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2025 Preseason Notes:
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2025 Fantasy Football Stock Pages:
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Bengals 31, Redskins 17
It almost seemed as though Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was trying to get Joe Burrow injured. Burrow, who never plays in the preseason, was on the field well into the second quarter, long after Ja’Marr Chase, Chase Brown and the rest of the starters took a seat. Burrow took a big hit in the pocket on one occasion that must have had all Bengals fans holding their breath.
It’s unclear if there was any payoff for Burrow playing, as Burrow wasn’t at his best. He made some good throws, and he drew an intereference flag on a pass to Chase during the opening drive, but some of his passes were off the mark. Burrow also fumbled on a strip-sack – the turnover was nullified by a penalty – and took a 17-yard loss on another sack.
Here were Burrow’s targets:
Tahj Brooks: 3
Chase Brown: 1
Ja’Marr Chase: 2
Tanner Hudson: 3 (1 end zone)
Andrei Iosivas: 3
Charlie Jones: 3 (1 end zone)
Drew Sample: 1
If you drafted Chase and are concerned that he had a 1-11 stat lin on a night in which Burrow threw the ball 14 times, don’t be. Chase, unlike Burrow, played just one drive, and he drew a pass interference flag.
Chase Brown played every snap on the opening drive, save for one third down. Brown, however, reentered the game on fourth down, so I wouldn’t say that Brown will be absent on many third-down plays this year.
On the other end of the spectrum, Jayden Daniels barely played in this game. He took the field, but never attempted a single pass. He handed the ball off twice and then ran into the end zone. Daniels’ rushing touchdown can be attributed to Bengals safety Jordan Battle, who showed zero interest in tackling the second-year quarterback.
Here were Daniels’ targets:
No one
Deebo Samuel obviously wasn’t targeted because Daniels didn’t attempt a pass. However, Samuel was given the ball on a jet sweep, which he turned into a 19-yard gain.
Reports suggested that Brian Robinson Jr. would be traded. While the Redskins never confirmed this, they kept Robinson out of the Monday night game, presumably because they didn’t want their trade asset to get hurt. Chris Rodriguez Jr. drew the start, and he was able to make a nice cut to rush for 40 yards on the opening drive. Jacory Croskey-Merritt entered the game on the next possession, and he scored a 27-yard touchdown. The Redskins are smitten with Croskey-Merritt, who will be the starter at some point this season.
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Bears 38, Bills 0
Much has been made of Caleb Williams’ struggles in training camp. Horrible videos have circulated, prompting many to proclaim that Williams will be a bust. Williams had a chance to silence his critics for the first time in his initial preseason action, and he did just that.
Williams held the ball in the pocket for an eternity last year. His offensive line had its struggles, but he was at fault for many of the sacks. Now being coached by Ben Johnson, Williams released the ball quickly, and he was extremely accurate on most of his throws. He began with a deep strike to Cole Kmet down the seam and continued to convert passes to a variety of targets before firing a quick dart to Olamide Zaccheaus, who sprinted into the end zone. This was a small sample size, but Williams’ play was night and day compared to what we saw at the end of last season.
Here were Williams’ targets:
Deion Hankins: 1
Cole Kmet: 1
Colston Loveland: 2
D.J. Moore: 2
Rome Odunze: 1
Olamide Zaccheaus: 2
Former Bears tight end Greg Olsen was on the broadcast of the second preseason game, and he mentioned that Chicago envisioned Colston Loveland having receiver production as a result of being drafted with the 10th pick. Caleb Williams and Loveland displayed a strong connection versus the Bills.
Another Bears rookie, Luther Burden, continues to play with the backups. This is because Olamide Zaccheaus has been so good in Ben Johnson’s offense. Don’t draft Burden.
I wish I could tell you about Chicago’s running back rotation, but I can’t. D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Kyle Monangai all sat, allowing someone Deion Hankins to start. Someone named Brittain Brown looked better than Hankins, showing an explosive burst.
The Bills didn’t play their starters. Ray Davis was on the field during the opening drive, but barely saw any action.
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Jaguars 17, Saints 17
New Orleans’ quarterback competition continued into the second preseason game. Spencer Rattler started last week, so it was Tyler Shough’s opportunity versus the Jaguars.
