Wednesday 9th August
Houston Texans 17 Carolina Panthers 27
Thursday 10th August
Atlanta Falcons 20 Miami Dolphins 23
Minnesota Vikings 17 Buffalo Bills 10
Jacksonville Jaguars 31 New England Patriots 24
Washington Redskins 3 Baltimore Ravens 23
New Orlean Saints 14 Cleveland Browns 20
Denver Broncos 24 Chicago Bears 17
Philadelphia Eagles 9 Green Bay Packers 24
What we learned from Thursday's preseason games
By Gregg Rosenthal
Around The NFL Editor
Trevor Siemian took another step toward winning the starting job in Denver. Mitchell Trubisky did his best to ignite a quarterback battle in Chicago. In Cleveland, confusion remains on top of the depth chart.
On the first heavy night of action this preseason with seven games, there was thankfully a scarcity of major injuries and plenty of opportunity for overreaction. Here are the stories that should stick, starting with all the quarterback intrigue:
1. Siemian looked like a competent, unspectacular starter as usual for his three drives Thursday night, completing 6-of-7 passes for 51 yards. The Broncos quarterback's only incompletion came on a nice deep throw that Emmanuel Sanders couldn't come down with. While Siemian hardly lit up the scoreboard, he made quick, smart decisions with the ball.
Paxton Lynch, on the other hand, repeatedly held on to the ball too long and misfired on a few open throws. He was lucky to avoid a fumble on one scramble. His final stats didn't look that much different than Siemian, but he only led the Broncos to three first downs in four drives.
This uninspiring "Siemian wins by default" storyline mirrors the reports coming out of training camp. It was a dark enough night that reporters asked coach Vance Joseph if little-known third-stringer Kyle Sloter is a legitimate option to start. Lynch will need a big performance when he starts next week or Siemian figures to start getting all the starting reps in practice.
2. Mitchell Trubisky was Thursday night's biggest winner. Sure, he was facing third-string Broncos defenders who were only playing man coverage. But a few of his pinpoint throws on the run and one third-and-17 conversion from the pocket with pressure in his face were impressive no matter the scenario.
The Bears didn't score a point, gaining only four first downs in six drives with Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez running the show. Glennon threw an ugly pick-six on his first drive, his lack of pocket presence notable when he threw a pass while getting hit. Trubisky, meanwhile, led the Bears on a two-minute touchdown drive in his first NFL action. He led the Bears to 17 points and 14 first downs on his first three drives before stalling some in the fourth quarter.
If nothing else, this result should inspire coach John Fox to eventually stop wasting second-team snaps on Sanchez. Glennon remains a strong bet to start Week 1, but every positive Trubisky performance will increase public pressure and eat into Glennon's regular season job security.
"Our depth chart is not going to change after one game, particularly a preseason game," John Fox said after the game in the most John Fox way possible.
3. Thursday night started with Brock Osweiler getting his chance to grab the Browns' starting quarterback job. It ended with rookie DeShone Kizer completing a pair of Roethlisbergeriffic vertical throws to lead the Browns to a victory. Kizer showed great pocket movement and raw skills that Osweiler and Cody Kessler simply can't match. They were the type of "AFC North" plays Hue Jackson has spoken of wanting from his quarterback.
Osweiler finished with only 42 yards on 14 attempts after starting the game with three straight three and outs, chastising himself after the game for his lack of accuracy.
"I'm pretty sure that no ball has ever been completed that is thrown out of bounds," Osweiler said.
It would be shocking if Kizer doesn't get more time with the starters next week.
4. Browns No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett looked the part early for the Browns, creating havoc in the running game.
5. All that hype about Browns running back Duke Johnson becoming the team's slot receiver is being borne out. He might very well be listed as a wideout on the official team roster before this season is up.
6. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor sent a message early by throwing his first three passes to Sammy Watkins. They all went for completions. Watkins, finally looking healthy, caught four passes for 39 yards.
7. The Vikings sent a similar declaration of intent by giving running back Dalvin Cook eight touches on the team's first 13 plays. Cook finished with 43 yards from scrimmage in limited work, showing some power and looking comfortable in the passing game as a receiver and pass protector.
