Eagles 17 Steelers 0
I understand that we are all supposed to take preseason football with a grain of salt, but talk about a snoozer here, jeez! My buddy Jerry and I were hanging out and drinking a few beers on Thursday night and I told him that I needed to watch the game for work. When I tell you how boring this matchup was… by halftime both of us were snoring on the couch. In any event, I caught the rest of the game on the NFL Network over the weekend, and while there weren’t many takeaways for me in terms of analysis, there were plenty of takeaways for the Eagles defense on the field.
In all, Philly picked off Steelers quarterback Landry Jones four times in the first half, giving confidence to everyone involved in the first and second defensive rotation. On the other hand, Jones must be crushed considering how badly he played when given a chance to start. Luckily for him he has almost zero competition behind him, as the Steelers are more or less married to him as the backup to Big Ben, so even playing as bad as he did on Thursday, he is unlikely to lose his job.
Patriots 23 Bears 22
Another week, and another step forward for the Patriots young quarterback, as Jimmy Garoppolo upped his production and confidence in a narrow victory over the Bears last week. Sure he still has yet to delve deep into the vaunted New England playbook during these first two preseason games, but one would have to assume that this type of critical action is taking place during practice each week. Check out the video below for a better look at his body of work on Thursday night.
Contrarily for the Bears and their backup quarterback, things didn’t go so swimmingly. Brian Hoyer finished the day 4-for-14 with 85 yards and an interception. Certainly disappointing production from Hoyer considering his place on the roster and the historically hot and cold play from starter Jay Cutler.
Bengals 30 Lions 14
This was an interesting matchup on the surface because Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones got to welcome his former team to his new home. He didn’t disappoint, as he hauled in four catches on five targets, while he tallied 65 receiving yards in the first half. On the other side, rookie Tyler Boyd – while he only caught two passes in limited action – made his case to be the number two option in the Bengals passing game after A.J. Green. In this game, he recorded his first career touchdown reception to go along with a sliding catch for nearly 30-yards. This comes following up his performance in the first preseason matchup where he also hauled in a 40-yard pass. While it may not necessarily be reflected on the literal depth chart just yet, in terms of fantasy potential, Boyd should be the second Bengals receiver off of your draft board this season.
Packers 20 Raiders 12
The story of this game here was the Packers offensive line vs. the revamped defensive front seven of the Raiders. Simply put, the Packers ran them into submission. They won up front schematically, physically, and mentally, on their way to 145 rushing yards as a team with two touchdowns. Because of this, the artist formerly known as “Fat Eddie” – Eddie Lacy – appeared to be back to his old self. Although still bulked up slightly, Lacy more importantly looked to have his burst back, running through several Raiders defenders. On the day he finished with 45 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Falcons 24 Browns 13
As I stated earlier, it is important to take preseason performances with a grain of salt, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was encouraged by what Robert Griffin showed us on Thursday night. He kicked off the night with a nice 22-yard scamper on a read option – reminiscent of his Rookie of the Year form – and then he followed that up with two absolute dimes for touchdowns. When I say “dimes” I mean two Aaron Rodgers level passes, throwing Terrelle Pryor wide open on a 50-yard bomb for one and threading the needle to Gary Barnidge for 29 yards on the other. In all, RGIII finished the night 6-of-8 for 96 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while he added another 36 yards rushing on three carries.
On the other sideline, we should discuss the Falcons because after all, they did come away victorious on Thursday night. It all really came down to their work up front, as they gouged the Browns front seven for 224 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries. It didn’t matter if it was first, second, or even third teamers out there, the Falcons backs and offensive line came to work. The work of incumbent starter Devonta Freeman should be noted here, as many people are down on him due to the way that he finished up 2015. Despite the criticisms, Freeman showed incredible burst and wiggle on Thursday night, on his way to averaging 10.5 yards per carry in limited action. Although word is that Tevin Coleman will be more in the mix this season, Freeman should still finish 2016 as a top-10 running back.
Vikings 18 Seahawks 11
In more of your typical preseason matchup, the Vikings and Seahawks delivered a low scoring, sloppy, and generally boring – until the end – game. Trevone Boykin led yet another comeback charge towards the end of this matchup, but this time he came up short instead of on top. He looked solid again, however he came back down to earth slightly more in this – his second game of NFL action.
As for the Seahawks backfield battle, it appears to be falling into place, as Christine Michael – for the second straight week – led the first team offense in yards and carries. This is not to mislead you and claim that Michael is going to be running with the 1’s come Week 1, however his presence there in Thomas Rawls’ place during the preseason speaks volumes on how far ahead he is of rookies C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins. As the picture becomes clearer, it’s beginning to look like Michael is the best handcuff option for Rawls entering the season.
On the side of the Vikings, they came away victorious by making critical stops on third down and on their side of the 50, giving confidence to an already loaded defensive unit. To add, rookie corner Mackensie Alexander – a player who I considered the best corner entering the draft this season – performed well for the second consecutive week. Look for him to work his way towards the starting nickel position by the end of this preseason.