While Shough was better than Rattler last week, the opposite occurred this time. Shough had a horrible moment in this game where he panicked under pressure and threw to his guard Cesar Ruiz, which drew an interference flag. The Saints color analyst joked, “Cesar Ruiz was wide open.”
Shough also overthrew Chris Olave on one occasion, but he at least was able to throw a 28-yard dime to a backup tight end.
Here were Shough’s targets:
Cam Akers: 1
Chris Olave: 4
Rashid Shaheed: 3
Treyton Welch: 2
Cedric Wilson Jr.: 1
Spencer Rattler played the entire second half. He had some mixed results. For example, he drew a deep pass interference flag on a pass to Mason Tipton, but then proceeded to skip a pass to Cedric Wilson. Rattler later launched a 45-yard perfect bomb to Mason Tipton, but then threw behind Dante Pettis. Rattler led the Saints on a tying drive late in regulaton when he launched a dime to Tipton along the sideline and then located Pettis for a 20-yard touchdown.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, had their starters on the field for two possessions. Trevor Lawrence, operating without Travis Hunter, made a good play when he stepped up into the pocket on a third-and-8 and found Brenton Strange through a tight window. Lawrence lost a fumble when he stumbled after his center stepped on his foot, but bounced back on the next possession to throw a touchdown to Parker Washington.
Here were Lawrence’s targets:
Tank Bigsby: 1
Travis Etienne: 1
Brenton Strange: 2
Brian Thomas Jr.: 4 (1 end zone)
Parker Washington: 2
Trevor Lawrence targeted Brenton Strange on third downs. He found Strange on early third-and-8 and then a third-and-2. We’ve been told that Strange is the replacement for Evan Engram, and it certainly looks that way.
Last week, the Jaguars perplexed us by starting Travis Etienne over Tank Bigsby, who was very impressive in training camp. This week, Bigsby started over Etienne. Both played well, so this could be a frustrating time share.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Saints announcer called Tank Bigsby “Tank Brigsby.”
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Broncos 27, Cardinals 7
The Broncos announcers told their audience that the backups would be playing in this game. It didn’t take them very long to wipe the egg off their face and proclaiming, “You can never trust a coach in the preseason.”
Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton sat, but the Broncos played their other starters. They made easy work of Arizona’s backup defense, flying down the field on a 97-yard drive in just four plays. The initial snap was just a 1-yard reception by R.J. Harvey, who was belted right away after he caught the ball. Jarrett Sitdham followed that up by finding Evan Engram on an intermediate throw, which Engram turned into 58 yards once he blew past most of the defenders. Stidham then connected with Pat Bryant, who made a man miss on a 29-yard reception. Harvey capped off the drive with an 8-yard rushing touchdown up the middle.
Harvey continued to play on the second drive. He was given two other carries and gained a total of 10 yards on them. Meanwhile, Stidham continued to throw beautiful strikes to his receivers. Pat Bryant looked impressive, making some terrific catches. This prompted one of the announcers to remark, “He’s looking like a young Courtland Sutton.” Stidham then threw a perfect deep pass to Troy Franklin, which went for a 27-yard touchdown. Stidham looked like John Elway in this game.
R.J. Harvey performed on a high level for the second time this preseason. His running vision is his weakness – aside from his pass protection – but he was able to identify the running lane up the middle on his touchdown run versus Arizona.
Denver’s two young receivers took turns making impressive plays. Bryant made a number of breath-taking catches, prompting one of the Denver announcers to state that he looked like a “young Courtland Sutton.” Franklin, meanwhile, caught a 27-yard touchdown on a fade route and then snared a back-shoulder toss for a second touchdown at the end of the opening half. Franklin has enjoyed a terrific training camp and has parlayed that into two outstanding showings in the preseason.
Arizona didn’t utilize any of its starters. Trey Benson didn’t even play.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Broncos color analyst said something after Arizona’s coffin-corner punt in the opening quarter that left me scratching my head: “That’s what you can tell your significant other when you meet them for the first time: ‘I’ve downed it inside the five.'”
Does anyone have any clue what this means?
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Buccaneers 17, Steelers 14
The Steelers sat their starters in this game, but the Buccaneers played theirs, save for a couple of exceptions. Those would be Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield, but Tampa Bay played mostly everyone else, as Teddy Bridgewater started in place of Mayfield.
Bucky Irving saw a big workload for a preseason game. He handled nine touches, which was a foolish coaching decision by Todd Bowles. With Mayfield and Evans sidelined, the Steelers had the luxury of stacking the box against Irving, who saw no running lanes. However, he made a terrific touchdown catch to make up for the lack of rushing production.
Emeka Egbuka also made a great play in the end zone. He reeled in Bridgewater’s second passing touchdown by making a diving catch. It would have been nice to see Egbuka do more, but consider who was throwing the ball to him.
The Steelers had some noteworthy players participate in this contest despite all the starters sitting. Kaleb Johnson posted a high rushing total, but that must be taken with a grain of salt. Johnson was seeing action deep into the third quarter, and he had wide open running lanes on some occasions.
Roman Wilson also thrived. He caught a couple of deep passes, including a 43-yard bomb. There’s a chance he could emerge as Pittsburgh’s No. 2 receiver.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Steelers play-by-play guy was having issues with some names. He called Bucky Irving “Bucky Irwin,” and he referred to Kaleb Johnson as “Brandon Johnson” on one play.
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Giants 31, Jets 12
Both teams played their starters in this game, with the Giants having far more success than the Jets.
We saw it right away. The Giants took over deep in their own territory, but it didn’t matter because Russell Wilson fired a deep bomb to Beaux Collins, who caught the pass for an 80-yard gain. Malik Nabers didn’t play, but this would have been his opportunity.
Wilson, however, didn’t have the greatest completion percentage, and he also threw an interception. This was because of a drop by Wan’Dale Robinson and a miscommunication with Collins, where Collins ran the wrong direction on another downfield shot, resulting in the pick.
Here were Wilson’s targets:
Beaux Collins: 2
Jalin Hyatt: 2
Wan’Dale Robinson: 2
Devin Singletary: 1
Tyrone Tracy started this game and played well into the second quarter, with Devin Singletary relieving him occasionally. One notable thing was that Tracy was used at the goal line initially, but once he failed there, the Giants tried Devin Singletary in short yardage. Singletary converted with a touchdown.
Jaxson Dart entered the game following a few Wilson drives. Dart misfired on just two of his 16 passes. Granted, some of his completions were checkdowns, but he also showed nice zip on a ball to Montrell Washington. He also delivered a nice throw down the seam to Greg Dulich for a touchdown. Dart’s only incompletions were a failed back-shoulder attempt and a downfield throw.
Of all the potential starting quarterbacks in this game, Justin Fields was easily the worst. The stats show it, and he was just as bad on film. He began the game with an overthrow and then tossed an awkward pass in the flat to Garrett Wilson. Fields followed that up by skipping a pass to Wilson. This was truly an ugly showing.
Here were Fields’ targets:
Mason Taylor: 1
Garrett Wilson: 3
Breece Hall started this game, but Braelon Allen was used on third down. Allen was utilized in short yardage, but he also converted a third-and-8 opportunity with a strong run. Allen, whom the Jets coaches reportedly love, outgained Hall on the same number of carries.
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Rams 23, Chargers 22
Justin Herbert doesn’t get to play in the preseason very often, but he requested a drive so he can get the feel of a pass rush. The wish was granted, and we saw him move the team down for a field goal.
Herbert completed just 2-of-5 passes, but he took a number of deep shots, one of which was knocked away from Quentin Johnston, who suffered a concussion on the play. Herbert made up for it by connecting with KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a deep gain. He targeted Lambert-Smith again on another deep ball, but the potential touchdown fell incomplete.
Here were Herbert’s targets:
Quentin Johnston: 2
KeAndre Lambert-Smith: 2
Ladd McConkey: 1
Omarion Hampton was given two carries before he was told to rest. His best run, a 7-yard burst, saw him break three tackles. It’s bullish that the Chargers didn’t use Hampton very much in this game.
Neither Charger rookie receiver thrived in the second preseason game, but they were far better in this game. KeAndre Lambert-Smith replaced Quentin Johnston versus the Rams when the former first-round receiver suffered a brutal concussion on the opening drive. Justin Herbert connected with him on a deep shot and nearly did so again. Later, Lambert-Smith made a great diving catch from Trey Lance for a gain of 37 yards. It must be noted that Lambert-Smith was the next man up when Johnston got hurt.
