Jacksonville Jaguars Preseason Week 2 Pre-Game

By: Noah Trombley

The Jaguars will continue preseason play with a matchup on Monday night (August 23rd, 2021) against the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. There was a lot of change already for this Jaguars team as there already have been some significant cuts from the team.The biggest, of course, being former Quarterback turned Tight end, Tim Tebow. The former Florida Gator played in 16 snaps last week and didn’t see many targets or memorable plays. The most memorable moments came when first, Tebow was wide open in the middle of the field, and receiver Tavon Austin undercut the route and caught the ball instead.

Tebow then attempted a block on the run to his side but completely whiffed and ended up blocking nobody. The Tebow experiment then ended on Tuesday when the Jaguars officially released him. This release felt inevitable after that game on Monday. The only reason I thought maybe the Jaguars would keep Tebow on the roster would be to use him as a pr person and keep some fans interested in the Jaguars during the season, but it doesn’t even make it that far.

Now onto the game coming up. The biggest reason to watch this game on Monday night is to see rookie QB Trevor Lawrence play for the first time in the Superdome. This is one of the most challenging places to play for any NFL player, even during the preseason, as the dome sound can become deafening. Lawrence will have to work on the chemistry with his team for the few snaps he has to call audibles and changes to certain plays. This will be a massive test for the young rookie as the noise has gotten even the best of Quarterbacks over the years.

The last thing to watch is who gets the majority of snaps at the running back position. There is a battle brewing between last year’s breakout star James Robinson and rookie Travis Etienne. Robinson had over 1000 yards rushing last season, but that somehow has not secured his spot as the number one running back in Jacksonville, as most believe Etienne will get the nod. Robinson may look to make a statement in this game to try and keep his spot as the Jaguars number one rushing option in the backfield.

NY Giants Preseason Game #2

By Mark Halpern

Last week we saw an embarrassing NYG offense against the Jets. With it being primarily second and third stringers even against a weak Jets defense, the Giants could only manage a 4th quarter touchdown. As for the Jets, we had a great showing from Mike White, and Zach Wilson was not bad for the few drives he played. As for the Giants, there was not an offensive stand-out. Even the NYG defense couldn’t do much except hold the Jets to 12 points.

     This weekend we find the boys in blue battling the boys in brown in Cleveland. During this week, the Giants and Browns had joint practices, becoming more and more common around the league. The Giants have been working out many different defensive schemes as they expect to face the Browns first string, even if it is only for about half a quarter. The good thing was there were no significant brawls like we saw in other joint practices over the past week with Tampa’s Antonio Brown and LA Rams Aaron Donald. Safety Logan Ryan said, “I’ve been part of a few joint practices in my career. I think they’re great, different stimulus, taking the show on the road, dealing with different pressures and stuff like that. (They’re) kind of like the road games, so you’ve got to bring your energy. I think we did a good job today. We won some, we lost some, but it’s practice. You learn from it. Nobody was perfect today on both sides. Come back tomorrow and make the adjustments.” That is precisely what the giants have done. Jabril Peppers, who was once a Giant, enjoyed practicing against his team as he will be on the field Sunday.

     I highly doubt we will see the likes of Saquan Barkley, who is still recovering from knee surgery last year and still is not 100% ready for week 1. He has been ramping up his workouts but, we won’t get to see him before that. Daniel Jones will also not appear in the game along with a handful of the other first-stringers. 

    The Giants, like a few other teams, have fragile options at the backup quarterback spot, and Clayton Thorson is currently leading the way with Mike Glennon behind him. However, Thorson is on IR with a concussion, leaving Mike Glennon and Brian Lewerke, a quarterback from Michigan State. If things don’t start to look up for the Gmen, they will have to sign another quarterback, and with one preseason game left, time is running out.

I foresee the Giants defense getting worked over well, and Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry will see plenty of passes, and don’t forget Chubb and Hunt as they make one of the best parings or running backs on any team. My prediction is Cleveland 28

Fixing the “Leaks” on Offense Rams Preseason Game #2

By Zakary Haines

LOS ANGELES- As we inch closer to the regular season, the picture will become more clear as to who will be on the final 53 man roster. The second game of the preseason will help paint that picture even more. The Rams only cut five players to get down to the 85 required players and will continue to shed more. This week, the Las Vegas Raiders come to LA and are the favorites to win with a -7 spread. This will be another game to observe and cut down the roster. With that being said, here is who to look out for in game two. 

Bryce Perkins: One of the only offensive bright spots in the preseason opener was Bryce Perkins. The quarterback recorded 42 passing yards, 23 rushing yards and threw the only touchdown of the game. This has caught the attention of head coach Sean McVay who plans on giving Perkins more reps in game two. With no Matthew Stafford in the preseason, why not give Perkins more snaps? Expect a duel for the back up position on the 53 man roster. Perkins had some good reads and will look to continue that this week against  tough Raiders defense. 

Offensive Line: One of main issues with last week’s rushing game was the offensive line. The O-line simply could not move the ball. Only recording 73 rushing yards, the most coming from Bryce Perkins, this week has to see some major improvements in the run game.  Head coach Sean McVay has already declared that Brian Allen will be the starting center and Austin Corbett the starting right guard, it is time for the rest of the line to fall into place. Expect the Rams to run the ball more often.

Wide Receivers: This group was completely unaffected by roster cuts this week. With 10 players listed, this game is important for some players to prove they belong on the final roster. J.J. Koski  had the most receiving yards among the wide receivers while Trishton Jackson was the only receiver to catch a touchdown. Regardless, this game will be about running routes properly, beating coverage, and getting into the endzone. Getting receptions and yards after catch will be key stats to watch out for as well.

At the end of the last game, Sean McVay said the team needs some “leakage” fixed on the offensive side of the ball. Expect a more indepth look at the quarterbacks, offensive linemen and wide receivers as well as some more complicated plays to show up. The Rams will have the Raiders defense to test their offense in joint practices (which ended early Thursday due to a massive brawl) and the game. This is another late start for fans on the east coast; kickoff is at 10pm est.  

LOS ANGELES- As we move closer to the regular season, the picture will become more apparent as to who will be on the final 53 man roster. The second game of the preseason will help paint that picture even more. The Rams only cut five players to get down to the 85 required players and will continue to shed more. This week, the Las Vegas Raiders come to LA and are the favorites to win with a -7 spread. This will be another game to observe and cut down the roster. With that being said, here is who to look out for in game two. 

Bryce Perkins: One of the only offensive bright spots in the preseason opener was Bryce Perkins. The quarterback recorded 42 passing yards, 23 rushing yards and threw the only touchdown of the game. This has caught the attention of head coach Sean McVay, who plans to give Perkins more reps in game two. With no Matthew Stafford in the preseason, why not give Perkins more snaps? Expect a duel for the backup position on the 53 man roster. Perkins had some good reads and will look to continue that this week against tough Raiders defense. 

Offensive Line: One of the main issues with last week’s rushing game was the offensive line. The O-line simply could not move the ball. This week, only recording 73 rushing yards, the most coming from Bryce Perkins, has to see some significant improvements in the run game. Head coach Sean McVay has already declared that Brian Allen will be the starting center and Austin Corbett the starting right guard. It is time for the rest of the line to fall into place. Expect the Rams to run the ball more often.

Wide Receivers: This group was completely unaffected by roster cuts this week. This game is essential for some players to prove they belong on the final roster with ten players listed. While Triston Jackson was the only receiver to catch a touchdown, J.J. Koski had the most receiving yards among the wide receivers. Regardless, this game will be about running routes properly, beating coverage, and getting into the endzone. Getting receptions and yards after catch will be critical stats to watch out for as well.
At the end of the last game, Sean McVay said the team needs some “leakage” fixed on the offensive side of the ball. Expect a more in-depth look at the quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and wide receivers, as well as some more complicated plays to show up. The Rams will have the Raiders’ defense test their offense in joint practices (which ended early Thursday due to a massive brawl) and the game. This is another late start for fans on the east coast; kickoff is at 10 pm est.

Jets Preseason #2

By Eric Ford

Well, that went well. The first game of the preseason, and the Jets looked good. First off, the defense looked pretty good, but I am not keeping my hopes up too high because the Giants offensive line is terrible. The offense looks different from the last few years. Zach Wilson looked comfortable in the pocket. The offensive line was doing its job. The run game was looking great. Ty Johnson, with nine carries and 33 yards, was looking good. La’Micheal Perine, we had seen flashes of him last year, and I believe he will be solid this year. My early pick as the starter. Micheal Carter is fast, but his hands seem to be a concern as he had many drops. Lastly, their receives came to play.

