NFL Preseason Week 1: What to Watch for in Friday's Action
As the NFL continues to shake off its annual extended hibernation, there's a familiar feel to the questions permeating on Day 2 of the preseason. Those hover first around the quarterbacks, and then the guys they're throwing to each week.
The glimpse we'll get of the starters isn't indicative of where they stand right now in training camp. Instead, it's a starting point, establishing a road map for how much work lies ahead.
Some questions will be answered, and then more will follow. In many cases we already know the next question.
For example: If Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill looks to be easing into new head coach Adam Gase's offense, will he get enough support from a revamped backfield?
Then there's the Cleveland Browns and quarterback Robert Griffin III. If his decision-making and field vision seem restored, will that last? Or will head coach Hue Jackson's quarterback-whispering wizardry finally meet its match?
And if Sammie Coates showcases his speed and size this week with Markus Wheaton out, how much ground can he gain as the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers battle for the No. 2 job? Can they combine to fill the pit left behind by Martavis Bryant's suspension?
August is when questions are asked, and few good things happen when those same questions are still hanging around in November.
Here's what you should be watching for and wondering about on Friday.
The Beginning of Ryan Tannehill's Last Stand
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There's plenty of bubbly optimism floating around Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill as he prepares for his fifth season. We've heard the standard gushing about a quarterback adapting well in a new offense and under a new head coach.
Much of it came from the coach himself, with Adam Gase heaping praise earlier in the offseason.
"I put a lot on [Tannehill’s] plate," Gase told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald following OTAs. "It’s almost to the point where it’s probably too much this fast. I want to see where the breaking point is. He’s been doing a good job of responding."
Sure, that's great, and Gase has an eye for quick progress in his quarterbacks—the Bears' Jay Cutler and the Broncos' Peyton Manning thrived under his watch. Especially the latter, as Manning broke many passing records while Gase called the plays. Heck, Gase even made Tim Tebow look competent for a brief period as his position coach in 2011.
But there are some troubling facts about Tannehill that make you question his long-term status as a franchise quarterback. His completion percentage fell from 66.4 in 2014 to 61.9 in 2015. During the same period his passer rating tumbled from 92.8 to 88.7. Overall, his poor deep throwing has led to a pedestrian career average of 6.9 yards per attempt. And Tannehill's 87 touchdowns since he entered the league in 2012 rank just 17th, according to Pro Football Reference.
His performance descended to mediocre status by most metrics in 2015. Gase's latest reclamation project begins in earnest Friday night against the New York Giants.
When he takes his first preseason snap of 2016, Tannehill will do so in his third offense over four seasons. This latest change needs to stick, because eventually the Dolphins risk scrambling the mind of their young quarterback too much.
Can Jay Ajayi Gain Ground in the Dolphins' RB Battle?
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Sometimes we're a little too quick when shuffling running backs off to a heavenly backfield in the sky. And maybe Arian Foster is about to become the latest barrier-breaking example as he tries to hit the age-30 wall, bust a tackle and keep going.
Foster could wrestle the starting role away from Jay Ajayi and re-emerge as a feared running force. After all, he's only one season removed from 1,573 all-purpose yards. But Foster won't gain any ground in that battle Friday because he'll be sitting and watching instead.
The Dolphins are taking the cautious approach with an aging running back who's missed 23 games since 2013 and is recovering from an Achilles tear. Head coach Adam Gase announced earlier this week that Foster will have a prime sideline seat for Friday's preseason opener and nothing more, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Saving Foster's battered body for a time when the hits actually matter is the wise thing to do, and also the only thing to do.
That gives Ajayi a chance to shine with the first-team offense. If he can flash brilliance in his surely brief appearance, the 23-year-old has an opportunity to pull even with Foster in the fight for touches.
Ajayi was listed as the starter on the Dolphins' first unofficial team depth chart, a title that carries little meaning this early in August. Unless one of the two running backs either explodes or implodes this preseason, everything is trending toward a time share, with the hottest hand getting the larger workload in any given week.
Ajayi has the speed, field vision and running power to be the lead back. We saw that in the not-so-distant past when he posted an incredible 2,358 yards from scrimmage and 32 touchdowns in his final year at Boise State.
The issue with Ajayi isn't talent. Prior to the 2015 draft there was concern about a lack of cartilage in his right knee. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported (via ESPN.com's James Walker) that Ajayi had a "bone on bone" condition. Uncertainty about the longevity of Ajayi's career then followed, and his draft stock plummeted.
Ajayi hasn't exactly helped himself throughout training camp by missing time due to another knee issue. He needs to demonstrate that, when healthy, there's still ample explosion in his legs. And that process has to start Friday.
Can Sammie Coates Climb Up the Steelers' WR Depth Chart?
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant needed only 11 games to score six touchdowns in 2015. In his 2014, rookie year, he appeared in 10 and still scored eight times.
In 2016, he's about to play zero games.
Bryant will sit out the entire season after repeatedly failing drug tests. Suddenly there's the potential for a swirling vortex opposite Antonio Brown in the league's third-ranked passing offense that averaged 8.2 yards per attempt in 2015. Despite five missed games, Bryant was still targeted 92 times by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Filling the void will likely be a tandem effort, though Markus Wheaton will get the first crack at the No. 2 role. He was listed there on the team's first preseason depth chart. But after being limited by a quad injury earlier in the offseason, Wheaton is easing in during training camp. That includes Friday night, when he won't be on the field during Pittsburgh's preseason opener.
Head coach Mike Tomlin made that announcement Wednesday, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This gives an opening for Sammie Coates to shine, and he might not need a very big one.
Every August there's a rising young player who gets buried in buzz from coaches and the media. Clearly the former group matters more there, especially these words from Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who commented on Coates' dazzling plays throughout camp so far.
"I do think some of the flash plays were critical," Haley told Dulac. "The plays he's made, some of those combat catches are just exactly what you want to see."
Coates' blend of size, athleticism and speed gives him the ideal package to do his best Bryant impression.
Bryant's appeal lies in his ability to get downfield fast, and a wide catch radius allows him to leap and pluck balls from high in the air before defensive backs even have a chance to swat them away. Coates can't quite match Bryant's size, but at 6'2" and 213 pounds, he's not far behind.
That's why Coates may eventually rise to become the best Bryant-like option the Steelers have for 2016, and also the best complement for Brown. He showed just a touch of his potential with two receptions for 61 yards during the Steelers' playoff loss to the Denver Broncos.
First, Coates has to claw his way ahead of Wheaton. He'll have a golden opportunity Friday.
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Building a Connection with Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin in Detroit
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We turn to the Detroit Lions for another adventure in looming wide receiver questions. Whereas the Steelers are replacing a promising but still relatively inexperienced young player, the Lions are beginning life without the best receiver in franchise history.
Calvin Johnson will turn 31 years old in September. That's young for normal humans, but not football humans. However, a 31-year-old receiver often still has a handful of productive years left.
And maybe Johnson did, too, but his body couldn't take it. Looking back on his final few seasons gives you an appreciation for just how skilled and physically imposing Johnson was, even while fading. And more importantly, now, you also see the leftover crater that needs filling, and fast.
Over his last three seasons, a battered Johnson missed five games and was a gimpy shell of himself in many others. Yet during that time he still averaged 1,261 receiving yards per season and a solid 15.6 yards per catch. He also remained a red-zone threat with 29 touchdowns, the fifth-most among all wide receivers during that three-year span, according to Pro Football Reference.
That's what the Lions have lost, and what they're forced to replace through a combination of Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin.
Both were signed as free agents, with Jones leading a thin receiver market in March and Boldin a veteran signing later in the offseason. Jones has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but he's a proven red-zone option because of his athleticism and leaping ability. In 2013, he caught 10 touchdowns passes on a modest 51 receptions overall.
Boldin, meanwhile, is set to turn 36 in October, but that's mattered very little in his career. He still finished with 69 receptions for 789 yards in 2015, both more-than-respectable numbers in a putrid San Francisco 49ers offense.
Replacing Johnson's 149 targets in 2015 will be a collective effort, with fellow wide receiver Golden Tate and tight end Eric Ebron also featuring prominently. But the two new targets will rightfully get the most attention throughout the preseason as they build a connection with quarterback Matthew Stafford in game situations.
The Ongoing Adjustment Process for Jason Pierre-Paul
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It's been just over a year since New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul mangled his right hand in a Fourth of July fireworks incident. Since then he's overcome questions about his playing career, returned to the Giants and then bet on himself by re-signing with a one-year deal.
The bet is that even with one fully functioning hand, the still-young Pierre-Paul (he's 27) can once again be a premier pass-rusher and a consistent disruptor. If he can show that over a full season, he'll bathe in cash next March.
Ultimately, the problem and great unknown for Pierre-Paul, with his injured hand, isn't his ability to collapse the pocket; it's his ability to finish.
Pierre-Paul played eight games in 2015 and recorded just one sack. That sounds pitiful, but remember, sacks are the icing on the cake for pass-rushers. Getting to the quarterback consistently and altering the play means a job well done.
Pierre-Paul did just that with only one hand. He finished his eight games with 41 pressures, which ranked fifth in the NFL over that period, according to Pro Football Focus (via ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan).
Still, an effective pass-rusher needs to finish the job (and the play) more often. Pierre-Paul's low sack total was mostly a result of the protective club he wore on his injured hand. That didn't hinder him much while getting to the quarterback, but wrapping up and containing his sack target was another matter.
Now he's ditched the club, and Pierre-Paul has gone through a full year of adjusting to life as a partly impaired defender. We're about to get a brief preseason glimpse of the new Pierre-Paul, one that looks a lot like the old Pierre-Paul. That's according to, well, the man himself.
"I'm not worried about no club," he told Raanan recently. "My hand feels great. No complaining, no nothing. I've been training hard, been getting after it and getting ready to play some football. The club isn't going to be an issue or anything. My right hand feels like my left hand."
Stefon Diggs Might Be Ready to Take the Next Step
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Watching Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs closely during his rookie year could lead to intense physical pain, even while sitting comfortably in your living room.
That's because that also meant observing what it would be like to defend him. Although I don't have the required medical training to make this judgment, the human body just isn't designed to accelerate, stop abruptly and make multiple cuts as Diggs does so often.
His route running is so precise and his cuts so crisp that it's not hard to see why defenders get disoriented, sometimes tumbling to the ground when they should be chasing.
Diggs has been busy raising eyebrows again during training camp, which shouldn't be remotely surprising. If he continues to do that during preseason action—starting Friday with the Vikings' August debut against the Cincinnati Bengals—then head coach Mike Zimmer could have a nice problem on his hands.
The Vikings invested a first-round pick (23rd overall) in fellow wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. He'll emerge eventually as a trusted, large-bodied target who can win battles for contested catches. How soon that emergence will happen is the question.
Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater needs as much support as he can get, and fans are anxious to see what their team's top pick can do. But Treadwell was listed third on the Vikings' first unofficial depth chart, and as Bo Mitchell from ESPN 1500 reported, it's likely Treadwell will stay there into the season and be phased in slowly.
Giving their prized first-round receiver time to develop is a luxury Minnesota has been granted by Diggs' continued brilliance. Diggs was also given time to wait, watch and learn in his rookie year while sitting out the first three games. Then he posted 419 receiving yards over his first four outings, averaging 16.8 per catch.
As Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune observed, he's taken another step in training camp now: "He has looked a lot like the kid who last season became the first rookie in NFL history to rack up 85 or more receiving yards in his first four games."
Now Diggs will aim to make yet another leap in an expanded role when games become meaningful.
How Will the Arizona Cardinals Manage Their Backfield Workload Split?
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Or will it be a split at all?
We likely won't get a feel for how the Arizona Cardinals will manage their backfield and their Johnson-squared unit (David and Chris) until Week 3 of the preseason. But hints could be scattered early, too, starting Friday against the Oakland Raiders.
Maybe the better question is this: Does it matter if there's a split? No, probably not, because head coach Bruce Arians will optimize the talents of David Johnson and Chris Johnson, and together they'll raise the firepower of his weapon-filled offense.
David will likely have the higher average weekly snap count, though, as he should. During his rookie year he quickly demonstrated his versatility while recording 1,038 yards from scrimmage. He needed just five starts to reach that plateau, which included a Week 14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in which the former Northern Iowa standout recorded 229 total yards.
But don't forget about the other Johnson. Despite his age (Chris Johnson will turn 31 in September) he was still capable of reaching another gear quickly in 2015 before breaking his leg. Chris Johnson piled up four games with 100-plus rushing yards before his season ended in Week 12. He did that while not at full health, after battling through a hamstring issue early in training camp. And he did it despite being signed in August, giving him little time to adapt in a new offense.
David Johnson will surely be called the "starter." But as offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin told Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, both running backs will have roles and make significant contributions.
"I think David is a little more comfortable in the passing game," Goodwin said. "I think [head coach Bruce Arians] has certain things in mind with David, slotted out in formations, out of the backfield. He gives you a little different element from Chris. But running the ball, they are both even."
Is Robert Griffin III Looking Comfortable in His New Offense?