Tre Harris didn’t play until the second quarter, but he made some terrific catches in this game. He reeled in a diving catch from Lance in the third quarter and then hauled in an over-the-shoulder reception on a deep shot from Lance. He was tackled one yard shy of the end zone.
Trey Lance had a good game. He connected on numerous deep balls and used his legs appropriately. He had some misfires, but was victimized by a couple of drops and miscommunications. He had a positive performance overall.
The Rams never bother playing their starters in the preseason. We didn’t even see Jimmy Garoppolo, as Stetson Bennett played the entire game. Bennett had some ups and downs, as you’d expect. Bennett was nearly picked on an early throw. He almost suffered the same fate much later when a potential pick-six was dropped. On the very next play, he fired a pass right to a defensive lineman. He was finally intercepted. However, Bennett made some impressive strikes in this game, including a 38-yard dart down the seam for a touchdown. He also managed to complete a deep pass on a fourth-and-10 on the final drive of the game. He fired the decisive touchdown on the next play.
Blake Corum started over Jarquez Hunter in this game, but Hunter was the better of the two. Hunter kept his legs moving on every run. He also broke a tackle on an 11-yard burst. He later made a nice jump cut in the red zone to pick up a significant gain.
NFL Preseason Announcers: This was an awkward broadcast because the Rams telecast had their sideline reporter in the booth for a three-man show.
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Ravens 31, Cowboys 13
Neither team played their starters in this game. This allowed us to get a good look at Joe Milton, who played three quarters.
Milton had a couple of good plays. He should have connected on a deep throw to one of his receivers, but the ball was dropped. Much later, Milton dropped the ball into the bucket on a deep bomb to Jonathan Mingo, which was good for 49 yards.
There were far too many negatives for Milton, however. Milton’s first drive concluded when he took a safety as a result of holding the ball for too long in his end zone. He then missed a receiver on a third down and overshot his target on the next possession. He fired an interception on a horrible attempt into double coverage. He was also guilty of throwing the ball late across the middle of the field, but wasn’t punished for it.
Milton, who barely used his legs for some reason, looked like a complete project in this game. The upside is certainly there, but he won’t be ready to play any real action anytime soon. There isn’t much hope for him right now because Brian Schottenheimer is a doofus who can’t develop quarterbacks.
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49ers 22, Raiders 19
There was a scary moment in this game when Ashton Jeanty left the field during the opening drive and went into the blue tent. It made me wonder why he and the other starters even played. Sure, it’s nice to get him some reps, but anyone who believes that Jeanty’s eight touches in this contest were going to have any sort of impact on the Raiders’ win-loss record is insane.
Jeanty, fortunately, was OK. He even reentered the game, which was just asinine. He managed a 13-yard run on the second play on the following possession, plowing over a poor defender. Jeanty was highly impressive as a runner, and he even played some (but not all) third downs.
Geno Smith played two drives as well. He wasn’t nearly as impressive. He completed his short and intermediate throws, namely to Brock Bowers, but couldn’t connect on the two deep shots he attempted to Dont’e Thornton. He overthrew him the first time and then sailed a pass out of bounds.
Here were Smith’s targets:
Brock Bowers: 2
Ashton Jeanty: 1
Jakobi Meyers: 1
Raheem Mostert: 1
Dont’e Thornton: 2
Tre Tucker: 1
Brock Bowers made just one reception in this game, but he made it count. He skied over a safety and pulled the ball down out of the air for a gain of 28 yards. Bowers’ receptions will drop this year, but he’ll have more big plays downfield.
Dont’e Thornton was targeted twice against the 49ers on deep throws. He was open for a touchdown, but Geno Smith overshot him. Smith’s next attempt to Thornton sailed out of bounds. Still, Thornton is locked in as a starter and will be in position to make some big plays. He’s atop my Fantasy Football Sleepers list.
While the Raiders starters were on the field for two drives, the 49ers used their starters on just one possession. Brock Purdy marched the team down the field and into the red zone, but stalled near the goal line. This was a common theme for the 49ers last year.
