The NFL’s first full weekend of preseason games is in the books. The following two games of Week 1 were played on Sunday with Derek Carr standing out and Trey Lance looking shaky, following six Saturday contests that included the highly anticipated debuts of rookie quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Bryce Young.
Young and Richardson joined C.J. Stroud as first-rounders who had growing pains.
There were several interesting takeaways from Friday’s games. Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense scored with little difficulty on their only drive against the Buccaneers. Jordan Love threw a touchdown and enjoyed a successful outing in Cincinnati. Commanders quarterback Sam Howell also looked sharp against the Browns. And while he struggled early, Russell Wilson did throw a touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy on his fourth and final possession in Arizona.
You can find their highlights (and others) below as we track every notable play and performance from the NFL’s opening week of the preseason. We’ll be adding highlights all weekend, so be sure to check back in throughout the weekend to catch all the latest updates.
Schedule
Thursday
Texans 20, Patriots 9 (Takeaways)
Seahawks 24, Vikings 13 (Takeaways)
Friday
Packers 36, Bengals 19 (Recap)
Falcons 19, Dolphins 3 (Recap)
Lions 21, Giants 16 (Recap)
Steelers 27, Buccaneers 17 (Takeaways)
Commanders 17, Browns 15 (Recap)
Cardinals 18, Broncos 17 (Recap)
Saturday
Bills 23, Colts 19 (Recap)
Bears 23, Titans 17 (Recap)
Jets 27, Panthers 0 (Recap)
Jaguars 28, Cowboys 23 (Recap)
Ravens 20, Eagles 19 (Takeaways)
Chargers 34, Rams 17 (Recap)
Sunday
Saints 26, Chiefs 24 (Takeaways)
Raiders 34, 49ers 7 (Takeaways)
Trey Lance throws awful pass … for a TD
Trey Lance has struggled so far as San Francisco’s starter for the first half of the 49ers-Raiders game on Sunday. His team managed one total offensive yard in the first quarter. But the Niners quarterback did manage to tie the game with a touchdown pass to tight end Ross Dwelley … a pass that could’ve easily been caught by a number of other people.
Judge for yourself. Lance seemed to get on track after a 13-yard completion to Willie Snead on the prior play, but then threw this one into a crowd in the end zone.
Carr impressive in short Saints debut
Derek Carr spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Raiders, so there were plenty of fans waiting to see how he’d fare Sunday in his first preseason game in a new uniform. Carr didn’t disappoint, completing 6 of 8 passes for 70 yards in his first drive as a Saint, capped off by this 5-yard touchdown pass to Keith Kirkwood.
That would be it for Carr, who played just one series against the Chiefs. His backup — former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston — didn’t find the going any more difficult. Winston came in and hit A.T. Perry for this 29-yard touchdown.
Short day for Mahomes
Andy Reid said earlier in the week that the Chiefs starters would get the first quarter to work, but when it comes to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, it was a very small part of the first quarter.
Mahomes played just one series Sunday against the Saints, going 2 of 2 for 15 yards. Mahomes also scrambled for 5 yards, taking a bit of a hit as he slid … nothing out of the ordinary, but for a preseason game, not something the K.C. sideline wanted to see.
Eagles pick six
The Ravens have won 23 straight preseason games, but that streak may be in danger vs. the Eagles. With seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Philly cornerback Eli Ricks picked off Anthony Brown, and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown to trim the deficit to one point. The Eagles elected to attempt the two-point conversion to take the lead, but it was unsuccessful.
Can the Eagles pull off the upset?
Nathan Rourke makes TD pass of the preseason
I don’t think we are going to see a better touchdown pass than this in the preseason. Nathan Rourke of the Jaguars went full magician on this play, breaking four would-be sacks in the pocket, and then threw a 21-yard touchdown strike to Qadree Ollison while being drug down by a Cowboy.
