Bleacher Report's Preseason Week 1 NFL Awards

The NFL preseason still has its breakout players, standout rookies and goats each week, just like the regular season. They come in different ways, though, and for different reasons. In Week 1 of the preseason, there was a potpourri of greatness and surprises, with a sprinkle of confusion mixed in for good measure.

There was the rookie who temporarily silenced a key question at backup quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, showing he may be much further ahead in his development than expected.

There was the oft-injured and discarded running back who came to life at just the right time in his career. And he did it for the New England Patriots, a team that has historically provided a warm and comforting new home to running backs on their last chance.

And then there was the Philadelphia Eagles head coach who may have first shattered the confidence of his young quarterback before also contributing to Carson Wentz's fractured ribs.

Naming the best of the best and the worst of the worst from Week 1 wasn't easy. But our six Bleacher Report writers (myself, Brad Gagnon, Gary Davenport, Mike Freeman, Mike Tanier and Brent Sobleski) were up to the task for these expert consensus awards.

Player of the Week

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (three votes)

When the Cowboys selected quarterback Dak Prescott with the 135th overall pick in the 2016 draft, there was an immediate assumption.

For many, the automatic thought process went like this: If Prescott is groomed properly, he can become the backup to brittle Tony Romo at some point later in the 2016 season. Then, if the 23-year-old maintains his course along that encouraging path, he could be the Cowboys' long-term answer at quarterback, too.

But he might not need more time to become a short-term solution behind Romo. No, that conversation will end fast if Prescott keeps impressing like he did Saturday night against the Los Angeles Rams.

Prescott was brilliant while receiving extended playing time with Romo sitting. The performance became even more impressive when you remember that Prescott was a Day 3 rookie quarterback appearing in an NFL game for the first time, and he faced mostly a first-team defense.

The former Mississippi State star played the entire first half and finished with a passer rating of 154.5. He reached that sparkling mark by misfiring on only two of his 12 throws and averaging an incredible 11.6 yards per attempt.

He repeatedly demonstrated both the arm strength and touch to make a variety of throws. Prescott was able to place balls in areas where only his targets had access, which included a precise back-shoulder throw to wide receiver Dez Bryant and a gentle, looping, 32-yard rainbow to fellow receiver Terrance Williams for one of his two touchdown passes.

After Kellen Moore broke his ankle, there was some confusion about the Cowboys' plan at backup quarterback and why they weren't more aggressive in their pursuit of Nick Foles. Now one preseason game has silenced those thoughts.

Others receiving votes: Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (two votes), Oakland Raiders running back George Atkinson (one vote)

Team of the Week

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Denver Broncos (four votes)

The scoreboard never matters during Week 1 of the preseason. What matters is getting early answers to questions, especially when said questions involve the most important offensive position.

In that sense, the Denver Broncos' preseason debut was a rousing success. They received exactly what should have been expected from quarterback Mark Sanchez over three drives: impressiveness balanced with a dash of foolishness.

Which is fine, and it makes Sanchez the sort of perfectly average quarterback who can both stay afloat when supported by the Broncos' dominant defense and be a seat-warmer for rookie Paxton Lynch.

Sanchez led a 76-yard touchdown drive to begin the game. He completed seven of his eight pass attempts during a drive highlighted by his sailing 32-yard throw to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas that was released while getting whacked by Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan.

Sanchez stood strong and delivered on that throw. One drive later, he rolled out, zeroed in on his target and threw into a congested area for an easy interception.

The Broncos have the luxury of being able to shrug off the Sanchez they saw on that second drive. Remember, this is a team that won the Super Bowl when Peyton Manning threw a whopping 17 interceptions over just nine regular-season starts. He was putrid in 2015 and posted a passer rating of only 56.6 in the Super Bowl.

So the answer to what you're wondering is still yes.

Yes, the Broncos can win plenty of games in 2016 if Sanchez is their starting quarterback. The good Sanchez just needs to show up a little more often than the bad one.

Others receiving votes: Houston Texans (one vote), Oakland Raiders (one vote)

Breakout Player of the Week

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Winner: New England Patriots running back Tyler Gaffney (four votes)

Throughout his history as the New England Patriots head coach, Belichick has often found new, cheap running backs with the same ease that an elderly man pulls out a fresh Werther's Original from his pocket on command.

He scooped up Danny Woodhead and turned him into a passing-down specialist. He's coaxed multiple quality games—and in some cases, quality seasons—from the likes of Brandon Bolden, LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray, all of whom went undrafted.

So there's no running back too deep on the depth chart in August to write off after he shines. Which means that the next discarded gem could be Tyler Gaffney after he finished with 64 yards and a touchdown on nine carries Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints.

Gaffney was a stud during his final season at Stanford. His 1,709 rushing yards made him the nation's eighth-best rusher in 2013, and he also finished fifth in rushing touchdowns (21).

