Aaron Rodgers showed no rust against Browns – No real surprise here for the Super Bowl MVP. Rodgers completed six of eight for 74 yards and a beautiful touchdown to Greg Jennings, looking like his surgical self with pinpoint passes to several different targets. Though Michael Vick was also very sharp in his preseason debut, the questions surrounding Jeremy Maclin should make Rodgers the first quarterback off the board in most drafts.
Colt McCoy looked like a future star versus Green Bay – Despite Rodgers' strong performance Saturday night, it was McCoy that was the most impressive player on the field, hitting on nine of his 10 attempts for 135 yards and a touchdown to Josh Cribbs, while also leading a second touchdown drive. Though it's just the first preseason game, he certainly appeared to have a tremendous grasp of the west coast offense and threw with great accuracy and touch, against the Packers' first-team defense no less. If this sample is an indication of things to come, don't be surprised if McCoy is very useful in fantasy play this year, possibly on the level of a Josh Freeman-like second-year breakout.
The Cam Newton era began in Carolina with few highlights – Newton didn't look bad, per se, but he didn't do anything particularly special either in his debut, finishing the game eight for 19 for 134 yards. The big disappointment here is that Newton never took off when the coverage or pressure dictated he scramble. His only real fantasy upside as a rookie is if he uses the wheels God gave him, but he appeared Saturday night determined to be a passer first. He'll learn to lean on those legs though when he does finally start, as he will likely be running for his life often when the games matter.
Greg Olsen has the look of a No. 1 tight end – Think about it. He's easily the second best receiving option on the team to Steve Smith, he's a big target with good hands and he will be the ideal security blanket to whoever is slinging the ball, considering the Panthers don't have a quarterback on the roster with the experience or composure to read a defense. Olsen also showed off nice athleticism in Saturday's preseason opener, hauling in three catches for 58 yards, including an 18-yard score. Now that he's removed from Mike Martz's anti-tight end offense, and in a promising situation for his position, he should be a terrific late-round value pick.
Jake Locker impressived in his NFL debut – Okay so it was one play, but Locker's 45-yard touchdown pass was particularly eye opening because of the poise with which he made the play. After fumbling the snap he calmly recovered the ball, backed quickly out of the pocket and slung a great deep ball into the end zone, hitting Yamon Figurs in stride. His awareness and composure speak volumes about his potential, and while the rest of his outing was by no means spectacular, it was basically mistake-free, which is a big plus. And for a passer whose biggest area of concern is his accuracy, Locker was pretty sharp, finishing seven of 10 for 89 yards and the score. If the Titans struggle or Matt Hasselbeck misses any time to injury, Locker will seize this job and not look back.
DeSean Jackson returned to practice – Jackson finally showed up, and reportedly without missing a beat from his second Pro Bowl season. It's good news for fantasy owners, just knowing that he is in top form and primed for another season of No. 1 receiver numbers. He should be promptly moved back up draft boards as one of the top-ranked wideouts.
Mike Sims-Walker left the game with a groin injury – Sims-Walker hurt his groin before making a catch versus the Colts and sat the remainder of the game. Nothing has been released regarding the severity of the injury, but as long as he is expected to be ready for the regular season, continue to look at him as a mid to late round sleeper.