The Cowboys didn’t play their starting offense, so let’s begin with the Cardinals. Sam Bradford played two drives. He completed only one of four passes for six yards. One misfire was a drop. We really didn’t get to see much of Bradford to determine anything, outside of the fact that Arizona’s offensive line had problems blocking Dallas’ elite pass rush (more on this later.)
Here were Bradford’s targets:
J.J. Nelson: 2
Ricky Seals-Jones: 2
Josh Rosen was sidelined. He was supposed to play in this game, and he even told the media that he would suit up, but head coach Steve Wilks determined that Rosen should sit out because he banged his finger in practice recently.
Ricky Seals-Jones, a high-upside rookie tight end, caught one of his two targets for six yards. He was guilty for a drop, but I still like him as a pseudo late-round sleeper.
David Johnson took the night off, so rookie running back Chase Edmonds started. Edmonds looked outstanding, putting together some nifty runs to rush for 55 yards on 11 carries. Edmonds isn’t worth drafting because he’s trapped behind Johnson, but he must be added immediately in the event that Johnson suffers an injury.
Christian Kirk had a bit of a disappointing game. He dropped a pass and ran backward on a return, hurting Arizona’s field position. Kirk caught two balls for a single yard.
The Cowboys, as mentioned, didn’t use their offensive starters, so Cooper Rush and Rod Smith started in the backfield instead of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Rush looked great in the preseason last year, but he has really struggled this summer. He was guilty of a pick-six when Patrick Peterson read his eyes perfectly. He then had another interception in the red zone, as Budda Baker fooled him. Rush went 11-of-17 for only 93 yards and a couple of picks.
Rookie quarterback Mike White may have passed Rush on the depth chart. White completed his first seven passes. He showed nice accuracy on his throws, though he didn’t really challenge Arizona deep downfield. The mistakes came, however, as White was strip-sacked twice, losing the ball once, and then sailed a ball over his receiver’s head for an interception. White finished 17-of-22 for 157 yards and the pick. He wasn’t as great as the numbers indicate, but he wasn’t nearly as bad as Rush was.
Dallas’ new No. 1 receiver, Michael Gallup, was on the field unlike the other starters because he’s a rookie. Gallup didn’t catch a pass, thanks to Rush’s incompetence. Gallup nearly hauled in a deep shot after he beat Patrick Peterson, but Rush overthrew him.
Blake Jarwin has been Prescott’s favorite tight end target this offseason, but he made a big mistake in this game, losing a fumble near midfield while fighting for extra yardage. Jarwin caught both of his passes for six yards.
While it was a very sloppy performance by Dallas’ offense, the defense thrived. Randy Gregory, making his return from suspension, was absolutely dominant. The Cardinals’ first-string offensive line had no answer for him. If he can stay out of trouble, he’ll help the Cowboys generate one of the best pass rushes in the NFL.
NFL Preseason Announcers: NBC introduced a new “green zone,” where they use computer graphics to “green” the part of the field between the line of scrimmage and the first-down marker. I thought it was stupid at first, given that we can just look at the yellow line to determine where the first down is. However, this allowed NBC to show some different camera angles, which was neat.
Head coach Sean McDermott needs to make a decision on whom to name as his starting quarterback. Josh Allen may have been considered the favorite a couple of weeks ago, but that’s no longer the case.
Allen was atrocious in the third preseason game. To be fair, he had very little help behind an abomination of an offensive line that couldn’t protect him. Despite Allen being mobile, he took five sacks, and that number would’ve been six had he not thrown the ball away while getting drilled. Allen actually hit his head on the turf during that sequence, and had to be removed from the field to be checked for a concussion.
Allen was hurt by two drops, but his accuracy was shaky for the most part. He heaved a pass downfield to Charles Clay, but he underthrew it and was nearly picked as a result. He then fired a heater toward Kelvin Benjamin that wasn’t even close to his target.
Allen finished 6-of-12 for only 34 yards. He has loads of potential, but isn’t prepared to play right now, especially when considering how bad his offensive line is. It’s quite possible that Buffalo has the worst blocking in the NFL. Putting Allen behind a front like that could cause him to develop David Carr Syndrome, where he begins seeing ghosts in the pocket. It would be best to wait until better offensive linemen are acquired to play Allen.
Here were Allen’s targets:
Kelvin Benjamin: 3
Charles Clay: 4
Zay Jones: 2
Marcus Murphy: 1
Nathan Peterman should be Buffalo’s starting quarterback right now. He’s been Buffalo’s best signal-caller in the preseason. He thrived with the starters in the exhibition opener, and he was accurate in this contest, going 16-of-21 for 200 yards and a touchdown. One of Peterman’s best throws was a beautiful third-and-14 conversion, showing good zip on a slant after moving a safety with his eyes. Peterman had just one blunder – he was nearly pick-sixed – but he should start now, at least until Buffalo can find a solution to its offensive line woes.
Kelvin Benjamin saw three targets from Allen and a fourth from Peterman. He caught two of them for 39 yards. He was guilty of dropping what should’ve been a considerable gain.
Corey Coleman caught two passes for zero yards. He had issues lining up correctly on one occasion. It’s going to be difficult for him to be productive in the near future.
First-round rookie linebacker Tremaine Edmunds dropped a potential pick-six. That was the only negative for him as far as I could tell, as he did very well in run support.
The Buffalo fans greeted Andy Dalton with a standing ovation, thanks to the fourth-down conversion he was able to complete versus Baltimore last season, allowing the Bills to reach the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Dalton picked up where he left off, as he was outstanding against the Bills. He had just one bad pass – an overthrow toward A.J. Green – but was perfect otherwise. He was 11-of-16 for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Two misfires were dropped. One of his scores was a 57-yard bomb to John Ross.
It’s no surprise that Dalton is performing better than he did last year. Cincinnati’s offensive line was a train wreck in 2017, yet is better now. Dalton could have a rebound 2018 campaign, though he’ll need his new left tackle, the oft-injured Cordy Glenn, to stay healthy.
Here were Dalton’s targets:
Giovani Bernard: 2
Tyler Boyd: 2
Tyler Eifert: 3
A.J. Green: 5 (1 end zone)
Joe Mixon: 2
John Ross: 2
A.J. Green caught four of his five targets for 50 yards and a touchdown in the dress rehearsal. Green didn’t perform up to his high standards last year, so he has re-dedicated himself, and it shows. Furthermore, Cincinnati’s offensive line will allow Andy Dalton to perform on a higher level. Green is being drafted later than he should be.
Ross, as mentioned, reeled in a 57-yard touchdown. He caught the ball deep shy of the goal line. He had two defenders around him – Jordan Poyer, Vontae Davis – but circled around both and somehow ran in for six. It was a spectacular play. However, Ross dropped a slant later, which was a shame because it looked like he could’ve sprinted down the field for a 73-yard touchdown. Ross caught two balls for 66 yards and a touchdown. I wouldn’t draft him, as he’ll be very inconsistent this season.
Joe Mixon failed to find much running room versus the Bills, mustering seven yards on six carries. He also dropped a pass. However, he caught a ball on the very next play, turning that into a 23-yard reception.
Tyler Eifert entered the field on the second drive at Buffalo, which was remarkable in itself based on his extensive injury history. He caught a pass on the opening play of the third drive for an 11-yard gain. He was targeted twice more after that, but the passes were broken up. Still, it’s a positive that Eifert can play, and he’s well worth a pick in the double-digit rounds.
Cincinnati’s offensive line being improved is one of the primary reasons why the Bengals were able to be very productive in this game. One of the new additions is Cordy Glenn, but he hurt his shoulder and left the game early. Glenn is very injury-prone, so this has to be a concern.
On the other side of the line of scrimmage, defensive tackle Andrew Billings, a 2016 fourth-round pick, was dominant versus Buffalo. Granted, the Bills have a weak interior offensive line, but Billings looked terrific. He and Geno Atkins will form quite the tandem this season.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The only criticism of the FOX announcing crew is that the play-by-play guy called Nathan Peterman “Nathan Peterson.” I was just grateful we had a FOX broadcast that didn’t include the horrific Joe Buck and boring Troy Aikman.
