NFL Preseason Week 2: Takeaways from Saturday's Action

Anyone involved in the NFL world can tell you that final scores are just another meaningless statistic during the preseason.

However, that most certainly doesn't mean NFL preseason games lack importance. On the contrary, preseason exhibition games help NFL coaches and team decision-makers understand where their respective rosters, systems and schemes stand in terms of talent and preparation. 

On Saturday, 16 teams took the field for Week 2 of the 2015 preseason. In most cases, the starters received a little more playing time than they did in Week 1. As a result, we learned a little more about each club as teams continue progressing toward the 2015 regular season.

Let's take a look at some key observations from Saturday's action.

The Eagles Are Extremely Deep at Running Back

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The Philadelphia Eagles got their first real look at running back DeMarco Murray in the team's offense on Saturday. However, the real takeaway from Philadelphia's second preseason game is that the Eagles are four deep at running back.

Murray, the league's reigning rushing leader, carried the ball five times for 17 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens. That's great. What's better is that the three backs behind Murray proved they are worth keeping on the final roster.

Ryan Mathews also found the end zone. Darren Sproles rushed twice and caught two passes for 25 combined yards. Kenjon Barner proved productive as a running back and found the end zone for the third time this preseason on a 68-yard punt return. 

"Welcome to the 53-man roster Kenjon Barner," Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com tweeted after Barner's return.

Murray, Sproles and Mathews were always expected to be part of the final 53, but Barner is beginning to look like a player who will be impossible to cut.

The Eagles have put up 76 points in two preseason games and look like one of the most dangerous teams of the preseason. If Philadelphia has a successful season in 2015, expect a number of running backs to have a hand in it.

The Panthers Are Really Going to Miss Kelvin Benjamin

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Second-year receiver Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL in practice this past week, which means the Carolina Panthers will be without their star wideout in 2015.

It's never good when a team doesn't have it's best pass-catching option, of course, but losing Benjamin could be enough to doom the Panthers this year. On Saturday, we got our first look at the Carolina offense without Benjamin, and the results were far from pretty.

Starting quarterback Cam Newton completed just four of 10 pass attempts against the Miami Dolphins. He missed on his first three throws, was intercepted on his fourth and failed to score when he finally got the Panthers into the red zone. 

During the game, Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer pointed out that not having Benjamin as a goal-line target is a huge deal for this offense. The Panthers had a 1st-and-goal opportunity from the Miami 2-yard line and were stopped on four consecutive runs. 

Three of Newton's four completions went to tight end Greg Olsen, the only Carolina player other than Benjamin to catch more than 50 passes in 2014. There may not be another pass-catcher Newton can trust. 

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Newton averaged more than 1.5 yards less per pass attempt when Benjamin wasn't on the field last season. If Olsen remains Newton's only go-to target, the Panthers offense is likely to continue struggling in the regular season. 

"Honestly, I didn't think Carolina had enough at receiver before the Benjamin injury," NFL Media's Adam Schein wrote. "Now? Devin Funchess is the current No. 1, and that's not fair to the second-round pick. He just doesn't appear to be as physical or NFL-ready as Benjamin was entering last season."

To be fair, Funchess wasn't in the lineup on Saturday because of a hamstring injury. He still may be able to step into the No. 1 receiver role—he did catch two passes for 53 yards against the Buffalo Bills in the first week of the preseason.

The problem is that there isn't going to be a threatening target across from Funchess for opposing defenses to worry about. 

Jimmy Garoppolo Is Making Positive Progress

Bill Feig/Associated Press

We still have no idea if New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be available for the start of the regular season. If his suspension holds, the Patriots will be forced to rely on backup Jimmy Garoppolo.

After Saturday's performance against the Saints, New England has to feel at least a little better about its chances with Garoppolo under center. 

Garoppolo was a bit disappointing in the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers. He finished that game a respectable 20-of-30 for 159 yards, but was intercepted once and sacked an alarming seven times.

"The second-year signal caller didn't display much awareness; consequently, the Pats fielded a pop-gun offense," NFL Media's Adam Schein wrote of Garoppolo's preseason debut.

Though he threw another interception on Saturday, Garoppolo was a much more efficient and effective quarterback against New Orleans. He finished 28-of-33 for 269 yards with one touchdown and one pick. He led the Patriots offense to 24 points and helped engineer a game-winning field-goal drive late in the fourth quarter.

More importantly, Garoppolo appeared more comfortable in the offense and seemed to see the field much better than he did a week ago.

"A week made a big difference for Garoppolo, who was confident, decisive and accurate for most of the game," Mike Reiss of ESPN.com wrote after the game. "This was the type of game that Patriots fans could look at and have confidence that Garoppolo would be capable if he's called upon."

