2023 NFL preseason, Week 2: What We Learned from Saturday’s games

NFL.com breaks down what you need to know from Week 2 of the 2023 NFL preseason. Catch up on each game’s biggest takeaways using the links below:

• Jacksonville Jaguars 25, Detroit Lions 7
• Miami Dolphins 28, Houston Texans 3
• Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Buffalo Bills 15
• Indianapolis Colts 24, Chicago Bears 17
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13, New York Jets 6
• Kansas City Chiefs 38, Arizona Cardinals 10
• New England Patriots 21, Green Bay Packers 17
• Tennessee Titans 24, Minnesota Vikings 16
• San Francisco 49ers 21, Denver Broncos 20
• Las Vegas Raiders 34, Los Angeles Rams 17
• Seattle Seahawks 22, Dallas Cowboys 14

1. Tank has plenty of tread. Jacksonville opted to roll with its backups following a pair of joint practices in Detroit, which paved the way for the Tank Bigsby show against the Lions. The third-round rookie running back collected 14 touches on 25 snaps, turning heavy usage into a tantalizing display of shiftiness and vision. Bigsby averaged 5.4 yards per carry on 13 totes for 70 yards. Three of those attempts went for 10-plus yards, for a big run percentage of 23.1, and he ripped off another 17-yarder where he juked two defenders who had him dead to rights to bounce outside, but it was called back for holding. The Jaguars struggled to find a 1B to Travis Etienne’s 1A last season -- no other RB who finished the season on the roster eclipsed 200 yards rushing -- but it appears that problem could have a solution.
2. A pair of Lions old and new stand out. John Cominsky put in a short afternoon of work and looked exactly how he should against second-stringers. The defensive lineman, who started eight games last year, set the edge consistently across his 12 snaps, but he also earned a sack of C.J. Beathard after manhandling offensive tackle Chandler Brewer, and he delivered a fourth-down stop with a timely batted ball at the line. No. 18 overall pick Jack Campbell received considerably more work, logging 30 snaps and lasting into the first drive of the third quarter. A burgeoning tackling machine, the off-ball linebacker recorded a tackle on half of his 12 plays covering the run. He led the team with seven in total, added a quarterback pressure and made finding the right spot routine. It was a leaky day overall for the Detroit D, but the takeaways from likely contributors were largely positive.

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1. Miami's offense is primed for the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa's first pass attempt of the day was a mistake, resulting in a Denzel Perryman interception. It was the only mistake he'd make all day. Tagovailoa followed up his turnover by engineering an excellent 14-play, 93-yard drive that included multiple key completions and ended in a Raheem Mostert touchdown run. The methodical march was so impressive, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel sent Tagovailoa to the bench for the rest of the afternoon, handing the keys to Skylar Thompson, who continued Miami's offensive momentum by leading three scoring drives of 80-plus yards. The Dolphins excelled through the air (especially on third down) and on the ground, and no matter what Houston presented Miami, McDaniel had an answer for it. Get the runway ready: These Dolphins appear ready for Week 1 takeoff.
2. C.J. Stroud much improved in his second outing. After a rough preseason debut, Stroud was a different quarterback Saturday. The No. 2 overall pick shook off the first-game jitters and mistakes made in New England, showing off his greatest strength -- his accuracy -- on an 11-play drive that appeared destined to finish in the end zone before Houston stalled inside the red zone. That result doesn't matter too much. What's more important is how Stroud handled the speed of the game, delivering fantastic strikes to Robert Woods, Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown in his two quarters of work. Stroud's throws all looked a little different, coming at varying depths and even including one completed while rolling out. Almost all of them were equally impressive, much like his Ohio State highlight tape suggested he'd perform. The reasons Houston drafted him were evident in his play Saturday; now, they just need to work on finishing drives.

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1. Buckle up, Steelers fans. After two years of complaining about a lack of downfield shots and explosive plays under offensive coordinator Matt Canada, Pittsburgh is clicking through two preseason games. The Steelers' improved offensive line sprung running back Jaylen Warren -- who is proving to be a quality complement to Najee Harris -- for a 62-yard touchdown run thanks to excellent zone blocking that extended to receiver Diontae Johnson. Then, after an electric 54-yard punt return from Calvin Austin III, Kenny Pickett immediately dropped a dime into the arms of tight end Pat Freiermuth for a 25-yard touchdown. In less than five minutes, the Steelers put 14 points on the board. Talk about explosive. If the Steelers play future contests with the same purpose they did on Saturday, watch out.
2. Clean it up, Buffalo. The Steelers outclassed the Bills on both sides of the ball Saturday, but the margin shouldn't have been so significant. The reason for this can be found in one category: penalties. Buffalo was responsible for 12 penalties in the first half, including a trio of offensive line miscues that backed them up as far as second-and-34. The offensive line doesn't exactly look fixed, either, failing the test it faced in Pittsburgh's ferocious defensive front. Josh Allen was under near-constant duress before his night ended, and Buffalo's offense never got out of first gear because of it. It's only preseason, but the Bills certainly have work to do before Week 1.