John Harbaugh decided to sit his starters because of the rain. Yes, the rain! Joe Flacco sat out in favor of Robert Griffin. However, the Ravens still had a quarterback worth monitoring in Lamar Jackson, who played most of the second half.
Jackson struggled mightily earlier in the preseason, but enjoyed his best game thus far against the Dolphins. He made one mistake, which was his first throw. He sailed the ball over his tight end’s head. However, he had just two misfires after that, as he finished 7-of-10 for 98 yards and a touchdown. He also was a big factor on the ground, scrambling thrice for 39 yards and a second touchdown. One of his rushes was a 14-yard sprint to convert a third-and-13.
I wouldn’t say Jackson did anything extraordinary through the air, but the fact that he didn’t make any mistakes beyond the one overthrow was huge. Jackson’s best play was when he moved around the pocket to find someone named Tim White for a 31-yard gain.
The Ravens have preserved Alex Collins this preseason, which is a good sign for his outlook. Collins started, but was given just one carry. He broke some tackles and gained seven yards on the play. I’m a fan of Collins this year.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, played their starters. Ryan Tannehill struggled early, failing to move the chains versus the few defensive starters Baltimore had in the game. Tannehill finally had success in the second quarter when Baltimore exclusively used backups.
Tannehill finished 11-of-16 for 115 yards and a touchdown. His best throw was when he fit in a ball perfectly to Kenyan Drake for a 36-yard gain. Tannehill had just a middling night overall, however, as he only thrived versus the backups. He also fumbled the ball on an exchange with the center.
Here were Tannehill’s targets:
Danny Amendola: 4
Kenyan Drake: 3
Mike Gesicki: 2 (1 end zone)
Frank Gore: 1
Jakeem Grant: 1
Kenny Stills: 3
Albert Wilson: 3
Frank Gore played in the dress rehearsal, but didn’t do much; he lost two yards on his sole carry. Kenyan Drake was featured much more, and he showed some major explosion whenever he touched the ball. Drake gained 32 yards on four attempts and also reeled in a 36-yard reception deep downfield. Drake could’ve had better receiving numbers, but two of Tannehill’s attempts to him were deflected. He’s worth a third- or fourth-round fantasy pick.
Great Dolphins beat writer Armando Salguero said in the offseason that Tannehill to Danny Amendola will be a thing. Unsurprisingly, Amendola led the Dolphins in targets with four. He caught two of them for 23 yards and a touchdown. Amendola’s score was a thing of beauty, as he ran one direction, stopped on a dime, and went the other way, sprinting into the end zone for six.
Tight end Mike Gesicki was finally able to take the field. He saw two targets from Tannehill, catching one for 10 yards. The other fell incomplete, but Gesicki definitely should’ve drawn a pass interference flag on the play.
First-round rookie safety Minkah Fitzpatrick made quite the impression, blowing up Kenneth Dixon on a screen pass in the early going. He was all over the field while he played. It’s a small sample size, but it looks like he’s going to be a great defensive player.
There was an odd sequence in this game where Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso went to the sideline when a play was over. The problem? He went to Baltimore’s sideline. He took off his helmet, and John Harbaugh told him to go to the other sideline. Alonso was flagged for an illegal substitution infraction. The announcers joked that Alonso may have been concussed, which may have actually been the case because that’s the only logical explanation.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Dolphin telecast is packed with 90-year-old men. The play-by-play guy couldn’t tell the difference between Alex Collins and Kenneth Dixon, which was frustrating. He also called Jakeem Grant “Jakeem Drake.” Meanwhile, one of the geriatric color analysts had difficulty voicing his thoughts, and it turned into something, well, stinky:
“He l… he loads… he loads him… he drops a load on him!”
It would’ve been exciting to see Drew Brees battle Philip Rivers for 60 minutes, but both perennial Pro Bowl quarterbacks played just a combined five possessions, with Brees being under center for three drives.
Brees was the worst of the two great quarterbacks on this evening because he was responsible for an interception. He fired a pass toward Ted Ginn into double coverage. It was slightly underthrown, allowing rookie safety Derwin James to snatch the pick.
This, however, was just one of Brees’ two incompletions. The other was an Alvin Kamara drop. He finished 7-of-9 for 59 yards and a pick.
Here were Brees’ targets:
Austin Carr: 1
Ted Ginn: 2
Mark Ingram: 1
Alvin Kamara: 2
Michael Thomas: 3
Ben Watson: 1
Kamara started this game ahead of Mark Ingram, who played with the second-string because of his four-game suspension. Kamara was guilty of the aforementioned drop, but looked good otherwise. He gaiend 16 yards and a touchdown on four carries and also caught a 10-yard pass. He’s No. 4 on my cheat sheet.
Ingram, by the way, accumulated 24 yards on seven carries. It looked like he was in fine shape. He should regain his usual role once his suspension is over.
Michael Thomas caught two of his three targets for 29 yards. He played about a quarter, so I guess multiply that by four if you want to figure out how he would’ve produced in a full game. There’s nothing physically wrong with Thomas, who should have a huge year.
While Brees is a certain Hall of Famer, and Rivers is a possible one, the quarterback who had the best performance this evening was Taysom Hill. The former BYU star struggled mightily the week before, but proved to be unstoppable against the Chargers’ backup defense. Hill misfired on just one throw, going 7-of-8 for 66 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 35 yards and another score. Hill even converted a fake punt. I wouldn’t be too excited about Hill, as he has been incredibly inconsistent this preseason, but it’s nice that he can contribute on special teams, all while serving as an emergency quarterback in the event of multiple injuries.
Saints first-round rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport had a strong performance. He had half of a sack, a tackle for loss and multiple pressures. He looked promising after missing some time in training camp with an injury.
As for the Chargers, Philip Rivers had two misfires, just like his predecessor, Brees. One of Rivers’ incompletions was a high throw over Mike Williams’ head in the end zone. Rivers went 5-of-7, but for only 29 yards. Most of his completions were checkdowns to his running back and fullback.
Here were Rivers’ targets:
Keenan Allen: 1
Travis Benjamin: 1
Austin Ekeler: 2
Derek Watt: 1
Mike Williams: 1 (1 end zone)
Melvin Gordon sat out, so Austin Ekeler started. He gashed the Saints, recording 50 yards on six carries. He also caught three balls for 13 receiving yards. I wouldn’t draft him, but he’ll be worth adding in the event of a Gordon injury.
There’s not much worth noting about Keenan Allen, who caught his only target for five yards. Williams, meanwhile, was thrown to in the end zone, but Rivers sailed the ball over his head, perhaps because Williams was tightly covered. It’s a shame Rivers didn’t play more, as I wanted to see what sort of a connection he has with Williams.
The Charger backup quarterbacks didn’t fare as well as the Saints’ reserves. Cardale Jones didn’t get a chance to do much – he was 1-of-3 for 13 yards – while Geno Smith threw a very ugly pick-six in which he stared down his receiver. Smith was 7-of-11 but for only 45 yards and the interception.
As mentioned earlier, Derwin James picked off Drew Brees on the opening drive. He made a great read on Brees and came out of nowhere to snatch the interception. James had a great debut, leaving many Buccaneer, Cowboy and Raider fans wondering why in the world their passed on James when they all had a big need at safety.
NFL Preseason Announcers: I heard nothing wrong from the broadcast, which is no surprise because it was a CBS team. The color analyst, Dan Fouts, really reminds me of my former pediatrician. They look incredibly alike, only Fouts is slightly heavier. My sister wanted to use him – the pediatrician; not Fouts – to be her daughter’s doctor, but he lost his practice, unfortunately, because he was caught growing large amounts of marijuana. True story.
You never want to see an ugly injury in a preseason game, especially to a starter. That occurred in this contest, however. Marqise Lee injured his knee on a reception versus Atlanta. He shouted in agony upon taking a hit and had to be carted into the locker room. There’s no diagnosis yet, but it looked pretty bad.
Blake Bortles needs all the help he can get, so it’ll definitely hurt him that he’ll be down a receiver. Bortles was absolutely atrocious in this game. He began the night by throwing an interception, though I wouldn’t blame him entirely for that one because it was tipped into the air. However, Bortles was very fortunate to get away with another pick right after that when he launched a ball into the end zone toward Donte Moncrief while drifting backward. He was then very lucky once again when he flung the ball recklessly toward T.J. Yeldon while under pressure. Atlanta almost caught it again. Bortles followed that up with a throw behind D.J. Chark.
The coaches made sure to protect Bortles after that, asking him to throw nothing but checkdowns. And yet, he still threw another interception in the red zone, as his attempt was nowhere near Dede Westbrook.
Bortles completed 17-of-23 for 204 yards and two interceptions. The completion percentage and yardage are both very misleading, as most of Bortles’ completions were checkdowns, some of which went a long distance. Bortles is pure garbage and needs to be removed as the starter if the Jaguars want to make a return trip to the playoffs.
Here were Bortles’ targets:
Tommy Bohannon: 1
D.J. Chark: 2
Keelan Cole: 1
Leonard Fournette: 4
Corey Grant: 1
Marqise Lee: 1
Donte Moncrief: 5
James O’Shaughnessy: 1
Austin Seferian-Jenkins: 2
Dede Westbrook: 3
T.J. Yeldon: 4
There was plenty of stupidity regarding the Jaguars’ offense in this game. Bortles’ decision-making was the primary factor, but so was Doug Marrone’s choice to play Leonard Fournette into the third quarter. This was incredibly dumb, as Marrone risked Fournette’s health for absolutely no reason. Marrone is a horrible coach whose own players despise him. If things begin poorly in Jacksonville this year, things will quickly tailspin, as Marrone won’t have any support in the locker room.
Fournette, by the way, looked outstanding. He gained 57 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries. He also caught three balls for 18 receiving yards. His best run was a 21-yard touchdown in which he had the vision to cut back and then was able to break some arm tackles. If Fournette weren’t shackled with such miserable quarterbacking, he’d have a chance to win the rushing title.
Donte Moncrief led the Jaguars in targets from Bortles (5) and receiving yardage (3 catches, 62 yards). Moncrief is not a good player, so don’t read too much into this. Westbrook (2 catches, 11 yards) is the better receiver.
Jaguars first-round rookie defensive lineman Taven Bryan had a terrific debut. He was relentless in run support and even had a pass deflection while being blocked by two linemen.
Speaking of Jacksonville’s defense, it put the clamps on Matt Ryan, as he was able to achieve first downs on just two of his drives in the opening half. Granted, Ryan didn’t have Julio Jones or Devonta Freeman on his disposal, but he still had trouble moving the chains.
Ryan failed to complete half his passes, going 5-of-12 for 57 yards. He was victimized by three drops, but Jacksonville’s defense just seemed like it was too fast for Ryan and his teammates.
First-round rookie Calvin Ridley had a rough dress rehearsal. He had a chance to step up with Julio Jones out, but he struggled instead. He saw just one target from Matt Ryan, and he dropped the slant pass. He later dropped a pass from Matt Schaub. The ball took an odd bounce, seemingly off the foot of a Jaguar defender, and then it popped into the arms of another Jacksonville player for an interception. However, replay review ruled it incomplete.
Mohamed Sanu saw a team-high five targets, yet because he’s an inefficient player, he was able to catch just two balls for 38 yards. He was responsible for a drop.
With Freeman out of the lineup, Tevin Coleman started and gained 38 yards on seven carries. Coleman looked good, but he’s trapped in a bad fantasy situation.
NFL Preseason Announcers: There was quite the contrast of the two announcers. The play-by-play guy for Jacksonville was someone who looked like the red-headed dude from Homeland. He spoke quickly and was sloppy as a result. He mispronounced some names, including Mohamed Sanu, making it sound like “SAH-nu.”
The color analyst, meanwhile, was Fred Taylor, who sounded like he was half-asleep. He also constantly repeated himself, as you can see with one of his quotes (read this at half speed to simulate how tired Taylor sounded):
“Myles Jack is a smart player. Myles Jack is a smart player overall. Here he is right here. Here he is right there. Here he is right, right there.”
I’ve been waiting to see some semblance of arm strength from Andrew Luck. We didn’t witness it often in this game, but there was a sign of it when he drilled in a 13-yard pass to T.Y. Hilton on a third-and-9 on the second drive. That gave me some hope that we could see the Luck of old again.
Luck went 8-of-10 for 90 yards and a touchdown. He was obviously very accurate, as one of his two incompletions was a T.Y. Hilton drop. One of his only mistakes was taking a sack because he held the ball too long on the opening drive.
Here were Luck’s targets:
Darrell Daniels: 1
Eric Ebron: 3 (1 end zone)
Ryan Grant: 2
T.Y. Hilton: 3
Chester Rogers: 1
Jordan Wilkins: 1
Hilton caught two of his three targets for 17 yards. He dropped a ball, as mentioned. Hilton is well worth a third-round fantasy pick with Luck back on the field again.
Indianapolis’ No. 2 receiver, Ryan Grant, caught one pass for 17 yards. He also drew an interference flag downfield. I have concerns about Grant’s ability to separate, but he has some fantasy potential because of Luck.
Jordan Wilkins started with Marlon Mack banged up, and he gained 28 yards on 14 carries. I didn’t see anything special out of him, but he’s the favorite to be the primary back if Mack isn’t healthy. The Colts announcers talked up Wilkins, who showed some receiving prowess, catching two balls for 33 yards.
Jimmy Garoppolo played more than Luck, staying on the field well into the third quarter. His completion percentage looks hideous – he was 9-of-19 for 135 yards – but four of his incompletions were dropped. Raheem Mostert and Garrett Celek both dropped screens, then Cole Hikutini dropped a touchdown. Celek let another ball fall through his hands later in the game. Garoppolo should’ve had a much better stat line, but to be fair, he also had a possible interception that was dropped in the red zone when he telegraphed a throw to Trent Taylor.
There have been some health concerns with Pierre Garcon this summer. Garcon was finally able to take the field in the dress rehearsal, and he looked like his usual self. Garcon tied a team high in targets from Garoppolo (4), and he caught two of them for 62 yards. A 47-yarder was a terrific catch-and-run. Garcon should be a solid fantasy WR3 this year.
Marquise Goodwin also saw four targets from Garoppolo. He snatched three balls for 40 yards. The Indianapolis announcers praised Goodwin, predicting that he would be a star one day.
With countless 49er running backs injured, Alfred Morris started. Morris ran extremely well, gaining 84 yards on 17 carries. He could’ve posted an even better stat line, but he had a long run negated by an illegal formation. Jerick McKinnon will be back soon, but Morris has shown that he can be effective if given an opportunity. Pick up Morris during the season if it’s announced that he’ll be the starter because of injuries to other players.
NFL Preseason Announcers: I know that the homer preseason announcers refer to their team as “we” and “us.” I don’t know who Indianapolis’ color analyst was, but he was an enthusiastic 90-year-old man who took it to an extreme. This was an actual series of consecutive sentences from him prior to kickoff:
“We have to stop Garoppolo. We’re going to see a hot quarterback. We must stop him. We must play a clean game. We have to clean up penalties. We need to get off the field.”
It’s like he actually thought he was going to play in this game!
It was announced that the Rams’ starting offense wouldn’t play, so I was hoping Deshaun Watson and the Houston first-stringers would be on the field for a while. They weren’t. Watson played two complete drives, as well as an additional sequence following a Rams turnover. Brandon Weeden entered the game toward the end of the opening quarter, so this game was mostly useless.
