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2024 Preseason Notes:
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2024 Fantasy Football Stock Pages:
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49ers 16, Saints 10
This was a rare occasion in which both starting quarterbacks played in a preseason. It came with a caveat, however, which is that Kyle Shanahan had Brock Purdy play a couple of drives without his supporting cast versus an opposing No. 1 defense.
This was a very curious decision to say the least. Purdy predictably struggled, as his receivers couldn’t get open, and he wasn’t given adequate pass protection. He completed just two passes as a result. On his second drive, he threw the ball up for grabs and was nearly intercepted. Given that Purdy was surrounded by nothing but backups, I didn’t bother to track his targets.
Derek Carr, conversely, had all of his healthy receivers available, including Chris Olave. Despite this, Carr threw short of the line to gain on third down on multiple occasions. He did, however, convert a fourth-and-5 to rookie Bub Means. The drive ultimately concluded with a Taysom Hill rushing touchdown.
Here were Carr’s targets:
Bub Means: 1
Foster Moreau: 1
Chris Olave: 4
Jamaal Williams: 1
Cedrick Wilson: 2
The No. 2 quarterbacks are worth noting. Spencer Rattler struggled with accuracy and ball security, as he lost a fumble on a strip-sack and then dropped the ball on a botched snap. He threw a low pass way short of the sticks on one of his third downs.
Meanwhile, Josh Dobbs was the best performer at the position in this game. He displayed plus accuracy and mobility. On one occasion, he scrambled right, then reversed field and picked up a first down while rushing to his left. He’ll once again serve as one of the top backup quarterbacks in the NFL.
Everyone has heard of Ricky Pearsall, but another 49er rookie receiver was the top wideout performer in this game. That was Jacob Cowing, a fourth-round pick. Cowing showed off his electric speed in this game on a 19-yard end-around and a 38-yard deep reception.
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Broncos 27, Packers 2
The Packers played no starters in this game, and frankly, they appeared to bring forth no effort against Denver. As one Packer beat writer said on Twitter, “It seems like the team went to Denver just for the weed dispensaries.”
This write-up will focus entirely on the Broncos, who used their first-round rookie quarterback for slightly more than a quarter of action. Bo Nix did not disappoint the home crowd. His best play was when he scrambled out of pressure and looked like he was going to throw to his left, but kept his eyes downfield and threw a touchdown to Javonte Williams. On the ensuing possession, Nix delivered an impressive 15-yard strike to Tim Patrick. Nix, who also showed nice mobility, has earned the starting job in Denver.
Here were Nix’s targets:
Tim Patrick: 4 (1 end zone)
Courtland Sutton: 1
Adam Trautman: 2
Javonte Williams: 2
It’s a small sample size, but Tim Patrick appears to be Bo Nix’s favorite target, as he was targeted on three more occasions than Courtland Sutton. Patrick finally appears to be over his injuries, though it’s hard to ignore his poor durability.
Javonte Williams once again handled most of the first-team reps. He picked up eight yards on his second carry and eventually caught a receiving touchdown. He looks as energized as he was prior to his ACL tear, so it’s difficult to fathom why he was in Sean Payton’s dog house earlier in the summer.
The Broncos broadcast had a fantasy football expert on the crew, and she called Greg Dulcich a “fantasy sleeper.” Dulcich caught a 19-yard reception, but did so with Jarrett Stidham and the second-team offense. Payton does not appear to be a big fan of Dulcich, but perhaps things will change.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Broncos announcer said this: “Bo Nix needs to redo his headshot. He does not look like a starting NFL quarterback.” As you can tell, there was some high-level analysis being done during the broadcast.
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Cowboys 27, Raiders 12
The Raiders continued to stage a quarterback battle between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. This would explain why some of their starters were on the field in the middle of the third quarter, including one puzzling choice that will be discussed in a bit.
