2024 NFL preseason, Week 1: What We Learned from Saturday's slate of games

New York Jets

20-17

Washington Commanders

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Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Braelon Allen looks like an enticing complement to Breece Hall. Preseason can provide fools gold, but a rookie running back displaying traits that transfer to meaningful games is one aspect that has consistently translated in the past. Allen showed good vision, enough speed to get to the edge, and powered through tackles. Hall should still take the bulk of the workload as a three-down back who can play 70-plus percent of the snaps. However, Allen could carve out a role as a rookie. While many first-year backs start down the depth chart, Allen is already Hall’s handcuff. The former Wisconsin Badger has good power and even had a catch Saturday that was negated by a penalty. Allen took six carries for 64 yards with a long of 24. Fellow rookie Isaiah Davis was RB3 in the first preseason game. 2023 fifth-rounder Israel Abanikanda is the fourth back on the depth chart, clearly on the roster bubble at this stage.
2. Former first-round pick Jahan Dotson looks like he’ll take increased reps out of the slot this season. The receiver started in the slot with Terry McLaurin and Dyami Brown out wide. Dotson spent just 39% of his snaps out of the slot last season, per Next Gen Stats, so taking on that role would be new for the third-year player. On Saturday, Dotson lined up in the slot on 17 of 31 snaps (55%), per NGS, generating two catches on three targets for 13 yards. Dotson stayed in the game after the rest of the starters exited, playing with QB3 Jeff Driskel deep into the second quarter. Needing more reps in a new position could be why the Commanders kept him in longer than other wideouts. Or the new staff could want to see more out of the former first-round pick who hasn’t burst out in two campaigns.
3. No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels shined on his only series of the game. You can read our full post on the Commanders rookie QB here.

Chicago Bears

33-6

Buffalo Bills

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Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. The Bills WR corps remains a mix-and-match situation. With quarterback Josh Allen playing exactly one quarter, Khalil Shakir , Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel led the way. Mack Hollins didn’t play Saturday but is expected to be involved in the top group. Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw a few first-quarter snaps but had the bulk of his playing time come after Mitchell Trubisky entered the game. Shakir and Samuel split the slot reps early, which leads to questions about how much time they’ll be on the field together. KJ Hamler took slot reps with the backups. Coleman didn’t see a pass from Allen but got three targets from Trubisky, catching one for eight yards on a nice comeback route. The rookie also had to play DB in the back of the end zone on one ill-advised throw from Trubisky. Tyrell Shavers played with the backups and could still win a roster spot. Shakir led all receivers with three grabs for 28 yards despite playing just seven snaps. This group warrants attention as things continue to shake out closer to the season opener.
2. Velus Jones‘ bid for a position change hit the preseason. The former third-round WR took running back snaps in the third quarter as he attempts to make the team. It was a roller-coaster quarter for Jones. He rushed for seven yards on his first carry, then tripped over a white line without a defender close on his second. Later, he scampered to an unguarded wide side for a touchdown. Jones also bobbled a kickoff return in the third quarter and bounced off a tackle in the fourth quarter and scampered for a 19-yard gain. Jones is a long shot to carve out a role in the backfield. Saturday displayed offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s plan to utilize a committee. Even without Roschon Johnson playing, Waldron juggled early downs between D’Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert. Travis Homer, familiar with Waldron from Seattle, played third downs. Barring a drastic change once the season opens, it seems like a true committee backfield in Chicago, particularly if Homer will be the third-down back.
3. Caleb Williams showed off his improv skills and big arm with a good two series in his preseason debut. You can read our full post on the Bears QB here.

Minnesota Vikings

24-23

Las Vegas Raiders

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• READ: LV’s O’Connell, Minshew play well amid QB battle
• READ: Vikings’ McCarthy flashes with 2 TD passes vs. LV

Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Sam Darnold remains the clear No. 1 in Minnesota. Nothing has changed for Vikings headcoach Kevin O’Connell, who has backed the veteran throughout the offseason. Darnold played well in his one series on Saturday. His first pass was a nice touch lob to Jalen Nailor for 19 yards down the sideline. Three plays later, the QB hit Nailor again for a chunk 26-yard gain, laying the ball over the outstretched arms of Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane. Darnold avoided pressure, got the ball out quickly, and his timing was solid. Facing Raiders starters, he displayed a willingness to step up in the pocket and took advantage of the time his offensive line provided. The drive ended with two incomplete passes to scuttle a good possession, ending in a turnover on downs at the Vegas 4-yard-line. There is no question Darnold looks better at this stage of his career than he did the last time he was a full-time starter in Carolina. Rookie J.J. McCarthy flashed potential with big plays against Raiders backups, but it’s still Darnold’s job heading toward the season opener next month. 
2. Expect a lot of two tight end sets from the Raiders. It’s not a surprise after Vegas used the No. 13 overall pick on Brock Bowers, but it was good to see it live. The Raiders used Bowers and Michael Mayer liberally on their one drive. On the 15-play opening possession, Mayer played 12 snaps. Bowers 11. Mayer played a more traditional TE role (tight for 10 plays, in the slot twice). Bowers, however, played more of a joker role, moving all over the formation. In 11 snaps, the rookie lined up tight four times, wide three, in the slot once and in the backfield three times, per Next Gen Stats. Using Bowers in such a fashion indicates that: A) the Raiders will ensure he’s involved; and B) they trust the rookie to learn multiple spots. Bowers looked noticeably athletic and shifty on his two catches. Of his 25 yards, 19 came after the catch. Playing alongside Mayer might cap the rookie tight end’s counting stats, but his talent should force him on the field. It’s good to see that Vegas is preparing for that eventuality by lining Bowers up all over the formation.

Green Bay Packers

23-10

Cleveland Browns

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Bobby Kownack’s takeaways:

1. Green Bay’s 1s get job done against mostly backups. Jordan Love’s first game action since signing his mega contract was short, sweet and concluded with a pass dropped perfectly to a wide-open Dontayvion Wicks down the sideline for a 65-yard score on the game’s third snap. He departed with a flawless 158.3 passer rating. On defense, the starters who suited up mostly played two drives. The unit initially leaked some yards but allowed just three points and subsequently forced a three-and-out on a short field. Devonte Wyatt shined brightest. He looked made for Jeff Hafley’s new scheme, generating two pressures despite being double-teamed on four of his five pass-rushing snaps. One of those pressures hand-delivered a sack to Lukas Van Ness, who took up residence in the backfield with three tackles for loss. The caveat here is the Browns almost exclusively played backups on both sides, but you can’t help who you line up against — plus the Packers looked good doing it.
2.  DTR, Jamari Thrash finally deliver some splash plays. It had been a plodding affair for the Browns, who had three points courtesy of Jameis Winston’s lone, opening drive and saw four possessions out of the next five go for 11 or fewer yards. Then, on the last possession of the third quarter, Dorian Thompson-Robinson started looking rookie wide receiver Jamari Thrash’s way. He connected with him three times with gains of 5, 22 and 16 yards, the latter two showing off Thrash’s hands and ability to find the soft spot in a zone. The 69-yard march ended on downs, but on a day with little offensive consistency to write home about to that point, the sequence was a breath of fresh air for the home crowd. It also helped Thompson-Robinson settle in, as he led the Browns to a score his next try and ultimately took Round 1 from Tyler Huntley in the QB3 battle.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

17-14

Cincinnati Bengals

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• READ: Burrow seeks contact in next preseason action

Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Burrow back in action. Everyone wanted to see how Joe Burrow would look in his first action since suffering a season-ending wrist injury in Week 10 last year. The returns? Burrow was mostly very sharp on his one drive Saturday night. He hit his first three passes, all short, before airing out a deep shot right on target to Tee Higgins, 50-plus yards downfield, but it fell incomplete thanks to a fine play from Bucs safety Kaevon Merriweather. Burrow rebounded with a pretty third-down connection to training-camp star Andrei Iosivas for 23 yards, and after Higgins earned a DPI call on a high throw from Burrow, he caught a short pass in space and made Josh Hayes whiff on a 10-yard catch and score. Burrow looked like himself (5-of-7 passing, 51 yards, TD) in his brief outing, and the best part was that he wasn’t sacked, hit or even pressured. Higgins showing out in what could be his final season in Cincinnati — especially with Ja’Marr Chase currently holding in — and Iosivas making his mark also were big developments. 
2. Trask puts together up-and-down outing. It might be hard to remember, but Kyle Trask actually dueled with Baker Mayfield for the starting job one year ago. Now, Trask is in a battle for QB2 honors in Tampa. Saturday night’s performance from Trask was more good than bad, playing the entire first half, but there was some meat left on the bone against a mix of Bengals starters and reserves. On the positive side, Trask made some impressive throws on his TD drive, including taking a shot while delivering a 24-yarder to Ryan Miller. Trask also hit Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer on pretty throws, setting up Bucky Irving’s 5-yard TD run, and later found Rakim Jarrett on a nice 28-yarder. On the downside, Trask nearly threw a pick that would have wiped out the TD drive, and Josh Newton did intercept Trask the next series. Trask also had a fumbled snap, missed a few throws and took a drive-ending sack near midfield before the half. Trask’s main competition for the job is John Wolford, who got the second half and put up similar numbers to Trask (without the turnover). Wolford led a field-goal drive to start the third quarter and a TD drive in the final minute to pull ahead. Both played moderately well, with Trask’s snaps a little more amplified against better competition — even with a few hiccups.

Jacksonville Jaguars

26-13

Kansas City Chiefs

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• READ: Chiefs WR Brown hospitalized after suffering shoulder dislocation

Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Jaguars’ RB room shows promise. The offensive starters saw two series with Trevor Lawrence, netting one scoring drive on a short field. It was about what you’d expect from a first preseason outing — some good, some bad. But the Jaguars’ second team made a little noise, especially in the run game. That’s a promising development, considering that a lack of depth behind Trevor Etienne was a worry entering the preseason. Tank Bigsby made some noise in his bid to earn the RB2 job, ripping off runs of 9 and 19 yards on his first two carries and later had a 45-yard kickoff return, showing good ball security in limited work. D’Ernest Johnson got his shot, too, rumbling for some effective runs and catching a 23-yard pass. Even undrafted rookie Jalen Jackson gained 14 on his first carry. Among the other eye-opening performances was first-round WR Brian Thomas Jr., who hauled in a 41-yard catch (while being interfered with) that Jags fans hope is a sign of things to come. An all-around strong performance from Jacksonville in the preseason opener, but especially from some important reserves on offense.
2. WRs the main story for KC. Patrick Mahomes and the first-team offense took the first series, which lasted all of six plays. But it turned out to be fairly eventful plays for new Chiefs WR Hollywood Brown. After catching Mahomes’ first pass of the preseason on Brown’s first snap as a Chief, he suffered a shoulder injury on an 11-yard gain. And that was his night. Xavier Worthy came on for Brown for five snaps but saw no targets. It wasn’t the prettiest night for the Chiefs all around, especially on special teams, but there’s an intriguing story brewing there. WR Nikko Remigio, who has opened eyes in camp, caught three passes for 35 yards and had a 31-yard kickoff return. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub has Remigio listed as his top kick returner, but Remigio also muffed a punt inside his own 10-yard line in the third quarter and was fortunate to be called down after a 29-yard catch where it was very close to being a big lost fumble. Remigio has been a fun story to this point, but he can’t afford too many more of these mistakes going forward in his quest for a roster spot.

Tennessee Titans

17-13

San Francisco 49ers

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Bobby Kownack’s takeaways:

1. Jordan Mason offers reminder of 49ers’ RB depth. Mason has seemingly earned the approval of Kyle Shanahan this offseason, who in July praised the high-level play of his third-year running back. It’s easy to see why after Mason’s performance on the team’s opening drive. He handled six of San Francisco’s 11 plays to begin the game, tallying 34 yards (5.7 per carry) and a touchdown in which he rediscovered momentum after running into his own blocker to carry a bundle of bodies into the end zone. He was hard-nosed when he needed to be and deceptively elusive, and proved he can fill in alongside Elijah Mitchell just fine behind Christian McCaffrey, who is currently dealing with a calf sprain.
2. First look at Titans’ new backfield tandem. The word used to describe Tennessee’s top two running backs has for months been “interchangeable.” Through one preseason game, that mode of thinking seems spot on. The Titans gave quarterback Will Levis two drives totaling 14 plays. Tony Pollard played eight of those snaps, including the first possession’s goal-line play. Tyjae Spears played six snaps, taking over at the goal line for the second drive. Although Pollard looked the more explosive of the two, showing some of his old burst on the way to 46 yards on six touches, Spears was the one who found the end zone thanks to a nifty jump-cut combo. It’s also worth noting the offense ran through them; the two RBs touched the ball on 71.4% of Tennessee’s first-string plays. 

Seattle Seahawks

16-3

Los Angeles Chargers

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Bobby Kownack’s takeaways:

1. Sam Howell gutsy in nearly three quarters of work. Seattle’s new backup quarterback led eight drives and looked similar to his days in Washington. He was willing and capable of picking up chunks on the ground when plays broke down and exhibited a strong arm, but he also found consistent completions hard to come by. Howell amassed 130 yards on 16-of-27 passing (59.3 completion percentage), wasting a handful of those throws too far from pass-catchers’ grasps or at their feet. His touchdown throw to Brady Russell was a dart, although the tight end did most of the work after collecting it at the 10 and evading multiple defenders to the end zone. Howell notably looked best on his final drive that netted him over half (70) of his passing yardage. Following an extended look, the Seahawks’ QB2 is still developing, but he’s clearly talented and can be counted on in a pinch. 
2. Easton might not stick. Los Angeles wasn’t firing on all cylinders in 2023 when Easton Stick finished the season 0-4 in relief of an injured Justin Herbert. The Chargers also didn’t use all their starters for the entirety of the 2019 fifth-rounder’s first half of play Saturday. However, it’s still fair to critique the QB’s performance, which was in this case poor. Stick went 5 of 13 for 31 yards and had a bad interception to finish with a passer rating of 14.6. He couldn’t find open receivers enough, nor find a rhythm, as three of his eight possessions gained no yards and six ended in punts. L.A. as a whole failed to find a first down until less than five minutes remained in the second quarter, making Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman’s hard-nosed rushing attack impossible to deploy effectively. Considering Herbert is dealing with plantar fascia, the Chargers might soon feel inclined to give some extra thought to their backup situation. 

New Orleans Saints

16-14

Arizona Cardinals

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Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Saints’ first-stringers slow to start. There’s some work to do on offense. Derek Carr and the starters took two series and weren’t able to get much going, allowing some pressure to the Cardinals’ (mostly) second-team defense. It was just the first taste we’ve gotten from OC Klint Kubiak’s new offense, and predictably, it was very basic, with very little pre-snap motion. It was also a little lacking in execution. After his day was finished, Carr spoke on the TV broadcast, explaining that the Saints didn’t gameplan at all and that he wasn’t even sure who would be lining up with him right up until kickoff. So there’s some context to the tepid start against Arizona. “It’s hard in a preseason game because you don’t show anything,” Carr said, promising that “it’s going to be exciting when we get out there for the regular season.” We shall see. The Saints’ offensive highlight was a 58-yard pass from Jake Haener to A.T. Perry, and rookie Spencer Rattler ran for a score and led a game-winning drive, but all in all, it was a fairly tough night on offense, which included five penalties by the offensive line.
2. Cards’ defense shows young depth. We knew Jonathan Gannon planned to sit Kyler Murray, but the entire starting Cardinals offense — save for Marvin Harrison Jr. — sat Saturday night. Harrison barely played, seeing three snaps on the opening series and no targets before sitting the remainder of the evening. So we didn’t learn much about Arizona’s offense against the Saints, but we did see some promising moments early on defense. The Cardinals know how critical it will be to improve on that side, and Saturday’s early series were promising. Most of the starters rested on that side, too, but there were encouraging signs from first-round edge rusher Darius Robinson, linebacker Owen Pappoe and some other young defenders who should contribute. The defensive line as a whole closed down the Saints’ run game and provided some pressure, which was a welcome sign. The Saints’ offensive starters went two series with Carr, netting only 18 yards on nine plays. The Cardinals will take all the defensive improvement they can get, even with a unit composed of mostly reserves.