Week 1 Game Film Review

Despite visible injuries (blood on elbow, large knee brace, wrist issues), continues to execute at a high level, pulling off plays that demonstrate his ability to overcome physical limitations.

Mayfield had a disastrous Week 1 performance against the Bengals, fumbling three times, all lost. The source describes these as 'quite literally all preventable' and notes they were 'the difference in this game.' Mayfield scrambled around 'to nowhere' and took hits from behind on multiple occasions. The source calls it a 'Baker Mayfield Blues Implosion game' and notes 'the play was not vaguely respectable' despite the numbers looking 'vaguely respectable.'

Source mentions Bijan Robinson against the Steelers in Week 1 but provides no specific analysis or statistics. Source humorously notes 'I only remember Bijan Robinson' when discussing the Falcons game, suggesting Robinson was the standout performer but no detailed film review is provided in this excerpt.

Robinson looked like maybe the best player at any position in the entire league in Week 1 against Pittsburgh; posted 173 scrimmage yards with incredible acceleration, twitch, and change of direction; made a crazy one-handed catch on a screen and housed a screen from the 23-yard line that gave Atlanta the lead. The source notes he overcame a terrible offensive effort from Cooper Rush and the Falcons' 88 total yards in the first half. Two fumbles (once on third-and-one, once on a 27-yard screen gain) were the only flaw, but the Falcons did not punish him for either.

Young was 'very good' in the Panthers' high-scoring game against the Bears, throwing a dime to Jalen Coker on a double move and orchestrating a scramble drill where Chuba Hubbard scored. The source notes Young 'wasn't as good as Caleb Williams, but he was very good' and his interception came with five seconds left in the first half, so 'we're not beating him up for that one.'

Irving was the Buccaneers' main guy in Week 1 with 32 snaps to Kenneth Gainwell's 24 (Gainwell was returning kicks). Despite fumbling on Tampa's third drive after a short catch, Irving was back in the game and 'had seven catches in this game and looked awesome in the open field.' The source notes 'Bucky Irving is the main guy there' and references the Buccaneers' two-year track record of showing 'when he's healthy, Irving is their main guy.'

Irving is Tampa's main guy when healthy; he had seven catches and looked awesome in the open field in Week 1. The source notes that over the past two years, Tampa has done everything to signal Irving is their primary back, though other guys will work in due to NFL platoons. Sean Tucker was inactive but could steal touchdowns when healthy. Irving scored a touchdown inside two minutes in the first half.

Despite some solid quick throws, Stroud's footwork and pocket presence remain concerning in year four; took an 11-yard drop on a shotgun snap (should be max 10 yards) on the final sack/fumble, failed to step up into the pocket, and showed inaccuracy on off-platform throws—described as rookie mistakes that undermine confidence in his development trajectory.

Stroud went toe-to-toe with Josh Allen, made more than just short throws, and single-handedly drove the Texans down the field late in the game to keep them competitive; showed enough to warrant reconsideration of earlier concerns about his performance.

Cade Stover is making catches in the Texans offense alongside other tight ends, indicating a crowded target distribution; not a reliable fantasy option.

Williams had an 'awesome performance' in the Bears' 59-point offensive explosion, throwing multiple touchdowns and running for two more. The source notes he had 'an insane throw from deep in his own territory' in the two-minute drill at the end of the first half and made 'a great throw' on a deep fade to Cole Kmet. His only mistake was a 'horrible interception from the Panthers' one' that was negated by an offsides call. The source suggests this offense may be 'close to' breaking every record, referencing Ben Johnson's training camp comments.

Despite putting up 39 points and three touchdowns on the scoreboard in Week 1, the source warns against taking the bait on Wentz's performance; watching the film reveals he didn't look as good as the box score suggests; much of the offense's success came from the Vikings defense giving better field position and stops rather than Wentz's play.

Lamb drew two pass interference calls in three plays in the third quarter, one in the end zone that set up Javante Williams' touchdown. Lamb also scored a touchdown on a play where Williams' TD was overturned. Source notes the Cowboys offense 'did not look like a wagon' in this game.

Brown got multiple red zone carries and scored a touchdown up the gut. After Jamar Chase and T. Higgins set up the Bengals in the red zone, Brown got a carry to the three-yard line, then later scored on another up-the-gut carry. He was the beneficiary of red zone work in Cincinnati's dominant first half.