8. LeSean McCoy's primary backup Jonathan Williams showed great burst before leaving with a hamstring injury. It's a concerning setback for a Bills team already thin at running back.
9. The Colin Kaepernick buzz in Baltimore isn't going to slow down after Ryan Mallett's night. He completed only 9-of-18 passes for 58 yards in one half of work.
10. Vikings starting cornerback Trae Waynes left Thursday's game early with a shoulder injury, although coach Mike Zimmer didn't show much concern about it after the game.
11. Dion Lewis ran strong for the Patriots on Thursday night, showing some of the quickness and tackle-breaking ability that defined his 2015 season. He is too talented for the team to cut, even at a deep position, if he continues to play like this.
12. Foxborough training camp hero Austin Carr made good on all his rookie buzz with the catch of the night against Jacksonville. The Northwestern rookie is making it hard for the Patriots to cut him, even at their deep receiver position.
13. Second-year Bears pass rusher Leonard Floyd, who has enjoyed a standout training camp, made Broncos free agent pickup Menelik Watson look bad on an early sack. The Broncos' offensive line has a long way to go to put last year behind them.
14. Packers running back Ty Montgomery lost a fumble against the Eagles, continuing a trend from training camp. That could help rookie Jamaal Williams cut into his playing time.
15. Saints rookie running back Alvin Kamara built on his camp buzz by lining up all over the field and showing great balance on the way to 35 yards on four carries. He's absolutely going to earn major playing time in a backfield that includes Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram.
16. Dolphins rookie second-round linebacker Raekwon McMillan suffered a knee injury which appeared to be serious. He left the stadium on crutches. Packers cornerback Damarious Randall (concussion) and Broncos defensive lineman Billy Winn (knee) were also among the notable injuries.
Friday 11th August
Pittsburgh Steelers 20 New York Giants 12
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12 Cincinnati Bengals 23
San Francisco 49ers 27 Kansas City Chiefs 17
What we learned from Friday's preseason games
By Nick Shook
For the second night, a rookie quarterback buried on the depth chart made the most noise.
It was Patrick Mahomes' turn on Friday, entering just before halftime and airing it out on his first throw.
Unfortunately, this 41-yard completion to Demarcus Robinson was called back due to a holding penalty. But the hype train had already left the station and was full speed ahead.
Mahomes displayed the rifle arm that shot him up the draft board in the spring, squeezing a few passes in tight windows (some were dropped) and finding open receivers elsewhere. It's also the preseason, meaning there was plenty of subpar play in the second half, though most was not Mahomes' fault. The quarterback finished with 7-of-9 passing for 49 yards and a touchdown, which came as a result of a risky throw across his body into traffic. But hey, it worked.
As for the starters, Kansas City's offense might be a little more vertical this year. It'll definitely be just as efficient, if Friday night proved anything. Alex Smith swiftly moved the Chiefs down field on KC's first drive, culminating in a Spencer Ware rushing touchdown, and the unit looked about as good with Tyler Bray calling the shots until he threw an interception.
Bray mostly showed why he's still above Mahomes on the depth chart, looking comfortable in the offense and making throws of varying distances before stalling out.
Kansas City is in the enviable position of being a playoff contender with a talented prospect on the bench behind a better-than-adequate starter. There should be absolutely no reason to rush Mahomes onto the field.
What else we learned from Friday night in preseason Week 1:
1. T.J. Watt recorded two sacks in his Steelers debut, but only one was contested. The second came because the tackle across from him ran into the flats, as if he were an eligble receiver, though it looked like he thought he was leading a screen that never happened. I don't want to look like the sole Debbie Downer here, so I'll allow Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to take the mic.
"I don't want him to get disillusioned," Tomlin told KDKA-TV at halftime, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "But I do like the things that I've seen so far."
It was a nice start, indeed. Perhaps his opponent will attempt to block him next week.
2. The preseason's hottest kicker battle shot the mercury skyward after Roberto Aguayo drilled his first field-goal attempt, then doinked a PAT off the right upright, then was replaced by Nick Folk, who nailed a 42-yarder, and then returned to miss another kick! Position battles are always fun. When they involve men who are paid to do a total of two things, they get even better.
3. Joe Mixon didn't get a ton of carries, but he made his touches worthwhile. Mixon's catch in the flat set him up against a bevy of defenders, but he made three of them miss while adding at least five more yards to his gain. That was how Mixon ran the ball, too, showing patience through the hole and finishing with six carries for 31 yards. Quarterback Jeff Driskel ended up leading the team in rushing. Don't ask.
4. Preseason quarterbacking is such a crap shoot. As soon as I wanted to board tiny, shopping mall-sized hype trains for Geno Smith and Bray, I was thrown off by their interceptions. Smith looked enticingly effective within the offense for New York, executing play-action rollouts and avoiding rushers with his feet while keeping his eyes downfield, but the interception was reminiscent of Smith in green and white.
The worst of the young passers was Pittsburgh's Joshua Dobbs, who looked overmatched in his first few possessions against the Giants. The good news there is he ended up making a handful of nice throws, one of which resulted in a touchdown to Cobi Hamilton.
5. San Francisco's quarterback situation is setting the bar pretty low. We know what we'll get out of Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley was surprisingly effective behind him and C.J. Beathard looked like a rookie, though he had extended time to make a few more plays. That's the beauty and pain of preseason: Many grains of salt are needed when judging third-string quarterbacks against fellow third-stringers.
6. It became clear pretty quickly that San Francisco has invested more in its defense than offense. Starting with Aaron Lynch, the unit played with tenacity and brought a punch to a team that was largely punchless in the last two seasons. That's something to be excited about in the Bay Area.
7. Tampa Bay took a loss in a meaningless finish, but started strong. Jameis Winston looked sharp, the group of weapons the Bucs can deploy at once is tantalizing, and the offense moved quickly. The highlight of the night, though, was probably Vernon Hargreaves' interception deep inside Tampa territory. The Bucs could use a big season out of the second-year corner, and the closing speed and body control he displayed on the pick were encouraging.
Saturday 12th August
Tennessee Titans 3 New York Jets 7
Dallas Cowboys 10 Los Angeles Rams 13
Oakland Raiders 10 Arizona Cardinals 20
What we learned from Saturday's preseason games
By Marc Sessler
Around the NFL Writer
First-year coach Sean McVay was pulled west by the Rams to save an offense that fumbled and bumbled for years under ex-lead man Jeff Fisher.
The new-look attack -- unveiled on Saturday night in sun-swept Los Angeles -- operated as a mixed bag in a 13-10 preseason win over the visiting Cowboys.
Second-year starting quarterback Jared Goff drew first blood with a crisply thrown pass to wideout Robert Woods, who lost the ball at the Dallas 4-yard line following a crushing blow by Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The pigskin fluttered into the end zone, where third-round Rams receiver Cooper Kupp wisely fell on it for his first NFL touchdown.
The score came after Los Angeles opened the game with a three-and-out, only to recover a botched punt return by Cowboys rookie Lance Lenoir to keep the drive alive.
Exiting after the score, Goff barely put enough film on tape to draw any conclusions, but he threw the ball decisively and looked comfortable under center. More concerning was an offensive line that failed to open holes for Todd Gurley.
On his first attempt, the third-year Rams runner was blown up for a three-yard loss by Cowboys rookie tackle Lewis Neal, who blew past guard Jamon Brown for the stuff.
Gurley's four rushes went for a whopping two yards before the starters were yanked off the field. You don't need a hot-blooded Nancy Drew to tell you that Saturday's on-field bag of delights was hardly enough evidence to draw conclusions about McVay's impact on this attack.
If the offensive line doesn't rapidly rise, though, it might not matter.
Here's what else we learned from Saturday night's preseason action:
1. We struggle to imagine the Jets wheeling out anyone but Josh McCown come Week 1 in Buffalo. The wily veteran calmly marched New York's offense down the field for a touchdown on the game's opening drive. The scoring march was set up by a beautiful 53-yard rope to lead wideout Robby Anderson before McCown pegged Charone Peake over the middle for a four-yard score.
2. Unveiled on New York's second drive, the enigmatic Christian Hackenberg played deep into the third quarter. The ruddy-cheeked second-year passer opened 5-for-5 and looked competent hitting wideout Chris Harper on a 14-yard strike across the middle of the field before whipping a well-aimed pass up the sideline to Jalin Marshall, who couldn't hold on. It wasn't Hackenberg's fault that Chandler Catanzaro botched a 55-yard field goal attempt to end the quarterback's second series. The young signal-caller's lowest moments came on (a) a tipped pass that was nearly picked before halftime and (b) a third-quarter botched snap that spun into the arms of Tennessee's Justin Staples.
Hackenberg (18-of-25 for 127 yards) played under control despite generating zero points and throwing for a concerning 5.1 yards per attempt inside New York's low-wattage attack. It was a bland, uninspiring -- but inoffensive -- debut to his second campaign.
3. Waves of fatalistic offseason press about the Jets can't change the brutal nature of Leonard Williams. On Tennessee's first series, Gang Green's monstrous third-year lineman sprung off Titans guard Quinton Spain, charged into the pocket and body-rocked quarterback Marcus Mariota to the godless turf. Two downs later, on third-and-22, New York's pass rush flushed the Titans signal-caller out of the pocket and toward the sideline short of the sticks to end the march.
Mariota's subsequent and final series nearly ended with a pick by Jets cornerback Buster Skrine, who tipped a pass intended for tight end Delanie Walker. Tennessee showed nothing on offense, unfurling a hyper-vanilla attack that saw Mariota finish just 2-for-3 for 15 yards.
4. Gang Green's pass rush wasn't finished as linebacker Julian Stanford surged through a Red Sea-sized opening to obliterate Titans trick-shot backup Alex Tanney, who was quickly removed from the contest in favor of deep-roster-human Tyler Ferguson. Tanney later returned to action to face a Jets defensive front that piled up an outrageous eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss while making mincemeat of Tennessee's highly touted offensive line. If the Jets plan to tank, we suggest a different strategy than this.
5. Tennessee's play of the night came from third-round wideout Taywan Taylor, who played deep into the second half with first-rounder Corey Davis out of the mix and dusted New York's Darryl Roberts for a leaping 42-yard grab.
6. In La La Land, the Cowboys kept Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith and Jaylon Smith coddled in bubble wrap, drenching Saturday's Cowboys-Rams tilt in an aura of desperate meaningless. In their absence, first-round pass rusher Taco Charlton stole the show with a productive three-tackle night capped by a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a deep-backfield sack of Rams backup Sean Mannion.
7. Darren McFadden (six carries for 28 yards) ran well in place of Elliott, but color me concerned about the prospects of Kellen Moore as the stopgap behind Prescott. The Cowboys reserve passer threw for just 4.1 yards per attempt before Cooper Rush took over.
8. Against the Raiders, Cardinals passer Carson Palmer looked sharp, throwing with good velocity behind a line that kept him safe. He just missed Jaron Brown on a deep shot that would have triggered an easy score and later missed Brown on a quick-strike lob, but Palmer capably overcame those errors to lead Arizona to pay dirt with a blazing 12-yard laser to Brittan Golden.
9. Cardinals running back David Johnson is a candidate to lead the league in rushing attempts, but barely saw the field Saturday with just three rushes for 16 yards before Chris Johnson took over. Another missing figure: Arizona wideout and bounce-back candidate John Brown.
10. The Raiders treated the night like an invisible exhibition, refusing to let quarterback Derek Carr or running back Marshawn Lynch sniff the field. It's worth noting that EJ Manuel opened the game ahead of Connor Cook under center, while DeAndre Washington took all the early snaps ahead of Jalen Richard.
11. It was just one play, but Cardinals fans had to enjoy seeing versatile defensive back Tyrann Mathieu zero in on Seth Roberts on a third-down toss from Manuel caught short of the sticks. Arizona's fate on defense rests with Honey Badger playing 16 healthy games. Coming off a down campaign, he looked spry on Saturday night.
12. For the second game in a row, Arizona's Robert Nkemdiche was a force to be reckoned with. Last year's first-round defensive end shrugged off a blocker to bury Richard in his tracks on a third-and-1 run in the second quarter before penetrating the backfield again on a failed fourth-down attempt that saw Richard gang-tackled in his own backfield. Nkemdiche returned to wreak havoc on the following series against a Raiders offense that looked lost at sea without Carr. The preseason operates as a mega-tease, but this Cardinals defense has looked spicy in two straight affairs.
Sunday 13th August
Detroit Lions 24 Indianapolis Colts 10
Seattle Seahawks 48 Los Angeles Chargers 17
What we learned from Sunday's preseason games
By Conor Orr
Around The NFL Writer
The Detroit Lions rolled over the injury-ravaged Colts, 24-10 in each team's respective preseason opener Sunday in Indianapolis.
In a largely defenseless, high-scoring affair, the Seattle Seahawks throttled the Los Angeles Chargers, 48-17, on Sunday night. The game was Los Angeles' first in StubHub Arena, the 27,000-seat stadium in Carson, Calif., that will serve as the club's temporary home (21,054 showed up for opening night).
Here's what else we learned from Sunday's preseason action:
1. The most newsworthy moment of Sunday's preseason game came when Colts general manager Chris Ballard entered the broadcast booth. After telling NFL Network's Tom Pelissero earlier this week that quarterback Andrew Luck would likely be off the physically unable to perform list by the beginning of the regular season, he raved about Luck's budding arm strength to the team's play-by-play crew. Ballard said Sunday that Luck's "strength levels" were likely better now than they were "at any point last season."
While this could be the type of vague, fill-in-the-blank statement Ballard uses to get himself away from another Luck interview unscathed, it also could be an indication as to how close Luck actually is. As Pelissero noted, Luck has been ramping up his throwing program of late. Coming back stronger than ever would truly be something. Owner Jim Irsay doubled down on those comments in a conversation with reporters after the game, though he could not guarantee Luck would be ready for the season opener, just somewhere around that time. When asked by the Indianapolis Star about the team's strategy regarding a more suitable backup, Irsay brought up a steep price tag.
2. Even if the Colts get Luck back, one of their most significant problems is still glaring. The banged-up offensive line is struggling, perhaps more so now than ever before. Ballard did not seem worried, saying that he was confident he would find eight trustworthy bodies by the season opener -- a task that will be made much easier when center Ryan Kelly (foot) returns in a few weeks. Luck's understudy, Scott Tolzien, attempted just five passes and, in at least one, had one of his starting offensive linemen shoved back in his face almost instantaneously. This is a team still patching in backups, so a complete evaluation is not fair right now. That doesn't mean it's not worth keeping an eye on.
3. Every preseason seems to give way to a hidden skill position star. On Sunday, that was Detroit receiver Kenny Golladay, a third-round pick out of Northern Illinois. Two of Golladay's three catches were for touchdowns, including a beautiful adjustment grab in the end zone between first-round pick Malik Hooker and second-round pick Quincy Wilson. According to Pro Football Focus' snap counts, Golladay did get reps with a majority of the first string Sunday, though Matthew Stafford was out after just three passes and an interception.
4. Ballard professed a desire to improve in the rush lanes, as evidenced by the acquisition of players like Jabaal Sheard and Margus Hunt. He singled out 2017 third-round pick Tarell Basham for logging a pressure against Detroit on Sunday. While Chuck Pagano's state secrets were not on display, there is a crystal clear difference in physicality. Hooker delivered one punishing hit and was frequently around the ball. Sheard was also in the backfield frequently during his brief stint in the game.
5. The Lions left former Rams first-round pick and prospective left tackle Greg Robinson on the field for quite a while Sunday in hopes that he would get on track. In the reps I saw, Robinson was largely the same player we saw in St. Louis and Los Angeles. What does this mean? Moments of undeniable power combined with moments of clumsiness. Robinson was solid during Stafford's brief time under center and was tested early with a deep drop back. This is going to be a coach-heavy, technical turnaround for Robinson so don't be surprised to see him on the field quite a bit over the next few weeks.
6. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said defensive end Kerry Hyder "has a significant Achilles injury." It does not look good for the former undrafted free agent, who blossomed with the Lions a year ago, logging eight sacks, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery in a supporting role. Something was clearly wrong from the get-go with Hyder, who fell to the turf during a second-series rush. He was carted off the field shortly after.
