Week 1 takeaways: James Washington appears to be like like a risk in Steelers’ passing sport
Final week’s Corridor of Fame sport was a style, however this week marks the complete return of soccer, albeit of the preseason selection. The Pittsburgh Steelers may need a pair of latest stars in James Washington and Devin Bush, Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns began scorching, and so did a number of different younger quarterbacks.
All that and extra within the greatest takeaways and fantasy soccer nuggets of the preseason’s opening week from NFL Nation:
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Friday’s video games
1:02
Jameis Winston makes essentially the most of his first and solely drive, finishing 5 of 6 passes and ending with a 9-yard landing toss to Chris Godwin.
In Bruce Arians’ debut as Bucs head coach, Jameis Winston and the first-team offense had a stable night time. Winston went 5-for-6 for 40 yards, together with a 9-yard landing cross to Chris Godwin on the opening possession. The protection had some hiccups in the best way of some blown coverages and never ending tackles, though it was good to see Noah Spence rattling Josh Dobbs a couple of instances and Carl Nassib and Deone Bucannon every arising with sacks. Nonetheless, the protection appears to be like to be hurting for depth with so many accidents. Rookie kicker Matt Homosexual drilled a 55-yard discipline objective earlier than halftime, however Cairo Santos has been giving him a powerful push day-after-day in apply, so anticipate that kicking battle to proceed via the preseason. — Jenna Laine
James Washington made a compelling case for extra appears to be like in a Steelers passing sport that wants viable choices behind JuJu Smith-Schuster. Slimmed down within the offseason and rising in confidence, Washington did a little bit of every part on his approach to 84 yards receiving — snagging the deep ball from Josh Dobbs whereas absorbing contact, connecting on a back-shoulder landing play with school teammate Mason Rudolph and practically securing a second landing with an outstretched, barely-out-of-bounds catch within the nook of the tip zone. Rudolph regarded decisive throwing from the pocket, Dobbs ripped off large dashing features and rookie linebacker Devin Bush was arduous to disregard with eight tackles and a near-interception. The protection was spotty early with a number of starters out, however a number of younger gamers shined. — Jeremy Fowler
zero:27
Teddy Bridgewater throws down the center to Dan Arnold, who reaches throughout the objective line for an 18-yard landing.
The 9 snaps we noticed from the first-team offense offered some clues about what this new Vikings scheme will characteristic. Kirk Cousins is great on play-action, and its use, together with the quarterback going beneath heart extra typically, will assist Minnesota be much less predictable. Cousins went Four-for-Four for 65 yards and a landing in New Orleans. The recipient of that scoring play — third-round choose Alexander Mattison — confirmed how necessary his function will probably be even with Dalvin Prepare dinner because the lead working again. Mattison can shoulder a heavy load, as evidenced by what he did at Boise State and the way efficient he was on a handful of outside-zone runs within the first half, together with the 1-yard TD cross he caught on the objective line. The Vikings proceed to discover successfully use heavier personnel groupings with multiple-tight finish units and the usage of the fullback, each of which ought to have an emphasis on this scheme. — Courtney Cronin
The Saints would put their QB room up towards anyone else’s within the NFL. New Orleans rested Drew Brees towards the Vikings on Friday, however backup Teddy Bridgewater regarded sharp towards his former group. Bridgewater accomplished 14 of 19 passes for 134 yards and one landing on a terrific two-minute drive earlier than halftime. In the meantime, third-stringer Taysom Hill — who ought to as soon as once more play a key function as a change-of-pace read-option QB — threw for 80 yards and a rating and ran for 45 yards within the second half. — Mike Triplett
Thursday’s video games
The Colts do not have a timetable on when Andrew Luck (calf) will return to apply, however they’re working beneath the expectation that the quarterback will probably be prepared for the beginning of the common season. Till that occurs, although, Jacoby Brissett will stay the beginning quarterback. The offense had no success with Brissett on the sphere for the primary three collection Thursday. The Colts totaled simply 22 yards with just one first down whereas Brissett was within the sport. Brissett continues to see his passes knocked down on the line of scrimmage, and he completed 2-of-5 for 21 yards. The Colts are anticipated to provide their subsequent replace on Luck’s standing as soon as the group returns to apply Saturday. — Mike Wells
The Payments’ high two picks previously draft acquitted themselves properly. Ed Oliver held his personal towards All-Professional guard Quenton Nelson, whereas Cody Ford was used at each proper guard and proper deal with all through Buffalo’s first few collection. Josh Allen (6-for-11, 66 yards) confirmed the restraint the Payments want for him to develop, however he nonetheless took 4 pictures downfield — finishing one. Buffalo’s defensive depth regarded sturdy, albeit towards a closely depleted Colts offense, and Devin Singletary (27 dashing yards, 21 receiving yards) may be a PPR star within the making. The Payments’ offensive line, whereas improved on paper, nonetheless must jell because it battles via accidents. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
1:18
Daniel Jones finds Bennie Fowler behind the tip zone for a landing, finishing a 5-for-5 drive.
