Preseason 2023 NFL Week 2: Biggest Takeaways from Friday's Games
In Week 2 of the NFL preseason, we're going to see a lot of starters for at least one series. On Friday, three of the four teams on the slate trotted out first-string quarterbacks with Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow, who didn't travel with the team, as the only exception.
Overall, teams in Friday's games didn't produce a ton of offensive highlights early, though the New York Giants had the most impressive scoring performance. In addition to efficient quarterback play, Big Blue's revamped pass-catching group made a statement against the Carolina Panthers.
Speaking of the Panthers, Bryce Young looked to build some momentum in his second NFL outing. Giants defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale made it difficult for him though.
The Atlanta Falcons hosted Cincinnati in a penalty-ridden contest. Yet the Falcons showed some promise against the Bengals' stout defense.
We've rounded up our biggest takeaways following Friday's action with some key observations to note going into the regular season.
TE Darren Waller Is Clearly Daniel Jones' Favorite Target
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Daniel Jones didn't play in the Giants' first preseason game, though he looked sharp on his first and only drive Friday, completing eight out nine passes for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Tight end Darren Waller hauled in the first two passes of the game and finished the day with three receptions for 30 yards.
SNY's Connor Hughes believes we saw a glimpse of what's to come from the Giants' passing offense in the regular season.
The Giants don't have a star wide receiver, but they acquired Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick in March. He can provide a significant boost to the club's aerial attack in a lead pass-catching role.
Waller racked up 1,145-plus receiving yards in back-to-back campaigns between 2019 and 2020 and caught 12 touchdowns in that two-year span. If Waller avoids injuries, which cost him 14 games over the previous two years, he could post career highs in multiple receiving categories this year.
This offseason, the Giants re-signed wide receivers Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard and added wideouts Parris Campbell, Cole Beasley, Jamison Crowder and rookie third-rounder Jalin Hyatt, but Waller will likely see the most targets if he stays healthy.
Don't Overlook Giants' Young Wide Receivers
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Yes, tight end Darren Waller will draw most of the attention in the Giants' passing game, but opposing defenders should keep an eye on Big Blue's young receivers who could be quality complementary playmakers.
Against the Panthers, Isaiah Hodgins recorded a couple of big gains through the air for 20 and 25 yards. Rookie third-rounder Jalin Hyatt broke free downfield for a wide-open 33-yard touchdown catch:
Even Parris Campbell, who's going into his age-26 campaign, caught three passes for 23 yards in an impressive outing for the Giants offense. Remember, 2022 second-round wideout Wan'Dale Robinson is still recovering from a torn ACL.
Last season, Hodgins caught touchdown passes in five of his last seven outings (including the playoffs). Hyatt has top-end speed that can stretch defenses vertically. Both wideouts could make names for themselves within a pass-catching group that needs someone other than Waller to make plays with consistency.
QB Bryce Young Still Underwhelming in Panthers' Stagnant Vanilla Offense
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While we shouldn't make sweeping conclusions about a team's offense in the preseason, especially a unit led by a rookie quarterback, the Panthers can't be happy with what they've seen out of their first-team offense.
The Athletic's Joesph Person has counted three three-and-out sequences in Carolina's first four offensive series for the starting unit in the preseason.
Against the Giants, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young went 3-of-6 passing for 35 yards in two series.
While Young tossed a few accurate passes and flashed his mobility, he seemed a bit uncomfortable and frustrated on stalled drives thanks in part to the Giants defense.
On one hand, Young hasn't made any glaring mistakes with head-scratching decisions from the pocket or turned the ball over, but the No. 1 overall pick from this year's draft needs more time on the field to find his rhythm.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich and company should trot out the first-team offense for at least an entire half in the final preseason game to help Young gain some momentum ahead of the regular season.
Falcons Offense Can Rack Up Points with Cleaner Execution
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The Falcons should be in the discussion as a team that could finish top 10 in scoring for the upcoming season, but they must tighten up some things at the line of scrimmage.
On Friday against the Bengals, the Falcons marched down the field on their first drive with quarterback Desmond Ridder completing passes to Drake London, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson.
Pitts looks healthy coming off an MCL tear. London had a couple of big catches for 21 and 12 yards. Robinson showed his explosiveness out of the backfield, breaking out for a 12-yard run.
Ridder had a solid offensive drive, completing seven of nine passes for 80 yards, but the Falcons' first possession ended on a turnover.
While one can argue that the referees could've called pass interference on cornerback Mike Hilton on the play that resulted in an interception, the Falcons didn't do themselves any favors with four offensive infractions on their first drive. They struggled with penalties on both sides of the ball in a sloppy game.
Nonetheless, Atlanta's offense flashed the potential to make a massive leap with its young core. Pitts, London and Robinson will challenge opposing defenses with size and speed. Hollins should emerge as a reliable third or fourth pass-catching option.
With that said, Atlanta must clean up the penalties. Guard Chris Lindstrom and offensive tackle Kaleb McGary drew three flags combined Friday night.
Bengals' Feisty Defense Can Keep Them in Games While Joe Burrow Recovers from Injury
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Quarterback Joe Burrow didn't take the trip to Atlanta for the Bengals' second preseason game, but head coach Zac Taylor said the signal-caller is "progressing as he should" from a calf injury.
On July 27, Burrow strained his calf at practice, and Taylor said he'll be out for "several weeks" but didn't specify a return date. The Bengals will cross their fingers in hopes they have their field general for Week 1. If not, Trevor Siemian, who went 7-of-14 passing for 62 yards against the Falcons, will likely start in his place.
In the event that Burrow returns to action, he doesn't need to put the team on his back at the beginning of the season. Cincinnati has a solid defense that's shown improvement each year under play-caller Lou Anarumo.
The Bengals defense held the Falcons to three points in the first half despite giving up some big plays. Anarumo's unit took the ball away and forced a turnover on downs in the first 30 minutes of action.
Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton said he couldn't remember the last that he suited up for a preseason contest. Ironically, he assisted on Joseph Ossai's interception, tipping the ball in the air on a pass in the red zone.
If Cincinnati needs its defense to limit the opposing team's scoring opportunities while Burrow gets back to 100 percent, Anarumo's group can certainly do that.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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