Check this out:
If you are wondering who Rourke is, he’s a native of Canada who played his college football at Ohio. He played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League for a couple seasons, tried out as a wide receiver once upon a time and is now trying to earn a roster spot in the NFL as a quarterback. Well, he certainly made headlines with this play.
Jalen Carter makes impact on very first NFL play
The Eagles lost some pieces on defense this offseason, but they also grabbed arguably the most talented rookie in defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The Georgia Bulldog is a wrecker in the middle, and can get after the quarterback. Look at what he did on his very first NFL play.
The Eagles had a top five rushing offense in 2022, and I think virtually any running back they line up with Jalen Hurts behind that offensive line is going to find success. Philly traded for Lions running back D’Andre Swift during the NFL Draft, and he could be set for a breakout campaign in 2023.
Check out this NASTY move he put on a Ravens defensive back Saturday night.
Cowboys rookie running back Deuce Vaughn is 5-foot-6 on a good day, but don’t let his short stature fool you. This kid is a playmaker. The sixth-round pick out of Kansas State headlined a 10-play, 85-yard touchdown drive for the Cowboys early in the fourth quarter on Saturday night. He broke loose for a 26-yard gain, caught a pass for nine yards on a third-and-3 in the red zone and then capped the possession with a four-yard touchdown run.
The Cowboys are rather loaded at the running back position, but Vaughn is shifty and fun to watch. He finished with 50 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries.
Jalen Tolbert gets the Cowboys on the board
The Cowboys turned the ball over twice in the first half of their preseason matchup against Jacksonville, including once on the goal line, but Will Grier orchestrated a 12-play, 63-yard scoring drive just before the halftime break to get Dallas on the board.
Grier found second-year wideout Jalen Tolbert wide open in the middle of the field, and he waltzed in for the 17-yard score with just 13 seconds remaining before halftime.
Well this is certainly one way to make the roster. Former Rams tight end/wide receiver Jacob Harris made a 42-yard diving catch off of a throw from C.J. Beathard that you absolutely need to see.
Thanks to this massive play, the Jags were able to extend their lead over the Cowboys to double digits three plays later.
Trevor Lawrence intercepted on Jags’ first drive
After going from worst to first in the AFC South last year, Trevor Lawrence and the Jags are the favorites to again win the division in 2023. The third-year quarterback is seen as a potential dark-horse MVP candidate, but he did not begin the preseason the right way.
On the second play from scrimmage against the Cowboys, Lawrence tried to force a throw downfield, and was picked off by Juanyeh Thomas.
Lawrence made up for the turnover on his third and final drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk.
Bryce Young makes NFL debut
The Panthers traded for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft this offseason, and they used that No. 1 overall pick on quarterback Bryce Young out of Alabama. In his first preseason action, he played just three series while Carolina went 0-for-3 on third downs and punted thrice.
In all, Young completed 4 of 6 passes for 21 yards, and was sacked once. He took a couple of shots in the pocket, but got up each time.
Barkley balls out
Matt Barkley must have thought he was back at USC on Saturday. The former Trojans standout had himself a day that included touchdown passes to Tyrell Shavens and Dezmon Patmon. An 11-year veteran, Barkley completed 12 of his first 13 throws for 153 yards.
What a Rush: Colts rookie records a pick six
Colts rookie cornerback Darius Rush‘ NFL debut included a 52-yard pick six of Bills backup quarterback Kyle Allen.
Richardson picked on third career pass
Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson’s first NFL pass was a 15-yard completion to former Bill Isaiah McKenzie. His third pass, however, was picked off by Bills cornerback Dane Jackson. The pick set up James Cooks’ 8-yard touchdown run (that you can see below) three plays later. The No. 4 overall pick finished his afternoon 7-for-12 passing for 67 yards. He was sacked once and rushed for 7 yards on two carries.
Big-play Bears
On his first play as a Bear, DJ Moore scored on a 62-yard pass from Justin Fields. A former first-round pick who has three 1,000-yard seasons to his credit, Moore was traded to Chicago as part of the deal that gave the Panthers the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft — which turned out to be Bryce Young.