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It was just one collection, however QB Sam Darnold displayed the traits that make you imagine he could be a franchise quarterback. He moved properly within the pocket, shopping for time and discovering his second and third reads — which he did so properly on the finish of his rookie season. Darnold (Four-for-5, 68 yards, one TD) nearly threw an interception on his first cross, however he rebounded properly. This was an encouraging begin for Adam Gase’s offense, which did not have its two most completed gamers: working again Le’Veon Bell and heart Ryan Kalil. — Wealthy Cimini
Daniel Jones appears to be like like the true deal. OK, it was solely the primary preseason sport. It was just one drive by which he was on the sphere. It would not matter. What the signal-caller did — 5-for-5 passing for 67 yards and a landing — in his solely drive was spectacular. Jones made some throws into tight home windows and did not flinch beneath the highlight in his first foray right into a dwell NFL sport surroundings. — Jordan Raanan
zero:20
Baker Mayfield’s ultimate throw of the sport is a 24-yard landing strike to Rashard Higgins.
The Redskins’ quarterback competitors remained in impartial. Colt McCoy did not play, however he additionally did not lose any floor. Dwayne Haskins confirmed that he’s not able to be a Week 1 starter — which the group already knew. Case Keenum, who performed with largely backups as three-fifths of the beginning line sat, didn’t distinguish himself. He accomplished Four of 9 passes, with 46 of his 60 yards on one landing completion. Keenum did not have a lot time to throw on some performs due to the offensive line, so it is arduous to precisely decide, however he did not separate himself from the pack. Keenum nonetheless is studying the offense; he’ll want a stronger displaying in subsequent weeks to earn the job. — John Keim
Baker Mayfield performed just one collection, however what a collection it was for the second-year quarterback. Using a hurry-up, no-huddle tempo, Mayfield took the Browns 89 yards down the sphere in solely 2 minutes, 13 seconds, finishing 5 of 6 passes and capping the breakneck drive with a 21-yard landing strike to Rashard Higgins. Mayfield did it with out Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, as each star receivers sat out. Mayfield regarded reasonably snug working out of tempo, which he performed in nearly completely at Oklahoma. In Beckham, Landry and Higgins, Mayfield has the weapons. A constantly aggressive, hurry-up element may make Mayfield and the Cleveland assault all of the extra, properly, harmful. — Jake Trotter
zero:23
N’Keal Harry makes an influence in his first sport in a Patriots uniform, getting up for a two-handed seize from Brian Hoyer.
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First-round choose N’Keal Harry, who surprisingly performed after showing to tweak one thing in his proper leg Tuesday, made two wonderful catches earlier than limping off and getting checked out by the athletic coaching and medical employees. Harry did not return. Each catches mirrored how his dimension (6-foot-Three, 225 kilos) and physicality may assist the Patriots this season, as fellow broad receiver Maurice Harris has in contrast Harry’s physique sort to that of former NFL nice Anquan Boldin. However Harry’s standing bears watching. It’s commendable that he needed to play via harm within the preseason opener, though now the choice may sideline him if the problem lingers. — Mike Reiss
The excellent news for the Lions is it will possibly’t get a lot worse. It is preseason. Most starters did not play. However make no mistake about it, the Patriots’ 31-Three annihilation of the Lions raised severe issues concerning the depth of the roster, and it may be tough sufficient that normal supervisor Bob Quinn ought to no less than have a look at the waiver wire. Backup tackles Tyrell Crosby and Andrew Donnal struggled all night time lengthy towards whomever the Patriots lined up towards them. The offensive line allowed 9 sacks — a quantity increased than the seven passes Detroit quarterbacks accomplished. The secondary was routinely overwhelmed on routes by New England’s receivers. And the backup quarterback state of affairs could possibly be worrisome. — Michael Rothstein
1:16
In his first look with the Dolphins, Josh Rosen goes 13-for-20, throwing for 191 yards with an interception.
