Across the Shield: Emeka Egbuka Scores Twice in NFL Debut, Nick Bosa Makes A Game-Winning Strip Sack and Justin Fields Shines in New York Jets Premiere

We recap all the best and most notable Week 1 performances from pro Buckeyes in Across the Shield, Eleven Warriors’ weekly roundup of how former Ohio State players performed throughout the NFL.

Egbuka scores twice in debut

It didn’t take Emeka Egbuka long to join the long list of former Ohio State wide receivers who are now stars in the NFL.

In his very first regular-season game, Egbuka scored two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season-opening 23-20 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Egbuka’s first NFL reception was also his first NFL touchdown as he scored a 30-yard touchdown on a downfield throw from Baker Mayfield in the second quarter.

2 for 6 on our first touchdown of Season 50

: #TBvsATL on FOX pic.twitter.com/6ofWYLIhSy

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 7, 2025

Then, with the Buccaneers trailing by three points and needing a late score to win, Ohio State’s all-time receptions leader hauled in a deep ball in the middle of the end zone – one that looked a bit reminiscent of his touchdown catch against Oregon in the Rose Bowl – for a 25-yard touchdown with just 59 seconds to play.

Make that for @EgbukaEmeka

: #TBvsATL on FOX pic.twitter.com/17FJYxyE4v

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 7, 2025

That touchdown proved to be the game-winning score for the Bucs when Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo missed wide right on what would have been a game-tying 44-yard field goal in the game’s final seconds.

Much like Egbuka told Will Howard and Ohio State’s coaches the play they should run before Howard’s national championship-clinching deep ball to Jeremiah Smith against Notre Dame, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans said Egbuka told the huddle the play they should run on the game-winner.

“Right before he caught that last touchdown, he like called it. He wanted a post route. He said, ‘I’m about to game one.’” Evans told JoeBucsFan.com after the game. “We were in the huddle and (Egbuka) said we need to run this certain play and I’m going to game (the cornerback). And I was just like, ‘Maybe we do need to run it.’ And then literally he runs the post and touchdown, next play.”

Egbuka became just the second player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to catch a game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute of his first career NFL game. He was the first player since former Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson in 2022 to catch two touchdown passes in his NFL debut.

In recognition of those accomplishments, which came on a day that Egbuka caught four total passes for 67 yards and also had a 9-yard run, Egbuka earns our first Pro Buck of the Week award of the season as Ohio State’s top NFL performer in Week 1.

Bosa makes game-winning strip sack

Emeka Egbuka wasn’t the only Buckeye to make a game-winning play as part of a big day in Week 1.

With the Seattle Seahawks at the 9-yard line and attempting to score a go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute to play, former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa secured a season-opening 17-13 win for the San Francisco 49ers by strip-sacking Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and recovering the fumble himself.

: FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/pC6aXVFZ3O

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 7, 2025

Bosa was a difference-maker throughout the game, recording six tackles with three tackles for loss, tied for the second-most among all NFL players in Week 1.

One of those tackles for loss came against former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who also lost a fumble at the start of the fourth quarter. That said, Smith-Njigba still finished Week 1 with the third-most receiving yards of any NFL receiver as he caught nine passes for 124 yards, including a 40-yard catch that put the Seahawks in scoring position before Darnold’s fumble.

Someone hit rewind.

: FOX pic.twitter.com/Jwb6at6Dm3

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 7, 2025

Fields shines in Jets debut

Reunited with three of his former Ohio State teammates, Justin Fields showed vintage form in his first game as a New York Jet.

Facing his likely final opportunity to establish himself as an NFL starting quarterback, Fields looked the part of a franchise quarterback as he completed 16 of 22 passing attempts for 218 yards and a touchdown while also running for 48 yards and two touchdowns.

Seven of his 16 completions went to fellow Buckeye alum Garrett Wilson, who had 95 receiving yards and caught Fields’ first touchdown pass as a Jet on a beautiful deep ball from 33 yards out.

first TD of the season goes to...G5

: #PITvsNYJ on CBS, @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/GZqLU0sY4g

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 7, 2025

another angle of Justin Fields' first TD with the Jets just dropped pic.twitter.com/31c9vg2wzE

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 8, 2025

Fields was one of four Buckeye starters on the Jets’ offense in Week 1 as Jeremy Ruckert caught two passes for 16 yards while Josh Myers snapped the ball to Fields in his first game as the Jets’ new center.

"it was like 2019 all over again"

Josh Myers on playing on the same team as Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson since at @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/VCb2LuLBX4

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 8, 2025

Fields’ 264 total yards and three total touchdowns weren’t quite enough for a win against his former team, as the Jets defense allowed Aaron Rodgers – who went from the Jets to the Steelers this offseason – to throw for four touchdowns and lead Pittsburgh to a 34-32 win. Fields made a questionable decision on the Jets’ final offensive play, throwing a pass to Wilson that led him into a big hit by Jalen Ramsey and a game-ending pass breakup when he could have run for a 4th-and-3 conversion, but overall, there were far more positives than negatives to take away from Fields’ individual performance in his first game as a Jet.

“He did an outstanding job,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said after the game. “Outstanding.”

Marv starts year two strong

While Marvin Harrison Jr.’s rookie season fell a bit short of expectations, the former Ohio State star looked ready to be a top-flight NFL receiver in his first game of his sophomore season.

Harrison made five catches for 71 yards in the Arizona Cardinals’ 20-13 win over the New Orleans Saints, including a 45-yard deep-ball grab over Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.

K1 with the dime to Marv

CBS pic.twitter.com/63ksCBz2lG

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 7, 2025

He finished off that drive with his first touchdown catch of the season.

ah, we missed Marvin Harrison Jr. touchdowns

CBS pic.twitter.com/8LEppSJxjn

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 7, 2025

Dobbins scores in Broncos debut

J.K. Dobbins made an immediate impact in his first game as a Denver Bronco after signing with the Broncos as a free agent this offseason.

The former Ohio State running back ran for 63 yards on 16 carries in the Broncos’ season opener against the Tennessee Titans, including a 19-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that turned a one-point lead into an eight-point advantage that held for the final score in Denver’s 20-12 win.

First TD in the orange & blue.

: FOX | @Jkdobbins22 pic.twitter.com/y94pdLRngV

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 7, 2025

Quick Hits

• Malik Hooker (Dallas Cowboys) and Pete Werner (Saints) each led their respective teams with nine tackles in their Week 1 losses.
• Chris Olave briefly left the Saints’ loss to the Cardinals with a chest injury after taking a hard hit from former Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, but was able to return to the game. He finished his season opener with seven catches for 54 yards.
• Cody Simon suffered a concussion in kickoff coverage in his NFL debut and did not return in the Cardinals’ win.
• Cade Stover broke his foot in the Houston Texans’ season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Rams after catching four passes for 22 yards.
• Jamarco Jones will miss the entire 2025 season with an ankle injury he suffered in practice last week, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Monday.

Week 1 Stats

Stats for every Buckeye who played in Week 1 can be found in the table below compiled by Eleven Warriors researcher Matt Gutridge. The table only includes players who were on active rosters for Week 1 and does not include players who started their college careers at Ohio State but transferred elsewhere.