Chris Brooks looked better than Marshawn Lloyd in Week 1 despite a 2-to-1 carry disadvantage; Brooks is a better zone blocking scheme runner and showed superior performance in that area.

In Week 1 against Arizona, Chris Brooks started for Green Bay and gained 15 yards on his first carry, immediately establishing himself as a productive option in the Packers backfield despite preseason expectations that Marshawn Lloyd would be the featured back.

Godwin had a couple of good plays including a great stiff arm for a nice gain, but when Mayfield had his choice early in the game, Emeka Atoka was the primary option. Limited usage suggests Godwin was not a focal point of the offense in Week 1.

Christian Watson built the lead in Week 1 vs. Vikings, indicating strong early performance in the first half before the Packers' offensive struggles in the fourth quarter.

Hubbard was 'the Chuba show' for the Panthers, scoring twice and playing 43 snaps to Jonathan Brooks' 12. He caught a pass on a Bryce Young scramble drill for a touchdown on the first drive after getting stuffed from the one. The source notes he 'looked like the dude that we loved from two years ago' with 'very good runs, powerful, pretty fast' and 'a real good showing for him.'

Kmet caught a deep fade touchdown in the second quarter on 'a great throw by Caleb Williams and a really good catch too,' helping the Bears reach 21-7 early in the game.

Loveland was 'out there plenty' in the Bears' dominant offensive performance but did not get a single catch. He had a target over the middle that Caleb Williams thought he was going to power down but Loveland kept going, and an end zone target he couldn't quite bring in.

Swift was 'basically Chicago's backfield to start this game' and 'looked awesome.' He had a 32-yard run where he powered through two tackles instead of bouncing outside, setting up a Caleb Williams touchdown. He got two carries from in close and converted the second for a touchdown. He scored again later in the game and had a Basura time touchdown very late, helping the Bears reach 59 points. The source notes the numbers will make it look like more of a split job than it really was.

Threw an interception in the game against the Giants, contributing to Dallas's offensive struggles in a loss where the defense also played poorly.

Dalton Schultz gets targets in the Texans offense, making him a potential desperation tight end play, but the source does not trust anyone else in that offense; Schultz is the only tight end worth considering if extremely desperate.

Had one bad play where he did not account for a free runner, got hit hard, and fumbled; the ball popped up and was caught by one of his own linemen, showing decision-making and protection issues.

23 touches to Woody Marks' 10 despite similar snap counts (37 vs 36); Montgomery is the clear goal-line back and first/second-down runner with occasional check-downs; two-to-one rushing attempts ratio favors Montgomery; Texans trust Montgomery more than Marks for consistency.

Looked 'juiceless' in Week 1 despite scoring touchdowns; the source considers selling high on Montgomery given the huge point output, questioning whether he's actually this good and suggesting he may be overvalued as an RB1.

Singletary took over on a fourth quarter drive with something like five straight touches, including a pop-up screen that made it 28-14. Source indicates 'Singletary is probably the backup' to the lead back, but his usage late in the game suggests he's the clear backup role.

Metcalf had a terrible Week 1 game against Atlanta, finishing 4 for 40 in the box score, but the source emphasizes you 'had to be there' to see how bad it was. The Steelers were trying to get Metcalf going above all others. On the first drive, a third-down deeper ball to Metcalf was thrown too far. He got an end zone target in the second quarter that was close but knocked away. There were back-to-back drives with offensive interference calls on Metcalf. In the third quarter, a shot play on a stutter go was a beautiful throw, but Metcalf clearly interfered with the defender, who chopped down on his arm before the ball arrived—the call was not made. Late third quarter, another drop by Metcalf.

Source states 'I'm just not the guy who's going to tell you you have to bench Drake London because of Cooper Rush,' suggesting London remains a viable fantasy option despite the backup quarterback situation.

London was nearly invisible in Week 1 against Pittsburgh, catching 2 of 2 targets for 29 yards. His first target was a short pass at the end of the first half; his second was a deep out on which he got body slammed for a personal foul out of bounds. The source's pre-Week 1 stance was not to bench London because of Cooper Rush, but after Week 1 the source notes it 'feels closer' to doing so given Rush's poor play.

Sample got a red zone catch, which the source notes is not a positive development for fantasy purposes. He was not a focal point of Cincinnati's offense despite the team's dominant performance.