But then average-at-best speed limited his draft value. More specifically, his tape showed little acceleration when cutting and changing direction, with draft analyst Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com writing that Gaffney "doesn't have much body wiggle to elude in space."

He fell to the sixth round in 2014, where the Carolina Panthers saw him as a discounted lottery ticket. Several injuries kept Gaffney on the sideline and rehabbing for two seasons. Entering Thursday, it had been 954 days since his last carry in a competitive football game.

Can Gaffney be another weapon for Belichick to pull from his pocket? As always, some caution is needed when plucking anything of meaning from the first preseason game. Gaffney's burst and decisive running were eye-opening during his 44-yard run. But all that came in the second half against scrubs.

However, there was a time when we thought little of Blount and Bolden, too. And with Dion Lewis still on the physically unable to perform list, running back depth is even more valuable than usual in New England.

At the very least, Gaffney has earned himself a long, long look.

Others receiving votes: Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller (one vote), the entire Tennessee Titans offensive line (one vote)

Goat of the Week

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson (six votes)

For every head coach, the preseason is filled with opportunities to be on the wrong end of a delicate balance tied to the ol' rust vs. rest debate.

There are two times on the NFL calendar when we dust off that discussion. We'll do it again in December, when teams that have clinched playoff spots have little to play for, and head coaches mull over giving their veterans rest.

But when we're talking about quarterbacks, the rust-rest conundrum is arguably a little easier late in the season than it is in August. If you opt to fight rust and play your prized arm in December, he'll still be out there in front of the first-team offensive line and your best blockers.

Which is why what Eagles head coach Doug Pederson did with valuable first-round pick Wentz was puzzling at first, and then damaging.

Wentz isn't just some young developing quarterback. Sure, he is young and developing, but he's also the foundation of Philadelphia's hopefully fast franchise rebuild, and he cost the Eagles an Everest-sized mountain of picks in a trade with the Cleveland Browns (five in total, including the Eagles' first-round pick in 2017).

So trotting him out onto the field again and again late in the fourth quarter of a preseason game to get whacked while playing behind the third-team offensive line is more than unwise. It shows negligence and glaring inexperience as a head coach.

Pederson may be starting his first NFL coaching gig, but he's been a high-ranking offensive coach since 2011 (first the Eagles quarterbacks coach for two seasons, then the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator). He should have known better than to expose his second overall pick, who's already lacking for confidence while trying to make the jump from North Dakota State.

Now Pederson will be without Wentz for possibly the rest of the preseason after he suffered a hairline fracture to his ribs.

Others receiving votes: None

Rookie of the Week

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Winner: Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (three votes)

The more you watch Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry as he cuts, bursts forward and moves fluidly to find open space, the easier it is to become convinced that the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner is some sort of science experiment.

That's the only way to explain a 6'3", 247-pound man mountain being able to balance both power and grace as a runner.

Nothing about Henry's impressive training camp and equally dazzling display during his preseason debut is startling to those who followed him in college, which should have been everyone. But his talent and skill set is further legitimized when we see him barreling, juking and creating missed tackles at the next level.

Which is what Henry did on his way to 74 yards on 10 carries while scoring a rushing touchdown against the San Diego Chargers. Six of his carries went for five-plus yards, meaning he gained at least half the required distance for a first down on over half of his touches. That was a product of his feet moving to generate momentum and then capitalizing on the forward movement with his oversized body.

"Derrick Henry is falling forward at the end of each run for an extra few yards," noted Rotoworld draft analyst Josh Norris. "Big part of his game that I think was overlooked."

Henry and fellow running back DeMarco Murray combined for 167 yards and two touchdowns Saturday while running behind a Titans offensive line that has three first-round picks. So yes, power football has made its triumphant return to Tennessee.

Others receiving votes: Dak Prescott (one vote), New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (one vote), Denver Broncos linebacker Vontarrius Dora (one vote)

Best QB Performance

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Winner: Dak Prescott (six votes)

Five slides ago, there was plenty of gushing about Prescott. But it's important to remember and emphasize that although he's an athletically gifted quarterback brimming with tools and potential, what we're seeing wasn't supposed to be happening with him right now. Or at least not yet, and not this soon.

No one ever doubted Prescott's arm strength. And we're all well aware of his speed after he ran for 2,521 yards in college and scored 41 touchdowns on the ground. Instead, the concern hovering over Prescott was a fundamental one that could have taken time to correct.

The main criticism of Prescott during the predraft process was tied to his mechanics and whether he had a repeatable delivery. In his scouting report, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein acknowledged Prescott's pro potential by saying he has NFL size, mobility and arm strength. But he also noted the tape showed a need to iron out key throwing flaws:

"

Concern over pressure too often trumps ability to get through progressions. Must speed up the pace of his reads. Footwork is a mess. Slight stride onto stiff upper leg with little weight shift. Restricted follow through and too often tries to muscle throws with upper body. Throws to target rather than leading or throwing them open on short/intermediate throws.

