Most football fans want to fast-forward to the regular season, but there’s plenty to assess from Week 2 of the preseason. Jimmy Garoppolo made his Raiders debut, and rookie Bijan Robinson had his first carry for the Falcons.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had a bounce-back performance, and third-year quarterback Trey Lance might have quieted his critics for at least one week.
Here are our overreactions and observations from Week 2 of the preseason. (And, yes, we’re also counting down the days to the regular season.)
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Browns at Eagles: Let’s start with an overreaction. The Browns have something with rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
I’m not exactly sure what that something is, but it’s definitely better than his being the third-string quarterback. With three consecutive impressive preseason performances, the UCLA product has made a strong case to surpass Joshua Dobbs as the backup to Deshaun Watson.
Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick, stood in the pocket against the Eagles’ pressure to make a few big-time throws to rookie wide receiver Cedric Tillman and Austin Watkins Jr.
Panthers at Giants: Darren Waller is off to a fast start in New York.
Daniel Jones had an exceptional short performance against the Panthers, orchestrating a 10-play, 75-yard opening drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Bellinger. Jones connected with Waller three times for 30 yards on the lone drive.
Waller is one of many new weapons that were added in the offseason to help Jones. Rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt didn’t help Jones in this preseason game, but he flashed his upside, catching a 33-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor.
No. 1 pick Bryce Young faced plenty of pressure against the Giants’ starting defense, but he quickly got rid of the ball and moved the chains for his second drive. Young’s skill of being a quick processor will help him avoid many hits in the regular season.
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Bengals at Falcons: Robinson might have delivered the most entertaining 12-yard run in the preseason.
The 2023 No. 8 pick quickly displayed his vision and strength by hitting the right hole and breaking a few tackles on his first NFL carry. He lined up next to tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London, which provided a glimpse of the many weapons Falcons coach Arthur Smith has at his disposal.
But the Falcons are counting on inexperienced second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, who might have gained confidence from his teammates after going 7-of-9 for 80 yards. Ridder almost led a touchdown drive, but penalties stalled the promising series.
Jaguars at Lions: The Jaguars could have the best running back tandem in the NFL this season.
Rookie running back Tank Bigsby, a third-round pick, dazzled again, with 13 carries for 70 yards (5.4 yards per carry). Bigsby should complement running back Travis Etienne in the regular season to possibly give quarterback Trevor Lawrence a balanced attack.
On the Lions’ side, rookie linebacker Jack Campbell flashed a few times as a quick downhill tackler. The first-round pick from Iowa recorded seven total tackles.
Dolphins at Texans: Texans fans should be very excited about Stroud and Will Anderson Jr.
After a rocky preseason debut, Stroud delivered an impressive performance against the Dolphins, displaying why he was worthy of the No. 2 pick in the first round of this year’s draft.
Stroud, who had better protection compared to the previous week, showed command of the offense, accuracy and chemistry with his receivers. His best work occurred during the second drive. The Ohio State product finished 7-of-12 for 60 yards with no turnovers.
Anderson, this year’s No. 3 pick, displayed his potential as a defensive force, tallying a tackle for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
Bills at Steelers: Kenny Pickett might no longer just be a game manager.
The Steelers’ second-year quarterback continued his preseason trend of attacking downfield. He had an impressive 25-yard touchdown strike to tight end Pat Freiermuth up the middle of the field.
Pickett entered his second offseason as QB1 for the Steelers because he had a winning record of 7–5 during his rookie year. But he struggled to generate explosive plays, averaging 6.2 yards per completion. Big plays downfield might not be an issue this season judging from Pickett’s preseason action.
As for notable rookies, Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid will likely be a problem for NFL defenses. He recorded three catches for 45 yards.
Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. had his first career interception in the preseason and gifted the ball to his father, Porter Sr., the former standout Steelers linebacker.
Bears at Colts: No Anthony Richardson or Justin Fields for this barnburner in Indianapolis.
This exhibition served as a constant reminder that the regular season really needs to hurry up. But instead of waiting for Week 1, here’s one note on the Bears’ rookie defenders: Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson continued to flash as playmakers.
Buccaneers at Jets: Baker Mayfield will probably win the Buccaneers’ starting QB job.
