Thursday, August 13th

Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals

Cincy has offensive line issues

I understand the idea of starting Joe Burrow in the preseason. By doing this, he won't be rusty when the regular season begins, and he’ll be on the same page as the rest of the offense. With that in mind, it might have been better to get him out of the game after the first drive.

Though Joe Burrow only played in two series, he still took a couple of big hits. The first one came on Cincy's opening drive, when he was sacked for a nine-yard loss. Then, Burrow took another hit from behind on a pass that fluttered out of bounds. Later on, there was a horrible snap in the second quarter of the game that eventually resulted in a turnover. And - in the second half - quarterback Josh Johnson was stripped of the football on a sack that ended up killing a red zone drive, forcing the Bengals to settle for a field goal.

Between the quarterback hits, the sacks, and a measly 3.1 yards per carry on 31 rushing attempts, the Bengals still can’t field a high-caliber offensive line. This is especially concerning since Detroit's star edge rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, didn't even play in the game!

Joe Flacco can be a starter in this league

Even at 41 years old, Joe Flacco can still throw a football effectively. The 19-year veteran was only given two drives on Thursday night, but he looked incredibly poised, going five of eight on pass attempts for 51 yards and a touchdown. Flacco easily found open receivers, made all the right reads, and capitalized on his lone red zone possession by throwing a touchdown.

Some people might not be impressed considering the Lions sat multiple starters, but Flacco looked just as competent as he did last season, when he filled in as a starter for the Bengals. I can think of seven teams in which Joe Flacco would be legitimately competing for the Week One starting job this season.

Jacob Saylors should be featured in Detroit's offense

He might not play as big of a role as running back Jahmyr Gibbs or wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, but there will likely be a few times this year where we see 26-year-old Lions running back Jacob Saylors break off a big play. The former United Football League star led all players in this game with 55 rushing yards on eight carries, including a 27-yard scamper that featured two broken tackles. Saylors also made his presence felt in the passing attack with three catches for a team-high 28 receiving yards.

Detroit is set with Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco as their one-two punch at running back, but Saylors should get some gadget plays this season as a number-three option, a pass catcher, or even a kick returner. I am confident that he will score AT LEAST one touchdown this year.

Green Bay Packers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers' rookies were impressive

Obviously, we have to start by highlighting quarterback and third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft Drew Allar. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns as well as another TD on the ground. He's not going to threaten Aaron Rodgers for the starting job, but he should get an opportunity to eventually compete for Pittsburgh’s starting job when Rodgers retires.

Second-round pick and wide receiver Germie Bernard also demonstrated game-breaking speed. He made Packers starting cornerback Keisean Nixon look foolish on a 25-yard catch-and-run. Bernard will likely emerge as a solid contributor in the offense this season.

We should also mention fourth-rounder Jack Sawyer. The former Ohio State Buckeye edge rusher recorded four total tackles, two solo tackles, and half a sack in his NFL debut.

The Packers might have found a kicker

Green Bay has had longstanding kicker issues ever since franchise legend Mason Crosby left the team in 2022. But those problems MIGHT be a thing of the past following the performance by rookie kicker Trey Smack, who nailed every field goal he attempted.

The first time out, the rookie crushed a 58-yard attempt that was taken off the board by a penalty. However, that didn't stop him from making a 47-yarder later on that same drive. Smack also had no issue making a chip-shot field goal from the Steelers' 20-yard line. The most impressive moment for the rookie came when he drilled a 58-yard field goal as time expired to end the first half.

Not only did that show the kid can handle some pressure, but his 58-yarder matched Mason Crosby's career long! We have to wait and see if he can be as good during the regular season, but if Thursday was any indication, Trey Smack could be the long-term kicking option in Green Bay.

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots

Anthony Richardson should get another chance somewhere else

Anthony Richardson's biggest issue is that he is still a very raw football player. That was the case in college. That was true when he was drafted. And it is still obvious today. However, Richardson showed a better feel for the game against the Patriots.

The former number-four overall pick stuffed the stat sheet with 145 passing yards, 53 rushing yards, and a touchdown on the ground. More importantly, he had one of his most accurate games as a pro, completing 11 of 14 pass attempts. People will want to point out his interception, but he shouldn't get any blame for that turnover. After all, he hit his target in the hands; the guy just couldn't make a simple catch. There was no excuse for the fumble he lost, though, which shows that the 24-year-old still has a lot of things to work on.