"

That's not the description of a passer ready to be the immediate next man up behind Tony Romo, whose body is being held together with glue and thumb tacks.

And maybe the Prescott who needs work will reappear next week. After all, there's only so much we can glean from one preseason game.

But that's all we have from Prescott so far, and he looked pretty damn good.

Others receiving votes: None

Best RB Performance

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Winner: Oakland Raiders running back George Atkinson (three votes)

Admit it: You're either turning off the TV or sort of having it on in the background while doing anything else with your life as early preseason games enter the late second-half stages.

We're all guilty of that, mostly because the mind can only absorb and process so much information. The cut-off point is different for everyone, though usually it's well before the 90th man on the roster.

But the ho-hum times during mid-August games are the Super Bowl for fringe players. That's the pinnacle of their NFL existence and, more importantly, often the last shot to keep a career going. For many, the second half of a preseason game can also be a launching point, just as New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz showed us six years ago.

And who knows, maybe one day we'll look back on George Atkinson's second-half performance Friday night and use it as another example of catapulting a career forward.

That still seems like a dreamy thought right now for the Oakland Raiders running back. But the afterglow of an evening with 97 rushing yards—including two 35-plus-yard touchdowns—sure seems like a fine time to think big.

Atkinson is low on the Raiders' running back depth chart after being an undrafted free agent in 2014 and bouncing between the practice squad and active roster ever since. He's known as a blazing straight-line runner, which is how he established himself on special teams at Notre Dame. In college, Atkinson finished his three seasons with 2,136 kick return yards and two touchdowns.

That special teams speed is likely how he'll have to earn a roster spot, even after his preseason explosion as a rusher against the Arizona Cardinals.

"He is very good and very hungry to be a part of the team," head coach Jack Del Rio told CSN Bay Area's Scott Bair. "He has improved. [There's] no question about his speed and his eagerness to help on special teams. … George is a great young man and is working his tail off."

There's often no such thing as enough running back depth. But Atkinson is left fighting for the third spot in Oakland with the first two solidified between Latavius Murray and Taiwan Jones.

Others receiving votes: Derrick Henry (two votes), Tennessee Titans running back DeMarco Murray (one vote)

Best WR Performance

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Winner: Denver Broncos wide receiver Cody Latimer (four votes)

If we assume that success for the Broncos in 2016 at least in part means hoping the good Sanchez shows up more often, then providing the inconsistent veteran with as many weapons as possible is wise. And he may have found another one in Cody Latimer, the athletically promising wideout who could finally be starting to reach his talent ceiling.

Latimer had enough skill to climb the draft ladder and become a second-round pick in 2014. His package of size (6'2", 215 lbs) and leaping ability to win contested catches made him an attractive pick that early.

Then he sputtered and wasn't able to earn many of the scattered targets for Broncos receivers after Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are kept happy. A broken foot that Latimer had to recover from prior to his rookie season also didn't help his development.

Now Latimer is healthy, and he has an opportunity after fellow wide receiver Bennie Fowler fractured his elbow in the Broncos' preseason opener. It was the same game in which Latimer lit up the Bears for 82 receiving yards on seven catches.

The highlight of Latimer's night was when he caught a slant from quarterback Trevor Siemian and then showed his after-the-catch speed and strength to add valuable yards. He finished with a 21-yard gain while breaking two tackles.

Latimer has essentially admitted that he's human, and nerves took control when in the huddle with Manning as a young receiver.

"I was very hesitant," he told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, reflecting on his first two NFL seasons. "Was worried about what everybody thought—was Peyton going to be mad, was Coach going to be mad. I was very nervous out there. Going out here now, especially in my third year, I'm confident in myself. I know what I can do. I just go out there and make plays."

He has a chance to make his share of plays after grabbing hold of the Broncos' No. 3 receiver job. Now he just can't let it go.

Others receiving votes: Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Aldrick Robinson (two votes)

Best TE Performance

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Winner: Buffalo Bills tight end Chris Gragg (three votes)

You don't become a role player without first using the preseason to determine what your role will be, or if you'll have one at all.

For most of three seasons, Chris Gragg has held an important—though sometimes overlooked—role for the Buffalo Bills. He's been their blocking tight end, with 48.6 percent of his snaps during that time coming in run-blocking situations, according to Pro Football Focus.

Which means that Gragg annually finds himself low on the depth chart and needing to prove his value all over again. There's a heightened emphasis placed on versatility for every player in Gragg's position. The more you can do, the harder it is to leave you off the roster.

