Preseason 2023 NFL Week 3: Biggest Takeaways from Saturday's Games
Saturday may well be the most important day of the entire 2023 NFL preseason.
It's not just that this is the final week of the preseason. Saturday featured a full slate of games—10 in all.
Those games meant different things to different players. For many established starters, it meant another afternoon of watching from the sideline. For some others, it was a chance to shake off some rust and prepare for Week 1. For younger starters stepping into prominent roles in 2023, it was one last chance to get some game reps before the pressure ramps up and games start to count.
But for a great many fringe players, Saturday was one of the most important days of their lives—one last chance to impress coaching staffs before rosters are slashed from 90 players to 53 on Tuesday.
"The Turk" is going to be busy.
There's not much to be taken away from a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals that featured a quarterback duel between Clayton Tune and Jaren Hall. But there were some things that happened during Saturday's game that merit mentioning.
So, let's get to mentioning them.
Bills First-Team Offense In Midseason Form Against Bears
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In two weeks, the Buffalo Bills will try to erase the stink from last year's disheartening home playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals when they open the regular season against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets in the first Monday night affair of the 2023 campaign.
If their limited action against the Chicago Bears Saturday is any indication, the Bills are ready to give Rodgers and the Jets all they can handle.
Josh Allen and the first-team offense played just one series against the Bears, but one series is all it took for the Bills to drive the length of the field and score a touchdown.
Buffalo went 72 yards in 12 plays with ease. Allen completed five of seven passes for 49 yards, including two throws for 20 yards to star wideout Stefon Diggs. He also showed off the scrambling ability that makes him such a nightmare for opposing defenses.
On the ground, second-year pro James Cook carried the ball five times for 23 yards, And much to the chagrin of fantasy football managers who invested in Cook this summer, free agent signee Damien Harris came in to vulture the two-yard scoring run.
It's hardly surprising to see the Bills play well offensively. But to see them march the length of the field with such ease will no doubt give Jets head coach Robert Saleh some pause as he begins game prep.
Bears QB Justin Fields, Offensive Line Struggles Mightily vs. Bills
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As Josh Scrock reported for NBC Sports Chicago, despite multiple injuries on the offensive line, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus decided to play quarterback Justin Fields against the Buffalo Bills in an effort to get the third-year pro some more game reps and confidence against the season opener.
"Getting the reps in the game," Eberflus said. "Being able to function with his teammates and with his receivers, the offensive line and tight ends. Just to get that efficiency down, if it's for a short period of time or a longer period of time, just for that time."
In retrospect, maybe Eberflus should have given Fields the day off.
Facing consistent pressure from the Buffalo defense, Fields was mostly awful throwing the ball Saturday—he missed on his first four pass attempts before finally hitting new No. 1 wideout D.J. Moore for a 40-yard strike.
Fields finished the game with two completions in six attempts for 51 yards with a passer rating of 65.3. He also added three scrambles for 16 yards, but after taking a shot from a free rusher up the middle the young quarterback's day was done.
Frankly, the blame for Fields' rocky day isn't mostly his. And if the Chicago offensive line looks in Week 1 against the rival Packers the way it did against Buffalo, it's going to be a long Sunday afternoon for Fields.
Browns First-Teamers Impress in Kansas City
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Now, this one admittedly carries a caveat—most of the starters for the Kansas City Chiefs were spectators against the Cleveland Browns Saturday. The closest that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes got to the field was pre-game handshakes.
But still, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski has to be pleased with what he saw from his starters in the first half against the Chiefs.
The Browns had no run game to speak of, but that was largely due to Nick Chubb joining Mahomes in bubble wrap on the sideline. There were also a pair of botched exchanges, one of which resulted in a turnover and Chiefs field goal. But all told, Deshaun Watson looked good throwing the ball. Watson threw for 92 yards and posted a passer rating over 115, including a pretty touchdown toss to David Njoku.
It was the Cleveland defense that really shined though—especially the new faces.
Even without Myles Garrett opposite him (again, bubble wrap) Edge-rusher Za'Darius Smith was consistently in the Kansas City backfield. Safeties Rodney McLeod and Juan Thornhill each intercepted passes, with Thornhill returning his 34 yards for a score.
All told, the Browns tallied 22 points in the first quarter, which should give the team some confidence heading into the home opener against one of the AFC's top teams in the Cincinnati Bengals.
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UDFA WR Jake Bobo Continues to Shine for Seahawks
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It doesn't necessarily mean anything when a player leads a team in receiving in the preseason—as often as not, said player is just seeing more playing time because he's playing deep into meaningless contests with third and fourth-stringers.
But the five catches for 98 yards and a score that undrafted free agent Jake Bobo had posted with the Seattle Seahawks through two preseason games were a different story.
As John Boyle wrote for the team's website, Bobo has impressed from the moment he stepped on the practice field—and it hasn't escaped the notice of head coach Pete Carroll.