Now you have the Packers. They practiced with each other. The coaches are practically friends and even related. I am personally excited to see Jordan Love play and excited to see the Jets defense go against some actual competition. Zach Wilson will only play 2-3 series. This is the time for the bench QBs to shine. Mike White looked good against the Giants. James Morgan was looking ok. No report on Josh Johnson on if he will play or not. This is their time to shine. I am excited to see this play out. It hurts to say, but I am picking the Packers to win over this by 10 points, and going to be a learning curve for the Jets.

Tennessee Titans Preseason Game #2

By Bill Murphy 

Tampa Bay -After defeating the Atlanta Falcons, last week by a score of 24-3 , the Titans are going to face the defending Super Bowl Champion  Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night  . The game hasn’t even started yet  and there is already tension between these two teams . Earlier this week , there was a joint practice between and a fight broke out between  Tampa’s wide receiver Antonio Brown  and Titans defensive back Chris Jackson  and Brown was  subsequently thrown out.    There were also reports that Tom Brady called Ryan Tanehill a motherf****er  on the HBO show , “The Shop :Interrupted ,” but Brady has since denied that he was referring to Tannehill  .  

As it was last week , Ryan Tannehill will not be starting so it will be another  week of the fight for the number two spot between Logan Woodside and Matt  Barkley . It is not expected to That Vrabel  will start any of the starters such as  Derrick Henry and AJ Brown who traveled to Tampa , but did not participate in practice .  When it comes to injuries  WR Julio Jones and  OLB Caleb Farley are both marked as questionable for this  week’s game . 

A key to victory for the Titans are going to be their defense , as last week they held the Falcons offense to only 139 yards , six first downs and a field goal .  An advantage that the  defense is going to have this week is that the Bucs head coach   Bruce Arians has announced that he will not be playing any starters including Tom Brady .  Instead of Brady , the Bucs will be  giving the ball to either Blaine Gilbert or Ryan Griffin , regardless of who it is , The Titans are going to have to  keep stepping up their defense . 

Another key to victory to watch is going to be the team’s  such as Chester Rogers , Marcus Johnson and Cameron Baston. Baston scored a 15 yard touchdown last week and Rogers had a 57 yard reception that set up a score  .  This is going to be a look into who is going to be backups  or alternatives to receivers like AJ Brown and Julio Jones, as the season gets closer  . 

Will the Titans go 2-0 and defeat the defending champions ? Well tune in tomorrow to find out .

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preseason #2

By Robert Mills

ORLANDO, FL – In preseason football action, the Buccaneers will face off against the Titans at home 7pm on Saturday August 21st. With week 1 behind us it’s safe to say we have a decent idea what to expect, but there are still some items up for debate. Will we see more Tom Brady? Will we get to see Mike Evans and Chris Godwin get some reps? Titans are coming off a 23-3 victory over the Falcons, so they should not be taken lightly and have some momentum.

Looking at the offense, considering it’s still preseason football I’m sure we will get to see the backups and 3rd strings play. Maybe a little more Tom Brady? I would say yes as preseason is only 3 weeks. More Gabbert for sure and some Griffin. Trask may be limited, if we see him at all. Considering I don’t foresee him being a 3rd string this season. Titans played notable starters on defense for week 1 including David Long and Amani Hooker in their defensive powerhouse showing against the falcons, applying plenty of pressure to the backup O-Line of the falcons. Expect to see more of this in game 2. Will the Buccaneers play some starting O-Line men to counter this? Let’s hope so, last thing we need to see is an injured backup QB. We should also get to see more action from Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for this game, but expect them to get limited reps again for this game. Chris Godwin struggled mightily at the end of last season holding onto the football and bringing down catches, so I will be watching closely if he has any dropped passes this game.

For defense the Buccaneers should have a relatively easy night if the Titans play the same O-Line. Titans played their backups in week 1 and it left Logan Woodside under pressure majority of the night. If this continues, with the Buccaneers D-Line containing backups like Joe Tryon the Titans may need to put some starters up front. Expect to see the defense put a lot of pressure up front and put the QB under pressure. A lot of blitz plays will likely result in this case.