Unfortunately for Antonio Pierce, he doesn’t have clarity as far as his quarterback battle is concerned. Gardner Minshew had a rough performance, nearly getting pick-sixed when he stared down Jakobi Meyers, who was serving as the top option in this game with Davante Adams and Brock Bowers resting. Minshew was able to rebound with a 48-yard bomb to Tre Tucker, but that drive ultimately stalled in the red zone because Minshew made a horrible throw to Meyers on third down. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Minshew was nearly intercepted once again on a dangerous throw to Michael Mayer.
Here were Minshew’s targets:
Harrison Bryant: 2
Dylan Laube: 1
Alexander Mattison: 2
Michael Mayer: 4
Jakobi Meyers: 4
John Samuel Shenker: 1
Tre Tucker: 4
D.J. Turner: 2
Aidan O’Connell, who was brilliant during the opening drive last week, didn’t convince Pierce that he’s worthy of the job either. O’Connell was accurate on most of his throws despite not having Meyers at his disposal, but his final throw was a pick-six, as he made a late, telegraphed pass. The Raider announcers wondered if O’Connell would once again take the field – meaning he’d play into the fourth quarter – but Pierce had seen enough.
Zamir White had two carries early on, with one being a 17-yard run in which he blasted through a huge hole. That appeared to be it for White, as Alexander Mattison took over after that. Curiously, however, White reentered the game in the third quarter. This was a very puzzling decision, though it could have been made to give O’Connell a fighting chance. There’s a possibility it could have been disciplinary as well. If it’s neither of those things, then Pierce made a horrible decision to risk injury to his top running back.
Meyers was the Raiders’ top receiver in this game, so Tre Tucker was the No. 2 option. Tucker was tremendous, hauling in a 48-yard bomb and making some other plays. If Adams is traded, Tucker will need to be added in all fantasy formats.
Trey “Please Don’t Call Me Colin Kaepernick Again” Lance played for most of the evening. He showed terrible ball placement early during a failed third-down attempt. However, he rebounded with some accurate passes and ultimately accounted for two touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground. This was a mostly positive performance for Lance, who still has the potential to be a starter in the NFL one day, though he needs to continue improving his consistency.
It’s unclear who will start at running back for the Cowboys. Neither Ezekiel Elliott nor Rico Dowdle played, which is positive for their outlook. The best runner in this game was Deuce Vaughn, who impressed with his quickness and surprising power for a player with such a small stature. The Cowboys should allow Vaughn to compete for first-team touches.
NFL Preseason Announcers: I barely recognized Rich Gannon during this broadcast. With completely white hair, he looked a million years old!
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Dolphins 13, Redskins 6
Caleb Williams saw action for the entire opening half in his game against the Bengals. Jayden Daniels didn’t play nearly as much versus Miami, but he still on the field for a couple of drives.
Daniels posted a great stat line as far as his accuracy is concerned – see the numbers below – but he threw mostly short passes, which he would release very quickly. The only pass in which he wasn’t on the money was when he was hurried and was forced into an overthrow toward Terry McLaurin. He was accurate otherwise. He also picked up decent rushing yardage on two scrambles.
Here were Daniels’ targets:
John Bates: 1
Dyami Brown: 3
Jahan Dotson: 1
Austin Ekeler: 1
Terry McLaurin: 3
Olamide Zaccheaus: 1
We didn’t get a big sample size from Daniels in this game, but he was able to connect on 2-of-3 attempts to Terry McLaurin. The top Redskin receiver wasn’t overly productive last year, but that will almost certainly change this season.
Luke McCaffrey didn’t play with Daniels, but he once again impressed. His best play was a 20-yard reception where he skied for the ball from Jeff Driskel. He could end up being the third receiver this year.
As for the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa played even less than Daniels, lasting just one drive. He made it count, however, completing all five of his pass attempts, ultimately throwing a touchdown to River Cracraft on what was a perfect pass into the end zone.
