Yesterday, August 12, 2016, we finally saw some football. It was preseason action, but it was still football. And I’m going to write about it.
The Forward Pass will be a series (written at my leisure) that looks at recent NFL performances in a forward-looking manner.
And by “written at my leisure,” I mean, “written whenever I feel like writing it and not when I don’t.”
So, basically, when I write this piece, I’ll say things like . . .
Mark Sanchez started for the Broncos in Week 1 of the preseason. By the time the regular season comes around, the odds are good that the former first-round pick with years of experience (and not the second-year seventh-round selection yet to attempt an NFL pass) will still be the starter.
If you’re curious about the DFS implications of the preseason, be sure to check out the recent Daily Fantasy Sports Roundtable in which RotoWorld Senior Football Editor Evan Silva and FantasyLabs writer Adam Levitan join me to discuss the topic.
Let’s get into it.
Redskins at Falcons
Washington
Running back Matt Jones ran with the first team and Chris Thompson served as the first team’s receiving back. While playing with ‘franchise’ quarterback Kirk Cousins, the bruising Jones had one yard on two carries. Thompson had one reception for nine yards. That seems about right. They’re locked into their roles.
Explosive seventh-round rookie Keith Marshall was the clear No. 2 back. He saw most of his action with the Colt McCoy-led second team. If Jones were to suffer an injury, Marshall would likely get the first shot to replace him as the lead back. Fortunately for Washington, he’s really similar to Jones: He turned five rushes into -1 yard.
Ryan Grant seems to be in the lead for the No. 5 receiver spot. He played with the first team and caught Cousins’ first pass attempt for 11 yards. Selected out of Tulane in the 5th round of the 2014 draft, Grant is most known for not being the real Ryan Grant.
Atlanta
Matt Ryan played two series and attempted four passes that all fell incomplete. He’s already in midseason form.
Perpetual preseason superstar and regular-season tease Aldrick Robinson starred in this game, turning five targets into three receptions and 118 yards. A Paul Richardson “I’m small and don’t return kicks or occasionally run the ball” type of receiver, A-Rob the Lesser ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the 2011 combine and had two collegiate seasons of over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns at Southern Methodist, so he has potential . . . to break your heart. The only reason I’m mentioning him is because one of Ryan’s targets went to him. If the Falcons decide that they are going to give a few snaps per game in the regular season to Robinson, he could break off a few long touchdowns. He has five NFL touchdowns to his name: Four of them went for at least 40 yards.
As if having one mediocre Matt at quarterback isn’t bad enough, the Falcons also have Matt Schaub and Matt Simms on the roster. Ryan and Simms combined to complete seven passes — to no one. Schaub was the best of the group, completing 10 of 15 attempts for 179 yards to everyone’s surprise. Especially his.
Buccaneers at Eagles
Tampa Bay
Starting quarterback Jameis Winston looked like himself. He completed seven of nine attempts to seven different receivers for 97 yards and a touchdown. And he also lost a fumble on a sack. The only way he could’ve been more Jameis is if he had walked off the field with crab legs.
Third-year running back Mike James actually rotated in with the first team, rushing twice and catching a pass from Winston on the first-team drive that ended in a touchdown. He was also the first back to play with the second team. His hold on the No. 3 job looks strong.
A year ago, Kenny Bell was a fifth-round rookie wide receiver who for some reason excited people who seem to know a lot about football. Last night, he’s the guy who fumbled away the opening kickoff, committed offensive pass interference, and couldn’t catch two passes from the third-string quarterback. The lesson: Don’t get excited about late-round receivers unless they’ve, you know, actually caught a pass in the regular season.
The whole “Cameron Brate right now is our starting tight end” thing is real . . . for at least right now. Brate was targeted twice by Winston. Meanwhile, Austin Seferian-Jenkins was targeted twice by backup quarterback Mike Glennon.
Philadelphia
Starting running back Ryan Mathews got a carry at the five-yard line and converted it into a touchdown. If there’s one thing everyone thinks of when they think of Mathews, it’s “Sturdy and Dependable Goal-Line Back.” It’s on his business card.
Wendell Smallwood and Clay Harbor: I’m still waiting.
You’ve got to be pleased as a coach anytime your 23-year-old small-school No. 2 overall pick whom you hope to bench for his entire rookie season completes as many as 12 of 24 attempts for 89 yards and an interception when playing in a preseason game against third-string defenders many of whom won’t be in the league in a month. Of course, Chase Daniel, who completed only four of 10 passes for 15 yards, wasn’t any better than Carson Wentz.
Saints at Patriots
New Orleans
Second-year third-round quarterback Garrett Grayson played ahead of journeyman Luke McCown and actually did alright, completing 10 of 16 passes for 133 yards and an interception. He might be the No. 3 quarterback right now, but he displayed some strong chemistry with second-round rookie Michael Thomas . . .
Thomas played with the second and third teams, catching all of his passes from Grayson. He finished with four receptions for 67 yards on six targets. He looked the part. That’s what I read. I don’t actually watch the games. I just write all the time.
Rookie running back Daniel Lasco played with the third team, behind almost every other back, but he was targeted five times. A very athletic runner who was a workhorse back and strong receiver in his junior season at California, Lasco should be monitored in the event that he starts to carve out a role as a third-down specialist.
New England
He might still be unable to spell his own last name, but backup quarterback Jimmy Garaoppppolllo did pretty well last night. Playing for the entire first half, he completed 11 of 18 attempts for 168 yards without the benefit of throwing to Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, and Dion Lewis, probably the three best receivers on the team.
Drafted two years ago in the sixth round out of Stanford, running back Tyler Gaffney is yet to see an NFL carry because of injuries. A workhorse who rushed for 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final college season and displayed remarkable speed and agility for a big guy at the 2014 combine, Gaffney ‘beasted’ last night with nine carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, as well as two receptions and seven yards on two targets. But he played behind LeGarrette Blount, James White, and Brandon Bolden, all of whom rotated in with the first team. Gaffney didn’t see his first touch until the second half with the second team. I like Gaffney, but right now he’s very unlikely to make the 53-man roster.
We can’t read too much into this, because the Patriots were resting players and receivers were rotating in and out with the first team regularly, but perennial disappointment Aaron Dobson caught two passes from Jimmy G., so — again, I don’t want to make a big deal of nothing — it seems like Dobson might not be literally dead.
It’s Time to Go to Bed
Panthers at Ravens
Wide receiver Stephen Hill is somehow still in the NFL, and non-tight end Devin Funchess scores touchdowns.
Running back Terrance West scored two touchdowns for Baltimore but was as inefficient as he has always been. Javorius Allen was even more inefficient as a runner, but he also turned his one target into a 10-yard touchdown reception. These guys aren’t making it easy on Justin Forsett.
Jaguars at Jets
Running back Chris Ivory got the goal-line carry and scored the touchdown. Second-year should-be-stud T.J. Yeldon was targeted by quarterback Blake Bortles on the first offensive play of the game.
Backup quarterback Geno Smith didn’t look bad for the Jets. Seldom-seen tight end Jace Amaro didn’t look good.
Broncos at Bears
Mark Sanchez started for the Broncos in Week 1 of the preseason. By the time the regular season comes around, the odds are good that the former first-round pick with years of experience (and not the second-year seventh-round selection yet to attempt an NFL pass) will still be the starter.
The Bears were a total sh*t show. What stood out to me was that presumed No. 2 running back Jordan Howard didn’t see any action until the second half of the game. The productive and athletic rookie played behind Jeremy Langford, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Ka’Deem Carey.
Conclusion
What sort of idiot starts writing 1,500 words about six preseason games at midnight?
I hope that you enjoyed The Forward Pass. This might be my last one.