Richardson is clearly talented. He wasn't playing against the Patriots' full starting defense, but he also wasn't going against third- and fourth-teamers. If Richardson plays like that throughout the preseason, then somebody is going to be willing to take a low-risk, high-reward gamble on him, whether it's at the trade deadline or next off-season. Teams like the Steelers, Vikings, Rams, Broncos, and Cowboys might be tempted to bring him in to see what he can do as a backup or maybe even a starter a couple of years down the line.

New England's defense is still really good

The Pats didn't play several key starters on the defensive side of the ball, like cornerback Christian Gonzalez, edge rusher Harold Landry III, linebacker Christian Elliss, and defensive lineman Christian Barmore. Yet, those guys being on the bench didn't prevent New England's defense from playing well.

Even with some of their best players sitting out, the Patriots held the Colts to 13 points and forced four turnovers. They also only allowed Indy to convert one of its eight third-down attempts. Granted, the Colts did not do a good job taking care of the football, but the Patriots' defense was opportunistic and made life miserable for Indy's offense. This is just what we should come to expect from Mike Vrabel-coached teams.

Tommy DeVito has the backup job secured

The Patriots only have three quarterbacks currently on their roster, and one of those guys is coming off an MVP-caliber season, so there's no question about who will be the long-term starter. However, there is an interesting competition going on between Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton for the backup role. After Thursday's contest, though, it's obvious that DeVito is New England's QB2.

He looked incredibly comfortable. DeVito made basically all the right reads while completing a variety of passes, from tight-window throws to wide-open guys. He hit almost all of his guys in stride, going 13 of 22 for 138 yards and a passing TD. He also showed a lot of maturity by relying on his arm rather than his legs to make plays.

Seventh-round draft pick Behren Morton was not as impressive. Even against third- and fourth-teamers, he only completed seven of his 13 passes for 66 yards. Between that and third-down struggles, Tommy DeVito solidified himself as the second quarterback in New England.

Arizona Cardinals @ Las Vegas Raiders

Jeremiyah Love and Fernando Mendoza looked the part

This game featured two of the top three picks from the 2026 NFL Draft, and though it was only the preseason, both guys showed that they were deserving of their draft spots.

Raiders quarterback and number-one overall pick Fernando Mendoza took the field after Kirk Cousins started the opening drive for Vegas. He promptly converted his first third-down attempt with a nine-yard completion to wideout Jack Bech. The next series was even better as Mendoza orchestrated a picturesque 10-play, 79-yard drive that concluded with a six-yard touchdown pass to Bech on a third-and-goal situation. He went 10 for 16 for 97 yards and a touchdown, which is exactly what you want to see from your future franchise quarterback in his first game.

On the other side, running back and number-three overall pick Jeremiyah Love was electric. I have been very critical of the Cardinals' decision to draft Love, but he looked like everything he was advertised to be on Thursday. He had 14 total touches for 72 scrimmage yards, which equates to over five yards per touch. I don't want to put too much emphasis on a preseason game against what will probably be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, but Love's playstyle reminded me of a young Adrian Peterson. Maybe he will prove me wrong and make the Cardinals look incredibly smart this season.

Is a quarterback battle brewing in Arizona?

For the second consecutive week, the Arizona Cardinals' quarterbacks played very well. In the Hall of Fame Game, Kedon Slovis and Carson Beck posted a combined passer rating of 131.9. On Thursday, Slovis, Gardner Minshew, and Jacoby Brissett finished with a combined passer rating of 130.6.

Brissett was awesome, going five for five with 44 yards and a beautiful touchdown in the red zone. He hit wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in stride just outside the reach of a defender to get the Cards on the board on their first drive of the game. However, Gardner Minshew was arguably better with 14 completions on 16 pass attempts for 101 yards and two touchdowns. His two TDs both came in the red zone, and one even took place on third down.

Though it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Jacoby Brissett would be the Week One starter, that might not be the case anymore; if Gardner Minshew continues to post these types of stat lines, he might be able to overtake Brissett for the starting job.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Houston Texans

Houston's offensive scheme already looks much better

Last season, offensive playcalling and execution proved to be difficult in H-Town. That would explain why they fired former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik in the off-season and replaced him with former Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Nick Caley.

In the Texans’ first preseason game, the offense looked much more efficient. At least, that was the case when Davis Mills was in the game. The play designs were innovative. Guys were running around wide open, and the Texans even converted in the red zone, which was a major issue last season (Houston was 29th in red zone touchdown conversion rate). Best of all, the Texans were doing this without key starters like Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz, and David Montgomery. Once those guys get reps in this system, Houston should boast a solid offense that could crack the top 10 in terms of points per game since they were 13th in that category last season.

LA's offense could be scary

For as good as Houston's offense was the other night, the Chargers' was even better! It's no secret that the Texans have the best defense in the National Football League. Even when they aren't fielding their starters, this is still an elite group. Still, Los Angeles carved up that unit without its starting quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. Trey Lance threw for 164 yards and rushed for another 27. Meanwhile, DJ Uiagalelei completed six of nine pass attempts for 120 yards and a touchdown. When all was said and done, the Chargers amassed 379 total yards on 60 plays, which means they averaged 6.32 yards per play. Doing that against the best defense in the NFL is incredible.

New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is already proving to be an excellent hire. He put up 27 points on what will likely be the best defense in the NFL once again. If that's what the Chargers can do with backups, just imagine how potent this offense will be with a Pro Bowl-level quarterback like Justin Herbert!

Tennessee Titans @ San Francisco 49ers

De'Zhaun Stribling will be a major player in San Francisco's offense

The Niners seemed to have nailed their first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft after the performance that wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling had on Thursday. The second-rounder led all players in this game in receptions (seven) and receiving yards (63). He had a brilliant toe-tapping catch and also made multiple receptions on third down. That level of production in a kid’s first NFL action should be incredibly encouraging in the Bay Area.

The 49ers' injury issues have been well documented. This is especially true in the wide receiver room. Former first-round pick Ricky Pearsall's season has already ended after he had to undergo surgery for a PCL injury. Meanwhile, Mike Evans is dealing with a quad injury, and Christian Kirk has a calf strain. Thankfully, with Stribling's fantastic outing, it will take some pressure off those guys to rush back from injury. Plus, Stribling has the size and proven ability to be a factor in this offense. Even if the 49ers somehow avoid any injuries to their starting wideouts, Stribling will still be a key contributor who should get at least 50 targets this season in the passing attack.

Cam Ward was better than what we saw in the box score

Former number-one overall draft pick Cam Ward started the first three drives of the game for the Titans. If you didn't watch this contest and only looked at the statistics afterward, then you probably thought that Ward didn't play well. After all, the second-year QB completed just five of his 12 pass attempts for 57 yards and two rushing yards. But when you watch the game tape, Ward looked much improved from last season.

The 24-year-old appeared to be very calm. He was quickly progressing through his reads, stood strong in the pocket, and didn't take a sack. Not to mention, he orchestrated an 11-play, 95-yard touchdown drive that featured two third-down conversions through the air. Hell, he almost threw a touchdown pass had it not been for an outstanding play by a rookie defensive back who has the longest arms of any cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Titans fans were probably very worried about Ward last season because it seemed he had more moments of sheer stupidity than utter brilliance. However, it does appear that he is ready to put his rookie year behind him and take a noticeable step forward with a much better head coach and offensive playcaller.

Friday, August 14th

Denver Broncos @ Atlanta Falcons

Michael Penix Jr. cannot miss a single regular season game this year

We got our first look at the quarterback depth in Atlanta for this upcoming season. It's safe to say that the Falcons will be horrendous if projected starter Michael Penix Jr. has to miss any time.

Tua Tagovailoa got the start for the Dirty Birds. Though he only played two series, he was so bad that he has already become a meme amongst NFL fans. After handing the ball off on his first play, Tagovailoa fumbled a shotgun snap on his second play as a member of the Falcons, which put Atlanta in a third-and-long situation. Tua finished the day with a fumble he recovered and three completions on five pass attempts for 22 yards.

Undrafted rookie Jack Strand might have been Atlanta's best QB, even though he took a sack and completed just 50% of his passes. Then again, he was significantly better than Cooper Rush, who threw two interceptions while going seven for 19 on his pass attempts.

Between Tua Tagovailoa, Cooper Rush, and Jack Strand, Atlanta's quarterbacks posted a 31.5 passer rating against a defense that benched most of its starters. If any one of those guys has to take the reins from Michael Penix Jr., then the Falcons' 2026-27 season is screwed. The good news is that Penix cannot be any worse than the three other guys competing for a roster spot in Atlanta's quarterback room.

