NFL Preseason Week Two: 11 Observations From Saturday Night’s Action

Posted on August 16, 2019, by Travis Pulver

Week Two of the preseason rolled on Saturday night with ten teams taking the field all over the country starting with the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts and ending with the Dallas Cowboys facing off with the Los Angeles Rams.

As preseason action goes, it wasn’t bad. There were some good things, and there were some not so good things. While it all has to be viewed in the proper context (it’s just the preseason), we should still be aware of a few things.

The Observations

·        Andrew Luck warmed up before the game with Cleveland. He didn’t play of course, but that is a step in the right direction for him getting cleared to play sooner rather than later.

·        If he can’t go, Jacob Brissett may be able to keep the team afloat until he can.   If he can’t, then maybe Chad Kelly or Phillip Walker can. Both looked good, but the team will likely only keep one of them. Trade bait?

·        Garrett Gilbert, of AAF fame, may have found himself a job in the NFL as Baker Mayfield’s backup. He had a solid night against a good Colts defense (13-19 or 151 yards and two touchdowns).

·        Jerry Jones is an idiot. A rookie running back, Tony Pollard, has five runs for 42 yards and a touchdown against the Rams second and third-string guys and he wants to say, “Zeke who?”. It’s vaguely reminiscent of the time when he said anyone could coach the Dallas Cowboys and win a Super Bowl (and we all know how well that has worked out).     

·        Jerry is going to have to pay Dak Prescott because if he leaves, the Cowboys have nothing. Another year is not going to turn Cooper Rush or Mike White into viable starters in the NFL.

·        It definitely looks like Jarrett Stidham is going to be the heir apparent to Tom Brady’s throne in New England. The former Auburn QB was 14-19 for 193 yards and two touchdowns and showed some incredible touch and accuracy on some of his throws.

“Stidham has a good arm,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the game, via ESPN. “I think he throws the ball accurately. I think he has shown that all the way through from Baylor to Auburn to his pro day and his spring workouts, so I do really think that has been the issue.”

·        The QB competition is getting real in Tennessee (even if no one says it exists). Ryan Tannehill had another good day going 7-11 for 84 yards and a touchdown, but this time, Marcus Mariota wasn’t bad either (6-9 for 63 yards and a touchdown). 

· Don’t overlook Chase Winovich when it comes to Defensive Rookie of the Year conversations. He will have to do a lot during the regular season to overcome the favorites, but the talent is there, and eyes will always be on the Patriots.

·         It will be interesting to see if Buddy Howell can run as well against a better defense (15 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown).

·        Keep an eye on James Washington. The Steelers receiver had another solid outing with four catches for 78 yards including one that went for 40.

·        Mecole Hardman was not as involved this week for the Chiefs, but his one 17-yard catch for a touchdown was a nice one.

Of course, the best preseason action is always in Week Three when teams often play their starters for the first half. It will be as close as we can get to see how some of the rookies are going to look once the regular season starts.