Here were Purdy’s targets:
Isaiah Hodgins: 1
Ricky Pearsall: 4 (1 end zone)
Demarcus Robinson: 2
If the second preseason game is any indication, Brock Purdy will be targeting Ricky Pearsall early and often this year. Pearsall caught three of his four targets for 42 yards – on one drive alone! Pearsall’s best play was when he hauled in a 21-yard pass over the middle of the field on a third-and-18. Purdy targeted Pearsall in the end zone on the final snap of the afternoon for the two of them, but there was a miscommunication on the play.
The 49ers won this game at the buzzer via a Jake Moody 59-yard field goal. This was a feel-good moment for 49ers fans, who watched Moody struggle mightily last year.
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Packers 23, Colts 19
Anthony Richardson started the first preseason game, so it was Daniel Jones’ turn to get a chance with the starters. We saw some good and some bad from Jones. He overthew a wide-open Tyler Warren by a mile on the opening possession for what should have for a very long touchdown. Jones had another ugly throw, but then bounced back a bit later when he sailed a beautiful ball right to Warren, hitting him right on the numbers for a gain of 25 yards.
Here were Jones’ targets:
Mo Alie-Cox: 1
Adonai Mitchell: 1
Michael Pittman Jr.: 3
Tyler Warren: 3
Anthony Richardson played during the second quarter. Like Jones, there were some positives and negatives from Richardson, who scrambled only once. For example, Richardson had a wide-open player for a touchdown, but didn’t see him. However, Richardson made a beautiful throw by dropping the ball into the bucket to Anthony Gould.
Tyler Warren tied for the team lead for targets among starters in the second preseason game. For the second meaningless game in a row, Warren has been the primary weapon, and it hasn’t mattered which quarterback has thrown to him. Warren is going to be a monster this season.
It seems as though D.J. Giddens has clinched the No. 2 running back role despite being a rookie. Giddens worked in with the starters, as Jonathan Taylor was rested aside from one carry, which he turned into nine yards.
As for the Packers, they sat their starters. Malik Willis played during the opening half. He made some good throws, but had some hideous passes as well. He threw way behind his intended target on his first attempt and later saw a potential interception dropped.
MarShawn Lloyd has been hurt a lot, but was able to play in this game. He made a 30-yard reception deep downfield on a wheel route.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Colt announcers are known for being the oldest in the league. I’m pretty sure their color analyst is like 90. He was referring to Daniel Jones as “Danny” the entire time, which was a bit unusual.
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Dolphins 24, Lions 17
Neither the Dolphins nor the Lions played their starters. Still, there were a couple of players worth noting:
The Dolphins started Jaylen Wright in the backfield. Wright didn’t find much running room and fumbled in the red zone, but a teammate recovered. Wright eventually gave way to sixth-round rookie Ollie Gordon, who played in the final three quarters. Gordon was far better. He broke tackles and ran over defenders. He also had a 19-yard run where he eluded two defenders and spun away from another. It’s only one game, but Gordon might just be the running back to own in the event of a De’Von Achane injury.
Another rookie, Isaac TeSlaa, also had a great game. TeSlaa made an outstanding catch just prior to halftime where he made a great adjustment on a back-shoulder touchdown reception. TeSlaa isn’t worth owning now, but perhaps next year if Jameson Williams is no longer with the team.
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Texans 20, Panthers 3
C.J. Stroud needs to rebound off a sophomore slump season. He didn’t get off to a good start in this game when his first drive ended in a punt because he overthrew an open Nico Collins. However, Stroud’s second of two drives was much better. He threw some accurate strikes to move the chains down the field. He had an open Dare Ogunbowale in the end zone, but a deflection ruined the play. The Texans decided to go for it on fourth down, and Stroud delivered to Collins for a touchdown.
Here were Stroud’s targets:
Nick Chubb: 1
Nico Collins: 3 (1 end zone)
Jayden Higgins: 1
Christian Kirk: 2
Dare Ogunbowale: 1
While Nico Collins scored Stroud’s sole touchdown, Jayden Higgins made the best catch among all the starters. He did this on the second possession when he secured a 14-yard, diving reception. That was the only catch he made on the afternoon, but it was a good one. He would later see two more targets from Davis Mills.
Joe Mixon was obviously out, but Nick Chubb played. Chubb actually looked a bit spry, picking up some nice gains on the second drive. I still wouldn’t trust him enough to draft him, however. Rookie Woody Marks played and was ultimately the team’s leading rusher, but he was on the field entirely with the backups.
