NFL Player News
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Joe Burrow QB | CIN
Bengals' Joe Burrow: Tosses two TDs in triumphant return
Burrow completed 20 of 27 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 27-24 overtime win over Minnesota. He added two yards on one rushing attempt.
After failing to generate any points for most of the first half, Burrow tossed a pair of touchdowns in the final two minutes before halftime. He found Tee Higgins for a two-yard score with 1:51 remaining, then connected with rookie fifth-overall pick Ja'Marr Chase for a 50-yard touchdown just 1:16 later. Burrow was largely quiet besides that burst but did enough to lead his team to the overtime win after Minnesota overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit -- his 32-yard pass to C.J. Uzomah to convert 4th-and-1 in the final minute of overtime set up Cincinnati's game-winning field goal. Most importantly, the second-year quarterback looked healthy and comfortable in his return from season-ending knee surgery, though he did spend some time on the stationary bike, per Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Burrow and the Bengals will travel to Chicago in Week 2.
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Trevor Lawrence QB | JAC
Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence: Mixed bag in pro debut
Lawrence completed 28 of 51 passes for 332 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in the Jaguars' 37-21 loss to the Texans on Sunday. He also rushed once for minus-2 yards.
The first overall pick offered a bit of everything in his first taste of regular-season action, interspersing flashes of his undeniable talent with a trio of mistakes that cost the Jaguars. Lawrence was impressive distributing the ball, ultimately connecting with eight different pass catchers and finding DJ Chark, Marvin Jones and Chris Manhertz for his three scoring tosses. However, Lawrence also short-circuited Jacksonville drives at midfield, his own eight-yard line and the Texans' 23 with his trio of picks. He didn't get a chance to show off his impressive ground skills and benefited statistically from the Jaguars facing a sizable deficit for a large portion of the game, but he will look for a more balanced game script in a Week 2 home battle versus the Broncos.
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Kirk Cousins QB | LV
Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Tops 350-yard mark in OT loss
Cousins completed 36 of 49 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss to the Bengals.
Cousins connected with reliable target Adam Thielen for touchdowns of five and 24 yards, then helped erase a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter by setting up a Dalvin Cook rushing touchdown and Greg Joseph's game-tying 53-yard field goal as time expired. The veteran quarterback saw plenty of volume in a game that lasted nearly 70 minutes before Dalvin Cook's fumble set up the Bengals' game-winning field goal. Cousins will likely take to the air aplenty again in Week 2 against Arizona.
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Jalen Hurts QB | PHI
Eagles' Jalen Hurts: Spectacular in Week 1 win
Hurts completed 27 of 35 passes for 264 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Eagles' 32-6 win over the Falcons on Sunday. He also rushed seven times for 62 yards and recovered two fumbles, including one of his own.
Any lingering doubts about Hurts' ability to build on his relatively solid late-season starting audition in 2020 definitively were answered Sunday, with the second-year signal-caller looking every bit as good as his numbers imply. Hurts connected with seven different pass catchers and appeared increasingly comfortable as the game went on. The Oklahoma product got the Eagles' scoring started with a pretty 18-yard scoring lob to rookie DeVonta Smith, and he followed it up with a pair of touchdown tosses to Dallas Goedert and Jalen Reagor in the second and fourth quarters, respectively. With a stellar season opener under his belt, Hurts will head into a Week 2 home battle against the 49ers with no shortage of confidence.
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Taylor Heinicke QB | LAC
Football Team's Taylor Heinicke: Excellent in relief
Heinicke completed 11 of 15 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown after coming in for an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick (hip) in Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Chargers.
Fitzpatrick was injured after a hard tackle by the Chargers, forcing Heinicke to enter during the second quarter. It took until the third quarter for the 28-year-old to finally gain some rhythm, and while the majority of his production came on a fluky underthrown deep ball to Terry McLaurin that a Chargers defender simply misplayed, it was still a relatively controlled and effective performance from Heinicke. If Fitzpatrick misses time, expect to see the former Panthers backup starting games for Washington, especially after excelling in a similar situation in last season's playoff loss to Tampa Bay.
