by The first week of the 2025 NFL Regular Season is over. The week was filled with classic games, including the Buffalo Bills’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. With all the major headlines going on each week, there are sure to be player performances that slip through the cracks of the NFL media.
Here are a few of those players:
Dorance Armstrong, Defensive Lineman
Armstrong wreaked havoc on the New York Giants. He had nine pressures, the most in the NFL, and a sack. His performance was a key reason for the Washington Commanders’ dominant win against the Giants. He dominated the entire line, especially against the left side. He destroyed multiple plays in the redzone, forcing the Giants to settle for field goals.
His combination of power, finesse, and bend was something that few players in the league possess, and he had one of the best defensive line performances of the week.
Josh Jobe, Cornerback
Jobe, the boundary corner for the Seattle Seahawks, was lockdown against the San Francisco 49ers. In the six times he was targeted, he allowed just one catch for one yard and got an interception.
Jobe did not have an easy assignment this week — playing the majority of his snaps against Jauan Jennings. What stood out the most in Jobe’s stellar performance was his reaction to play action. He stuck with his matchup like glue every time and even matched the physicality of the 49ers’ tight ends—an elite showing from the Seattle corner.
Mason McCormick, Guard
The Pittsburgh Steelers guard was a brick wall in the pass game against the New York Jets. McCormick allowed zero pressures, along with zero penalties, in this game. He did a stellar job at allowing minimal pushback in the pass game and picking up on stunts.
Against a good defensive line like the Jets, there were many concerns about how the Steelers’ line would hold up; overall, it went pretty well, in large part due to McCormick. He, along with the rest of the right side of the Steelers’ line, exceeded their expectations and gave Aaron Rodgers a relatively clean pocket in his first game as a Steeler.
Kayshon Boutte, Wide Receiver
Boutte was Drake Maye‘s favorite target in the loss to the Las Vegas Raiders; he had 103 yards and six receptions. Most of his targets were on curls and comebacks, and he often won in single coverage on those routes. With Maye always throwing with great anticipation, Boutte did a great job of positioning himself to give Maye a clean area to throw to.
In a disappointing loss to the Raiders, Boutte and Maye’s connection was a bright spot that could carry on for the rest of the season.
Spencer Rattler, Quarterback
With rookie Tyler Shough behind Rattler, he is just a few major mistakes away from the New Orleans Saints benching him — in this game, despite the stat sheet, Rattler played well. He did a great job of accessing the entirety of the field and staying composed in the pocket. With a lackluster group of weapons, Rattler can be limited with what he can do, thus usually having to play in the game manager role.
Even in this role, Rattler played well. His highlight of the game was storming down the field, needing a game-tying touchdown, and getting them in position. Unfortanatley, tight end Juwan Johnson could not hold onto the tough catch to tie the game. Rattler performed well given his circumstances, and is creating a bigger gap between him and Shough.
