Recap of the Preseason Debut

With the Hall of Fame game cancelled, this preseason debut is the first taste of pro football in six months. And while yellow flags painted the fields alongside players trying to shake off offseason rust, there was still plenty of excitement.

Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia

The Bucs opened preseason with a terrible start. One of their five turnovers came with a fumble on the opening kickoff. Tampa Bay’s first three drives went as followed: fumble, three-and-out, fumble. In the end, the Bucs fumbled four times and lost half of them while Glennon and Griffin combined for three picks. A missed PAT from their second round pick to top it off made it an ugly debut from head coach Koetter. But the Eagles weren’t on their game either. Wentz made his debut going 12/24 for 89 yards and an interception. It was a game to get his first breath of NFL action and nothing more. He has another three games to get comfortable and give a hint of the future in Philly.

Atlanta vs. Washington

Washington came out flat in their preseason debut as Kirk Cousins played for just four minutes, but the offense trudged along for two scores in the second half. Atlanta, on the other hand, played with a spark. Matt Schaub looked like the Schaub of old in 2009-12 instead of the Schaub we’re accustomed to seeing. He went 10/15 for 179 yards…and no interceptions. Aldrick Robinson made three huge plays with Schaub that turned into 118 receiving yards and almost a touchdown. A 101-yard kick-6 put the Falcons up for good, starting their (pre)season off right.

Carolina vs. Baltimore

When Michael Phelps wasn’t stealing the show, it was all about Terrance West. While his numbers don’t jump off the box score (9 carries for 25 yards), he is proving to be the go-to back in the red zone. He made something out of nothing twice for scores including running to the opposite pylon after the play collapsed. In Baltimore’s third trip in the red zone, he made a crucial block that prevented a sack and instead turned the play into another touchdown. For Carolina, Graham Gano had fun. He went 4-for-4 on field goals while the Panthers failed to score in the red zone, just the opposite of Baltimore.

Jacksonville vs. New York

Allen Robinson continues to make highlight-reel plays, trying to argue his status as a potential top 5 wide receiver. All three of his grabs were from tough throws with very solid coverage from the Jets. Bortles had a great game on paper but his throws looked off and underthrown. Robinson and Lee bailed him out on four occasions with great grabs, but it finally caught up to Bortles who threw another underthrown pass that turned into a game-winning pick for the Jets. Geno Smith meanwhile improved on his draft stock after a solid game going 8/14 for 79 yards and a score. If Fitzpatrick does happen to get injured, Smith has the potential to hold down the fort for the Jets.

New Orleans vs. New England

New England won in all three phases of the game early, giving Patriot fans a sigh of relief. Jamie Collins took a tipped pass to the house to start the game and New England kept it in cruise control. The Patriots have the best downfield blocking in all of the NFL which keeps New England’s style of play alive; yards after catch. Jimmy Garoppolo played an efficient game going 11/18 for 168 yards. None of his passes were dangerous or game changing, but with the surrounding talent, Garoppolo will keep the Patriots afloat during their first four games.

Denver vs. Chicago

Denver put up the most dominant performance from opening day, destroying Chicago’s every drive with strong defense on all fronts. The Bronco’s combined for seven sacks including a safety, an interception, and a blocked punt. Chicago’s defense meanwhile looked a step slow to say the least. Their front seven impressed fans and analysts as the constantly pressured Sanchez, Siemian, and Lynch; blowing up play actions and forcing the quarterbacks to improv on the fly. But their secondary overplayed throws, missed tackles, and lost track of receivers. Just look at Sanchez’s touchdown throw to Thomas. Denver’s quarterback battle will only get more heated after all three of them had strong performances.

The next five games begin at 4 pm pacific, August 12.

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