The first week of the 2023 NFL preseason continued on Friday night, featuring games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions and the New York Giants.
A number of Friday’s games featured quarterback battles, with Baker Mayfield proving to be a threat for the Bucs and Jake Browning potentially becoming the No. 2 contender against Joe Burrow in some intriguing scenarios.
Thursday’s games feature the New England Patriots hosting the Houston Texans and the Seattle Seahawks playing the Minnesota Vikings.
C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick, made his first NFL start for the Texans on Saturday, going 2-for-4 and converting 13 yards with an interception before being replaced by Davis Mills under coach DeMeco Ryans.
Case Keenum was brought in to take over from under center, and Mills completed 9-of-12 for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Patriots fans will have to wait for at least another week on the other sideline to see how quarterback Mac Jones has adjusted to Bill O’Brien’s new offense.
Drew Lock, the backup quarterback for the Seahawks, started playing football while Geno Smith watched. Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was picked two times in the draft, played his first NFL game on Thursday night alongside Vikings first-rounder Jordan Addison.
Here are the key takeaways from each game, as well as the rest of the Week 1 preseason schedule.
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Friday, August 11 is the day for NFL preseason games.
The Packers’ new starter, Jordan Love, didn’t stay in the game long and completed 7-of-10 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. He also connected with five different pass catchers, including Romeo Doubs and Luke Musgrave, and was 4-for-5 for 28 yards on play-action. His performance was impressive, particularly after hitting Corey Johnson offside once before his first try.
The next game is a match against the Patriots, scheduled for August 19 at 8 p.m.
Could the Bengals potentially field strong contenders in positions that may feature their offensive chemistry? Jake Browning, who started last year with a third-string injury, played alongside the team’s second-year offense, while Trevor Siemian, formerly known as “Jay” Stewart, took center position and gave some valuable reps.
The Falcons will be hosting the next game on Friday, August 18, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Jameson Williams, the wide receiver for the Lions team, faced some early struggles during his first preseason game. Despite being suspended for violating NFL gambling rules, he managed to score points on a one-handed play. He also caught fire with defender Maurice Alexander in the third quarter.
The next game is a match against the Jaguars on Saturday, August 19 at 1 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.
The Giants’ veteran starters were mostly absent from their preseason opener due to joint practices, resulting in mixed results. Jalin Hyatt, the third-round wide receiver, had a catch for less than four yards on 16 offensive snaps and was praised by his fellow players at camp.
The upcoming game is the Panthers’ next match, taking place at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network (Friday, August 18).
Despite having only seven offensive and defensive starters on the roster, Atlanta’s defense was particularly impressive. They scored two field goals and had enough turnovers to shut down Miami for a 6-0 score in the first half due to their aggressive play.
The next game is the Bengals’ match, which will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 18th.
Despite being the Dolphins’ backup quarterback, Mike White struggled in the first half. He completed 9-of-14 passes for 85 yards and failed to convert on fourth down. Meanwhile, Skylar Thompson strugglered less convincingly as he finished the season with two interceptions and a lost fumble.
The next game is against the Texans on Saturday, August 19 at 4 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.
During his pregame press conference, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin highlighted the need for additional preseason training for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. Although not an easy task, Pictus performed well in his first few games against the Bucs, including scoring 3 touchdowns and handling multiple passes. However, his progress was slow and inconsistent, with only one exception to his impressive performance.
The upcoming match will be against the Bills at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 19.
The Bucs’ quarterback competition was dominated by Baker Mayfield, who completed 8-of-9 passes for 63 yards and a 10-yard touchdown to Trey Palmer. He also exhibited no turnovers during practice, while Kyle Trask played some much better football than usual but was stopped by David Moore on the same drive. Mayfeld went on to improve as he led the team in both passing and interceptions, scoring 9 of 11 points.
The Jets will be hosting the next game on Saturday, August 19th at 7:30 p.m.
A defender is thrown out by George Pickens for a TD on the drive after Kenny Pickett passes it for 33 yards.
NFL Network: Denver Broncos take on Arizona Cardinals at 10 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 10, is the day for NFL preseason games.
C.J. Stroud’s first preseason start was a letdown, as he only managed to go 2-for-4 for 13 yards and an interception, while Davis Mills scored 9-for-12 for 99 yards with ten touchdown passes. However, in his first NFL game under coach DeMeco Ryans, Stoud struggled defensively due to not having enough protection on his dropbacks. He even managed some pressure during his opening drive, throwing 69 yard balls at the quarterback before scoring two touchdowns against Texas defense.
The upcoming match will be against the Dolphins at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 19.
Keion White, a second-round draft pick from Georgia Tech, made an impressive debut on ice by making three tackles. He finished with sacks and was able to disrupt the play of running back Dare Ogunbowale while blocking quarterback Davis Mills’ loose pass. His performance helped the Patriots secure their first win of the season as they led the defense in defensive retention.
The upcoming match for the Packers is on Saturday, August 19 at 8 p.m. ET.
During play time (0:16), C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins make their first NFL completion as they connect, with Collins striking a defender successfully.
Despite his struggles in the NFL over the past four seasons, Drew Lock demonstrated on Thursday that the Seahawks still consider him a top-tier quarterback. He started against Minnesota and played well until the end, contributing to the team’s belief in his ability to make good plays.
Ty Chandler, the running back for the Vikings, took advantage of an extended appearance on Thursday night to compete for his second spot in the team’s rankings. He rushed for 41 yards on 11 carries and completed four passes for 29 yards, including missed attempts by first-half defenser Kevin O’Connell. Coach Kevin Owen Osatis stated that Chandler made some plays that were not blocked well, while Kene Nwangwu was sidelined due to injury and rookie DeWayne McBride was struggling with a slow pace at this point during the trial period.
The upcoming match will be against the Titans at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 19.
The upcoming game is the Cowboys’ game, scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 19.
The NFL preseason game schedule is set for Saturday, August 12th.
At 1 p.m. ET, the Indianapolis Colts will be playing against the Buffalo Bills.
At 1 p.m. ET, the NFL Network will air a game between the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears.
The NFL Network announces the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers game at 4 p.m. ET.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys will meet at 5 p.m. ET.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens will face off at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
The NFL Network announces the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angels teams at 9 p.m. ET.
The NFL will have preseason games scheduled for Sunday, August 13th.
At 1 p.m. ET, the Kansas City Chiefs will face off against the New Orleans Saints on the NFL Network.
The NFL Network announces the San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders game at 4 p.m. ET.