Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season has delivered clutch moments across the league with established stars and breakout names sealing comebacks and turning shut video games into blowouts.
However just one participant could be “him.”
Forward of this season’s “Monday Night time Soccer” debut between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, it is time to determine who earned it.
This week’s nominees for ESPN’s “Himmy” Award are:
Already made up your thoughts? Cast your vote here. Want a refresher first? Hold studying for every candidate’s case, then make it official.
Stats to know: 33-of-46, 394 yards, 2 TDs; 14 carries, 30 yards, 2 TDs
Trailing 40-25 with 5 minutes left, Buffalo appeared to be heading to a home-opening loss towards the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night time.
However Allen authored the comeback, engineering three late scoring drives, capped off by Matt Prater‘s 32-yard area purpose for the 41-40 win. Allen posted a career-best 251 fourth-quarter passing yards plus two speeding touchdowns to develop into the primary participant since at the least 1978 with 250 passing yards and two speeding scores in any single quarter.
Stats to know: 22-of-30, 244 yards, 4 TDs
Rodgers led Pittsburgh to a 34-32 win over the Jets with a composed, four-touchdown efficiency in his Steelers debut. Two of these scores got here inside a 50-second span within the second half.
Down 32-31 with simply over three minutes remaining, Rodgers moved the offense into Jets territory, aided by an 11-yard tip-drill catch by DK Metcalf. That collection arrange Chris Boswell‘s go-ahead, career-long 60-yard area purpose with 1:03 left.
In the long run, Rodgers prevented turnovers, hit key throws and closed out a late win towards his former staff.
Stats to know: 4 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TDs
Drafted nineteenth as Ohio State’s profession receptions chief, Egbuka stamped his rookie debut with a late winner.
With 1:04 left and Tampa Bay trailing the Atlanta Falcons 20-17, the first-round wideout spoke up in the huddle, bought the look he needed and pulled within the recreation’s deciding landing — his second rating of the day.
Per Elias, he is solely the second participant for the reason that 1970 merger to catch a go-ahead landing within the last minute (or OT) of an NFL debut. To make Egbuka’s feat much more spectacular, the throw from Baker Mayfield carried only a 24.9% completion chance, his least seemingly completion of the sport, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats.
Stats to know: 22-of-29, 272 yards, 1 TD; 7 carries, 26 yards, 2 TDs
Jones gave Indianapolis the opener it wanted. Sharp and environment friendly, he ran for 2 touchdowns, threw for one more and powered a 33-8 rout of the Miami Dolphins — snapping the NFL’s longest energetic Week 1 skid (11 straight) and giving the Colts their first 1-0 begin since 2013.
It additionally marked Jones’ first win as a beginning quarterback since Oct. 6 final yr.
ESPN Analysis contributed to this story.
