for four field goals.

However, they had an excuse as the only team starting a rookie quarterback to open the 2025 campaign.

This year's No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward, faced significant pressure and didn't have an opportunity to settle in the pocket, which made his accuracy erratic.

Denver sacked the rookie signal-caller six times in his debut, including back-to-back sacks while in field-goal territory and trailing by only one point.

"Can't take a sack in those situations," Titans coach Brian Callahan said. "It's a learning moment for him. This is a really tough test out the gate, his first start against this defense, in this stadium. There's plenty of things he's going to learn. He's going to learn a lot over the course of these games.

"None of us are perfect. He's not going to play perfect. There are things that we're going to keep coaching and keep harping on, and he'll learn quick."

Grade: D

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

Score: 21-6 win vs. New York Giants

Stat Line: 19 of 30 for 233 yards and a touchdown; 11 carries for 68 yards

In the first game of his second season, Jayden Daniels is doing things people now expect him to do, while looking at the performance and thinking he could be much better.

He provided 301 yards from scrimmage against the New York Giants, and no one will argue he put forth one of his best efforts.

Daniels simply played the type of football needed to beat a bad team, and there's nothing wrong with that approach.

"You know how it is. Week 1, we didn't play our best," the QB said during the telecast. "We played sloppy. You have to get all the Week 1 jitters out. But we executed enough to get a win."

As the weeks progress, more will be expected from Daniels as the Commanders schedule becomes more difficult.

Grade: C+