Written by: Tyler Deakin
Ah, how refreshing it is to talk about (somewhat) meaningful NFL games! After an offseason filled with speculation & drama, it’s a nice change of pace to talk about actual games. This week, the rookie quarterbacks stole the show with their promising play for their teams. Veteran QB competitions also heated up, with mixed results from many of the candidates. Finally, there were a couple of second year players who showed flashes of greatness in their play. All of that & more will be discussed in this week’s edition of NFL Preseason Takeaways.
Rookie quarterbacks show promise
Rookie QBs Justin Fields & Trey Lance each threw highlight reel touchdown passes for their respective teams this weekend. Fields also tacked on a rushing score, to boot. Both players showed promise, and they emphasized why their teams felt compelled to select them in the 1st round of this year’s draft. They weren’t the only rookie QBs who showed off their talents though, as Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, & Mac Jones all played well for their teams. None of the trio threw TD passes, but all of them showed accuracy & led scoring drives for their teams. This was an eventful weekend for rookie QBs drafted in the 1st round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Veteran quarterback competitions continue
Saints QBs Jameis Winston & Taysom Hill did nothing to sway the QB competition in their favor, one way or the other. Winston threw a TD but also a pick, drawing flashbacks to his days as the first ever 30-30 (30 TDs, 30 INTs) player for the Buccaneers a couple years ago. Hill finished with an INT & a 55.7 passer rating, which tells you all you need to know about his struggles. Meanwhile, the Broncos QB competition is heating up with both Drew Lock & Teddy Bridgewater inspiring confidence. Lock started the game & almost immediately hit receiver KJ Hamler for an 80-yard TD. This was followed up with another TD by Lock later in the game. Bridgewater came on in relief of Lock & went 7 of 8 for 74 yards & a TD. Bridgewater will start next week’s game against the Seahawks, with Lock coming in to relieve Teddy during the game.
Second year players stepping up
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa went 8 of 11 for 99 yards, an INT, & a 62.3 passer rating. Those numbers on the surface don’t seem all that great; however, context is important here as he passed for 9.0 yards per attempt, which is a massive improvement over his YPA numbers from last year. Meanwhile, linebacker Patrick Queen was everywhere for the Ravens this past weekend piling up 4 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss, & a QB hit. His performance was summed up in a 2-play sequence where he made the Saints offense lose 15 consecutive yards. Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young was equally impressive, although his stats don’t pop as much on the box score. Young’s best play of the night was a tackle of Cam Newton that could’ve been a strip sack. I watched the game & saw him flying around the field.
Vikings secondary still suspect
The Vikings secondary unit, which notably lost 2020 1st round pick Jeff Gladney to a domestic violence related arrest, struggled on Saturday against the Broncos. They gave up 249 passing yards, 11.3 yards per attempt, & 3 TDs on the afternoon. Additionally, the unit forced zero turnovers & only 2 passes defensed while losing the game 33-6. It’s a difficult task getting blown out in the first preseason game, but the Vikings were far from perfect this weekend in making this feat happen. We’ll see if these problems persist as we head into the regular season.
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