Feeling better about that rebuilt Patriots secondary is another story.

The Saints Are Still Going to Have a Strong Passing Attack

Bill Feig/Associated Press

When the New Orleans Saints made the decision to trade away tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills earlier this offseason, you might have believed it would mark the end of Drew Brees' tenure as an elite passer.

After all, Stills and Graham were the Saints' top two pass-catchers a year ago (148 combined receptions).

Well, Brees saw his first action of the preseason on Saturday night against the New England Patriots, and he and the Saints' passing attack looked as lethal as ever. He played three series with the New Orleans offense, engineered three scoring drives and tossed two touchdowns.

He finished his night 8-of-10 for 159 yards.

The highlight of Brees' evening was a beautiful 45-yard touchdown pass to second-year wideout Brandin Cooks. 

"Looks like Drew Brees’ arm strength is OK to me." Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com tweeted after the play.

Questioning Brees' ability would be silly, of course, even if the quarterback is 36 years old. He was rated second overall among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus last season. The question is whether or not the Saints have enough weapons to maintain a high-quality passing attack.

After watching the Saints shred the Patriots for 373 net passing yards on Saturday, one has to believe that the weapons in New Orleans are more than adequate. 

Either that or the Patriots are really, really bad at defending the pass.

Peyton Manning Appears to Be a Work in Progress in the New Denver Offense

George Bridges/Associated Press

Brees was extremely sharp in his preseason debut. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning? Not so much. 

Manning and the Broncos are learning the new, more balanced offense being implemented by head coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. The Broncos are expected to utilize more zone blocking and two-tight-end sets, while Manning is expected to spend less time in the shotgun.

"Manning gets his first chance to showcase a new look where he’ll mostly be lining up under center or in the pistol instead of working from the shotgun, where he’s taken snaps for almost the entire time he’s been in Denver," the Associated Press wrote of Manning in a preview of Saturday's games.

At first blush, it appears Manning will need a little time to adjust to the new system.

Manning led the Denver offense for four drives, and the Broncos ended up punting on all four possessions. He finished his night 8-of-14 for just 52 yards.

"So far, it looks like a work in progress," Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com wrote of Manning's adjustment to Kibuak's offense. 

Of course, Denver's struggles with Manning on the field cannot be blamed solely on the quarterback. Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post explained why Kubiak also needs time to adjust to his new signal-caller:

"

Manning finished 8-of-14 passing for 52 yards. …

The Broncos rushed five times for 29 yards while Manning was on the field. Starting tailback C.J.Anderson plowed for 24 yards, though backup Ronnie Hillman led all rushers with 54 yards, giving him 120 yards in two games. …

The adjustment with the offense goes both ways. Manning is trying to find his way, while Kubiak adapts to calling plays in an offense unlike any he's run before.

"

Manning and Co. still have two preseason games to make adjustments, so there is definitely no reason to panic about one so-so performance. There is also no reason to start calling for backup Brock Osweiler, who has looked very good this preseason.

Just don't be surprised to see Manning adjusting to the learning curve over the next few weeks.

Phillip Dorsett Looks Like the Colts' Third Receiver

AJ Mast/Associated Press

The Indianapolis Colts entered the preseason with a logjam at receiver behind starters T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson. Players vying for the No. 3 role include Donte Moncrief, Duron Carter, Griff Whalen and Phillip Dorsett.

After two preseason games, it is beginning to look like Dorsett, a rookie out of Miami, is closing in on the role.

Dorsett shined in the Colts' preseason opener last week. He caught four passes for 51 yards and showed that he is a lot more than a speed merchant.

"What stood out to me in Phillip Dorsett's preseason debut was his route diversity. Wasn't just out there running 9s," Rotoworld's Evan Silver tweeted this past week. 

Dorsett's polish as a route-runner helped him continue his strong preseason on Saturday against the Chicago Bears. He finished with three receptions for 21 yards, though he did leave the game early with a knee injury.

According to Phillip B. Wilson of Scout.com, the injury was mild enough for Indianapolis to list Dorsett's return as probable. This means Dorsett should have another opportunity to show what he can do in next week's unofficial dress-rehearsal game. 

If Dorsett keeps making plays in the Colts offense, it's going to be difficult to keep him out of the lineup. 

He's a big play waiting to happen," coach Chuck Pagano said of Dorsett last week, per the team's official website. "You're looking at a guy that's going to be an outstanding football player."

The Giants Are Really Hurting at Safety

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

The New York Giants beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 22-12 on Saturday to even their preseason record at 1-1. 

