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

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2025-08-09

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NFL.com breaks down what you need to know from Week 1 of the 2025 NFL preseason. Catch up on Saturday’s biggest takeaways using the links below:

New York Giants 34, Buffalo Bills 25

Michael Baca’s takeaways:

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.

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.