Pro Blue: Aidan Hutchinson made his presence felt in Week 1, and other notable NFL performances

The NFL season kicked off last week, and with the start of the new season comes plenty of former Wolverines taking the field, with several players making their regular season debuts.

Every week here at Maize n Brew, we’ll be recapping how your favorite former Wolverines did in that past week of NFL games. This week, we kick off the recap with one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league.

Aidan Hutchinson has career-night in season debut

Fresh off his first Pro Bowl nod, former Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson made his presence felt in Week 1, helping the Detroit Lions win in overtime in a primetime match-up.

Hutchinson practically rented a two-bedroom condo in the Rams’ backfield, putting up a career-high 11 pressures according to Pro Football Focus. He finished with six hurries, four quarterback hits, five tackles, including one tackle for loss, and a sack on the final play of regulation to stop Matthew Stafford from getting off a Hail Mary attempt.

In that same game, Hutchinson’s teammate, offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, helped the Lions rush for 163 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

On the other side of the field, Blake Corum suited up and was on the field for nine plays on special teams, but he didn’t record a snap at running back.

Zach Charbonnet finds the end zone

In a win over the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet found the end zone, scoring on a 30-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

Charbonnet also recorded 12 rushing yards and eight attempts. He was the only Wolverine to find the end zone in Week 1.

In that same game, edge Mike Morris recorded two tackles.

David Ojabo records key sack on Opening Night

Hutchinson’s former college teammate, David Ojabo, also recorded a sack in Week 1, forcing the Chiefs to punt late in the first quarter in the opening game of the season.

Ojabo’s pro career has gotten off to a slow start because of bad injury luck, with the linebacker tearing his Achilles at his Pro Day in 2022 and partially tearing his ACL last season. Hopefully he can stay healthy this season.

In that same game, Chiefs edge Mike Danna recorded four tackles.

Collins balls out in Week 1

Nico Collins had a big day for the Houston Texans, leading his team in catches (six) and receiving yards (117), including an amazing third-down catch that pretty much clinched the win in Indianapolis.

Coming off a career year in an electric offense, it’s clear he’s the go-to target for former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, even with other quality receiving options in Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs.

In that same game, Indianapolis edge Kwity Paye recorded two tackles and his first sack of the season. This may have been the most impressive play by a former Wolverine, as he essentially used one extended arm to push the offensive tackle into Stroud.

Other notable performances

-Jake Moody got the season started off on the right foot (literally), making all six of his field goal attempts, including a long of 53 yards, and both extra points to score 20 of San Francisco’s 32 points in a win on Monday Night Football over the New York Jets. The six made field goals tied a franchise record for a single game.

-Saints center Cesar Ruiz was part of an offensive line that helped New Orleans rush for 180 yards and two scores in a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers. That unit only allowed one sack on the day.

-In a win over the New York Giants, Vikings safety Josh Metellus recorded four tackles, a pass defensed and a quarterback hit. His excellent coverage led to this pick by Daniel Jones.

In that same game, Jon Runyan Jr. was part of an offensive line unit that rushed for 74 yards and allowed five sacks. Not an ideal start to the season.

-In his NFL debut, playing under Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Junior Colson recorded four tackles and a pass defensed.

-In a loss to the New England Patriots, safety Dax Hill was the second-leading tackler for the Cincinnati Bengals, posting eight tackles and a sack (3:08 in this video). He did have a few key missed tackles in this one.

In that same game, Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II recorded a solo tackle. On the other sideline, Jabrill Peppers was the second-leading tackler for the Patriots with six.

-In his NFL debut, Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil was the third-leading tackler in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mikey logged six tackles, five of them solo.

-Packers linebacker Rashan Gary also recorded a sack in Week 1, but it happened on a play where the Eagles offensive line all stopped because they were waiting for an offsides call.

In that same game, Brandon Graham — the longest-tenured former Wolverine in the NFL — recorded a sack. Eagles guard Trevor Keegan was listed as inactive.

-In his NFL debut, Tennessee Titans linebacker Jaylen Harrell recorded a tackle.

-In a win over the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis recorded five tackles.