COUSINS SOLID, KEENUM STRUGGLES
The NFL is back with the first full slate of
preseason games. How did the rookies look? What about players
returning from injury? Here's the biggest takeaway for each team.
In the battle for the No. 2 quarterback job behind Philip Rivers, Geno Smith appeared
to seize control by completing 14 of 23 passes for 218 yards, including a
47-yard strike to receiver Geremy Davis.
However, Smith lost a fumble and threw an interception off a tipped pass
intended for Davis. Cardale Jones started
the game and had an uneven performance, finishing 6-of-12 for 50 yards, with no
touchdowns and no interceptions. Jones was sacked once, posting a 61.1 passer
rating. Second-year running back Austin Ekeler showed
his rookie season wasn’t a fluke, finishing with 64 yards from scrimmage,
including a 39-yard reception and 20-yard run.
The Cardinals' first possession, with the No. 1 offense,
could hardly have gone any better. After rookie Christian
Kirk returned a punt 38 yards, running back David Johnson --
in his first game action since a dislocated wrist ended his 2017 season --
broke off back-to-back 14-yard runs. With the run working well,
quarterback Sam Bradford,
coming off a knee injury that limited him to two games last season, threw just
two passes and completed one (the first was canceled out by a penalty).
Rookie Chase Edmonds did
the rest, scoring the game's first touchdown with a gritty effort on
fourth-and-goal. Coach Steve Wilks has emphasized the run game as a big part of
the Cardinals' offensive identity. He had to be pleased with what his first
unit did in limited action.
Kirk Cousins looked
sharp in his preseason debut. Roc Thomas made
his case for the No. 3 running back job with two touchdowns. The pieces of the
Vikings offense are coming together, but the offensive line continues to be a
work in progress. Aside from left tackle Riley Reiff,
who left the game after the first drive with Cousins, the Vikings got a chance
to see how the rest of the first-team offensive line would respond with more
in-game reps. Right guard Danny Isidora was
the strongest performer up front, and it will be interesting to see if the
Vikings choose to try him at left guard. Tom Compton and Hill
struggled against the pass rush but looked good for the most part as
run-blockers. Aviante
Collins, who took over at left tackle when Reiff’s night was done,
also played a bulk of the game at left guard and will add depth
The Broncos' struggles on offense by the first and second
team in the preseason opener can't, and shouldn't, be ignored. They finished
the first half with 61 yards and one first down. They had a false-start penalty
on their second snap of the game and quarterback Case Keenum completed
one pass in a two-series cameo. In his third season, Paxton Lynch had
a particularly difficult night as he finished his seven possessions over the
first, second and third quarters with 6-of-11 passing for 24 yards and an
interception. Broncos fans were chanting No. 3 quarterback Chad Kelly's
name during a fourth-quarter touchdown drive.
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Since the offense was nothing to talk about, with Julio Jones and Devonta
Freeman sitting out and rookie Calvin Ridley losing
2 yards on just one catch, let's talk defense. Second-year DB Damontae
Kazee, a backup at nickelback and free safety, had 10 tackles in the
first half. He was all over the field making plays despite being flagged once
for lowering the helmet. Kazee's performance showed the kind of depth and
position versatility the Falcons have established throughout the roster.
The Jets' quarterback competition went from warm to hot,
as Sam Darnold announced
his arrival with a strong debut. Showing no sign of opening-night jitters, the
rookie looked smooth in two-plus quarters. It was all their -- pocket presence,
accuracy and mobility. He also threw accurately on the run. He completed 13 of
18 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. And no turnovers. His biggest hiccup
was missing an open receiver on a go route. Teddy
Bridgewater also played well. So where does the QB competition
stand? Darnold is trending toward the starting job. So is Bridgewater, but he
could be trade bait
When it mattered in the first half, Detroit failed to create
any pressure on Oakland's quarterbacks. Yes, the Lions were without Ezekiel Ansah and
defenses don't exactly blitz much or bring any exotic calls in the preseason,
but the lack of any disruption in the Raiders' backfield is a major cause for
concern. It also confirms one of the bigger holes on the roster following
Detroit's 2018 offseason. The Lions should be better once Ansah comes back. The
Lions should have some concerns considering the lack of a pass rush or interior
rush pressure was a big-time concern throughout 2017.