The Denver Broncos picked up right where they left off

We'll never know what would have happened in the 2026 AFC Championship Game if Bo Nix had been healthy. Thankfully, though, the Broncos were banging on all cylinders in this game and still look like one of the best-coached groups in the National Football League.

We’ll start with the offense, which was excellent the entire game. They started off strong with a six-play, 69-yard drive that featured a third-down conversion, multiple deep completions, and a TD on the ground. The rushing attack also looked reliable, with 162 yards on 39 carries, which comes out to 4.2 yards per attempt. Plus, the offensive line was sturdy as always, holding the Falcons to just one sack.

Of course, the defense was elite as well. The Broncos’ D recorded two interceptions, including one that was returned 97 yards for a touchdown by 2025 first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron. Overall, Denver held an elite Atlanta offense with a two-time NFL Head Coach of the Year to 192 yards on 60 plays.

I recently predicted that the Denver Broncos would be one of the two best teams in the AFC going into the 2026-27 season. Based on everything we saw Friday night, that was an accurate assessment of this team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New York Jets

The Jets have a good group of offensive weapons

There are understandable concerns regarding how good the Jets will be this season. With questions at head coach and quarterback, Gang Green will probably be one of the worst teams in the league. However, we cannot deny that New York boasts one of the deepest groups of offensive weapons in the NFL.

Running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen combined for 60 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries, which comes out to 7.5 yards per attempt. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson had a pair of excellent catches, while rookie wideout Omar Cooper Jr. made his presence felt with two receptions for 31 yards. Plus, second-year tight end Mason Taylor had a nice showing by catching two passes for 19 yards. Even if he is overtaken by first-round draft pick Kenyon Sadiq, Taylor will still be one of the best number-two tight ends in the league.

The quarterback play and coaching may not be reliable. The good news, though, is that there is plenty of raw talent on the offense. That will make life easier for the starting quarterback, whether it's Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik, or somebody else.

Cade Klubnik was solid

It's not a strong opinion, but it's fair to say that Cade Klubnik was pretty good in his first NFL game. The Jets' fourth-round pick played the entire first quarter, going five of seven for 56 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. More importantly, he led the Jets on back-to-back scoring drives in his NFL debut, which is respectable for a guy who was not a highly-touted quarterback prospect coming out of the 2026 NFL Draft.

There were some really positive moments from Klubnik. He made nice reads, hit his checkdown guys, and even completed a great pass to Garrett Wilson. There were also a few miscues, like a delayed shovel pass to Breece Hall that almost resulted in a turnover. He also took a sack in the red zone, which is less than ideal.

All in all, this was a good showing for Klubnik. It's still way too early in his career to label him a long-term starter, a backup, or a bust, but Jets fans should feel a little hopeful about the kid. In all likelihood, he won't be a long-term starter, but we can't say that his first NFL game was a failure, which you have to look at as a win if you're a New York fan.

Try not to read too much into Tampa's defensive performance

Just like how there were moments of brilliance and moments of despair for the Jets offensively, that was the case for Tampa defensively. The Buccaneers had some great plays on that side of the ball, with eight tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions, and a defensive touchdown. At the same time, they gave up 219 passing yards to the Jets' underwhelming backups and allowed 4.3 yards per carry on the ground, including scores on the first two drives of the game.

At the end of the day, we cannot put too much stock in this defensive performance. Multiple starters sat out of this game for Tampa, including defensive tackle Vita Vea, edge rusher Reuben Bain Jr., and safety Antoine Winfield Jr., to name a few. Tampa also had the luxury of playing the Jets, who started turnover-prone QBs.

The Bucs' defense could be better than what we saw. Then again, they could be slightly worse. Either way, this is only the first game in a long season, so the defense will probably be playing much differently by the time the regular season begins.

Miami Dolphins @ Washington Commanders

The Dolphins have no quarterback depth

We got our first look at Malik Willis as the new starting QB for the Miami Dolphins, and he did quite well! Willis led a 14-play, 93-yard touchdown drive to open the game that featured a beautiful 28-yard catch by wide receiver Caleb Douglas. He ended the day by going four of five passing for 43 yards and another nine yards on the ground.

