The NFL’s preseason has reached the halfway point with Week 2, which serves as the de facto “dress rehearsal” for beginners to prepare for the start of the regular season – which is just three weeks away. For teams that don’t have joint practices this week, week 2 of pre-season is critical.
Saturday’s roster featured eight games, with three in the afternoon, four taking place simultaneously in prime time, and the Cowboys and Chargers facing off in the late window. The Broncos didn’t play most of their starters in one of their first two games, but the Bills gave them – including Josh Allen – a little run. As expected, the Chiefs debuted their new offense on Saturday, and the result was similar to what the Chiefs offense did during Patrick Mahomes’ first four years as Kansas City’s starting quarterback.
Fans were also treated to rookie quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis, who are hoping to put more pressure on the quarterbacks currently ahead of them on the depth chart. The day was capped off with a brilliant performance by a player who recently won the USFL MVP award.
Below is a look at all the highlights from the first three days of preseason action.
Schedule
Bears 27, Seahawks 11 (Takeaways) To see also : Playing violent video games does not appear to have a significant effect on aggression.
Patriots 20, Panthers 10 (Takeaways)Packers 20, Saints 10 (Recap)Texans 24, Rams 20 (Recap)
Invoices 42, Broncos 15 (Recap)Leões 27, Colts 26 (Recap)Chiefs 24, Commanders 14 (Recap)Steelers 16, Jaguars 15 (Takeaways)Raiders 15, Dolphins 13 (Recap)49ers 17, Vikings 7 (Recap1) , Buccaneers 3 (Recap)Cowboys 32, Chargers 18 (Recap)
Eagles at Browns, 1pm ET (Gametracker)Bengals at Giants, 7pm ET (Gametracker)Ravens at Cardinals, 8pm ET (Game Tracker)
Falcons at Jets, 8pm ET (Game Tracker)
Kenny Pickett continues strong preseason
Kenny Pickett’s hype train continues to move forward. After throwing the winning touchdown in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener last week, the first-round rookie is turning his head once again. To see also : A History of Star Trek Video Games. This time around, Pickett is working the first-team offense and looks like a guy capable of being the week 1 starter. In the second quarter, he led a touchdown in just 42 seconds.
In addition to a scoring throw to running back Benny Snell Jr., Pickett also showed good touch in a 24-yard gain to tight end Pat Freiermuth. In the first half, Pickett hit 6 of 7 passes for 76 yards and that touchdown.
Malik Willis shows off escapability
Malik Willis is showing his edge. The Liberty rookie was a starter in Tennessee’s preseason showdown against Tampa Bay, and his pocket-weaving ability is on full display. On the same subject : Absolutely the worst ways to die in video games. While leading the Titans to a field goal in the second quarter, Willis threw a side arm pass while dodging a potential bag to move the chains.
He then pulled off a 25-yard run to get Tennessee into the red zone, where they would end up kicking a field goal. Willis is still a raw prospect and needs improvement as a passer, but the tools are there for him to be a legitimate candidate to be a long-term option for the Titans with some development.
KaVontae Turpin’s electrifying returns
Current USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin strengthened his case to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster when he returned a 98-yard kickoff to score against the Chargers Saturday night. He returned to the end zone moments later after punting for 86 yards for a touchdown.
Turpin joined the Cowboys earlier this summer after helping the USFL’s New Jersey Generals go 9-1 during the league’s inaugural regular season.
Kyle Phillips with lightening return
Titans rookie Kyle Phillips made a name for himself this summer. He received praise from head coach Mike Vrabel, who also noted that quarterback Ryan Tannehill relies on pitching for him. While he’s been eye-opening as a pass receiver, the UCLA fifth-round pick is also making plays in the return game.
In Tennessee’s showing with the Bucs on Saturday, Phillips put a punt off Tennessee’s 20-yard line and returned for 35 yards. He was able to miss his starting tackler, found a hole, and struggled with a few tackles to turn the field around for the Titans.
Chase Claypool rises up
While rookie George Pickens garnered a lot of attention in Pittsburgh this summer, don’t sleep on Chase Claypool’s talent. On the Steelers’ opening play in their showing with the Jaguars, Mitchell Trubisky hit a third and 6 snap and connected with Claypool, who ran a fade out of the slot and got up to make a contested catch for 29 yards. Claypool is looking to build on a 2021 season where he recorded 956 yards from scrimmage and 13.1 yards per touch.
Mahomes double dips with Fortson
In case you were wondering, Patrick Mahomes looks like Patrick Mahomes. In Kansas City’s second preseason game of the summer against Washington, the former league MVP started and appeared to be in good shape midway through the season. He opened the game with two consecutive touchdowns, both culminating in a pass to tight end Jody Fortson.
The first reception culminated in an 87-yard drive for the Chiefs. Mahomes played for Fortson and he was able to display strong footwork to stay within bounds for the score. That wasn’t even Mahomes’ best throw on the unit, as he also completed a 39-yard pass to Justin Watson.
Later, Mahomes was kicked out of the pocket and forced to make an unhinged shot to the front left corner of the end zone, where he would meet Fortson again.
Through two drives, Mahomes is 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards and those two scores.
Lions and touchdowns and grabs, oh my
Few starters saw the field in the Lions vs. Colts, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t anything worth paying attention to. Lions wideout Tom Kennedy found himself in the end zone in Detroit’s back-to-back possessions. The first touchdown came on the final play of the first half:
To open the scoring after the break, Kennedy once again reached out to a Colts quarterback to make a six-point pass.
Too easy
Josh Allen and the first-team Buffalo Bills offense marched across the field against the Denver Broncos, covering 70 yards in six plays. The drive ended with Allen wrestling around the pocket, putting his feet up and whipping the ball to Gabriel Davis in front of the end zone.
Allen went 3-3 for 49 yards and a score, completing passes to Davis, Stefon Diggs and Isaiah McKenzie. Devin Singletary led the way back to Buffalo, with Zack Moss moving into car number 2 ahead of rookie James Cook. Oh, and Buffalo followed Davis’ touchdown reception, reaching the end zone on each of his next five possessions. Moss ran in a couple of short scores, O.J. Howard caught a touchdown from Case Keenum (which finished 16-of-18 for 192 yards), and Duke Johnson hit the ground twice as well.
Catch of the (Friday) night!
The Houston Texans played as a starter in the first half of this preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, and took a 7-6 halftime lead thanks to this spot-on reception from Nico Collins in the end zone. Collins just overshadowed Derion Kendrick for the ball and left with the score.
Collins will play a role in the 2022 Texans offense. Plays like this will give you more targets.
Danny Etling 51-yard touchdown run
What makes this Etling touchdown special? The play took place during an interview with Aaron Rodgers on the Packers broadcast. Rodgers’ excitement over the Etling score makes this play even more exciting.
Jordan Love run
Love looked like an NFL quarterback Friday night, finishing for 113 yards and a touchdown pass. He also showed off his running skill with this 11-yard run for a first down.
Chris Olave scores his first touchdown
Olave is giving Saints fans a preview of what’s to come when he lines up alongside Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry this fall. The first-round pick connected with Ian Book on a 20-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the first half – his first in a Saints uniform.
Olave only had one reception for four yards last week, but he had two in the first half of this one.
Tae Hayes pick-six
Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe made a dangerous shot by rolling to the left, and Hayes read the pass to get the ball to the other side and tie the game. Zappe wasn’t as sharp in his second game this preseason, in which Matt Patricia is calling the shots.
Romeo Doubs touchdown
There’s a place for Doubs to win snaps with the first team this year, and this Jordan Love touchdown capture demonstrates why. Doubs came up with this impressive four-yard touchdown reception over Brian Allen to put the Packers at 10-3 over the Saints in the second quarter. Love is starting to show confidence in the fourth round rookie.
59-yard field goal from Wil Lutz
Lutz missed the entire year of 2021 with a core hamstring injury as the Saints lost their reliability in the shooting department. He certainly looked like his old self with that 59-yard field goal to close out the first quarter.
With just 13 of 23 goals in 50+ yards in his career, Lutz hitting that shot is very encouraging.
Romeo Doubs making his case to move up the depth chart
Doubs was one of the Packers’ young wide receivers Aaron Rodgers who came under fire during the week, so he was in the spotlight with the second teams taking part in most of this. A 17-yard catch on Jordan Love’s opener makes a strong impression, even if Doubs hasn’t landed a third-down pass earlier.
