Tag: 2024 preseason

Several Vikings among league leaders in various stats from 2024 preseason

With the 2024 NFL preseason over, the Minnesota Vikings had a number of players among the statistical leaders, including QB Jaren Hall.

Preseason football is less about raw stats and more about getting reps in in anticipation of the coming season and looking good while doing it. That said, it’s always nice when those two things coincide. That is the case for several Minnesota Vikings players this year, as the team has several preseason stats leaders.

The plan and hope is that Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold can start all 17 games and play well in doing so. However, Jaren Hall showed during the preseason that he has developed since his brief starting stint last season. In limited action, Hall was among the preseason leaders in passer rating, finishing third overall at 112.5, just behind Jaguars backup Mac Jones and Broncos starter Bo Nix, who led the league at 116.7.

Though he may not have won the battle for WR3 against Jalen Nailor, Vikings wide receiver Trishton Jackson showed he deserves a role in the offense this preseason. A favorite target of anyone taking the snap, Jackson tied for third in receiving yards. But Jackson wasn’t just wracking up yards, he was also putting the ball in the end zone. Jackson led all receivers and tight ends this preseason with three scores.

The final statistical leader for the Vikings was new kicker Will Reichard. The sixth-round pick from Alabama finished his college career as the NCAA’s FBS all-time leading scorer. He picked up right where he left off, coming in second this preseason with 29 points, just two behind leader Cairo Santos. Reichard also booted a 57-yard field goal this preseason to show off his range.

Report: Texans DB Brandon Hill out for year with knee injury

Brandon Hill’s second season with the Houston Texans is officially over

Brandon Hill’s sophomore NFL season is over before it officially begins.

According to KPRC 2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson, the Houston Texans defensive back will miss the 2024 season after suffering a significant knee injury in Saturday’s win against the Los Angeles Rams.

Hill, a former seventh-round pick out of Pitt, was a longshot to make the active 53-man roster, but he was a favorite to make the practice squad. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Houston’s second preseason contest, he recovered a fumble on special teams and intercepted a pass from Kyle Allen in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

During the first quarter, Hill fell during a punt return and was slow to get up. Trainers eventually came to attend to him, with players going onto the field to wish him well before he was transported to the locker room for further examination. An air cast was placed on his right leg to further the swelling.

With Hill out for the year, the Texans could be set at safety if they elect to keep five players. Jalen Pitre, Jimmie Ward, Eric Murray and third-round pick Callen Bullock didn’t play in Saturday’s contest, signifying that they’ve probably done enough to make the 53-man squad.

Lonnie Johnson and M.J. Stewart could be in a race for the last spot. Johnson looked promising in coverage against the Rams, totaling five tackles and a pass breakup. Stewart has been a special teams standout under Frank Ross, so he could have the upper hand if the Texans are looking for certain roleplayers.

Roster cutdowns must be finalized by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Jerry Jones on Cowboys’ Trey Lance: ‘We’re planning on him being on our roster’

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys braintrust is focusing on Lance’s improvement and positives rather than the 5 interceptions he tossed in the preseason finale.

The reviews on Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance were somewhat mixed after Saturday’s preseason finale, a game that saw the former third-overall draft pick post a 320-plus-yard performance but also toss five interceptions in a 26-19 loss.

For context, throwing picks in five games is something that’s happened in just seven regular-season tilts in franchise history… and two of those times were by Eddie LeBaron, in 1960 and 1961, the club’s first two seasons of existence.

But despite maddening inconsistency, Lance doesn’t appear to have endangered his spot in the Cowboys locker room, with major cuts coming on Tuesday.

“Certainly, we’re planning on him being on our roster, for sure,” Jones told a gaggle of reporters after Saturday’s game.

“I saw good, and I saw some things that you’d like to have back,” Jones admitted. “I hate those five interceptions are going to be a stat on a game that I couldn’t have asked for more reps and a better situation to watch him play. And he needed that, because the one thing he’s missing more than anything is the lack of reps.”

True enough. Lance has had more passing attempts during this preseason as a Cowboy (113) than he had during his entire regular-season tenure with the 49ers (102). He’s been around for three years now, so it’s easy to forget how young Lance still is. Consider this: he’s actually younger- by just one day- than Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr.

So he’s still very green, something head coach Mike McCarthy readily acknowledges and factors into any interception talk.

“I wish we had three more preseason games just to get him out there, just to keep playing, because he had tremendous production,” McCarthy said in his postgame press conference. “But yes, the turnovers are always the first thing we talk about and coach and go through.”

Granted, that part of the conversation will take longer than normal after this outing, but Lance also showed some real positives on Saturday. McCarthy pointed to his final throw to the goal line as time expired. It was picked off, but, if you squint, there was a silver lining to be taken from it.

“That last opportunity, he definitely was where he needed to be,” McCarthy observed. “He had a chance to hit that last touchdown. There’s always been four or five plays each game that he’ll learn from, but he continually gets better every time you give him a chance. I think that says a lot about him. I think he’s just a young guy that needs to play.”

Whether it should continue to be in a Cowboys uniform will be the subject of much debate over the coming days, weeks, and- depending on how starter Dak Prescott’s contract negotiations go- months.

Lance has flashed during his preseason run: mostly with his legs, but also with the occasional laser shot that makes it very hard to completely write him off as non-NFL material.

If Jones is to be taken at his word, there have been enough of those to warrant the Cowboys continuing their experiment with the North Dakota State product. Whether it will be as Prescott’s primary backup or the team’s emergency third-stringer remains to be seen.

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Jones knows Lance is in a better spot than he was a year ago at this time, when the Cowboys traded to get him. Further, he believes the young man has taken several huge steps in his progression just over the preseason.

“I think the main thing is the improvement from over the last six weeks. That’s impressive, very impressive,” Jones said. “What you’re looking for is: the arrow going up? And it’s going up, dramatically, really. Every practice and every game,” Jones explained. “A lot of things he wasn’t doing as well early that he’s doing well now.”

Not well enough to quiet all the doubters, to be sure. But apparently well enough to convince Jones he has something worth hanging onto, for at least the time being.

Still, the owner was asked Saturday if he had any regrets about making the trade that brought Lance- and the controversy he continues to ignite- to Dallas.

“For a fourth-round pick?” Jones asked with a grin. “Are you kidding me?”

He’s already got a fourth-round passer who plays like a first-rounder. So maybe, to Jones, it all evens out.

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Jake Fromm impresses in his unexpected Lions debut

Recently signed QB Jake Fromm impresses everyone, notably Detroit head coach Dan Campbell, in his unexpected Lions debut

Jake Fromm wasn’t supposed to play in the Detroit Lions preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Dan Campbell said as much in his final press conference of the week.

Heck, Fromm didn’t take a single snap in either practice leading into the game. Brought in as a camp arm to provide reps while Hendon Hooker was sidelined with a concussion after the first preseason game, Fromm got precious little action in practices once Hooker quickly returned.

So it was a little surprising when Fromm, wearing No. 18, trotted onto the field in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s exhibition. With the outcome still up for grabs, Fromm calmly, efficiently iced the game into a sweet victory for the Lions in his two drives.

Fromm played well, no doubt about it. Given the scant prep, the practice squad refugee from several other teams looked great. Fromm completed 6-of-8 passes for 89 yards, leading the Lions to a touchdown drive and into victory formation at the end.

Campbell, who had all but ruled out Fromm during the week, seemed quite happy that he gave the Georgia alum a chance.

ā€œMan, I like Fromm,ā€ Campbell said after the game. ā€œThe kid can play a little ball. Thereā€™s something about him. He understands where his answers are at, what to do with the football.”

Campbell continued, noting his antenna was up for No. 18.

ā€œI see him. So, what does that mean? I donā€™t quite know yet, but I know this is that heā€™s intriguing,” Campbell stated. Heā€™s got a little football player in him.ā€

To echo Campbell’s question, what does that mean for Fromm in Detroit?

We’ll find out Tuesday, but it sure looks and sounds like Fromm might have played his way onto the Lions’ practice squad.

Chargers personnel rescued from Dallas elevator ahead of preseason game vs Cowboys

From @ToddBrock24f7: 15 members of the team’s travel party- including some players- had to be lifted through a ceiling panel after their elevator became stuck.

For the second time in five days, firefighters and rescue personnel are characters in a Cowboys news story. This time, though, it’s the team’s upcoming opponent on the other end of a first-responder call.

Fifteen members of the Los Angeles Chargers’ travel party- including several players- had to be rescued from a stuck hotel elevator in Dallas on Friday night, just hours before their preseason finale against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

A Dallas Fire-Rescue team helped lift the individuals one by one through a ceiling panel after the car became stuck somewhere between the third and fifteenth floors of The Westin on Main Street in downtown Dallas. An elevator technician attempted unsuccessfully to get the elevator working before the fire department was dispatched.

Upon their arrival, DFR’s Urban Search and Rescue team- according to WFAA’s Matt Howerton- used a working elevator “as a ferry” to transfer the trapped individuals to safety.

But the rescue didn’t come quickly, or without some drama. Per Jaime Maggio, a reporter covering the Chargers preseason, firefighters first tried to breach the door of the inoperable elevator car using crowbars. Only “after two-plus hours,” Maggio said, did they change tactics and move inside the elevator shaft to access the car via its ceiling panel.

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It was not immediately known which Chargers players or personnel were involved, though running back Jaret Patterson did make a Instagram post from inside the elevator car.

The Chargers thanked Dallas Fire-Rescue in a social media post after the incident, and head coach Jim Harbaugh reportedly invited the rescue personnel to the eat in the team meal room afterward.

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Broncos vs. Cardinals series history: 30th preseason showdown on deck

Sunday will mark the 30th time the Broncos and Cardinals have faced off in a preseason game.

The Denver Broncos face off against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday morning at Empower Field at Mile High in the third and final preseason contest for both teams, before trimming rosters from 90 to 53.

After naming Bo Nix their starter earlier this week, the Broncos will take a close look at Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson on Sunday to determine who will serve as the backup quarterback in 2024.

Arizona is one of Denver’s most frequent preseason opponents, with Sunday’s matchup marking their 30th preseason showdown. The Cardinals came away with an 18-17 victory in a preseason thriller last summer, but the Broncos lead the all-time preseason series 19-10.

Denver and Arizona have played 12 times in the regular season, with Denver owning a 10-1-1 record all-time. The only time the Cardinals beat the Broncos was in 2010, a 43-13 blowout.

Denver looks to wrap up the preseason on a winning note, with building blocks in place for the future. This game will help solidify the 53-man roster, which needs to be finalized by 2 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

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‘Brick by brick’: Cowboys WR Jalen Brooks building foundation for ’24 roster spot

From @ToddBrock24f7: The second-year WR has performed well in camp and would seem to be one of the team’s top 6 at the position, but he’s not content to coast.

Jalen Brooks may be building something special.

By all accounts, the second-year wide receiver has been a strong performer for the Cowboys during training camp. Most major projections have the seventh-round draft pick from last year making the 53-man roster, no small feat considering the expanse of talent in the team’s WR room this summer.

Brooks admits that he didn’t have a perfect camp, but the 24-year-old says he’s focused on simply improving with every new opportunity.

“It’s been solid,” Brooks said of his camp before leaving Oxnard with the team. “It hasn’t been what I wanted it to [be], but … I’m big on ‘brick-by-brick.’ Just keep on stacking each and every day, trying to get better each and every day. I definitely left some plays out there this camp, but as long as I’m able to see what I need to learn from and everything, and come back and be better than what I was yesterday, then I’m okay with that.”

His work in practice has certainly helped with the construction of that foundation. Lining up against 2022’s league interceptions leader- day after day, rep after rep, drill after drill- will do that.

Brooks has found himself going one-on-one with All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs… and holding his own more often than not. One series from Wednesday’s final padded practice saw Diggs jawing loudly at Brooks mid-route, only to later have the South Carolina product get revenge by beating Diggs for a touchdown catch that ended with Brooks spinning the ball at the two-time Pro Bowler’s feet.

“It felt good, but that’s why we’re out here: just to compete,” Brooks said of the back-and-forth with Diggs. “We’ll be talking trash all the time and everything, so I think it’s healthy competition, but obviously, it feels good to end up on top, for sure.”

Brooks is getting those regular reps versus the Cowboys’ CB1 largely because superstar receiver CeeDee Lamb has been absent for all of camp. And with Brandin Cooks skipping out on the final two Oxnard practices for personal reasons, it’s put Brooks against DBs that are often far better than the ones he might draw during a real game, as the third or fourth option in the Dallas passing attack.

Even against top-tier competition, he’s been delivering.

Brooks says it speaks to the overall strength of the receiving corps the team has assembled.

“The depth that we have, being able to not miss a beat. It’s always a next-guy-up type of thing, and just showing that even if somebody’s not here, we’re able to step up and compete and fill those roles.”

That will only pay dividends when Lamb and Cooks are back in the lineup, and Brooks- who has all of six career catches for 64 yards- knows it.

“It just builds confidence,” he said. “Going into any game during the season, when you’re going against the best and you’re able to compete against the best, I think that talks for itself. I’m blessed that I have him as a teammate and I’m able to go against him.”

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Brooks isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, though, even if he’s shown out well in practices. He hasn’t gotten a ton of looks in the team’s two preseason games, but that could be because the Cowboys coaches already have a good idea of what they have in him.

Case in point: Brooks got just one target in last weekend’s win in Vegas.

His snap count in this Saturday’s game against the Chargers may provide a clue. Brooks would certainly seem- on paper- to be one of the Cowboys’ top six choices at the position. If Brooks is used again only sparingly in the preseason finale, it may be because the team is wrestling harder with a decision about Racey McMath or Kelvin Harmon or Jalen Cropper.

Maybe Brooks has already stacked enough bricks by now to have built himself a solid roster spot.

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Texans QB C.J. Stroud gives high praise to Rams star Matthew Stafford

C.J. Stroud and Matthew Stafford traded compliments following Thursday’s practice, with the latter showing high praise for the former’s future.

C.J. Stroud has always studied quarterbacks, but there’s one that sits above the rest in his power rankings of current stars.Ā 

Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are all stars who have transcended the game over the last decade, but they’re not the top name for Stroud.Ā 

It’s Los Angeles gunslinger Matthew Stafford. He’s been at the top of Stroud’s list to work out with whenever he returned to California this offseason.Ā 

That didn’t happen, so Stafford paid Stroud a visit, instead.Ā 

With the Los Angeles Rams taking on the Houston Texans in Saturday’s preseason finale, the two sides elected to have a joint practice Thursday afternoon. Stroud and Stafford led their offenses to multiple scoring drives while going back and forth on highlight throws.Ā 

During the downtime, Stroud made sure to soak in as much information as possible from the Super Bowl champion and former No. 1 overall pick.Ā 

“I asked him a lot of questions. I tried to just learn, and he was really honest with me and wasnā€™t mean, which I appreciate so I am definitely a huge fan of his,” Stroud said following practice. “[I’m] definitely one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time. I feel like sharing a field with him was dope.ā€

Stroud mentioned on theĀ Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast he thought Stafford was not only one of the top current quarterbacks, but also one of the best all-time. He compared Stafford’s game to Tom Brady’s, though without the national recognition or accolades.Ā 

One thing Stroud loves about Stafford’s preparation is his toughness. He pointed to the game in 2009 where Stafford separated his shoulder but stayed in the game to cap off the game-winning drive.Ā 

“I respect that because it is not easy,ā€ Stroud said. ā€œJust how he manipulates guys with his eyes, his drops, his arm angles. I have been a fan of Matthew Stafford for a long time.”

While Stroud has been a fan of Stafford’s style since he was playing little league, Thursday was the first real moment the 16-year veteran saw the future AFC standout shine. Much like his young fan, Stafford was also complimentary of Stroud’s game, recognizing the potential Houston has in its franchise quarterback.Ā 

“Iā€™m a huge fan of watching him play,” Stafford said. “[He] throws the ball with ease, plays with like a really calm aggression.

“He plays at a really high level, especially for a young kid. They have a lot of talent around him which is a lot of fun to watch and he does a great job of getting those guys the ball.ā€

Chiefs HC Andy Reid praises Carson Steeleā€™s performance vs. Bears: ā€˜He looked good tonightā€™

Kansas City #Chiefs HC Andy Reid praises Carson Steeleā€™s performance vs. Bears: ā€˜He looked good tonightā€™ | @EdEastonJr

The preseason is over, and the winless Kansas City Chiefs can focus on the regular season, which starts in a few weeks.

Undrafted rookie Carson Steele was a breakout star from the preseason. He immediately garnered attention for his personality and play. Chiefs head coach Amdy Reid spoke highly of Steele during his post-game press conference on Thursday night.

“We’ll evaluate him, but he looked good tonight. (He’s a) physical kid, and I know the guys were excited when he was carrying it, but we’ll see,” said Reid. “He’s a good football player, though (it) didn’t look like they really wanted to tackle him. So that’s a plus if you’re a running back.”

Steele only carried the ball four times in the Chiefs’ 34-21 loss to the Bears but still tallied 50 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was his second of the preseason as he beefed up his resume heading into final roster cuts.

“If he (had) stayed at Ball State, he probably would have gone down as one of the great ones at the university there, but he transferred and ended up playing there at UCLA,” said Reid. “And that’s saying something from an experienced standpoint with a bigger school, but we knew he could run the football. It was his ability to pass, protect, play special teams, and do those things, and he’s done a pretty good job with all that.”

Steele’s versatility puts him in the mix as either a running back or fullback on Reid’s offense. He also showed a flair for making impactful plays on special teams.

Chiefs GM Brett Veach on the value of practice squad players: ‘We’re going to rely on those guys’

Kansas City #Chiefs GM Brett Veach on the value of practice squad players: ‘We’re going to rely on those guys’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs and every team must trim their rosters over the next few days before the regular season begins.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach joined the broadcast team on KMCI 38 The Spot during the start of the second quarter of Thursday’s game vs. the Chicago Bears for his annual conversation in the booth.

He addressed the mindset of handling the main roster and the value of putting together the practice squad.

“With our schedule, and hopefully every year we’re trying to play a 20-game season, you’re going to need those guys. And we don’t really look at these players as practice squad players. We just look at them as an extension of our roster.” said Veach. “A bunch of guys over the years that started out on the practice squad, whether it be Nazeeh Johnson or Jack Cochrane and last year, Matt Dickerson, so every year we’re going to rely on those guys.”

Veach and his front office staff will work with the coaching staff over the next few days to trim the roster. He appreciates the coaches’ support in making these decisions and getting the most out of potential practice squad candidates.

“We’ve just been fortunate that our coaching staff does a great job again,” said Veach, “Not just with the starters, but they do a great job of coaching up the young guys on the practice squad because it’s not a matter of if but when we’ll need them throughout the course of the season.”

The Chiefs could have several former practice squad players make this year’s regular season rosterā€”a credit to the development and system built in Kansas City during the successful Super Bowl run.