This was a rare occasion in which both teams played their starters. Bryce Young, like his 2023 NFL Draft counterpart, played two drives. They did not go nearly as well.
Young didn’t complete a single pass. His first attempt was an interception deep downfield, but it was wiped out by defensive holding. Young then overshot Tetairoa McMillan, while a pass to Ja’Tavion Sanders was knocked away by a defender. This all occurred on Young’s first possession. The second drive concluded when Young took a sack as a result of holding onto the ball for too long.
Here were Young’s targets:
Xavier Legette: 1
Tetairoa McMillan: 1
Ja’Tavion Sanders: 1
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Patriots 20, Vikings 12
The Patriots weren’t expected to play their starters, but Mike Vrabel put Drake Maye and mostly everyone else on the field to begin this game. The announcer speculated that this was because Vrabel was not happy with the players in the joint practices with Minnesota. Kevin O’Connell must have been happy with his group because the Vikings starters all sat. We didn’t even see Jordan Mason.
Maye did not make his coach happy on the opening drive. He began with a nice completion, but then had an overthrow toward Mack Hollins. The ball was tipped and sailed ino the arms of a Minnesota defender, but the Viking defensive back dropped the interception. Maye was guilty of a delay-of-game on the ensuing snap.
Maye finally pleased Vrabel on the next possession, making a deep connection to Hollins to ultimately set up a touchdown, scored by TreVeyon Henderson.
Here were Maye’s targets:
Kayshon Boutte: 1
TreVeyon Henderson: 1
Mack Hollins: 4
When the Patriots starters took the field, I felt it was bullish for TreVeyon Henderson when he didn’t line up in the backfield. Antonio Gibson drew the start, so it seemed like Henderson was being rested along with Rhamondre Stevenson. Instead, Henderson entered the game on third down. Making matters worse, Henderson dropped a pass on the opening drive.
Fortunately for Henderson’s draft stock, the rookie running back redeemed himself by exploding for an 11-yard burst on a third-and-10 and then used his great vision and tackling-breaking ability to score an 8-yard touchdown.
Patriots rookie receiver Kyle Williams played with the starters, but wasn’t targeted. He was open downfield on one play, but Maye didn’t see him. Williams caught some passes later, but took a hard hit to the head and left the game.
Another Patriots rookie receiver, Efton Chism, looked great at times. The stats back that up, but he did everything with the backups. It’s tough to imagine him seeing lots of action as long as Pop Douglas is healthy.
The Vikings, meanwhile, started Sam Howell, who spent his brief action heaving ugly ducks up for grabs. Based on his play in this game, it’ll be difficult for him to make the 53-man roster.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Vikings announcer must have made a bet on how many times he could say the word “posthaste” in one game because he said the word a million times. “He made a tackle posthaste!” “He made a great catch posthaste!” “I have to take a bathroom break posthaste!”
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Browns 22, Eagles 13
Neither team played their starters. The Browns didn’t even bother showcasing Dylan Sampson now that Quinshon Judkins is eligible to play at some point this year. For the Eagles, they didn’t even bother dressing Will Shipley versus the Browns. A.J. Dillon played, but Shipley rested, so anyone who thought that Dillon had a chance to challenge Shipley shouldn’t be worried about that anymore.
With Shedeur Sanders injured, Dillon Gabriel started and played the entire opening half. He had some fine moments early, displaying plus short accuracy with many of his throws being within five yards of the line of scrimmage. There were some exceptions, but not many. Disaster struck for Gabriel in the second quarter, however, when he stared down his receiver and was pick-sixed by rookie safety Andrew Mukuba, who hilariously pushed another receiver out of the way and jumped the route. Gabriel also took a bad sack because he held on to the ball too long.
Gabriel posted decent stats outside of the interception, but this was not a great look for him. He looks like an above-average CFL player at best.
If you look at the stat box, you’ll see that A.J. Dillon had a reception of minus-14 yards. That’s not a misprint. Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s pass was batted at the line of scrimmage, then deflected backward by someone who tried to catch it. Dillon then snatched it out of the air way behind the line of scrimmage and was tackled instantly. Dillon should have just batted the ball down to the ground.
