2025 NFL preseason, Week 1: What We Learned from Saturday's games

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• READ: Giants rookie first-rounder Dart impresses in preseason debut

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Giants' pass rush makes presence known. The Giants debuts of Russell Wilson and rookie Jaxson Dart will garner much of the attention, but it was New York's bolstered pass rush that made an early preseason statement. Doing so against Buffalo's starting offensive line and without their All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, the Giants' defensive front of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Roy Robertson-Harris and rookie Abdul Carter brought consistent pressure on passing downs and kept the Bills' rushing attack at bay, allowing just 21 yards and forcing two punts in two possessions played. Carter, the No. 3 overall pick, made the most of his handful of snaps, forcing a pressure off the edge against four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Dion Dawkins and again on the inside with a slick inside move against guard O'Cyrus Torrence. While it was backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky feeling their wrath, the Giants' showing provided more reason to believe their pass rush will be the key for a turnaround season in 2025 and it will only look better once Lawrence joins the party.
2. Bills' youngsters continue strong summer. Buffalo's starting defensive front also had a nice outing in their limited time played with newcomer Joey Bosa making a couple of plays, but rookie defensive linemen T.J Sanders (two QB hits) and Deone Walker (pass defensed) showed some promise in their debuts. The hulking pairing appeared to mix in well as they were shuffled within the Bills' stout and experienced D-line, which would be a boon for the Bills in terms of depth. Second-year wide receiver Tyrell Shavers also continued his strong summer by making the game's biggest play. With seconds left in the first half, Trubisky dialed up a deep ball with Shavers' name on it and the 6-foot-4 wideout sped past his defender to haul in a 58-yard gain and nearly got into the end zone. Shavers ended his day with two catches for 70 yards. Second-year running back Ray Davis also had a memorable game, converting an extra-point attempt following the Bills' first TD of the afternoon.

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Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. McCarthy delivers promising showing. Kevin O'Connell limited his starting quarterback to one series, but in that possession -- a 13-play, 58-yard march that ended in a field goal -- J.J. McCarthy gave Vikings fans reason to be optimistic in his first in-game action since he suffered a season-ending knee injury last preseason. He appeared comfortable handling first-team duties, was largely accurate (save for a third down miss that forced the Vikings to settle for three), fired from a variety of platforms and even used his legs to convert a first down. Naturally, we all would have liked to see more than one series from the second-year signal-caller, but given that's all O'Connell was willing to risk, McCarthy passed the test easily. ... Elsewhere in the Minnesota backfield, Zavier Scott turned in some quality tape. The Vikings' running back room might be a little too crowded to keep Scott but that's the beauty of preseason: good film is available to all 32 teams. Scott ran hard on Saturday, breaking tackles and drawing a few visceral reactions from the Vikings broadcast crew. He led the Vikings with 40 yards on seven carries and produced enough examples of solid carries that should raise the eyebrows of those sifting through footage for another option in the backfield -- if the Vikings don't keep him first.
2. Bubble receivers improve their cases. With Tank Dell possibly not able to return at all in 2025, the Texans have plenty to sort out at the position beyond Nico Collins. John Metchie III and Braxton Berrios are among those battling for a roster spot, and both had very nice days in Minneapolis. Berrios went a perfect three for three, catching all of his targets for 33 yards and a diving touchdown while also proving to be a shifty slot receiver the Texans could use to add versatility to their group. Metchie caught five of eight targets for 45 yards, proving to be a reliable option for Davis Mills and Kedon Slovis. Metchie needs to capitalize on the opportunity in front of him with the Texans after making a minimal difference in his first two seasons. After four years in New York and spending the last two in Miami, Berrios is looking for another chance to stick on a 53-man roster; performances like Saturday's could make a pairing with Houston increasingly ideal.

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• READ: Jags kicker Cam Little booms 70-yard field goal
• READ: No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter debut on offense, returns on defense

Christian Gonzales' takeaways to come:

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Nick Shook's takeaways to come:

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Grant Gordon's takeaways to come:

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Nick Shook's takeaways to come:

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Grant Gordon's takeaways to come:

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Christian Gonzales' takeaways to come: