Another week, another round of NFL preseason action. And you can tell things are heating up around the league, whether in battles for roster spots and starting jobs or in anticipation of the real games around the corner. Which players and teams stood out during the Week 2 slate of exhibition matchups?
Here are some of the top highlights:
Tagovailoa’s precision passing remains intact
All that money, and Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t appear to have lost his best attribute: threading the needle. Shortly after side-arming a pass to avoid pressure, the Miami Dolphins‘ freshly paid quarterback dropped a dime of a touchdown to River Cracraft against the Washington Commanders. Such a pretty thrower.
Vikings QBs make strides after McCarthy injury
A slight cloud still hangs over Minnesota with first-rounder J.J. McCarthy out for the season, but backups Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall each had some impressive touchdown passes against the Cleveland Browns while, perhaps more importantly, protecting the ball. Mullens’ red-zone dart was particularly encouraging.
No “Hollywood” Brown out wide? No problem for Kansas City against the Detroit Lions, with Worthy repeatedly burning through the secondary, showing off the deep speed that made him a first-round pick this spring. After fielding a laser from Patrick Mahomes, he also caught a long score from Carson Wentz.
Mahomes pulls off a behind-the-back pass
Has there ever been a more Kansas City Chiefs-esque preseason headline? With star tight end Travis Kelce apparently running the wrong route, Patrick Mahomes improvised by tossing a dump-off to his favorite target in an acrobatic fashion even he’d yet to show off in a game setting. Stay tuned to see if Mahomes and Kelce try to recreate the backyard shenanigans in the regular season.
Yes, it’s preseason. And yet it’s hard not to share the explosive excitement of Chicago Bears fans when watching Williams take his first live-action NFL snaps. A week after showcasing his laser arm, the No. 1 pick was even splashier against the Cincinnati Bengals, excelling as a play-extending artist.
Jones stumbles in first Giants action of 2024
Back in live action for the first time since tearing his ACL last season, Daniel Jones didn’t exactly inspire confidence for New York, flailing around to avoid a safety early against the Houston Texans, only to toss an easy pick-six to Jalen Pitre. And a second pick would follow on the very next series.
Eagles‘ McKee makes his case for QB2 job
While Tanner McKee is technically Philadelphia’s third-stringer behind offseason trade acquisition Kenny Pickett, the eye test strongly favored the former after a poised showing against the New England Patriots on Thursday, in which the 2023 sixth-rounder laced several tight throws to the sideline.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
August 17, 2024 | 8:30 pm