Taysom Hill at tight end
No longer a Saints quarterback, Hill shifted his focus to the tight end for the 2022 season. New Orleans’ 2nd tight end Hill made an early impact when he caught a 10-yard pass from Ian Book. Hill adds an extra dimension to the Saints’ offense in his new role, and he can still play wide receiver and running back in close quarters situations.
Nelson Agholor ignites Patriots offense
The Patriots averaged just 1.9 yards per play in the first quarter with just 21 yards attacking, but Nelson Agholor changed that with that 45-yard reception on an impressive Mac Jones throw. Going up against a second-team defense or not, that’s what Patriots fans want to see in their new offensive look.
New England scored a touchdown – a two-yard rush by Ty Montgomery – three plays later.
Who owns the new football league?
Fox Sports owns the league and has reportedly committed $150 million to $200 million over three years into its operations, with plans to attract an additional $250 million from investors.
Will the USFL last? While the USFL has expansion plans, that shouldn’t happen until 2024 if the league makes it to Year 3. The USFL will compete with the XFL – which will have a relaunch in 2023 after two attempts where the league didn’t last an entire season.
Who will play in USFL?
| Combination | date time |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia Stars at Pittsburgh Maulers | June 11th to 12th, TBA |
| Tampa Bay Bandits at the New Orleans Breakers | June 11th to 12th, TBA |
How many teams are in the USFL 2022?
How will the league be formatted? There will be eight teams in the new USFL, divided into two divisions: North and South. Each team will play a 10-game schedule, with teams from the same division playing each other twice and teams from the other division once.
How Many NFL preseason games is it?
NFL preseason schedule: game dates, times, TV channels, how to watch NFL preseason games. It was the first of 49 preseason games on the NFL’s schedule, the last of which is scheduled for Sunday, August 28. The NFL’s regular season is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 28.
How many preseason games are in the 2022 NFL? ALL 32 TEAMS PLAY INTERNATIONALLY AT LEAST ONCE IN THE EIGHT-YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING 2022. NFL clubs today approved at a virtual league meeting an improved season structure that, beginning in 2021, will feature each team playing 17 games of the regular season and three preseason games for the first time.
Why are there only 3 preseason games this year?
In 2021, the NFL Competition Committee voted to extend the regular season to 17 games, thus reducing the preseason to three games per team (with the exception of the two teams competing in the Hall Of Fame Game, which play four).
How many games do you play preseason?
Preseason was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was reduced to three games in 2021 when a 17th regular season game was added for each team. The same format will follow in 2022, with each team playing three pre-season games, followed by a week off before the start of the regular season.
Is there only 3 NFL preseason games?
There are 49 total preseason games.
Does Tom Brady play preseason games?
Coach Todd Bowles has already said that Tom Brady will not play in the first game of the preseason, which is no surprise. The Buccaneers still have three other quarterbacks on the roster, but it’s safe to say they know less about sophomore Kyle Trask.
Will Tom Brady play in the 2022 preseason? Brady briefly considered retirement at the start of the 2022 preseason, but announced his intention to return in March.
Where is Tom Brady today?
Why is Tom Brady not in preseason?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady missed practice Thursday for personal reasons and will not return to the team until after the Bucs’ second preseason game on Aug. 20 against the Titans, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters.
How can I watch out of market NFL games without DirecTV?
According to DirecTV’s website (opens in new tab), the Sunday Ticket only covers the regular season, Sunday afternoon games that are out of their market. Alternatively, you can subscribe to a streaming service like Sling TV or YouTube TV, which give you access to NFL Playoff channels like FOX, ABC, and CBS.
How can I watch an off-market NFL game? NFL SUNDAY TICKET on DIRECTV is the only way to watch and stream every game live off the market every Sunday afternoon.
How can I watch NFL games not in my area?
- FuboTV.
- DIRECTV STREAM.
- Sling TV.
- Hulu Live TV.
- Phylum.
- Vidgo.
- Others Show submenu. Amazon Prime. AMC DAZN. Disney ESPN Fanatiz. TV TAPE. FloSports. Hayu. Hulu. KlowdTV. NBA League Pass. Netflix. NFHS Network. NFL Game Pass (Intl) NFL Paramount Peacock. Red Box. Select the television. Show time. Starz.