That is where Miami's good quarterback play stopped. Backups Cam Miller and Quinn Ewers were absolutely dreadful the rest of the way. Ewers was an atrocious one for eight passing, with 27 yards, an INT, and a sack. Somehow, Cam Miller was worse, going three of 11 for 29 yards and two interceptions! They put up zero points and were one for 11 combined on third- and fourth-down attempts. Plus, that third-down conversion didn't come until the fourth quarter!

In limited action, Malik Willis looked like a decent starting NFL quarterback. However, the other QBs competing for a roster spot didn't look like professional football players. If Malik Willis were to go down or have to miss time this season, it would be curtains for the Miami Dolphins.

Commanders fans don't need to worry about the defense... yet

Understandably, when you spend most of the off-season completely re-tooling the defense, you hope those investments pay dividends right away. And though Washington held Miami to seven points, they gave up a long and grueling touchdown drive on their first defensive series of the 2026-27 season. However, I’m here to tell Commanders fans that it is too early to pass judgment on that side of the ball.

First of all, 26 players were held out of this game, including 14 defenders. Several of those guys are big-name guys, including safety Nick Cross, linebacker Odafe Oweh, cornerback Amik Robertson, and former Pro Bowler Daron Payne. With so many key contributors missing, it's quite impressive that Washington held the Dolphins to zero points after the first drive of the game. Also, the pass rush may have felt invisible, but we have to remember that the 'Phins are playing many starters along the offensive line, while most of the Commanders' top edge defenders sat out of this game. When you consider that and realize that Miami's offensive linemen are playing their best to compete for starting jobs, it shouldn't come as much of a shock that Washington only had one sack. Lastly, people may be worried that first-round pick Sonny Styles only had one solo tackle, but this was the kid's first in-game action. He’s going to need a little bit of time to adjust to the speed of the NFL. On a positive note, he was constantly near the ball and did make three tackles in limited playing time.

We cannot get too crazy about the defense allowing that 93-yard drive. This game meant nothing to the Commanders and a lot to the Dolphins, who are trying to determine who their starters will be. That first series will probably not be the norm for this defense when the regular season begins. But if that's how the defense looks in the first game of the 2026-27 campaign, then Commanders fans will probably be sweating after Week One.

Saturday, August 15th

Carolina Panthers @ Buffalo Bills

Buffalo's pass catchers instilled a lot of hope for this season.

The Bills have had an issue with wideout play over the last few seasons. That's why they traded for WR DJ Moore and added Skyler Bell through the NFL Draft. Thankfully, Buffalo's pass catchers played well over the weekend, whether they were bona fide starters or backups competing for a roster spot.

The Panthers' strength is their secondary, with excellent players like Mike Jackson, Jaycee Horn, and Tre'von Moehrig. Carolina was not afraid to deploy those guys on Saturday as they try to figure out who will be the team's starting nickelback. Despite having almost full access to their secondary, the Bills recorded two pass plays of at least 20 yards on their first drive. On their next possession, quarterback Josh Allen hit wide receiver Keon Coleman for a nine-yard touchdown.

Buffalo's top-three wideouts had an excellent showing, as Coleman, Moore, and Khalil Shakir combined for eight catches, 119 yards, and a touchdown. Last season, the top-three wide receivers in Buffalo averaged 83.9 receiving yards per game combined. This was a much better performance, and we can already see how having a true number-one receiver like DJ Moore opens up the rest of the offense for the other pass catchers. Once they get their tight ends involved, this group should be much better for Josh Allen.

The new faces in Carolina were excellent

Now that the Panthers have had some regular-season success, the GM and front office spent a lot of money and draft capital to make sure that the Cats take another step forward. Thankfully, the new guys in Carolina had really good performances in this game.

The Panthers appear to have a reliable backup QB in Kenny Pickett after he completed 16 of 19 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips had several good reps and even recorded a sack of Josh Allen in his Carolina debut. Meanwhile, linebacker Devin Lloyd had two solo tackles, including a fantastic tackle for loss on All-Pro running back James Cook. Even first-round draft pick Monroe Freeling got his first taste of NFL action. Some will say he had a rough outing, but I consider it a decent performance since we didn't hear his name mentioned all that much. Whenever TV analysts are constantly talking about a young offensive lineman, it's usually not for good reasons.

It's the preseason, so all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. However, the new guys in Carolina did play well collectively, and that should be cause for tempered excitement.

