Winners from Week 1 of pre-season
By: Jake Rajala
Week 1 of pre-season is nearly over. There have been plenty of highlight reel plays. There were some players that dominated and made a serious case to make a roster. Furthermore, there were players that struggled and may not make the 53 man roster. With that said, I’m going to lay out five winners from Week 1.
Drew Allar
The 22 year old Drew Allar isn’t going to take Aaron Rodgers’s job away. However, he is making a serious case to be above Mason Rudolph and Will Howard on the depth chart. Allar unleashed 10-13 completions, 153 yards, and three touchdowns. He is showing to be a diamond in the rough, as he was a third round pick.
Sean Payton
It didn’t matter which Broncos QB played yesterday. Each QB took turns throttling the Atlanta Falcons. Sean Payton was on fire with his play-calling. After all, he converted an onside kick in the Super Bowl. After all, he is the same play-caller that Jarrett Stidham threw a touchdown and 131 yards in 15 passing attempts. Sam Ehlinger registered an 81.5 passer rating. The Broncos finished with 27 points.
Bills QBs
It was a nice day for the Allens in Buffalo Bills. Kyle Allen threw 10 for 11, 76 yards, and finished with an rating of 95.5. Josh Allen was also on fire, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. He was 6 for 8, 111 passing yards, a touchdown, and finished with rating of 156.3.
Dolphins backup QBs
The Dolphins may want to shop for a new backup QB. Malik Willis made a very impressive deep completion early on. After Willis, it’s a concern. Cam Miller threw two interceptions and then Quinn Ewers threw an interception. It’s concerning given that they had limited reps and they still blew it.
The fall of Cam Ward
Cam Ward didn’t dazzle in Week 1, to say the least. He went 5-12, and 56 passing yards. He finished with a rating of 56.6. The Titans rookie Carnell Tate couldn’t save the second year QB. I’d like to see more aggressive deep throws. Ward isn’t a “dink and donk” QB.
Week 1 of pre-season is a slight taste of the 2026 NFL season. It isn’t the end of the world for players that were a dud this week. It’s also not a guarantee that players that shined in Week 1 will be a star this upcoming regular season.
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