Here were Tagovailoa’s targets:
River Cracraft: 2
Julian Hill: 1
Jonnu Smith: 2
Raheem Mostert started this game, but both he and De’Von Achane were mix in during the opening drive. Achane also worked a bit with Skylar Thompson on the ensuing possession. Jaylen Wright did not play due to an injury.
NFL Preseason Announcers: I’ve never heard wind chimes during an NFL broadcast, but there were wind chimes during the Dolphins broadcast in the opening quarter. I don’t know where they came from, but they were a bit out of place.
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Rams 13, Chargers 9
Want to know how worthless this game was? Sean McVay didn’t bother coaching it for the Rams. McVay allowed one of his assistants to coach, as he opted to take the night off. Can you blame him?
Despite no starters playing in this contest, there were several noteworthy players who saw the field. We’ll begin with everyone’s favorite sleeper running back…
Kimani Vidal didn’t see action last week despite warming up. I thought there was a chance that his job was secure, but it was more likely to be an injury. He didn’t start – Jarret Patterson got the nod – but it didn’t take very long for Vidal to enter the game. In fact, he got work on the first drive, as he slipped through a small crease to pick up a gain of 13 yards. Vidal followed that up with a 7-yard power run, and later gained 14 yards on one attempt thanks to some great vision. Vidal was the best running back on the field.
Last year’s top Charger rookie, Quentin Johnston, is low on the depth chart, which would explain why he played nearly the entire game. Johnston made just one catch, however. He was targeted on a deep Easton Stick overthrow, and he later nearly made a leaping catch along the sideline, but couldn’t get his feet inbounds.
Like Johnston, this year’s Charger primary rookie receiver, Ladd McConkey, came up with a single reception. McConkey was used sparingly – he played on 16 snaps – so I wouldn’t read much into this lack of production, especially when considering that Stick failed to see that he was open on multiple occasions.
The Chargers have more than one rookie receiver. Brenden Rice didn’t produce either. In fact, he didn’t make a single catch. He was guilty of a drop in this game.
Moving on to the Rams, Stetson Bennett struggled once again with his field vision. He was intercepted when he didn’t see a defender in the end zone, and he was nearly picked on another occasion because he fired behind his receiver on a fourth down. He also lost a fumble while scrambling.
The top receiver in a Rams game was Jordan Whittington for the second consecutive week. Whittington caught almost everything thrown his way and once again looked like a viable starter down the road. He should enter the year as the WR4 and could see action if Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp gets injured. I wouldn’t draft him yet, but he’s someone to monitor on the waiver wire.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Charger announcers referred to one of their players as “Stone Patterson,” but there is no Stone Patterson on the depth chart.
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Jets 15, Panthers 12
No starters played in this game. This was obviously expected for the Jets. The Panthers, too, because Bryce Young is a seasoned veteran with lots of success in the pros. He does not need any reps at all.
All kidding aside, there was a puzzling development in this game. I was looking forward to seeing Braelon Allen, but had to wait because the Jets played their other rookie running back, Isaiah Davis, over Allen to start the contest. Save for one snap, it was the Davis show during the first couple of drives for the Jets. This was shocking because Allen had been so impressive this summer.
Perhaps this is much ado about nothing, as the Jets coaches may have wanted to spark a competition between Allen and Davis. Allen was the more impressive back anyway, as he made some nice catches and was able to push forward with power for positive yardage on most of his carries. I’m a bit worried about this new development, but this all could be irrelevant. In fact, this might be great for any prospective Allen owners because it could cause the rookie runner to slip a bit in fantasy drafts. He’ll remain on my Fantasy Football Sleepers page.
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Titans 16, Seahawks 15
I have no notes on this game. No starters played, and no significant young players saw any action. This was a “battle” between Sam Howell and Malik Willis that was completely uninteresting. Take a look at the stats and tell me if anyone stands out:
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Jaguars 20, Buccaneers 7
Neither team played their starters in this game, but there were some young players on both teams worth discussing.