Watson had a great second preseason game, but wasn’t as good in this contest. It didn’t help that Bruce Ellington dropped a ball on third down. On the next drive, Watson was picked on a deep bomb as he was getting drilled. Watson looked absolutely shocked while he was sitting on the field, seemingly pondering what just happened. Fortunately, he was OK.
Watson was just 3-of-6 for 15 yards. He battled the Rams’ starting defense, featuring Ndamukong Suh and Aqib Talib. It didn’t look like his offensive line could hold up, but his playing time was a small sample size and featured a drop.
Here were Watson’s targets:
Bruce Ellington: 1
Ryan Griffin: 1
DeAndre Hopkins: 1
Braxton Miller: 3
Lamar Miller: 1
It’s difficult to discuss any of the Texan skill-position players because they barely played. DeAndre Hopkins, for instance, caught his only target for four yards. Will Fuller sat out with a minor injury. Lamar Miller, meanwhile, mustered just eight yards on three carries. He’s been atop my Fantasy Football Busts page the entire summer. I would not draft him before the ninth round.
As mentioned, the Rams starting offense didn’t play. Sean McVay opted to hold out Jared Goff and Todd Gurley because both starting tackles were going to be sidelined with minor injuries. McVay was wise to make this decision.
Sean Mannion started instead. He threw an ugly interception versus Houston’s starting defense, setting up a Texan touchdown. Mannion was predictably better versus the backups, finishing 11-of-17 for only 68 yards, one score and a pick.
Rams rookie running back John Kelly impressed for the second week in a row. Kelly ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. His longest run in the opening half was an 11-yard burst he had a nifty skip in between the tackles. He then scored on a 15-yard run in the second half.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Rams have a professional broadcast because the NFL Network crew can just cross the street and film from the stadium. The play-by-play guy teased prior to kickoff, “If you were to write a script, this is when the action takes place!”
Yes, all the action, where the Rams’ starting offense didn’t play, while the Texans’ starters were on the field for half a quarter. What great action!
Ben Roethlisberger saw his first and only action of the preseason in this game. He didn’t have Le’Veon Bell or Antonio Brown at his disposal, but he showed only a little bit of rust. Roethlisberger was guilty of two inaccurate tosses, both of which went to Jesse James. However, he ultimately hit Justin Hunter with a 32-yard touchdown bomb to conclude his afternoon.
Roethlisberger finished 11-of-18 for 114 yards and the score. His numbers would’ve been better, but JuJu Smith-Schuster dropped a completion that would’ve gone for 25 yards or so. Roethlisberger once again looks like a borderline QB1-QB2.
Here were Roethlisberger’s targets:
James Conner: 3
Trey Griffey: 2
Justin Hunter: 2
Jesse James: 4
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 7
James Washington: 1
I like Smith-Schuster this year, but he was guilty of a drop that would’ve been a gain of 25 yards or so. Still, he saw seven targets from Roethlisberger, reeling in six passes for 46 yards. He’s going to have a big sophomore campaign.
With Bell still holding out, James Conner was once again the starter. Conner didn’t find much running room versus Tennessee’s improved ground defense, mustering only 18 yards on 10 carries. However, he was worked in a lot as a pass-catcher, logging seven receptions for 57 receiving yards. That’s something to keep in mind if Bell either gets hurt or continues to hold out into the regular season.
Mason Rudolph played the entire second half. He went 7-of-11 for 65 yards. He didn’t do much of note, as almost all of his passes were checkdowns. His best play was when he rolled right and found an open receiver. It was a nifty play, but it happened to be negated by a penalty.
Steelers rookie H-back Jaylen Samuels had several nifty plays. He made a man miss and had a good stiff-arm on an 18-yard run. He then caught a short pass and made three defenders whiff, then dived into the end zone for a touchdown. Unfortunately, it was nullified by a hold. Samuels gained 41 yards on 11 carries and caught four passes for 36 receiving yards.
Marcus Mariota didn’t have the best dress rehearsal. Playing a pedestrian defense that couldn’t stop Blake Bortles, Mariota was 5-of-8 for only 43 yards and an interception. His pick was a rookie-type error where he rolled left and forced a late throw to Taywan Taylor. Rookie Terrell Edmunds easily picked it off.
Mariota didn’t play well otherwise either. He skipped a pass to a wide-open Corey Davis, though it’s possible that Davis may have run the wrong route. Mariota then overthrew Davis. The fact that the Titans couldn’t move the chains versus a sub-par stop unit is slightly troubling, though I’m sure the Titans were holding plenty back.
Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis looked like they were mixed in evenly. Henry gained 12 yards on five carries, while Dion Lewis saw three targets from Mariota. He caught three balls for 20 yards.
Marcus Mariota threw to Corey Davis twice in the dress rehearsal, but Davis couldn’t come up with a single reception. He ran the wrong route, then was overthrown. I liked Davis earlier in the offseason when his ADP was closer to the eighth round, but I’m not as big of a fan of him in the sixth frame, which is where he’s being drafted now.
Taywan Taylor, who has made an appearance on my Fantasy Football Sleepers page, was guilty of a drop in this game. He was also targeted on Mariota’s interception. I’m not going to downgrade him for this, but it was a disappointing effort.
It didn’t look like rookie quarterback Luke Falk would play because Blaine Gabbert was on the field for more than a half. However, the coaching staff gave Falk a chance on the final drive of the game. Falk completed a short pass that went for 13 yards, then sailed a ball out of bounds. He followed that up with two sacks, the second of which occurred because he held on the ball to an eternity. Falk’s final pass was a Hail Mary, which was picked off. Falk went 1-of-3 for 13 yards and an interception.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Steeler play-by-play guy called Logan Ryan “Logan Riley.” He couldn’t get that name correct because he spent time making corny jokes like this:
“Tajae Sharpe was sharp enough there to get the necessary yards.”
The NFL preseason has become a joke. Teams with veteran quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers initially decided that playing their starters in the so-called dress rehearsal was not something they wanted to do. Now, teams with young signal-callers are following suit. The Rams announced earlier that Jared Goff would be sitting, and Bears head coach Matt Nagy decided that he would do the same with Mitchell Trubisky and the rest of his first-stringers. The fact that the preseason is four games is absolutely ridiculous, and it needs to be cut in half as soon as possible. The Bears basically spit in the faces of the fans who paid for this game, and I don’t blame them for doing so!
The Chiefs are only worth discussing, as Patrick Mahomes was on the field for two-and-a-half quarters. Mahomes played well, but made a couple of mistakes. He overthrew Sammy Watkins for a potential touchdown and then fired way behind Watkins on another occasion. He also dropped back too deep in the pocket on a fourth-and-short try.
That said, Mahomes had more positives than negatives. He began the afternoon by firing a dart to Watkins. He then recognized the blitz and beat the Bears with a touchdown to Kareem Hunt. Mahomes’ next possession featured a pass with nice zip to Tyreek Hill while he was scrambling right.
Mahomes finished 19-of-25 for 200 yards and a touchdown along with two scrambles for 11 rushing yards. One incompletion was thrown away. Mahomes looked solid, and I still like him as a high-end QB2 with upside.
Sammy Watkins struggled in a recent preseason game, but his outlook is a bit more promising now. Watkins caught only one pass for 15 yards, but was targeted thrice. Mahomes had him open for a deep touchdown, but overthrew him.
Tyreek Hill seems like he’s going to have a tremendous year. Hill saw eight targets from Patrick Mahomes in the dress rehearsal, and he snatched all eight for 88 yards. He and Mahomes have a tremendous rapport.
Kareem Hunt didn’t find much running room against the Bears, mustering just seven yards on three carries. However, he scored on a 19-yard touchdown reception. He’s worth a pick atop Round 2 of 12-team leagues.
Rookie quarterback Chase Litton looked great in his preseason debut. He didn’t play last week, but he took the field in the fourth quarter versus the Bears. He completed his first pass, but the ball placement was a bit off. He was nearly picked on the next pass, but then converted a fourth-and-2 with a short toss. Litton managed to scramble for 10 yards to reach the red zone, then did a good job to avoid a sack. He overthrew a tight end in the end zone, prompting a field goal attempt.