So being much more than a blocking tight end is how he keeps his career alive. And that career's heartbeat became a little stronger when Gragg broke through the Indianapolis Colts' punt protection unit Saturday night. He powered ahead to block a punt, sending the ball careening into the end zone, where it was slapped out of bounds by Colts punter Pat McAfee for a safety.

For the Graggs around rosters right now, it's a preseason victory any time you can stick a memory into the coaching staff's mind. Maybe when final roster decisions are being made, someone will chime in and say, "Remember when he made that special teams play a few weeks back?"

Oh, and the 26 receiving yards he had on only two receptions—one of which went for a 16-yard touchdown—might help out a bit, too.

Others receiving votes: Green Bay Packers tight end Justin Perillo (two votes), Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (one vote)

Best Defensive Performance

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Winner: New York Giants defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa (five votes)

Owamagbe Odighizuwa's name is scary to look at on paper. And the man himself is scary, too, while standing 6'3" and weighing 270 pounds. The Giants defensive end used his blend of size and speed to bend around the corner while collecting 24.5 tackles for a loss and 12.5 sacks over four collegiate seasons at UCLA.

The Giants believed Odighizuwa could become a contributor quickly, which is what a team is saying when it selects any player on Day 2 of the draft. Odighizuwa was a top-75 pick (sneaking just under the bar at No. 74), and that draft perch comes with the expectation of a second-year leap.

Which could be difficult for Odighizuwa after he missed his rookie year with foot and hamstring injuries. But the early indications are the Giants indeed have more depth to add to their revamped front seven.

Odighizuwa received extended playing time during the Giants' preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins as he tried to make up for lost development time in game action. And he was successful while recording two sacks and three tackles overall.

Odighizuwa may not be a starter for the Giants with the two defensive end roles being occupied by Jason Pierre-Paul and mega free-agent signing Olivier Vernon. But earlier this offseason during OTAs, it became clear he'll still be a key defensive cog while used in a rotational role and utilized in a variety of ways.

"I'm moving around, doing different things," Odighizuwa told Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media back in June. "Sometimes I'm dropping at our 'Joker' position. Sometimes I'm rushing from that position [as a linebacker]. Sometimes I'm at defensive end. Sometimes I'm rushing from tackle. So just trying to get those nuances down and whenever I'm in those positions, understanding the details."

Others receiving votes: Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Doran Grant (one vote)

Best Decision

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Winner: The Arizona Cardinals testing cornerback Brandon Williams early (four votes)

Simply put, the preseason is a fine time to be bad.

And inevitably, the play of many rookies will produce varying levels of stink in their first NFL action. But the mistakes they make are discussed on the sideline and again the next day when the play button is pressed on game film.

I just described the most basic but fundamental coaching steps that take place every preseason. Often, there's no better learning than game experience, especially early, when you let a young player keep trotting out there and watch as the mistakes pile up.

Which is what the Cardinals did with third-round cornerback Brandon Williams in their preseason opener against the Raiders.

Earlier in training camp, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said Williams will be the exception to his general rule of bringing rookies along slowly and not giving them significant playing time until around Thanksgiving. A starting cornerback job is his to lose.

"We knew what kind of athlete we were getting, but he's a better football player [than originally thought]," Arians told Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com. "You never know how mature a guy is going to be when you draft him. He's very, very mature and he's focused on what he wants to do."

Anyone starting at cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson is going to get picked on a lot, especially as a rookie. So Arians tossed Williams into that fire immediately, pitting him against the Raiders' first-team offense.

The results were predictably shaky for a guy who entered Texas A&M as a highly touted running back and played just one season at corner. On his first snap, Williams was targeted and gave up a 16-yard completion to wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

He faced three targets on the Raiders' first drive, and as ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss noted, his form wasn't pretty.

"He consistently got beat off the line and struggled to turn his head around on passes that, if caught, would have gone for large gains or touchdowns," Weinfuss wrote.

There's work to be done. Which is fine, because this is the time to do work.

Others receiving votes: The Dallas Cowboys not signing quarterback Johnny Manziel (one vote), New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick not playing quarterback Tom Brady (one vote)

Worst Decision

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Winner: Letting Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz get blasted (six votes)

The odds of Wentz beating out Sam Bradford for the Eagles' starting quarterback job resided well below zero. Despite his immense talent, he faced a steep transition and learning curve after playing in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Which meant preseason snaps were vital for Wentz as his vision adjusts to a much faster league.

But it's possible to give him those snaps and still minimize the chances of your top pick breaking. Wentz was throttled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday partly because a young quarterback was struggling in his first NFL experience. Which was normal and completely expected, but it was also clear for everyone to see that Wentz needed better protection.

Or at least it was clear to everyone except Pederson. Now Wentz's development will be slowed as he sits and watches other quarterbacks on the depth chart take his critical preseason practice and game snaps.

Others receiving votes: None