Preseason 2023 NFL Week 1: Biggest Takeaways from Sunday's Games
Week 1 of the 2023 NFL preseason wrapped on Sunday with two intriguing games, several debuts and a few standout performances.
The New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders came away with victories over the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. However, the final scores don't matter nearly as much as what occurred between the whistles.
Teams still have nearly a month until the start of the regular season, but the preparation process is in full swing and August 29 cutdown day is rapidly approaching. Every exhibition snap matters.
Here's a look at our biggest takeaways from Sunday's action.
The Saints Offense Could Be Explosive
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The Saints made a valiant push for the NFC South crown in 2022, thanks largely to a dominant defense. New Orleans ranked fifth in total defense and ninth in points allowed. However, it was held back by inconsistent quarterback play and a 22nd-ranked scoring offense.
The arrival of Derek Carr in free agency is expected to spark the Saints offense, and Carr looked great in his debut. He finished his limited action 6-of-8 for 70 yards and a fantastic touchdown strike to Keith Kirkwood:
However, New Orleans' offensive energy didn't dissipate when Carr exited the game. Backup Jameis Winston went 11-of-13 in the first half and tossed a touchdown pass of his own—a 29-yard strike to rookie A.T. Perry.
New Orleans' defense also shined, holding the defending champions to only seven first-half points, but it was the passing game's efficacy and explosiveness —sans top receivers Michael Thomas, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed—that should have fans excited about the upcoming season.
The Saints may need to lean on the pass early, as Alvin Kamara will be suspended for the first three games, and rookie Kendre Miller suffered a knee sprain on Sunday, according to Fox Sports' Greg Auman. The Saints recently met with free-agent Kareem Hunt, but he departed New Orleans without a contract.
The Saints tallied 17 points, 193 yards and 134 passing yards before the halftime against the Chiefs. If they can replicate that success in the regular season and pair it with a top-10 defense, this team could be a factor, not only in the NFC South, but in the conference race.
Chiefs Offensive Line Not in Sync Just Yet
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The Chiefs are going to be among the league's top Super Bowl contenders for as long as Patrick Mahomes remains healthy. If Mahomes misses significant time, though, Kansas City's season could go south quickly.
The good news is that new backup Blaine Gabbert looked comfortable in the offense, going 4-of-8 for 59 yards and a touchdown. The backup QB position became a question mark when Chad Henne retired after the Super Bowl.
The bad news is that Kansas City's new-look offensive line doesn't appear ready for the regular season yet. The Chiefs have two new tackles in Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor, and the unit's debut left something to be desired.
While Kansas City didn't allow a sack in the opening half, both Mahomes and Gabbert faced some pressure, while the ground game produced a mere 16 yards on seven attempts.
It's worth noting that the Chiefs' starting line didn't come off the field when Mahomes did.
This suggests that Andy Reid and the Kansas City coaching staff aren't yet satisfied with the line's chemistry and ability to operate as a group.
The Chiefs have two more preseason games in which to get Taylor, Donovan Smith, Trey Smith, Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey on the same page. Expect that to be a primary goal heading into the regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions.
Drue Tranquill Already Looking Like a Valuable Addition for KC
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While the Chiefs have an offensive identity, Kansas City knows that it takes a total team effort to win a championship.
The Chiefs finished the 2022 season 11th in yards allowed and second with 55 sacks. They'll look to keep that rolling this year after parting with pass-rushers Carlos Dunlap (who remains unsigned) and Frank Clark during the offseason.
Kansas City took former Kansas State pass-rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the 31st pick, and while he made a brief appearance on Sunday and recorded an assisted tackle, it was another, more under-the-radar addition who truly stood out early.
The Chiefs signed linebacker Drue Tranquill away from the rival Los Angeles Chargers in free agency but did not guarantee him a spot on the final 53.
"Brett Veach and Andy Reid's message was, 'Drue, there's no promises here,'" Tranquill told the Ross Tucker Football Podcast (h/t Jared Sapp of SBNation). "...we've got a lot of great players here, and you're going to have to come in here and earn your way."