Pickens had two drops in Week 1; one was 'just brutal'—a one-on-one deep shot up the right sideline from deep in Dallas's own territory that 'if that doesn't go right through his duck hands, it might be something like an 80-yard bomb touchdown.' Source concludes 'Pickens' mistakes were bad' and notes the Cowboys offense 'did not look like a wagon.'

Had a fumble late in the first quarter against the Cowboys, though the Giants recovered; indicates ball security concerns in early-season action.

Chase was impacted by missed pass interference calls in the first half against Tampa. The source notes that Tampa defenders clutched and pulled on Chase when the ball was thrown his way, but the officiating did not call it. Two obvious missed PI calls in the first half—one on third down that would have been a big catch, one a spot fade to the end zone that likely would have been a touchdown—directly cost Chase scoring opportunities.

Ferguson got interfered with on the goal line, drawing a pass interference call that benefited the Cowboys offense. Source notes the Cowboys 'got the benefit of a bomb Pickens' pass interference' and other PI calls, suggesting favorable officiating rather than strong offensive execution.

Coker was 'awesome' for the Panthers, having two huge gains on out and ups in the first half, including a long touchdown. The first was 'a dime from Bryce Young and a great toe tap from Coker' and the second was 'a long touchdown for Coker in the second quarter.' He scored his second touchdown in Basura time.

Jalen Hurts threw three touchdowns in Week 1 against Washington, including a critical third-and-16 scramble that essentially won the game; while some touchdown variance may have been present, the source credited him with a great play on the game-deciding scramble.

Williams had a touchdown overturned by replay on the goal line, then got the ball on the next play where CeeDee Lamb scored instead. Williams got his touchdown later, actually a couple. However, 'didn't have a ton of room to run against the Giants defense,' which source notes 'would not have been a very good sign in 2025.'

Got hurt during Week 1, limiting his fantasy value going forward.

Jaden Higgins got hurt, which is unfortunate for the Texans offense and fantasy value.

Love got two straight carries inside the 5-yard line and scored on the second, but was outcarried 17-11 and out-snapped 41-32 by Tyler Algier. The source notes Algier was in the game when the Cardinals were killing the clock and on two other possessions where he could have gotten a touchdown. Love showed quickness and ability to make defenders miss, but his plays weren't well blocked. The source advises not to panic if you have shares, as the selection was made with the long season in mind.

Burrow had an unforgivable interception late in the third quarter where he totally telegraphed a screen pass and had it picked off. This was a notable negative play in an otherwise dominant Bengals performance.

Threw an unforgivable interception late in the third quarter by totally telegraphing a screen pass, indicating decision-making issues that could impact fantasy performance.

Brooks played only 12 snaps to Chuba Hubbard's 43 in Week 1, with A.J. Dillon getting work in Basura time. The source notes Brooks was considered questionable for much of the week and advises not using him in fantasy for Week 2, though one week doesn't tell us everything. 'All it takes is one week of a flip-flop and then we feel differently.'

In Week 1 vs. Vikings, Love had a tale of two halves: first half he wasn't pressured much because Vikings weren't aggressive with blitzes; fourth quarter Vikings sent blitz on every play (5-7 guys), and Packers did not adjust with more short routes or quick hitters until too late. Love got hit three times in a row and by the end looked broken; the source notes other teams will copy this formula.

Made a bomb catch before halftime in Vikings' dominant Week 1 win over the Packers; involved in the offense's strong performance.

Raymond 'looked like a weapon in this game' during the Bears' 59-point offensive explosion. The source notes 'Everybody looked like a weapon in this game' but specifically calls out Raymond as a standout.

Gainwell played 24 snaps to Bucky Irving's 32, with much of Gainwell's work coming on kick returns. He had a nice carry on one series but was not the primary back in the Buccaneers' offense.

Pitts got a seam shot early in the game against Pittsburgh and was wide open, but Cooper Rush dramatically underthrew it, costing what could have been a long touchdown. The source notes, 'I don't like Kyle Pitts that much,' but the underthrow was on Rush, not Pitts.

Suffered a concussion in Week 1; expected to miss multiple games due to the injury.

Burden started the game on a negative note by fumbling away a screen on the first drive. He rotated in and out with Romudunze and Cleef Raymond, likely due to a calf issue, but was part of the Bears' dominant offensive performance.

