Miami Dolphins 31 Philadelphia Eagles 38
Carolina Panthers 24 Jacksonville Jaguars 23
Chad Henne still in pole position for Jaguars' QB gig
By Gregg Rosenthal
Around The NFL Editor
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne didn't do much Thursday night in his first NFL start since September of 2013. He probably didn't need to. Jaguars coach Doug Marrone pushed his chips on the table when he elevated Henne to the starting job for this game after Blake Bortles' latest letdown and nothing that happened Thursday night should change that.
Henne completed 8 of 13 passes for 74 yards while taking three sacks. He misfired on a few open throws but also had two beautiful vertical throws, one of which was dropped. The Jaguars recorded only seven first downs while the team's running game and rookie left tackle Cam Robinson struggled, a reminder that the quarterback position is only one of the problems on the Jaguars offense. After the game, Marrone bemoaned the offensive line's mistakes and wouldn't tip his hand about a permanent decision at quarterback.
Bortles was better this week coming off the bench in the second half, but it's hard to say he made a push for the starting job when his first drive ended with a fluttering pass that was intercepted. Bortles later constructed two touchdown drives, completing 12 of 16 passes for 125 yards, one touchdown and the pick. He benefited from playing behind the Jaguars' first-team offensive line going against Panthers backups and third-stringers.
The most telling moment of the night came with under two minutes left, when third-stringer Brandon Allen finally got into the action. The Jaguars crowd gave Allen perhaps their biggest ovation of the night, a sign they aren't enamored with the idea of Henne or Bortles starting Week 1. It looks like they won't have a choice.
Here's what else we learned during Thursday's two games:
1. Cam Newton had a perfect, if brief, return to the field from March shoulder surgery against Jacksonville. He threw only two passes, both completions for 21 yards, in a touchdown drive where Jonathan Stewart and Christian McCaffrey shared eight runs. This is coach Ron Rivera's dream: a diverse running game split between two talented backs, with as few passes as possible mixed in.
2. Newton wasn't the only key Panther coming back from injury. Rookie second-round receiver Curtis Samuel made his pro debut, and was targeted six times for four catches and only 15 yards. Rivera has to be thrilled his team is getting healthier in time for Week 1.
3. Keep an eye on veteran Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns over the next week. It was eye-opening to see him playing with backups deep into the game. Hurns signed a $40 million contract only a season ago but appears to be out of favor with Marrone's staff.
4. Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler doesn't care about playing it safe. Occasionally late on throws in his game against the Eagles, Cutler was extremely aggressive throwing it down the field in an attempt to let his talented wideouts make plays on the ball. It paid off with a pretty 72-yard strike to DeVante Parker and a 42-yard penalty on a pass interference. (Both plays victimized newest Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby.)
Cutler wasn't perfect during his eventful five drives because of a few late throws and a fumble, but Thursday was a nice step forward. He's going to give Parker, Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills chances to make plays.
5. That Cutler fumble wasn't exactly his fault. Dolphins left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who had a rough night overall, gave up a clean sack to Philadelphia's Vinny Curry. The Dolphins desperately need Tunsil to live up to the hype after they said goodbye to Branden Albert this offseason.
6. You would never know that Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi missed time in training camp with a concussion. He's looked as impressive as any veteran running back in the preseason, running with abandon while piling up 53 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.
7. It was telling to see second-year Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood splitting first-team reps with LeGarrette Blount. Smallwood has struggled to stay healthy in camp, but he adds juice to an Eagles running game that could use it. His four carries for 28 yards should help his bid for a Week 1 role and he appears to be ahead of rookie Donnel Pumphrey.
8. Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks is in position for the prestigious Defensive Player of the Preseason award after intercepting his third pass of the month. That won't guarantee him a starting job, but perhaps it will inspire other teams to call general manager Howie Roseman about a potential trade.
Friday 25th August
Injuries strike key players during Friday's games
By Kevin Patra
Around the NFL writer
The main goal for every NFL team is to exit the preseason without major injuries.
On Friday night those prayers weren't answered, as the mercurial football gods struck down two key players.
New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman left the game versus the Detroit Lions with what is believed to be a torn ACL, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, according to sources informed of the injury. The receiver will have an MRI on Saturday to confirm the diagnosis.
Edelman went down on a non-contact play as he was scampering through the secondary on his third catch of the opening drive. Tom Brady's favorite target limped from the field. He was later carted to the locker room and did not return.
In the later game, Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware was carted from the field with a sprained knee on the first drive versus the Seattle Seahawks. Ware was fighting for extra yards on a reception. The running back attempted to get up, but fell to the ground grabbing his right knee in pain.
Friday's injuries to key players on playoff teams are a reminder that football fortunes live on a precarious edge.
Here are our other takeaways from Friday's games:
New England Patriots 30 Detriot Lions 28
1. Edelman's injury did not slow down Tom Brady. The 40-year-old quarterback diced up the Lions' defense with ease. TB12 looked in midseason form running the Patriots' quick-paced offense. Brady's first quarter was marvelous, finding mismatches all over the field, and dropping a gorgeous 32-yard dime to Chris Hogan for a touchdown. Brady's first quarter stats: 10 of 11 for 157 passing yards, 14.3 YPA, 2 TDs, 158.3 rating and 24 points. He ended his day on a heave interception into the end zone, but the ageless wonder reminded us why he's Father Time's greatest adversary.
2. Brandin Cooks was the splashy offseason acquisition, but Chris Hogan appears to be Brady's big-play target. Hogan caught four passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Brady is comfortable letting Hogan go up and get balls in traffic. If defenses bracket the speedy Cook, Brady has no problem going to Hogan in one-on-one matchups. If Edelman's injury lingers, Hogan's rapport with Brady will play an even bigger role for the Super Bowl champs in 2017.
3. Dion Lewis got the start in the Patriots' backfield (4 carries, 11 yards). James White earned the next reps with the starters (4-25). Mike Gillislee took the goal-line carries and earned a touchdown and two-point conversion (8-38, TD). Rex Burkhead sat out the game. Good luck to all Fantasy Football fans trying to decipher the Patriots' backfield.
4. Patriots defensive end Kony Ealy, who NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported is on the trade block, played deep into the fourth quarter. That's not a good sign for the veteran.
5. Lions first-round pick Jarrad Davis struggled early. Brady picked on the linebacker, who looks terribly lost in coverage at times. Davis also had trouble getting off blocks versus the run. It's a reminder of the learning curve for the rookie linebacker starting in the middle of Detroit's middling defense. On a positive note, fellow rookie linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin continued his impressive preseason. The fourth-round pick showed good instincts diagnosing plays. His speed when recognizing plays is needed in the Lions' second level.
6. Ameer Abdullah flashed Friday night. The clear lead back, Abdullah out-carried Theo Riddick 13-to-1 in the first half. Abdullah looked quick to the edge and elusive between the tackles. The running back gobbled up 60 yards on those 13 totes (4.6 average) with a long of 12 yards. A weapon in the passing game as well, Abdullah caught all three of his targets for 39 yards, including a long of 18. Before injury struck last season, Abdullah looked like a difference maker for Matthew Stafford. The dual-threat showed Friday he can be that weapon this year if he can stay healthy.
Kansas City Chiefs 13 Seattle Seahawks 26
1. Russell Wilson's first pass of the day was a scramble to find running back Chris Carson for a 37-yard strike. The Seahawks quarterback made big tosses throughout his stint. Along with the 37-yarder, Wilson completed passes of 39, 30, 25, and 20 yards on 19 attempts. Wilson uncorked several other deep balls that fell incomplete or led to pass interference penalties. If his offensive line can give him time, Wilson's deep aerial attack should be featured in 2017.
2. Speaking of the offensive line, replacement left tackle Rees Odhiambo performed adequately in pass protection in the first half (Wilson wasn't sacked in the first two quarters). Odhiambo, however, was clowned by Chris Jones for a sack to kill the opening drive of the second half. The second-year blocker also struggled some in run blocking. It wasn't a disaster, but it's a position that continues to be under scrutiny heading into the regular season.
3. Eddie Lacy blasted off for an 11-yard run to open the game, but rookie Chris Carson's star continues to rise. Lacy and Carson shared reps with the first team with Thomas Rawls still out. Carson hits the hole like a cougar sniffing out a feast. After hitting the hole hard, Carson shows good balance on the second level and powers through tacklers. Carson averaged 5.8 yards on eight carries and provides more in the pass game than Lacy. While he might start the year behind Rawls and Lacy, Carson is forcing his way onto the field.
4. After two flawless drives in the Chiefs' first two preseason games, Alex Smith faced a stiff test against Seattle's vaunted D. On four offensive drives in the first half, the Chiefs did most of their damage on the ground. Smith completed 7 of 17 passes for 44 yards, a measly 2.6 yards per attempt. K.C. did a great job spreading the field horizontally on a field-goal march to open the game. The Seahawks' defensive front, however, overwhelmed the Chiefs' offensive line, leading to Smith's struggles.
Kansas City's offense didn't find the end zone all night, with its lone touchdown coming on a 98-yard kick return for a touchdown.
5. Rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes fared little better than Smith against Seattle's second-stringers. Mahomes displayed his big arm, athleticism and fearlessness, taking several big shots. The rookie's sling on a second-and-19 to Jehu Chesson for a first down with a defender in his grill was a gorgeous pro-level play. Mahomes, however, had his struggles, holding the ball too long at times, and he threw several off-target passes. The rookie led four drives, including two three-and-outs, with a lone 15-play drive moving the offense for a field goal. Mahomes finished 8 of 15 for 70 yards (4.7 YPA). Friday was a good educational experience for Mahomes versus a great Seahawks defense as he prepares to spend the season behind Smith.
6. Even before Spencer Ware's injury, Kareem Hunt was in line for a big role, splitting first-team duties. Hunt runs with power between the tackles and owns elusiveness on the edge. Hunt finishes almost all his runs with ferocious shoulders into defenders. No one will ever accuse the 218-pound Hunt of fearing contact. He earned 39 yards on nine carries. The rookie will be in for a big role in the Chiefs' offense. No other running back earned a carry for K.C. in the first half after Ware went down. Charcandrick West took over for Hunt in the second half and earned negative-1 yard on three carries. C.J. Spiller got just three totes for 10 yards.
Saturday 26th August
What we learned during Saturday's preseason games
By Marc Sessler, Kevin Patra, Nick Shook NFL.com
Eighteen teams were in action Saturday for Week 3 of the preseason. Here are the five big takeaways:
1. Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer and wideout Corey Coleman were very impressive and established a great rapport.
2. Jets quarterback Christian Hackenberg was quite bad early, then rebounded late against lesser opponents.
3. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor ended his preseason with a concussion.
4. The Colts house the NFL's most concerning quarterback situation until Andrew Luck returns, but understudy Scott Tolzien showed signs of improvement.
5. Rams quarterback Jared Goff remains an enigma.
Here's what else we learned Saturday:
Arizona Cardinals 24 Atlanta Falcons 14
1. After appearing invincible in August, Atlanta's starting offense encountered difficulties against the Cardinals. Matt Ryan's first-ever pass in the gloriously unveiled Mercedes-Benz Stadium was tipped high into the air before tumbling into the hands of revived Arizona cover man Tyrann Mathieu. Ryan nearly threw a second pick during the following drive on a deep shot to Taylor Gabriel, who gave up on the route and allowed Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson to nearly come down with the air-mailed rope. Ryan (4 of 11 for 36 yards) later missed on a looping deep shot to Julio Jones before failing to convert a fourth-and-2 lob to Terron Ward. It was impressive to watch Tevin Coleman slice through Arizona for key yardage on the ground and through the air, but Atlanta hardly put on a show.
2. The fate of Arizona's passing game boils down to John Brown producing a healthy, productive season after a lost campaign in 2016. We finally saw Brown break out on Saturday night, opening up the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown catch off a beautifully unfurled rainbow by Carson Palmer. The Cardinals quarterback has struggled to sync up with his pass-catchers this preseason, but it's hard to worry about this offense when (a) Mr. Everything David Johnson has barely seen the field and (b) Brown, until tonight, has been kept in hiding. The 27-year-old target is admittedly not 100 percent, but the Cardinals finally have some positive game tape from their most important wideout.
-- Marc Sessler
Cleveland Browns 13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9
1. DeShone Kizer was obviously the focal point of Cleveland's performance, but eyes should really be trained on Corey Coleman. The second-year wideout quickly established a rapport with Kizer, making a diving catch to grab a well-placed pass from the quarterback and move the chains. He made a leaping grab, again on third down in the second quarter, to extend another possession. All three of his completions from Kizer went for 11 or more yards, especially impressive on a sloppy night. While Cleveland's new addition at the position, Kenny Britt, dropped a ball to allow a drive to stall (it was pouring rain, so we give him somewhat of a break), Coleman shined. Kizer will need a reliable target as he continues to develop, and for the first time, Coleman looked like that target.
2. It was a rough night offensively for Tampa Bay. In a steady downpour, the Buccaneers had every drive but their last of the first half stall out at one point. The opening possession, a promising march down the field, ended abruptly when Winston's errant throw (perhaps caused by the wet conditions) was intercepted in the end zone by Jabrill Peppers. A good amount of credit is due to Gregg Williams' Browns defense, but the blame also is split by the Buccaneers missing Mike Evans and Desean Jackson. At halftime, head coach Dirk Koetter lamented his unit's inability to make progress on early downs, often resulting in third-and-a-mile situations. His displeasure was evident when Jameis Winston remained on the field for the first possession of the third quarter. On the bright side, Winston did execute an efficient two-minute drill at the end of the first half, resulting in a 31-yard Nick Folk field goal to knot things up at halftime.
-- Nick Shook
Indianapolis Colts 19 Pittsburgh Steelers 15
1. West of Florham Park, the Colts house the NFL's most concerning quarterback situation until Andrew Luck returns, but understudy Scott Tolzien showed signs of improvement. Following two horrifying starts, the 29-year-old backup played with more derring-do on Saturday night, completing his first pass to Donte Moncrief, who hauled in the ball on a slant and broke away from defenders for a 55-yard gain. Tolzien later whipped a pretty 32-yarder downfield to Phillip Dorsett, but also hurt the team with an ugly pick that saw speedy Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier jump the telegraphed throw. The Colts are doomed if Tolzien starts games that matter, but he wasn't the NFL's worst quarterback on Saturday night.
2. Martavis Bryant beat Rashaan Melvin down the sideline but couldn't catch up with an overthrown pass in the red zone from backup Steelers signal-caller Landry Jones. The frisky, back-from-suspension wideout played into the second half, managing just 23 yards off five grabs, with two of those catches going for negative yardage. Still, what conclusions should we confidently draw from an attack that rolled out Knile Davis and Roosevelt Nix in place of August phantom-back Le'Veon Bell? For his part, Davis ran well before rookie James Conner took over in the second half to pound away at the Colts for 26 yards at 6.5 yards per pop.
-- Marc Sessler
New York Giants 32 New York Jets 31
1. Eli Manning looked like he had the Giants ready to finally break the touchdown drought on the opening possession, but New York's offensive line was lurking, again waiting to ruin a good thing. The culprit this time was John Jerry, who was "manhandled" -- Bob Papa's word, not mine -- by Sheldon Richardson, who hit Manning as he threw, resulting in an underthrown pass to an open Roger Lewis and a Jets interception at the 3. Close, but no cigar yet again.
Orleans Darkwa ended up quenching New York's thirst for a score, but only after the Giants had to go for it on fourth down deep in Jets territory. Things trended upward from there for the Giants, who are very obviously much better than the Jets.
The most important takeaway was the performance of the Giants' defense. Landon Collins jumped a telegraphed pass into the flats from Christian Hackenberg, returning it for a score. Jason Pierre-Paul blew through the line to tackle Matt Forte in the end zone for a safety. And defensive back Donte Deayon grabbed a pick of his own -- Hackenberg's second of the night -- and housed it. Much like last season, the strength of Big Blue is on the defensive side.
2. Christian Hackenberg seemed destined for another season of games spent wearing an earpiece and a ballcap after his first-half performance. The second-year passer threw an ugly pick-six early (the aforementioned one to Collins) and was consistently bad for much of his time with the first team. Bryce Petty took over in the second half and practically lit the city on fire with his arm, completing 15 of 18 passes for 250 yards and three scores as the Jets' reserves stormed back into contention. To cap off the hilarious oddity that has been the Jets' quarterback competition, when Petty was sidelined with a knee injury, it was Hackenberg who returned to throw his own touchdown pass to bring the Jets within one of a tie with less than two minutes to play. The two-point conversion wasn't good, sending the Jets home with a loss, and providing less clarity than ever for the quarterback position. Petty had the strongest showing this week, but is headed for an MRI on Sunday. Hackenberg was quite bad early, then rebounded late against lesser opponents. Josh McCown didn't see the field. Where this is headed, no one knows.
