Preseason football gets a bad rap because the final scores don’t move the standings, but for the people actually building rosters, Week 1 is a lab. You’re not chasing fantasy points; you’re collecting clues. Who looks comfortable in a new uniform? Who’s being asked to do something different? Whose usage says more than their stat line?

It was also one of those weekends where you could look around and spot familiar names in fresh colors, doing their thing for a new fan base. For some, it was like they’d been wearing those uniforms for years — stepping in with the kind of comfort and chemistry you can’t fake. Others showed flashes, but had the kinds of hiccups you expect when you’re still figuring out a new playbook, a new sideline, and a new city.

Jamal Adams, Raiders — From Safety to WILL Linebacker

This wasn’t a jersey swap, it was a job change. Jamal Adams signed in late July and Pete Carroll moved him straight into the linebacker room. That’s not a demotion or a gimmick; it’s a bet that the best version of Adams lives closer to the ball where his instincts and strike show up snap after snap.

About fifteen snaps, most of them off‑ball at weakside linebacker, almost no blitz calls, and still… he popped. Three solo tackles in limited work isn’t headline stuff, but the way he got them is the point: downhill trigger in the run fit, balance through contact, rally tackle in space. He looked comfortable playing tighter to the line, taking on guards without getting washed and finishing on time. If you’ve watched him long enough, you know the difference between hunting and guessing — this was hunting.

The Raiders’ early depth chart slotted him behind Germaine Pratt at WILL, but sub‑packages are open season. That’s where this can swing games. Put Adams on the field in nickel, let him mug gaps, buzz hooks, carry the back on a wheel, or chase from the backside and you suddenly have a pressure piece offenses have to account for without sacrificing coverage rules. He fits next to the big bodies inside and behind Maxx Crosby on the edge.

If the staff adds a pressure or two for him in the first script of Week 2, that’s your tell. The other thing to watch: man‑match reps on tight ends and backs. If he holds up there, the "package linebacker" label turns into real weekly snaps when it counts.

Calvin Ridley, Titans — A Route Artist for a Rookie QB

Tennessee’s passing game is being built on rhythm and timing with Cam Ward, and Calvin Ridley is the metronome. First live reps between a new QB1 and his WR1 can look clunky in August. This didn’t.

After a three‑and‑out on the opener, Ridley basically ran Ward’s second series like an instructional video. Three targets, three catches, fifty yards, and a touchdown drive that looked exactly like something they’ve repped a hundred times in camp. The sequence matters: a 27‑yard strike — Ward’s first NFL completion — then 10 and 13 to move the chains. Clean releases, clean pacing at the top of routes, and Ward throwing on time like he knew exactly where Ridley would be.

He's going to live in that intermediate window — glances, outs, digs — and punish soft leverage, while Van Jefferson works the counterpunches. Add in Chig Okonkwo down the seam and you’ve got a triangle Ward can live in on third‑and‑medium. It’s not complicated; it’s just good football: identify your first read and get him the ball before the rush ruins your night.

A.J. Dillon, Eagles — The Big Back With Light Feet

Philly needs a trustworthy RB2 behind Saquon Barkley — someone who can win short yardage, close a game, and still handle basic outlet work in the screen and checkdown menu. Dillon’s debut was a health and fit check rolled into one after last year’s neck issues.

Eight touches, fifty‑four yards. Five for 27 on the ground (5.4 per) and three catches for another 27. The numbers are fine, but the tape is the sell: he ran square, made some nice jump‑cuts in traffic, and finished with the kind of forward‑lean you want when the defense knows you’re running it. In the passing game, he tracked the ball cleanly and got north without hiccups. No negative plays.

Call it what it is: he’s got the edge for RB2. The Eagles can roll into September with Saquon as the hammer, Dillon as the sledge for short yardage and four‑minute, and Will Shipley as the change‑up who can hit an explosive. If they lean on play‑action with the second unit, Dillon’s value goes up again: he’s a credible run threat who also won’t turn a simple outlet into chaos.

Mecole Hardman, Packers — Speed You Love, Decisions You Can’t Live With

Green Bay signed Hardman to juice the return game and to be an occasional shot‑play piece on offense. With Jayden Reed out in a walking boot, this was a pretty clean audition for the punt‑return job. It didn’t go well.

A rough sequence that basically spotted the Jets ten points. First, he fielded a punt at his own four with bodies around him and no fair catch. Three snaps later, Green Bay’s offense coughed up a strip‑sack touchdown. Later on, he tried to play a bouncing punt, it nicked him, and the Jets recovered at the Packers’ nine, which turned into a short field goal. Add a drop on his lone target and you’ve got the kind of night that has a special‑teams coordinator staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m.

The punt return job is officially open. Hardman’s speed is still real, and he can help you on manufactured touches — jets, quicks, the occasional nine — but the ball‑security piece is non‑negotiable. With rookies around who can return and Reed due back eventually, the runway just got shorter. The fix isn’t complicated; it’s discipline: heels at the ten, fair catch when you’re through your read, and live to play offense.

