2023 NFL Preseason: Weekend Reflections -

Week One of the 2023 NFL Preseason kicked off to the delight of millions. Aside from who won, what takeaways bubbled to the surface?

After seven months of no meaningful NFL action, the league took the field with a slate of games. Now, unless you’ve bet on these games, the scores do not matter. Meanwhile, what does count is how those that jockey for roster spots continue to amaze. Granted, teams will not open up the playbook to show their hands. Yet, lessons to a blunt extent, continue to illustrate America’s athletic passion.

Message Received

With all the attention paid to high-priced running backs, NFL coaches sent a thinly-veiled shot towards the holdouts. This weekend, rookie and roster fighters grabbed attention. From Tank Bigsby, gaining fifty-six yards to Israel Abanikanda with fifty-six, depth in the backfield is growing. With that said, a caveat: none of these backs will supplant the starters. Meaning, you may not see extended doses of these backs during regular season games, However, holdout, injury or ineffectiveness will clear a path for a backup running back to jump into a starting role.

Watch The Overreaction

If you listen to pundits and hot take media, you’d swear that Bryce Young played horribly. At the same time, Young got his proverbial feet wet, under his first meaningful snaps in the NFL. The Carolina Panthers invested the first pick overall on the former Bama standout. In the first place, Young accomplished the tasks asked of him last weekend. Young took the field, and completed two-thirds of his passes. What’s the problem? More importantly, Young fulfilled the one goal that he needed to see through. By leaving the field healthy, Young passes the test, by showing the ability to stay initially healthy. Under those circumstances, Young thrived on Saturday.

Ep 134: NFL Week 2 Studs And Duds
by Full Press Coverage on September 20, 2023 at 7:07 pm

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Pass Happy

Looking back at preseasons past, you’d see teams approach these games with no intention of showing anything creatively. On the other hand, NFL teams decided to let their quarterbacks air the ball out. Furthermore, teams didn’t just throw the ball, they threw it with frequency. Over the weekend, a plurality of teams threw the ball over thirty-five times. Like every other aspect of NFL life, the passing game continues to remain as the driving offense for in the league.

Standouts

The NFL weekend saw a big performance from a myriad of players. Now, two actually took centerstage. Las Vegas quarterback Aidan O’Connell shocked people with a strong performance versus San Francisco. O’Connell, the rookie from Purdue, completed fifteen of eight passes. Additionally, those completions accounted for one-hundred-forty-one yards and a touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo is the starter. However, O’Connell needs to stay ready, in case the oft-injured starters go down. In Green Bay, rookie back Emanuel Wilson drew eyes with a six-carry, one-hundred-eleven-yard evening versus the Bengals. The SIAC legend showed burst, and acceleration. Green Bay may have found themselves a third-string back whose size and strength fit frozen Lambeau.