BBNFL Week 1: Dru Phillips forced turnovers, Will Levis game them up
Welcome to the NFL, Dru Phillips. Wearing the New York Football Giants throwback uniform, the rookie cornerback out of Kentucky made his presence felt immediately in this professional football debut on Sunday. In his first official NFL tackle, he hit Vikings’ fullback CJ Ham so hard on a screen pass, that the ball catapulted into the air and on the ground, leading to a Giants’ recovery deep in Minnesota territory.
Phillips finished with three tackles in addition to his forced fumble and topped all BBNFL players in PFF grades with a remarkable 84.3 in just 16 defensive snaps.
Despite Wan’Dale Robinson‘s six catches and 44 yards, the Giants’ offense would go on to look like the University of Kentucky’s, unable to move the ball with any sense of confidence. That being said, quarterback Daniel Jones looked for the former Kentucky pass-catcher early and often. His 11 targets made up 32 percent of the team’s total pass attempts, putting Robinson in 7th in the league.
Ultimately, the Giants fell to the Vikings 28-6.
It was a 4th quarter to forget for Will Levis
Will Levis, sporting a fresh captain’s patch on his jersey as the undisputed starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, started off his sophomore NFL campaign impressively. He quickly led the Titans to a 17-0 lead over the Chicago Bears and looked to make a statement in Week 1.
His first touchdown of the season came from an impressive backfoot throw to his tight end in the back of the endzone. At this point in the game, Titans fans loved what they saw from their new franchise QB.
Unfortunately, all of the mayonnaise spilled out of the jar and onto the dirt in the 4th quarter.
Levis committed three turnovers to help get the Bears back in the game, none worse than a backhanded flip as he was being sacked that led to a pick-six for Chicago, giving them the 24-17 lead for good. It was the lowlight of the day and one he’ll need to scrub from the memory bank as he looks to turn things around next week.
Other BBNFL Notes:
- Ray Davis carried the ball four times in his NFL debut, totaling 13 yards. He also caught his only target for another 14 yards. Look for him to potentially elevate his way to be the Bills’ preferred goalline back by the end of the season.
- In not-so-great news, Luke Fortner appears to have lost his starting center role in Jacksonville. The former Kentucky center played just three special teams snaps in Week 1, as Mitch Morse took his place over the ball on offense.
- Za’Darius Smith recorded his first of what will likely be several sacks this season. The veteran edge rusher took down the highest-paid player in the history of the NFL, Dak Prescott, on his birthday and then talked about it while wearing a vest and cowboy hat in the locker room after the game.
BBNFL snap counts and PFF player grades for Week 1
PFF grades reflect the players’ respective offensive or defensive grades unless the snap count listed is special teams (ST), in which case it is the special teams’ grade.
| Player | POS | Snaps | Stats | PFF Grade |
| Dru Phillips (NYG) | DB | 16 | 3 tackles, 1 forced fumble | 84.3 |
| Landon Young (NO) | OL | 31 | 0 pressures allowed | 79.3 |
| Jamin Davis (WAS) | LB | 13 | 2 tackles, 1 assist | 78.8 |
| Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG) | WR | 47 | 11 targets, 6 rec, 44 yards | 69.3 |
| Ray Davis (BUF) | RB | 6 | 3 rushes, 13 yards, 1 target, 1 rec, 14 yards | 66.6 |
| Brandin Echols (NYJ) | DB | 9 | 0 tackles | 66.4 |
| Za’Darius Smith (CLE) | LB | 44 | 2 tackles, 1 sack | 65.4 |
| Carrington Valentine (GB) | DB | 9 | 0 tackles | 63.5 |
| Josh Hines-Allen (JAX) | LB | 58 | 2 tackles, 2 QB hurries, 1 batted ball | 62 |
| Luke Fortner (JAX) | C | 3 (ST) | 60.4 | |
| Mike Edwards (BUF) | DB | 9 (ST) | 60.2 | |
| Josh Pascal (DET) | DL | 22 | 0 tackles | 58.7 |
| Trevin Wallace (CAR) | LB | 19 (ST) | 1 penalty | 55 |
| Keidron Smith (DEN) | DB | 12 (ST) | 52 | |
| Will Levis (TEN) | QB | 64 | 19/32, 127 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 4 rush, 36 yards, 1 fumble | 32.8 |
| Bud Dupree (LAC) | LB | 30 | 2 QB hurries, 1 assist, 1 batted ball | 29.7 |
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