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The Cleveland Browns ended a quarterback competition that was never really a quarterback competition at all when they named Robert Griffin III their starter.
Now comes the real trick for new head coach Hue Jackson: making him a competent passer again.
Jackson has a well-earned reputation as the quarterback zen master. When he was the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator in 2015, he somehow coaxed two critical late-season wins out of backup quarterback AJ McCarron. The Bengals then came within three points of winning a McCarron-led playoff game.
Jackson's golden touch extends back to one year as the Oakland Raiders head coach in 2011. Only two seasons over the past 13 years have ended with the Raiders at or above .500, and that was one of them. Their quarterbacks then? Carson Palmer for nine games, but then Jason Campbell for six and Kyle Boller for one.
The mission ahead with Griffin may be his toughest yet, and we'll get a feel for how much progress needs to be made when he takes his first preseason snaps Friday against the Green Bay Packers.
Athleticism certainly isn't Griffin's problem, and although he could use a crosshair realignment at times, accuracy isn't the primary issue either. His potentially fatal flaw runs much deeper.
Griffin ultimately failed with the Washington Redskins when head coach Jay Gruden asked him to stand, scan and deliver. He wanted Griffin to see the field, work through his progressions and make sound decisions. Basically, Gruden wanted him to do normal NFL quarterback things.
But he lacked vision and couldn't process what was in front of him fast enough. The result was that he held the ball far too long while taking a lot of unnecessary sacks and hits. Griffin made only seven starts in 2014, his final season as an active roster member in Washington, yet he was sacked 33 times.
There are some legendary screen caps from All-22 film that show a healthy platter of open receivers and Griffin giving the ball to no one. It's always felt like the game moves too fast for him from the pocket. That might be his undoing if Jackson can't find a solution.
How Will the Raiders Use Bruce Irvin?
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Throughout the offseason, the refrain remained the same from the Oakland Raiders after they signed outside linebacker Bruce Irvin: He's going to drop back less and be used as a true pass-rusher more.
Now we'll see at least a little sample of that approach—and more importantly, how terrifying the Raiders pass rush can be when Irvin is unleashed more often opposite defensive end Khalil Mack.
That's the Khalil Mack who has recorded 19 sacks in just two seasons, who tied the Raiders' single-game sack record with five during a win over the Denver Broncos.
Irvin, meanwhile, recorded 22 sacks over four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. That number seems minuscule by comparison until you remember that he was deployed often in coverage. Over the past two seasons he spent about 19 percent of his snaps in coverage, according to Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area, and that percentage spiked to 31.9 in 2013.
So his sack total in Seattle is actually impressive. Now a shift is coming, and Irvin should find himself moving forward more often.
"I don’t have a problem dropping into coverage, but I would prefer to go forward more than I go backward," Irvin said during an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio back in March (via Bair). "Coach Del Rio watched film of me and noticed I was dropping in coverage a lot. That’s one of the things he wanted to change."
Can a Young Receiver Emerge for the Bengals?
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I've already discussed the wide receiver concerns in Detroit and Pittsburgh. In those NFL outposts there are experienced receivers stepping up, or sophomores who stood out during their rookie season, like the Steelers' Sammie Coates.
The Cincinnati Bengals mostly have inexperience and a journeyman, and they're filling a much larger vacancy created by two key departures.
When Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu left during free agency, they took with them a hefty chunk of quarterback Andy Dalton's targets. Combined, they were on the other end for 98 receptions and 152 targets. They were the intended destination for 30.1 percent of the throws that left the hand of a Bengals quarterback.
So A.J. Green could soon encounter a problem that's long plagued many premier wide receivers: a complete lack of support.
We'll get a feel for just how much depth the Bengals do or don't have in their preseason debut. Right now, it's looking less than satisfactory.
Brandon LaFell will get the first shot at replacing Jones out wide. He's receiving that opportunity after his buttery hands dropped 10 passes in 2015.
Then there's second-round rookie Tyler Boyd, an immediate training camp standout. Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer noted that on a daily basis Boyd has "made a play to make coaches take notice." He's shifty and agile as a slot receiver and has the tools to contribute right away. However, dazzling displays in training camp aren't always mirrored under the regular-season spotlight as rookies try to make the jump against tougher competition.
That's why no matter how many glowing words are written about Boyd now along with fellow rookie wideout Cody Core—who has done some eye-popping things in August—uncertainty will follow the 2016 Bengals receivers.
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