That's not important. What's important is that the Giants have yet to make it through a preseason contest without suffering a significant injury at the safety position.

Against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, safety Mykkele Thompson suffered a torn Achilles. In the same game, second-round pick Landon Collins suffered a sprained MCL, which will hamper his transition into the NFL.

"The Giants traded up into the second round of the 2015 draft to pick Collins out of Alabama and were expecting him to step right into the position vacated by Antrel Rolle and sure [sic] up a mediocre secondary," Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com wrote after the Bengals game.

That "mediocre" secondary lost rookie safety Justin Currie to a fractured ankle against the Jaguars on Saturday. 

The Giants recently signed veteran Brandon Merriweather to help their depth at the safety position. Even with the addition of Merriweather, however, the team is likely to enter the regular season thin at the position.

This is a reason for concern, as the Giants are coming off a season in which the team ranked a disappointing 19th in pass coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.

Derek Carr Has His No. 1 Target in Amari Cooper

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had a fairly impressive rookie season in 2014 (3,270 passing yards and 21 touchdown), even though he lacked a true go-to target.

We're only two games into the 2015 preseason, but it already looks like Carr has his man in rookie pass-catcher Amari Cooper.

The former Alabama star made his NFL debut last week and caught three passes for 22 yards. On Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings, he caught just one pass, but it was a beautiful 40-yard strike from Carr. 

"Amari Cooper is pretty special," NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano tweeted after the long completion. "I don’t give fantasy advice, but you should go get him."

The play showed why Cooper can be the deep threat the Raiders have been missing.

Carr talked about Cooper's growth before the preseason began, via the team's official website:

"

One thing I can say about him is the guy gets better at something every day. Whether it’s a step here on his route, you know, there’s so much in the NFL that goes on at the line of scrimmage. As to college you’re just running by guys. And so he’s gotten so much better and so much growth in just that area. And he’s doing great things.

"

It appears Cooper is set to continue doing great things well into the regular season.

Teddy Bridgewater Appears Poised for a Breakout Season

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Because the Minnesota Vikings appeared in the Hall of Fame Game, Saturday's preseason game against the Raiders was the third for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

The former Louisville star has looked to be in midseason form from the beginning.

Over the first two games, Bridgewater completed 12 of 14 pass attempts for 130 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Against Oakland, he saw more playing time and finished 10-of-14 for 89 yards and his first touchdown toss of the preseason.

The highlight of Bridgewater's night was probably his final pass—a pretty 10-yard touchdown strike to Charles Johnson. The ball was perfectly floated over tight coverage on the play, making the completion nearly indefensible.

Bridgewater shook off a sluggish 3-of-7 start to the evening and completed his final seven passes of the night. He is now 22-of-28 for the preseason. Keep in mind that the second-year quarterback hasn't benefited from the presence of star running back Adrian Peterson. 

If Bridgewater can actually improve upon what we have seen thus far in the 2015 preseason, he will have a sound opportunity to be one of the most efficient and exciting quarterbacks in the entire league.

Carson Palmer Is Making the Cardinals Excited About His Return

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The Arizona Cardinals managed to win 11 games in 2014, even though starting quarterback Carson Palmer was lost to a torn ACL after only appearing in six of them.

If he can last the season in 2015, we could well be talking about Arizona as a Super Bowl contender.

The Cardinals were still a dangerous team without Palmer, sure, but the veteran quarterback is showing this preseason why the team is even more threatening with him.

The former Heisman Trophy winner was a perfect 4-of-4 for 77 yards in his 2015 debut against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Though he only completed three of his seven attempts on Saturday against the San Diego Chargers, he passed for 88 yards and threw a perfect 17-yard scoring strike to John Brown. Three plays before the score, Palmer unleashed a 57-yard pass to rookie wideout J.J. Nelson. 

"Carson Palmer made that drive look pretty easy," NFL Newtork's Andrew Siciliano tweeted after Brown's touchdown reception.

Palmer is now 7-of-11 for 157 yards and a touchdown this preseason.

What's really important to take away is that Palmer appears to be 100 percent recovered from last year's ACL tear. He took some hits against the Chargers and returned to play with poise and confidence.

"Cardinals coach Bruce Arians still sometimes shakes his head in disbelief that three weeks into training camp, Palmer isn’t just healthy, he’s better," Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today wrote on Saturday. "And maybe better than he’s been at any point since he made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2005 and 2006."

We'll have to wait and see if Palmer really is about to embark on the best season of his Arizona career. Yet it's starting to look as if he'll at least be the same guy who threw for 1,626 yards with 11 touchdowns and just three picks in six appearances last year.