Tranquill, who was a do-it-all defender in L.A., got off to a very fast start in his debut, racking up three tackles, two assists and a sack. It's only Week 1 of the preseason, but Tranquill is looking like a player who can contribute both against the run and in the pass-rushing rotation—and his team-friendly $3 million contract is looking like a bargain.
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Trey Lance Shaky in Return to Action
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Trey Lance's bid to be the 49ers' future quarterback has taken several twists and turns since he was selected third overall in 2021. He was the Week 1 starter last year but suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.
During Lance's 2022 absence, Brock Purdy emerged as a quality starter with an impressive 107.3 passer rating. According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, there's "no question" Brock Purdy will open the regular season as the starter if he's healthy enough to do so.
Purdy is working his way back from elbow surgery, which leaves the door cracked for Lance to reenter the starting conversation—assuming he isn't offered up as trade bait.
San Francisco gave Lance significant playing time on Sunday, and whether the 49ers were hoping to evaluate the third-year player or increase his trade value, they couldn't have been happy with the results.
In his first game action since Week 2 of last year, Lance appeared hesitant in the pocket and took two sacks in his first three dropbacks. His first three drives all resulted in punts. Lance appeared more decisive in the second quarter and led a touchdown drive, but his scoring pass was the product of good fortune and not a wise decision.
Lance's offensive line did him no favors (four sacks allowed), and his final stat line (10-of-15 for 112 yards and a TD) was respectable enough. However, anyone hoping to see the 23-year-old put quality play on tape came away sorely disappointed.
Raiders Youngsters Contribute to Fast Start
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Former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to lead the Las Vegas offense this season. However, he and many of the Raiders didn't see game action—quite possibly since the two teams already tested one another in joint practices.
The Raiders offense still got off to a fast start, thanks to young players like rookie fourth-round quarterback Aidan O'Connell, third-round receiver Tre Tucker and second-year running back Zamir White.
On Las Vegas' opening possession, O'Connell led the Raiders on an 11-play, 68-yard touchdown drive. His second completion was a 15-yarder to Tucker, while White did the heavy lifting on the ground, capping the drive with a powerful one-yard touchdown run.
O'Connell led another touchdown drive just before halftime, and Tucker nearly had a spectacular 34-yard reception midway through the second quarter, though it was overturned on review.
White finished with 43 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and his ability to handle a large workload could be important. Reigning rushing champ Josh Jacobs still has not signed his franchise-tag tender or reported to training camp.
O'Connell should be a backup behind Garoppolo, but given Garoppolo's injury history, his development is critical. There's a very real chance that O'Connell or journeyman Brian Hoyer starts for the Raiders at some point this season.
Nothing O'Connell did on Sunday suggests that he wouldn't be ready for an emergency start. He showed full command of Josh McDaniels' offense and finished 15-of-18 for 141 yards and a touchdown.
Raiders Defense Playing with Intensity
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It's hard to know how a unit's preseason performance will reflect its play in the regular season—especially when it's primarily going against backups.
Therefore, Raiders fans shouldn't be too overjoyed with Las Vegas' impressive defensive performance against San Francisco.
The big takeaway is that the Raiders played with an intensity and a focus on takeaways that we just didn't see from Patrick Graham's unit a year ago. Las Vegas was bad across the board defensively in 2022, finishing 19th against the run, 29th against the pass, 30th in sacks, 28th in yards allowed and 26th in points surrendered. Something had to change.
New additions like Marcus Peters and Marcus Epps have helped yield a Raiders identity shift.
"I just love what they're doing on the back end. They're getting confidence together, they're growing, and it bleeds down through the whole defense," pass-rusher Maxx Crosby told reporters.
It looked like an entirely different Raiders defense on Sunday.
The Raiders held San Francisco to only seven points and 266 total yards. They also recorded four sacks, two takeaways and two turnovers on downs.
Yes, the majority of San Francisco starters didn't suit up, and several Raiders starters were out as well. However, Las Vegas played tough, physical and opportunistic defense for all four quarters.
The Raiders might not be Super Bowl contenders this season, but they're unlikely to provide easy wins.
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