DeShone Kizer launches Browns to win over Saints.
Everybody loves a quarterback competition, so we're going to hear plenty about Cleveland's in the coming weeks.
I was going to fill this space with why Brock Osweiler will end up being the starter by default (because he's the easiest from which to move on), followed by Cody Kessler, and DeShone Kizer. That's still probably going to happen. But when the backups took the field in Cleveland, and Kizer led the comeback that will inspire hours and hours of sports talk radio along Lake Erie, things at least got a little interesting.
But for every good thing Kizer did on Thursday night in a 20-14 win over the New Orleans Saints, he was equally as raw and ineffective. And Cleveland is a team that isn't quite ready for the heir apparent -- not in August.
Don't click away now, but here's the truth: Kizer is a guy who will show the most improvement in Year Two. He told teammate Kenny Britt last week things had slowed down for him between OTAs and camp, and while that might be true, he didn't look in comfortable rhythm Thursday night until the middle of the fourth quarter.
After forcing some throws into coverage during the Orange and Brown Scrimmage last week, Kizer was noticeably careful in the pocket on his first drive, often waiting an extra beat before letting it fly. He did the same before deciding to abandon the pocket and eventually getting sacked. One play before the 52-yard completion above, he held onto the ball for far too long, resulting in another sack.
But as the game progressed and second teamers became third teamers, Kizer settled in as much as a rookie can in his first game. He's blessed with a howitzer, and when married with ample footwork and quick mental processing that only comes with on-field and film room experience, it can look a little like the long completion above. Even better, on fourth-and-2 with the game on the line and an eight-man blitz in his face, a fast-learning quarterback can look like this:
Barring a world-beating preseason from Kizer and a drastic change in approach by Hue Jackson, the quarterback will begin the season as an understudy to Osweiler, Kessler, or both. That won't be entirely Kizer's fault, but it's best for the rookie.
It's been covered plenty already: Cleveland will only have to pay Osweiler's exorbitant salary for this season. Osweiler was flat-out bad early, then rebounded with a nice drive that ended with the Browns failing to score inside New Orleans' 3-yard line. Play-by-play man Mike Patrick gushed over Osweiler's finish and was surprised to see he finished 6-of-14 passing for 42 yards. Frankly, it wasn't that surprising.
The Browns seem to know what they have in Kessler, who didn't get a ton of playing time on Thursday but was somewhat effective. The great unknown is Kizer.
Kessler should get the start next week (unless Jackson wants to double down on Osweiler with the ones), with Kizer again taking the majority of the second half. If the Browns are forward thinkers -- we believe they could be -- they'll wait until Week 4 of the preseason to give Kizer a start.
In the meantime, the Kizer jerseys will fly off the shelves (it's the way things work in Northeast Ohio), the hype will build and the stat line -- 11 for 18, 184 yards, one touchdown -- will be repeated over and over. While it was a great start, the rookie still has a ways to go to ascend to the throne.
A few other notes from Thursday's game:
1. With Myles Garrett lining up opposite Jamie Collins, the Browns now have a force on each end of the line inside the box. It showed when Garrett stuffed a run early in the first quarter, and again when Collins trailed a crossing tight end on a play-action boot to limit the Saints' gain to one yard. Nate Orchard wreaked havoc off the edge with the second unit, giving the Browns some semblance of depth. Gregg Williams' effect is evident, too. Cleveland's defense simply plays nastier than years past.
2. The Browns still have problems up the middle though, as demonstrated by Alvin Kamara and Travaris Cadet ripping off chunks on runs between the tackles. Danny Shelton was double teamed right out of the A gap on a Cadet run, and Tank Carder had a tackle for a short gain evaporated by Kamara, who simply kept his legs going right through the linebacker. It's also not a good sign when this is happening:
3. Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis might not make the squad as a wideout, but he'll be on a team somewhere. The speedy return man made a fantastic diving catch near the end zone in the third quarter, and it would have set up a touchdown, had Cleveland not stuffed New Orleans on the goal line.
4. Chase Daniel is as reliable as they come at backup quarterback, and was typically effective in his short time on the field. Garrett Grayson was more up and down, and Ryan Nassib was even more volatile, though he did engineer a nice two-minute drive that stalled inside Cleveland's 25. New Orleans could survive (and potentially thrive while) being forced to turn to Daniel, but beyond that would be tough.
Everybody loves a quarterback competition, so we're going to hear plenty about Cleveland's in the coming weeks.
I was going to fill this space with why Brock Osweiler will end up being the starter by default (because he's the easiest from which to move on), followed by Cody Kessler, and DeShone Kizer. That's still probably going to happen. But when the backups took the field in Cleveland, and Kizer led the comeback that will inspire hours and hours of sports talk radio along Lake Erie, things at least got a little interesting.
But for every good thing Kizer did on Thursday night in a 20-14 win over the New Orleans Saints, he was equally as raw and ineffective. And Cleveland is a team that isn't quite ready for the heir apparent -- not in August.
Don't click away now, but here's the truth: Kizer is a guy who will show the most improvement in Year Two. He told teammate Kenny Britt last week things had slowed down for him between OTAs and camp, and while that might be true, he didn't look in comfortable rhythm Thursday night until the middle of the fourth quarter.
After forcing some throws into coverage during the Orange and Brown Scrimmage last week, Kizer was noticeably careful in the pocket on his first drive, often waiting an extra beat before letting it fly. He did the same before deciding to abandon the pocket and eventually getting sacked. One play before the 52-yard completion above, he held onto the ball for far too long, resulting in another sack.
But as the game progressed and second teamers became third teamers, Kizer settled in as much as a rookie can in his first game. He's blessed with a howitzer, and when married with ample footwork and quick mental processing that only comes with on-field and film room experience, it can look a little like the long completion above. Even better, on fourth-and-2 with the game on the line and an eight-man blitz in his face, a fast-learning quarterback can look like this:
Barring a world-beating preseason from Kizer and a drastic change in approach by Hue Jackson, the quarterback will begin the season as an understudy to Osweiler, Kessler, or both. That won't be entirely Kizer's fault, but it's best for the rookie.
It's been covered plenty already: Cleveland will only have to pay Osweiler's exorbitant salary for this season. Osweiler was flat-out bad early, then rebounded with a nice drive that ended with the Browns failing to score inside New Orleans' 3-yard line. Play-by-play man Mike Patrick gushed over Osweiler's finish and was surprised to see he finished 6-of-14 passing for 42 yards. Frankly, it wasn't that surprising.
The Browns seem to know what they have in Kessler, who didn't get a ton of playing time on Thursday but was somewhat effective. The great unknown is Kizer.
Kessler should get the start next week (unless Jackson wants to double down on Osweiler with the ones), with Kizer again taking the majority of the second half. If the Browns are forward thinkers -- we believe they could be -- they'll wait until Week 4 of the preseason to give Kizer a start.
In the meantime, the Kizer jerseys will fly off the shelves (it's the way things work in Northeast Ohio), the hype will build and the stat line -- 11 for 18, 184 yards, one touchdown -- will be repeated over and over. While it was a great start, the rookie still has a ways to go to ascend to the throne.
A few other notes from Thursday's game:
1. With Myles Garrett lining up opposite Jamie Collins, the Browns now have a force on each end of the line inside the box. It showed when Garrett stuffed a run early in the first quarter, and again when Collins trailed a crossing tight end on a play-action boot to limit the Saints' gain to one yard. Nate Orchard wreaked havoc off the edge with the second unit, giving the Browns some semblance of depth. Gregg Williams' effect is evident, too. Cleveland's defense simply plays nastier than years past.
2. The Browns still have problems up the middle though, as demonstrated by Alvin Kamara and Travaris Cadet ripping off chunks on runs between the tackles. Danny Shelton was double teamed right out of the A gap on a Cadet run, and Tank Carder had a tackle for a short gain evaporated by Kamara, who simply kept his legs going right through the linebacker. It's also not a good sign when this is happening:
3. Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis might not make the squad as a wideout, but he'll be on a team somewhere. The speedy return man made a fantastic diving catch near the end zone in the third quarter, and it would have set up a touchdown, had Cleveland not stuffed New Orleans on the goal line.
4. Chase Daniel is as reliable as they come at backup quarterback, and was typically effective in his short time on the field. Garrett Grayson was more up and down, and Ryan Nassib was even more volatile, though he did engineer a nice two-minute drive that stalled inside Cleveland's 25. New Orleans could survive (and potentially thrive while) being forced to turn to Daniel, but beyond that would be tough.
What we learned from Thursday's preseason games.
Trevor Siemian took another step toward winning the starting job in Denver. Mitchell Trubisky did his best to ignite a quarterback battle in Chicago. In Cleveland, confusion remains on top of the depth chart. On the first heavy night of action this preseason with six games, there was thankfully a scarcity of major injuries and plenty of opportunity for overreaction. Here are the stories that should stick, starting with all the quarterback intrigue:
1. Broncos quarterback Siemian looked like a competent, unspectacular starter as usual for his three drives Thursday night, completing 6-of-7 passes for 51 yards. His only incompletion came on a nice deep throw that Emmanuel Sanders couldn't come down with. While Siemian hardly lit up the scoreboard, he made quick, smart decisions with the ball.
