NFL Week 1 winners and losers: Aaron Rodgers gets his revenge; Dolphins crumble in Daniel Jones' Colts debut

The 2025 NFL season is in full swing. Days after the Philadelphia Eagles survived the rival Dallas Cowboys in the first matchup of Week 1, most of the rest of the league got in on the action Sunday. And there was no shortage of dramatic headlines.

Aaron Rodgers returned to New Jersey while making his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Justin Fields took the same field on the other side, now representing the New York Jets. Cameron Ward took his first official NFL snaps running the Tennessee Titans. And two NFC South contenders went to the wire before Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard go-ahead field goal try for the Atlanta Falcons.

That was just a sampling of Sunday's happenings, which also included Russell Wilson's debut as quarterback of the New York Giants and Mike Vrabel's first game as head coach of the New England Patriots, as well as Travis Hunter's first two-way action at the NFL level for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Which coaches, players and/or teams were the biggest winners (and losers) of Sunday's games?

Winner: Aaron Rodgers

You can't get much better than waltzing into MetLife Stadium and tossing four scores in a shootout win over the team that unceremoniously dumped you in the spring. Rodgers didn't look ageless in his Steelers debut, absorbing four sacks, but he sure looked more comfortable than he did while playing for the Jets. And he's 1-0 to start 2025, which is what matters most.

Loser: Miami Dolphins

We expected a a bit of a downturn from Miami, but making Daniel Jones look like the second coming of Peyton Manning? Yikes. It's only one game, but it feels safe to suggest their whole operation is squarely on the hot seat now. Needing a strong start to regain confidence in Miami, Tua Tagovailoa was most concerning of all, losing the ball on one drive after another.

Winner: Deebo Samuel

The ex-San Francisco 49ers standout was the subject of some offseason ribbing, with plenty of fans arguing he arrived in Washington out of shape. It didn't matter against the New York Giants, as Samuel led Washington with seven catches for 77 yards and also scored on the ground with a 19-yard burst. Jayden Daniels sure seemed to appreciate his presence.

Loser: Mike Vrabel

New year, new leadership, same results in New England, at least for now. The Patriots were supposed to be a much-improved animal thanks to Vrabel's takeover atop the staff. But Drake Maye and Co. still struggled to light up the scoreboard, and the defense was just so-so, too, letting Geno Smith air it out for the Las Vegas Raiders. It could be another long year in Foxborough.

Winner: Baker Mayfield

Not only did the scrappy Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback benefit from Younghoe Koo's last-second missed field goal, which squandered a would-be Atlanta Falcons win in the two sides' NFC South rivalry, but he found a potential new No. 1 pass outlet in rookie Emeka Egbuka, who collected four of six targets for a team-high 64 yards and two touchdowns. He's a keeper.

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Jeff Kerr

Loser: Zac Taylor

Another year, another iffy start from the Cincinnati Bengals, who somehow manage to parlay world-class offensive talent into minimal results out of the gate. Yes, the Bengals are at least 1-0 after sneaking by the rival Cleveland Browns, but Joe Burrow and Co. finished Week 1 with just 113 yards through the air, averaging a measly 2.9 yards per offensive play.

Winner: Daniel Jones

Miami's disastrous debut might be the real story from the Indianapolis Colts' opener, but we can't forget to give Jones his flowers. After barely beating out Anthony Richardson to hold Indy's top quarterback job, the ex-Giants castoff looked wholly at ease in his first game as a Colt, scoring three times and, perhaps most notably, tossing the rock downfield with top-tier touch.

Loser: Bryce Young

Remember when Young was the talk of the NFL for a few weeks down the stretch in 2024? Most of that hype had to do with the fact Young finally wielded NFL-level confidence. It did not, however, fully account for the fact he'd yet to consistently carry the Carolina Panthers through the air. His aerial inefficiencies returned with a force in Sunday's mostly dismal outing against Jacksonville.