His first target of the game was nearly intercepted, suggesting early-game coverage challenges or quarterback accuracy issues on his routes.

Despite preseason hype about looking electric in training camp, Lloyd's Week 1 film showed technical deficiencies in zone run execution and awkward stutter-step footwork in the backfield that prevented him from generating momentum; the source observed only one impressive run among many inefficient carries, concluding he looked like another Packers backup running back rather than the prospect advertised.

Marshawn Lloyd had a 2-to-1 carry ratio vs. Chris Brooks in Week 1, but the source thought Brooks looked better overall. Lloyd showed technical running issues: he overran his mark on gap runs, stuttered with a 90-degree turn that negated his momentum, and got hit in the backfield. Lloyd is better suited for lateral cuts and needs to get going first rather than zone runs; the source concluded Lloyd looked slow.

Harrison had only one catch in the Cardinals' dominant Week 1 win, a deep bomb in the third quarter. The source notes he was not on the field in the multi-tight end one receiver set when McBride caught a touchdown on play action, which the source calls 'a gnarly sign.' The source recommends lowering Harrison's expectations based on this performance.

Gesicki stood out in the box score with three straight catches in the two-minute drill at the end of the first half, where Tampa left him uncovered and Joe Burrow took advantage. However, the source notes that Gesicki's box-score presence was more than Higgins or Chase, which was unfortunate given the circumstances. He also scored a touchdown when Chase Brown's carry to the three was followed by a red zone catch for Gesicki.

Nico Collins will be fine; the source's earlier concern about Collins was actually a proxy for concern about CJ Stroud, and Collins showed enough in week 1 to warrant reconsideration of downside risk.

Hampton scored on a powerful run through a defensive tackle on the Chargers' first drive, but fumbled on the second series when he stumbled and ran into his receiver blocking for him, knocking the ball out. Despite the fumble, he played 29 snaps to Keaton Mitchell's 16. The source believes in Hampton as a power back but questions whether Arizona's defense is legitimately strong or if the Chargers' offense simply underperformed.

Saquon Barkley was featured in Philadelphia's horizontal stretch-zone scheme in Week 1, averaging around seven yards per carry; the Eagles' offensive design emphasized horizontal plays and screens to set up play-action deep shots, though many of these horizontal plays were blown up in the backfield, limiting the effectiveness of the scheme.

Rookie Ted Hurst had three catches that came back-to-back-to-back in a borderline Basora situation at the end of the game. The source did not see enough usage the rest of the time to recommend adding him in most leagues.

Higgins had big gains in the second quarter that helped set up Cincinnati in the red zone alongside Jamar Chase, but did not score. Later, Higgins made a really good catch on a deep post in the final drive to get a first down. The source notes that Gesicki's box-score presence was more than Higgins or Chase, which was unfortunate.

Made a really good catch on a deep post route late in the game to secure a final first down, demonstrating continued involvement in critical moments for the Bengals offense.

McMillan caught a deep in-breaking route and looked like he would get loose but fumbled at the end of the run, gaining 21 yards before losing the ball. Later in Basura time, he made a catch and was pushed out at the one when it looked like maybe he'd scored, but nobody even showed a replay.

McBride was the Cardinals' primary receiving target in their dominant Week 1 win over the Chargers, catching a seam shot for 27 yards on the first series and repeatedly moving the sticks on third downs. The source notes he was open on play action in the red zone where he caught a touchdown, and was featured throughout the game as the Cardinals' offense proved it could block the LA pass rush and hit zone passes to McBride and Kendrick Bourne.

Tucker Kraft played a lot but not all snaps in Week 1; he rotated with John O. Smith, indicating a timeshare rather than a workhorse role.

Fumbled in the red zone on a play immediately following Daniel Jones's fumble, indicating ball security issues for the Giants running back in critical scoring situations.

Tracy fumbled in the red zone early in the game. Source notes 'it pretty clearly to me looked like Singletary was already Scadaboo's backup even before the Tyrone Tracy fumble' and states 'I don't believe that Tracy played another snap thereafter, at least not on offense.' Source concludes 'I don't think you have to have Tyrone Tracy on any teams.'

10 touches to Montgomery's 23 despite similar snap counts (36 vs 37); limited to hurry-up situations and goal-line scenarios; the source believes Marks has more overall juice than Montgomery but the Texans trust Montgomery more for consistency.