Paxton Lynch,on the other hand, repeatedly held on to the ball too long and misfired on a few open throws. He was lucky to avoid a fumble on one scramble. His final stats didn't look that much different than Siemian, but he only led the Broncos to three first downs in four drives.
This uninspiring "Siemian wins by default" storyline mirrors the reports coming out of training camp. It was a dark enough night that reporters asked coach Vance Joseph if little-known third-stringer Kyle Sloter is a legitimate option to start. Lynch will need a big performance when he starts next week or Siemian figures to start getting all the starting reps in practice.
2. Mitchell Trubisky was Thursday night's biggest winner. Sure, he was facing third-string Broncos defenders who were only playing man coverage. But a few of his pinpoint throws on the run and one third-and-17 conversion from the pocket with pressure in his face were impressive no matter the scenario.
The Bears didn't score a point, gaining only four first downs in six drives with Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez running the show. Glennon threw an ugly pick-six on his first drive, his lack of pocket presence notable when he threw a pass while getting hit. Trubisky, meanwhile, led the Bears on a two-minute touchdown drive in his first NFL action. He led the Bears to 17 points and 14 first downs on his first three drives before stalling some in the fourth quarter.
If nothing else, this result should inspire coach John Fox to eventually stop wasting second-team snaps on Sanchez. Glennon remains a strong bet to start Week 1, but every positive Trubisky performance will increase public pressure and eat into Glennon's regular season job security.
"Our depth chart is not going to change after one game, particularly a preseason game," John Fox said after the game in the most John Fox way possible.
3. Thursday night started with Brock Osweiler getting his chance to grab the Browns' starting quarterback job. It ended with rookie DeShone Kizer completing a pair of Roethlisbergeriffic vertical throws to lead the Browns to a victory. Kizer showed great pocket movement and raw skills that Osweiler and Cody Kessler simply can't match. They were the type of "AFC North" plays Hue Jackson has spoken of wanting from his quarterback.
Osweiler finished with only 42 yards on 14 attempts after starting the game with three straight three and outs, chastising himself after the game for his lack of accuracy.
"I'm pretty sure that no ball has ever been completed that is thrown out of bounds," Osweiler said.
It would be shocking if Kizer doesn't get more time with the starters next week.
4. Browns No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett looked the part early for the Browns, creating havoc in the running game.
5. All that hype about Browns running back Duke Johnson becoming the team's slot receiver is being borne out. He might very well be listed as a wideout on the official team roster before this season is up.
6. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor sent a message early by throwing his first three passes to Sammy Watkins. They all went for completions. Watkins, finally looking healthy, caught four passes for 39 yards.
7. The Vikings sent a similar declaration of intent by giving running back Dalvin Cook eight touches on the team's first 13 plays. Cook finished with 43 yards from scrimmage in limited work, showing some power and looking comfortable in the passing game as a receiver and pass catcher.
8. LeSean McCoy's primary backup Jonathan Williams showed great burst before leaving with a hamstring injury. It's a concerning setback for a Bills team already thin at running back.
9. The Colin Kaepernick buzz in Baltimore isn't going to slow down after Ryan Mallett's night. He completed only 9-of-18 passes for 58 yards in one half of work.
10. Vikings starting cornerback Trae Waynes left Thursday's game early with a shoulder injury, although coach Mike Zimmer didn't show much concern about it after the game.
11. Dion Lewis ran strong for the Patriots on Thursday night, showing some of the quickness and tackle-breaking ability that defined his 2015 season. He is too talented for the team to cut, even at a deep position, if he continues to play like this.
12. Foxborough training camp hero Austin Carr made good on all his rookie buzz with the catch of the night against Jacksonville. The Northwestern rookie is making it hard for the Patriots to cut him, even at their deep receiver position.
13. Second-year Bears pass rusher Leonard Floyd, who has enjoyed a standout training camp, made Broncos free agent pickup Menelik Watson look bad on an early sack. The Broncos' offensive line has a long way to go to put last year behind them.
14. Packers running back Ty Montgomery lost a fumble against the Eagles, continuing a trend from training camp. That could help rookie Jamaal Williams cut into his playing time.
15. Saints rookie running back Alvin Kamara built on his camp buzz by lining up all over the field and showing great balance on the way to 35 yards on four carries. He's absolutely going to earn major playing time in a backfield that includes Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram.
16. Dolphins rookie second-round linebacker Raekwon McMillan suffered a knee injury which appeared to be serious. He left the stadium on crutches. Packers cornerback Damarious Randall (concussion) and Broncos defensive lineman Billy Winn (knee) were also among the notable injuries.
Trevor Siemian took another step toward winning the starting job in Denver. Mitchell Trubisky did his best to ignite a quarterback battle in Chicago. In Cleveland, confusion remains on top of the depth chart. On the first heavy night of action this preseason with six games, there was thankfully a scarcity of major injuries and plenty of opportunity for overreaction. Here are the stories that should stick, starting with all the quarterback intrigue:
1. Broncos quarterback Siemian looked like a competent, unspectacular starter as usual for his three drives Thursday night, completing 6-of-7 passes for 51 yards. His only incompletion came on a nice deep throw that Emmanuel Sanders couldn't come down with. While Siemian hardly lit up the scoreboard, he made quick, smart decisions with the ball.
Paxton Lynch,on the other hand, repeatedly held on to the ball too long and misfired on a few open throws. He was lucky to avoid a fumble on one scramble. His final stats didn't look that much different than Siemian, but he only led the Broncos to three first downs in four drives.
This uninspiring "Siemian wins by default" storyline mirrors the reports coming out of training camp. It was a dark enough night that reporters asked coach Vance Joseph if little-known third-stringer Kyle Sloter is a legitimate option to start. Lynch will need a big performance when he starts next week or Siemian figures to start getting all the starting reps in practice.
2. Mitchell Trubisky was Thursday night's biggest winner. Sure, he was facing third-string Broncos defenders who were only playing man coverage. But a few of his pinpoint throws on the run and one third-and-17 conversion from the pocket with pressure in his face were impressive no matter the scenario.
The Bears didn't score a point, gaining only four first downs in six drives with Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez running the show. Glennon threw an ugly pick-six on his first drive, his lack of pocket presence notable when he threw a pass while getting hit. Trubisky, meanwhile, led the Bears on a two-minute touchdown drive in his first NFL action. He led the Bears to 17 points and 14 first downs on his first three drives before stalling some in the fourth quarter.
If nothing else, this result should inspire coach John Fox to eventually stop wasting second-team snaps on Sanchez. Glennon remains a strong bet to start Week 1, but every positive Trubisky performance will increase public pressure and eat into Glennon's regular season job security.
"Our depth chart is not going to change after one game, particularly a preseason game," John Fox said after the game in the most John Fox way possible.
3. Thursday night started with Brock Osweiler getting his chance to grab the Browns' starting quarterback job. It ended with rookie DeShone Kizer completing a pair of Roethlisbergeriffic vertical throws to lead the Browns to a victory. Kizer showed great pocket movement and raw skills that Osweiler and Cody Kessler simply can't match. They were the type of "AFC North" plays Hue Jackson has spoken of wanting from his quarterback.
Osweiler finished with only 42 yards on 14 attempts after starting the game with three straight three and outs, chastising himself after the game for his lack of accuracy.
"I'm pretty sure that no ball has ever been completed that is thrown out of bounds," Osweiler said.
It would be shocking if Kizer doesn't get more time with the starters next week.
4. Browns No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett looked the part early for the Browns, creating havoc in the running game.
5. All that hype about Browns running back Duke Johnson becoming the team's slot receiver is being borne out. He might very well be listed as a wideout on the official team roster before this season is up.
6. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor sent a message early by throwing his first three passes to Sammy Watkins. They all went for completions. Watkins, finally looking healthy, caught four passes for 39 yards.
7. The Vikings sent a similar declaration of intent by giving running back Dalvin Cook eight touches on the team's first 13 plays. Cook finished with 43 yards from scrimmage in limited work, showing some power and looking comfortable in the passing game as a receiver and pass catcher.
8. LeSean McCoy's primary backup Jonathan Williams showed great burst before leaving with a hamstring injury. It's a concerning setback for a Bills team already thin at running back.
9. The Colin Kaepernick buzz in Baltimore isn't going to slow down after Ryan Mallett's night. He completed only 9-of-18 passes for 58 yards in one half of work.
10. Vikings starting cornerback Trae Waynes left Thursday's game early with a shoulder injury, although coach Mike Zimmer didn't show much concern about it after the game.
11. Dion Lewis ran strong for the Patriots on Thursday night, showing some of the quickness and tackle-breaking ability that defined his 2015 season. He is too talented for the team to cut, even at a deep position, if he continues to play like this.
12. Foxborough training camp hero Austin Carr made good on all his rookie buzz with the catch of the night against Jacksonville. The Northwestern rookie is making it hard for the Patriots to cut him, even at their deep receiver position.
13. Second-year Bears pass rusher Leonard Floyd, who has enjoyed a standout training camp, made Broncos free agent pickup Menelik Watson look bad on an early sack. The Broncos' offensive line has a long way to go to put last year behind them.
14. Packers running back Ty Montgomery lost a fumble against the Eagles, continuing a trend from training camp. That could help rookie Jamaal Williams cut into his playing time.
15. Saints rookie running back Alvin Kamara built on his camp buzz by lining up all over the field and showing great balance on the way to 35 yards on four carries. He's absolutely going to earn major playing time in a backfield that includes Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram.
16. Dolphins rookie second-round linebacker Raekwon McMillan suffered a knee injury which appeared to be serious. He left the stadium on crutches. Packers cornerback Damarious Randall (concussion) and Broncos defensive lineman Billy Winn (knee) were also among the notable injuries.
Bills trade Sammy Watkins to Rams, acquire Matthews.
The Buffalo Bills dialed up a pair of trades on Friday morning that comprehensively reorganize their wideout room -- among others. The team announced that Sammy Watkins has been shipped to the Los Angeles Rams -- along with a 2018 sixth-round pick -- in exchange for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-rounder.
In a corresponding swap, the Bills acquired Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-rounder from the Eagles for starting-level cornerback Ronald Darby.
It's a wild flurry of action that alters how Buffalo, Philadelphia and Los Angeles will attack opponents through the air come September.
For Watkins, it marks a decisive career shift away from Buffalo, a team that tried to make it work with the player they traded up for in the first round of the 2014 draft. The former Clemson star battled injuries with the Bills, but showed moments of fascinating playmaking ability.
Coming off a down campaign, Watkins will reunite in Los Angeles with former Bills wideout Robert Woods, while sliding in right away as a bona fide No. 1 target for coach Sean McVay.
The move is a glorious win for Rams passer Jared Goff, who is under pressure to make quick progress under center after a rookie campaign that saw him sputter over seven late-season starts. If Watkins can stay healthy, this is a player who posted 2,000-plus yards and 15 touchdowns over his first two NFL seasons.
Watkins is in the final year of his pact after the Bills failed to pick up his option, but look for the Rams to extend -- or ultimately tag -- a player they considered drafting back in 2014. Speaking of the draft, the Bills now own Kansas City's 2018 first-rounder along with the second- and third-round selections picked up Friday.
In Buffalo, Matthews also steps in as the logical No. 1 target for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The versatile pass-catcher was whispered about for weeks as trade bait, but Matthews -- also in the final year of his rookie deal -- came surprisingly cheap with Philly also gifting the Bills a third-rounder.
Before Eagles fans go nuts, this is a team -- stocked with veteran wideouts -- that needed help on defense. Landing Darby is a boon on that front, but the move puts pressure on Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Torrey Smith to lift up quarterback Carson Wentz come September.
It's a trade that will be eyeballed all season long for hints about who came out on top.
The Buffalo Bills dialed up a pair of trades on Friday morning that comprehensively reorganize their wideout room -- among others. The team announced that Sammy Watkins has been shipped to the Los Angeles Rams -- along with a 2018 sixth-round pick -- in exchange for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a 2018 second-rounder.
In a corresponding swap, the Bills acquired Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-rounder from the Eagles for starting-level cornerback Ronald Darby.
It's a wild flurry of action that alters how Buffalo, Philadelphia and Los Angeles will attack opponents through the air come September.
For Watkins, it marks a decisive career shift away from Buffalo, a team that tried to make it work with the player they traded up for in the first round of the 2014 draft. The former Clemson star battled injuries with the Bills, but showed moments of fascinating playmaking ability.
Coming off a down campaign, Watkins will reunite in Los Angeles with former Bills wideout Robert Woods, while sliding in right away as a bona fide No. 1 target for coach Sean McVay.
The move is a glorious win for Rams passer Jared Goff, who is under pressure to make quick progress under center after a rookie campaign that saw him sputter over seven late-season starts. If Watkins can stay healthy, this is a player who posted 2,000-plus yards and 15 touchdowns over his first two NFL seasons.
Watkins is in the final year of his pact after the Bills failed to pick up his option, but look for the Rams to extend -- or ultimately tag -- a player they considered drafting back in 2014. Speaking of the draft, the Bills now own Kansas City's 2018 first-rounder along with the second- and third-round selections picked up Friday.