Broad receiver Russell Gage continues to indicate up. He’s making robust catches down the sphere and working sharp routes, as he confirmed in Miami. He has displayed nice fingers, even making grabs out of bounds. Why is that this necessary? Effectively, Gage is taking part in the identical function that star Julio Jones can be taking part in, however Jones is rehabbing a foot harm and awaiting a brand new contract. Jones will not play within the preseason. And if the contract would not get resolved by Sept. Eight, there’s an opportunity Jones will not be on the sphere towards the Vikings within the opener. Gage needs to be able to contribute. Even when Jones is again on the sphere for the common season, because the Falcons anticipate, having one other succesful goal equivalent to Gage can be a pleasant asset. — Vaughn McClure
Josh Rosen is displaying continued progress in his bid to search out Ryan Fitzpatrick and win the Dolphins’ beginning quarterback job. We noticed a (largely) good model of Rosen on Thursday as he overcame poor safety to guide a couple of sturdy drives down the sphere. He completed 13-of-20 for 191 yards and a foul interception. However he will get a thumbs-up for making sufficient flashes out of his six drives within the second and third quarters. Fitzpatrick received the beginning and regarded OK in restricted motion (two drives, 2-of-5, 20 yards). Rosen’s day provides much more intrigue to a tightening QB battle. — Cameron Wolfe
zero:29
Panthers rookie Brian Burns comes up with two sacks towards Bears quarterback Chase Daniel in his first NFL sport.
First-round draft choose Brian Burns was spectacular. The Panthers chosen the previous Florida State edge rusher with the 16th choose to shore up a protection that completed 27th within the league in sacks final season. Burns continued to indicate his effectiveness as a pace pass-rusher towards Chicago with two sacks; he used a pleasant spin transfer to register his first and his pace to tally his second. Marquis Haynes additionally had two sacks because the Panthers debuted their Three-Four base protection. — David Newton
Since Bears coach Matt Nagy opted to relaxation many of the starters (those who did play noticed solely transient motion), the eye at Soldier Subject targeted on — you guessed it — the kicker battle. The night time belonged to Elliott Fry, who whipped the gang right into a frenzy when he hit from 43 yards — the identical precise distance and path as Cody Parkey’s double-doink miss in final season’s playoff loss to Philadelphia. Fry additionally made his lone PAT try. Then again, Eddy Pineiro had an uneven Bears preseason debut, crusing a 48-yard try broad left earlier than connecting on a 23-yard chip shot. — Jeff Dickerson
Backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill was sharp in his debut with the Titans. He ended the day having accomplished 12 of his 16 makes an attempt for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Tannehill’s finest throws got here on a crisp cross to Kalif Raymond on a publish route for a 19-yard achieve and a wonderfully positioned drop shot to Anthony Firkser on a seam route. He may have added a 3rd landing however underthrew Taywan Taylor, who dropped the cross in the long run zone after slowing down. The Titans needed to improve their backup quarterback place. Judging from Tannehill’s debut, they’ve completed their mission. — Turron Davenport
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The harm to Nate Sudfeld’s non-throwing wrist places the Eagles quarterback state of affairs behind Carson Wentz in a state of flux. Sudfeld, the previous sixth-round pick of Indiana, was in line to switch Nick Foles because the No. 2 QB, however he left the sphere carrying an air forged. That backup publish has proved very important for Philly over the previous two years and stays necessary given Wentz’s harm historical past. If Sudfeld is sidelined for an prolonged time period, search for the Eagles so as to add competitors to a quarterback room that additionally contains Cody Kessler and rookie Clayton Thorson. — Tim McManus
zero:16
Lamar Jackson concludes his preseason reps with a 10-yard landing to Willie Snead IV within the first quarter.
Three of the Jaguars’ high 5 draft picks didn’t play due to accidents, however the two who did had been definitely spectacular. Defensive finish Josh Allen, the group’s first-round choose, beat the block of tight finish Nick Boyle to deal with working again Gus Edwards for a 2-yard loss on his first NFL snap. Allen additionally received a stress on QB Lamar Jackson earlier than being taken out. It was good to see Allen flash expertise in his restricted taking part in time. Working again Ryquell Armstead (fourth spherical) ran arduous and in addition confirmed some elusiveness with a nifty transfer to keep away from an unblocked linebacker within the backfield. Armstead’s numbers weren’t nice (eight carries for 22 yards), however it was the best way he ran — bodily, breaking some tackles — that’s encouraging. The Jaguars are hoping Armstead (who left the sport and was evaluated for a concussion) can turn out to be the first backup to Leonard Fournette. — Mike DiRocco
Lamar Jackson carried the momentum from a powerful coaching camp into Thursday’s preseason opener. Counting on his arm and never his legs, Jackson accomplished Four of 6 passes (66.7%) for 59 yards and one landing whereas trying no runs. His finest throw got here when he hit Chris Moore for 30 yards alongside the sideline. It’s the kind of cross that Jackson generally overthrew final season. In main Baltimore to scores on two of his three collection, Jackson put collectively a efficiency that confirmed he’s very a lot answerable for the offense. “Lamar was calm, collected, poised and had nice management on the market,” offensive deal with Ronnie Stanley stated. “Simply directing the offense, he is aware of what to do. He has full confidence in himself and in our teammates.” — Jamison Hensley
The Texans did not make it out of their preseason opener unscathed. Slot receiver Keke Coutee needed to be helped off the sphere in Inexperienced Bay after he was tackled to the bottom throughout the second quarter after catching a cross. The 2018 fourth-round choose instantly grabbed his leg and didn’t return to the sport. Coutee later tweeted after which deleted, “Minor setback, nothing main.” Coutee confirmed flashes of excellence final season however missed all however six video games as a result of accidents to each of his hamstrings. Earlier within the week, receiver DeAndre Hopkins known as Coutee “one of the crucial improved gamers on this offense.” And quarterback Deshaun Watson stated he has seen that the slot receiver has realized learn defenses and “do precisely what the offense has been wanting him to do.” — Sarah Barshop
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A complete of 26 gamers sat out Thursday night time — 16 of them had been possible starters — so there wasn’t a lot to judge on the high of the roster. However in the event you’re searching for one thing constructive, there’s this: Two issues the Packers did not do final season — take the ball away and make performs on particular groups — went their means Thursday night time. They got here up with two first-half interceptions (one by rookie sixth-round choose Ka’dar Hollman and one other by second-year cornerback Chandon Sullivan) and a special-teams landing when Equanimeous St. Brown recovered a muffed punt in the long run zone. DeShone Kizer quarterbacked the Packers within the first half with respectable numbers — Eight-of-13 for 102 yards and a landing — however at this level, there’s not a lot distinction between Kizer and third-stringer Tim Boyle (who threw two landing passes). — Rob Demovsky
With Melvin Gordon lacking his group’s preseason opener as a result of a contract dispute, the remainder of the working again group picked up the slack. The Chargers completed with 179 dashing yards on 28 makes an attempt (6.Four per carry) towards the Cardinals. Rookie QB Easton Stick led the cost with 51 dashing yards, together with an explosive, 31-yard scramble for a rating. Justin Jackson additionally had a formidable run, bowling over an Arizona defender on his approach to a Four-yard rating. With Gordon’s holdout probably lasting into the common season, the Chargers will proceed to seek for efficient choices at working again to assist fill the void till the Wisconsin product returns. — Eric D. Williams
1:06
Kyler Murray runs his first drive in an NFL uniform, which ends up in a Cardinals punt.
Regardless that he did not rating and even get the ball previous midfield, rookie quarterback Kyler Murray regarded crisp, sharp and environment friendly. He formally went 6-for-7 for 44 yards, spreading the ball everywhere in the discipline and evading stress utilizing an unmatched escapability. However for nearly as good as Murray regarded, the first-team protection regarded unhealthy, letting the Chargers transfer down the sphere with relative ease. However the story for the Cardinals was Murray’s displaying in his first NFL motion. — Josh Weinfuss
When Vic Fangio was employed by the Broncos, he emphasised the significance of avoiding “demise by inches” — the little errors and flaws in fundamentals that trigger groups to lose video games. Two video games into the preseason, the Broncos have watched not inches, however misplaced yards, value them dearly. After eight penalties within the Corridor of Fame sport, the Broncos had been flagged 15 instances within the loss to the Seahawks, with 11 of these penalties being accepted. The beginning offense, led by quarterback Joe Flacco, put collectively a 12-play scoring drive to open the sport. The Broncos’ cross rush on protection additionally had its moments, however the flags finally overwhelmed their efforts. They definitely will not agree with the entire penalties, however with three preseason video games nonetheless to play, the Broncos aren’t the essentially sound operation Fangio desires. — Jeff Legwold
The Seahawks’ backup quarterback competitors is nearer than it appeared a day in the past. Earlier than Seattle’s preseason opener, it might have been tough to think about Paxton Lynch beating out Geno Smith primarily based on how every has regarded two weeks into coaching camp. However Lynch closed the hole no less than just a little with a powerful night time towards his former group, going 11-of-15 for 109 yards with a passing and dashing landing. He was decisive and largely correct, save for a misfire on his first try. In the meantime, Smith went Three-of-9 throughout a nondescript first half and is now headed for surgical procedure to take away a cyst in his knee, which the group hopes will solely preserve him out for a couple of week. That’ll give Lynch a chance to make up extra floor as the 2 vie for the lone backup spot behind Russell Wilson. — Brady Henderson