Tag: NFL preseason

Watch all of Bo Nix’s throws and runs from NFL preseason

Before he starts in Week 1, here’s a look back at all of Bo Nix’s touches from preseason.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix impressed in his two preseason appearances this summer, going 23-of-30 passing for 205 yards with two touchdown passes, no turnovers and no sacks. Nix also showed off his dual-threat versatility, rushing six times for 29 yards.

It was no surprise when Nix was officially named the starter ahead of the team’s preseason finale.

“He’s earned the opportunity to be the starter,” general manager George Paton said earlier this week. “We’ve talked about it multiple times. Just the poise, the maturity and efficiency that he’s operated on the offense has been impressive.

“We know like every rookie, he is going to have ups and downs, but we’ll support him through that. We’re confident in Bo and just look forward to his continued growth and development.”

Check out all 36 of Nix’s throws and rushing attempts from preseason below, courtesy of the NFL’s official YouTube page:

Nix becomes Denver’s 14th starting quarterback since Peyton Manning’s retirement in 2016. When the Broncos face the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 8, Nix will make franchise history as the team’s first rookie quarterback to start in Week 1 since John Elway in 1983.

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Braiden McGregor and Leonard Taylor III make 53-man roster with New York Jets

According to New York Jets reporter Ethan Greenberg,  rookies Braiden McGregor, Leonard Taylor II, & Eric Watts all made the 53-man roster.

The New York Jets wanted to make sure they kept a plethora of defensive lineman to make an impact at the line of scrimmage in 2024. According to team reporter Ethan Greenberg, undrafted rookies Braiden McGregor, Leonard Taylor II, and Eric Watts all made the 53-man roster.

The Jets ranked No. 25 in the NFL in opponents rush yards per game and No. 7 in total team sacks. Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich hopes that the establish depth will afford him the opportunity to deploy fresher legs in 3rd & long situations.

Congratulations to Taylor III, Watts, and Mcgregor for solidifying themselves on the Jets’ team roster.

5 NFL teams went undefeated in preseason this summer

Five NFL teams went undefeated this summer. Even in preseason, “we still want to win,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.

Following their 38-12 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Denver Broncos wrapped up preseason with a perfect 3-0 record.

The Broncos were one of five teams to go undefeated in August, joining the New York Jets (3-0), Tennessee Titans (3-0) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-0) and Chicago Bears (4-0), who kicked off preseason with the Hall of Fame Game earlier this month.

Of course, preseason win-loss records aren’t necessarily a predictor of regular season success. Last summer, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders and Jaguars all went 3-0. Of those three teams, only the Steelers made the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Rams went 0-3 during preseason in 2021 and then went on to win the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions went 4-0 during preseason in 2008 before going 0-16 in the regular season.

Teams focus more on developing and evaluating players in preseason than they do the actual game results, so records are essentially meaningless.

There are some positive takeaways for the Broncos, though. Denver averaged 26 points per preseason game last year and 21 PPG in the regular season. This summer, the offense averaged 33 PPG. Once again, we shouldn’t read into the numbers too much, but it might reflect well on the team’s backups.

Winning is also a good habit, even in preseason.

“I said to them afterwards, do not ever get tired of how it feels to win,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the team’s preseason finale. “We are substituting groups, and we are needing to get different groups evaluated and yet we still want to win.

“I felt the energy, and I think anybody that was on the sidelines felt it. That part of it is encouraging. The guys that are not in recognize how important it is for the guys that are in [the game]. That is what you want from your team.”

Denver’s preseason record is “meaningless,” but the mentality the team established this summer counts for something. The Broncos will play their first game of consequence when they go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 on Sunday, Sept. 8.

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Commanders PFF grades: Best performers in preseason finale vs. Patriots

Which players earned the highest grades in the preseason finale?

The Washington Commanders defeated the New England Patriots 20-10 on Sunday in the preseason finale. Washington rested 34 players, virtually all of its starters and top backups against the Patriots.

It was the last chance for those on the field to impress Washington in hopes of making the 53-man roster. All 32 NFL teams must have their rosters at 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The Commanders struggled offensively in the first half against New England, but recently signed quarterback Trace McSorley led them to 20 second-half points, including two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. The moment was a dream come true for McSorley, an Ashburn native and a fan of Washington growing up.

McSorley completed 12 of 21 passes for 125 yards with a touchdown pass. McSorley also rushed for 40 yards. With his performance, it was no surprise that Pro Football Focus gave McSorley a solid grade for his performance.

Which other Commanders had passing grades from PFF? Here are Washington’s five-highest-graded players from Sunday’s win over the Patriots:

  • DT John Ridgeway: 87.0
  • DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 72.6  
  • S Sheldrick Redwine: 72.2
  • CB Tariq Castro-Fields: 70.4  
  • QB Trace McSorley: 69.8

Ridgeway was all over the place in Sunday’s game. He played 18 snaps, but they were impactful, registering three tackles, including two for loss and one pass defended.

It was Redwine’s first game with the Commanders after signing last week.

Drake Maye ends Patriots’ Preseason with first NFL 100-yard passing performance

Drake Maye’s latest preseason performance included his first NFL game with 100 passing yards

There is no single position more important to a football team than quarterback.