Cleveland Browns @ Chicago Bears

The Bears' offense will once again be one of the league's best

Chicago looked virtually unstoppable in their preseason debut. It’s safe to say that the Bears' offense had the best performance of any team during Week One of the 2026 NFL Preseason. And, they did this without several starters.

Once they got into a groove, the offense tore through Cleveland's defense, scoring on six of their final nine drives of the game. Backup quarterbacks Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent finished the day with a combined passer rating of 119.3 after they went 22 of 32 for 320 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. At the same time, the rushing attack was just barely held below four yards per carry, which is impressive since they didn't start their top two running backs. When all was said and done, the Bears had 430 yards of offense and 34 points to show for their efforts.

Starting off slow only for the offense to find its groove later is a sign of good coaching. Clearly, Ben Johnson and the rest of the offensive staffers adjusted to what they were seeing from the Browns and went on to put up a league-best 34 points in this contest. Once Caleb Williams, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Rome Odunze, and D'Andre Swift take the field, look out because this team will put up points on almost anybody.

Deshaun Watson takes the lead in the quarterback competition

Deshaun Watson was the best quarterback to take the field for the Cleveland Browns in this game. Then again, that isn't saying much.

Shedeur Sanders completed six of 11 pass attempts for 79 yards, zero touchdowns, an interception, and a fumble that he managed to recover. After that, Dillon Gabriel was an uninspired five of eight passing for 23 yards and an INT. Deshaun Watson might not have thrown an interception on his way to a 126-yard outing, but he did take a sack and lost a fumble. Watson was the only guy to have a positive passer rating. Gabriel and Sanders combined for a 33.1 passer rating. If you threw the ball into the ground every single play, you would finish the game with a passer rating of 39.6, which is what Shedeur actually put up in this contest.

Right now, Deshaun Watson looks like the favorite to be the Browns' Week One starter. Unfortunately, that's not because he stood out as the best passer in Cleveland. Rather, the other two guys who took snaps were so terrible that it would be malpractice for Watson NOT to be viewed as the Browns’ number-one QB.

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants

Minnesota chose the right quarterback as its starter

Every quarterback currently on the Vikings' projected 53-man roster got some playing time on Saturday. After everything we saw, there should still be confidence that Minnesota picked the right guy to lead the team this season.

In a limited sample size, Kyler Murray was solid. He went two for three for 10 yards on the only series he started, which ended in a field goal attempt. The same could not be said for J.J. McCarthy, who still looked very overwhelmed despite playing against numerous second- and third-teamers. McCarthy finished with the third-lowest passer rating of every QB who attempted at least one pass in this game. He took a terrible sack on a third down and overthrew many wide receivers, even when he had a clean pocket.

A week removed from Kyler Murray being named the Vikings' starter, it's clear that he was always the right man for the job. Now, J.J. McCarthy could be at risk of falling even further down the depth chart and maybe starting the season as the QB3 in Minnesota.

You can already see the Giants are better

There was one incredibly scary moment for Giants fans in this game. It came on New York's first offensive possession when quarterback Jaxson Dart was crushed on a sack. After that, though, the G-Men flipped a switch and played much better. On the very next series, the Giants went on a 10-play, 63-yard touchdown drive that ended with a tremendous 15-yard TD pass from Dart to rookie wideout Malachi Fields. Big Blue also executed a good two-minute drive to end the half with a 46-yard field goal and a 10-3 lead.

We also should give credit to the defense. They held a talented Vikings squad to just 13 points. On top of that, they limited Minnesota to 127 passing yards and four third-down conversions on 12 attempts. Of the Vikings' 10 offensive drives, four of them ended in a three-and-out.

Top-to-bottom, the Giants look much more poised and well-coached. Offensively, players are getting open and making big plays, while the defenders showed up in various clutch moments. This is further proof of the good work that new head coach John Harbaugh is doing for this team and how he has already instilled plenty of change in New York.

Los Angeles Rams @ Kansas City Chiefs

Ty Simpson was phenomenal

Many people (myself included) questioned the Ty Simpson draft pick. It didn't make sense to invest premium draft capital in a quarterback of the future when this team is built to win a Super Bowl within the next two years. However, Simpson silenced all the doubters over the weekend.

