NFL CountryESPN6 Minute Reading
Bryce Young connected with Adam Thielen on the first down
Bryce Young’s 7-yard pass found Adam Thielen as he secured the catch and a first down.
The second week of preseason games for the 2023 NFL season kicked off Thursday night with a matchup between the defending NFC champions Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns.
On Friday, the New York Giants host the Carolina Panthers and the Cincinnati Bengals are on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.
There are 11 games on Saturday and one each on Sunday and Monday. Saturday’s slate features several interesting games, including Jacksonville at Detroit, Buffalo at Pittsburgh, and New England at Green Bay. The action concludes Monday night on ESPN with Baltimore at Washington.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the first three games, along with the rest of the Week 2 preseason schedule.
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Friday games
Bengals: It’s not just the two preseason games that have left the Joe Burrow-less offense lacking in brilliance. After Burrow went down in the second practice of training camp with a strained right calf, the offense tanked.
On Friday, backup quarterback Jake Browning (16-of-22 for 140 yards) was better than Trevor Siemian (7-of-14 for 62 yards) who started his turn in the rotation. But the Bengals didn’t score an offensive touchdown in the first two preseason games until the final 50 seconds on Friday, and the passing game wasn’t solely to blame. The run game was ineffective and penalties ruined drives.
Unless the Bengals develop or perhaps find a backup quarterback option, Cincinnati cannot afford to have Burrow injured during the regular season.
The Bengals ran their first-team defense for a short snap against the Falcons. We’ll see if the Bengals follow suit for the preseason finale against Washington. –Ben Baby
Next game: at Commanders (6:05 pm ET Saturday, August 26)
Falcons: Atlanta got a little bit of everything on its lone offensive drive with the starters of the game. Quarterback Desmond Ridder looked sharp, completing 7 of 9 passes, and even though the drive ended with an interception, it was a tipped-ball pick by Joseph Ossai.
Rookie running back Bijan Robinson as announced, making defenders disappear, showed high speed and similar looks in training camp. He has the makings of a special player with four carries for 20 yards. The biggest concern is the four penalties from the first offensive unit, including two holding calls on guard Chris Lindstrom, who has one penalty combined in his first four NFL seasons.
Atlanta played most of its starters in a series on each side of the ball against the Bengals. While it’s possible Atlanta will play some starters Thursday against Pittsburgh in the preseason finale, it would be surprising to see most of them in action again before Week 1 against Carolina on Sept. 10. — Michael Rothstein
Next game: vs. Steelers (7:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 24)
Panthers: Rookie quarterback Bryce Young needs help.
He’ll need it from his offensive line, which for the second straight week allowed No. , a catch by rookie right tackle Chandler Zavala turned down a 15-yard, third-down catch).
He needs it from his wide receivers, who continue to be sloppy with route running. Last week Laviska Shenault Jr. ran hard on the third down play. Rookie Jonathan Mingo stopped in his tracks Friday night on a third down throw that should have been over.
The good news is that Young didn’t lose his cool or make any costly mistakes. He completed 3 of 6 passes for 35 yards in two series (17 plays) and led a 15-play, 62-yard drive for a field goal. Progress, but those around Young are not playing winning football. –David Newton
Next game: vs. Lions (8 pm ET Friday, Aug 25)
Giants: Consider it a dream preseason result for the Giants’ starters, who coach Brian Daboll said he wants to see at some point in the preseason. Quarterback Daniel Jones, making his first appearance since signing a four-year deal in March, is a $160 million player. He was close to perfect on his one and only drive, completing 8 of 9 passes (including three to new tight end Darren Waller) for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Offseason addition wide receiver Parris Campbell had two touchdown drives, leaving everyone feeling good. Second-year outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux had a sack and pressure while playing in the second quarter, and rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, a third-round pick out of Tennessee, used his blazing speed to connecting on a deep ball for a 33-yard touchdown from backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Overall, the Giants got almost everything they hoped for from their starting group in limited action against the Panthers. We likely won’t see most of them in game action again before the Sunday night season opener Sept. 10 against the Dallas Cowboys.— Jordan Raanan
Next game: vs. Jets (6 pm ET Saturday, Aug 26)
Thursday’s game
Eagles: Linebacker Nakobe Dean gives some hope that the middle of the defense is in good hands. One of the only projected starters to see action for Philadelphia, Dean caused a turnover near the Eagles’ goal line when he shot into the backfield and hit running back John Kelly Jr., breaking the ball. Safety K’Von Wallace recovered it for the Philly takeaway. The Eagles face uncertainty at linebacker after the departure of starters TJ Edwards and Kyzir White in free agency. Dean, the second-year player from Georgia, is expected to take the MIKE linebacker spot, where he will be charged with relaying calls and getting the defense set. He has been dealing with an ankle injury and has had a relatively quiet summer to this point, but showed some playmaking ability on Thursday that has made him a star for the national champion Bulldogs. — Tim McManus
Next game: vs. Colts (8 pm ET, Thursday, Aug. 24)
Browns: Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson continued his outstanding preseason with another impressive performance against Philadelphia. Playing in the first half of his first career start, Robinson-Thompson completed 13 of 25 passes for 164 yards. He also rushed for 18 yards on four carries. He led the Browns on three drives inside the Philly 25-yard line. The former UCLA star has positioned himself to be Cleveland’s long-term backup QB of the future behind starter Deshaun Watson. DTR is probably the No. 3 QB this season behind Watson and Joshua Dobbs. But he is on his way to becoming No. 2 QB in 2024. — Jake Trotter
Next game: at Chiefs (1 pm ET Saturday, August 26)
NFL preseason games on Saturday
Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions: 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans: 4 pm ET, NFL Network
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers: 6:30 pm ET
Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts: 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets: 7:30 pm ET
New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers: 8 pm ET
Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings: 8 pm ET
Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals: 8 pm ET
Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers: 8:30 pm ET
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams: 9 pm ET
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks: 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network
NFL preseason game on Sunday
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers: 7:05 pm ET, NFL Network
NFL preseason game on Monday
Baltimore Ravens at Washington Commanders: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN