Good bad ugly from each NFL teams preseason finale Will Grier plays his way onto a roster somewhere
Good bad ugly from each NFL teams preseason finale Will Grier plays his way onto a roster somewhere
Blog Article
The NFL preseason isn't about wins and lo ses. Participation trophies are handed out like youth sports at the end of the three-game run, four games for the two teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game. However, those "trophies" come in the form of 53-man roster spots as well as practice squad slots.It's hard to not overreact after your team has played only three games in which many starters barely suited up or didn't play at all. With that in mind, here's a look at how each NFL team's final evaluation exhibition went as well as the notable moments as we highlight the good, bad and ugly for all 32 clubs in their final preseason tune ups.The good: Davion Davis' 26-yard touchdown catch. Backup quarterback David Blough threw up a prayer while the Vikings blitzed the kitchen sink, and Davis somehow corralled the underthrow lob pa s for the score. This is the highlight from what was otherwise an uneven Cardinals performance. GO UP AND GET IT THEN x Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) The bad and the ugly:preseason finale stat line (9 of 12, 85 pa sing yards, 94.1 pa ser rating) is deceptive. It appears efficient, but what it doesn't show is Tune cutting Arizona's opening drive short by taking a third-down sack at his own 11 and fumbling the football, which caused a turnover. An ugly turnover in the worst part of the field to commit one. Vikings rookie quarterbackthrew a five-yard touchdown pa s on the very next play. It's going to be a long year in Arizona. Jay Ward crushes Clayton Tune on the blitz, Troy Reeder recovers the fumble Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) The good: The Falcons didn't play their starters, so nobody they are heavily relying suffered an injury.The bad and the ugly: Their defensive reserves were shredded by the Steelers' starting offense. Pittsburgh starting quarterback Kenny Pickett led his first-team offense to touchdowns on both of their opening two drives while completing all four of his pa ses for 86 yards. Steelers running back Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren punctuated both of those drives with touchdown runs inside of 10 yards.The good: Thirty-seven-year-old backup quarterback Josh Johnson still has it. He completed four pa ses in a row to start the game, including a 24-yard scoring strike to former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell. Johnson totaled 95 pa sing yards on 6-of-9 pa sing. The bad and the ugly: Backup quarterback Anthony Brown's lost fumble after a smooth 14-yard scramble. The turnover was the only one of the night for either team, and it occurred in field goal range. We'll take that : on WFLA: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) The good: Josh Allen and the Bills' starting offense bounce back. The "Madden 24" cover boy, and his first-team offense were shut out last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They needed to put points on the board in order to feel good about themselves entering their Week 1 "Monday Night Football" showdown against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. Thankfully, they faced the NFL's worst defense from 2022, the Chicago Bears.Buffalo totaled three third-down conversions, James Cook picked up 23 yards on five carries, Allen connected with three different receivers (Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Deonte Harty) and Damien Harris concluded the 12-play march with a two-yard touchdown plunge. That was their only work of the day, a nice feeling to enter Week 1 coming off a succe sful outing. The bad and the ugly: Special teams. The Bills allowed one of Sam Martin's punts to be blocked, and they also surrendered a 56-yard kickoff return. The margin to come out of the AFC every postseason is so razor thin, and Buffalo's third phase could do them in come January.The good:checked an important box in his preseason finale by throwing his first career touchdown, a 16-yard to s to veteran wideout. Quick math: Bryce Young + Adam Thielen = 6: on CBS: Stream on NFL (@NFL) Young also had preseason bests in pa sing yards (73), yards per pa s attempt (6.1) and pa ser rating (103.8). That's exactly the right directionnation wants to see their first overall pick trending leading into Week 1. The bad: Offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu, the Panthers' sixth overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, allowed his second sack of the preseason in the finale against Detroit as well as his fourth quarterback pre sure of the exhibition season. That's a little worrisome for a smaller-framed quarterback like Young.The ugly: Tight end Tommy Tremble, a 2021 third-round pick, and linebacker DJ Johnson, a 2023 third-round pick, looked all out of sorts on their kick return coverage of what turned into a 62-yard return by Lions quarterback Khalil Dorsey. It was Dorsey: on CBS Detroit Lions (@Lions) The good: The Bears' special teams units. They blocked a Bills punt late in the game, and fourth-round rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott ran a kickoff return 56 yards. Strong special teams can close the margins between two teams quickly, even for a team like the Bears who had the worst record in football in 2022. The bad and the ugly: Quarterback Justin Fields and the first-team offense struggled. They went three-and-out on their first two drives and couldn't find the end zone. Not the vibes you want entering Week 1 against the hated Green Bay Packers.The good: Quarterback Jake Browning and sixth-round rookie wide receiver Andrei Iosivas connect for their first touchdown of the preseason for each of them. Browning did a nice job reading the Commanders' zone coverage, and Iosivas deftly capitalized on the miscommunication in Washington's secondary. It appeared as though the cornerback pa sed him off to the safety, but the safety just wasn't playing deep enough in the end zone, allowing Iosivas to tip toe the back of the end zone line for the score. That ball spin and griddy | , Local 1 Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) The bad and the ugly: Bengals backup quarterback Trevor Siemian's ugly interception. He put the football in harm's way in despite being in field goal range just before the end of the first half. In a game Cincy lost by just two, an extra three would've been the difference. Instead he tried to squeeze a pa s over the middle through zone coverage, and the throw could've been intercepted by the safety, who ended up tipping the football to a teammate for the pick. Intended target Andrei Iosivas never had a chance. Just before halftime, Jace Whittaker nabs the tipped ball and makes a huge INT for the : Stream on NFL (@NFL) The good: The interception party for the Browns defense. Cleveland coerced Blaine Gabbert and Shane Buechele to combine to throw for three interceptions, including two pick-sixes. Buechele's pick, shown below, was the best of the two as ex-Chief Juan Thornhill simply undercut the pa s. Gabbert's came off of a dropped pa s, so it wasn't really earned. However, this doesn't really matter. Takeaways are takeaways. Juan Thornhill snags the PICK-6 against his former team! : on NFL Network: Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: Injuries. Primary kick returner and wide receiver Jakeem Grant was carted off the field shortly after the opening kickoff. Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward departed after suffering a concu sion. Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (hip), linebacker Tony Fields (concu sion) and Jordan Kunaszyk (knee) also had injuries force their removal from the game.The good: After being told he was going to be cut before the game, Cowboys backup quarterback Will Grier threw for 305 pa sing yards and two touchdowns on 29-of-35 pa sing in addition to rushing for 53 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy called it "the Matt Ha selbeck ." Oh, and all that offense came with quarterback Dak Prescott calling the plays. The bad and the ugly: Kicker Brandon Aubrey mi sed 59-yard field goal. He had the distance, but it sailed wide left. It was just about the only negative play. He then to redeem himself.The good: Everything. The defense chased Stetson Bennett Shohei Ohtani Jersey from the game after intercepting him twice in his nine pa s attempts. The offense scored at will, and both Jarrett Stidham (236 pa sing yards and one pa sing touchdown on 17-of-28 pa sing) and Ben DiNucci (117 pa sing yards and one pa sing touchdown on 11-of-15 pa sing) had nice nights. Second-round rookie wideout Marvin Mims hauled in an impre sive 50-yard catch.The bad and the ugly: Nothing. The Broncos won 41-0.The good: The reliable Teddy Bridgewater is back. Last week while wearing the No. 50 on his jersey, Bridgewater struggled, throwing for 34 yards on 5-of-11 pa sing. In the finale while wearing No. 17, he looked much more aesthetically-pleasing, racking up 178 pa sing yards and a touchdown on 13-of-22 through the air. Seventy of those yards came off of a touchdown to s to rookie seventh-round pick receiver Antoine Green. In my mind, 's going to the end zone : on CBS Detroit Lions (@Lions) The bad: Backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld's knee injury. His leg buckled after running out of bounds, and the worst has come to fruition: Sudfeld suffered a torn ACL, according to . Nate Sudfeld injury. Hard to see but comes down hard on left knee which could be bone bruise or meniscus. Worst case would be ACL. Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) The ugly: There were a few penalties -- six for 41 yards lost -- including a couple holding penalties that torpedoed some offensive drives. Overall thought, the Lions played a fairly strong game, bouncing back from a 10-0 hole to win 26-17.The good: Jordan Love and Christian Watson's continually growing chemistry. Aaron Rodgers made back-shoulder fades to Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams look like clockwork for years. It appears Love is on his way to doing the same thing with 2022 second-round pick receiver Christian Watson, as evidenced by their six-yard touchdown in Week 3 of the preseason. Love finished the day with 63 yards and that score on 9-of-15 pa sing. Time to see what he can do in the regular season. Jordan Love to ses a back shoulder TD to Christian Watson : Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: Rookie backup quarterback Sean Clifford's injury. Clifford has impre sed in spots this preseason, showcasing a powerful arm and a willingne s to attempt any throw. His day came to an end early with an arm Cam Bedrosian Jersey bruise suffered on a quarterback