Matt Ryan uneven; A.J. Brown & Davante Adams shine in debuts: NFL Week 1 grades for veteran faces in new places

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The 2022 NFL offseason was one of the most active in recent NFL memory. The trade and free-agent markets were hotter than ever: Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Von Miller and a lot more players ended up on new teams for the regular season.

Those big-time trades and signings drew a lot of attention from NFL fans and analysts. They spent most of the offseason debating just how these players would fit with their new teams. On Sunday, they got their first glimpses.

Plenty of players found success with their new teams. In particular, the top receivers and pass-rushers seemed to make an immediate impact. Several quarterbacks won their first games with their new teams.

But other players struggled through uneven debuts. They weren’t bad, per se, but they left a lot to be desired and will have to be better in Week 2 for their teams to feel better about acquiring them.

MORE: Patrick Mahomes’ big Week 1 by the numbers — Chiefs QB thrives without Tyreek Hill

Who were the best and worst of the veterans in new places during NFL Week 1? The Sporting News grades the notable players who switched teams during the 2022 offseason.

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A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles

Brown and Jalen Hurts talked up their chemistry during the 2022 NFL offseason, and it showed during their first game together. The first-year Eagle accounted for 155 of Hurts’ 243 passing yards. That’s 63.8 percent of the team’s passing total.

Last season, the Eagles probably wouldn’t have won a game during which DeVonta Smith didn’t log a catch. This year, they not only were able to win, but they also scored 38 points. Brown’s ability to get open and make big plays downfield was a big part of that.

Grade: A+

Khalil Mack, EDGE, Chargers

The Chargers wanted to add a quality complement to Joey Bosa ahead of the 2022 season. They swung for the fences and sent a package of draft picks to the Bears in exchange for the former All-Pro.

Mack didn’t disappoint in his Chargers debut.

The Raiders were unable to block Mack for most of the game. He was able to log three sacks against his former team, including a strip sack of Derek Carr that snuffed out Las Vegas’ final offensive drive.

Mack looks healthy and rejuvenated after missing more than half of last season with a foot injury. Los Angeles will have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL as long as he and Bosa are on the field.

Grade: A+

Davante Adams, WR, Raiders

Adams had played with Aaron Rodgers for his entire pro career before being traded to the Raiders in 2022. He had no problem connecting with his college teammate Derek Carr in his new home.

Adams was an electric playmaker. He generated 141 yards on 10 catches (out of 17 targets) and made one of the prettiest touchdown catches of the day to get the Raiders to one score behind.

The Raiders ultimately lost to the Chargers 24-19, but it was hardly Adams’ fault. He was Las Vegas’ best player Sunday and deserves a lot of credit for his performance.

Grade: A

Von Miller, EDGE, Bills

Miller’s departure from Los Angeles was amicable, but he still laid the hurt on the Rams in Week 1. He played 35 snaps in his Buffalo debut and racked up two sacks and four pressures. He also opened up winnable one-on-one matchups for his teammates as the Rams frequently tried to double-team Miller.

MORE: Von Miller has strong debut for Bills vs. former team

Thanks in large part to Miller’s heroics, the Bills sacked Matthew Stafford seven times in their resounding win.

Grade: A

IYER: Instant overreactions from Bills’ Week 1 trashing of Matthew Stafford’s Rams 

Marcus Williams, CB, Ravens

The Ravens signed Williams to a $70 million contract during the offseason, and it’s easy to see why. Williams was a force in Baltimore’s secondary against the Jets; he led the team with 12 tackles and recorded an interception that set up the Ravens’ first score of the game.

Williams looks like a true playmaker, something the Ravens lacked at times in the secondary last season. He single-handedly changed the momentum of Sunday’s game with the interception, so he deserves a lot of credit for the Ravens’ 24-9 win.

Grade: A

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Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins

Hill went from Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback to Tua Tagovailoa, so some were expecting a major regression. But Hill had a solid first performance for the Dolphins, leading the team with eight catches and 94 receiving yards while establishing himself as Tagovailoa’s favorite target.

MORE: Tyreek Hill praises Mike McDaniel for gutsy calls in Dolphins’ win over Patriots

Hill’s numbers could have been better, but it wasn’t his fault. Tagovailoa missed him at least once when Hill was wide open downfield. That kept him from making an explosive play.

Still, Hill demonstrated plenty of upside in his Dolphins debut. Now we’ll see whether the connection between he and Tagovailoa gets stronger as the season goes along.

Grade: B+

Christian Kirk, WR, Jaguars

The Jaguars gave Kirk a four-year contract worth up to $84 million during the offseason, a deal that drew laughs from many. He showed in his debut with the team that he may be worth the price.

Kirk looked like a better fit in the Jaguars’ offense than he was in the Cardinals’ offense. Trevor Lawrence targeted him 12 times and got the ball to him both short and deep. Kirk was good with the ball in his hands as he gave the Jaguars with the field-stretching element they were missing after DJ Chark’s injury last season.

Overall, Kirk caught six passes for 117 yards. His longest catch was 49 yards. He looked the part of a No. 1 receiver, and that is a big win for the Jaguars.

Grade: B+

MORE: Lamar Jackson reportedly turned down a contract bigger than Russell Wilson’s

Carson Wentz, QB, Commanders

Wentz’s Commanders debut wasn’t perfect, but Washington fans have to be pleased with the result. The 29-year-old led his new team to a close win over the Jaguars thanks to two, fourth-quarter touchdown drives.

Wentz had a couple of costly turnovers during the game, including a bad interception where he stared down his intended receiver and allowed the defender to jump the route. Those dragged down his overall grade, but he still deserves a lot of credit for logging 313 yards and four touchdowns through the air.

Grade: B

Mitch Trubisky, QB, Steelers

Trubisky was solid in his Steelers debut. He helped lead the team to an upset win over the reigning AFC champion Bengals, leading a miraculous field-goal drive as time expired in overtime.

The Steelers didn’t necessarily win because of Trubisky, but they didn’t win in spite of him, either. Trubisky didn’t turn the ball over and was an effective game manager. He also showed off the athleticism that coach Mike Tomlin said made him a Steelers target in free agency.

Trubisky may not be able to stave off rookie Kenny Pickett for the job all season long, but it’s clear that the Steelers will be able to compete with him as their starter.

Grade: B-

Marcus Mariota, QB, Falcons

Mariota’s game was similar Trubisky’s. He didn’t make a lot of explosive plays through the air, but he did enough to keep the Falcons in the game against the favored Saints.

Mariota was accurate enough as a passer, completing 20 of 33 for 215 yards. He also proved to be a dynamic runner, with 72 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Two things kept Mariota from having the same grade as Trubisky. The Falcons didn’t win and Mariota recorded a turnover, losing one of his two fumbles. He will need to clean up the ball security moving forward. Still, Atlanta will be pleased with his first start since 2019. 

Grade: C+

MORE: How an injury to a long snapper cost the Bengals a potential Week 1 win

Matt Ryan, QB, Colts

Ryan’s Colts debut was a mixed bag. His numbers look good — he completed 64 percent of his passes for 352 yards, a touchdown and an interception — but he was unable to lead the Colts to a win over the Texans. The AFC South rivals tied 20-20 after a scoreless overtime period.

Last season, the Colts beat the Texans twice, 31-0 and 31-3, so, needless to say, this was a disappointing result for Indianapolis. That said, Ryan did help lead the Colts to 17 fourth-quarter points, which allowed Indy to avoid a ninth consecutive Week 1 loss.

That will save his debut in blue and white from being a complete failure. But it was still disappointing, especially when compared to that of Wentz, whom Ryan replaced in Indianapolis.

Grade: C-

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Baker Mayfield, QB, Panthers

Mayfield’s debut was similar to Ryan’s. He struggled early but then mounted a late comeback and put his team in position to earn a Week 1 victory.

Mayfield led Carolina to 17 fourth-quarter points after generating just seven points in the first three quarters. The late run included a 75-yard touchdown pass to Robbie Anderson that cut the Panthers’ deficit to one score. He later led Carolina to the lead, but then the defense faltered at the end.

Mayfield showed flashes in the fourth quarter that will give Panthers fans hope that he is the best quarterback of the Matt Rhule era. But he will need to do a lot more to solidify that status. He finished the day 16 for 27 passes for 235 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He added a rushing touchdown. 

Grade: C-

MORE: How the Browns spoiled Baker Mayfield’s revenge game with the Panthers

Amari Cooper, WR, Browns

Cooper had a nondescript debut for the Browns. He saw the second-most targets on the team (six) but only turned them into three catches for 17 yards.

It may be hard for Cooper to be all that productive against talented cornerbacks as long as Jacoby Brissett is his quarterback. A Week 2 test against the Jets’ Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed should be a bit easier, so maybe Brissett will get him the ball more in that matchup.

Grade: D+

Robert Woods, WR, Titans

Like Cooper, Woods was quiet in his debut with his new team. He caught just one pass for 13 yards. Unlike Cooper, however, Woods wasn’t a big part of the Titans’ offense. He was targeted just two times by Ryan Tannehill, who seemed to have better chemistry with receivers Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips.

Woods is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered ahead of Week 10 last season, so that may explain his lower usage. Still, it wasn’t an inspiring debut for him, especially considering that he was added in part to help replace A.J. Brown.

Grade: F

Allen Robinson, WR, Rams

Robinson was coming off a down year with the Bears, but there was hope he could resurrect his career with the high-powered Rams offense. Instead, he fell flat in his debut. Robinson was targeted just twice by Matthew Stafford and caught one pass for 12 yards. Tyler Higbee, Darrell Henderson and Ben Skowronek received more targets.

MORE: What happened to Allen Robinson?

Robinson did little to show that last year was an aberration. He will now need to perform well in Week 2 against the Falcons to give the Rams faithful a reason to believe in him.

Grade: F

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