The former Alabama QB had as good a debut as you could have from a rookie. He was an astonishing 21 of 25 on pass attempts for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Not to mention, he did this against a Chiefs defense that was starting key contributors like Kaiir Elam, R Mason Thomas, Alohi Gilman, Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Khyiris Tonga, and Kristian Fulton. Simpson didn't force anything, made great reads, completed throws on the run, and didn't put the ball in jeopardy.

Simpson might have played well, but he didn't have to go against difference-making starters like Mansoor Delane, L'Jarius Sneed, Chamarri Conner, and Drue Tranquill. I'm not going to launch my Hall of Fame campaign for Ty Simpson after one preseason game, but he showed everybody why the Rams were willing to invest in him with such a high draft pick.

Kansas City's quarterback room should be improved

When Patrick Mahomes went down with an injury last season, the Chiefs expected Gardner Minshew to weather the storm. However, he suffered a knee injury, which completely derailed KC's campaign. With Patrick Mahomes back in the lineup, the Chiefs probably won't have to worry too much about quarterback depth. But even if they do need to start somebody besides Mahomes, they won't struggle as much as they did last season.

Justin Fields, the projected QB2 for the Chiefs, will have much more success in this offense than he had last season with the Jets. Between Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Kansas City will be able to put Fields in much better circumstances, which would explain why he went four-for-four passing for 41 yards on Saturday. Also, they took a flyer on Garrett Nussmeier, who has the tools to become a respectable backup quarterback in the National Football League. After all, he didn't turn the ball over in his NFL debut. Lastly, Chris Oladokun got some snaps, which will only help him become more comfortable as a QB if he is once again unexpectedly thrust into a starting role.

Quarterback depth was a major issue that basically ended the Chiefs' 2025-26 season. Now, though, with the guys they have in the locker room, Kansas City should be better prepared for catastrophe in case anything happens to Patrick Mahomes.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ New Orleans Saints

Zach Wilson should be the Saints' QB2

The quarterback position was a mess in New Orleans last season. After Spencer Rattler won the starting job, he failed to meet expectations during the regular season and was eventually overtaken by Tyler Shough, who now looks like the quarterback of the future in the Big Easy. Though the QB1 spot has seemingly been figured out, there is now a three-way battle for the backup role.

Two of the guys (Spencer Rattler and Hunter Dekker) were on the roster last year. In the off-season, New Orleans also signed former number-two overall pick Zach Wilson to join the quarterback room. Wilson got the start in the Saints' first preseason game and made the most of the opportunity. He outplayed every other quarterback in the game, completing 11 of 16 pass attempts for 145 yards and a passing touchdown. He overcame early mistakes, like an ugly strip-sack fumble, to demonstrate elusiveness, accuracy, and an ability to throw on the run.

Backup quarterbacks in the NFL should usually be reliable veterans who can produce if the worst were to happen to a starting QB. Believe it or not, Zach Wilson is far and away the most seasoned player in the Saints' quarterback room with 38 games played in the NFL. The rest of New Orleans' QBs have only played in 27 combined games. Now that Wilson has also shown he can put up good stats, he deserves to be the Saints' backup quarterback.

Jacksonville has an embarrassment of riches in the running back room

With the departure of Travis Etienne Jr. via free agency, there is a battle to determine who will not just be his replacement, but who will also be the RB2 and RB3 on this team. Though it seems like a foregone conclusion that 2025 draft pick Byshal Tuten will be the RB1 and free agent Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be the backup, both of those guys have some stiff competition.

We have to talk about DeeJay Dallas, who re-signed with the Jags in February. Considering he has experience in this system and got 10 carries in the preseason game, there should probably be an opportunity for him to get touches this coming season. Then again, undrafted free agent J'Mari Taylor was the bellcow back in this game, with 78 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. We also have to mention LeQuint Allen Jr., who averaged 4.5 yards per touch last season.

In all likelihood, the Jaguars will use a running back by committee approach, with Tuten and Rodriguez serving as the 1A and 1B running backs. After that, though, Jacksonville could deploy a number of different rushers, including Allen, Dallas, and J'Mari Taylor following an impressive performance in New Orleans. Hell, they even have Ameer Abdullah tucked away, and he averages five yards per touch over his career. There will be no shortage of qualified running backs on the Jags' roster.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens continue to dominate the preseason.

People may not know this, but the Baltimore Ravens have been the best preseason team in the NFL over the last 10 years. They won 24 straight preseason games from 2016 until August 2023. They also won all three of their preseason games last year. Despite a new head coach, Baltimore's success before the start of the regular season continued as the Ravens trounced the Eagles 24-7.

