2024 Preseason Week 1 Takeaways
Two teams kicked off the preseason last week, but NOW it’s officially preseason week 1. All 32 teams participated this week, and one even made a big roster cut! Since we switched to a 3-game preseason schedule, teams have been split on playing their stars in games 2 and 3, but many keep them out of game 1. For a change, an unusually high number of teams played their first stringers for at least a series. That gives us plenty to talk about, with our usual preseason focus points. Expect to hear a lot about rookies in the coming weeks, and enjoy my preseason week 1 takeaways!
Rookie QB Debuts a Mixed Bag
We always start off this column with a look at the newest batch of rookie QBs. It’s generally the topic that interests people the most. This year in particular, we have a boatload of high-profile first-year signal callers who saw their first professional work this week. Let’s start with a high point: #1 pick Caleb Williams looked excellent for the Bears, against Buffalo’s starters no less. He went 4/7 for 95 yards, ran for a 13-yard scamper, and led an FG drive. That’s fine, but the film is even better. His playmaking prowess took us back to his USC days, and he showed that could play in structure after all. We have a rookie of the year favorite.
The #2 pick, Jayden Daniels, had a brief but effective debut for Washington. He completed 2 of 3 passes for 45 yards, unafraid to rip the ball downfield. Daniels added a 3-yard TD run, demonstrating his dual-threat ability. This was a very limited set of snaps, but you can progress being made. I can’t say the same for #3 pick Drake Maye. The newest hope to replace Tom Brady in New England played just 1 series, going 2/3 for 19 yards before the team punted. I appreciate this slow and steady development plan. Starting Jacoby Brissett and letting Maye learn is probably best for his long-term prospects.
The highly surprising 8th pick, Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr, saw significant action and played most of the first half. He looked solid, but I don’t think Kirk Cousins has anything to worry about. Penix went 9/16 for 104 yards and put 10 points on the board. I didn’t love some of his throws on the move, and he didn’t connect on any deep shots. Still, he ran the offense decently enough. Tenth pick JJ McCarthy was very conflicting. His start was ugly, with a badly thrown INT. However, as backups and 3rd-stringers came in, McCarthy settled down, throwing for 188 yards and 2 TDs. The Minnesota job belongs to Sam Darnold.
Last among the first-round QBs taken (12th overall) and the last to make his appearance, Denver’s Bo Nix had a very good showing. We knew he was the most pro-ready player, and that was evident in his play. Going 15/21 for 125 yards and a TD in extensive action, Nix looked comfortable running the offense, led 4 scoring drives, and even did some read option work. Jarrett Stidham got the start, but we know what he is (his lone INT was not his fault at all). Nix is the hand-picked QB of the future, and he will start next week’s game. Hopefully, he’ll put this competition to bed and be named the week 1 starter after that.
None of the late-round picks showed me a ton. They mostly came in against 3rd-stringers and below, so the conclusions we can draw are minimal. New England’s Joe Milton threw a nice TD dart and led two scoring drives, looking the best of the bunch. The Jets’ Jordan Travis hasn’t yet returned from injury. Spencer Rattler of the Saints had a very inconsistent outing, completing just over 50% of his passes. Green Bay’s Michael Pratt went 5/7 for 46 yards and was fine, but that came against 4th-stringers. Finally, Baltimore’s Devin Leary went 6/10 for just 37 yards, but at least he was better than Emory Jones.
Surprising Starters Add Intrigue to Exhibition Games
As alluded to in the intro, players you probably didn’t expect to participate in game 1 of the preseason saw some game action. We got quite the surprise in that regard! However, when you look at the specifics surrounding each player, it makes a lot more sense. Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes played almost a full quarter, and he looked like…well…Patrick Mahomes. He immediately hit new WR Marquise Brown, and TE Travis Kelce caught a pass, too. Those last two players shouldn’t have been in the game. Kelce takes enough punishment throughout the year, and Brown hurt his shoulder and is expected to miss time.
Given his reckless style of play, Josh Allen getting snaps in the preseason was the biggest stunner. You can understand Buffalo wanting to build some chemistry between him and his new receiving corps though, as the entire room has been turned over. Allen played 1 quarter, going 2/3 for 22 yards. He ran for 7 yards to convert a 3rd down as the quarter ended, and I think that terrified HC Sean McDermott. Mitchell Trubisky replaced Allen mid-series when the 2nd quarter began, leading the Bills to their first points. Allen has a lot of work to do with these new weapons, but he has to protect himself.
Several other examples could be found throughout the league, but the theme is the same. Teams integrating new weapons (Chiefs/Bills), those who are trying to recover from 2023 collapses (Jaguars), and others with young players that need the reps despite good showings last year (Texans/Packers) all played their starters for at least a series or two. The goal in these games is to get in rhythm for the regular season without anyone suffering an injury. Aside from Brown, that mostly worked out, but there’s always a risk. Time will tell if this strategy was the wise approach or if Sean McVay’s hatred of the preseason is justified.
Second-Year Forgotten Players Return to the Stage
Many players lose their jobs this time of year, and many more make their teams as bottom-of-the-roster guys, rarely to be heard from again. Even players with just 1 pro season in the books can feel like relics of the past somehow. Take QB Hendon Hooker, Detroit’s 3rd-round pick last year, who missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn ACL. He made his NFL debut this week, and he looked pretty good! Unfortunately, he left the game with a concussion. With Jared Goff signing an extension and Hooker a 26-year-old continual injury risk, I worry that he won’t have much of a chance to contribute with the Lions.
In their quest to replace Saquon Barkley, the Giants went out and signed Devin Singletary. However, they had a second-year Oklahoma product in Eric Gray right in front of them. He reminded the team of that fact in style. Gray took his 4 carries for 52 yards and 2 TDs, including a 48-yard dash that showed his burst. He also led the team with 4 catches for 46 yards. Taking just 17 carries all of last year, Gray has shown that he might be worthy of a few more.
New Orleans’ offense struggled Saturday, but don’t blame WR AT Perry. He caught 4 passes for 85 yards and did not appear guardable for most of the game. Perry came on late last year with 4 TDs, and I don’t think that was a mirage. I loved the Saints picking him in last year’s draft, and he could be poised for a breakout. Another player expected to burst onto the scene is Colts QB Anthony Richardson. Though he showed flashes in 2023, he played just 4 games due to injury. In his return, he was 2/4 for 25 yards. The accuracy issues we’ve seen from him remained, but he should get better as he returns to game form.
Speaking of 2023 QB draft picks, Stetson Bennett IV returned to the Rams after some murky mental health issues caused him to miss last season. His progress is…not good. On the positive side, he completed 24 of 38 passes for 224 yards and a game-winning TD as time expired. The bad news is that he also threw 4 INTs, all of which were poor decisions in the middle of the field. A 5th INT was called back by penalty. With Jimmy Garoppolo in town as LA’s backup, Bennett is completely expendable unless the team believes in his development. Another afternoon like Sunday will have him out of town in a hurry.
Finally, we got one (and I mean just one) bright moment on a kickoff play. Jaguars’ WR Parker Washington took a return 74 yards, easily the longest of the preseason. Returning jobs are possibly more important than ever, particularly if someone can prove that this isn’t a doomed play. Washington likely can’t overtake Devin Duvernay on the depth chart, but he’s showing value for someone. These performances, while mostly against backups, are a reminder that one year isn’t enough to judge a player…for better or worse. Mostly though, players improve with time and NFL coaching. Remember these names as we go forward!
New Experimental Game Aspects Continue to Divide Opinion
Instead of just two teams trying it out, the entire league got to play with the new “dynamic” kickoff this week. I put “dynamic” in quotes because it appears that is the league’s preferred verbiage. All commentators have been instructed to refer to it that way. This is a complete joke, because there’s nothing dynamic about it. Somehow, the new kickoff is nearly as boring as last year’s version, when 80% of the kicks went for touchbacks. I’m not going to harp on it because we covered this last week, but just know that we saw more of the same: basic returns that looked like running plays and ended up near the same old 25-yard line.
Another innovation rolled out by the NFL is the “virtual chain gang”. This new measurement technique won’t be part of the regular season, but if you watch tennis, the name will sound familiar. Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology takes the spot at which the officials place the football and determine how far it is from the line to gain. Crucially, it doesn’t decide on the spot; it only works based on where the ball already is. While replacing the chain gang seems wise in the 21st century, Hawk-Eye seemed dreadfully slow. It is supremely accurate though, so I hope its speed increases to the point that it can become a mainstay down the road.
Finally, while we’ve heard about “Guardian Caps” during training camp, we actually saw some players wearing them in games. Most notably, Colts RB Jonathan Taylor donned one. These revolutionary helmets are supposed to reduce head contact force by up to 20% depending on how many people wear them at once. Some players have complained about visibility and comfort when wearing them in the past, but those complaints have waned. The select people choosing to wear them this week clearly had safety as their top priority. It’s mine as well, and I encourage every player to wear whatever gear is best at protection.
Rookie Watch
Beyond the QBs, rookies at plenty of other positions made their marks this week. We’ll go through several of them below, but please note that this group is far from exhaustive. We’ll start with a 3rd-rounder whose draft stock plummeted after we learned about a degenerative knee issue: Steelers’ LB Payton Wilson. How he would perform initially was never in question; we simply don’t know if he’ll have a long career. While he’s here, Pittsburgh fans should enjoy him. He already led the team in tackles with 7, and his field coverage is exceptional. Wilson and FA signing Patrick Queen have completely revitalized the LB group.
Our next standout is honestly a joke. Miami drafted another RB for their track team in Jaylen Wright. As if MIA needed more speed, they got some with the shifty rookie. Wright took 10 carries for 55 yards and a TD, showcasing his moves both inside and outside of the formation. I don’t know whose touches he’ll be taking, but the Dolphin backfield is a 4-headed monster as currently constructed with Wright, De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, and Jeff Wilson. Throw in the WRs on this team, and I have no clue how you’re supposed to cover all this speed.
The Rams rarely play any starters in the preseason, but we found out about WR Puka Nacua because he balled out in exhibition games. Could lightning be striking yet again? Jordan Whittington, a 6th-rounder out of Texas, might be the answer to that question. Perhaps a bit forgotten with his teammates Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell stealing the show, Whittington looked dominant against Dallas backups. He brings size (6’1″), sure hands, and quality separation, and those traits combined to earn him 74 yards on 6 catches. A potential 3rd weapon with Nacua and Cooper Kupp, Wittington needs to be accounted for.
I’ve got one more on the defensive side of the ball. Indianapolis, who always seems to do a good job of selecting and developing DBs, might have hit on another. Sixth-round pick Micah Abraham had a monster game. His main play was a run stop where he stripped fellow rookie Audric Estime, recovered the ball himself, and returned it for a TD. He totaled 6 tackles, including one for loss when he blew up a read option play. Whether against backups or not, the instincts Abraham showed were stellar, and they translate to better competition. Watch out for the man who’s putting the “thunder” in “Thundering Herd.”