"Jake's flying pretty high right now, he's done great," Carroll said. "He hasn't just done well in the few plays in the game. He's done well in practice throughout. He's been really steady; it's not a surprise to see him play like that in the games. We were thrilled to see what would happen, because he's been making plays out here. He looks like he's part of the flow to me. I don't see any reason why we would think different. He's consistent, he's tough, he's really, really smart and savvy. He's been a real factor, and he's gotten behind people too, in both games. I feel so fortunate that we got him outside of the draft. So we will see how far he can take it but he's in the middle of everything right now."
The Bobo show continued Saaturday in Green Bay, with the former UCLA standout hauling in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Drew Lock.
At this point, Bobo isn't just likely to make the 53-man roster. With Dee Eskridge suspended and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Dareke Young uncertain to play in Week 1 due to injuries, Bobo could open the regular season as Seattle's No. 3 receiver.
Just like we all saw coming.
Packers QB Jordan Love Finds Paydirt in Third Straight Preseason Game
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There has been no shortage of hand-wringing in Green Bay this summer as the team transitions from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love at quarterback. The 24-year-old attempted to assuage some of that uneasiness with touchdown passes in the first two preseason games, but while speaking to Carmen Vitali of Fox Sports, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear Love would also play Saturday against Seattle—because he needs all the game reps he can get.
"We've all seen the growth over these past few years, and it's been pretty cool to witness," LaFleur said after the team's last preseason game. "But you have to have a short memory in this game because you're only as good as your last game and we all know that. There's a lot of work and quite frankly, it's only the preseason. We're going to have to keep building upon this."
Love wasn't flawless against the Seahawks—he missed a couple of open receivers and started slow. But when the Packers went up-tempo, Love found his groove, eventually connecting with No. 1 wide receiver Christian Watson for a six-yard-score.
Three straight meaningless games with a touchdown pass are, um, rather, um, meaningless. And there are going to be growing pains with Love—he isn't suddenly going to become a four-time MVP.
But it certainly can't hurt Love's confidence heading into the opener against the Bears that he had success in his first preseason as the unquestioned starter for the Packers.
Aaron Rodgers-to-Garrett Wilson looks like a Dangerous Duo for the New York Jets
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There was some question whether we'd see Aaron Rodgers at all in the preseason. But per Brian Costello of the New York Post, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he wasn't going to coach scared and let fear of injury prevent him from getting Rodgers game reps with his new team.
"You can't coach scared, you can't play scared," Saleh said. "You can slip out of your car and have something happen to you, but knock on wood, everyone will be fine. You know you see some of the great ones out there. Kansas City's playing their guys, Buffalo's playing their guys, it's not uncommon. You could always play the hindsight game or the fearful game, but what's in the best interest for our team is to go out there and play some football together and prepare ourselves the best way we can for September 11th."
Sure enough, Rodgers was out there Saturday evening against the Giants. And while it was just two series, he and 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson appear to have already developed quite the rapport.
Rodgers completed five of eight attempts against the Giants for 47 yards. Three of those completions went to Wilson, including an absolutely filthy 14-yard touchdown.
Frankly, as impressive as the Rodgers-to-Wilson combo was Saturday, that may not have been the most impressive part of the Jets' performance. Granted, it came against mostly reserve linemen, but the Jets defense completely dominated the line of scrimmage in the first quarter.
Pair an elite defense and a high-end wideout with a four-time NFL MVP, and this could be the best Jets team we have seen in a while.
Buccaneers Get Solid Outing from QB Baker Mayfield, RB Rachaad White
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As with most things preseason, there's a caveat here—the Baltimore Ravens rested their starters in the preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But when you're moving on from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask at quarterback and fielded the worst rushing offense in the NFL, you'll take good news where you can get it.
And the Buccaneers got some on both fronts against Baltimore in the first quarter of Saturday's contest.
Mayfield was named the team's Week 1 starter earlier in the week, and veteran Chris Godwin told reporters that he was glad the team now has a clear leader under center.
"I think it allows us to kind of focus in a little bit more and have some deeper conversations about the things that we like, don't like, what he likes, how he sees things," Godwin said. "I think that's with any starting quarterback. It helps to have a little bit of clarity. But it was also cool seeing those guys battle it out during camp. That was my first time being a part of something like that."
Apparently, those conversations paid off. Mayfield completed all six of his pass attempts Saturday for 43 yards, with four of those passes going to Godwin—including Mayfield's touchdown pass.
It continues a solid preseason for Mayfield, who threw just one incompletion in the preseason with two scores and a passer rating of 135.4.
For his part, Trask played well in the first quarter as well, going 6-for-8 for 67 yards and a score of his own.
The Buccaneers also got a solid quarter out of new lead back Rachaad White. The second-year pro racked up 39 yards on seven carries and added a two-yard catch.
