NFL Preseason Week 2: Takeaways from Thursday's Action

The NFL kicked off Week 2 of the 2015 preseason with a pair of Thursday night games.

Though only four teams were in action, there was still plenty to watch and learn.

The Washington Redskins lost starting quarterback Robert Griffin III to a concussion but defeated the Detroit Lions, 21-17. The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns engaged in a defensive struggle that saw starting Browns quarterback Josh McCown make a number of mistakes.

The visiting Bills won that matchup, 11-10.

While Thursday's games saw a couple of veteran players stumble, a few less established performers found ways to stand out, and some backups found ways to shine.

Let's take a look at the biggest takeaways from the opening night of preseason Week 2. 

Robert Griffin III Needs to Learn How to Avoid Hits

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Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III left Thursday's game against Detroit in the second quarter with head and shoulder injuries after suffering a brutal hit behind the line of scrimmage. It was the third sack he took on the evening.

According to Washington head coach Jay Gruden, via Bleacher Report's Jason Cole, Griffin suffered a concussion but no shoulder damage.

What's even worse for the Redskins is the fact that Griffin continues to take hits at a frightening pace. He took several vicious blows against the Browns a week ago, and the Lions hit him on six of his eight passing dropbacks.

Chris Chase of USA Today was quick to place blame on Gruden and the team for allowing Griffin to continue playing:

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So what did head coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay do while watching their so-called franchise quarterback get buried into the turf like Jimmy Hoffa? They let him come out for a second drive, then a third and then, inexplicably, a fourth. Other than a 10-yard run by Alfred Morris on the second play of the game, Griffin and the Redskins didn’t move the chains once. 

"

Yes, the Redskins could probably have pulled Griffin, but the quarterback is also at fault here. He could likely have avoided several of the hits this preseason by adjusting protection, changing plays, releasing the ball sooner or simply learning to slide properly. 

"[H]e has gone backwards. It’s not just his decision-making, it’s his fundamentals," former Washington quarterback Mark Brunell recently said of Griffin, per Scott Allen of the Washington Post. "He’s taking too many hits, he’s quick to get out of the pocket."

Injuries have dominated the story of Griffin's career and have prevented him from ever replicating his magical rookie season of 2012 (4,015 combined rushing and passing yards, 27 touchdowns). If he doesn't figure out how to stop exposing himself to repeated punishment, it will be difficult for Griffin to ever look like a star again. 

Colt McCoy, Kirk Cousins Both Shine for Washington

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Colt McCoy

The Redskins have given no indication this offseason that there is even a possibility of a quarterback controversy. However, it is worth noting that while Griffin continues to struggle to protect himself in the pocket, backups Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy have been both comfortable and efficient in the Washington offense. 

Each backup tossed a touchdown pass in Thursday's game while avoiding interceptions. McCoy finished his night 5-of-6 for 80 yards. Cousins went 8-of-12 for 91 yards. Neither player found himself on the receiving end of a sack.

John Keim of ESPN.com lauded McCoy's ability to get the ball out of his hands quickly during the game. Coincidentally, Griffin's inability to deliver a quick strike is one of his biggest weaknesses.

According to Pro Football Focus, Griffin took an average of 2.94 seconds to deliver a pass in 2014. Only four regular quarterbacks took longer.

It is important to remember that McCoy and Cousins saw most of their work against backups, so their efficiency shouldn't be enough to reopen the thought of placing Griffin on the bench in the regular season. However, the Redskins should feel pretty good about their backup options.

Jeremy Ross Flashes as a Receiver

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Jeremy Ross was the third receiver for the Lions last season, but he was rarely the true No. 3 option.

Starting wideouts Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate were obviously the top two targets for quarterback Matthew Stafford. However, four other players—running backs Reggie Bush, Theo Riddick and Joique Bell and tight end Eric Ebron—caught more passes than the 24 (for 314 yards) produced by Ross.

Ross has had some value as a return specialist. He averaged 25.4 yards per kickoff return and 8.9 yards per punt return in 2014. However, he also had three fumbles on returns. 

According to Justin Rogers of MLive.com, Ross needs to justify his roster spot.

On Thursday, the 27-year-old flashed what he can do at the wide receiver position. He caught a couple of key passes early, including a second-quarter grab that gave the Lions a 10-point lead. If he can keep progressing as a pass-catcher, Ross' roster spot should be safe.

He finished the game with four receptions for 31 yards and a score.

Trying to match up with Johnson and Tate is difficult enough for opponents as it is. If Ross can emerge as a legitimate receiving threat, he will make the Detroit passing attack even more dangerous. 

That Detroit Defensive Line Is Still Pretty Good

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The Lions lost defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley during the offseason, which has led some to wonder how far the league's second-ranked defense (300.9 yards per game allowed) might fall.

"Well I think it’s going to be different because we have different people. Nobody is going to play the same or look the same, so we’ll figure out a way to get the job done,’’ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said earlier this offseason, per Paula Pasche of the Oakland Press. “I can’t say exactly how it’s going to look, but it’ll take shape as we go.

Through two preseason games, it appears that the Lions are learning to live without their star defensive tackles. The big guys up front smothered the New York Jets a week ago and did the same to the starting Redskins offense.