In Buffalo, Matthews also steps in as the logical No. 1 target for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The versatile pass-catcher was whispered about for weeks as trade bait, but Matthews -- also in the final year of his rookie deal -- came surprisingly cheap with Philly also gifting the Bills a third-rounder.
Before Eagles fans go nuts, this is a team -- stocked with veteran wideouts -- that needed help on defense. Landing Darby is a boon on that front, but the move puts pressure on Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Torrey Smith to lift up quarterback Carson Wentz come September.
It's a trade that will be eyeballed all season long for hints about who came out on top.
Ryan Tannehill to miss entire 2017 season.
Ryan Tannehill's season is over.
The Dolphins quarterback has decided to undergo season-ending surgery to repair the ACL in his injured knee, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
The Miami Herald first reported the news.
Around the NFL will have more on this story shortly.
Ryan Tannehill's season is over.
The Dolphins quarterback has decided to undergo season-ending surgery to repair the ACL in his injured knee, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
The Miami Herald first reported the news.
Around the NFL will have more on this story shortly.
What we learned from Saturday's preseason games.
First-year coach Sean McVay was pulled west by the Rams to save an offense that fumbled and bumbled for years under ex-lead man Jeff Fisher.
The new-look attack -- unveiled on Saturday night in sun-swept Los Angeles -- operated as a mixed bag in a 13-10 preseason win over the visiting Cowboys.
Second-year starting quarterback Jared Goff drew first blood with a crisply thrown pass to wideout Robert Woods, who lost the ball at the Dallas 4-yard line following a crushing blow by Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The pigskin fluttered into the end zone, where third-round Rams receiver Cooper Kupp wisely fell on it for his first NFL touchdown.
The score came after Los Angeles opened the game with a three-and-out, only to recover a botched punt return by Cowboys rookie Lance Lenoir to keep the drive alive.
Exiting after the score, Goff barely put enough film on tape to draw any conclusions, but he threw the ball decisively and looked comfortable under center. More concerning was an offensive line that failed to open holes for Todd Gurley.
On his first attempt, the third-year Rams runner was blown up for a three-yard loss by Cowboys rookie tackle Lewis Neal, who blew past guard Jamon Brown for the stuff.
Gurley's four rushes went for a whopping two yards before the starters were yanked off the field. You don't need a hot-blooded Nancy Drew to tell you that Saturday's on-field bag of delights was hardly enough evidence to draw conclusions about McVay's impact on this attack.
If the offensive line doesn't rapidly rise, though, it might not matter.
Here's what else we learned from Saturday night's preseason action:
1. We struggle to imagine the Jets wheeling out anyone but Josh McCown come Week 1 in Buffalo. The wily veteran calmly marched New York's offense down the field for a touchdown on the game's opening drive. The scoring march was set up by a beautiful 53-yard rope to lead wideout Robby Anderson before McCown pegged Charone Peake over the middle for a four-yard score.
2. Unveiled on New York's second drive, the enigmatic Christian Hackenberg played deep into the third quarter. The ruddy-cheeked second-year passer opened 5-for-5 and looked competent hitting wideout Chris Harper on a 14-yard strike across the middle of the field before whipping a well-aimed pass up the sideline to Jalin Marshall, who couldn't hold on. It wasn't Hackenberg's fault that Chandler Catanzaro botched a 55-yard field goal attempt to end the quarterback's second series. The young signal-caller's lowest moments came on (a) a tipped pass that was nearly picked before halftime and (b) a third-quarter botched snap that spun into the arms of Tennessee's Justin Staples.
Hackenberg (18-of-25 for 127 yards) played under control despite generating zero points and throwing for a concerning 5.1 yards per attempt inside New York's low-wattage attack. It was a bland, uninspiring -- but inoffensive -- debut to his second campaign.
3. Waves of fatalistic offseason press about the Jets can't change the brutal nature of Leonard Williams. On Tennessee's first series, Gang Green's monstrous third-year lineman sprung off Titans guard Quinton Spain, charged into the pocket and body-rocked quarterback Marcus Mariota to the godless turf. Two downs later, on third-and-22, New York's pass rush flushed the Titans signal-caller out of the pocket and toward the sideline short of the sticks to end the march.
Mariota's subsequent and final series nearly ended with a pick by Jets cornerback Buster Skrine, who tipped a pass intended for tight end Delanie Walker. Tennessee showed nothing on offense, unfurling a hyper-vanilla attack that saw Mariota finish just 2-for-3 for 15 yards.
