For NFL fans, there’s only one rule when it comes to watching preseason games: Don’t overreact.
Anyone prone to making sweeping conclusions about the fates of any players or teams based off the initial exhibition action should look to the franchises themselves for the proper context of these games. Several outfits sat out starters in bunches, while first-stringers elsewhere only saw a handful of snaps before being ushered to the bench. And while everyone hopes to identify the next breakout player or fantasy sleeper based off preseason play, much of the August hype fizzles out by September.
But there are still some important lessons to be gleaned from teams’ first showings. From position battles to rookies finding their way, the contests can provide a useful snapshot of where things stand at a given time.
With that said, here are the winners and losers of Week 1 in the NFL preseason:
Winners
Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields
It’s always a good day for a quarterback when he can throw for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 3-of-3 passing while barely doing anything on his own. On the third play of the Bears’ opening drive against the Tennessee Titans, Fields hit DJ Moore on a screen, which the Bears’ speedy new receiver took 62 yards into the end zone. Running back Khalil Herbert did the work on the next series, taking a short pass 56 yards for a score.
Affording Fields more help and not asking the signal-caller to be a world beater was one of the overarching themes of Chicago’s offseason overhaul, and facilitating more big gains is a key part of that plan. The Bears ranked last in the NFL in yards after the catch in 2022 (1,147), and Moore’s addition alone should provide a major lift. With that kind of help, Fields should be better positioned to make quicker decisions one year after he tied for the league high in sacks taken (55) and routinely held onto the ball too long.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
In describing what they’re looking for in a successor to Tom Brady, Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles and new offensive coordinator Dave Canales have placed a premium on sound decision-making and avoiding turnovers. Mayfield’s recent rash of interceptions in training camp, then, sounded an alarm for the player who has thrown the most picks (64) since his entrance into the NFL in 2018.
Friday’s outing against the Pittsburgh Steelers put Mayfield back on track, as he exhibited a discerning temperament in completing 8 of 9 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Kyle Trask – the 2021 second-round pick battling Mayfield for the starting role – did himself few favors with a 6-of-10 performance that included an interception and three sacks. Trask will swap in as the starter for this week’s matchup against the New York Jets, but things seem to be tilting Mayfield’s way with little time left in the competition.
New York Jets’ pass rush
No one is pushing Aaron Rodgers out of the spotlight for Gang Green, but the Jets’ collection of burgeoning talent along the defensive line is something to behold. Even with the starting front four (Quinnen Williams, Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers, Al Woods) all sitting out, the group managed to feast against the Carolina Panthers, with the defense racking up five sacks and eight quarterback hits.
First-round rookie Will McDonald IV and 2022 first-rounder Jermaine Johnson II looked like a highly effective and complementary pairing on the edge. Robert Saleh will no doubt relish having a deep rotation of pass rushers, especially when his team has to chase down the likes of Josh Allen, Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes in the first four weeks of the season.
Dallas Cowboys RB Deuce Vaughn
The Cowboys delivered one of the feel-good stories of the draft when they used a sixth-round pick on Vaughn, the former Kansas State running back and son of assistant college scouting director Chris Vaughn. Now, it’s probably Jerry Jones who’s the one feeling good about the selection.
In Saturday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the 5-5, 179-pound ball carrier dashed past defenders to rack up 50 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. With no established No. 2 option behind Tony Pollard, Vaughn is making a strong bid to be allotted a few touches.
Houston Texans WR Tank Dell
One rookie created a major buzz for the Texans on Thursday against the New England Patriots, but it wasn’t either of the team’s two top-three selections. Dell, the third-round pick from Houston, notched a game-high 65 yards on five receptions, including an acrobatic touchdown on a bobbled catch.
There’s scant historical precedent to suggest that a 5-10, 165-pound receiver can become a consistent threat, and Dell’s slight frame and small catch radius could prove problematic against the physical cornerbacks he’s sure to face. But he brings explosiveness to a receiving corps sorely lacking it, and his ability to create separation at every level of the field could make him a valuable option for a passing attack with a first-year signal-caller.
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Nathan Rourke
The overwhelming bulk of preseason action will be forgotten by all, save for maybe those who participated. Let’s take some time, then, to highlight something legitimately memorable from the weekend.
Rourke is a name likely known by only devotees of the Jaguars, Canadian Football League and MACtion, as the former Ohio signal-caller and BC Lions standout attracted little attention when he signed with Jacksonville in January on a reserve/future contract. Against the Cowboys, however, he delivered what might go down as the top play of the preseason. Rourke ducked to evade two would-be tacklers, slipped another and then fought off a fourth to deliver a 21-yard scoring strike to running back Qadree Ollison.
Rourke doesn’t appear to have a realistic shot at pushing C.J. Beathard to be Trevor Lawrence’s backup. But he certainly caught attention from around the NFL on Saturday.
Los Angeles Chargers DL CJ Okoye
For most rookies, a “welcome to the NFL” moment is an unwelcome development. For Okoye, one play became the highlight for not just his introduction to the league, but also the sport itself.
The Nigeria native and member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program had never played in a game of organized football until Saturday. In the fourth quarter, he recorded a sack on Los Angeles Rams rookie quarterback Stetson Bennett.
Okoye, who was lauded by Chargers coach Brandon Staley after the game, surely will be a player to watch in the remaining two preseason contests.
Losers
Top rookie QBs
There’s no reason to panic or begin reassessing draft classes already. But in broad terms, each of the four quarterbacks selected in the first two rounds in April endured debuts that were either underwhelming or uneven at best.
- The Panthers’ Bryce Young managed to survive a 4-of-6 passing day for 21 yards despite being under constant duress. That’s a credit to the No. 1 pick out of Alabama, as he exhibited the quick processing and finely tuned internal clock not commonly seen in many of his peers. But while some bumps are to be expected from a new coaching staff and offense, every third down was essentially a death knell for this attack. Even though Young wasn’t to blame, it’s difficult to find any positive spin on what Carolina put out there.
- No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud also faced abundant pressure on Thursday for the Texans, but his returns were less encouraging. The Ohio State product looked unsure in his decision-making, and his interception to Patriots safety Jalen Mills after staring down his receiver underscored the need for a quicker trigger. Still, the sample size is far too small to get riled up about a 2-of-4 passing performance.
- Anthony Richardson was a known work in progress when the Indianapolis Colts took him at No. 4 after a career at Florida in which he notched just 13 starts. But for all his progress and promise, Richardson served up a few reminders Saturday of his lingering issues. The most glaring example came on the first drive against the Buffalo Bills, when he sailed a pass off his back foot and into the hands of Dane Jackson. His overall accuracy was also erratic, which likely points back to the footwork problems that plagued him in college. It’s worth noting, however, that he had a spectacular, would-be touchdown throw dropped by receiver Alec Pierce later in the first quarter.
- Anyone who began speculating when Will Levis would supplant Ryan Tannehill as the Titans’ starter might want to focus on the second-rounder from Kentucky being mired in a battle for the backup job instead. While Malik Willis flashed some promising signs after a rocky rookie year, Levis continued to look uneasy in the pocket. Levis also threw an interception in the final minute and should have had another pass picked off by Bears rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson on his first drive.
Many of these issues are merely an extension of what was already known about the passers or the situations in which they were being placed. But the pressure is on for the rookie signal-callers and their coaching staffs to use this time to sort things out.
San Francisco 49ers QB Trey Lance
With Brock Purdy having made a speedy return from elbow surgery, any path for Lance to reclaim his former starting gig is now closed. Now, there might be a serious battle for the former No. 3 overall pick not to be relegated to the backup’s backup.
Lance looked out of sorts Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, taking four sacks and sending the offense to three-and-outs on the first three series. The only thing that seemed to go his way was when what looked to be a surefire interception bounced off the hands of Raiders cornerback Duke Shelley right to 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley, who snagged it for a touchdown. Sam Darnold, meanwhile, seemed more settled behind center.
Given the 49ers’ injury history, an eventual return to action in some form is not out of the question for Lance. But his development is clearly lagging.
Carolina Panthers’ offensive line
Did any position group have an uglier performance? It’s hard to find any collective who fared worse than the Panthers’ front, which allowed three hits on Young and four sacks on Matt Corral.
Carolina is hardly alone in needing to iron out its line play at this time of year, and the intentionally vanilla game plan might have contributed to the Jets teeing off on the quarterbacks. Still, with four starters playing, this was a disappointing showing, and one the offense needs to learn from.
Minnesota Vikings CB Andrew Booth Jr.
A second-round pick entering his second season should be making a strong push for significant playing time, especially when his team has undergone a significant reshuffling at his position. Yet Booth Jr. doesn’t seem to figure prominently into the Vikings’ secondary rebuild, and his effort in Thursday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks didn’t help his cause.
In the closing seconds of the third quarter, Booth Jr. found himself lined up against undrafted rookie receiver Jake Bobo. The Clemson product got was off-kilter right at the snap, and Bobo reeled in an easy 19-yard touchdown. With Akayleb Evans and rookie Mekhi Blackmon looking more and more prominent in Minnesota’s future at cornerback, it’s increasingly murky where Booth Jr. fits in – though more coverage breakdowns likely will bring him some unwanted clarity.