The defense played with speed and aggressiveness, which is what we should expect from a team coached by a former DC like Jesse Minter. Baltimore didn't allow a single third-down conversion and held Philly to just 159 total yards. That type of performance against a squad that is trying to break in a new offensive coordinator is noteworthy and a sign of what we should come to expect from this defense during the regular season.

The offense looked even better than the defense! They racked up 440 total yards: 298 through the air and another 142 on the ground. The quarterbacks made excellent reads and hit their targets, as all three of them posted a combined passer rating of 99.8. Plus, the Ravens also accumulated 142 rushing yards even though they didn't start quarterback Lamar Jackson or running back Derrick Henry.

It was a fantastic showing for Baltimore in the team’s first game under new leadership. Even without many key starters, they dominated this matchup offensively and defensively. If they can figure out their kicking issues, then the Ravens are bound to be one of the best teams in the NFL this year.

The Eagles' pass rush won't be a problem this season

There have been some worries coming out of Philly that the pass rushing would take a step back after a middling performance last season. Though they finished tied for 12th in the league in sacks last year (42), they lost arguably their best pass rusher in Jaelan Phillips to free agency. With such a significant departure, there were understandable concerns about how the Birds would generate pressure on opposing QBs. However, it seems that those questions were answered in Philly's first preseason game.

The Eagles might have let up a lot of yards and points, but the defense did not make life easy for Baltimore's quarterbacks. There were many moments where the pass rushers forced Baltimore's quarterbacks to scramble around and throw on the run, which is always a positive. Philadelphia finished the game with seven quarterback hits and three sacks. They took down Tyler Huntley twice, even though he is one of the more elusive QBs in the league. Doing that without your star defenders - Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter - manning the middle is incredibly impressive. Once those guys take the field and line up next to former Pro Bowler Jonathan Greenard, then Philly will have one of the best pass-rushing defenses in the league.

Dallas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks

Jalen Milroe needs to get out of Seattle

When the Seahawks used a third-round draft pick on former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, there were some fans who believed that he would be a legitimate threat to beat out Sam Darnold for the starting job. Though that didn't happen, it seemed like Milroe was guaranteed to be the backup. However, he was overtaken by Drew Lock and pushed down to the QB3 spot.

Coming into the 2026 preseason, there was probably some hope that Milroe would get more consideration for the backup role in Seattle. In reality, though, Drew Lock will probably win that job once again, leaving Milroe to fend for himself as a third-stringer.

Simply put, Jalen Milroe needs to find a way out of Seattle. The Seahawks are obvious Super Bowl contenders who do not need to "see what they have" in a former third-round pick. If Sam Darnold were unable to play, Seattle would rather start a safe player like Drew Lock as opposed to an unknown entity in Jalen Milroe.

At only 23 years old, Milroe would probably have an opportunity to compete for a better spot elsewhere, most likely on a team that is trying to figure out its quarterback situation. Milroe would be better suited to play for a team like the Jets, Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins, or Falcons. Milroe would be a legitimate threat to win the starting job on all of those squads. At the very least, he would likely be the number-two quarterback for most, if not all, of those teams. Don't be surprised to see Seattle move on from Jalen Milroe within the next year. He still has high value as a project quarterback who could play well in the right system.

There's reason to feel hopeful about Dallas' defense

Everybody knows that the Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in recent memory last season. Moreover, we all saw how much draft capital and money Dallas invested into that side of the ball over the last few months. It's hard not to overreact to a single preseason game, but the Cowboys' defense already looked noticeably better than it did last year.

The Seahawks could not get anything going, with 156 total yards in this contest. The rushing attack might have amassed 107 yards, but Dallas held the Seahawks to just 3.8 yards per carry. More importantly, the defense completely overwhelmed Seattle's passing game. The Seahawks gave up three sacks and were held to just 49 passing yards on 14 completions. That equates to 3.5 yards per completion, which is embarrassing. On top of that, Dallas only gave up one score in the Seahawks' four red zone trips, which is a massive improvement from last season.

We haven't even begun to see the full potential of this unit. Many starters, like defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, and edge rusher Rashan Gary, were held out of this game. Once those guys take the field, the Cowboys should be even better on that side of the ball. They might not be a top-10 defense, but they certainly won't finish dead last in points allowed per game (30.1).