The NFL preseason does not count.
It does not count in the standings. It does not count for starters, the majority of whom will only make cameo appearances lest they be reduced to cautionary tales about exhibition game injuries. It does not count for the playcallers, who aren’t going to dust off their best work for and against players likely to be released two weeks later.
Those guys at the cut line? It kinda counts for them, but even the rookies who pulled themselves up as undrafted free agents to earn a spot on the 53-man roster will have snap counts limited once they’ve established their place. While these games drop a deluge on a football-starved nation, the overall experience is more of a timeshare than actually owning a home. You get a little taste of the good life, and then it’s back to not caring for the bulk of the time and the overall experience is mostly negative.
This doesn’t mean we can’t glean a few lessons that will be useful once the actual football begins. The preseason isn’t going to unveil hidden truths about how Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady are aging behind center, but it could help us discern how Daniel Jones is doing with a new coach or whether or not that fifth round rookie you loved in college can sew chaos on Sundays.
With that in mind — and with all these revelations coming with a massive grain of salt — let’s figure out what we learned in the first full week of meaningless football en route to the 2022 NFL season.
1
The Jets may be straight-up cursed
New York did everything right this offseason. They invested salary cap space on veteran players capable of having an immediate impact. They drafted highly-valued rookies who can plug holes in the roster while providing a foundation for the future. The playoffs remained a far-off destination, but this spring and summer were spent paving the road to get there.
This may not matter, because Zach Wilson only needed six dropbacks — six exhibition dropbacks — to suffer his first injury of the year.
Zach Wilson injury — better angle of right knee. Slight buckle of the right knee. Concern of ACL, but hopefully just a bone bruise. https://t.co/CYQE2nepsj pic.twitter.com/NHOUZQUyzK
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) August 13, 2022
Fortunately Jeff above — a valuable resource if you’re looking for instant analysis of NFL injuries — was right. What had been feared as a torn ACL turned out to be a torn meniscus and bone bruise. Wilson is expected to miss two to four weeks and could sit out New York’s season opener.
This is an awful start for the fulcrum upon which the Jets’ revival rests. Wilson looked very much like his rookie self in the brief stretch before getting hurt; his preseason was barely five minutes old before he threw an interception — with a clean pocket — on a six-yard pass.
I am not a football expert, but how on earth did Zach Wilson not see Kyzir White baiting him into this interception from the moment the ball was snapped lmao pic.twitter.com/Ho8FCIEzkq
— Daniel Olinger (@dan_olinger) August 13, 2022
Wilson was 2021’s worst starting quarterback. He was the fourth-most efficient passer on the Jets roster. He badly needed all the reps he could take to help flatten what has turned into a massive learning curve from his stellar 2020 at BYU to even becoming an average NFL quarterback.
While the good news is he won’t miss the year, it also means he’ll likely to make his regular season debut with limited reps against live defenses. We just saw what that looks like when Kyzir White made him look stupid on a pass that barely got five yards past the line of scrimmage.
This is bad for the Jets, but their 2022 improvements could hold down the fort until Wilson gets up to speed. The only problem is, between his injury and the brief flashes of glitchy decision making we saw Friday, that could take longer than New York hoped.
2
Mitchell Trubisky looked ... fine!
The wrap-up from Saturday’s Seahawks-Steelers tilt focused on two Pittsburgh quarterbacks. Mason Rudolph created magic when he combined with rookie George Pickens on an absolutely gorgeous toe-tapping touchdown throw:
.@Rudolph2Mason ➡️ PICKHIMS
📺 #SEAvsPIT on @KDKA | NFL+: https://t.co/C6T9f39EAk pic.twitter.com/BNISDEtX0D
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 13, 2022
Kenny Pickett, the third man up, rose to the occasion by completing 13 of his 15 passes for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns without a turnover.