Maybe the game has not passed Jon Gruden by after nine years
in ESPN’s Monday Night Football booth after all. Gruden, who is running the
Raiders' offense, looked completely in touch with an attack that looked
light-years better than last season’s unimaginative approach. Sure, there were
dinks and dunks aplenty, but, as ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick said; there
were actual offensive concepts at play, as opposed to last year. And Gruden’s
questioned second-round pick, defensive tackle P.J. Hall from
Sam Houston State, showed up in a big way with a sack and a batted pass in his
first two NFL series.
THURSDAY'S GAMES
The preseason opener deepens the quarterback intrigue
behind Ben
Roethlisberger. Josh Dobbs looks
ready to make things interesting after showcasing his big arm on a touchdown
strike to camp standout Damoun
Patterson. Mason Rudolph appeared
in control of the offense and made some solid throws but couldn't find the end
zone and struggled with ball security, a theme for him early in training
camp. Landry Jones is
very much the leader for the top backup job unless it's taken from him over the
final three weeks.
Eagles rookie tight end Dallas Goedert continues
to look the part. He had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in the
preseason opener. He has had a strong training camp as well. If Goedert stays
on this track, Coach Doug Pederson is going to find a role for the second-round
pick out of South Dakota State.
While rookie quarterback Josh Allen continued
to show flashes in his preseason debut Thursday, he did not seem ready to
leapfrog Peterman or AJ McCarron as
the starter. Peterman went 9-for-9 for 119 yards and a touchdown to open the
game before an interception, and McCarron went 7-for-10 for 116 yards in the
second quarter. The Bills do not want to rush Allen's development and neither
McCarron nor Peterman gave them a reason to Thursday night.
A solid first test for the Carolina quarterbacks as new
offensive coordinator Norv Turner attempts to make Cam Newton into
a more efficient player and find a young backup capable of winning. Newton,
with a career 58.5 completion percentage, completed 66.6 percent of his pass
attempts and engineered a scoring drive. Garrett
Gilbert and Taylor
Heinicke combined for the same percentage in the win at
Buffalo.
Aside from a Kyle Fuller pick-six
that came after Bengals receiver John Ross slipped,
there wasn't much to write home about. The first-team offense looked out of
sorts as Mitchell
Trubisky -- 2-for-4 for 4 yards -- was sacked once in two
series of work. Aside from Fuller's highlight, the defense struggled to make
much noise as the Bengals moved up and down the field with relative ease early.
First-year head coach Matt Nagy has plenty of things to show his players on
tape as they head into next week's game in Denver.
There's a lot to like about this Bengals offense. Outside of
an Andy Dalton pick-six
that could be attributed to John Ross slipping
on his route, the first-team offense impressed. Joe Mixon broke
two tackles and spun around for a touchdown, A.J. Green was
his usual impressive self, and young receivers Ross, Tyler Boyd and Josh Malone showed
there's potential to right the ship after being one of the worst offenses in
the league last year.
After not missing a single extra point attempt all last
year, kicker Chandler
Catanzaro missed a PAT in the Bucs' preseason opener against
the Dolphins. A 53-yard attempt in the fourth quarter also sailed wide right,
but he did manage to make 26- and 27-yard attempts. He has been consistent in
practice, but given that the Bucs have had a revolving door at the position --
including three kickers last year -- it's concerning
Playing in his first game since Dec. 11, 2016,
quarterback Ryan
Tannehill completed 4 of 6 passes for 32 yards. He played only
one series, but he looked confident and functionally mobile. Most important, he
came out healthy, and protection held up. A step in the right direction.
The Browns have themselves some quarterbacks. Plural. No. 1
overall pick Baker
Mayfield was impressive, showing playmaking ability in and out
of the pocket while completing 11 of 20 passes for 212 yards and two
touchdowns. He displayed nice touch, command and instincts. Mayfield is
obviously the Browns' future, but current starter Tyrod Taylor also
had a strong outing. Taylor completed all five of his passes for 99 yards and a
touchdown. Coach Hue Jackson is going to have a decision. It's really a matter
of when he turns to Mayfield, not if.
Saquon
Barkley needed just one play in Thursday's preseason opener to
show what he can add to the Giants' offense. His 39-yard run on his first carry
put his elusiveness (he avoided three tackles) and big-play ability on full
display. That should have Coach Pat Shurmur scheming and make the Giants'
offense scary, especially when Barkley eventually gets on the field in Week 1
with Odell Beckham
Jr., who did not play Thursday.
The backup QBs took center stage in New Orleans' preseason
opener while Drew Brees took
the night off. Veteran newcomer Tom Savage was
just OK as he started and completed a conservative 10 of 14 passes for 70 yards
with no touchdowns or interceptions. Second-year pro Taysom Hill was
more dynamic, completing 8 of 9 passes for 72 yards and running seven times for
52 yards and a TD. But he started a little shaky and might have relied on his
legs a little too much.
The Jaguars traded for QB Cody Kessler in
March to back up Blake Bortles and
they have to feel pretty good about that move tonight. Kessler went 14-of-17
for 139 yards and a TD. Bortles has been durable, but not having the
experienced Chad Henne was
a gamble. This team is built to make a Super Bowl run and now they should feel
a lot better if Bortles were to miss extended time
The Redskins couldn't hold onto a 17-0 lead. But that's
irrelevant to individual performances by their young players in particular.
Running back Derrius Guice and
nose tackle Tim Settle in
particular jumped out, and receivers Maurice
Harris and Robert Davis had
moments. So, too, did linebacker Shaun Dion
Hamilton, corners Greg Stroman and Danny Johnson,
and safety Kenny Ladler.
However, it'll be injury updates to Guice and defensive end Matt
Ioannidis that will determine the success or failure of their
preseason opener.
No Tom Brady,
no Rob
Gronkowski and no sign of the Patriots that have been a
perennial Super Bowl contender in Thursday night's preseason opener against
Washington. With Brady and Gronkowski among those getting the night off, the
offense was led by Brian Hoyer and
it struggled mightily in the first half, with Bill Belichick saying there was
about 38 seconds of good football. The biggest bright spot was running
back Jeremy Hill,
who increased his chances to make the team over Mike
Gillislee. Meanwhile, the defense looked similar to the last time it
took the field in the Super Bowl, as a lack of speed showed up, and showed that
the unit has a lot of work to do.
Jared Goff and Todd Gurley wore
sweats on the sideline during the Rams' loss. Sean McVay elected to sit not
only his top playmakers, but his entire starting lineup (with the exception of
right guard Jamon Brown,
outside linebacker Samson Ebukam and
specialists) in the preseason opener. After two joint practices with the Ravens
earlier in the week, McVay said he wanted to avoid the risk of injuries. But
the backups struggled -- especially on offense. Sean Mannion played
the first half (3-for-13 for 16 yards, INT), and Brandon Allen (10-for-15
for 73 yards, TD) in the second. The biggest bright spot came from the running
back position, where second-year pro Justin Davis and
rookie John Kelly are
competing for the No. 3 spot. Both looked sharp and Kelly broke for a 40-yard
run late in the game. The defense appeared out of sync as it gave up 403 total
yards.
Ravens first-round pick Lamar Jackson looked
more comfortable than in his NFL debut a week ago, leading Baltimore to scores
on half of his eight drives against the Rams (three field goals and one
touchdown). His best play was a highlight-reel, 9-yard run in which he faked
out two Rams defenders to reach the end zone. Jackson still needs to be more
consistent with his throws. He completed 7 of 18 passes (39 percent) for 119
yards. But the Ravens have to be pleased with how Jackson limited his mistakes.
This was a solid step forward for Jackson, who is looking to beat out Robert
Griffin III to become Joe Flacco's
backup for the start of the regular season.
Quarterback Deshaun
Watson played for the first time since he tore his ACL in early
November. He played only one series and completed one pass for 4 yards, but he
achieved the most important goal for the Texans: exiting the game without an
injury.
Any concern over what the Chiefs might get this season from
their cornerbacks won't be eased by the game against the Texans. Houston's
backup quarterback, Brandon
Weeden, was 9-of-11 for 97 yards and two touchdowns, some of that
work coming against Kansas City's starters. Third corner David Amerson had
a particularly rough game. He had two penalties against a backup, Sammie Coates.
One was for holding and the other for pass interference that went for 27 yards.
The Chiefs lost five of their top six cornerbacks from last year in terms of
playing time. The most notable loss was their top corner, Marcus Peters,
who was traded to the Rams.
Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur's debut with Marcus
Mariota at QB was a success. Mariota's only drive featured five
runs (one by Mariota) and three passes. The Titans scored easily, going 71
yards in eight plays. They'll look to carry the momentum into joint practices
before next week's game vs. Tampa Bay.
There wasn't much that could be learned about the Packers'
new-look defense -- not with seven potential starters sitting out and with new
coordinator Mike Pettine rarely blitzing, so the biggest takeaway had to be the
play of the backup quarterbacks. Brett Hundley showed
heretofore unseen deep-ball accuracy, hitting Davante Adams in
stride for a 48-yard play, and made quicker decisions on the way to a 9-of-14,
108-yard, one-touchdown, one-interception (that wasn't completely his fault)
night. Likewise, DeShone Kizer looked
more comfortable in his two drives, giving the Packers hope that Aaron Rodgers'
backups have improved. Even undrafted rookie QB Tim Boyle threw
a pair of TD passes.
All eyes were on quarterback Andrew Luck in
the preseason opener -- his first game since Week 17 of the 2016 season. There
were more glimpses than actual eye-opening plays out of Luck against the
Seahawks, though. Luck was 6-of-9 for 64 yards in two series that ended with
field goals. The most important thing to come out of Thursday was that Luck
entered and departed the game without having any issues with his surgically
repaired right shoulder.
What a boost it would be if rookies Rasheem Green (third
round) and Jake Martin (sixth)
can provide some pass-rush the way they did in the team's preseason opener.
Green (1.5 sacks) is expected to play quite a bit in a rotational role,
including as an interior rusher in passing situations. Martin (half sack) has
had a nice start to camp and is looking like more and more of a good bet to
make the team. With Michael
Bennett and Cliff Avril gone,
and Dion Jordan out
indefinitely because of a leg injury, the biggest question mark on Seattle's
defense is who aside from Frank Clark can
generate pressure. The Seahawks should feel encouraged by what they saw from
Green and Martin as well as veteran Barkevious
Mingo, who had a sack as well.
In eight padded practices of training camp, the Cowboys'
offense struggled to make big plays in the passing game, so when Michael
Gallup ran under a Dak Prescott deep
ball for a 30-yard score on the quarterback's only drive, it was a much-needed
positive. The Cowboys will have to come up with big plays through the air in
the regular season to keep defenses honest with how much work Ezekiel
Elliott will get running the ball. Prescott has the arm
strength for the deep ball but he needs to be more consistent with the
placement. The receivers have to do a better job giving him space to land the
ball outside, too.
There's nothing more important in a preseason game than
coming out of it as healthy as possible, at least when it comes to your
starters. To that end, the 49ers had something of a disastrous night. Despite
planning to play their starters for only a series or two, the Niners watched as
three projected starters and two key backups departed with various ailments.
Linebacker Malcolm Smith (hamstring),
tight end George Kittle (shoulder),
defensive lineman Solomon
Thomas (head), running back Matt Breida (shoulder)
and tackle Garry Gilliam (head)
left because of injuries and did not return. The extent of those injuries
remains to be seen, but it's still alarming to see so many of them this early,
especially given how many health issues the 49ers dealt with last season.
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