4. Gang Green's pass rush wasn't finished as linebacker Julian Stanford surged through a Red Sea-sized opening to obliterate Titans trick-shot backup Alex Tanney, who was quickly removed from the contest in favor of deep-roster-human Tyler Ferguson. Tanney later returned to action to face a Jets defensive front that piled up an outrageous eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss while making mincemeat of Tennessee's highly touted offensive line. If the Jets plan to tank, we suggest a different strategy than this.
5. Tennessee's play of the night came from third-round wideout Taywan Taylor, who played deep into the second half with first-rounder Corey Davis out of the mix and dusted New York's Darryl Roberts for a leaping 42-yard grab.
6. In La La Land, the Cowboys kept Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick and Jaylon Smith coddled in bubble wrap, drenching Saturday's Cowboys-Rams tilt in an aura of desperate meaningless. In their absence, first-round pass rusher Taco Charlton stole the show with a productive three-tackle night capped by a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a deep-backfield sack of Rams backup Sean Mannion.
7. Darren McFadden (six carries for 28 yards) ran well in place of Elliott, but color me concerned about the prospects of Kellen Moore as the stopgap behind Prescott. The Cowboys reserve passer threw for just 4.1 yards per attempt before Cooper Rush took over.
8. Against the Raiders, Cardinals passer Carson Palmer looked sharp, throwing with good velocity behind a line that kept him safe. He just missed Jaron Brown on a deep shot that would have triggered an easy score and later missed Brown on a quick-strike lob, but Palmer capably overcame those errors to lead Arizona to pay dirt with a blazing 12-yard laser to Brittan Golden.
9. Cardinals running back David Johnson is a candidate to lead the league in rushing attempts, but barely saw the field Saturday with just three rushes for 16 yards before Chris Johnson took over. Another missing figure: Arizona wideout and bounce-back candidate John Brown.
10. The Raiders treated the night like an invisible exhibition, refusing to let quarterback Derek Carr or running back Marshawn Lynch sniff the field. It's worth noting that EJ Manuel opened the game ahead of Connor Cook under center, while DeAndre Washington took all the early snaps ahead of Jalen Richard.
11. It was just one play, but Cardinals fans had to enjoy seeing versatile defensive back Tyrann Mathieu zero in on Seth Roberts on a third-down toss from Manuel caught short of the sticks. Arizona's fate on defense rests with Honey Badger playing 16 healthy games. Coming off a down campaign, he looked spry on Saturday night.
12. For the second game in a row, Arizona's Robert Nkemdiche was a force to be reckoned with. Last year's first-round defensive end shrugged off a blocker to bury Richard in his tracks on a third-and-1 run in the second quarter before penetrating the backfield again on a failed fourth-down attempt that saw Richard gang-tackled in his own backfield. Nkemdiche returned to wreak havoc on the following series against a Raiders offense that looked lost at sea without Carr. The preseason operates as a mega-tease, but this Cardinals defense has looked spicy in two straight affairs.
First-year coach Sean McVay was pulled west by the Rams to save an offense that fumbled and bumbled for years under ex-lead man Jeff Fisher.
The new-look attack -- unveiled on Saturday night in sun-swept Los Angeles -- operated as a mixed bag in a 13-10 preseason win over the visiting Cowboys.
Second-year starting quarterback Jared Goff drew first blood with a crisply thrown pass to wideout Robert Woods, who lost the ball at the Dallas 4-yard line following a crushing blow by Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens. The pigskin fluttered into the end zone, where third-round Rams receiver Cooper Kupp wisely fell on it for his first NFL touchdown.
The score came after Los Angeles opened the game with a three-and-out, only to recover a botched punt return by Cowboys rookie Lance Lenoir to keep the drive alive.
Exiting after the score, Goff barely put enough film on tape to draw any conclusions, but he threw the ball decisively and looked comfortable under center. More concerning was an offensive line that failed to open holes for Todd Gurley.
On his first attempt, the third-year Rams runner was blown up for a three-yard loss by Cowboys rookie tackle Lewis Neal, who blew past guard Jamon Brown for the stuff.
Gurley's four rushes went for a whopping two yards before the starters were yanked off the field. You don't need a hot-blooded Nancy Drew to tell you that Saturday's on-field bag of delights was hardly enough evidence to draw conclusions about McVay's impact on this attack.
If the offensive line doesn't rapidly rise, though, it might not matter.
Here's what else we learned from Saturday night's preseason action:
1. We struggle to imagine the Jets wheeling out anyone but Josh McCown come Week 1 in Buffalo. The wily veteran calmly marched New York's offense down the field for a touchdown on the game's opening drive. The scoring march was set up by a beautiful 53-yard rope to lead wideout Robby Anderson before McCown pegged Charone Peake over the middle for a four-yard score.