Perhaps the best performer in this game was Buccaneers rookie runner Bucky Irving. He saw just six carries, but picked up decent chunks of yardage on almost all of his runs. He displayed nice shiftiness and vision. He didn’t catch any passes, but his fantasy stock should certainly be on the rise.
Jacksonville also had a young running back worth discussing. Tank Bigsby had a lost rookie campaign, but has been far more impressive this summer. I didn’t mention Bigsby last week, but he broke a number of tackles versus the Chiefs. In this game, he had some impressive runs, including one where he made a terrific juke move to pick up a decent gain. He also made a few receptions. Bigsby is worth a late-round flier.
Of course, Jacksonville’s top young player is Brian Thomas Jr. The rookie played in the opening half, but caught only one pass. It was a sliding reception near the sideline for 14 yards. This was his only target on the evening, as Parker Washington was more productive.
NFL Preseason Announcers: Speaking of Washington, one of the Jaguars announcers yelled the following at the top of his lungs: “Parker Washington is a big-time play-maker for the Jaguars!”
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Colts 21, Cardinals 13
No Kyler Murray. No James Conner. No Marvin Harrison Jr. No Anthony Richardson. No Jonathan Taylor. No Michael Pittman. Did anyone of note play in this game?
There was one player worth highlighting. Trey Benson drew the start and was given nine carries. He was very impressive in a quarter-and-a-half of action. He broke free for a gain of 19 yards and nearly went the distance on the play. He also had a 20-yard rush negated by a holding penalty. Benson looked great and will remain a strong handcuff.
I thought Indianapolis’ player to watch would be Adonai Mitchell. I was looking forward to seeing Mitchell, but he didn’t play either. This is bullish for Mitchell, assuming that he’s not nursing an injury.
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Bills 9, Steelers 3
Russell Wilson made his preseason debut with the Steelers. It went as bad as many predicted it would.
Wilson has been dreadful for the Broncos in the past two years, and he continued to play that way for Pittsburgh. He began his first drive with a short completion and then was sacked on third down. His next possession saw him toss a short pass to Pat Freiermuth on third-and-12. This was not the only time Wilson did this, as he delivered checkdowns to Jaylen Warren and Van Jefferson on third-and-longs on ensuing drives, giving his team no chance of moving the chains.
Wilson was not able to lead the Steelers to any points despite battling Buffalo’s backups for a couple of drives. If this game is any indication, Wilson won’t last very long as Pittsburgh’s starter.
Here were Wilson’s targets:
Pat Freiermuth: 1
Van Jefferson: 3
Cordarrelle Patterson: 1
George Pickens: 2
Jaylen Warren: 2
Justin Fields entered the game during the final drive of the opening half. He instantly led the Steelers to points, thanks to his mobility. Fields was accurate in the third quarter and continued to move the chains with his legs. On one occasion, he got out of a sure sack, scrambled left, and fired a 19-yard dart to Dez Fitzpatrick. It shouldn’t be long until he unseats Wilson as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback.
George Pickens didn’t do much statistically – see the numbers below – but he nearly made a terrific deep reception. Unfortunately for him, replay review said that he had only one foot inbounds upon making the catch, though it seemed as though both feet were inbounds.
Najee Harris continued to see work ahead of Jaylen Warren. Neither found much running room versus Buffalo’s starting defense.
As for the Bills, Josh Allen was slated to play, but either Allen or the Buffalo coaching staff changed their minds. This was for the best, as Allen is a veteran who doesn’t need preseason reps.
Some noteworthy younger Bills played. This includes Keon Coleman, who saw action throughout the first half. Coleman, however, was guilty of dropping a touchdown.
Meanwhile, rookie running back Ray Davis took the field after James Cook was done. Davis looked great. He was shifty and quick on his runs, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he becomes Buffalo’s lead back at some point this year.
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Vikings 27, Browns 12
Neither team played its starters, which is understandable. Deshaun Watson has an extensive injury history, while J.J. McCarthy’s torn meniscus means that Minnesota’s quarterback competition is over.
The one noteworthy thing about this game was Jalen Nailor’s 31-yard back-shoulder reception from Nick Mullens in this game. I mentioned Nailor last week as a solid candidate to replace K.J. Osborn as Minnesota’s third receiver. This will be especially significant if Jordan Addison serves a suspension.
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Lions 24, Chiefs 23
While many starting quarterbacks opt to sit out August completely, Patrick Mahomes believes that he needs preseason reps in order to get ready for real action. Mahomes saw action in two drives in this game, leading his team to a pair of field goals.
There were two highlight-worthy plays from Mahomes in this game. The first was a 39-yard bomb to Xavier Worthy after drawing the defense offside. The second was a behind-the-back pass to Travis Kelce on a third down. The Chiefs announcers cited that Andy Reid was encouraging Mahomes to make such plays in games, so this is an element we could see from Mahomes this year.
The one negative moment from Mahomes in this game was a deep shot to Worthy that ended up in an incompletion. Aside from that, Mahomes appeared to be in mid-season form, albeit against Detroit’s backup defense.
Here were Mahomes’ targets:
Travis Kelce: 1
Rashee Rice: 5
Carson Steele: 1
Justin Watson: 1
Xavier Worthy: 4 (1 end zone)
Xavier Worthy made some spectacular plays in his second preseason game. He reeled in a 39-yard bomb from Patrick Mahomes on the opening drive, which was one of four targets he saw from the reigning Super Bowl MVP. He then caught a 22-yard touchdown from Carson Wentz. The one blunder on the afternoon was a fumble on an end-around, but he managed to recover. There’s been a dubious track record of fast-40 players struggling in the NFL, but Worthy may just buck that trend.
Despite Worthy’s heroics, Rashee Rice led the Chiefs in targets from Mahomes. Rice made one blunder as well when he dropped a pass after stumbling, but otherwise looked excellent. He would be a third-round fantasy pick if he weren’t a candidate to be suspended for six games.
There’s not much to say about the Lions. They sat all their starters, as Nate Sudfeld got the nod and played the entire opening half. Fortunately, Hendon Hooker was able to play after getting banged up last week. Hooker displayed solid accuracy and was able to lead the Lions to a comeback victory, thanks to a scrambling touchdown. The only blemishes were an air-mailed pass and a fumble on a botched exchange, which can be attributed mostly to Hooker.
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Texans 28, Giants 10
While many preseason games are worthless, this one was certainly not. The starting quarterbacks in this game played three combined quarters, with Daniel Jones remaining on the field for the entire opening half.
Jones will be discussed later because it was quite evident that C.J. Stroud was the far superior signal-caller in this contest. Stroud exited mid-drive just as the opening quarter concluded, but he had excited the crowd enough despite the short time frame.
Stroud began his afternoon with a terrific back-shoulder connection to Nico Collins for a gain of 24 yards. He nearly threw a touchdown to Collins after that, but Collins couldn’t remain inbounds. Stroud gave his team an extra opportunity to score when he and Dalton Schultz drew an interference flag on a throw into the end zone. However, Stroud couldn’t lead the Texans to any points on the opening drive because a fourth-down pass of his was batted down at the line of scrimmage.
This wasn’t the only missed opportunity for Houston’s starting offense. Stroud had a 23-yard connection to Tank Dell negated by a hold. Still, it looked like the Texans would score when they ventured into Giants territory, but DeMeco Ryans pulled Stroud and the rest of the starters at the end of the first quarter.
Despite the lack of points, Stroud looked like he was in mid-season form. Preseason games can be deceiving, but Stroud did his damage against Giants starters. He certainly looks like he’s in for a huge year.
Here were Stroud’s targets:
Nico Collins: 2 (1 end zone)
Tank Dell: 2 (1 end zone)
Stefon Diggs: 1
Brevin Jordan: 2
Dalton Schultz: 4 (2 end zone)
Of Houston’s receivers, John Metchie made the most big plays. This, of course, had to do with him playing more than the starters, but he was excellent. He made a great diving catch along the sideline, but was ruled out of bounds. He followed that up with a diving touchdown catch. Metchie led the Texans in receptions, which might be an indication that he’s finally back from his numerous medical issues. If that’s the case, Houston’s receiving corps is more talented and deeper than anyone imagined.
The one Houston starter who didn’t play was Joe Mixon. Dameon Pierce drew the start instead. Pierce did not run effectively at all, so he’s not a threat to steal any touches from Mixon.
Moving on to the Giants, Daniel Jones had some dreadful moments in this game. He threw a nice deep pass early that was dropped by Malik Nabers, but on the ensuing drive, Jones panicked while under pressure in his own end zone and then threw a careless pass to Theo Johnson. He was pick-sixed rather easily. Jones then heaved another interception on the ensuing drive. There was great coverage by Derek Stingley on the play, but Jones’ ball placement was far from ideal.
Jones had much more success later, albeit against Houston’s backups. Once the Texan starters were gone, Jones was able to connect on a 44-yard bomb to Darius Slayton. The pass was slightly underthrown, as it would have gone for a slightly longer touchdown had the pass been right on the money. The Giants ultimately capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown.
Here were Jones’ targets:
Eric Gray: 3
Jalin Hyatt: 2
Theo Johnson: 2
Malik Nabers: 6
Wan’Dale Robinson: 1
Devin Singletary: 2
Darius Slayton: 4
Malik Nabers was prominently featured in this game. Daniel Jones targeted him early, but a bad route by Nabers nearly caused Jones to be intercepted on yet another occasion. Nabers then dropped a deep pass. Just when it seemed as though there would be Ja’Marr Chase levels of pessimism directed toward Nabers, the LSU product rebounded with some great plays. He made a leaping catch for 14 yards, impressively getting his feet inbounds before falling out of play. Nabers then had a stellar 16-yard reception, following by an outstanding leaping grab near the sideline for a 21-yard gain. Nabers appears to be the real deal, although his upside will be curbed by Jones’ incompetence.
Devin Singletary played the entire first half, losing some snaps to Eric Gray. Singletary struggled to find running room for the most part. It was puzzling as to why Brian Daboll gave his veteran running back so much work in a meaningless game. This was a poor coaching decision that could have backfired for Daboll.
NFL Preseason Announcers: One of the Giants broadcasters said this: “Thank God Malik Nabers is a Giant and not a Colt!” Yes, thank goodness there was some divine intervention getting Nabers to play in north Jersey instead of Indianapolis.
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Bears 27, Bengals 3
Zac Taylor has shown that he doesn’t care at all about the preseason. All of Cincinnati’s starters sat. With Jake Browning injured, Logan Woodside played nearly the entire game for the Bengals, so this entire recap will focus on Chicago.
The Bears, conversely, had Caleb Williams on the field for the entire opening half. Things did not begin well for Williams, who overthrew Keenan Allen on the first play, then threw behind Gerald Everett on the second attempt. On the ensuing drive, Williams tossed a 3-yard pass on a third-and-5. Chicago had its third three-and-out after that, as a Williams pass to D.J. Moore was broken up.
Williams was finally able to get something going on the fourth possession. He drew a deep pass interference flag on a throw to Tyler Scott, but the drive ended when Williams took a sack deep in Cincinnati territory. The Bears had to settle for a field goal.
Williams’ best drive was his final one. It began poorly when he threw behind Everett once again. However, Williams then got out of pressure, rolled left, and threw a bomb to Rome Odunze for a 45-yard completion. Williams and Odunze appeared to hook up for a touchdown after that, but Odunze was barely out of bounds. Williams was ultimately able to reach the end zone when he danced around multiple defenders in the pocket, scrambled left, and ran in for six.
The preseason can be a dog-and-pony show, so this positive finish to Williams’ afternoon must be taken with a grain of salt. However, Williams’ talent and pocket awareness was on full display. Chicago fans certainly have reason to be excited about their new franchise quarterback.
Here were Williams’ targets:
Keenan Allen: 1
Khari Blasingame: 1
Gerald Everett: 4
Cole Kmet: 1
D.J. Moore: 1
Rome Odunze: 2 (1 end zone)
Tyler Scott: 1
Nsimba Webster: 1
Odunze made only one catch, but he made it count because it was a 45-yard bomb. He also nearly scored a touchdown and ran for 16 yards on an end-around. Odunze would be an exciting fantasy prospect if Chicago’s receiving corps wasn’t so deep.
D’Andre Swift was the one Chicago starter who didn’t see the field. Roschon Johnson didn’t either. Khalil Herbert handled all the reps with the first team, which might further indicate that the Bears are showcasing him for a potential trade.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Bears announcers argued about why the Bears passed on Joe Alt in the draft. I guess they didn’t realize that Alt was chosen three picks before Chicago was on the clock.
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Ravens 13, Falcons 12
This game was emblematic of how worthless the preseason has become. Not only did the starters sit out; Michael Penix Jr. didn’t see any snaps either. You’d think a team would want to give its rookie backup quarterback some reps, but the Falcons thought otherwise.
I really have nothing to say about this game. The most noteworthy thing is that Younghoe Koo missed a 40-yard field goal.
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Eagles 14, Patriots 13
Philadelphia’s starters were nowhere to be seen, so this recap will focus mostly on the Patriots. Jerod Mayo used all of his first-stringers so much so that he gave Rhamondre Stevenson six carries. Mayo is fortunate that his lead back didn’t suffer an injury in this meaningless game.
Jacoby Brissett, meanwhile, saw action in multiple drives. He managed to lead the team into the red zone on one occasion, but he was intercepted when he telegraphed a late throw over the middle. Avonte Maddox jumped the route and snatched the ball. Brissett also overthrew Ja’Lynn Polk for what should’ve been a deep touchdown. Polk played into the third quarter, but I wouldn’t read much into that because Mayo doesn’t have a grasp on how to handle the preseason yet.
Here were Brissett’s targets:
Demario Douglas: 2
Austin Hooper: 3
Ja’Lynn Polk: 1
Jalen Reagor: 1
Drake Maye played for two quarters upon Brissett’s exit. Maye’s stats – show below – don’t look impressive, but he should’ve had two deep completions. He fired a couple of pretty bombs to Javon Baker, both of which were dropped. The only blemish for Maye in this game was a botched snap fumble.
New England’s two rookie receivers had radically different results. As mentioned, Baker dropped two deep passes in what was a disastrous night for him. Polk, conversely, was overthrown on a deep shot, and he made two men miss on an 8-yard reception.
The other Patriots rookie quarterback, Joe Milton, played the fourth quarter. He was nearly picked on his first throw. However, he was able to avoid pressure and pick up a third-and-12 completion to move the chains. Milton didn’t do much else and lost a drive to Bailey Zappe at the very end. Why Mayo felt the need to see Zappe over his rookie is unclear.
There’s not much to say about the Eagles, but rookie running back Will Shipley looked terrific once again as both a rusher and a receiver.
NFL Preseason Announcers: Philadelphia’s announcers spent some time talking about pogo sticks, so that should tell you how interested they were in this game.
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2024 Preseason Notes:
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Week 2 |
Week 3
2024 Fantasy Football Stock Pages:
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3
More 2024 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings
2024 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2024 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/8 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2024 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 9/3 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Half-PPR - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Articles:
2024 Fantasy Football Stock Report: OTAs, Training Camp - 9/4 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 8/30 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/27 (Walt)
2024 NFL Preseason Recap and Fantasy Football Notes - 8/26 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Preseason Games - 8/26 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/9 (Walt)
2024 Fantasy Football Hidden Gems - 7/2 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Dec. 13
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
