Preseason Week 1 is done, which means the next games are right around the corner!
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In the Buccaneers’ first preseason game, first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. did not play, but other rookies in their class made some plays. WR Ted Hurst had two receptions, CB Keionte Scott had a really strong performance, and UDFA QB Jalon Daniels looked good in his debut. Tampa Bay also got their first win, beating the New York Jets 24-16.
Next week, the Bucs are set to play the Kansas City Chiefs, and QB Baker Mayfield
will be playing. I would also not be shocked to see Bain Jr. get some game time.
Carolina Panthers
Carolina played their second preseason game, but this time it ended in a loss. QB Haynes King, the standout from the Hall of Fame Game, was out with an injury, but Bryce Young did have some throws. Although it was a very small amount, the entire offense struggled against the Buffalo Bills defense for the rest of the game. RB AJ Dillon was the team’s leading receiver, which is not something you see every day, and it was done by only getting two catches for 29 yards.
The Panthers’ next game will be against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it would not be a surprise to see Young and the starters get some more playtime. Also, a rookie to watch is Monroe Freeling, the first-round RT for Carolina. He is a very high-upside offensive lineman, and he had a decent Week 2 against the Bills.
Atlanta Falcons
Out of all the NFC South’s games this week, the Falcons had the worst performance. The QB performances were not good, including Tua Tagovailoa, which is a very interesting situation. Tagovailoa is a part of the Falcons’ QB competition, and although Michael Penix was the favorite, it was still a battle. There’s still more time, but first impressions are everything, and this was not a good one.
The Falcons managed only 7 points and allowed the Denver Broncos to score 27 on the day. Atlanta’s next game is against the Indianapolis Colts, and Penix is probably still not going to play due to his injury recovery. Could this be the game that Tagovailoa bounces back?
New Orleans Saints
Sadly, the Saints also lost their game, but it was definitely not a bad performance from this team. The deeper part of the roster really struggled late in the game and was the main reason the Jaguars completed the comeback, but New Orleans still had some great performances. WR Bub Means had 77 yards, QB Zach Wilson looked like the best QB behind Tyler Shough (very interesting), and EDGE Michael Heldman had two sacks in his first game. There were positives to take away, and although a win would have been better, this was definitely not a bad start to the preseason.
This week against the Los Angeles Rams, it’s going to be fun to see what this defense can do against Rams’ first-round pick Ty Simpson, who had a really good first game at QB. Also, the Saints’ own backup QB competition has taken an interesting turn after Wilson’s performance, so let’s see if things change in that battle.
