The NFL preseason reached the halfway point in Week 2. This acts as a virtual ‘dress rehearsal’ for starters to prepare for the start of the regular season – just three weeks away. .
Saturday’s slate featured eight games, three in the afternoon and four in prime time simultaneously, with the Cowboys and Chargers going head-to-head in the late hours. The Broncos played few starters in his one of his two early games, but the Bills gave their starters, including Joshua Allen, a few chances. As expected, the Chiefs debuted their new-look offense on Saturday, and the results were similar to what the Chiefs’ offense has done in Patrick Mahomes’ first four years as Kansas City’s starting quarterback.
Fans also entertained rookie quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis. The day was capped off with an outstanding performance from the player who recently earned USFL MVP honors.
Below are all the highlights from the first three days of preseason action.
schedule
Thursday
Bears 27, Seahawks 11 (takeout)
Friday
Patriots 20, Panthers 10 (takeout)
Packers 20, Saints 10 (recap)
Texans 24, Rams 20 (Recap)
Saturday
Bills 42, Broncos 15 (abstract)
Lions 27, Colts 26 (Recap)
Chief 24, Commander 14 (Abridged)
Steelers 16, Jaguars 15 (takeout)
Raiders 15, Dolphins 13 (Recap)
49ers 17, Vikings 7 (Recap)
Titans 13, Buccaneers 3 (Recap)
Cowboys 29, Chargers 10 (Game Tracker)
Sunday
Eagles at Browns, 1pm ET (Gametracker)
Bengals at Giants, 7pm ET (Gametracker)
Ravens at Cardinals, 8pm ET (Gametracker)
Monday
Falcons at Jets, 8pm ET (Gametracker)
Kenny Pickett continues to perform well in preseason
The Kenny Pickett hype train continues to gain momentum. After throwing the winning touchdown in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener last week, the first-round rookie is back in the spotlight. This time around, Pickett is active in the first-team offense and looks like a potential Week 1 starter. In the second quarter, he led his drive for a touchdown in just 42 seconds.
In addition to the scoring toss to running back Benny Snell Jr., Pickett also showed a nice touch for a 24-yard gain to tight end Pat Freielmuth. In the first half, Pickett recorded 6/7 passing for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Malik Willis shows off his escape skills
Malik Willis is showing his turnaround. The rookie from Liberty showed off his pocket-manipulating ability in a preseason start against Tennessee’s Tampa Bay. While leading the Titans at Field Gold Live in the second quarter, Willis threw a sidearm pass and could be a sack to move the chain.
He then ripped off a 25-yard scramble to put Tennessee into the red zone and eventually kicked a field goal. Willis is still a raw prospect and needs to improve as a passer, but he has some tools to make him a legitimate contender to be a long-term option for the Titans.
The inspiring return of KaVontae Turpin
Current USFL MVP Cabonte Turpin reinforced his claim to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster when he returned a 98-yard kickoff Saturday night against the Chargers. He quickly returned to the end zone after returning an 86-yard punt for a touchdown.
Turpin joined the Cowboys earlier this summer after helping the USFL’s New Jersey Generals record a 9-1 regular season during the league’s first regular season.
Titans rookie wideout Kyle Phillips made a name for himself this summer. He drew praise from head coach Mike Vrabel, who noted that quarterback Ryan Tannehill trusted him to throw. The eye picking right is also active in the return game.
At Saturday’s Tennessee exhibition against the Bucks, Phillips made a punt just outside Tennessee’s 20-yard line and came back 35 yards. He missed the first tackler, found a hole, and fought with several tackles to turn the field over for the Titans.
Rookie George Pickens made headlines in Pittsburgh this summer, but don’t let Chase Claypool’s talent put you to sleep. On his drive for the Steelers’ opening at the exhibition against the Jaguars, Mitchell took his Trubisky snaps on his third and his sixth, connecting with Claypool. Claypool is looking to build his 2021 season where he tallied 956 yards from scrimmage and his 13.1 yards per touch from scrimmage, a career-high.
Fortson and Mahomes double dip
In case you’re wondering, Patrick Mahomes looks like Patrick Mahomes. In Kansas City’s preseason Game 2 against Washington, the former league MVP started and looked like he was in the middle of the season. He started the game with back-to-back touchdown drives, both culminating in passes to tight end Jody Fortson.
