National Football League

NFL Heat Index: Sam Darnold hot in Vikings debut; Kirk Cousins cold in Falcons debut

Published Sep. 9, 2024 10:06 a.m. ET

With much of the contract angst this summer — starring, among others, Brandon Aiyuk, CeeDee Lamb, Trent Williams and Dak Prescott — in the rearview mirror, we can finally focus our attention on the football field.

Week 1 featured some strong performances by players who changed teams during the offseason, including Joe Mixon for the Houston Texans and Sam Darnold for the Minnesota Vikings.

Here's a closer look at some of the top performances from the first NFL weekend of the season, plus a few players who would like to hit the reset button for Week 2.

HOT

Joe Mixon, RB, Texans

Much of the talk this offseason about the Texans focused on the addition of a dynamic playmaker in WR Stefon Diggs. But it was Mixon, the former Cincinnati Bengals running back, who was the brightest spot for his new team in its 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Mixon topped the league in rushing with 159 yards and a score on a career-high 30 carries. He totaled 118 yards on outside runs against the Colts, according to Next Gen Stats.

Mixon's ability to create big plays in the running game should serve as a nice complement to C.J. Stroud and the passing game.

Sam Darnold, Vikings

In his first start for the Vikings — and his first Week 1 start in three seasons — Darnold proved he could efficiently run Kevin O'Connell's offense. He went 19-of-24 for 207 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, finishing with a 113.2 passer rating in Minnesota's 28-6 victory over the New York Giants.

Darnold completed his first 12 passes and had a 158.3 passer rating against man coverage. With first-round pick J.J. McCarthy out for the season, Darnold took a positive step in solidifying his role in the offense and providing stability at the quarterback position.

Greg Rousseau, DE, Bills

Down 14 points to the Arizona Cardinals in the first half, Buffalo needed a spark from the defense to get back into the game. Rousseau provided it, tying New Orleans Saints defensive back Alontae Taylor for a league-high three sacks over the weekend.

Rousseau totaled six combined tackles, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. It was his fifth multi-sack game of his career, showing that he could join the elite pass-rushers this season.

T.J. Watt, Edge, Steelers

Watt finished with a sack to close out the game, three quarterback pressures and a fumble recovery in an 18-10 win for Pittsburgh on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. The Wisconsin product also had two strip sacks negated due to penalties.

Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell also had a big day, going 6-for-6 on field goals, including three from 50-plus yards. Across the league, there were 16 field goals from 50-plus yards, the most on any day in NFL history, according to FOX Sports Research.

Jameson Williams, WR, Lions

In his third NFL season, the Alabama product is emerging as the consistent deep threat the Lions hoped for when they drafted him No. 12 overall in 2022. Williams finished with five receptions for a career-high 121 yards on six targets in Detroit's overtime victory against the visiting Los Angeles Rams, averaging 24.2 yards per catch.

According to Next Gen Stats, each reception by Williams came when he had more than three yards of separation, giving him the most yards and receptions on open targets in a game in his career.

COLD

Kirk Cousins, QB, Falcons

Signed to a four-year, $180 million deal in free agency after a season-ending Achilles tendon tear ended his time in Minnesota, Cousin showed rust in his return to the field. He finished 16-of-26 for 155 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked twice and posted a 59.0 passer rating.

Curiously, Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had Cousins take just one snap from under center. According to Next Gen Stats, the Falcons aligned in pistol formation 55% of the time and did not use play-action the entire game.

Another poor performance by Cousins could open the door for the eventual NFL debut of rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals

To say the least, the much-anticipated debut of Harrison could have gone better. The Ohio State product had a dropped pass early and finished with just one catch for four yards on three targets. He was not targeted in the second half.

Harrison got behind the Bills defense on the final possession of the game with the Cardinals driving for a potential winning score, but Kyler Murray did not see him.

The first receiver taken in this year's draft at No. 4 overall, Harrison will have a chance to redeem himself in his first home game in Week 2 against the Rams.

"No confidence lost in Marv," Murray told reporters after the game.

Bryce Young, QB, Panthers

For the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 draft, a change in head coach to Dave Canales did not help in Week 1. Young finished 13-of-30 for 161 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 32.8 passer rating in an embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints.

The Panthers need to run the ball more effectively to create balance on offense and protect Young. Carolina finished with just 58 rushing yards.

Rookie QBs

As expected, rookies Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix scuffled in their NFL debuts. The trio combined to go 57-of-95 (60%) passing for 415 yards, with no touchdown passes and two interceptions for a 61.5 passer rating.

Daniels rushed for 88 yards and two scores, while Nix added 35 rushing yards and a score.

Williams was the only one to get a win, but the Bears leaned on an opportunistic defense that created three turnovers, allowing Chicago to come back from a 14-point deficit to beat the Tennessee Titans.

All three showed promise but will have to continue to grow into their roles as starters. It takes time to become adept at analyzing the more complex defensive schemes in the NFL.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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