Washington Commanders – New York Jets: 20-17 – Jayden Daniels takes care of the trailer
Jayden Daniels only played one series, but it ended in the best possible way, with a touchdown on a 3-yard run by the quarterback. Jayden Daniels also completed 2 of 3 passes for 45 yards. Fast on the ground, solid in passing. The first test is passed.
Ben Sinnott (3 rec, 57 yards) is another rookie who stepped up for Washington. On defense, rookie Frankie Luvu looked sharp.
No starters on the Jets side. Runner Braelon Allen (6 carries, 54 yards) took advantage of the opportunity to show himself.
Buffalo Bills – Chicago Bears: 6-33 – Caleb Williams already excellent
The Bears' future looks bright. At least if we can base it on two preseason series. Caleb Williams (4/7, 95 yards) showed his passing and improvisation skills; that is, everything that was expected of him. Accurate both in the pocket and on the move, he played two series, both of which ended in a field goal in the red zone. Chicago could have gone further had two passes from Caleb Williams not been dropped by the targeted receiver.
DJ Moore (2 rec, 27 yards), Cole Kmet (1 rec, 26 yards) and D'Andre Swift (1 rec, 42 yards) were all hit. That's very promising.
Josh Allen played a series and a half. Buffalo's preseason goal is to establish a hierarchy at receiver. Khalil Shakir (3 rec, 22 yards) showed the most value.
Las Vegas Raiders – Minnesota Vikings: 23-24 – JJ McCarthy on diesel
Lots of playing time for JJ McCarthy after Sam Darnold played the first series. The first series started off poorly, with an interception for McCarthy. But then the rookie found his feet, with two nice touchdowns. One from 45 yards and the other from 33 yards. After six possessions, McCarthy finished 11/17 for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception.
Darnold (4/8, 59 yards) looked solid and should hold the number one spot for now. But the rookie is quickly sharpening up behind him.
In the duel for the starting quarterback position for the Raiders, things are less clear. Aidan O'Connell (7/9, 76 yards) started the game and played only one series. Black spot: it ended with a sack on third down. Gardner Minshew (6/12, 117 yards, 1 TD) had four offensive drives, on which he went for points three times. He also looked solid. The battle continues.
Cleveland Browns – Green Bay Packers: 10-23
Jordan Love needed just three snaps to find Dontayvion Wicks for a 65-yard touchdown. Then, rest.
With almost all of their starters resting, the Browns didn't do much with Jameis Winston (4/5, 30 yards). It took Dorian Thompson-Robinson (14/18, 134 yards) to wake them up a bit.
Cincinnati Bengals – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 14-17 – Joe Burrow is doing well
Joe Burrow's return was impeccable. Victim of a wrist injury in Week 10 last season, the Bengals' leader only played one series, but it was reassuring. 5/7 for 51 yards and 1 touchdown. One of the most impressive passes was one that was not completed. Burrow looked for Tee Higgins 50 yards further, but the receiver was well defended. He was well helped by rookie Amarius Mims, very solid at right tackle.
Baker Mayfield and Tampa's starters were rested. Kyle Trask (12/20, 144 yards, 1 TD) led the attack during the first half. He also received help from a rookie lineman. Center Graham Barton, who did not allow a single pressure in 11 snaps.
Kansas City Chiefs – Jacksonville Jaguars: 13-26 – Patrick Mahomes looking for receiver
The years go by and the Chiefs are still looking for a receiver. Hollywood Brown caught the first pass of the game for 11 yards but injured his shoulder on the same play. He left the game. First-round pick Xavier Worthy spent five snaps on the field but was not targeted once by Patrick Mahomes. The star quarterback and the starters only played one series that ended with a field goal. So we'll have to wait to have more certainties. In this brief stint, it was rookie Kingsley Suamataia who was responsible for protecting Mahomes' blind side.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars' starters only played two series. Thanks to an excellent kick return, the first started just 20 yards from the end zone. A 13-yard pass from Lawrence and a nice run from Travis Etienne were enough. The backups then took over with a big dose of ground play and some nice receptions. Brian Thomas (41 yards), Devin Duvernay (31 yards for a TD) and Gabriel Davis (20 yards) showed that they can provide depth with long receptions.
San Francisco 49ers – Tennessee Titans: 13-17 – Titans solid
Two series for the Titans' offensive starters. Will Levis (4/5, 35 yards) notably had time to find Calvin Ridley for a 22-yard reception. For it was mainly the runners who had the ball, with Tony Pollard (4 rec, 35 yards) and Tyjae Spears (3 carries, 2 yards, 1 TD) as finishers. A good preview of what could be the offensive spirit of this team.
The 49ers rested all of their starters.
Los Angeles Chargers – Seattle Seahawks: 3-16 – Battle of replacements
With Justin Herbert injured and Geno Smith recently recovered from minor injuries, the coaches took no risks with their stars. The starters were therefore rested.
Sam Howell (16/27, 130 yards, 1 TD) showed some good things to try to secure the number two job in Seattle ahead of PJ Walker (4/10, 61 yards). It's more confusing on the Los Angeles side, with Easton Stick (5/13, 31 yards, 1 int), Max Duggan (4/7, 41 yards) and Luis Perez (5/12) who don't provide any guarantees behind Herbert.
Arizona Cardinals – New Orleans Saints: 14-16 – Spencer Rattler puts on a show
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the only Cardinals starter who played… Sort of. Three snaps for the rookie receiver, who wasn't targeted.
The Cardinals will be satisfied with having checked the New Orleans offensive starters. Derek Carr (2/6, 12 yards) and his group did not achieve much. They leave with 18 yards and 2 punts in two possessions.
It was rookie Spencer Rattler (9/117, 70 yards) who put on a show for the Saints, with a 4-yard touchdown run to cap his first offensive drive. He then led the offense to the game-winning field goal late in the game.