.@kennypickett10's best plays from Preseason Week 1 🎯
📺 #PITvsJAX 8/20 on @KDKA at 7PM | NFL+ https://t.co/C6T9f39EAk pic.twitter.com/gH8iJd0Ynk
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 14, 2022
The numbers were solid against a smattering of backups, but while Pickens was the name we’ll remember from Saturday evening:
George Pickens picking up right where he left off pic.twitter.com/oEfkPAiJ4K
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 14, 2022
It’s important that Trubisky did just enough to prove he’s a viable QB1 for a Pittsburgh team that would really prefer to run the ball as much as possible. Trubisky played two series. His offense scored seven points and averaged 9.8 yards per play. While he was buoyed considerably by long runs after the catch and a blown coverage on his lone touchdown pass:
THE GUNNER‼️ @GunnerOlszewski
📺 #SEAvsPIT on @KDKA | NFL+: https://t.co/C6T9f39EAk pic.twitter.com/OZeBHOKwCe
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 13, 2022
The embattled young veteran took the opportunities afforded him and looked like a capable, if unexceptional, NFL quarterback.
That’s all the Steelers need! This team made it to the playoffs each of the last two years despite Ben Roethlisberger’s arm being replaced with a toddler’s in some kind of bizarre Freaky Friday-esque body-switch that ostensibly ended in chaos at some preschool. Pittsburgh tried to follow San Francisco’s lead by surrounding an iffy quarterback with run-after-catch weapons, so a Mitch checkdown-fest is still likely to lead to big gains. Factor in his running ability and he could be a completely feasible weapon — nothing great, but not a backup-level disaster.
If Trubisky can merely be anonymous enough to keep defenses from staring down Najee Harris every time he lines up in the backfield, he’ll be a net positive for Pittsburgh. That’s who he was in the Steelers’ preseason debut.
3
The Punt God is pleased with the Buffalo Bills offering
Matt Araiza doesn’t have the spin and control of Michael Dickson or the ability to throw pinpoint fake punt passes like Johnny Hekker. This does not matter. He is still the NFL’s most exciting punter because he can kick a football to the damn moon.
🚨82-YARD PUNT ALERT🚨
📺: @nflnetwork | WIVB pic.twitter.com/UNib6Zv2lM
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 13, 2022
That’s an 82-yard punt, which was previously only common in Super Tecmo Bowl but has become a calling card for the Bills’ rookie. Araiza was stoic at San Diego State, earning the “Punt God” nickname early — y’all should be reading Rodger Sherman if you aren’t already — and becoming the most compelling reason* to watch a 12-win Aztec team. He averaged 49.8 yards per punt in 2020 and somehow improved on that by getting to 51.2 in 2021.
He led the NCAA both years. And he made Saturday’s 82-yarder, his first kick in the NFL, look cute compared to his 2021 masterpiece.
We have an 86 yard punt… EIGHTY SIX (CC @RKalland) pic.twitter.com/KIi5d3VTTO
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) October 16, 2021
The Bills snapped him up in the fifth round and added a field-flipping weapon to their special teams unit. Congratulations, AFC East punt returners; you just earned a little more yardage to gain when you face Buffalo.
*reason depends on how badly football has broken your brain.
4
The Romeo Doubs hype train continued unabated
The Green Bay Packers haven’t drafted a wide receiver in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002. Romeo Doubs may make that look like a winning strategy yet again in Wisconsin.
The Packers were in dire need of receiving help this offseason after trading away Davante Adams and losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling to free agency. But it hasn’t been second-round selection Christian Watson who’s been turning heads in training camp; it’s fourth-rounder Doubs, the 19th wideout taken off the board in April.
Doubs has persistently earned praise for his ability to win one-on-one matchups even against the starters in Green Bay’s stout secondary. On Friday, he proved he can apply those talents to other teams’ cornerbacks as well.
Romeo Doubs TAKING his chances✅pic.twitter.com/uk8z76AwB7
— IKE Packers Podcast (@IKE_Packers) August 13, 2022
Doubs wasn’t just getting open with his schemes. He created small windows with tight routes and adjusted to the ball in order to create first downs. This clip isn’t as exciting as a fourth-down touchdown pass, but it may be even more meaningful for a Packers’ offense in dire need of reliable hands on third down.
