Preseason 2023 NFL Week 3: Biggest Takeaways from Friday's Games
The San Francisco 49ers made headlines with a notable trade before the start of Friday's preseason games. With that said, we did get clarity on intriguing storylines as a result of the action on the field.
After a rough couple of weeks for the Carolina Panthers starting offense, the team saw some positive signs out of rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who went up against a Detroit Lions defense that's trying to make significant strides this year.
Following an outing with the New England Patriots, the Tennessee Titans should have a clear view of their quarterback depth chart. Meanwhile, the Patriots should have some concerns about their offense leading up to Week 1.
ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news about the 49ers trading quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys, which put the spotlight on Brock Purdy in his final dress rehearsal for the regular season.
Here are our biggest takeaways from Friday's preseason games.
49ers Turn Page on Trey Lance, Offense Finishes Preseason with Clunky Performance
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On Wednesday, the 49ers named Sam Darnold the No. 2 quarterback over Trey Lance, but we expected the latter to play Friday until the team traded him to the Cowboys.
During the 49ers' matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, general manager John Lynch spoke on the team's decision to move on from Lance.
"We took a shot, and it didn't work out," Lynch said during the NFL Network broadcast. "We own that. We take accountability for it.
"I think his story is still very much unwritten. I'm excited for Trey. Dallas stepped up and really wanted him, and they came after him. I think it's going to be a great landing spot for him."
Meanwhile, the 49ers offense put together a sloppy performance.
On the opening drive of the game, running back Jordan Mason fumbled at the Chargers' 2-yard line. San Francisco's defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back to the offense, and quarterback Brock Purdy finished the team's second possession with a five-yard run into the end zone. He went 5-of-9 passing for 73 yards.
After Purdy's touchdown drive, Darnold struggled to move the ball on his first three drives. The latter needed another possession in the second half to finish on a positive note with a scoring drive. Darnold went 6-of-11 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Brandon Allen entered the game at the end of the third quarter and threw an off-target pass to wideout Tay Martin, which resulted in a turnover. He finished 2-of-6 passing for 23 yards and an interception.
The 49ers can easily look past their misstep with Lance if Purdy picks up where he left off before tearing his UCL. Purdy has turned the ball over at a high rate during training camp practices though.
While we shouldn't hit the panic button because of interceptions at practice, we have to wonder if the 49ers have a solid quarterback situation. After they whiffed on Lance, one can question whether the organization deserves the benefit of the doubt in evaluating the position.
The 49ers chose Purdy to be their lead signal-caller, added Darnold for veteran insurance and dumped Lance. In the upcoming campaign, we'll find out if they made up for their 2021 trade blunder by going all in on the last pick in the 2022 draft.
Kellen Moore Is Prepared to Help QB Justin Herbert with a Balanced Offense
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This offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers replaced Joe Lombardi with Kellen Moore to fill their offensive coordinator position.
Under Lombardi, the Chargers couldn't get the run game going on a consistent basis. They dropped from 21st to 30th in rushing yards per game over the last two seasons.
Coming over from the Dallas Cowboys where he had running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, Moore has brought a spark to the Chargers' ground attack in the preseason. In two of three exhibition contests, Los Angeles has racked up 214-plus rushing yards.
Against the 49ers, the Chargers ran for 267 yards and a score, averaging a whopping 6.5 yards per carry. Joshua Kelley set the tone with a 75-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Sure, the Chargers need to carry this physical play style over to the regular season before anyone takes serious stock in their newfound offensive balance, but Moore has made a strong statement with a focus on the run game in the preseason.
Quarterback Justin Hebert won't have to carry the offense with his arm if he can hand off to his ball-carriers and watch them pick up yards in chunks.
Bryce Young, Panthers' 1st-Team Offense Finally Gains Some Momentum
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On Friday against the Lions, rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw his first touchdown pass in the pros, connecting with wideout Adam Thielen for 16 yards on the Panthers' second possession of the game.
