Analysis: There were more shaky quarterback performances than superlative ones in Week 1

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Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix played like rookies. Several established quarterbacks weren’t much better.

There were more shaky performances than superlative ones on Sunday.

Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr and Josh Allen excelled while leading their teams to victories. C.J. Stroud, Tua Tagovailoa and Sam Darnold also posted decent stat lines in wins.

But Kirk Cousins was rusty in his return from a torn Achilles tendon. Deshaun Watson played like someone who was starting his 13th game in four years. Joe Burrow seemed out of synch.

Will Levis made a crucial mistake that gave away the game. Trevor Lawrence had a poor second half. Justin Fields didn’t seem comfortable. Kyler Murray started strong and faded in the second half. Daniel Jones and Bryce Young were disasters.

Overall, 17 quarterbacks have thrown for less than 200 yards with one game remaining, the most since 18 didn’t reach that number in Week 1 in 2008. Considering that most starters barely play in the preseason, sloppiness should be expected during opening weekend.

Still, there were exciting finishes, close games, three 14-point comebacks and an overtime battle.

Even success didn’t equal satisfaction for some coaches.

“We want to be better than that,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said following a 37-20 victory over Washington. “It was great for the first game just to get out and get our feet wet, but we have some things to work on there and we’ve got to be better.”

Mayfield threw four touchdown passes and had a 146.4 passer rating, continuing his resurgence in Tampa Bay. Up 16 late in the fourth quarter, he escaped a sack, scrambled, lowered his shoulder and took a hard hit.

Mayfield got up and emphatically signaled first down with a smile.

“Tried to juke out Bobby Wagner earlier. It didn’t work out. I really don’t have it even though I think I do,” Mayfield said. “Later on, if it’s a guy coming from the side, just a couple extra yards but yeah, ultimately, protect myself. Have to be smart.”

Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick behind Williams, had more yards rushing than passing through 2 1/2 quarters. He finished 17 of 24 for 184 yards with 88 yards rushing and two TDs on the ground.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to try to win the football game,” Daniels said about his rushing.

Williams was victorious in his debut thanks to Chicago’s defense and special teams. He was just 14 of 29 for 93 yards but the Bears got scores on an interception return and blocked punt in a 24-17 win over Tennessee.

Nix showed flashes in Denver’s 26-20 loss at Seattle. He ended up 26 of 42 for 138 yards and two picks. Nix ran for 35 yards and one score.

Cousins, who got $100 million guaranteed from Atlanta, struggled against Pittsburgh’s fierce defense in an 18-10 loss. He was jittery at times under pressure and threw two careless interceptions.

Meanwhile, Browns fans are still waiting for Watson to resemble the superstar he was in Houston. Micah Parsons and the rest of Dallas’ defense roughed him up in a 33-17 loss at home. Watson threw two picks, got sacked six times and had a 51.1 passer rating.

“We’re not the type of people that make excuses,” Watson said about the lack of work with his receivers in training camp. “So some people can say that can contribute a lot, you know, my injury, guys missing time. But at the end of the day, once you’re on the field, you just gotta, execute. And, we didn’t do that overall. And yeah, it showed.”

Burrow was so-so in Cincinnati’s 16-10 upset loss to the Patriots, who were the biggest underdogs in Week 1. Burrow and the Bengals were out of synch on offense even though Ja’Marr Chase played while Tee Higgins was sidelined.

It wasn’t all bad Sunday.

Hours after becoming the NFL’s highest-paid player, Dak Prescott led Dallas to a 33-17 romp in Cleveland. He wasn’t spectacular but efficient, passing for 179 yards and one score.

Allen carried the Bills to a 34-28 win over Arizona. He threw for 232 yards and two TDs and ran for two scores.

Carr was almost flawless in a 47-10 win against Carolina. He completed 19 of 23 for 200 yards and three TDs.

Now, those who performed well have to stay consistent. That’s their challenge.

AP Pro Football Writers Josh Dubow and Mark Long contributed.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) loses his helmet as he is hit by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry III sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy" Combs faces federal charges in New York, his lawyer said late Monday.

Details of the charges weren't immediately announced by prosecutors, but Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, issued a statement saying: “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

He added that Combs had gone to New York last week in anticipation of the charges being brought.

“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo said.

Criminal charges would be a major but not unexpected takedown of one of the most prominent producers and most famous names in the history of hip-hop.

The federal investigation of the 58-year-old Combs was revealed when Homeland Security Investigations agents served simultaneous search warrants and raided Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25.

His defense attorney Aaron Dyer the day after the raids called them “a gross use of military-level force,” said the allegations were “meritless,” and said Combs was “innocent and will continue to fight" to clear his name.

Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, was at the center of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s as the partner and producer of the Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997. But like many of those who survived the era, his public image had softened with age into a genteel host of parties in Hollywood and the Hamptons, a fashion-forward businessman, and a doting father who spoiled his kids, some of whom lost their mother in 2018.

But a different image began emerging in November, when his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for sexual abuse with stories of a steady stream of sex workers in drug-fueled settings where some of those involved were coerced or cajoled into sex.

In her November lawsuit, Cassie alleged years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Her suit also alleged Combs engaged in sex trafficking by “requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions” and by engaging in “harboring and transportation of Plaintiff for purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion.” It also said he compelled her to help him traffic male sex workers Combs would force Cassie to have sex with while he filmed.

The suit was settled settled the following day, but its reverberations would last far longer. Combs lost lingering allies, supporters and those reserving judgment when CNN in May aired a leaked video of him punching Cassie, kicking her and throwing her on the floor in a hotel hallway.

The following day, in his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the stream of allegations began, Combs posted a social media video apologizing, saying “I was disgusted when I did it” and “I’m disgusted now.” Cassie’s lawsuit was followed by at least a half-dozen others in the ensuing months.

In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.

Another woman who filed a lawsuit, April Lampos, said she was a college student in 1994 when she met Combs and a series of “terrifying sexual encounters” with Combs and those around him began that lasted for years.

Combs and his attorneys denied nearly all of the lawsuits’ allegations.

While authorities did not publicly say that the lawsuits set off the criminal investigation, Dyer said when the warrants were served that the case was based on “meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

The AP does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie and Lampros did.

As the founder of Bad Boy Records, Combs became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades Along with the Notorious B.I.G. he worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.

Combs’ roles in his businesses beyond music — including lucrative private-label spirits, a media company and the Sean John Fashion line — took major hits when the allegations arose.

The consequences were even greater when the leaked beating video emerged. Howard University cut ties with him, and he returned his key to the city of New York at the request of the mayor.

FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the LA Premiere of "The Four: Battle For Stardom" at the CBS Radford Studio Center on May 30, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)