After a preseason that was shaky at best, Chris Weinke turned in the most stunning performance of Week 1, leading the Carolina Panthers to a 24-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings. When Weinke was named Carolina's starter it seemed to be by default, rather than based on Weinke's preseason play. However, the 29-year-old rookie showed that he is fully capable of handling a starting job in the NFL.

	Chris Weinke reacts after rushing for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of Sunday's victory over the Vikings.

Weinke, who grew up in St. Paul, Minn., came home to lead the Panthers' upset of the Vikings at the Metrodome.

"I don't know if it gets any better than this," Weinke told the Charlotte Observer. "Obviously, I was very excited when I was told I was going to get the opportunity to start my first game and see my family and friends. And, now with a whole lot of hard work, this team gets a victory to start the season off the right way."

Weinke threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad midway through the third quarter and ran for a touchdown in the fourth when the Vikings had closed to within four points.

"I felt so well-prepared for this game," Weinke said. "The coaching staff put us in a comfortable situation. I felt more nerves before a lot of college games than this one."

Each Tuesday from now until the end of the regular season, ESPN.com will hand out its report card on how the new kids are doing. Here's a look at how some of the league's most intriguing rookies fared during Week 1:

PLAYER, STATS	THE SKINNY
Quincy Carter, QB, Cowboys vs. T.B. 9-19, 34 yds. 2 INTs 5 att., 13 yds.	Carter, the first rookie quarterback to start for Dallas since Troy Aikman in 1989, struggled in his regular-season debut. Carter fumbled once and also threw two interceptions, finishing 9-of-19 for only 34 yards and rushing for 13 yards on five carries. "I felt great during the game and I feel great now," Carter said afterward. "It's hard in the NFL. I don't think Troy came out and had success in his first year. You just have to learn from your mistakes and keep going."
Todd Heap, TE, Ravens vs. Chi 5 rec., 57 yds.	The first regular-season game for Heap was a success. The tight end out of Arizona State had five catches for 57 yards in the Ravens' 17-6 win over the Chicago Bears. "He had a good opening game for us," coach Brian Billick told the Baltimore Sun. "He's going to make opponents rethink what they do." Heap did make one rookie mistake when he failed to get out of bounds with 29 seconds left in the first half and the Ravens driving. The Ravens were forced to use a timeout. "That was a mistake," Heap said. "You need to get out of bounds and stop the clock in that situation. That's something that slipped my mind. You play and you learn. Fortunately, I was able to make that next catch and make something happen, and we were able to score.
Nick Goings, RB, Panthers at Min 25 att., 86 yds.	Goings, an undrafted rookie, took over for an ineffective Tim Biakabutuka and rushed 25 times for 86 yards. Goings entered the game after Biakabutuka fumbled the ball at the Minnesota 2-yard line through the end zone for a touchback. Seifert hasn't said who will start this weekend against the Patriots. The Panthers could go with Biakabutuka or Goings. Another possibility is Richard Huntley, who missed the preseason schedule and the opener with a hamstring injury.
Marvin Minnis, WR, Chiefs vs. Oak 1 rec., 30 yds. 1 TD	The Florida State product made one of the most spectacular plays of the day with a diving 30-yard catch in the end zone. His touchdown with 1:21 left tied the score at 24-24. "When you're playing your first (NFL) game, you're just trying to do what you can to help the team," Minnis told the Kansas City Star. "I wasn't really thinking about anything else or trying to be a hero." Unfortunately for Minnis, that was his only catch of the game and the Chiefs eventually lost on a Sebastian Janikowski field goal.
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers vs. Was 36 att., 113 yds. 2 TDs	Tomlinson's first game was everything the Chargers could have imagined when they drafted him fifth overall last April. Tomlinson ran for 113 yards on 36 carries and scored two touchdowns, becoming San Diego's first 100-yard rusher in 17 games. "I knew my job was to come in and run the football," Tomlinson said. "I knew Norv (Turner, the Chargers' new offensive coordinator) was going to give it to me and give me the opportunity. I knew I had to step up to the challenge whether I was ready or not. I made myself ready before camp." Tomlinson's 36 carries were the most by a Chargers rookie and tied for third-highest in team history.
Michael Vick, QB, Falcons at S.F. 0-4 2 att., 32 yds.	The debut of Vick was a mixed bag. He struggled throwing the football. However, he showed his explosiveness, rushing for 32 yards on two carries -- including a 25-yard keeper. "I would always like to play more, but I'm not the starter," Vick said. "I'm the backup. I just tried to throw (the 49ers) off a little bit." Vick entered the game for the first time on the Falcons' second offensive series, overthrowing receivers with his first two NFL passes.
Gerard Warren, DT, Browns vs. Sea 1 sack	Warren recorded his first career sack, a 10-yard loss that forced a punt in the Browns' 9-6 defeat to the Seahawks. He also batted down a pass and finished the game with five tackles. Coach Butch Davis told the Akron Beacon-Journal that Warren "really played good for a rookie coming in for his first time."

Peter Lawrence-Riddell is the assistant NFL editor for ESPN.com.