-- Nick Shook
Baltimore Ravens 13 Buffalo Bills 9
1. Tyrod Taylor ended his preseason with a concussion. The Bills quarterback exited the game after getting his head banged on the turf after a sack on the second drive of the game. Taylor struggled before exiting. He completed his first pass for one yard. Taylor's next pass on third down was high with pressure in his face to end the drive. On the second drive, Taylor had a pass batted down at the line, fumbled a snap, and was sacked. He'll have to pass concussion protocol before being cleared for Week 1. In three games in the preseason, Taylor went 14-of-29 passing for 100 yards (3.44 YPA), zero touchdowns and two interceptions.
Rookie Nathan Peterman took over and didn't do much better against Ravens starters. Peterman's first four drives went for 11 net yards -- not helped by the offensive line and penalties. Peterman made some hay when Baltimore's backups entered, leading the Bills only touchdown drive of the night. Like most rookies, he struggled for stretches, but Peterman looks comfortable in the pocket and is not rattled by pressure. He has done enough to lock down the backup job (and will likely get Bills Mafia chanting for him to start). He finished the up-and-down night with 4.0 yards per attempt, completing 11 of 23 passes for 93 yards. Regardless of who starts the season under center, this offense looks like it will be painful to watch in 2017.
2. Ryan Mallett once again put on an unenthusiastic, pedestrian performance. Unable to find the touch down the field, Mallett is relegated to short dumps. He went 6-of-10 passing for 58 yards in just over a quarter of play. Undrafted quarterback Josh Woodrum took over with 11:50 in the second quarter. John Harbaugh wanted to get a look at the green quarterback against first- and second-teamers. It wasn't pretty. Woodrum missed badly on a deep ball to a wide-open Mike Wallace on his first drive, and followed that with a fourth-down snap flying through his hands. Things didn't get better for the athletic passer, who isn't ready for regular-season play. The Ravens' backup quarterback situation is disastrous. Pray Joe Flacco gets and stays healthy the entire of 2017 season.
3. That Ravens defense though. Oh, boy. Like unrelenting waves crashing against rocks, the Ravens defense drowns opponents with swarming speed, smart athleticism, and smothering power. This has the potential to be the best defensive unit in the NFL this year.
-- Kevin Patra
New Orleans Saints 13 Houston Texans 0
1. The Saints cooked up another intriguing showing on defense. Tom Savage's four drives on the night produced 91 yards and four punts for the Texans, but that came without Houston's top three wideouts on the field. Solid coverage from Saints first-round cornerback Marshon Lattimore, run-stuffing prowess from Sheldon Rankins, pocket havoc by Cameron Jordan and a vastly improved collection of linebackers gave Savage (10-of-16 passing for 79 yards) all he could handle. Savage will open the year, but it's hard to imagine autumn fading into winter without Deshaun Watson seeing the field. The rookie (11-of-21 passing for 116 yards) was the opposite of a magic-spinner, but Watson has plenty of time to grow. This Texans offense was a tough watch on Saturday night, with Savage and Watson generating no points, eight punts and a pass by the first-rounder that was picked off by Saints cover man Damian Swann.
2. Adrian Peterson made his preseason debut, lining out wide on his opening snap. The All-Pro back motioned across the formation as the subject of a fake toss in the backfield before Drew Brees aimed the ball elsewhere. Entering the game after Mark Ingram, Peterson first touched the ball on a screen pass that lost a yard before gaining just 15 yards on six carries. The former Vikings star showed spry feet, but the challenge boils down to getting Peterson into a weekly groove with Ingram and electric rookie Alvin Kamara sharing the workload. It's worth noting that A.P. was yanked off the field in favor of Ingram on a third-and-4 snap inside Houston's 10-yard line. Still, it's nothing if not a nice problem for a Saints offense that also added deep-threat Ted Ginn, whose box score would have looked shinier if a pretty 24-yard catch-and-run weren't wiped away by penalty.
-- Marc Sessler
Dallas Cowboys 24 Oakland Raiders 20
1. In his first preseason appearance, Ezekiel Elliott earned the first three carries of the game for the Cowboys. The running back took six total totes on the opening drive for 18 yards, adding two catches for six yards. Zeke played 10 snaps on the Cowboys' 12-play field-goal drive to start the game. Elliott didn't break any big runs (long of five), but he looked like his normal self. The big question is when we'll see him next. Elliott heads to his appeal hearing for a six-game suspension on Tuesday.
2. Did Cordarrelle Patterson snatch the third receiver gig with Seth Roberts sitting out? Patterson caught four passes for 30 yards from Derek Carr in the first half, including a picture-perfect 17-yard skinny post for a touchdown. Patterson's presence up the seam also helped lead to a 48-yard touchdown from Carr to Amari Cooper later in the half (Carr stared down Patterson drawing the defense before lobbing the pass to Cooper). Patterson could be a perfect complement to Cooper and Michael Crabtree, but we've been caught by the CP hype in the past.
3. Cooper Rush comin'!
-- Kevin Patra
Los Angeles Chargers 21 Los Angeles Rams 19
1. Jared Goff remains an enigma. Each time the second-year quarterback looks like he's making strides, football gets in the way. Goff made several good throws on the opening drive, including connections of 16 and 22 yards. Then inside the 10-yard-line, he displayed extreme lack of awareness, allowing Joey Bosa to strip him from the front side. The fumble was returned by the Chargers for a touchdown. On the next drive, Goff heaved a wobbly grenade into no man's land, which was intercepted. He exited after going 5-of-8 for 56 yards (7.0 YPA) and the interception.
2. They were facing mostly Rams backups, but the Philip Rivers-Keenan Allen connection is beautiful to watch when it gets rolling. Rivers connected with Allen three times for 37 yards on two scoring drives to open the game. The shifty receiver is near uncoverable on slants and quick crossers, and Rivers knows just where to put the ball. The Chargers offense is deadly when the mind-meld between the two is engaged.
-- Kevin Patra
Denver Broncos 20 Green Bay Packers 17
1. The biggest thing I learned from this night was about Trevor Siemian's ability to move. On second down and with the rush bearing down on him, Siemian exited a collapsing pocket, juked one defender and sidestepped another before rushing for 16 yards and a first down. Most everything else we learned about Denver's offense, we already knew. Paxton Lynch also left the game after taking a low hit in the third quarter, giving extended reps to Kyle Sloter, who threw a touchdown pass to Hunter Sharp.
Defensively, Denver did a good job of bottling up the Packers' offense after Rodgers took a seat. There was an interesting dust-up between some Broncos and Packers that resulted in teammates Aqib Talib and Todd Davis exchanging spirited words while walking off the field. At one point the two had to be separated, but afterward, Talib told a local sideline reporter "I was just calming him down, man. No smoke."
2. Aaron Rodgers got exactly one series, which is all he should get, even in Week 3 of the preseason. Against Denver's starting defense, Brett Hundley was more like the Hundley we've come to know than the tantalizing propsect of the last two weeks. He entered with the ball inside Denver's 10, thanks to an interception from Kentrell Brice, and Ty Montgomery pounded a carry between the tackles into the end zone. Speaking of Montgomery, the running game wasn't all that exciting, though Montgomery and Aaron Jones each ripped off runs of 25-plus yards.
"We need to run the ball more, we have to run it better here," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said at halftime. "Really, offensively, we have way too many long down and distances, obviously too many negative plays.
Hundley did do a nice job of escaping a crumbling pocket deep in Broncos' territory early in the fourth, avoiding his freshly de-cleated center before galloping toward the pylon and into the end zone for six.
3. BONUS POINT! We learned on Saturday night that the preseason is chill enough for your starting offensive tackle to propose to his girlfriend, seated in the stands, during a break in the action.
-- Nick Shook
Sunday 27th August
What we learned from Sunday's preseason games
By Conor Orr
Around The NFL Writer
Six teams wrapped up their third week of the preseason on Sunday. The Chicago Bears beat the Tennessee Titans, while the Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Washington Redskins, and the Minnesota Vikings beat the San Francisco 49ers. Here were the three big takeaways from the games:
1. Bears quarterback Mike Glennon had a bounceback performance and appears to have done enough to hold off rookie Mitchell Trubisky as Week 1 is now just days away.
2. Whoever the Bears end up rolling with at quarterback, it looks like they'll be without their top receiver in Cameron Meredith. Initial tests revealed the wideout suffered a torn ACL.
3. The Bengals' offense, with impressive rookies Joe Mixon and John Ross joining the fold, hummed with Andy Dalton and A.J. Green leading the way.
4. Niners rookie linebacker Reuben Foster lived up to the hype.
5. Is the 49ers' defense really good or did the Vikings' offensive line make them look good?
Here's what else we learned from Sunday's games:
Chicago Bears 19 Tennessee Titans 7
1. This was the Glennon comeback game John Fox was waiting for. The Bears' presumptive starter rebounded from weeks of dodging the Trubisky hype train to go 11 of 18 for 134 yards and a touchdown. Glennon did the little things well, like a crisp out route to Kendall Wright for a first down early in the first quarter. But he also made the above-and-beyond throws, like a 28-yard completion to Meredith. Glennon was facing pressure in the pocket and Meredith was draped by Titans corner Adoree' Jackson. This was the most realistic game-planned set of plays run by Glennon this year. His first series resulted in a 15-play, 96-yard touchdown drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. Tennessee did Chicago a favor by bringing the heat, and Glennon handled it well.
1a. Speaking of Meredith, one can only hope he makes a full recovery. After a pair of nice grabs, Meredith sustained a torn ACL on a brutal confluence of hits. Fox did not show the replay (which was gruesome) out of respect for Meredith, who was immediately placed in an air cast and wheeled off the field. The broadcast team reported the ACL injury before the end of the game, which might signify just how severe it could be. As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport mentioned Sunday, there could very well be additional damage. We'll have more updates as information becomes available.
2. Speaking of Trubisky, he did not let up, either. A beautiful, 45-yard touchdown pass to a motoring Tanner Gentry punctuated a strong, 10-of-15 outing for 128 yards and a touchdown. Colleague Marc Sessler posted on Twitter it would be impossible to keep Trubisky from starting by Week 2 -- and while the Bears seem intent on allowing Glennon to keep this role, Trubisky is not making it easy. Glennon's strong Sunday performance was the best possible scenario for the Bears, who want Trubisky to really earn the job and snatch it away from a professional-grade starter.
3. Titans coach Mike Mularkey was disgusted by a first-half performance that yielded zero points, telling the broadcast team that he was unhappy with the offense, defense and special teams (the Titans had a blocked punt in the first half). The result? Tennessee's starters stayed in until the fourth quarter. It wasn't until a 3-yard Derrick Henry touchdown catch that Mularkey pulled them out. After Henry's touchdown, tackle Taylor Lewan took off his helmet and head-butted it -- a gesture caught in slow motion and re-aired on television. It's clear the score was a weight off their backs after a not-so-good afternoon.
4. Marcus Mariota struggled in particular. I noted after one of his earlier performances this preseason that Mariota seemed sturdier and perhaps more accurate. That was not the case Sunday. I counted at least a half dozen overthrows; moderate-to-high-risk attempts that were skied over the intended targets. Analyst Charles Davis said it was Mariota not "finishing the throw." To me, that was almost visible in real time. Mariota was, at times, like a Little League pitcher learning to follow through again. Of course, Mariota also dazzled on Sunday and made throws only a small percentage of NFL quarterbacks can make. Mularkey will take the good with the bad.
5. A rough but encouraging day for Jackson. The Titans' rookie corner was picked on all afternoon, though mostly due to his inexperience. I thought Jackson was never really out of position, but the victim of a great catch by Meredith and maybe some youthful aggression.
Washington Redskins 23 Cincinnati Bengals 17
1. I think if you're the Bengals, you consider this a win despite losing the game. Once viewed as an incomplete product, this offense is finally starting to make sense to me. Dalton could not miss A.J. Green early, which is a welcome sign for the Pro Bowl wideout who missed six games a year ago. In 2016, Green was being targeted 10 times per game by Dalton, and stunningly that number could actually rise if rookie wideout John Ross can extract some pressure. Dalton and Ross do not seem to have their timing down just yet on the deep route -- one pass sailed about 10 yards past the speedy Ross -- though Ross missed significant time early in camp. By the time Dalton and Ross have their mechanics down, this could be a scary starting 11.
1a. Ross, by the way, was utilized in a jet-sweep type play with the starting offense. This confirms the obvious in his debut: The Bengals will get him the ball any way possible.
2. Joe Mixon seems to be the glue holding this all together. The Bengals have the deepest running back depth chart in football, and won't be afraid to feature Mixon like a primary every-down back. His juke move on Josh Norman -- a cherry atop an otherwise impressive 6-yard run -- was professional-grade. His lone error, a fumble caused by Mixon closing his arms just a second too early, was forgivable.
3. Terrelle Pryor eventually redeemed himself with a tough catch -- his second of the preseason -- but I'm not convinced his addition is enough to offset the losses of Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson. Pryor's route-running ability has come a long way, but Kirk Cousins is going to need him to be more than a nice conversion project; he's going to need Pryor to carry certain possessions. In fairness, Washington was asking Pryor to go over the middle quite a bit on Sunday, and it's difficult to gauge those routes when the games don't impact the final standings.
4. Speaking to reporters after the game, tight end Jordan Reed (toe) said he felt good in his debut. From afar, he looked comfortable pushing off the sprained toe and flashed some of his trademark speed. He caught two passes for 12 yards.
5. A random note on Cousins: After getting plowed by Dre Kirkpatrick on a cornerback blitz, Cousins opted to keep the ball on the next play (what looked to me like a zone-read handoff) and run for the first down. When he tossed the pick-six to Vontaze Burfict (a beautiful bait and read by the Bengals linebacker) Cousins was the closest one to making a tackle. He chased Burfict all the way to the end zone.
Minnesota Vikings 32 San Francisco 49ers 31
1. I think your final takeaway from Sunday's 49ers/Vikings game depends on how you feel about San Francisco's defense. If you believe in the combination of Solomon Thomas, Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner and that defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is delivering on his promise to create a violent defense, then it wasn't too depressing to watch the Vikings' offensive line get run over. If the Buckner/Thomas/Armstead era is still a year or two from taking off, and were made to look as good as they were last night because of the Vikings offensive line, then this was a red-alert game. Sam Bradford (17-of-21, 134 yards) was on the run, at one point getting knocked down when his own offensive lineman was thrown into his chest. Dalvin Cook has shown an ability to pick up stray blitzers, but this is not going to be enough to keep Bradford off the ground.
1.a. As the St. Paul Pioneer Press noted Sunday night: 11 possessions for the Vikings first-team offense, 3 total points.
2. Reuben Foster lived up to the hype on Sunday night. The rookie linebacker delivered two memorable pops, first on Cook after Bradford floated a late outlet pass, and again later on in the half on Laquon Treadwell. Foster has that classic thumper lineage but has certainly proven himself open and agile when facing quicker targets in the open field.
3. The 49ers remind me a bit of the Browns this preseason defensively. There is a lot to like -- a person projecting potential over time would take their chances with a roster like this. However, it's difficult to buy into an identity just yet. Seeing Foster blow people up Sunday, or even safety Eric Reid coming down and delivering some Kam Chancellor-esque hits was enticing -- but what does it really mean come Sept. 10 against the Panthers?
4. Another what does it really mean statement: Brian Hoyer looked incredible on Sunday. Hoyer started the game 9-of-9 for 152 yards and a pair of touchdowns. A few quick slants to Pierre Garcon set up this beautiful 46-yard bomb to Marquise Goodwin. Former NFL player Matt Bowen breaks the route concept down well here. If Shanahan was able to assemble just a microcosm of Atlanta's offense in San Francisco this year, how good could the 49ers be?
5. The rumors of a more in-shape Carlos Hyde seem to be true. The 49ers' workhorse sliced through Minnesota's defense on a 7-route for Hoyer's second touchdown of the night. Players return to camp every summer claiming their change in diet or workout regimen have them prepared to play the best football of their lives. Hyde's burst and breakaway speed seem to have proven that true in Hyde's case.
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