My outlook on this game would be the Buccaneers walking away with a gritty 17-14 victory. I expect to see a cleaner game as likely more starters for both teams will play, but can the Buccaneers actually hold onto the football for this game? Dropped passes everywhere in week 1, but hopefully dryer conditions for this game. 

Chicago Be a Little Bisky Risky

By Lawrence Lang

Chicago –  Last week, we saw the Buffalo Bills come back and won their preseason opener against the Detroit Lions 16-15 behind Jake Fromm’s last-minute heroics. This week the Bills head to Illinois to take on the Chicago Bears, which will also be Mitchell Trubisky returning to the city where he played his first four years in the National Football League. Trubisky, who signed with the Bills back in March of this year, is the former 2nd overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft and was with the Bears from 2017-2020 would have a record of 29-21 as the starter and have a record of 0-2 in the playoffs. During Trubisky’s time in Chicago, he also had a 64-37 TD-INT ratio and 10,609 passing yards with the Bears. The Bears and Trubisky parted ways after the 2020 season, which also saw the Bears make the playoffs but lost in the Wild Card Round to the New Orleans Saints 21-9. 

So all eyes will be on Trubisky this week as he battles to be the backup to Josh Allen. If Trubisky gets enough playing time in this week’s game and goes all out against his former team, he might have a case to make the next set of roster cuts that are coming and remain in the NFL, even if it’s as a backup or a third-string. The other two QBs also battling for a shot at the backup QB positions is Fromm once again led the charge for the Bills comeback win last week, and Davis Webb, who had a decent first preseason game going 11-16 90YDs and a Touchdown. If Trubisky plays the first half of the game, which I might lean towards since it’s his return to Chicago, don’t be surprised if the Bills have Fromm and Webb play a quarter each to give it all they got cause we might see one of three get cut depending on how all of them play during the game. 

On the Bears, there is another QB battle, and that’s for the Starting position. Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, and Nick Foles are also proving their case to see if they can be the leader of the Bears and be the starter. Fields got most of the playing time in the Bears first Preseason game going 14-20 142YDs and a Touchdown. Dalton and Foles only got a few series, so look out for them to get a little more playing time to see if they can also make a case for the starting job because all signs are leaning towards Fields week one for the Bears. In any case, this game has a lot to offer and should be an exciting game to watch, considering what’s at stake for all the quarterbacks involved. The kickoff is slated for 1 PM on Saturday. 

Jaret Patterson Shines in WFT’s 17-13 victory vs. Bengals

By Dan Ryans

WASHINGTON–The Washington Football Team hosted the Cincinnati Bengals last night at FedExField. It was a special night for football fans across the DMV, as they got to watch their team play a complete game in person for the first time in almost two years. Let’s say they were not disappointed. The burgundy and gold edged Cincy by a final of 17-13. And the star of the night was none other than the undrafted rookie and preseason sensation Jaret Patterson, who capped off his night with a game-winning one-yard score to put Washington ahead for good. So far, this young running back has exceeded many expectations. 

Overall, Patterson had over 100 all-purpose yards on Friday night. He had 16 carries for 71 yards, including the game-winner in the fourth quarter. On top of that, he also recorded 25 receiving yards and had a kick-return for 37 yards. Patterson’s big performance earned him high praise from the entire locker room, with some of his teammates calling him fun, special, and tough to guard. “In high school, throughout college, I always took pride in giving effort and just playing hard to the whistle,” said Patterson after the game. When asked what it was like to have his moment in front of family & friends at the game, he told reporters how truly blessed he was to have this opportunity. “To do it in my hometown, with the team I [rooted] for, it just felt good…I can’t wait to get back, watch the game film, and just see what ways can I get better.” With more reps with the first-team offense and support from his fellow teammates, Patterson should be an easy lock on the final 53-man roster. 

Other notes from tonight’s action:

– Ryan Fitzpatrick did not play very well against the Bengals, hitting 7 of 13 passes for 96 yards. While Fitzy took a step back from last week’s game in New England, both Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen were excellent. Heinicke went 11 for 13 with 80 yards and was under center for two of Washington’s four scoring drives. Allen hit 2 of 4 with just 23 yards but led Washington down the field for the go-ahead score in the fourth. 

– This is a ferocious defense. Cincy’s quarterback team of Brandon Allen, Kyle Shurmur, and Eric Dungey could not get anything going all night against the entire Washington defensive team. WFT held the Bengals to only 13 points and 214 yards of total offense. Specifically, Brandon Allen only had two first downs and went 0 for 6 on third down with 55 yards of offense. If this squad can continue to put up great results on defense, this team should be in excellent shape for week 1. 

– Kicker Dustin Hopkins had a rough game against the Pats, missing both field goal attempts. Despite his bad start to the preseason, Coach Rivera stuck with Hopkins for this matchup with the Bengals. This week, whatever Hopkins worked on in practice paid off, as he drilled all three of his kicks tonight. Hopefully, this means we overreacted with our early concerns for the kicker.

Dallas vs Texans Preseason Game #3

By Mark Halpern

Last week we saw the Cowboys fall to the Cardinals by 3 points. Both teams had played tough defense, and a field goal decided it in the end. The Cowboys backup Quarterback spot is ramping up as all three of them have not thrown an interception yet.

    This week, the Cowboys take on the Houston Texans’ cross-town in a battle for the Lone Star State. This game has become a yearly game for the silver and blue. This game is more for pride than anything as the Texans have had trouble staying out of the Limelight with star quarterback Deshaun Watson has been accused of Domestic Violence and sexual assault. This has made it hard for the Texan’s offense to gel.

    The Cowboys should see more first-string players such as Zeke Elliot, who has not had any reps in the first two games as they are trying to stay away from the injury bug. Star quarterback Dak Prescott will probably not play until next week to keep rehabbing his shoulder. Star wide receiver Amari Cooper has returned to practice after his foot surgery and won’t play. I expect most of the rest first-string on offense and defense except for Demarcus Lawrence and Malik Hooker to get time. Next week we should see everyone play at some point.

    The Cowboys have to start making cuts as the requirement to come down to 85 players on the team was made this morning, and I expect more by the end of today. The Cowboys cut Brennan Eagles, who has not been involved, Anthony Hines, who was far down the depth chart at linebacker as the Cowboys have one of the most stellar Linebacking cores in football. The big shocker was the cut of Cornerback Kyron Brown, who was signed early in the offseason to help with the cornerback being weak. Is it possible the Cowboys are ready to make a trade for a high-end cornerback? I will be watching this closely.

    This week, considering the game is in Arlington and the cutdown to 80 players next week, I expect some hard level playing. The Cowboys coaches realize they will have to cut a quarterback at some point, and as of now, it will be DiNucci and possibly signed to the practice squad. My prediction for this game is Dallas 21-13 Houston.

Detroit Lions vs Pittsburgh Steelers Preseason Game #2

By Mark Halpern

Last week we saw the Detroit Lions take on the Buffalo Bills and nearly came out with a win. The Lions are willing to take chances as many first-string players started and mainly played the second and third-string Bills players. Geoff looked good in the few drives he played and didn’t throw an interception or touchdown. He has his work cut out for him as he tries to get to know his new team. 

        This week the Lions will take on an adamant team offensively and defensively in the Steelers, I expect the first-string players of the Steelers will play at least the first quarter, all except Big Ben and a handful of other players.

       The Lions had to cut five players today to get their team down to 80 players. Most of the cut players were not factored in to be on the team long as the team is coming together. The Lions have a good defense but need to get a receiver with time running out.

     This week for the Lion’s I expect Geoff to start and play more than last week. One Brightside for Geoff is that he has formed a good relationship with star tight end T.J. Hockenson and Geoff had lots of success thrown to his tight ends with the rams. Deandre Swift should also get some playing time as the star running back is trying to be healthy come week one. 

    The Lions will have a tough season this year as they had lost their #1 WR in Golladay when he signed with the Giants, so that spot for number 1 is well up for grabs. The offensive line is coming together nicely as they must make sure Geoff is unharmed. 

    I can see the first-team offense and defense give a good fight in this weekend game, but I don’t foresee them coming out with a win. My prediction for a final score is Steelers 28-14 Lions.