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1. Another Longhorn looks impressive in preseason. Like his former Texas teammate Bijan Robinson the evening prior, Roschon Johnson’s burst through the line was something to behold and his refusal to let the first tackler take him down was inspiring. The Bears rookie demanded notice when he did the heavy lifting on a monstrous 17-play, 92-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter that ate up nine minutes, 25 seconds of game clock. He gained 32 yards on seven carries during the drive and added one catch for 11 yards. On 14- and 10-yard runs, his vision, quickness and elusiveness were apparent, and on just about every touch, his ability to fight for each yard was similarly evident. With Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman, the Bears have a thunder-and-lightning combo. With Johnson, they might've found a rookie in the fourth round who has a little bit of everything and might well provide more than just backfield depth.
2. Colts' RB stable is glaring question as season approaches. Newly crowned Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson got the night off while backup Gardner Minshew got the start. However, the QB2 was handing off to running backs who could very well be starting when the regular season begins. With Jonathan Taylor dealing with ankle and monetary hindrances on top of a recent personal situation, and backup Zack Moss nursing a broken arm, Indianapolis could potentially lean on third-year pro Deon Jackson and rookie fifth-rounder Evan Hull. Both ran hard, but neither stood out as suitable stopgaps for whenever Indy’s backfield ills are remedied. Hull and Jackson each had five touches, generating 12 and 23 yards, respectively, with both looking more like third-down backs than leads. Colts owner Jim Irsay said on the local broadcast he was “excited” about getting Taylor back and confident general manager Chris Ballard would “get the waters as calm as they can.” Saturday showed rough waters are ahead without Taylor.

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1. Trask's Hail Mary attempt at starting gig hits snag. With Baker Mayfield trending toward locking up Tampa Bay's QB battle, Kyle Trask needed a standout showing in East Rutherford to move the needle in his direction. For the bulk of his first preseason start of 2023, Trask was ordinary. Then, out of the first-half two-minute warning, the third-year QB found possible WR3 Trey Palmer deep down the middle of the field. Swarmed by defensive backs, Palmer tipped the ball to himself, corralled it for a score and saved Trask's evening -- for a moment. The QB's night was supposed to be over after halftime, ceding snaps to third-stringer John Wolford as Mayfield was held out. But then Wolford suffered a scary neck injury and was stretchered off the field in the third quarter. With no other backup on the roster, Trask went back in, allowing him to pad his stats (20-of-28, 218 yards, TD) but also a sign that Mayfield is precious merchandise, i.e., the QB1 to be.
2. Jets' RB room still shaking out. With Breece Hall off PUP and recent signing Dalvin Cook assured a roster spot, the rest of Gang Green's backs are left to battle it out this preseason for the few remaining slots. Michael Carter, the third-year back, didn't play against Tampa Bay, while Bam Knight , last year's breakout, got the start and rookie Israel Abanikanda played in the second half -- that is until he was knocked out with a thigh injury. Knight finished with 53 yards on 11 touches, while the speedy Abanikanda logged 31 yards on five touches. (In a twist, Zach Wilson led all rushers with 41 yards thanks to a 35-yard Vick-ian scramble.) GM Joe Douglas told the local broadcast that "tough decisions" were ahead of him as it pertains to the Jets' RBs. Whether that means trading or waiving players ahead of August 29th's roster deadline remains to be seen. But it appears, with Cook in tow, there are too many cooks in New York's backfield.

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1. Patrick Mahomes has solid backups. Shane Buechele sort of upstaged the Chiefs’ star quarterback by going a perfect 10-for-10 passing for 105 yards and scoring on a heady, 15-yard touchdown run to conclude a seven-play, 88-yard drive in the second quarter. The third-year QB went on to lead another long scoring drive (field goal) to end the first half, which concluded his perfect day after two series. Rookie wideout Rashee Rice was the main beneficiary of Buechele’s accurate day throwing the football by leading the team with eight receptions for 96 yards. While it was unexpected for Buechele, not veteran Blaine Gabbert, to be next QB in line after Mahomes' day was done, the 25-year-old never flinched and made a good case of being the primary backup. Gabbert followed up Buechele's performance with a nice one of his own, completing 7 of 8 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Andy Reid will be pleased knowing there are not one but two capable QBs behind Mahomes.
2. Fast Cardinals defense up to challenge. Jonathan Gannon’s defense offered plenty of resistance to Mahomes and the first-team offense, forcing the high-powered Chiefs to consecutive short-lived drives to begin the exhibition and prevent any sort of showcase from happening in the desert. The unit brought the necessary energy that often thwarted the Chiefs’ sly schemes and play calls, with linebackers Zaven Collins, Kyzir White and Krys Barnes blowing up plays and keeping Mahomes on his toes. Mahomes’ first looks on pass plays often weren’t there, which forced the Chiefs QB to work his magic and make nothing out of something outside the pocket. That’s exactly what happened for much of K.C.’s third drive, which ended on a touchdown pass to Justin Watson on a broken play, but what the Cardinals D showed was enough to end Reid’s plan of playing his starters for the entire first half. And it signified a small win for the rookie head coach’s first big test. Also providing some excitement for Arizona was second-year running back Keaontay Ingram, who showed great burst and an keen ability to read his blocks. Ingram logged 28 yards rushing off seven carries, scoring the Cards’ first TD and adding two catches for 20 yards receiving.

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1. The future is bright in Green Bay. The first home game of the Jordan Love era carried some added buzz, and the Packers did not disappoint. Love looked sharper than he did in Week 1, dropping a 42-yard pass into the arms of Romeo Doubs along the sideline and sparking a scoring drive that ended in a dart of a touchdown pass to rookie Jayden Reed. Love wasn't the only standout, either: Undrafted free agent running back Emanuel Wilson shined, ripping off gains of nine, four and 14 yards on his first three rushes and finishing with 63 yards on 15 attempts. 2022 fifth-rounder Kingsley Enagbare thrived, recording two sacks, including a strip-sack in which he both forced and recovered a fumble. And rookie defensive tackle Karl Brooks was a menace, wreaking havoc in the backfield despite finishing with only one tackle. After fruitlessly chasing titles with Aaron Rodgers, these Packers have pivoted to a younger crew, and it's exciting to see them flourish in a preseason setting. Perhaps the transition from Rodgers to Love won't be so difficult after all.
2. This New England offense won't bore in 2023. The Patriots offense isn't a machine at this point in the preseason, but it's certainly more exciting than it was a year ago. Bill O'Brien's influence was visible Saturday night, particularly on a second-down play late in the first half when Bailey Zappe ripped a bullet to receiver Kayshon Boutte, who made a contested catch in traffic and took off down the seam for a 42-yard touchdown. These types of plays just didn't seem to exist in New England's offense last year, and although the Saturday night numbers don't scream explosive offense, the Patriots were more aggressive downfield in this contest than they were in most of 2022. That's a good thing, especially if players like Boutte, Kendrick Bourne (who was the team's best pass catcher on Saturday prior to Boutte's score) and an intriguing stable of running backs produce.

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1. Lewis Cine takes a small step forward. Because he struggled to crack the lineup and played in just three games as a rookie due to a season-ending injury, the 2022 first-rounder is a subject of concern. He's still fighting for his place on the depth chart and played into the third quarter Saturday night, producing a mixed bag of results. Cine is clearly working on his tackling -- which has often been too high -- and early returns are promising: He made an open-field tackle on third down in the first quarter and contributed a key sack of a rolling Malik Willis in a second-and-goal situation. His night wasn't perfect, though, as he missed a tackle in the running lane against rookie Tyjae Spears, who leapt over Cine's attempt to cut his legs and scampered to the end zone for a touchdown. Overall, though, the Vikings will take the good with the bad, provided the good gradually outweighs the bad.
2. The Titans' backup QB situation doesn't look great. With Will Levis on the mend and Ryan Tannehill in street clothes, Willis played the entire game Saturday. The results were better than some of the ugly showings he had as a rookie, but the road to quality performance is still rather long. Willis used his legs to extend some plays, posted a very nice rushing line (11 carries for 91 yards) and threw a well-placed, short touchdown pass to running back Julius Chestnut early in the fourth. The rest of his passing, however, wasn't great. Willis threw an ugly interception over the middle, landing in the hands of linebacker Troy Dye, and failed to convert on a third-down pass intended for Tre'Shaun Harrison in the end zone. His passing line (10-of-17 for 85 yards, one touchdown and one interception) was reflective of a forgettable night in a game overwhelmingly powered by Tennessee's rushing attack. If Willis is truly ahead of Levis in the battle for the backup job, Tennessee better hope Tannehill stays healthy this season.

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1. Purdy pretty good in return to game action. Brocktober came early for 49ers fans on Saturday night. Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy made his first in-game appearance since injuring his elbow in the NFC title game. His lone drive against Denver marked a milestone in his recovery and is a sign he will start, and be back to normal, come Week 1 against Pittsburgh. Purdy went 4-of-5 passing for 65 yards and scampered once for eight yards, showing fearlessness in and out of the pocket. The 10-play, 69-yard drive to open the game featured four first downs, all on the arm of Purdy to top targets Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, but ended on the 2-yard line when the QB's improvised run didn't find pay dirt. Three small points for the 49ers, one giant leap for Purdy.
2. Stidham plays series with starters. How much should we read into Russell Wilson getting just one possession with his starting offense before ceding the next two quarters to free-agent acquisition Jarrett Stidham? Maybe none. After all, Wilson likely has a long leash as Denver's highly paid, if underwhelming signal-caller. But that Stidham took the field alongside the likes of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, the top offensive line and others says to this viewer that new Broncos coach Sean Payton is intrigued at the possibility of playing the second-stringer, who finished 12-of-17 for 130 yards, if the inherited Wilson falters. … Speaking of Denver starters, Javonte Williams was back on the field Saturday for the first time since his season-ending ACL injury, tallying 30 yards on seven touches in 12 snaps. Williams saw limited action, just as Payton said he would, but it was worthwhile.

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1. Jimmy G’s silver-and-black debut brings order. The Raiders' offense was a well-oiled machine in the game’s opening drive, cutting through the Rams' defense like a knife through butter with a good blend of run and pass plays that ended with an imminent score. It was a classic Jimmy Garoppolo drive and a suitable preview of what could come for Las Vegas in 2023. Garoppolo completed all four of his pass attempts in his first action with the Raiders, finding Ameer Abdullah (10 yards), Phillip Dorsett (8), Jakobi Meyers (18) and rookie Michael Mayer (3) to set up Brandon Bolden’s 7-yard touchdown run. There wasn’t anything flashy about it, but Garoppolo was the necessary leader to orchestrate an orderly nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive. It was all head coach Josh McDaniels needed to see as he took out the Raiders' new starting quarterback after one series. Positive showings elsewhere for the Raiders came on defense, with Isaiah Pola-Mao perhaps solidifying his role on the team with a thrilling 50-yard pick-six.
2. Stetson Bennett overcomes another rough start. The Rams rookie quarterback’s second go-around in the preseason didn’t start so well after finding just three offensive points and giving away a costly turnover in the first half, but he eventually showed why L.A. decided to use a fourth-round pick on him -- just as the former Bulldog did last week. Bennett’s big blunder may have been a miscommunication with his receiver, but there was no erasing the ugly pick that directly ended in seven points for Las Vegas. He soon turned it around on the Rams’ first possession of the third quarter, concluding an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a 4-yard TD run and getting there with assertive passing along the way. Bennett finished 15-of-24 for 142 yards with no passing TDs and the pick-six in three quarters of play. Youngsters on the Rams defense brought energy to the home crowd at SoFi Stadium, with linebacker Jake Hummel producing a 21-yard interception TD of Brian Hoyer in the second quarter, Keir Thomas finding a big sack and undrafted rookie cornerback Cameron McCutcheon breaking up multiple pass plays.

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1. Seattle's offensive rookies shine. Seahawks GM John Schneider's latest crop of playmakers enjoyed another nice night of preseason ball. Rookies of the drafted -- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zach Charbonnet -- and undrafted variety -- Jake Bobo, SaRodorick Thompson -- flashed bursts of ability that should endear themselves to the offensive staff. Smith-Njigba's 48-yard catch-and-run from Drew Lock with less than a yard of separation from the nearest defender nearly ended in six. Charbonnet flipped the field with a 29-yard first-quarter gasher. Bobo, also from UCLA, continued to earn his cult status in Seattle with two chain-moving grabs. Thompson, out of Texas Tech, raided Dallas' second level for 50 yards and a score on 11 carries, channeling Marshawn Lynch in the process. Schneider and Co. stay winning.
2. Overshown's injury overshadows game. On a night when Deuce Vaughn juked his way into the end zone again and other young talents Jalen Tolbert and Rico Dowdle made noise, it was the loss of a rookie that will most likely reverberate into the season. Third-round linebacker DeMarvion Overshown's knee injury, which appears serious and should require an MRI, occurred early in the first quarter, sidelining him for the rest of the game. Dallas will hope it's not for the rest of the season. Overshown had shined in camp, per beat reporters, and could have seen time alongside Damone Clark and Jabril Cox. If the former Texas standout is done for the season, it removes a speed element from Dallas' second level -- and sidelines a high-ceiling player before his first season even kicks off.

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