Litton’s next possession saw him draw an interference flag on a 15-yard attempt. He then zipped a pass to a receiver, who sprinted into the end zone. Litton finished 4-of-7 for 67 yards and a touchdown. He made a couple of mistakes, but showed that he has good arm strength and mobility.
The Bears, as mentioned, didn’t play their starters. Chase Daniel was the quarterback, and he was very accurate, going 15-of-18 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. He also scrambled eight times for 47 rushing yards. It appears as though Chicago will be in good hands should Trubisky miss some action.
Seventh-round rookie receiver Javon Wims really stood out for Chicago. Wims had a 53-yard catch and run, showing tremendous speed. He followed that up with a leaping catch in the end zone, as he tapped both feet inbounds impressively. If the preseason games mean anything, Wims will have cemented his spot on the 53-man roster. If Wims doesn’t survive final cuts, the NFL should just abolish the preseason entirely.
NFL Preseason Announcers: There was nothing wrong with the announcers, from what I heard, but the camera man did manage to capture this lovely shot:
Look at the kid next to her. It looks like he’s thinking, “This is so embarrassing, all my mom does is pick boogers in public!”
Aaron Rodgers and most of Green Bay’s starters sat out, so I was hoping to see Derek Carr on at least three or four drives. Unfortunately, Carr was on the field for just one.
Carr made it count, however. He began by launching a bomb to Amari Cooper for 49 yards. He then fit a perfect pass to Jared Cook with great ball placement along the sideline. The drive ended poorly, as Carr fumbled on third down in the red zone, as Donald Penn was walked into Carr. The Raiders recovered and kicked a field goal. Carr finished 2-of-3 for 68 yards.
Here were Carr’s targets:
Jared Cook: 1
Amari Cooper: 1
Lee Smith: 1
Amari Cooper caught only one pass against the Packers, but he was on the field for just a handful of plays. Cooper made it count, reeling in a 49-yard bomb. With Oakland’s offense improving, Cooper is a solid fantasy option if he can stay healthy for once.
Marshawn Lynch sat out, so Doug Martin started. Martin struggled to find running room in the early going, but picked up his play in the second quarter. He broke free for a 16-yard burst, which was most of his 24-yard output on six attempts.
Raiders rookie defensive end Arden Key played well. He showed a non-stop motor, which excited the Oakland sideline.
While Davante Adams and Randall Cobb sat out versus Oakland, the Packers started Geronimo Allison, who performed well. Allison made a great catch initially despite being held, tip-toeing his feet inbounds. He actually made another terrific reception after that, hauling in a 31-yarder in between two defenders while getting drilled. Allison’s two receptions went for 40 yards. It seems as though he has won Green Bay’s No. 3 receiver job.
J’Mon Moore led the Packers with four catches for 62 yards. This was a nice performance from him, which he needed because he dropped so many passes throughout the summer. Moore made a tremendous reception in between two defenders while taking a fierce hit. Meanwhile, fellow rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling didn’t log a catch. He was targeted in the red zone, but a fade fell incomplete, thanks to great coverage by rookie Nick Nelson.
The Packers used two early draft choices on cornerbacks, and they both flashed. Joshua Jackson appeared to have a pick-six from Connor Cook, but the play was nullified because of a defensive hold. Jackson nearly had another interception in the second quarter. Jaire Alexander, meanwhile, snatched an interception on an underthrown Cook pass. If you couldn’t tell, Cook struggled, as he went 6-of-15 for 72 yards and a pick.
There were two bogus helmet penalties in this game, both called on the Raiders. One was a helmet to the tricep where the defender didn’t even lower his helmet. Another was a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. This is getting out of control, and it’s only a matter of time before Roger Goodell has everyone play with bras, tin-foil hats and balloons.
NFL Preseason Announcers: Play-by-play announcer Beth Mowins called the Packers the “Detroit Packers.” I kid you not.
Matt Millen, meanwhile, was one of two color analysts. He had three, umm, interesting quotes:
Dalvin Cook was making his return from a torn ACL, and he was welcomed with a loud applause from the crowd. Cook, however, barely gained positive yardage, picking up a single yard on two carries. He was stuffed on a second-and-1, then the same thing happened on the next play. The officials moved the chains for some reason even though it was clear that Cook didn’t pick up the needed yardage. Even the homer Viking announcers didn’t think Cook should’ve moved the chains. That was it for Cook for the night.
Kirk Cousins had a mixed performance. He began hot, firing a slant to Stefon Diggs in a tight window for a 9-yard gain, then drilling Diggs again toward the end zone, though cornerback Shaq Griffin made a great play to break up the pass. Cousins then hit Diggs with a brilliant back-shoulder throw for 27 yards.
All of this sounds great, but Cousins struggled a bit after that. He was eager to throw a checkdown on a third-and-9, which the announcers called “conspicuous.” Cousins then threw behind Adam Thielen, then overshot Thielen. The announcers expressed concern about Cousins’ accuracy in the second quarter.
Cousins finished 17-of-28 for 182 yards in exactly one half of action. Cousins, as usual, was inconsistent, and he’ll need to work on that in order to get the Vikings over the hump.
Stefon Diggs seems like he’s going to take the next step and become an elite receiver. He and Kirk Cousins have a great rapport, and Cousins targeted Diggs more times (8) than any other receiver. In fact, that number would’ve been greater had Diggs not missed close to 10 plays when he got dinged up late in the second quarter. Diggs, who caught four of his targets for 51 yards, made a great spin move in the opening frame to pick up a third-and-10. Diggs then hauled in a ridiculous back-shoulder catch, and he followed that up by drawing a defensive holding penalty. I’m going to try to get Diggs on most of my fantasy teams this summer.
Adam Thielen caught four passes for 26 yards in the dress rehearsal. He and Kirk Cousins seem a bit out of sync right now. That may change as the season progresses, but Thielen seems like he’s being overdrafted.
Rookie running back Mike Boone led the Vikings in rushing with 26 yards on nine carries. He made a nice cut on an 8-yard run, breaking a defender’s ankle in the process. Boone, who also caught four balls for 13 receiving yards, could see significant playing time if either Cook or Latavius Murray were to get hurt, so he’s someone to remember during the season.
Fifth-round rookie kicker Daniel Carlson drilled a 57-yard field goal two weeks ago, but he missed two chip shots in this contest, prompting boos from the crowd. Both attempts were wide left.
Moving on to the Seahawks, Russell Wilson didn’t have much to work with, as his top weapons were Brandon Marshall and Keenan Reynolds. Still, Wilson went 11-of-21 for 118 yards in two-and-a-half quarters. His best pass was a 20-yarder to Marshall in which he showed tremendous ball placement. Marshall was able to make a leaping catch over Xavier Rhodes and in front of Harrison Smith.
Here were Wilson’s targets:
Jaron Brown: 2
Chris Carson: 3
Mike Davis: 2
Marcus Johnson: 1
Brandon Marshall: 3
David Moore: 1
C.J. Prosise: 1
Keenan Reynolds: 4
Caleb Scott: 1
With Rashaad Penny hurt, Chris Carson continued to start He played well once again, tallying 26 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. He also caught two balls for 20 yards, which includes a 14-yard reception in which he was able to break a tackle on linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Seventh-round rookie quarterback Alex McGough has improved each week. That may sound odd, given that he completed just 5-of-14 passes in this contest, but I thought he was impressive.
McGough’s completion percentage is misleading. Two misfires were because of downfield miscommunications. One was a drop of what should’ve been a gain of 15. McGough also had a terrible interception in which he threw the ball late across his body over the field. This happened right away, and McGough was much better after that. He showed tremendous ball placement on a 14-yard pass along the sideline, then converted a fourth-and-22 with a 25-yard dart to his receiver. McGough also scrambled for a first down, rushing for 22 yards on four runs.