The Bears’ big-play offense struck again on its next drive, as Fields beat the Titans’ blitz before hitting Khalil Herbert on a 56-yard touchdown.
Malik scampers for six
Facing the Bears in Chicago, Titans quarterback Malik Willis capped off the game’s first drive with a 2-yard touchdown run that included his impressive juke of Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards. The score capped off a 12-play drive that included a 30-yard completion from Willis to Chris Moore.
Cardinals rally to win
Down 17-10, the Cardinals drove 75 yards in the game’s final 90 seconds. Arizona got to within a point of the Broncos when David Blough hit rookie Brian Cobbs for an 18-yard score. Instead of settling for a tie, Arizona won the game when another rookie, running back Emari Demercado, rumbled into the end zone on the Cardinals’ two-point try.
Browns rookie QB strikes again
A week after his impressive debut in the Hall of Fame game, Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson had another strong performance Friday night against the Commanders. He completed 9 of his first 10 throws that included his seven-yard touchdown to David Bell.
Russ salvages 2023 debut
After a rocky start, Russell Wilson got the Broncos on the board on a 21-yard strike to Jerry Jeudy with under seven minutes left in the first half of Denver’s game against Arizona.
Punt return TD
Dodging tackles, Falcons’ cornerback Dee Alford ran 79 yards to the end zone for the punt return score. Atlanta went on to beat Miami, 19-3.
Wilson has wheels
Packers’ Emanuel Wilson beats Bengals’ Larry Brooks and used his speed to take it to the house.
Pick-6
Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson’s pass was tipped by wide receiver Chris Coleman and into the hands of Falcons defensive back Breon Borders, who ran it back for six.
Howell to Dotson
Jahan Dotson put the Commanders on the board with a touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Howell. As both players enter their second year in the league, they are showing promise for the future.
Browns safety
Safeties in the NFL don’t happen too often, but isn’t it fun when they do?! This one came from a penalty in the end zone. A holding call on Commanders’ Andrew Wylie put two on the board for the Browns.
Austin making plays
Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and wide receiver Calvin Austin III connected for a 67-yard touchdown. Austin missed his rookie season with an injury, but has impressed so far in training camp. He continued rolling with a big play Friday night.
Interception x2
Tycen Anderson has Packers’ quarterback Sean Clifford’s number. The second-year Bengals safety intercepted Clifford twice in the first half.
Here is a look at his first pick, which he turned into a touchdown return.
95-yard return
Maurice Alexander took it 95 yards to the house and made it look easy, giving the Lions the first touchdown of the game.
Bobbling INT
What a PLAY. Zyon McCollum picked off quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s pass intended for wide receiver Cody White. Excellent coverage and staying with the ball off a bounce allowed the second-year cornerback to make the interception.
Baker cooks
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had a very small window to put the ball, and rookie Trey Palmer brought the pass in and got both feet down in the back of the end zone to put Tampa Bay on the board.
Love TD
Packers quarterback Jordon Love’s night is now over, but before he exited the team’s first preseason game he found the end zone. Love threw his first TD as Green Bay’s starter with a toss to Romeo Doubs in the first quarter.
Branch shows off
Brian Branch was expected by many to be a first-rounder this past April, but fell to the second and was taken No. 45 overall by the Detroit Lions. He made his presence known against the New York Giants, slamming Cole Beasley to the ground.
Drop by Williams
Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams has struggled with drops during training camp, and it was more of the same in the team’s first preseason game. Williams beat the defender to the ball, but couldn’t haul it in for a big gain.
Pickett to Pickens
Kenny Pickett started his first game of the year off strong. In the team’s first preseason contest, he connected with George Pickens for a 32-yard touchdown.
Pickett went 6-for-7 for 70 yards on the scoring drive.
Watson DENIED
Jordan Love was looking to find wide receiver Christian Watson, but Daxton Hill was not having it. Hill got in the way and batted the ball down right before Watson could make any attempt to make a catch.
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
August 13, 2023 | 7:10 pm