sneak. There's no need to run a quarterback sneak in the preseason. The results of the game don't count.The good:C.J. Stroud started each of the Texans' three preseason games, but his performance in New Orleans was the first one where he truly looked settled. After the game,. He made a great throw deep down the left sideline to receiver, putting the ball right in Collins' chest. However, Saints cornerbackdid just enough to break up the completion at the last second. Yo. This play by Alontae Taylor Jordan Dajani (@JordanDajani) Stroud eventually connected with Collins, to sing his first career NFL touchdown to the third-year wideout on his second and final drive of the night for a three-yard score. The rookie does a great job of getting to the top of his dropback off of the play-action fake and then spiraling a perfect, floating football safely into Collins arms.The bad and the ugly: The Texans defense allowed 36-year-old tight end Jimmy Graham, who didn't play for anybody in 2022, to get loose for a jump ball touchdown. It would be ideal for the backup defense to not surrender a touchdown to someone who was e sentially retired, but overall it was a great night for Houston.The good: Anthony Richardson shows glimpses of big-time potential. Even though his box score this week doesn't look sparkling (6 of 17, 78 pa sing yards, 50.6 pa ser rating, plus five carries for 38 rushing yards), he contributed nicely on the Colts' two first-half touchdown drives. He completed both of his pa ses on the first scoring drive for 36 yards, a po se sion that ended with a three-yard touchdown run by. On the following march, he threw for 19 yards on 2-of-3 pa sing while launching the drive with a 16-yard sprint. Rookie rusherone-yard touchdown plunge ended the 75-yard, 10-play drive.Richardson looks more comfortable pa sing from the pocket, a nice piece of progre s to take into Week 1. Anthony Richardson on the money on Prime VideoAlso available on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: The Eagles rested their starters against the Colts, but no Indianapolis running back came close to breaking out. Richardson ended up leading the Colts in rushing with 38 yards, and both rookie Evan Hull (25 yards and a rushing touchdown on six carries) and veteran Deon Jackson (eight yards and a touchdown on four carries) didn't inspire confidence.The good: After a year away from football, former first-round pick receiver Calvin Ridley looks ready for the regular season. just a reminder that Calvin Ridley's receiving total is currently set at 900.5 yards at various places you can wager actual money at Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) The bad and the ugly: Third-round rookie running back Tank Bigsby losing a fumble on the Dolphins' one. Just can't happen.The good: Justyn Ro s is ready for liftoff. He showcased his ability to go up and win on contested catches with this three-yard touchdown catch on a fade route. Ro s was once , but injuries have hampered his career. Now, he looks ready to contribute in a Chiefs offense with plenty of opportunity given their lack of established receivers. Justyn Ro s got UP! : on NFL Network: Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: The interception fest from the Chiefs' backup quarterbacks. Blaine Gabbert and Shane Buechele combined to throw for three interceptions, including two pick-sixes. Buechele's pick, shown below, was the worst of the two as he threw it right to former Chiefs and new Browns safety Juan Thornhill. Gabbert's came off of a dropped pa s, so it wasn't really his fault. However, this doesn't really matter since they have the reigning NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. Juan Thornhill snags the PICK-6 against his former team! : on NFL Network: Stream on NFL (@NFL) The good:closed out his stellar preseason with another solid outing. He racked up 304 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-36 pa sing in his first two games before a decent showing on the road against the Cowboys. O'Connell showcased strong accuracy all night long, including this dart todown the the right sideline. CAM. SIMS. With the GRAB! Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) The bad and the ugly: Their defense was torched by Will Grier (305 pa sing yards and two pa sing touchdowns, 53 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns), a quarterback the Cowboys are releasing.The good: Backup running back Joshua Kelley's 75-yard touchdown run. The 25-year-old former fourth-round pick made one cut to the right, and then hit the accelerator. No one came close to catching him once Kelley hit the open field. casual 75-yard touchdown | CBS LA + ESTRELLA + NFLN Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) The bad and the ugly: The Chargers' first three plays of the second half with seventh-round rookie quarterback Max Duggan, the 2022 Heisman Trophy runner-up out of TCU, in the game. His first throw was tipped at the line of scrimmage and almost intercepted. Running back Elijah Dotson drops a to s from Duggan that was supposed to begin a run play. Duggan dove on the ball for a lo s of 10. Then, there was a dropped pa s. Duggan turned it around the following drive, leading an 11-play, 77-yard po se sion that was finished off by a three-yard touchdown pa s with Duggan on the run. However, his efforts weren't enough as he was released on Monday.The good: Preseason or not, there's nothing