Romeo Doubs. Romeo Doubs. Romeo Doubs. pic.twitter.com/scrim3pxFu
— packers clips (@packers_clips) August 13, 2022
It wasn’t all positive for Doubs. He allowed a ball to be pried from his grip and wind up as one of three Jordan Love interceptions on the night (while that sounds bad, Love’s start was much more encouraging than the box score lets on). Still, Doubs finished his debut with three catches for 45 yards and some compelling evidence he deserves a spot in Aaron Rodgers’ wide-open receiver rotation.
5
The Colts better hope Jonathan Taylor stays healthy
It’s entirely too early to judge the Matt Ryan era in Indianapolis, but the Colts gave us a longer look at their starting quarterback than any team in Week 1 of the preseason. Ryan took the field for four possessions to open up the game against Buffalo. In that stretch, he got the ball at the Bills 10 and the Colts 45-yard lines thanks to turnovers and … turned those opportunities into three total points.
While this came against 2021’s top-ranked defense, most of the primaries from that unit weren’t on the field. Ryan gained 51 net yards on 11 dropbacks and averaged only 5.8 yards per pass. While his longest completion of the day went for 17 yards to third-year wideout Michael Pittman, Pittman gained roughly 13 of those after the catch.
That’s an early warning signal for a franchise in search of a solution since Andrew Luck retired in 2019. Ryan will be the fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback the Colts have fielded in five years. Indianapolis is hoping there’s still a former MVP locked inside him, even though that came back in 2016 and Ryan is now 37 years old. His preseason debut in blue and white didn’t lend much evidence for a revival.
Of course, the Colts weren’t emptying the playbook to open up the preseason. Ryan’s young receiving corps will grow into their roles as the season unfolds. It’s stupid to damn Indianapolis based on four possessions of an exhibition game. But it’s also tough to get particularly excited about the team, too.
6
The Eagles are in position to capitalize on 2021's surprising playoff appearance
The worst thing you can say about Jalen Hurts’ 2022 debut was that he got hit late.
That’s pretty much it. Hurts took a dirty hit out of bounds on one of two plays where he was flushed from the pocket. Otherwise he completed all six of his passes for 80 yards, one touchdown, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
.@JalenHurts ➡️ @goedert33 ‼️
📺: #NYJvsPHI on @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/YunDRMNIk8
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 12, 2022
The Eagles rallied to the playoffs last season ahead of schedule but didn’t beat another playoff invitee in 2021. Pushing Hurts to be more than a scrambler and harness his power as a downfield dart-thrower is paramount to the team’s success. It’s why general manager Howie Roseman made AJ Brown the crown jewel in an offseason filled with big acquisitions.
Hurts made big throws Friday, albeit against a shaky defense in a preseason game. Two of his six completions came on passes 20+ yards downfield. He escaped pressure, found opportunities beyond the line of scrimmage and made the correct choices across a tiny sample size.
He wasn’t the only eye-opener.
New additions stepped up on the defensive side of the ball. We already saw Kyzir White’s first quarter interception on Zach Wilson. Elsewhere, rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis was getting triple-teamed because sometimes double teams weren’t enough:
Jordan Davis’ speed is as advertised 👀 pic.twitter.com/4YI3qfrZR4
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) August 13, 2022
If Davis couldn’t do it, former teammate Nakobe Dean, who slid all the way to the third round so Philly could snap him up, was there to clean up the mess:
Jordan Davis with powerful contact to disrupt the backfield, Nakobe Dean with aggressive sound gap pursuit and finishes the play.
It's like they've done it before 😏#Eaglespic.twitter.com/J07QCeX1IJ
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) August 14, 2022
The 2021 Eagles made it to the playoffs thanks to a soft schedule and a little bit of luck. If the opening week of the preseason is any indication, the 2022 Eagles will make the playoffs because they’re a dang good team.