The Buccaneers should be a solid defensive team. While Tampa still has to show they can execute like this offensively against first-teamers, if they can the Buccaneers should be in the thick of the NFC South race.
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars Offense Roll Against Dolphins
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Per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk, Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence said recently that he feels good about where the Jaguars are offensively in 2023.
"We're just a close group and I think with that, that gives everybody confidence," he said. "You can count on the guy next to you and the guys have played well, performed really well. Even our depth throughout the preseason has looked great. It's just encouraging for everybody, everybody feels like they can go play free. I like where we're at right now."
If Saturday's first half against a Miami team playing the majority of their starters defensively was any indication, Lawrence has ample reason to be confident.
It wasn't all perfect—rookie running back Tank Bigsby fumbled on his way into the end zone, costing the Jaguars a potential touchdown. But Bigsby and third-year pro were also highly effective on the ground. The duo combined for 76 yards on 14 carries in about a quarter and a half, with Etienne scoring from three yards out.
As good as the Jaguars were on the ground, they were even better through the air. Lawrence missed on just two of 10 pass attempts, amassing 92 yards and posting a passer rating of 105.0. Over half those passing yards went to newcomer Calvin Ridley, who hauled in three catches for 50 yards.
It was an impressive outing against a capable defensive team. And headed into their season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, it's hard not to view the Jaguars as the team to beat in the AFC South.
Jaguars/Dolphins Game Suspended After WR Daewood Davis Carted From Field
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The Jaguars got off to a great start in Saturday's preseason finale, but the game ended on a much more somber note. As ESPN's Michael DiRocco reported, the game was suspended in the fourth quarter after undrafted free agent rookie wide receiver Daewood Davis suffered a scary-looking injury after a collision with Jaguars linebacker Dequan Jackson.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that after the coaches consulted with the players and the league, the decision was made to suspend the game.
"As a head coach, you start looking at your team. You start looking at their team. You start looking at body language and where guys are mentally," Pederson said. "We got player reps involved and New York involved. It's the right thing to do at that time. This game is all about player safety. I know it's a preseason game and some guys are fighting for spots and all that, but at the same time we want to make sure that everybody's 100 percent."
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said the Dolphins' primary concern was the health of their teammate.
"A lot of guys respect him, he's very well respected in the locker room. He's a great player, he's a great teammate," Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said of Davis. "He's a great person. It just would've been hard to have gone back out after seeing something like that."
Thankfully after being transported to Baptist Medical Center In Jacksonville, Davis is conscious and has movement in all his extremities.
Welcome to the NFL, Stetson Bennett
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Stetson Bennett has enjoyed immense success in college football. And while he threw a terrible interception in the Rams' second preseason game, Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur praised the 25-year-old rookie's ability to rebound from that pick to lead a scoring drive later in that game,
"Yeah, you could totally see it, just the resiliency of him, right?," LaFleur told reporters. "For him to finish with that offensive group in the end zone and in a pretty productive drive right there was good to see and like you said, he has the ability to bounce back. You don't see anything in his eyes, except he just wants to be back out there and that's from practice or in the game."
That resiliency is going to be sorely tested after Bennett's disaster of a start against the Denver Broncos Saturday night.
Over his first two games, Bennett was neither great nor terrible. He completed 32 of 53 pass attempts for 333 yards, a touchdown pass, an interception and a rushing touchdown. But against Denver's defensive reserves, Bennett's final preseason action was an unmitigated disaster. He completed just four of nine passes for 12 yards, threw a pair of interceptions (including another awful one) and was sacked before giving way to Brett Rypien.
His passer rating for the game was 12. Twelve.
Bennett may have been a magician at Georgia, but he's in the NFL now.
And any chance he had of opening the season as Matthew Stafford's backup went up in a puff of smoke Saturday.
Albert Okwuegbunam Makes Late Push to Keep Roster Spot with Huge Game vs. Rams
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There was a time when some considered Albert Okwuegbunam the future at tight end for the Denver Broncos. But when the team released its depth chart, the fourth-year pro was listed fifth at the position. Given that Okwuegbunam doesn't play special teams, that could leave the 25-year-old on the outside looking in when roster cuts come down Tuesday.
However, Okwuegbunam must have read the room. He has been making a late push to claim a roster spot—and that push continued Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams.
Earlier this week, head coach Sean Payton told reporters that Okwuegbunam had arguably his best week of practice since camp began during joint workouts with the Rams,
"I thought he had a good week last week. He had one of his better weeks," Broncos coach Sean Payton said. "So, hopefully we can continue that trend."
Against the Rams, Okwuegbunam kept right on rolling. He led all Broncos receivers in receptions (seven), receiving yards (109) and scored on an eight-yard catch.
Whether this late surge will be enough to keep Okwuegbunam on the Broncos won't be known until Tuesday.
But if it isn't, you can bet that some other NFL teams noticed Okwuegbunam's big night.
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