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Josh Allen QB | BUF
Bills' Josh Allen: Big numbers but no win in opener
Allen completed 30 of 51 passes for 270 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Bills' 23-16 loss to the Steelers on Sunday. He also rushed nine times for 44 yards and committed two fumbles, losing one.
While Allen's numbers certainly were appealing from a fantasy perspective, they came up short in the real-world context due to the Bills consistently failing to cash in drives with touchdowns. Allen and his offensive teammates did appear to be building some momentum late in the first half when he hit Gabriel Davis for a nifty three-yard touchdown pass, but Buffalo's two second-half scoring marches culminated in Tyler Bass field goals. Allen did display his usual strong chemistry with Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley, hitting his top duo a combined 17 times for 129 yards, and he and the Bills will look to atone for the Week 1 stumble Week 2 against the Dolphins on the road.
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Ryan Tannehill QB | TEN
Titans' Ryan Tannehill: Disappointing Week 1 showing
Tannehill completed 21 of 35 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and one interception against Arizona on Sunday while running for 17 yards and one touchdown.
It was a weak showing in what arguably was the best on-paper matchup on Tannehill's entire 2021 schedule. Arizona pass rusher Chandler Jones almost single-handedly defeated the Tennessee offense by sacking Tannehill five times, leaving the Titans unable to capitalize on Arizona's poor cornerback personnel. A.J. Brown (four catches for 49 yards and one touchdown on eight targets) and Julio Jones (three catches for 29 yards on six targets) both fell flat in the outing. The Seahawks pass rush should be more manageable for Tannehill in Week 2, but the Titans offense has some questions to answer as it heads on the road to Seattle.
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Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Panthers' Sam Darnold: Hot start in team debut
Darnold completed 24 of 35 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-14 win over the Jets. He added a rushing touchdown but finished with minus-1 rushing yard on five attempts and a lost fumble.
Darnold delivered a tremendous first-half performance against the team that traded him away in the offseason. He set a new first-half career high with 234 passing yards, including a 57-yard deep ball for a touchdown to former Jets teammate Robby Anderson, and Darnold added a five-yard rushing score for good measure to take a 16-0 lead into the halftime break. Carolina's offense stalled after intermission, but the Panthers were able to hold on and start the Darnold era with a win. They'll remain at home in Week 2 with the Saints coming to town.
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Zach Wilson QB | NO
Jets' Zach Wilson: Tale of two halves in debut
Wilson completed 20 of 37 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in Sunday's 19-14 loss to Carolina. He didn't register a rushing attempt but ran in a two-point conversion.
Wilson struggled mightily in the first half, completing only six of 16 passes for 84 yards and an interception en route to a 16-0 deficit. He settled down after halftime and finished with a respectable stat line, even though New York's comeback attempt ultimately came up short. Wilson's first two career touchdown passes both went to Corey Davis, covering 22 and eight yards, respectively. The rookie second overall pick was especially impressive on New York's final drive before the Panthers ran out the clock, throwing for 108 yards and a touchdown on that possession alone. Wilson will look to replicate his second-half form and forget his first-half struggles when he makes his MetLife Stadium debut against the Patriots in Week 2.
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Russell Wilson QB | NYG
Seahawks' Russell Wilson: Four scores to kick things off
Wilson completed 18 of 23 pass attempts for 254 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 28-16 win over the Colts.
Wilson didn't do much on the ground (five carries for nine yards), but he didn't need to after dissecting the Colts' secondary from the pocket. The 32-year-old replicated his four-score performance from Week 1 of the 2020 season, and his fantasy managers are hoping the superstar quarterback can also replicate the 10 touchdowns he rattled off over the following two weeks as well. Indianapolis is no slouch on defense, so Wilson's matchup against a young Tennessee Titans defense next Sunday shouldn't worry his managers.