7. It was a fun and breezy first look at the Anthony Lynn/Ken Whisenhunt hybrid offense. While Seattle was playing a shell of their typical defense, the multiple tight end bunch formations utilized out of the gate foreshadow a scheme that could be incredible to watch. There were some gaping mismatches created on Philip Rivers' opening drive, as well as Kellen Clemens' linebacker-on-speed wideout 74-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin. Rivers went 5-of-6 for 56 yards and a touchdown to -- who else? -- Antonio Gates. It is far too early to wonder if this offense will take a Falcons pre- and post-Kyle Shanahan type leap after one possession against milquetoast coverage but this is not the first time we've felt the hype brewing for Los Angeles' offense. A nice variation of receiving backs, including Branden Oliver who took a one-man screen 14 yards, could finally unlock some of their potential.
7b. Of course, nothing matters in L.A. if their offensive line doesn't perform. I watched the team's best lineman, Matt Slauson, get beat off the ball on the first snap by Michael Bennett but then recover quite nicely during the rest of the series. Rivers was getting rid of the ball so quickly that it may be able to negate some of the obvious deficiencies up front.
8. Boy does Shaquill Griffin look the part. Seattle started their third-round pick Sunday and while he did get beat early on a deep route to Tyrell Williams (Earl Thomas swooped in and blasted the ball out of Williams' arms), he displayed some closing speed. Griffin could very well be John Schneider's latest mid-round gem at the cornerback position. I profiled the UCF product back during the predraft process and even then, he was determined to change peoples' minds. Griffin had no official visits lined up at the combine but after posting freakish numbers in Indianapolis, his dance card was full nearly until the draft. He was coveted not only by Schneider but by Bill Belichick in New England.
9. Kicker news! Blair Walsh was perfect on field goal attempts (long of 42) and 5/5 on extra points. Seattle is hoping to rehabilitate the maligned Vikings kicker, who was released by Minnesota in November of last season. Walsh had yet to fully recover from the stunning wide left miss against Seattle back in 2016.
10. Seattle went pretty much as expected at running back: Thomas Rawls to Eddie Lacy to C. J. Prosise, though Prosise is always going to be in a RB/WR category of his own. Rawls carried the ball twice for five yards while Lacy took four carries for 10 yards. One troubling moment: Lacy was stonewalled at the goal line, though he had no help from his offensive line. Both Ryan Carrethers and Caraun Reid were in the backfield before Lacy could get much momentum going. From afar, he seems to have the same powerful, smooth gait and quick feet. Seattle would love him to also regain that ability to become a second hammer next to Rawls.
11. I kept a close eye on prospective Seahawks tackle Luke Joeckel who, according to Pro Football Focus, logged 19 snaps. What is amazing to me is how technically perfect he can look on certain plays and then appear flummoxed on the next. In a way, it's a microcosm of the highs and lows of the position, but I'll take the positive route on this one -- with that baseline technique alongside the great Seahawks O-line coach Tom Cable, I'll bet on Joeckel this season. He had some nice moments, especially on a stretch run out in front of Eddie Lacy. A sign of things to come?
12. CHARGERS BACKUP QUARTERBACK BATTLE: Kellen Clemens (4/10, 100 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT). Cardale Jones (2/9, 50 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT). While the broadcast crew was high on Jones and the idea of a younger, developmental backup, Jones looked a solid step or two behind Clemens. Nearly all of his 50 passing yards came on a 38-yard 50/50 ball he chucked up to tight end Matt Weiser. The argument could very well end up being that Jones can win you games athletically that Clemens could not, but Jones has certainly not separated himself from the field.
13. Injury roundup: Joey Bosa exited after just a handful of plays nursing his elbow but appeared fine on the sidelines. NFL Network's Alex Flanagan talked in depth about a dislocated finger that Bosa is still playing with from last season - something to watch in future appearances. On a more serious note, linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle) ended up in a walking boot after injuring his ankle. Max Meyer with more here. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said wide receiver Paul Richardson has an AC sprain and will be out a bit, the team announced. Defensive back Jordan Simone has a significant knee injury, could be ACL, Carroll added.
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