That’s especially true for teams like the New England Patriots – who went from decades with future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady, to several recent seasons of mediocrity.

In hopes of solving that recent mediocrity, New England chose Drake Maye third overall in this year’s NFL Draft. After two seasons at North Carolina, in which Maye was named 2022 ACC Player of the Year and found himself in Heisman Trophy consideration.

The Patriots brought in NFL veteran Jacoby Brissett for Maye to learn behind, but if their preseason is any indicator of who will start Week One, the scale could be tipping in Maye’s favor.

In New England’s latest preseason action on Sunday, Aug. 25 in a 20-10 loss at the Washington Commanders, Maye completed 13-of-20 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown.

This finished a successful preseason for Maye, who totaled 192 passing yards and two total touchdowns, across three games.

Compare Maye’s preseason to that of Brissett’s, who completed just 5-of-14 passes for 36 yards and an interception. Giving Brissett the benefit of the doubt, he last was a longtime starter for the Cleveland Browns in 2022, while Maye played all but the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last year.

Since the Patriots need a productive quarterback in the worst way, Maye seems like the obvious choice at starter.

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When do the Texans have to make final roster cuts?

Here’s everything you need to know about roster cutdown dates and how they affect the Houston Texans entering Tuesday’s deadline.

With the preseason in the past, the Houston Texans look toward a bright future in 2024 as they intend to build off their AFC  South division title.

There is one final hard decision to make before Week 1 officially arrives: roster cuts.

The Texans must trim their roster to 53 players by Tuesday at 3 p.m. CT. Unlike in previous years, there is just one cutdown date that comes once the preseason has ceased.

Following Sunday night’s finale, all 32 teams must narrow this roster from 90 to 53 players. After that, waiver claims begin for those who didn’t make the initial 53-man roster.

Teams will have until 11 a.m. CT to claim players placed on waivers during final cuts. Those will be announced shortly after the deadline, thus leading to another set of potential cuts to make room for the newcomers.

Houston is 23rd in waiver priority after finishing the 2024 season after securing a playoff win over the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round. This likely means general manager Nick Caserio might not have a great chance to land some top targets, but he still could land a handful of players with upside.

Once players have cleared waivers, teams can begin assembling their 16-player practice squad starting at 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday.

Offensive tackle Killan Zierer will automatically make the practice squad and is the presumed 17th player given that he’s part of the NFL’s new International Player Pathway (IPP) rule, which was implemented this offseason to keep an extra player on the roster without it affecting one of the 16 spots.

PFF grades: Best and worst players from Broncos’ preseason finale

Quarterback Zach Wilson (91.4) received PFF’s best grade among Broncos players in the final week of preseason.

Following the Denver Broncos’ dominant win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Pro Football Focus has released grades from the game.

It’s no surprise that quarterback Zach Wilson received the team’s best grade (91.4). Wilson went 16-of-25 passing for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no turners. He also rushed for 22 yards and a third touchdown. Fellow quarterback Jarrett Stidham was given a grade of 67.8.

Elsewhere on offense, center Sam Mustipher (89.9) was the best offensive lineman and Brandon Johnson (86.0) was the best wide receiver. Johnson hauled in a 46-yard touchdown pass from Wilson in the fourth quarter.

Blake Watson (66.3) was the team’s best running back, but Tyler Badie (65.9) and Audric Estime (64.2) were not far behind.

The team’s worst-graded players on offense were wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (42.8), tight end Thomas Yassmin (46.4) and offensive lineman Oliver Jervis (57.9).

On defense, linebacker Levelle Bailey (88.6) was the team’s top-graded defender, a grade that was surely aided by a 94-yard pick-six. Up next on defense were linebacker Justin Strnad (79.8), cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine (77.9) and safety Keidron Smith (74.6).

Denver’s worst-graded defenders were linebacker Andre Smith (29.8), defensive lineman Angelo Blackson (36.1) and linebacker Alec Mock (40.7).

On special teams, Trent Gill (61.6) was given a slight edge over Riley Dixon (61.2) in the punter battle.

You can view all the grades on the paid version of PFF’s website.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ preseason finale

The Broncos looked good in their preseason finale on Sunday. Here are five quick takeaways from the game.

The Denver Broncos wrapped up preseason with a 38-12 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways from Denver’s preseason finale.

1. Dondrea Tillman impressed: The ex-UFL pass rusher finished the day with five tackles on defense — two behind the line of scrimmage — two pass breakups (one saved a touchdown) and a tackle on special teams to boot. If there’s not room for Tillman on the 53-man roster, he will undoubtedly be a top candidate for the practice squad.

2. Keidron Smith finds the ball: Smith grabbed an interception in each of the team’s first two preseason games, then he recovered a fumble on Sunday. The Broncos might not have room for five safeties on the active roster, but Smith is giving them a tough decision.

3. The punter competition is a toss-up: Riley Dixon is the incumbent veteran with a larger body of work, but Trenton Gill showed off his strong leg against the Cardinals. Both players got two punts on Sunday — Dixon averaged 45.5 per boot and Gill averaged 61.0 yards per boot (helped by a 73-yard long). Gill is younger and cheaper than Dixon, so he might have a legitimate chance to make the squad.

4. Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Samaje Perine were healthy scratches: The Broncos held out a host of players on Sunday, including nearly all of their starters. Usually, snaps in the fourth preseason are divvied up among bottom-of-the-roster players attempting to make the team. The fact that Humphrey and Perine were both inactive suggests either they are making the team or the Broncos plan to put them on the trade block and didn’t want to risk injury.

5. Three QBs will make the 53-man roster, unless…: After Sunday’s game, Broncos coach Sean Payton essentially confirmed that Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson will all make the active roster. That settles that. Unless it’s an elaborate scheme by Payton in an effort to trade Wilson. We’ll find out for sure when Denver sets a 53-man roster on Tuesday.

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View every player on the Broncos’ roster before cuts begin

This is what the Broncos’ roster looks like before cuts begin this week.

The Denver Broncos wrapped up preseason on Sunday with a perfect 3-0 record. The next part is no fun.

Denver must now trim the squad from 91 players down to a 53-man roster by 2 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The first cuts could start as early as Monday.

Before the cuts begin, here’s a look at the Broncos’ roster as it stands now.

Denver Broncos 90-man offseason roster

Name Position Number
Jarrett Stidham QB 8
Bo Nix QB 10
Zach Wilson QB 4
Javonte Williams RB 33
Samaje Perine RB 25
Jaleel McLaughlin RB 38
Audric Estime RB 37
Blake Watson RB 43
Tyler Badie RB 36
Michael Burton FB 20
Nate Adkins FB/TE 45
Greg Dulcich TE 80
Adam Trautman TE 82
Lucas Krull TE 85
Thomas Yassmin (IPP) TE 86
Hunter Kampmoyer TE 84
Courtland Sutton WR 14
Marvin Mims WR 19
Josh Reynolds WR 11
Troy Franklin WR 16
Tim Patrick WR 12
Devaughn Vele WR 81
Lil’Jordan Humphrey WR 17
Brandon Johnson WR 89
Jalen Virgil  WR 15
Phillip Dorsett WR 13
David Sills WR 87
Michael Bandy WR 83
Mike McGlinchey OT 69
Garett Bolles OT 72
Frank Crum OT 73
Alex Palczewski OT 63
Matt Peart OT 79
Demontrey Jacobs OT 71
Will Sherman OT/G 78
Oliver Jervis OT 64
Quinn Meinerz G 77
Ben Powers G 74
Nick Gargiulo G/C 66
Calvin Throckmorton G 76
Luke Wattenberg C/G 60
Alex Forsyth C 54
Sam Mustipher C 61
Zach Allen DE 99
John Franklin-Myers DE 98
D.J. Jones DL 93
Malcolm Roach DL 97
Angelo Blackson DL 90
Matt Henningsen DL 91
Elijah Garcia DL 95
Eyioma Uwazurike DL 96
Jordan Jackson DL 94
Jordan Miller DL 68
Baron Browning OLB 5
Jonathon Cooper OLB 0
Nik Bonitto OLB 42
Jonah Elliss OLB 52
Drew Sanders (PUP) OLB 41
Thomas Incoom OLB 59
Dondrea Tillman OLB 92
Alex Singleton ILB 49
Cody Barton ILB 55
Jonas Griffith ILB 50
Justin Strnad ILB 40
Levelle Bailey ILB 56
Andre Smith ILB 23
Durell Nchami LB 53
Alec Mock LB 57
Pat Surtain CB 2
Ja’Quan McMillian CB 29
Riley Moss CB 21
Damarri Mathis CB 27
Levi Wallace CB 39
Kris Abrams-Draine CB 31
Tremon Smith CB 1
Art Green CB 28
Reese Taylor CB 35
Quinton Newsome CB 36
Kaleb Hayes DB 46
Devon Key DB 26
Tanner McCalister DB 30
Keidron Smith DB 43
Brandon Jones S 22
P.J. Locke S 6
Delarrin Turner-Yell (PUP) S 32
JL Skinner S 34
Omar Brown S 45
Wil Lutz K 3
Riley Dixon P 9
Trenton Gill P 47
Mitchell Fraboni LS 48

Notes: Drew Sanders (Achilles) and Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) are currently on the physically unable to perform list. As part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, tight end Thomas Yassmin does not count against the 90-man roster limit. If he makes the practice squad this year, he also would not count against that 16-player limit.

After finalizing an active roster, Denver can build a 16- or 17-player practice squad. We will track all of the team’s roster moves on Broncos Wire.

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Best photos from Commanders’ final preseason game vs. Patriots

The best photos from the Commanders’ win over the Patriots in the preseason finale.

The Washington Commanders wrapped up the preseason with a come-from-behind 20-10 victory over the New England Patriots. Washington finished the preseason 1-2 and now shifts its focus to roster cuts before Week 1.

The Commanders sat 34 players against the Patriots, and Jeff Driskel and Trace McSorley handled the quarterback duties. McSorley led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, helping his hometown team finish the preseason on a strong note.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from Sunday’s night game at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland.