Jordan Love has been a regular presence in the preseason, but this one is different.
Love is under increased pressure to perform, as he takes over the position of quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from Aaron Rodgers. The team typically doesn’t have starters in preseason games but will do so this season to help him feel more at ease before the start of the season against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 10.
Love wasn’t exactly the Packers’ top starter at first sight, but he was impressive in a 36-19 Packers victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
On Friday night, Love led the team on a short touchdown drive that culminated in delivering shrewd play-action pass to Romeo Doubs in the end zone. Love played in two series without action and ultimately scored the touchdown after going 7-of-10 for 46 yards.
Love made the majority of his attempts short and fast, but he was successful in getting the ball to his playmakers. His only shot, a deep one, went to Christian Watson, who may have been on target late when safety Dax Hill broke up the play.
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Love missed Luke Musgrave’s first possession on a third-down pass, which was too loose for normal. This moment will be valuable as it taught to the team.
Love’s performance was positive for the rest of the game, with him displaying confidence and quickness in handling short passes. The Packers had a lot of play, and Love looked comfortable on those plays, particularly his touchdown pass to Doubs that had great touch. While you may not need more yards per attempt, overall it was ok.
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The coverage of Love during training camp and practices against the Bengals has been mostly positive. He’s largely shunned as he takes over from a legendary QB to essentially become one of the Packers’ most experienced players. If reimagine his performance in Cincinnati, it could help ease the transition for the team.
In Friday’s preseason game, Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers quarterback threw a touchdown to lead the team to victory over the Bengals. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the team to watch on Spotlight.
The Steelers were astonished with the first-team offense’s performance before their preseason opener.
Kenny Pickett, a second-year quarterback, put up grit and speed on the first drive of the offense. He completed 6 of 7 attempts for 70 yards and ten touchdowns with refraction on both ends, including catching Diontae Johnson before making icefensive play that allowed George Pickens to score despite being blocked by Steelers wide receiver Brett Smith.
The Steelers are looking to capitalize on Pickett’s strong start to the season by utilizing his comfort level and consistent play. They also look forward to using Pickens, a highlight reel receiver, and other top targets for success. Piccott’ll have upcoming growth with the help of these key preseason signs that showed promise.
Baker Mayfield is a standout player.
Despite his lackluster debut game, Mayfield’s quest for the starting quarterback position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended on a positive note.
Mayfield was content to keep everything short and safe at first, which was aided by the Pittsburgh Steelers. This strategy proved successful for a touchdown drive that ended with Mauricio Maychillo passing Trey Palmer in the end zone. Palmer’s skillful feet allowed him to get his feet in bounds for the touchdown, putting him in contention with Kyle Trask.
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Mayfield’s appearance after the touchdown pass was slightly more upbeat, possibly with a little more confidence. The first step in his career came when he hit Kaylon Geiger for 20 yards and secured 2-1 of his first two games of the season.
Other games
Bad weather delayed the start of the game by over an hour. Browns QB Deshaun Watson led a drive inside the 10-yard line at the beginning of this game, but managed to score three runs for 20 yards before being stopped by an unfavorable fourth-down run at halftime.
The Lions’ rookie first-round running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a solid preseason showing, with the team recording his first reception of the season and including he caught the ball on an 18-yard gain.
In a preseason game on Friday, Miami RB De’Von Achane is shown touching down against Atlanta. (Photo Credit: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
De’Von Achane, the rookie running back for the Miami Dolphins, was the standout player in Friday’s game. He didn’t make any progress on the team’ s depth chart, but his impressive performance included an 11-yard catch on third-and-third-offensive play and 20 yards on eight carries in the first half of the Atlanta Falcons’ 19-19 game against Miami.
The Denver Broncos made a surprising decision by dropping Brandon McManus during the offseason. This move didn’t work out well for the team, as Brett Maher and Elliott Fry both missed field goals in the first half and the starting offense struggled to score.
Final reflections
Sam Howell, the quarterback for the New Washington Commanders, was a bit of frenzied action, but he still managed to turn things around and deliver 77 yards and 96 yards. Jahan Dotson played the majority of the touchdown pass, making alterations and throwing downfield. However, it wasn’t enough to complete the Commander team’s starting offense.
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The Dolphins had a lack of notable players in their preseason opener on Friday.
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There was a belief that the Dolphins could utilize their starters more time in defense during the first preseason game, particularly on defense, due to Deputy President Mike McDaniel’s departure from the team.
Chris Evans’ third season with the Bengals has been marked by success. He broke a 33-yard run in the second quarter and now plays as primarily rushed pass catcher, but he could still play behind Joe Mixon and have some running talent on his side.
The Packers did not make much effort to fill the gap between Love and the second base quarterback. Sean Clifford, a fifth-round draft pick, was responsible for leading the first half of the game and throwing surprisingly low interceptions to safety Tycen Anderson in the middle. However, his success was short-lived as he caught one of Love’s passes and scored 145 yards before ending the play.
The Packers may have benefited from the addition of Emanuel Wilson, an undrafted running back who was recruited from Fort Valley State. He achieved 111 yards and scored two touchdowns on six passes, including a stunning 80-yard touchdown run.
Lions rookie defenders were impressive, with first-round pick Jack Campbell making four tackles and blocking pass in the first half of the game, and second-year safety Brian Branch striking a short pass.
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The New York Jets signed Elijah Moore, a new Browns receiver, for the first time this offseason. He played surprisingly well in the team’s first series, but his injury was not as bad as expected, prompting him to return to the locker room and undergo further testing with the medical staff.
Maurice Alexander’s highlight reel of a 95-yard punt return featuring two spin moves will leave you thrilled.
In addition to that, Dee Alford also returned a touchdown punt for Atlanta.