In Carolina's first two preseason contests, Young led five drives that resulted in three points. He also faced a lot of pressure from his blind side because of left tackle Ikem Ekwonu's shaky pass protection.
The Lions pass rush flushed Young out of the pocket multiple times, but he handled the pressure with poise and picked up a couple of first downs on three carries for 21 yards. On the touchdown throw to Thielen, he threw with anticipation, leading the wideout to the corner of the end zone.
Young had an uplifting welcome-to-the-NFL moment against a Lions defense that racked up eight sacks in the first two weeks of the preseason.
While the Panthers offense struggled mightily against the New York Jets (in a 27-0 loss) and New York Giants, Young displayed his playmaking ability in Friday's outing and looks ready for the regular season whether he has to use arm or legs to move the ball.
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Lions' Aggressive Pass Rush Is Ready to Change Perception of the Defense
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If not for a generous defense that allowed the fifth-most points and the most yards, the Lions may have been able to get into the playoffs without help from the Los Angeles Rams in the final week of the 2022 season.
This offseason, the Lions made a concerted effort to strengthen their defense with several notable additions, including Emmanuel Moseley, Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch.
Nonetheless, Detroit's pass rush led by some familiar names generated buzz for the unit in the preseason. The Lions pass-rushers made Young work for his offensive production on Friday. James Houston and Romeo Okwara swarmed the rookie signal-caller multiple times.
Though Young finished on a high note with a touchdown drive, Houston and Okwara split a sack on the first drive of the game.
Detroit has registered 11 sacks in three exhibition games. Undrafted rookie cornerback Steven Gilmore put an exclamation point on a strong summer for the defensive unit with a pick-six on Friday.
Yes, Lions defenders saw a lot of second- and third-stringers in the preseason, but the front seven has the playmakers and depth to change the perception of the unit following a subpar campaign.
With the Okwara brothers healthy (Romeo and Julian), Aidan Hutchinson and Houston, who combined for 17.5 of the Lions' 39 sacks last year, will have some help in the pass rush.
Malik Willis Finds Rhythm, Did Enough to Lock Up Titans' No. 2 QB Job
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Last week, Titans rookie second-round quarterback Will Levis didn't play against the Minnesota Vikings because of a leg injury, which allowed the team to take a long look at Malik Willis, who took all the snaps under center for that game.
In a mixed-bag performance, Willis finished 10-of-17 passing for 85 yards, a touchdown and an interception with 91 rushing yards on 11 carries. Despite a clear-cut opportunity to put a stronghold on the backup quarterback position, he had an underwhelming showing.
On Friday against the Patriots, Willis had another chance to show why he's clearly Ryan Tannehill's primary backup with Levis on the sideline.
Willis had a slow start and threw an interception on the Titans' side of the field, but he picked up the pace in the second quarter. After the turnover, Willis completed eight consecutive passes and finished the first half with a touchdown drive.
Though Willis may have opened the season as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart by default because of Levis' injury, he probably earned the coaching staff's trust with a decent performance against the Patriots, going 15-of-20 passing for 211 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Patriots' Offensive Line Issues Raise Early Concerns
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ESPN's Mike Reiss wondered whether Patriots quarterback Mac Jones would play against the Titans behind a porous makeshift offensive line.
The Patriots sat Jones and started Bailey Zappe, who played into the second quarter before handing the baton to Trace McSorley.
In exhibition action, the Patriots' passing attack has left a lot to be desired against backups. In three outings, New England's quarterbacks have only thrown one touchdown pass. Last week against the Green Bay Packers, Zappe threw a 42-yard pass to rookie sixth-round wideout Kayshon Boutte for a score.
Keep in mind that left tackle Trent Brown and guards Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange have dealt with injuries this summer. This week, the Patriots activated Onwenu off the physically unable to perform list, and according to the Boston Globe's Christopher Price, they're optimistic about Strange's status for Week 1.
New England's offensive line may have to knock off some rust before it can provide quality pass protection. As a result, Jones may have a bumpy start to the 2023 season.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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