Observations from Week 1 of the NFL preseason
Growing pains
NFL teams took quarterbacks at Nos. 1, 3, and 4 in the 2023 draft—and they all had rough goes in their first NFL action. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson know first-hand there is a lot to learn. Meanwhile, Aidan O’Connell of the Raiders appears to be a quick study.
As Week 1 of the preseason wrapped, here are my observations.
Make mine a Boilermaker
The Raiders took Aidan O’Connell out of Purdue in the fourth round and immediately gave him Derek Carr’s No. 4. In a 34-7 romp over the 49ers, the rookie was stunning. He completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a TD. He led 3 scoring drives. Raider star defensive lineman Maxx Crosby summed it up by saying, “Aidan’s a baller.”
Rough go for Stroud
C.J. Stroud went second overall to the Texans. He didn’t wait until his second drive for Houston to have a gaffe. Stroud was sacked for a 15-yard loss and then was picked by the Patriots’ Jalen Mills.
Stroud played two series, going 2-for-4 for 13 yards with the interception and the sack.
Rough go for Richardson
There is no secret that the Colts have to be patient with Anthony Richardson. He doesn’t have a ton of college experience and while a physical marvel he is going to have to learn in the NFL. That was obvious on his first drive against the Bills. Richardson threw a pick to Dane Jackson. He wound up 7-of-12 for 67 yards and rushed for 7 yards on two carries. Patience.
Young has his jets cooled
Bryce Young was hit … hard … by the New York Jets in his debut for the Panthers. The No. 1 overall pick by Carolina went 4-of-6 for 21 yards and was sacked once. Young took a few shots and got up. The Panthers need to protect their prized pick. They can’t have him getting clobbered before the regular season starts.
Veteran Barkley excels for Buffalo
Matt Barkley never lived up to the star billing he had at USC or in the pros. However, all he does is stick around and remain a dependable backup. By the time this season ends, the QB will have earned more than $11 million. That’s pretty great for a guy with 7 career starts — none since 2018. He saw plenty of action in the Bills’ preseason opener and was accurate to the tune of 14 of 15 for 172 yards and a pair of TDs.
Streaky Saints
Derek Carr debuted for the Saints and was in and out after going 6 of 8 and a TD pass to Keith Kirkwood. This was a weird one. New Orleans went up 17-0, fell behind 24-17, and scored the final 9 points in the entertaining but meaningless win over the Chiefs. To show you how preseason it is, KC threw a pass on third down late and it was picked to set up the game-winning field goal.
A Lock as the backup
Drew Lock saw his first action for the Seahawks after being with Seattle in 2022 and never seeing the field. He was 17 of 24 for 191 yards. “Never walked out there in a Seahawks uniform and played a snap. Had a blast,” Lock said. “Overall, it felt great just to play football again. It’s weird when you go a whole year without taking a snap.” Geno Smith took every snap last year and should do the same in the regular season barring injury.
Warm welcome for Brissett
Jacoby Brissett is with Washington, which defeated Cleveland, 17-15. When the veteran came into the game, Browns fans gave him a nice ovation.
“That was awesome,” he said. “Did not expect that. I really enjoyed my time here. A lot of the people, the players, the coaches, and the staff there I have a lot of respect and love for that organization.”
Deshaun Watson will start for Cleveland but rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson from UCL had another good game. The fifth-round pick was 9 of 10 for 102 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 11 yards.
Stetson Bennett loves SoFi
Stetson Bennett returned to where he led the Georgia Bulldogs to the national title in February. Bennett and the Rams took a 34-17 loss against their fellow tenants, the Chargers. Bennett was impressive, throwing 191 yards and a score.
The QB on the other side of Georgia’s romp over TCU, the Horned Frogs’ Max Duggan, played for the Bolts and had more rushing yards — 20 — than passing 19.
One name to watch is Elijah, Dotson. The UDFA from Northern Colorado had a pair of long TD runs in the final quarter.
The Bolts have had success with UDFA from the state of Colorado. Austin Ekeler came to them from Western Colorado.
Rourke dazzles
Nathan Rourke has exited the CFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars. No matter what happens, he will have a highlight-reel NFL play. Rourke escaped two Dallas Cowboys, and was about to be sacked by a third when he found Qadree Ollison for a spectacular 21-yard TD.