In four drives with Griffin under center, the Redskins gained just one first down. The Lions sacked Griffin three times, and he fumbled twice, losing one of them. Washington's starting running back, Alfred Morris, gained just 10 yards on three carries.

The backup units weren't quite as effective for Detroit, of course, as the Redskins finished with 179 net rushing yards. The team also has to be concerned with the health of defensive lineman Caraun Reid, who left the game with an ankle injury.

Still, Detroit has to feel good about how its defensive front is progressing.

The Bills and Browns Need to Get Healthy in a Bad Way

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We're used to seeing unfamiliar players getting work in preseason games, but the Buffalo-Cleveland game saw the two teams going especially deep into their rosters.

The Bills entered the game without receivers Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Percy Harvin. The team's top five running backs—LeSean McCoy, Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown, Boobie Dixon and Karlos Williams—were all held out of the game because of injuries.

Meanwhile, the Browns were without running back Duke Johnson and wide receiver Terrelle Pryor. Cleveland was also down eight defensive backs, including Pro Bowlers Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson. Second-year cornerback Justin Gilbert, who desperately needs to start showing some progress, sat as well.

"Basically, get ready to watch plenty of guys who inevitably will be watching regular-season games along with the rest of us." Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote before the game. 

Considering Buffalo's top running back was little-known Bronson Hill (eight carries for 25 yards), Florio may have been right with his pregame assessment. 

In addition, Browns safety Jordan Poyer and tight end Gary Barnidge both left the game for concussion evaluation. Bills receivers Chris Hogan and Marquise Goodwin also left with injuries. 

Tyrod Taylor Is Looking Like a Future Starter

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Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor got off to a hot start against the Browns defense and showed several veteran qualities on the game's opening drive.

Taylor completed his first five passes for 39 yards and scrambled twice for 13 yards while guiding Buffalo into field-goal range. Unfortunately, Taylor made a not-so-wise decision that resulted in a sack to end the drive and lengthen the ensuing attempt, which kicker Dan Carpenter missed. 

The Bills eventually engineered a field-goal drive behind Taylor, who played until the half. He finished his two quarters of work 7-of-10 for 65 yards. Taylor also rushed four times for 41 yards, leading the team.

Taylor's 106 yards of offense were impressive, but even more impressive was his ability to move the chains on third down and extend drives.

"Bills in the middle of a 15-play, nine-minute drive. If that doesn't make Rex [Ryan] fall in love with Tyrod Taylor, nothing will." Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated tweeted early during Thursday's game. 

Lengthy drives do fit in nicely with Ryan's physical, defense-oriented philosophy. 

NFL Media's Albert Breer reported before the game that a good performance from Taylor could win him Buffalo's starting job. 

The fact that Buffalo scored a mere three points with Taylor at quarterback may extend the competition into Week 3. However, the former Baltimore Ravens backup did plenty that the Bills should feel good about.

Josh McCown Struggles in 2 Quarters of Work

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Browns quarterback Josh McCown played just one series last week against the Redskins, completing all five pass attempts and leading his team into the end zone.

McCown wasn't nearly as efficient against the Bills and was forced to play all the way until halftime. Though he did finally engineer a field-goal drive just before intermission, the Browns can't be pleased with the journeyman's overall performance.

He finished the half 7-of-10 for 57 yards with two picks.

One of the interceptions went off the hands of tight end Gary Barnidge, so McCown can get a pass there. However, the other interception was an extremely poor decision, and Buffalo's pass rush frequently flustered McCown.

"From Josh McCown's two int's and fetal-position sacks to Johnny Manziel, the state of affairs at QB isn't much better here in Cleveland," Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News tweeted of McCown's outing.

The Browns have reason to be concerned about McCown's performance. The team brought him in to provide a steadying presence under center. The Browns also hoped they would be getting a different McCown than the one who faltered with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014.

However, they didn't have much reason to believe that, as Pro Football Focus rated McCown 69th overall among quarterbacks last season.

Johnny Manziel Continues to Show Progress as a Passer

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Though Browns backup Johnny Manziel probably isn't ready to seriously challenge Josh McCown for the starting job, he is showing progress and poise as a second-year quarterback.

Everyone remembers the embarrassment that was Manziel in 2014. He finished the season with a passer rating of 42.0, and Pro Football Focus ranked him 46th overall among quarterbacks  He consistently appeared ill-prepared and flustered by the speed of the pro game.

So far this preseason, Manziel has looked like a completely different quarterback. He has operated more efficiently out of the pocket and has been more consistent as a passer.

Last week against Washington, he completed 63.6 percent of his passes and rushed for a touchdown while committing no turnovers. Against Buffalo on Thursday, he completed 10 of 18 pass attempts for 118 yards and tossed his first score of the preseason.

He also utilized his mobility to buy time and look for targets downfield, and he showed touch and anticipation on his passes. Most importantly, he appeared comfortable in Cleveland's offense for the second week in a row.

"Johnny Manziel's play isn't about who he's against. It's about him not looking lost and making progress," Will Brinson of CBS Sports tweeted.

Unfortunately, Manziel couldn't turn his progress into a fourth-quarter comeback. 

Manziel still has a long way to go before he can be a solid starter in the NFL, but at least he is beginning to look less and less like a certifiable bust.