NFL Week 1 Winners and Losers: Brock Purdy Has 49ers Rolling Early

The first Sunday of the 2023 NFL season gave fans plenty to look forward to.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow appeared in his first game after signing a contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in NFL history. Three rookie quarterbacks made their professional debuts. Bears-Packers and Cowboys-Giants were among the rivalry games in prominent broadcast windows.

But Week 1 didn't go as planned for everybody. Ahead of Monday night's primetime matchup between the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, here's a look at some of the winners and losers from Week 1.

Winners: Brock Purdy and the Healthy 49ers

Brock Purdy, the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 draft, led the San Francisco 49ers to five wins when he took over as the team's starter late last season. After undergoing surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament this offseason, Purdy replicating his success to start the new season that was anything but certain.

The second-year QB completed 19-of-29 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns in San Francisco's convincing 30-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. "Mr. Irrelevant" is the first QB in NFL history to win each of his first six career regular-season starts and throw at least two touchdown passes in each one.

The 49ers were confident enough in Purdy to ship off former No. 3 pick Trey Lance to Dallas ahead of the new season. With a healthy roster to start the 2023 campaign (after a 2022 season plagued by injuries), the 49ers may be the NFC favorites if Purdy can continue to command head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.

Losers: Joe Burrow and Cincinnati's Offensive Line

Burrow's first game after his $275 million contract extension wasn't one he will want to remember.

The Bengals managed to gain only 142 yards and couldn't reach the end zone in their 24-3 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Burrow finished 14-of-31 passing for a career-low 82 yards. At halftime, the Bengals had more punts (seven) than completions (six). The fourth-year QB was taken out of the game with 5:15 to play. Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz got pressure on Burrow throughout the rainy game. Cleveland recorded three sacks and was constantly collapsing the pocket.

If Cincinnati's offensive line can't rebound after a shaky Week 1, the Bengals might not be the contenders so many seem to think they are.

Winners: Tua Tagovailoa-Tyreek Hill Connection

Leave it to speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill to get off to a fast start this season.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected with his top pass-catcher all afternoon in the Miami Dolphins' 36-34 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Tagovailoa found Hill 11 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns. The left-handed QB finished the game with 466 yards and three touchdowns overall. The yardage total was the fourth most in a season opener, while Hill's 215 receiving yards are the third-most all time in Week 1.

Multiple concussions last year interrupted a season in which Tagovailoa was playing at an MVP level. Outdueling Chargers QB Justin Herbert isn't a bad way to start the new season and shows Tagovailoa and Miami's passing offense could be a problem for their opponents again this season.

Losers: Ravens Win But Lose Injury Battle

The Baltimore Ravens opened their 2023 season with a 25-9 win over the Houston Texans. A look at Baltimore's injury report wouldn't have fans quite as optimistic moving forward as the score might indicate.

Running back J.K. Dobbins will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles he suffered against the Texans. But that's not all. Ravens coach John Harbaugh also provided injury updates on the following players on Monday:

Ouch. The Ravens started their new season with a win. At this point, Baltimore just has to hope that its roster is still intact enough to add several more of those this season.

Winners: Packers After Owning Bears...Again

Even with quarterback Aaron Rodgers in New York, the Green Bay Packers still seem to "own" the Chicago Bears. The Packers beat the Bears, 38-20, for their ninth straight win in the series.

But it was the first of the Jordan Love era. The former first-round pick is the starter under center in Green Bay after the Rodgers trade. Not that much was different about Sunday's rivalry game from when Rodgers tormented Chicago. Love threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns against the Bears. Green Bay scored two touchdowns within a 56-second span in the fourth quarter to cement its first win of the season. The Bears and Packers won't play again until the final week of the regular season. So, for now, this remains a one-sided rivalry.

Losers: Ryan Tannehill and Mike Vrabel

Ryan Tannehill's fifth season as the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans isn't off to a good start. The 35-year-old completed less than half of his passes and threw three interceptions in a season-opening one-point loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Tannehill missed time last season with an injury. If his subpar play continues as the 2023 season progresses, maybe the Titans will turn to Malik Willis or rookie Will Levis at QB.

But in the meantime, head coach Mike Vrabel has another decision to ponder. With less than three minutes to go in Sunday's game, the Titans trailed 16-12. On a third-and-12 play, Tennessee gained 6 yards to reach the Saints' 11-yard line. Most fans and analysts on X, formerly Twitter, were convinced Vrabel would go for the go-ahead touchdown. Instead, Vrabel opted for the field goal and the Titans never got the ball back.

Winners: Rams Without Cooper Kupp

The Los Angeles Rams placed All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp on injured reserve with a hamstring injury ahead of their Week 1 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Not much was expected out of the makeshift Rams against a team that made the playoffs last year.

So much for that.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 334 yards and Los Angeles walloped the Seahawks, 30-13, in Seattle. Even without Kupp in the lineup, the Rams showed more promise in Week 1 than they did for most of last year's 5-12 campaign.

Losers: First-Year Coaches

Five NFL teams hired new head coaches this offseason with the hopes of turning around their franchises:

• Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
• Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
• Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers
• DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
• Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts

None of those teams won on Sunday. Payton and the Broncos came the closest. Denver had a six-point lead in the fourth quarter but lost, 17-16, to the Las Vegas Raiders. Perhaps Week 2 will be better for these new regimes.

Winners: Richardson, Carter Among Top Rookies

Rookies struggling in Week 1 isn't exactly a surprise. It can take some time for a first-year player to adjust to the NFL.

But that wasn't the case for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson or Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter. All three were top 10 picks in the 2023 draft, and each made an immediate impact in Week 1.

Richardson flashed his big-play ability by throwing for 223 yards and a touchdown while also running for 40 yards and a score against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Robinson tallied 83 yards from scrimmage and his first touchdown in a victory over the Carolina Panthers, while Carter pressured New England Patriots QB Mac Jones QB eight times in his first game.

Losers: Giants, Steelers Get Blown Out

Week 2 can't come soon enough for the New York Giants or Pittsburgh Steelers.

Both teams suffered embarrassing Week 1 losses that saw their young signal-callers looking far from being franchise QBs. In Pittsburgh's 23-point loss, quarterback Kenny Pickett completed 31-of-46 passes for 232 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Meanwhile, Daniel Jones and the Giants offense were a disaster in a 40-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Jones went 15-of-28 passing for only 104 yards and two interceptions. The $160 million quarterback was sacked seven times and threw a pick-six in a humbling loss to a division rival.

The Giants and Steelers are coming off winning seasons and were seen as potential playoff teams by many experts (the Giants won a road playoff game last season). Week 1 showed signs of trouble for both teams and their young QBs.