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Seahawks 33, Chiefs 16
While Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs starters sat, Sam Darnold saw his first action as a Seahawk. The stats say that Darnold was flawless because he completed all four of his passes while leading his team down the field on a possession that culminated with a Zach Charbonnet touchdown. But was Darnold really that good?
The answer, simply, is no. Darnold’s first completion was a checkdown. His second completion was a checkdown. His third completion was a checkdown. And his fourth completion? You guessed it! A checkdown. I didn’t track Darnold’s air yards initially, but I decided to go back and watch him play a second time. His air yards on each pass were: 4, 0, 1, and -1. That’s a total of four air yards on four passes for an average of one air yard per throw. How amazing! Now, I know it was by design, perhaps to keep Darnold healthy in this meaningless game, but the point is that Darnold’s 4-of-4 for 34 yards should not be seen as impressive whatsoever.
Also, there was another negative for Darnold on the drive, which was that Jalen Milroe entered the game on a third-and-inches situation to run the “Tush Push,” which he converted. Anything that removes Darnold from the field is a negative for his already-shaky fantasy stock.
Here were Darnold’ targets:
Elijah Arroyo: 1
A.J. Barner: 1
Robbie Ouzts: 1
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 1
Although Jalen Milroe ran the “Tush Push” on one occasion during the opening drive of the second preseason game, Zach Charbonnet had a great performance to improve his fantasy stock. Charbonnet rushed for nine yards per carry and looked every bit as tremendous as that stat line indicates. His first carry was a 13-yard explosive rush through a big hole, thanks to a huge block by rookie guard Grey Zabel. Later on that drive, Charbonnet burst through a huge hole for a 15-yard touchdown. With Zabel and mauling fullback Robbie Ouzts on the field, Seattle’s running backs are in for a big season, and Kenneth Walker was nowhere to be seen in this game because of his injury. Walker will likely return soon, but he’s injury-prone and could be traded because he’s in the final year of his contract. Charbonnet is a must-draft player in the mid rounds.
Milroe, as mentioned, converted a Tush Push on the opening drive. He saw extensive action beginning at the end of the third quarter once Drew Lock played two quarters. Milroe began with a nice gain on the ground via a read-option play and then completed a 20-yard pass, showing good accuracy. Milroe later messed up on a pass in the flat, but the color analyst pointed out that the rain may have affected Milroe’s release.
Milroe did well in a small sample size, but the night was a negative for his fantasy stock because Lock was so good. Preseason action can be misleading, so no one should believe in Lock, but the coaching staff may use that as an excuse to play Lock over Milroe once Darnold is inevitably benched.
NFL Preseason Announcers: If you want to listen to an aggravating broadcast, tune into this game. Seattle used its sideline reporter as the play-by-play guy, and it did not go very well.
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Titans 23, Falcons 20
The Falcons didn’t use any players of significance – their backfield was the duo of Easton Stick and Nathan Carter – so we will be focusing on the Titans entirely.
Cam Ward started for the Titans, but he completed only two of his seven passes. Anyone can look at the box score, so was Ward as bad as those numbers indicate? I would say no, and I think anyone who watched the game would agree.
Ward should have completed more than two passes. A pair of his attempts were dropped, including one that would’ve gone for 30 yards, but Van Jefferson let the ball fall through his hands. Chimere Dike dropped another pass that would’ve been a gain of 11 yards. Another incompletion should have been ruled pass interference. Even the Falcons homer announcers suggested that a flag should have been thrown. Ward’s longest completion, by the way, was a 35-yard pass to Ayomanor that was completed on a crossing route.
Ward wasn’t perfect, however. One misfire was an awkward pass into the flat, while another was a overthrow to Ayomanor. However, Ward looked good otherwise, especially when considering he was playing without his top weapons. Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, and Chig Okonkwo all sat.
Here were Ward’s targets:
Elic Ayomanor: 4
Chimere Dike: 2
Van Jefferson: 1
Bryce Oliver: 1
New Titans left tackle Dan Moore walked off the field gingerly during the second drive. Fortunately, he did so without any assistance, so he could be OK.
NFL Preseason Announcers: The Falcons broadcast annoyed me because they opted to show Falcons punting highlights over some Tennessee offensive plays. And no, there wasn’t a return touchdown, or even a long return involved. They replayed basic punts!
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