2. Unveiled on New York's second drive, the enigmatic Christian Hackenberg played deep into the third quarter. The ruddy-cheeked second-year passer opened 5-for-5 and looked competent hitting wideout Chris Harper on a 14-yard strike across the middle of the field before whipping a well-aimed pass up the sideline to Jalin Marshall, who couldn't hold on. It wasn't Hackenberg's fault that Chandler Catanzaro botched a 55-yard field goal attempt to end the quarterback's second series. The young signal-caller's lowest moments came on (a) a tipped pass that was nearly picked before halftime and (b) a third-quarter botched snap that spun into the arms of Tennessee's Justin Staples.
Hackenberg (18-of-25 for 127 yards) played under control despite generating zero points and throwing for a concerning 5.1 yards per attempt inside New York's low-wattage attack. It was a bland, uninspiring -- but inoffensive -- debut to his second campaign.
3. Waves of fatalistic offseason press about the Jets can't change the brutal nature of Leonard Williams. On Tennessee's first series, Gang Green's monstrous third-year lineman sprung off Titans guard Quinton Spain, charged into the pocket and body-rocked quarterback Marcus Mariota to the godless turf. Two downs later, on third-and-22, New York's pass rush flushed the Titans signal-caller out of the pocket and toward the sideline short of the sticks to end the march.
Mariota's subsequent and final series nearly ended with a pick by Jets cornerback Buster Skrine, who tipped a pass intended for tight end Delanie Walker. Tennessee showed nothing on offense, unfurling a hyper-vanilla attack that saw Mariota finish just 2-for-3 for 15 yards.
4. Gang Green's pass rush wasn't finished as linebacker Julian Stanford surged through a Red Sea-sized opening to obliterate Titans trick-shot backup Alex Tanney, who was quickly removed from the contest in favor of deep-roster-human Tyler Ferguson. Tanney later returned to action to face a Jets defensive front that piled up an outrageous eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss while making mincemeat of Tennessee's highly touted offensive line. If the Jets plan to tank, we suggest a different strategy than this.
5. Tennessee's play of the night came from third-round wideout Taywan Taylor, who played deep into the second half with first-rounder Corey Davis out of the mix and dusted New York's Darryl Roberts for a leaping 42-yard grab.
6. In La La Land, the Cowboys kept Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick and Jaylon Smith coddled in bubble wrap, drenching Saturday's Cowboys-Rams tilt in an aura of desperate meaningless. In their absence, first-round pass rusher Taco Charlton stole the show with a productive three-tackle night capped by a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a deep-backfield sack of Rams backup Sean Mannion.
7. Darren McFadden (six carries for 28 yards) ran well in place of Elliott, but color me concerned about the prospects of Kellen Moore as the stopgap behind Prescott. The Cowboys reserve passer threw for just 4.1 yards per attempt before Cooper Rush took over.
8. Against the Raiders, Cardinals passer Carson Palmer looked sharp, throwing with good velocity behind a line that kept him safe. He just missed Jaron Brown on a deep shot that would have triggered an easy score and later missed Brown on a quick-strike lob, but Palmer capably overcame those errors to lead Arizona to pay dirt with a blazing 12-yard laser to Brittan Golden.
9. Cardinals running back David Johnson is a candidate to lead the league in rushing attempts, but barely saw the field Saturday with just three rushes for 16 yards before Chris Johnson took over. Another missing figure: Arizona wideout and bounce-back candidate John Brown.
10. The Raiders treated the night like an invisible exhibition, refusing to let quarterback Derek Carr or running back Marshawn Lynch sniff the field. It's worth noting that EJ Manuel opened the game ahead of Connor Cook under center, while DeAndre Washington took all the early snaps ahead of Jalen Richard.
11. It was just one play, but Cardinals fans had to enjoy seeing versatile defensive back Tyrann Mathieu zero in on Seth Roberts on a third-down toss from Manuel caught short of the sticks. Arizona's fate on defense rests with Honey Badger playing 16 healthy games. Coming off a down campaign, he looked spry on Saturday night.
12. For the second game in a row, Arizona's Robert Nkemdiche was a force to be reckoned with. Last year's first-round defensive end shrugged off a blocker to bury Richard in his tracks on a third-and-1 run in the second quarter before penetrating the backfield again on a failed fourth-down attempt that saw Richard gang-tackled in his own backfield. Nkemdiche returned to wreak havoc on the following series against a Raiders offense that looked lost at sea without Carr. The preseason operates as a mega-tease, but this Cardinals defense has looked spicy in two straight affairs.