If he gets the first punt‑return rep again in Week 2, that’s a vote of confidence. If not, they’re sending a message. Either way, expect Green Bay to scheme him one easy touch to reset and let the speed breathe.

Alexander Mattison, Dolphins — A Touchdown, Then a Scary Turn

This one stopped being about football. Mattison is a veteran pro, signed to stabilize depth behind De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright. He scored, he made a play, and then the tone of the whole night changed.

Mattison punched in Miami’s first touchdown of the preseason from the one, the kind of no‑nonsense run that tells you he’s seeing it right behind his pads. Later, he leaked out, caught a checkdown, and turned it up for 21 yards to the Chicago three… and got driven awkwardly into the turf on his head/neck. He left by ambulance. You could feel the air go out of the sideline.

He underwent surgery that night and went to season-ending injured reserve the next day. It’s the kind of gut‑punch moment that drives home the harsh truth about this sport — for all the excitement and opportunity, every snap carries the risk of something no one ever wants to witness. 

You’ll see the Dolphins test combinations in practice this week and in the next game. The third running back spot is there to be won by whoever blocks on special teams, protects the QB, and handles the ugly carries. But the real story is bigger than a depth chart — everyone will be watching for good news on Mattison, and the locker room will remember this night for a while.

Juan Thornhill, Steelers — A Hit That Said “This Is How We’re Playing”

Pittsburgh remade the safety room and needed a veteran voice on the back end who can also set a tone. Thornhill’s resume says he can do both. Week 1, he did.

Twelve defensive snaps, zero special teams, and one play that told you everything. He closed on a crosser and drilled Brian Thomas Jr. to force an incompletion right in that "do we move the sticks or punt" area of the field.

He’s got a real shot to open at free safety while DeShon Elliott and Chuck Clark flex by package. The Steelers don’t need a hero at the post; they need someone who puts out small fires before they turn into six. Thornhill did that. It’s August, not a confetti shower, but you get the idea.

Joey Bosa, Bills — Quiet On Purpose

The Bills didn’t sign Joey Bosa to win August. They signed him to close in November, December, and — hopefully — February. So the question for the first preseason game was simple: did he get work, did he look healthy, and how did they deploy him alongside Greg Rousseau and a revamped interior that suddenly has juice?

A light, scripted first‑quarter run with the ones. Nothing on the stat sheet, but he showed up in the pocket on a couple of rushes, mostly from the right edge. No exotic stunts, no "look at me" calls.

A snap bump into the teens or low‑20s in Week 2 doesn't seem crazy, maybe our first look at a true wide‑9 on third‑and‑long, and a line game or two with a rookie DT. If he’s healthy, the production will follow. The plan is the plan.

Trent Sherfield Sr., Broncos — A Special‑Teamer Who Might Be More

Sean Payton signed Sherfield as a two‑phase player — core special teams and a vertical role on offense. The question was always whether he could become more than WR5. His first tape in orange certainly leads you to think so.

Three targets, three catches, 73 yards, and a toe‑tap touchdown that had coaching‑clinic footwork. Late second quarter, Jarrett Stidham put it on the outside shoulder down the left sideline, Sherfield stacked, got his head around, and tapped twice before his momentum carried him out. He also worked a middle‑of‑field in‑breaker to move the chains.

The floor is secure — a core special teams guy and package wideout — but the ceiling ticked up. Payton’s offense loves selective shot plays out of heavy formations and play‑action. If Sherfield keeps winning his one‑on‑ones and blocking well, he graduates to real hybrid value.

What to Watch in Week 2

• Raiders: Does Adams get a blitz call in the first script? Any bump toward 20‑plus snaps? One TE man‑match rep will be a useful look‑ahead.

• Titans: Do they keep Ridley as Ward’s first look on third‑and‑medium? Any slot work in the red zone to force cleaner access?

• Eagles: Does Dillon take a goal‑line carry with the ones and stack a couple of true pass‑pro wins? That’s how you lock RB2.

• Packers: Who gets the first punt return? If it’s still Hardman, Green Bay is daring him to make it right. If not, the conversation moved.

• Dolphins: Which veteran back sticks as RB3? And how does short yardage look without Mattison in the room?

• Steelers: Thornhill in a two‑minute drill with the starters would be a quiet, meaningful tell.

• Bills: Do we see Bosa in a wide‑9 on third‑and‑long or a line‑game with a rookie DT? That’s the fun stuff.

• Broncos: Does Payton toss Sherfield a scripted shot early, or does he make him earn it the long way again?

August Is for Answers, Not Awards

The first week of the preseason didn’t hand out trophies, but it answered questions. If there’s a through‑line, it’s this: fit over flash. Preseason isn’t about proving you’re the best player in the stadium; it’s about proving you’re the right player for the plan.

A couple more weeks of this and we’ll stop guessing about usage and start talking about production. For now, the clues are pretty clear. The veterans who looked comfortable will probably keep looking comfortable. The ones who struggled know exactly what to fix.

Bring on Week 2.