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NFL new faces in new places: Davante Adams dominates with Raiders, Amari Cooper struggles with Browns

Chris Cwik
Staff writer
·5 min read
40

In an offseason that saw major NFL players switch teams, there was pressure on multiple clubs to excel in Week 1. As expected, the early results were mixed. The Los Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles saw big performances from their new wideouts. The Cleveland Browns did not.

The Raiders paid a lot to acquire Davante Adams, but fans saw why in Week 1. Adams gave the Los Angeles Chargers' secondary nightmares during his Raiders debut. He caught 10 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown against the Chargers.

Adams produced multiple highlights, making defensive backs look silly with his excellent routes.

He later made a fantastic catch for a short touchdown to cut the Chargers' lead.

Despite Adams' contributions, the Raiders lost the contest 24-19. Adams received 17 targets from Derek Carr, which bodes well for Adams' production the rest of the season.

Tyreek Hill proves he was worth it for Dolphins

Tyreek Hill proved to be a difference-maker in his first game with the Dolphins. Hill hauled in eight passes for 94 yards in the Dolphins' win over the New England Patriots. He did not score in the contest, but did come away with this excellent contested catch.

Only one wide receiver had a better debut, and that was A.J. Brown with the Eagles. Brown exploded for 10 catches and 155 yards in his first game with Jalen Hurts.

Baker Mayfield with the Panthers.
Baker Mayfield nearly led the Panthers back in Week 1. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Baker Mayfield leads late comeback, but loses against Browns

Baker Mayfield tried to lead the Carolina Panthers to a win over Cooper and the Browns, but came up short. Mayfield struggled early, throwing an interception against his former club.

Mayfield got things under control as the game went on, hooking up with Robbie Anderson on a 75-yard touchdown pass to give the Panthers a lead with 1:17 to play. The Browns managed to kick a 58-yard field goal with seconds left to ruin Mayfield's revenge game. Mayfield finished with 235 passing yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception in the loss.

On the other side, it was a rough start for Amari Cooper with the Browns. Cooper had just three catches for 17 yards in his first game. The Browns started Jacoby Brissett at quarterback with Deshaun Watson suspended, so better days should be ahead.

Carson Wentz has more highs than lows in win

Carson Wentz had a Carson Wentz-esque game in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Wentz threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns as the Commanders narrowly defeated Jacksonville.

The Commanders needed Wentz to come through late and he delivered.

Wentz also threw two interceptions in the victory, making it a peak Wentz performance.

Marquise Brown scores touchdown in Cardinals debut

Marquise Brown didn't have a huge outing against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he showed flashes in his debut. Brown hauled in one touchdowns as the Arizona Cardinals lost to the Chiefs 44-21.

Brown caught four of his six targets for 43 yards and a score. Unfortunately for Cardinals' fans, that score came with the team trailing 37-7. Patrick Mahomes proved to be too much for the Cardinals defense, tossing five touchdowns in the blowout win.

Matt Ryan throws 50 times but Colts tie Texans

Matt Ryan got a lot of work in Week 1, but not much to show for it in the end. Ryan threw for 352 yards, but couldn't lead the Indianapolis Colts to a win over the Houston Texans.

Ryan and the Colts fell behind 20-3 early, but clawed their way back into the contest, tying things up at 20.

Ryan completed 32-of-50 attempts with a touchdown and an interception in the 20-20 tie. Ryan also had four rushes for 12 yards and lost a fumble in the tie.

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 11: Matt Ryan #2 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 11: Matt Ryan #2 of the Indianapolis Colts warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Mitchell Trubisky doesn't do much, but gets win over Bengals

Mitchell Trubisky didn't have an eye-popping debut on the stat sheet, but did enough to lead the Steelers to a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.

Trubisky completed 21-of-38 attempts for 194 yards and a touchdown in the win.

He played mistake-free football, and did not give up a turnover in the contest. With overtime coming to an end, Trubisky hit three passes on the team's final drive to put them in scoring position. Chris Boswell drilled a game-winning field goal to give Trubisky and the Steelers the victory.