McGough finished with 140 yards, one touchdown and a pick. He’s not afraid to take downfield shots, and he has a strong arm. He actually completed a 55-yard pass on a Hail Mary, but the receiver landed at the 2-yard line. Outside of the one bad decision on the interception, I thought McGough showed more than enough to vault himself over the anemic Austin Davis as Seattle’s No. 2 quarterback.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Viking play-by-play guy is known for being absolutely insane. He yells all the time, sounding like a wrestling announcer. Here are some things he screamed at the top of his lungs:
“IN FRONT OF HIS HEAD COACHES, HE’S MAKING THEM PROUD, FIRST DOWN VIKINGS!”
“C.J. HAM, MAKING DULUTH PROUD, AND BARKEVIOUS MINGO PAYS FOR IT!”
Following a touchdown, he shouted, “GO CRAZY, VIKING FANS!” and they did. The camera panned to these people, and one thing clearly stands out:
Hint: It’s not the guy making the weird fish face in the background.
There was a scary moment in this game when Cam Newton recklessly dived for a first down despite it being a meaningless preseason game. He landed on his head, and it appeared as though he might be concussed. Taylor Heinicke took the field with Newton sidelined, but Newton was able to return after missing a half-a-dozen plays or so.
Newton was 11-of-17 for 142 yards. Not included in those numbers was a 20-yard pass to Devin Funchess that was negated by a penalty. I’d say Newton played mostly well overall, but he was guilty of wasting two timeouts during the same drive in the opening quarter. That came back to bite the Panthers, who could’ve used one of those timeouts during a 2-minute drill at the end of the opening half that concluded at the 1-yard line because of poor officiating (more on that later.)
Here were Newton’s targets:
Devin Funchess: 3
Christian McCaffrey: 2
D.J. Moore: 1 (1 end zone)
Greg Olsen: 4
Curtis Samuel: 2 (1 end zone)
Torrey Smith: 2
Jarius Wright: 2
Christian McCaffrey was excellent once again. McCaffrey gashed the Patriots for 48 yards on 12 carries. His best run was an 18-yard burst in which he broke a couple of tackles. He also converted a third-and-1 inside the 5-yard line. McCaffrey, as expected, was a factor in the aerial attack as well, hauling in both of his targets for 16 yards. He also had a key block in a blitz pick-up to allow Newton complete a deep pass.
D.J. Moore had a disappointing preseason dress rehearsal. He saw one target from Cam Newton, but couldn’t catch it because he stumbled. I don’t have snap count for you, but I didn’t see Moore very often, as Torrey Smith and Curtis Samuel played ahead of him. Moore had a great training camp, so I wonder if Ron Rivera sidelined Moore because he was clocked for going 113 mph in a 65-mph zone a few days ago. I still think Moore will be very good, but he could begin the year slowly because of his off-the-field incident.
Greg Olsen had an eventful night. He caught all four of his targets for 44 yards, but he spent a couple of minutes yelling at official Sarah Thomas. Olsen slid out of bounds in the final seconds of the opening half. He wasn’t touched, so his action should’ve stopped the clock. Thomas, however, made a circular motion with her arm, indicating that the clock should continue. Olsen was irate, and rightfully so. There’s no room for this sort of incompetence in the NFL, as it was a very basic call to make. It’s a good thing this wasn’t a real game, as the Panthers would’ve been robbed of precious points in what was a close battle versus the Patriots.
Panthers rookie cornerback Donte Jackson has turned heads this summer, and he made a great play in this game. He showed great closing speed to make a tackle on James White before White could get to the first-down marker.
Tom Brady, meanwhile, was his excellent self. He didn’t lead the Patriots into the end zone, as there were some drops and great plays from Carolina’s terrific defense. Brady only really threw one bad pass when he fired the ball behind his target, but he was otherwise terrific as always. Brady finished 12-of-18 for 102 yards.
Here were Brady’s targets:
James Develin: 1
Phillip Dorsett: 4
Julian Edelman: 5
Rob Gronkowski: 1
Chris Hogan: 1
Cordarrelle Patterson: 3
Will Tye: 1
James White: 2
Mike Gillislee and Jeremy Hill were the only running backs who carried the ball for the Patriots, as this was a clear battle to see who would claim the one spot available at the position. Neither was very impressive. Gillislee ran for 35 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Hill gained 25 yards on nine tries.
Phillip Dorsett saw four targets, one away from the team lead (Julian Edelman). Dorsett snatched all four of those balls for 36 yards. It’s worth noting that Chris Hogan didn’t play, but Dorsett could be someone to look out for during the first four weeks of the season when Edelman is out of the lineup because of a suspension.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Panthers have a miserable broadcast, as the play-by-play is some 90-year-old man. He had the following to say:
“Julius Peppers said he was lazy coming out of Georgia.”
I’m not sure when Peppers was in Georgia, outside of the annual trip to battle the Falcons. Peppers went to North Carolina.
Then, the color analyst, who called Christian McCaffrey “Mac McCaffrey,” added this:
“He tries to redirection his hand.”
What does “redirection his hand” mean? Do people do that when they’re doing something naughty?
Adrian Peterson made his Redskins debut in the third preseason game. Those who thought he would get just a handful of carries would be pleasantly surprised, as Peterson handled a full workload for most of the opening half. His first attempt was a tough, 7-yard run. He then burst for 13 yards when he made a nice cut and accelerated through a hole opened by Trent Williams. Peterson’s next impressive run was a 6-yarder in which he made great move to elude a defender. He closed his night on a fourth-and-1 conversion in which he showed tremendous burst to gain 15 yards. Peterson gashed the Broncos for 56 yards on 11 carries. Peterson has been going way too late in mock drafts; he should be coming off the board in the fifth or sixth round as a player who can rush for 1,000 yards this year. Peterson is now healthy, and he’ll be running behind one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. He’s 33, but he’s a future Hall of Famer, and I would not recommend doubting someone like that.
Alex Smith didn’t have the best night. He went 3-of-8 for just 33 yards. One incompletion was dropped, but Smith’s accuracy was not on point. He also took a bad sack on his first drop-back.
Here were Smith’s targets:
Kapri Bibbs: 1
Vernon Davis: 4
Paul Richardson: 3
Vernon Davis led the Redskins in targets from Smith with four, but don’t read into that. Jordan Reed didn’t play, but should be able to suit up in the season opener.
Paul Richardson saw three targets from Smith, catching two balls for 31 yards. Smith seems like he has plenty of capable receivers and tight ends at his disposal, so I wouldn’t recommend drafting Richardson until the final rounds.
Rookie nose tackle Da’Ron Payne was powerful in the trenches. He faced a double team on one play, yet was able to disengage and stuff Royce Freeman for a loss. He’s going to improve Washington’s run defense tremendously.
Smith didn’t play the entire opening half, but Case Keenum did. Keenum opened the preseason with a brutal performance versus Minnesota, but has gotten better each week. Keenum finished 12-of-18 for 148 yards. He looked exactly like what the Broncos thought they were getting when they paid him lots of money this offseason.
Case Keenum loved throwing to Adam Thielen out of the slot last year, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he has preferred Denver’s slot receiver as well. Emmanuel Sanders once again led the Broncos in targets, seeing eight balls at Washington. Sanders did plenty with those targets. He converted a third-and-14 by finding an open space, then hauled in a diving, 33-yard catch. He later scored a touchdown on an end-around. Sanders caught four balls for 61 yards to go along with a 27-yard rushing touchdown in one half of action. I’d rather have Sanders than Demaryius Thomas (2 catches, 13 yards) at this point.
Rookie receiver Courtland Sutton continued to make a name for himself, as he made a great, leaping, back-shoulder catch over Josh Norman. He caught all three of his targets for 45 yards. He’s worth a late-round selection.
Devontae Booker started the game, but Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay were the better Denver running backs. Freeman scored on the second possession with a broken tackle on a 24-yard run. He didn’t do much else, however, finishing with 26 yards on five attempts. Lindsay tallied 31 yards on five carries against the Redskins. He also caught an 18-yard pass in which he torpedoed out of the backfield and blew by a linebacker. Lindsay really reminds me of Tarik Cohen, and I love him as a final-round sleeper.
