NFL NEWS
NO PRESEASON WAS NO PROBLEM FOR JOSH ALLEN, LAMAR JACKSON, AARON RODGERS
Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson didn’t play a snap in the preseason.
They didn’t need it.
Allen and Jackson were spectacular in their first game action of the season. Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens to a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead only to watch Allen rally the Buffalo Bills to a 41-40 victory.
So much for rust.
Allen was 33 of 46 for 394 yards with two touchdown passes and two more rushing. Jackson was 14 of 19 for 209 yards and two TDs plus 70 yards rushing and another score.
“It’s trusting, trusting our process, trusting our other 10 guys on the football field, trusting what Joe’s (offensive coordinator Joe Brady) calling, and really sticking to our fundamentals and how we worked during training camp, and really just trying to pick up where we left off from last year,” Allen said on the AP’s “On Football” podcast.
The reigning NFL MVP sat out the entire preseason for the first time in his career. But Allen was sharp against a tough defense. He had 251 of his passing yards in the fourth quarter.
Jackson, a two-time MVP and three-time All-Pro, hasn’t played in the preseason since 2021. He just steps on the field and dazzles whenever he gets an opportunity.
NFL coaches have to make difficult decisions each preseason, choosing whether to rest starters or put quarterbacks in harm’s way in meaningless games.
Green Bay’s Jordan Love injured his hand in an exhibition game but was ready to play in Week 1.
Sitting out doesn’t mean guys will be ineffective. Allen and Jackson demonstrated that. So did Aaron Rodgers.
Playing in preseason games doesn’t guarantee success early in the season, either.
Football is a team sport. There are a lot of factors that determine a quarterback’s performance and whether an offense clicks right from the start.
Rodgers was among the 10 starting quarterbacks who didn’t get any reps in exhibition games. He was outstanding in the opener, tossing four TD passes to lead Pittsburgh to a win.
Some of the others had slower starts.
Baker Mayfield was out of sync early for Tampa Bay but made clutch throws to rally the Buccaneers to victory.
Dak Prescott posted a 76.6 passer rating, though the Cowboys had several dropped passes.
Jared Goff and Detroit’s entire offense had a rough time against Green Bay in John Morton’s first game as offensive coordinator.
Meanwhile, quarterbacks who played in the preseason had mixed results.
Joe Burrow threw for just 113 yards and one TD but Cincinnati still edged Cleveland 17-16.
Patrick Mahomes lost another wide receiver to injury and needed a while to get Kansas City’s offense going in a loss to the Chargers in Brazil.
Tua Tagovailoa had one of his worst games as a pro, tossing two interceptions in Miami’s lopsided loss to Indianapolis.
Bo Nix threw two picks but Denver held on to defeat Tennessee.
“It’s probably the toughest part of our position, in my opinion, is bouncing back from the negative because you work really hard, you get one shot at it, and every once in a while when you miss it, it’s tough because that’s what you just want to think about it, you just want to fix it so bad that that’s what you’re thinking about,” Nix said. “The real advantage, the real edge, is when guys can just go to the next play, move on. … Glad it’s Week 1, not Week 21 and make these mistakes now and learn from them.”
Justin Herbert played in his first career preseason game this season, and came out firing against the Chiefs. He finished with 318 yards passing, three TDs and had a 131.7 rating for the Chargers.
Geno Smith appeared in all three preseason games, and looked like he was in midseason form in Week 1. Smith threw for 362 yards to lead Las Vegas to a win.
“I think it’s all the time we spend together, all the time in the meeting rooms, just hearing his voice and directly from him exactly what he wants to get accomplished with each and every play,” Smith said about building chemistry with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. “When I think about Chip, man, like he’s so cerebral and such a smart coach, and he’s always thinking of the next thing, the next layer to attack the defense. And that’s something that I’m always doing as well.”
Week 2 could bring different results for everyone. But no preseason won’t be an excuse for anyone.
BILLS RULE OUT ED OLIVER AGAINST THE JETS BECAUSE OF AN ANKLE INJURY HE SUFFERED AT PRACTICE
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott said Friday defensive tackle Ed Oliver had his left ankle stepped on at practice and will not play against the New York Jets, leaving the team thin at the position and without a starter who made a game-changing impact in a season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens.
McDermott said Oliver hurt his ankle on Wednesday. The coach didn’t reveal the nature of the injury or timetable for Oliver’s return. The Bills face a short turnaround next week in hosting the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night following their game at New York on Sunday.
“I think there’s a chance, I don’t know what that chance is,” McDermott said about Oliver’s odds of playing Thursday.
Though acknowledging some soreness, Oliver did not address the injury when speaking with reporters following practice. He did not practice Thursday and was spotted wearing a boot following the team’s walk-through.
The Bills are already thin at tackle behind Oliver and fellow starter DaQuan Jones.
Offseason free-agent addition Larry Ogunjobi is serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancers. Buffalo has only two backups on the active roster in rookies T.J. Sanders and Deone Walker.
The Bills have two tackles on their practice squad in Jordan Phillips, who returned last month for a fifth stint with Buffalo, and Zion Logue.
Oliver’s injury follows one of the most impactful performances of the 2019 first-round draft pick’s seven-year career in a 41-40 win over Baltimore in which the Bills overcame a 15-point deficit in the final minutes.
Oliver helped spark the rally by forcing Derrick Henry’s fumble with 3:10 remaining. He finished with six tackles, a sack and three tackles for losses.
PARSONS TIRED OF PLAYING ON SNAP COUNT: ‘IT’S PISSING ME OFF’
Packers pass-rusher Micah Parsons expressed his frustration with being on a snap count after Green Bay’s 27-18 victory over the Washington Commanders on Thursday.
“I just hope I’m full go,” Parsons said after the game, according to Grant Gordon of NFL.com. “Honestly, it’s pissing me off. I tell them it does more worse than good. I get tight and stuff. Hopefully they just let me off. Can’t hold a dog back forever.”
Parsons has been limited due to a back injury he’s dealt with since Green Bay acquired him from the Dallas Cowboys prior to the season.
In his Packers debut in Week 1, Parsons only saw the field on 30 defensive snaps. The edge rusher played in 47 snaps versus Washington, which was 68% of the Packers’ defensive plays. He was a force against the Commanders, generating a team-high eight pressures (21.6% pressure rate) and half a sack on 37 pass rush plays, according to Next Gen Stats.
Green Bay’s defense provided a stellar performance in Week 2, allowing 18 points to a Washington offense that ranked fourth in EPA/play in 2024. Washington averaged just 3.5 yards per play Thursday night. Jayden Daniels finished the first half with only 49 passing yards on nine completions, and the Commanders had three points heading into the fourth quarter.
“What I’ve been telling everyone: Defense wins championships,” Parsons said. “(Jordan) Love, you know, you give us 20 points, we should be able to win that game. It’s all about getting stops and getting the ball back to the offense.
“As y’all have seen against Baltimore and Buffalo, you can have a quarterback damn near have a perfect game and still lose because guess what, the defense just gave up, what, 40 points? So, defense wins championships. I think the fans like points and they like to see the big plays, but when you play great defense, it’s just so beautiful to see.”
The Packers are off to a 2-0 start and will face off against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.
JAYDEN DANIELS AND THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS HAVE NOT LOOKED NEARLY AS GOOD SO FAR THIS SEASON
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s only been two games so far, but Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Washington Commanders have looked more like the oldest team in the NFL and less like the club that went 12-5 and made it all the way to the NFC title game last season.
The offense is nowhere near as explosive or as efficient as it was as Daniels earned AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
And the defense, which was supposedly going to be better after additions such as Von Miller and Javon Kinlaw, was not up to the task in a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night that dropped Washington’s record to 1-1 after a win against the lowly New York Giants in Week 1.
“It is early in the season,” said Daniels, who was 24 of 42 for 200 yards through the air and ran seven times for just 17 yards, while being sacked four times. “I wouldn’t expect anyone in this locker room to hit the panic button.”
His two touchdown passes both came in the fourth quarter, after the game was pretty much out of hand.
“Overall, just a tough night,” coach Dan Quinn said, “in terms of style and attitude of how we want to play, identity. … It just felt like we missed the mark.”
That’s true.
The first quarter was particularly poor for the Commanders: Their 11 total yards were the club’s fewest in that period since 2018, when they had 2 in a Week 17 game.
At one point in the second quarter, Green Bay led 14-0 and had outgained Washington 243 yards to 23, with 12 first downs to one.
“All in all,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, “I thought we were in control of the football game for a majority of the game.”
What’s working
For this one game? In truth, not much of anything. The offense was stagnant. The offensive line didn’t do Daniels — or the running backs — many favors. The defense looked old, slow and shaky, allowing TD drives of 96 and 92 yards early, and making Packers tight end Tucker Kraft seem like a new version of Rob Gronkowski: six catches, 124 yards, a touchdown. Even special teams was an issue: Matt Gay missed two field-goal attempts.
What needs help
Well, yes, most of everything. The Daniels- Terry McLaurin connection, such a big part of last year’s surge, has been nearly non-existent so far. McLaurin, who only began practicing less than two weeks before the season opener after agreeing to a contract extension, caught five passes for 48 yards against the Packers, and has just seven receptions for 75 yards in the two games, with zero scores.
Stock up
WR-RB-KR-Do-Everything Deebo Samuel. He led the Commanders with seven catches against the Packers, gaining 44 yards on those plus scoring a TD for the second game in a row. He also returned two kickoffs for a 39-yard average, including breaking one for 50.
Stock down
CB Marshon Lattimore. He gave up two catches and was called for pass interference on the very first drive of the game, then in the second quarter got beat on a 37-yard completion.
Injuries
There were several, including to starting running back Austin Ekeler, who injured his right Achilles tendon — which the Commanders believe was torn, although they were awaiting further tests. Others who got hurt Thursday: DE Deatrich Wise Jr., WR Noah Brown, TE John Bates.
Key number
Zero — Number of turnovers by the Commanders so far, the second consecutive season in which Washington did that in Games 1 and 2. You have to go all the way back to the 1968 and 1969 seasons to find a pair of turnover-free games to begin two seasons in a row.
Next steps
Quinn, the rest of this staff and the players now get plenty of time to reset things and prepare to host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 21. Among other adjustments, Washington will want to figure how to better defend against a tight end, assuming Brock Bowers is healthy by then. The Raiders will have a short week to get ready to face the Commanders after playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.
JETS’ SAUCE GARDNER LIMITED BY GROIN INJURY, BUT AARON GLENN THINKS HE’LL BE OK TO PLAY VS. BILLS
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner has a groin injury that will limit him at practice Friday, but coach Aaron Glenn expects he should be able to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
Gardner was injured during practice Thursday, when he was listed on the team’s injury report as a limited participant.
“I think he’ll be OK,” Glenn said Friday before practice.
If Gardner can’t play or is compromised by the injury, it could have a major effect on the defense against Josh Allen and the Bills’ high-scoring offense.
Gardner, the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback after receiving a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension in July, is coming off a strong opening-game performance against Pittsburgh. He was lined up against DK Metcalf on 30 of 34 pass plays by the Steelers and allowed only one 11-yard catch by Pittsburgh’s top receiver.
Gardner, a two-time All-Pro selection, is lining up against teams’ No. 1 receivers and following them in motion — a departure from his first two seasons when he played in mostly a zone scheme under the previous regime.
Against the Bills, Gardner would likely cover Keon Coleman for a good chunk of the game. Coleman had seven catches for 100 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception, in the fourth quarter of the Bills’ comeback win against Baltimore last Sunday.
The Jets are dealing with a few other injuries, including hamstring issues for running back/kick returner Kene Nwangwu and wide receiver Josh Reynolds, and an ankle injury for rookie tight end Mason Taylor. Defensive tackle Jay Tufele missed the first two days of practice this week with an illness.
Glenn said all of those players will continue to be evaluated.
If Nwangwu is out, newly acquired Isaiah Williams — signed off Cincinnati’s practice squad — could be in the mix to return kickoffs. Rookie Arian Smith and Isaiah Davis also could be options, as well as current practice squad members Jamaal Pritchett and Keilan Robinson.
Reynolds’ status also bears watching since he’s currently the No. 2 receiver behind Garrett Wilson. Allen Lazard was inactive for the opener because Glenn said he was still catching up after missing some time in training camp.
“I can’t say he’s totally caught up,” Glenn said. “But he’s at a pace where he can go out there and play. We’ll see how this whole thing shakes out.”