good about losing 41-0.The bad and the ugly:delivered lackluster preseason performances these last two weeks. Last week against the, Bennett threw for 142 yards and a pick-six as a starter against the Silver Black on 15-of-24 pa sing. His start on Saturday in Denver against the Broncos makes his performance against the Raiders appear desirable.This interception below in which Bennett throws a pa s on third-and-14 into TRIPLE coverage is atrocious. My week 6 predication of Stetson Bennett being a Used Car Salesman may have been a little offHe could be dropped by week 1 Nick Perkins (@NPerkins96) The good: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played two drives and left the field healthy. Miami has its QB1 ready for Week 1.The bad:Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson throwing two interceptions within his first three throws. One occurred because he failed to see a linebacker dropping back in zone coverage. The other was an overthrow. Both are bad.The ugly:The final eight minutes and 32 seconds of the Dolphins' preseason game was canceled after a head injury to wide receiver. He was put in concu sion protocol after the scary collision.The good:Jaren Hall's hot start. The rookie fifth-round pick received his first start of the preseason, and he showed an ability to heat up from the get-go. Hall finished the first half with 127 yards on 10-of-16 pa sing, including his first career touchdown pa s, a five-yarder immediately after Clayton Tune's fumble. The Vikings scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the first half. A step in the right direction for the BYU product.The band and the ugly: The Vikings' second-half offense. Once even more fringe roster players entered the game, Minnesota's offense went on hibernation as it didn't score any more points. Here's the list of how the Vikes' five po se sions in the third and fourth quarters ended: punt, punt, interception, mi sed field goal and turnover on downs. Fortunately, 2022 Offensive Player of the Year Justin Jefferson will return to action in Week 1.The good: Patriots flex a deep linebacker room, something that likely puts a grin on head coach Bill Belichick's face. Backup linebacker Calvin Munson led the game in total tackles with 10, plus he snagged Titans quarterback Malik Willis' first of two interceptions off a deflection in close quarters. Marte Mapu, their third-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, made his NFL debut and totaled four tackles in a brief night with 32 snaps. Munson with that grab!!: New England Patriots (@Patriots) The bad: Cornerback Jack Jones. He allowed a 30-yard pa s while serving as the primary player in coverage, he was penalized for a defensive pa s interference call that surrendered 32 yards to the Titans and to top it all off, he was easily stiff-armed by Tenne see third-round rookie running back Tyjae Spears on a 19-yard gain on the ground.The ugly: Backup quarterback Bailey Zappe's performance. He threw for 57 yards on 8-of-15 pa sing, but he was strip-sacked after holding on to the football too long, generally appearing lacking in the pocket awarene s department. He was sacked on a quarter of his dropbacks, five times on 20 dropbacks. Zappe also fumbled three times. He was fortunate New England only lost po se sion on one of them.The good: Tight end Jimmy Graham making plays at the SuperDome at age 36. He didn't play for anyone in 2022, but he still managed to haul in this 25-yard catch downfield, shown below, as well as a jump-ball touchdown from three yards out. Nostalgia feels good. Jimmys still got it.: on FOX: Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: Rookie fourth-round quarterback Jake Haener's two attempts at a game-winning drive. Both ended with poor interceptions. First, he attempted an end zone heave on first-and-10 just outside of the red zone right after the two-minute warning. Haener's pa s ended up in a crowd of three Texans with safetyintercepting the pa s. Grayland Arnold comes down with the INT in the final minutes!: on FOX: Stream on NFL (@NFL) Haener's final drive ended with another interception, albeit on a play that could have worked. He had tight end Lucas Kroll open well past the line to gain on fourth-and-4, but he waited too long to make the throw. That allowed cornerbackto undercut the pa s for a game-sealing pick. Cameron Dantzler snags it to seal the win for Houston! NFL (@NFL) The good: Backup quarterback Tommy DeVito's 30-yard touchdown pa s. He rolled left and threw on the move to David Sills V. A nice atonement for his earlier pick-six. He has a case to make the roster as the team's third quarterback. DeVito connects with and the get 6 more.: on NFL Network: Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly:DeVito's Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim Jersey pick-six. He had his receiver open underneath after the play-action fake, but he decided to pump fake, allowing Jets cornerback Brandin Echols to get back into the play for a diving interception, which he returned 67 yards for a touchdown. . GOIN' BACK TO THE CRIB on WNBC + NFLN New York Jets (@nyjets) The good:Yes, it's only the preseason, but the new Gang Green duo of Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson already has their jump ball chemistry down, as evidenced by their 14-yard touchdown against thein their preseason finale. Expect Wilson and Rodgers to make similar music all season