The first catch capped off the Chiefs’ 87-yard drive. Mahomes threw it to Fortson, who was able to display strong footwork and stay within the score. This wasn’t Mahomes’ best throw on the drive, as his 39-yard pass to Justin Watson also completed.
Mahomes was then washed out of his pocket and forced to throw off balance into the front left corner of the end zone, where he again found Fortson.
On two drives, Mahomes got 162 yards on 12-of-19 passes and recorded those two scores.
Lions and touchdowns and grabs, oh my
Not many starters saw the field in the Lions vs. Colts game, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything worth paying attention to. Lions wideout Tom Kennedy found himself in the end zone on back-to-back Detroit possessions. The first touchdown his grab came on the final play of the first half.
To open the scoring after halftime, Kennedy again reached out to the Colts defender and carried a pass for six points.
too easy
Josh Allen and the first team Buffalo Bills offense covered 70 yards in six plays against the Denver Broncos. The drive ended with Allen scrambling around the pocket, putting his foot down and hitting the ball to Gabriel Davis in front of the end zone.
Allen went 3-for-3 for 49 yards and one score, completing passes to Davis, Stephon Diggs and Isiah Mackenzie. Devin Singletary is Buffalo’s leadback and Zach Moss gets ahead of rookie James Cook into drive number two. Oh, and Buffalo reach the endzone on each of their next five possessions. Moss scored twice short, OJ Howard caught a touchdown off Case Keenum (16 of 18 for 192 yards) and Duke Johnson also landed on the ground. Hit a pay dart twice.
(Friday) night catch!
The Houston Texans played starter in the first half of a preseason contest against the Los Angeles Rams and were able to take a 7-6 lead at halftime thanks to a pinpoint catch in the end zone from Nico Collins. Collins outplayed Derion Kendrick on the ball and scored.
Collins will play a role in the Texans offense in 2022. A play like this would give him more targets.
What makes this Etling touchdown run so special? During an interview with Aaron Rodgers on the Packers’ broadcast. Rodgers’ excitement over Etling’s score makes the play even more thrilling.
Love looked like the part of an NFL quarterback Friday night, finishing with 113 yards and a touchdown pass.
Chris Olave scores his first touchdown
Olave, alongside Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, offers a preview of what will happen to Saints fans this fall. Down connected with Ian Book.
Olave had only one catch for 4 yards last week, but two in the first half of the season.
Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe made a dangerous throw that rolled left and Hayes read the pass and took the ball the other way to tie the game. Zappe wasn’t as sharp in his second outing of this preseason when Matt Patricia called the play.
Romeo Dubs touchdown
The Dubs have a place to get snaps in the first team this year, and this Jordan Love touchdown catch shows why. Dubs came up with this impressive 4-yard touchdown his reception against Brian Allen, putting the Packers up 10-3 against the Saints in the second quarter. Love is starting to show confidence in the fourth-round rookie.
Will Lutz’s 59-yard field goal
Lutz will miss all of 2021 with a core muscle injury as the Saints lose credibility in the kicking department. He certainly looked like his old self closing out the first quarter with his goal this 59-yard field.
Only 13 of 23 have made field goals of 50 yards or more in his career, but it’s very encouraging that Lutz hit this kick.
Romeo Dubs claims to move up the depth chart
Dubs was one of the young wide receivers that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers criticized that week, so he’ll be in the spotlight alongside the second-team players he’s been in for the majority of this game. Jordan Love Throw’s 17-yard catch on the first drive makes a strong impression, even if Dubs fails to corral the third down pass first.
No longer a quarterback for the Saints, Hill has shifted his focus to tight end for the 2022 season. New Orleans’ second-tighter Hill at his end made an early impact by catching his pass for 10 yards from Ian Book. Hill adds an extra dimension to the Saints’ offense in his new role, allowing him to play wide receiver and running back in short-yardage situations.
The Patriots were averaging 1.9 yards per play in the first quarter and only 21 yards offensively, but Nelson Agholor turned that around on this 45-yard catch with an impressive throw from Mack Jones. Whether or not you’re against the second team’s defense, this is what Patriots fans want to see from their new-look offense.
New England scored a touchdown on a two-yard run from Ty Montgomery after three plays.
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