Redskins 22 Jets 18
Let me be clear, this was a quarterback battle initially in name only, but now has become one that Geno Smith is actively losing. I have always been a Geno supporter because he does have physical talent and never lost his job on the field, but was rather “knocked out” of it due to unfortunate circumstances (pun desperately intended). Because of this, I was always under the impression that for whatever reason New York fans were not giving Smith his fair shake at the position. Considering he was a second round pick I believe that he deserved more time, but after what I have seen this preseason, I think that time has run out.
As much as Geno is doing all he can to get cut by the Jets, last year’s fourth round pick Bryce Petty is making his case stronger to be Ryan Fitzpatrick’s backup through his improvement on the field. On Friday, Petty turned in a great performance, as he completed 16-of-26 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Geno still has a chance to win this job back with two preseason games left, but as it stands, he is likely the quarterback on the outside looking in.
As for the Redskins backup quarterback, Colt McCoy looked to be in midseason form, as he completed 13-of-16 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw an interception to Darrell Revis in the end zone – which is certainly a demerit on his report card – but overall the Redskins really have to feel confident in him as their backup entering the season based off his performance on Friday night.
Cowboys 41 Dolphins 14
The theme of this edition of “NFL Training Camp Report” has certainly been about backup quarterbacks, so I would be remiss to omit the continued success of Cowboys rookie signal caller Dak Prescott. He followed up his marvelous debut with an equally – if not even more – impressive Game 2. He completed 12-of-15 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns, while he added 28 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground.
To continue gushing over the Cowboys offensive successes during this preseason, it appears that Alfred Morris is going to be at least the number two running back entering the season, while many are speculating that he will grab a healthy chunk of the first team reps if Zeke Elliott doesn’t get out there and produce soon. Morris couldn’t be stopped on Friday night, as he ran the ball 13 times for 85 yards and a touchdown, while he added one catch for an additional 15 yards. This leaves the injured Darren McFadden – Dallas’ leading rusher from 2015 – potentially on the chopping block or the trade block at the very least.
As for the Dolphins, while they got their doors blown off, Ryan Tannehill looked pretty good in some surprising extended action. He finished 12-of-20 for 162 yards and two touchdowns.
In terms of the Dolphins running back battle, it still appears to be Jay Ajayi’s to lose, as Arian Foster has done nothing to put himself ahead of the J-Train. With rookie Kenyan Drake just getting back to practice earlier this week, Ajayi appears to have a pretty firm grasp on this starting job.
Chargers 19 Cardinals 3
This game really stunk. Nothing much happened and nothing much was learned in terms of fantasy depth chart battles. Melvin Gordon had one nice run in which he showed his Wisconsin burst, however in true Melvin Gordon form, he produced little but negative plays outside of his 12-yard scamper. If I were to pick a play of the game, it would have to go to Brandon Flowers of the Chargers, as he miraculously picked off Carson Palmer on a corner blitz. He jumped the attempted quick hit, bobbled it through the quarterback’s attempted tackle, and took it the distance. A nice play, but seriously one of the only highlights of the game.
Panthers 26 Titans 16
The Titans may have come back down to earth in some respects on Saturday night, however they still ran the ball effectively when they wanted to, as Derrick Henry, DeMarco Murray, and David Cobb all averaged over 4.0 yards per carry. Ultimately, this time around was all about seeing what the quarterbacks could do, and while they couldn’t come away with the win, the Titans signal callers looked really good for the most part. Second year man Marcus Mariota completed 9-of-10 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, while his lone incompletion was an interception. Backups Alex Tanney and Matt Cassel maintained excellent completion percentages, only took one sack, and only turned the ball over once. Despite the loss, preseason Game 2 appears to be another success for Tennessee.
There isn’t really much to learn about this Carolina roster, but it’s good to see that the regulars are tuned up and almost fully back up to regular season speed. Cam looked great, and his offensive weapon Ted Ginn Jr. looked as explosive as ever, as he took a routine throw and catch over the middle 61 yards for a score. The defense was right where it needed to be – more or less – as they caused three turnovers and the offense managed to capitalize on said turnovers. Expect the Panthers to be back near the top of the NFC once again this season.
Bills 21 Giants 0
Aside from the fact that this was one of the worst games of the weekend, the Giants have a bigger problem than getting shutout… After two preseason games so far it is becoming apparent that Ryan Nassib is not built for the NFL. This preseason was supposed to be the one in which Nassib would really show New York what he could offer as a starter down the road, but with his contract set to expire after 2016 combined with his God-awful production so far, it doesn’t appear that we will ever see him starting with the G-Men. Through two games of extended action, Nassib has completed a paltry 33-percent of his passes for 100 yards, and while he has reached the end zone twice, he has also thrown five interceptions. This is not to insinuate that Nassib will be cut following the preseason – because there is still no other viable backup on the roster – however it has become pretty clear that they will not extend his contract after the season ends. Expect them to go in a different direction in 2017 as they look to develop another young quarterback in preparation for life after Eli.
On the side of the Bills, they appeared business as usual, as their starters performed well and took care of things prior to halftime. The depth chart battles on the offensive side became slightly clearer out in Buffalo as well over the weekend, as rookie back Jonathan Williams out rushed and out carried Daniel “Boom” Herron – which gives credence to the thought that Williams will be the fourth running back on the roster over Herron. As for the wideout group, Marquise Goodwin added three catches for 36 yards in this matchup, presumably giving him the lead in the battle for the open slot receiver position.
Ravens 19 Colts 18
What a whacky finish to this one, as the Colts – who were ahead by one going into the final four minutes of the game – elected to go for two after their touchdown that would have put them ahead by three. Long story short, their two-point try was picked off for a score the other way, which in turn gave the Ravens a one point lead that would last until the final whistle. Having never seen that occur, I never would have considered that a potential downside to going for two in that situation, but you better believe now that will be something sticking in the back of Chuck Pagano’s head during close games in the regular season.
In terms of fantasy implications from this game, nothing much was really learned. The Colts offense is more or less set, and on the side of the Ravens, exactly zero of the collection of running backs has done enough to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Game 3 of the preseason is going to be a big one for the Ravens backfield battle.
Buccaneers 27 Jaguars 21
Although in a losing effort, the Jaguars have to feel happy with the state of their team right now. Their first team offense looks to be in good form with Blake Bortles shining, as well as his top two targets – Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Their top two draft selections – Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack – are getting after it on the defensive end as well.
Tampa Bay on the other hand, they are officially cleared to begin panicking, as their rookie kicker Roberto Aguayo – a man whom they spent a second round pick on mind you – has really struggled to get things going so far in his young NFL career. On Saturday night, he missed two more kicks, giving him three total (two FG’s, one PAT) in his first two career games. Certainly an inauspicious start for the most accurate kicker in NCAA history.
Texans 16 Saints 9
Forgive me while I neglect the Saints here, because the Texans just happen to be that much more interesting right now. To start, Jadeveon Clowney can finally be taken off the milk carton, as he was a disruptive force on Saturday night. He not only sacked Drew Brees once, but he also was seen blowing up run plays in the backfield and giving offensive linemen nightmares with his bull rush on drop back passing attempts. Paired with J.J. Watt during the regular season, I shudder to imagine what will be going through minds of opposing offensive coordinators. In other good news for the Texans, their first round pick Will Fuller put his world-class speed on display as he routinely scorched opposing corners for four catches, 73 yards, and a touchdown. He appears to be firmly seated as the number two option in the passing game after DeAndre Hopkins.
49ers 31 Broncos 24
If you're asking me right now, Paxton Lynch is winning this quarterback battle out in Denver. Considering he was no supposed to even see the field at all this year and had been rumored to be taking a redshirt season, That should tell you all you need to know about the performance of Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian so far this preseason. They are actively losing this battle just as much as Lynch is playing himself into contention, which is why, in my opinion, Lynch has the best shot of winning this job.
Exhibit one: The Broncos have by far the most invested in Lynch, as they spent a first round pick on him this offseason. Wouldn’t you assume that they would want the best from their high draft selection? It would be much easier to rationalize benching either of the other two quarterbacks considering they have little future with the team anyway.
Exhibit two: With Denver sitting as defending Super Bowl champs, they understand the duty that comes with the title. They are going to do all they can to get back and considering how bad Sanchez and Siemian look, there is no way they can repeat. If they don’t trust either of the two assumed starters to get them back, then Denver is better served getting their young quarterback – Paxton Lynch – as much experience as possible. With Lynch being the quarterback with the most talent, most potential, most upside, it would make sense to start him over the two losers.
On the side of the 49ers, all of their quarterbacks looked really good – outside of Colin Kaepernick of course because he was sitting out with a dead arm. Their run game proved effective with starter Carlos Hyde setting the tone in the first half, while rookie Kelvin Taylor provided a spark throughout the second half. With their receiving battle as wide open as any in football, still no one has done enough to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Stay tuned for Game 3 of the preseason, as this storyline continues to develop.
Rams 21 Chiefs 20
This was an improved version of Jared Goff over the one we saw in limited action against the Cowboys two weeks ago, as he commanded the offense better and threw for 82 yards and a touchdown. He still has a ways to go before supplanting Case Keenum as the starting quarterback, but this effort was certainly a step in the right direction. To continue with the Rams, Malcolm Brown has now made it two consecutive weeks in which his name was near the top of the box score. With these two solid games, he has securely placed himself within the three running back depth chart that will suit up on Sundays, but he also may be pushing Benny Cunningham for spell reps if he continues to perform well throughout the rest of the preseason.
As for the running back battle out in KC, Spencer Ware appears to be the direct number two behind Jamaal Charles entering Week 1 at least, as he has been getting the most reps in the preseason, while Charcandrick West has been dealing with injuries.
Same time, same day, next week for preseason Week 3 analysis.
-- Nostra-Dom-us