NFL Preseason Week 1: Rookies at the forefront as all 32 teams take the field

The Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens were among the teams making early statements as all 32 NFL clubs took the field during a busy Preseason Week 1, with rookie quarterbacks, roster battles and new-look offenses taking center stage across the league.

Allar shines for Pittsburgh

One of the weekend’s biggest performances came from rookie quarterback Drew Allar, who threw three touchdown passes as the Steelers rolled past the Green Bay Packers 28-9 in Pittsburgh.

The Cincinnati Bengals edged the Detroit Lions 16-14, while Joe Burrow got two drives with the first-team offense. The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots finished 13-13, with Anthony Richardson overcoming a shaky start, and the Arizona Cardinals beat the Las Vegas Raiders 27-14 as No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza made his preseason debut.

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Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Chargers handled the Houston Texans 27-7 and the Tennessee Titans defeated the San Francisco 49ers 19-13.

Denver defense makes early impression

The Broncos overwhelmed the Atlanta Falcons 27-7, with Denver’s defense making life difficult for Tua Tagovailoa in his first game with Atlanta. Tagovailoa completed three of five passes for 22 yards over two possessions while facing pressure on 60 percent of his dropbacks.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New York Jets 24-16, while the Washington Commanders topped the Miami Dolphins 20-7. Malik Willis led Miami on a 14-play, 91-yard touchdown drive, but Washington pulled away behind its reserves.

Bears offense rolls

The Chicago Bears produced one of the weekend’s most convincing wins, beating the Cleveland Browns 34-10 without using their offensive starters. Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum combined for 320 passing yards and three touchdowns. Deshaun Watson, meanwhile, completed 11 of 15 passes for 126 yards for Cleveland as the quarterback competition continued.

The Buffalo Bills beat the Carolina Panthers 29-14, while the Minnesota Vikings edged the New York Giants 13-10. Jaxson Dart returned after being evaluated for a concussion and threw a touchdown pass to rookie Malachi Fields.

Young players grab their opportunities

Rookie quarterback Ty Simpson impressed for the Los Angeles Rams, completing 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the New Orleans Saints 24-20.

The Baltimore Ravens beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-7 behind promising performances from rookies Ja’Kobi Lane and Matthew Hibner. Lane caught three passes for 38 yards and a touchdown, while Hibner finished with five receptions for 61 yards.

Finally, the Dallas Cowboys closed the week with a 17-7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Undrafted receiver Camden Brown made his case for a roster spot with three catches for 62 yards and two spectacular touchdowns, putting an exclamation point on a weekend when plenty of young players made themselves difficult to ignore.