Chad Kelly wasn’t outstanding in his third preseason game, but he did some good things. He launched a nice fade pass to the end zone, but the receiver couldn’t come up with the catch. He also showed good touch on a third-down conversion. He made one mistake in which he floated a pass over a defender on a bootleg, and it was nearly picked off by that very defender. Otherwise, Kelly thrived once again, as he finished 7-of-11 for 70 yards.
Paxton Lynch played in the fourth quarter. He fired a nice pass downfield, but it was dropped. There were a couple of bad moments though. He overthrew someone eight yards in front of him, then missed a receiver in the end zone. He was 3-of-7 for 39 yards. His Denver days are numbered.
NFL Preseason Announcers: Here’s a shot of what the Redskins’ telecast looked like:
They spent the entire third quarter discussing food, and color analyst Joe Theismann joked that he’s a “naked guy,” as in a naked wing guy. #FoodJokes.
The CBS announcers said that new Lions head coach Matt Patricia was so frustrated with the first-string offense that he made them play into the third quarter. And yet, they were disappointing there as well. Detroit’s starters scored just six points in more than a half against a pretty pedestrian Tampa defense.
Matthew Stafford went 9-of-18 for 113 yards. Not included in those numbers was a drawn deep pass interference to T.J. Jones. The completion percentage looks ugly, but his teammates hurt him. There were several drops, while the offensive line struggled to block once again. The Lions have the talent on the front to shield Stafford effectively, so it’s unclear why the unit has struggled so much in the preseason.
Here were Stafford’s targets:
Ameer Abdullah: 1
Kenny Golladay: 4 (1 end zone)
Marvin Jones: 2
T.J. Jones: 1
Theo Riddick: 3
Golden Tate: 4 (1 end zone)
Levine Toilolo: 1
Hakeem Valles: 2
Kenny Golladay tied the Lions’ team lead in targets with four from Stafford, and he caught a 36-yard pass on a busted coverage. However, there’s some bad news. Golladay dropped a slant and looked like he might be one of those inefficient receivers who tends to disappoint despite having plenty of passes thrown his way. Maybe I’m overreacting, but this was an ugly performance.
Marvin Jones was guilty of a drop. He saw two targets, catching one of them for 12 yards. Golden Tate, meanwhile, snatched two of the four balls thrown to him for 23 yards.
The Lions, once again, rotated four running backs throughout the first three quarters of the game. This is exactly what they did last week. I don’t understand what the point of this is, unless Patricia doesn’t want to reveal his plan to his fantasy football league members. Kerryon Johnson looked like the best of the bunch, gaining 25 yards on four carries. His best run was a 9-yarder in which he broke a tackle. LeGarrette Blount, meanwhile, tallied 45 yards on 11 tries.
The Buccaneers, meanwhile, continued to implement their strategy as well. Their plan has been to use Ryan Fitzpatrick in the opening quarter because he’s going to start the first three games because of Jameis Winston’s suspension. Fitzpatrick looked very sharp in his couple of drives, going 6-of-7 for 82 yards. Fitzpatrick is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL, but the Buccaneers’ extremely difficult schedule could prevent them from winning a game at the beginning of the season.
Here were Fitzpatrick’s targets:
Mike Evans: 1
Chris Godwin: 1
O.J. Howard: 2
DeSean Jackson: 2
Ronald Jones: 1
As for Jameis Winston, he also played well, going 6-of-10 for 60 yards and a touchdown. One of his incompletions was an Adam Humphries drop. His score was a pretty back-shoulder throw to Chris Godwin.
Here were Winston’s targets:
Chris Godwin: 2
O.J. Howard: 1
Adam Humphries: 3
DeSean Jackson: 3
Freddie Martino: 1
Jacquizz Rodgers: 1
Mike Evans got banged up in this game. He caught a pass, which was negated by an obvious offensive pass interference flag. He collapsed onto the ground, however, and rolled around in pain. Fortunately, he seemed just fine minutes later, and was even upbeat during a sideline interview in the second quarter.
Chris Godwin drew heavy praise from the CBS announcers, who claimed to have heard great things about him in the summer. I read those reports as well, and they’ve translated to the preseason. Godwin saw three targets from both quarterbacks and caught all three of those balls for 27 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. He made a terrific back-shoulder throw from Winston. On a later play, he eluded a defender to move the chains on a second-and-10, all while having enough awareness to get out of bounds to stop the clock in the 2-minute drill. I like Godwin as a late-round flier.
Speaking of players I’ve been high on, Peyton Barber was tremendous once again. He ran for 34 yards and a touchdown on just five carries against the Lions. His best run was a 14-yarder where he showed tremendous vision. He later broke a tackle and accelerated into the end zone. It was very telling that Barber played just one drive; he was nowhere to be seen afterward, as the coaches apparently wanted to make sure he didn’t get hurt for the start of the season.
Ronald Jones, meanwhile, had a pretty play in which he caught a 37-yard pass on a wheel route. However, he wasn’t nearly as impressive on the ground, managing just seven yards on six carries. Barber is the clear-cut starter entering the season.
NFL Preseason Announcers: I’m not so sure about Bruce Arians as a TV analyst. He didn’t have much to say, at least in the beginning of the night. “I think O.J. Howard is going to have a big year, the big kid from Bama,” he said on one occasion without any further analysis.
Arians was also criticized on Twitter for referring to Winston’s Uber incident as a “bad decision,” which I didn’t understand. What did these Twitter idiots think he was going to call it? People just need to stop complaining about stupid things. What was more offensive to me is that Arians called the Tampa Bay Bucs the “Tampa Bay Box.” What a horrible person to be referring to Buccaneers as Boxes!
Sam Darnold played the entire opening half, plus one drive in the third quarter. He didn’t throw a pass in that extra possession, but we saw plenty of him beforehand.
Darnold was excellent once again. He began the night by zipping in an 11-yard pass to Quincy Enunwa. He misfired on the next attempt, but then scrambled for a first down on a third-and-13 after going through all of his progressions. He then delivered a nice ball to Robby Anderson, ultimately setting up a Bilal Powell touchdown.
The rest of Darnold’s night featured some bad luck and sloppiness. For instance, Clive Walford dropped a pass after Darnold was flagged for intentional grounding. Darnold then converted a third down, but instantly had to burn a timeout because the play clock was about to expire. Darnold followed that up with a terrific sideline throw to Neal Sterling, but the tight end couldn’t get both feet inbounds.
Darnold finished 8-of-16 for 86 yards and a touchdown. The completion percentage looks bad, but Darnold threw three passes away because of pressure, while two other misfires were either dropped or ruled incomplete because a player couldn’t stay inbounds. Darnold played well and has nailed down the starting job. More on nailing down starting jobs later.
Bilal Powell drew the start over Isaiah Crowell once again. Powell had a shifty 9-yard run to open the game, but didn’t do much else, gaining 24 yards on 10 carries. Crowell mustered six yards on four tries. This appears to be a complete time share not worth buying into.
Terrelle Pryor caught a touchdown from Darnold. This was one of two receptions he made for 16 yards. Robby Anderson, who hauled in one of his two targets for 11 yards, is the only Jets receiver worth rostering.
Moving on to the Giants, Eli Manning looked like he might have been done a couple of years ago, but he was sharp in this contest. He began the evening by hitting Cody Latimer with a 54-yard bomb. The pass was actually slightly underthrown, or it would’ve been a 60-yard touchdown. Manning made a couple of other spectacular passes, though he whiffed badly once where he couldn’t hit Evan Engram, who had a step on a linebacker.
Manning finished 17-of-23 for 188 yards. One misfire was a drop on third down by Hunter Sharp. Manning was solid overall, and yet he didn’t even have Odell Beckham Jr. or Saquon Barkley at his disposal.
Evan Engram caught three of his four targets for 23 yards against the Jets. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion on a collision in the red zone. He’ll have 16 days to clear concussion protocol in order to play versus the Jaguars.
With Barkley out, Jonathan Stewart started. He may have hurt his chances of making the roster. He was given three carries, which he transformed into minus-7 yards. Even worse, he lost a fumble in the red zone. Wayne Gallman, his replacement, was better, but only by default. Gallman tallied 23 yards on 11 attempts. Neither player will be worth adding if Barkley gets hurt.
Sterling Shepard was the star for the Giants in their third preseason game. He saw eight targets, snaring seven of them for 78 yards. His best play was a great catch on a 30-yard fade pass with Buster Skrine draped all over him. It’s important to remember that Odell Beckham Jr. was out, but it’s not like Shepard is going to see less playing time once Beckham returns. Kenny from our podcast is a big fan of Shepard this year, and I’m beginning to agree with him.
Giants rookie quarterback Kyle Lauletta attempted only two passes. His misfire was a deep attempt that was way behind his receiver. His completion was a 1-yard pass. He went 1-of-2 for 1 yard. That’s all I have to say about Lauletta tonight.
NFL Preseason Announcers: There was nothing wrong with the two announcers, but the sideline reporter took a beating. He was way too enthusiastic and energetic for Todd Bowles, who seemed as though he was getting annoyed with him during an interview prior to kickoff. Here’s how it went:
Sideline reporter: “What does Sam Darnold need to do to nail this job down!??!?”
Bowles: “It’s not about nailing the job down.”
Sideline reporter: “This is the most important preseason game, right coach!!”
It certainly looked like Baker Mayfield was going to start the season opener when Tyrod Taylor went down with an injury against the Eagles. Taylor hit the ground awkwardly, and his wrist bent backward. He ran off the field right away, as if he knew something were terribly wrong. Taylor missed the next two drives, but was somehow able to reenter the game after that.
Mayfield had a mixed evening. His first pass that wasn’t thrown away had some great zip, as he delivered a dart to Rashard Higgins for 20 yards. He had a similar heave on a 19-yard attempt. However, he was strip-sacked on one occasion because he held on to the ball too long in the pocket, though the Browns managed to recover. Mayfield, on his final pass, was intercepted. He stared down his receiver, and rookie cornerback Avante Maddox read his eyes perfectly. Maddox nearly returned the pick for six, but was barely tripped up. Adding injury to insult, Mayfield took a blow when his head was knocked into one of his linemen’s legs. That was his final play of the evening.
Mayfield finished 8-of-12 for 76 yards and an interception. He also scrambled thrice for 10 rushing yards. I’d say this was a B-/C+ performance. Mayfield showed some positives, but made two glaring mistakes as well. This is all part of the learning process, however, and Mayfield was definitely not going to be perfect every game. The Browns could start him in the opener without any arguments from me.
Here were Mayfield’s targets (when he played with the starters):
Darren Fells: 1
Rashard Higgins: 1
Jarvis Landry: 1
Getting back to Taylor, he didn’t play very well. He was accurate – he completed 11 of his 16 pass attempts – but for only 65 yards. He also took a bad sack because held on to the ball too long. Taylor threw mostly checkdowns and had a horrible sequence at the 1-yard line where he fired four incompletions in a row, two of which were weak floaters, while a third was a miserable throw into tight coverage that easily could’ve been picked off.
I’m wondering if the Browns should abandon the Taylor plan and just start Mayfield. I think they should do it if they’re confident that their offensive line can hold up. That’ll depend on how well Joel Bitonio and Austin Corbett do on the right side. It’s also worth noting that right tackle Chris Hubbard suffered an injury in this contest. His leg bent backward, and it looked ugly. Fortunately, he walked off on his own power and missed just one drive.
Here were Taylor’s targets:
Rashard Higgins: 1
Carlos Hyde: 1
Duke Johnson: 1
Jarvis Landry: 7 (3 end zone)
David Njoku: 3
Damion Ratley: 3 (1 end zone)
Carlos Hyde has enjoyed some nice performances this preseason, and that trend continued against the Eagles. Hyde began his evening by breaking a 33-yard run by getting to the edge, as he was aided by a great block from rookie Austin Corbett. He then had a great 9-yard run where he was able to juke multiple defenders. Hyde finished with 45 yards on seven attempts.
Second-round rookie Nick Chubb had a nice run where he bounced off defensive end Derek Barnett on the second drive to pick up 21 yards. He didn’t have any other positive moments, as he tallied 34 yards on 10 attempts. Chubb still looks like he was overdrafted, as he doesn’t hit the hole quickly enough.
Jarvis Landry saw a whopping eight targets in the opening half versus the Eagles. He caught three balls for 23 yards, but could have drawn some interference flags in the end zone. Landry is going to have a great PPR fantasy year.
The Browns had several scary moments in this game. I mentioned Taylor and Hubbard already. Fourth-overall pick Denzel Ward hurt his back as well. Fortunately, it sounds like he just exited the game as a precaution.
Moving on to the Eagles, Nick Foles has endured an awful preseason thus far, and that continued in the third game. He managed to complete all but four of his 17 attempts, which sounds great, but he made some terrible mistakes.
Foles began by throwing a late pass toward Shelton Gibson where he was very lucky that he wasn’t pick-sixed. He was then strip-sacked on a third-and-10 play. Foles followed that up with two interceptions. The first was a horrible pass up for grabs into double coverage. The second was a foolish decision where he tried to fit the ball through a tight window in the red zone.
Foles finished 13-of-17 for 127 yards, no touchdowns and three turnovers. He was woeful once again, but we’ve seen this story before. He struggled in the final two games of the 2017 regular season, yet lit up the Vikings and Patriots in the playoffs. I wouldn’t write Foles off just yet, but I’m sure the national media will. Perhaps that’ll set up a nice betting opportunity in Week 1…
As with the Browns, the Eagles suffered what appeared to be a significant injury. Jason Kelce looked like he was in a great deal of pain after struggling to get off the field. His back appeared to be the problematic issue, but he was walking around just fine on the sidelines as the game progressed, so it doesn’t seem as though he’ll be out Week 1.
Eagles second-round rookie tight end Dallas Goedert caught the first pass of the game. I found this significant because he was on the field at the same time as Zach Ertz. Of course, Ertz saw way more targets (6), and he looked as great as usual. I wouldn’t draft Goedert, but he’ll be worth picking up if Ertz gets hurt.
Save for Ertz, all of the Eagles’ primary skill-position players were out. Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Jay Ajayi, Corey Clement and Darren Sproles all were scratches. Wendell Smallwood was the starting back, and he looked good, rushing for 53 yards on 12 carries. Undrafted rookie Josh Adams out of Notre Dame had some nice runs where he broke some tackles. He gained 33 yards on four carries and caught two passes.
NFL Preseason Announcers: I was looking forward to the commentary from this game because of Mike Mayock, who happens to be the Eagles’ color analyst. I forgot this was a FOX broadcast, however, and that meant Joe Buck and Troy Aikman would be on the TV. This was a clear downgrade from the Eagles’ usual telecast. Aikman offered nothing but robotic, bland analysis, as usual, and he referred to Carson Wentz as “Cardale Wentz.” Meanwhile, Joe Buck told lies throughout the telecast, as he was undoubtedly dreaming about broadcasting his boring baseball games in October. Buck said the following:
“The Browns, at 60:1, have better odds to win the Super Bowl than the Falcons, Jaguars and Chiefs.”
Right. Except the Falcons were 15:1 when I was in Vegas, while the Chiefs were 35:1. I know the latter is 100-percent true because I downloaded every single sportsbook app when I was in Vegas so I could find the best number on the Chiefs. Now, both Atlanta and Kansas City are higher than 60:1!? What!?
Can someone please get Buck off the air already? He sucks, and the only reason he has a job is nepotism. Let him broadcast his boring baseball games so NFL fans don’t have to listen to him anymore.