long. AARON RODGERS 1st JETS TD: on NFL Network: Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: Yes, the NFL is a pa sing league, but Gang Green's five rushers could only muster 41 yards on the ground. It will look a lot different with the first-team offensive line as well as Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook taking handoffs, but that's not great production for a team that jumped out to a 14-0 lead.The good: Devon Allen. The former track star started the night with a 73-yard kickoff return, as shown below, and he made a couple nice tackles as a gunner in punt coverage. His speed could be difference-making with clutch returns in tight games.The bad and the ugly: Not much to be too concerned about since the Eagles rested their starters while the Colts played theirs for the entire first half. Time for the NFC champions to play real ball games.The good: The starting offense is ready to roll. They scored touchdowns on both of their drives against the Falcons defensive backups, a rushing touchdown by each of their top two running backs, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett was perfect, completing all four of his pa ses for 86 yards. That total included two bombs to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Time for the regular season to begin. Kenny Pickett DIME: on NFL Network: Stream on NFL (@NFL) PICKETT TO PICKENS IS BACK.: on NFL Network: Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: Nothing. The Steelers just completed a perfect 3-0 preseason, and they have plenty of reasons to feel good about their squad in 2023.The good: Starting quarterback Brock Purdy shook off some more rust, his elbow appears good to go for Week 1. He ran two drives with most of the starters, throwing for 73 yards on five-of-nine pa sing. His last play of the night was his most memorable, a five-yard touchdown scramble.The bad and the ugly: Sure, it's just the preseason finale, meaning most of the starters didn't play, but allowing a 75-yard touchdown in which Chargers running back Joshua Kelley is virtually untouched has to make 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks' blood boil. casual 75-yard touchdown | CBS LA + ESTRELLA + NFLN Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) The good: Undrafted wide receiver Jake Bobo's acrobatic, diving 18-yard touchdown catch. The final preseason is all about players trying to secure the last few roster spots available. Bobo making a play like this will certainly give Pete Carroll and his staff pause when reviewing his credentials on cutdown day. The season of Jake Bobo. : Stream on NFL (@NFL) The bad and the ugly: The Seahawks' third-quarter offense. Drew Lock and Co. struggled, gaining 24 yards on 14 plays. Every drive ended in a punt. Ugly, end of preseason football occurred.The good: Baker Mayfield is thriving. He completed all six of his pa ses for 43 yards and a pretty 11-yard touchdown to s to Chris Godwin. Things we love to see: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) The bad and the ugly: This game didn't count. The Buccaneers offense looked its best in their final preseason opportunity; time for real football.The good: Backup quarterback Malik Willis flashed plenty of positive moments, throwing for 211 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions of 15-of-20 pa sing. His first touchdown to s, a 12-yarder to running back Julius Chestnut while scrambling left toward the line of scrimmage displayed nice, improvisational play. Second week in a row has connected with for 6!: Watch on / NFL+ Tenne see Titans (@Titans) His second one came on a play-action scramble toward the right sideline where Willis threaded the ball between two Patriots defenders for a 26-yard touchdown to undrafted rookie receiver Kearis Jackson. . to for his second pa sing TD of the game! : Watch on / NFL+ Tenne see Titans (@Titans) The bad and the ugly:Willis' inconsistency. Each touchdown drive was preceded by a drive or two by an interception. One came when Willis attempted to squeeze a pa s over the middle into zone coverage, which was easily corralled by the Patriots defense. . to for his second pa sing TD of the game! : Watch on / NFL+ Tenne see Titans (@Titans) The other wasn't his fault. Willis' short, low pa s over the middle to 2023 fifth-round rookie tight end Josh Whyle went through his hands, bouncing into the arms of a nearby defender. Ultimately, the Titans would probably have appreciated Willis being able to take better care of the football this preseason. He threw three touchdowns and four picks in the three exhibitions.The good: Undrafted rookie wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley working the scramble drill. The Penn State alum mirrored his movement toward the right sideline with Jacoby Bri sett, positioning himself into wide open space for a 39-yard catch-and-run touchdown. That catch helped power him to an 89-yard day on three catches to lead all players in receiving. Welcome to the NFL, | NBC-4 Washington Commanders (@Commanders) The bad and the ugly: Undrafted rookie wide receiver Kazmeir Allen may have played himself off of the Commanders roster. He dropped a couple pa ses and muffed a punt. Special teams is the best way for many back-end roster players to make an NFL team, but creating doubt as a returner could cause him to have an uncomfortable roster cutdown day.
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