Mayfield didn’t play against the Jets, which made many assume that he won the starting job over Kyle Trask. But coach Todd Bowles mentioned after the game that he expects everyone to play in the preseason finale.
Bowles likely doesn’t want Mayfield to get complacent before the regular season. It bodes well for Mayfield that the Buccaneers needed to see more of Trask on the field. At this point of the summer, coaches tend to have a strong idea of who they’re going with for the regular season. Also, Mayfield has had a strong first camp in Tampa Bay.
Patriots at Packers: Jordan Love appears to be the real deal.
The Packers’ first-year starting quarterback did a little bit of everything, moving the chains with his arm and legs. Love had a 42-yard pass to Romeo Doubs down the right sideline and later had a 19-yard fastball to rookie Jayden Reed for a touchdown.
It’s time to stop overlooking the Packers in the NFC North.
Titans at Vikings: Malik Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, delivered another uneven performance for the Titans.
Willis received a grand opportunity to create separation in the race to be Ryan Tannehill’s backup because rookie Will Levis was sidelined with an injury. But playing four quarters led to more mistakes for Willis, who struggled to find a rhythm as a passer, despite being protected by the starting offensive line in the first quarter.
Willis found a comfort zone in the second half. He rushed for 91 yards on 11 carries and finished 10-of-17 for 85 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Chiefs at Cardinals: The Chiefs should be fine at wide receiver.
The defending Super Bowl champions have uncertainty at the position, but it appears Patrick Mahomes will have plenty of quality targets in the regular season. Rookie Rashee Rice, a second-round pick, continued his strong summer, recording eight catches for 96 yards.
Justyn Ross, a 2022 undrafted free agent, had only two catches for 18 yards, but he made waves on social media for unleashing a filthy route against a Cardinals defender.
Broncos at 49ers: Lance went third, but he finally delivered promising results.
Lance might have gained ground on Sam Darnold for QB2 after he guided the 49ers on two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to set up the game-winning field goal for rookie kicker Jake Moody, who desperately needed that after missing a few kicks this preseason.
It wasn’t a good look for Lance to hit the field after Brock Purdy and Darnold, but perhaps the 2021 No. 3 pick can build off the performance. Lance finished 12-of-18 for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Raiders at Rams: Garoppolo had a perfect first drive in Silver and Black.
He executed a nine-play, 68-yard touchdown drive and completed all four of his passes for 39 yards in the lone drive. It was a small sample size, but the Raiders could have a productive ball-control offense with Garoppolo, wide receiver Davante Adams and running back Josh Jacobs—if Jacobs decides to sign his franchise tag for this season.
As for the Stetson Bennett and Aidan O’Connell, the two rookie quarterbacks had their moments. Bennett had another rocky performance with a slow start, but his backyard style has helped him at times.
O’Connell went over 100 passing yards again (11-of-18, 163, two TDs), and it might not be long before he surpasses Brian Hoyer for QB2.
Cowboys at Seahawks: The Seahawks are going to be tough to beat with the addition of Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The rookie receiver made more plays in Week 2 of the preseason, including a 48-yard catch-and-run to set up a one-yard touchdown run for Seattle. Smith-Njigba’s dynamic play was from a Drew Lock pass. Expect the first-round receiver to make life easier for starting quarterback Geno Smith during the regular season.
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Saints at Chargers: Kendre Miller likely moved up many fantasy football draft boards after his two memorable plays against the Chargers.
The Saints’ rookie running back displayed his versatility with a 27-yard reception on a wheel route before capping the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run. Miller, a third-round pick, and veteran Jamaal Williams will be counted on to fill Alvin Kamara’s void to start the season. Kamara was suspended the first three games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, stemming from a 2022 battery arrest in Las Vegas.
Ravens at Commanders: Who said no one gives a hoot about the preseason?
Commanders offensive lineman Sam Cosmi said it, but in a different colorful way. And actually, plenty of people seemed to care about Washington ending Baltimore’s 24-game preseason winning streak Monday night.
But Cosmi was right with both statements. He called the Commanders snapping the strange streak, and people shouldn’t put too much stock into the preseason.
It’s a good sign that Washington quarterback Sam Howell played well versus the Ravens’ backups (19-for-25, 188 yards, 2 TDs), but really, who gives a bleep? The regular season needs to hurry up.
