Tag: NFL preseason Week 1

NFL preseason Week 1 fantasy football recap

Reviewing all of the notable fantasy football performances from Week 1 exhibition play.

While NFL preseason stats ultimately don’t matter in the quest for a fantasy football championship, that’s not to say it those numbers are entirely useless to track. Exhibition action gives us a glimpse into unearthed gems and allows gamers to recalibrate late-round flier rankings. After all, just getting an opportunity to showcase one’s talent can be the difference in making a roster or not, which sometimes is enough to create an inroad for a chance during the regular season.

With that established, here’s a spin around the noteworthy performances — good and otherwise — over the first week of the preseason.

Instant analysis of Patriots’ 17-3 preseason victory over Panthers

Instant analysis of the Patriots’ Week 1 preseason win over the Panthers

The New England Patriots opened up their 2024 preseason slate on Thursday night with a 17-3 win over the visiting Carolina Panthers.

It was mostly a defensive game dictated by field position until Patriots rookie quarterback Joe Milton III entered the game in the second half.

New England came into the matchup with an interesting strategy of starting Jacoby Brissett for a drive and following that up by giving rookie first-round draft pick Drake Maye only one drive as well. They then went with Bailey Zappe for the rest of the first quarter and most of the third.

Zappe was booed heavily when he entered the game by a Patriots fan-base that clearly wanted to see more of Maye. It was a decent effort from the veteran quarterback, who finished the game going 12-of-20 passing for 108 yards.

He even led the Patriots on a touchdown drive that was capped off with running back Kevin Harris rushing the ball into the end zone for six points.

But the story of this game was Milton and the Patriots’ defense. The sixth-round draft pick looked surprisingly calm in the pocket. He never panicked under pressure and even took off for an incredible 13-yard run when the defenders got close.

The real play of the night for Milton came on a play where he pump-faked the defense and threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to receiver JaQuae Jackson, who nearly juked the defender out of his cleats.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots gave the Panthers fits all night.

They dominated at the line of scrimmage and forced quarterbacks Jack Plummer and Jake Luton to get the ball out quickly. There were several dropped passes and missed opportunities for the Panthers, but they were mostly overwhelmed by a Patriots defense that looked solid across the board.

Defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and edge rusher Oshane Ximines in particular had great games. Both players registered a sack and two quarterback hits on the night.

Overall, it was a good night for the Patriots, but they won’t have long to celebrate. It’ll be back to work next week with a scheduled joint training camp practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on August 13.

The two teams will then face off in a Week 2 preseason matchup at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, August 15.

NFL preseason Week 1 fantasy football recap

Reviewing all of the notable fantasy football performances from Week 1 exhibition play.

While NFL preseason stats ultimately don’t matter in the quest for a fantasy football championship, that’s not to say it those numbers are entirely useless to track. Exhibition action gives us a glimpse into unearthed gems and allows gamers to recalibrate late-round flier rankings. After all, just getting an opportunity to showcase one’s talent can be the difference in making a roster or not, which sometimes is enough to create an inroad for a chance during the regular season.

With that established, here’s a spin around the noteworthy performances — good and otherwise — over the first week of the preseason. Since the NFL splits the games up over several days, be sure to check back multiple times for updates.

Lamar Jackson reacts to Malik Cunningham’s electric performance

Lamar Jackson loved what he saw from his former Louisville teammate, Malik Cunningham.

Lamar Jackson loved what he saw from his former Louisville teammate, New England Patriots quarterback Malik Cunningham, in Thursday’s preseason game against the Houston Texans.

On a night when the Patriots couldn’t get anything going offensively, Cunningham stepped on the field and sparked the unit to its only touchdown in the game. His ability to scramble for yards and make plays on the move gave the offense an element it clearly lacked with Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley under center.

Jackson, who is also known for his electric playmaking abilities with the Baltimore Ravens, was giddy seeing his former teammate stepping up and making plays on the big stage.

Cunningham was initially believed to be a long-shot roster hopeful, but after Thursday’s performance, there’s a real chance he could stick around as the No. 3 quarterback on the Patriots’ roster.

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Three standout stars for Patriots in Thursday’s preseason opener

Here are the three standout stars from the Patriots’ first preseason game.

The New England Patriots opened the 2023 preseason with a 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans.

In a game where the Patriots rested most of their projected starters and veterans, we got to see rookies and young players fighting for their NFL lives in 2023.

Even though this exhibition game is meaningless for the 2023 season, it’s a good chance to take a look at players we might not ever get to see showcase their skills.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the three most impactful players for the Patriots in Thursday’s preseason opener.

The Morning After: Malik Cunningham sparks Patriots in 20-9 loss

TMA: Some observations from the Patriots’ 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday night.

The Morning After, and football, is officially back after the New England Patriots hosted the Houston Texans on Thursday night in Foxborough.

Even though the Patriots lost the exhibition match 20-9, there were some things to build upon and be excited about as the team treads forward to their Sept. 10 regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Patriots offense stalled early playing behind an inexperienced offensive line. They’re still working through the details on offense, but it is improved from last season. So there’s hope the unit can be better down the stretch.

Here are some observations from Thursday’s game against the Texans.

4 big takeaways from Patriots’ 20-9 preseason loss vs Texans

Here are four main takeaways from the Patriots’ preseason loss to the Texans

The New England Patriots suited up on Thursday night to take on the Houston Texans in the first preseason game of the 2023 regular season.

After a disappointing 2022 season which saw the team miss the playoffs with an 8-9 final record, the Patriots retooled in the offseason, reuniting with an old friend in Bill O’Brien to coordinate the offense. The addition of O’Brien, along with a seemingly stellar rookie class, has given New England promise heading into the season.

Before we continue, just a note that, while the NFL preseason is a great time to see what kind of talent may lie within this roster, it rarely is a true indicator of how players will perform when the games matter.

Here are four big takeaways from the game.

Winners and losers from Patriots’ loss to Texans in preseason opener

Who were the winners and losers in the Patriots’ preseason opener?

A sluggish offensive performance ended in the New England Patriots getting pounded at home in a 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans in Thursday’s preseason opener.

It wasn’t the best of showings from the Patriots, but it was also the first of three preseason games. There’s no need in hitting the panic button just yet.

There were some serious positives to take away from the team’s effort. One rookie defensive player had Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud running for his life, while a rookie offensive player scored the one and only touchdown in the game for the Patriots.

Let’s take a look at the winners and losers from Thursday night’s game.

Twitter ablaze with Malik Cunningham praise, following Patriots loss

Even in defeat, everyone is talking about Patriots QB Malik Cunningham after his preseason debut.

The New England Patriots were defeated by the Houston Texans by a 20-9 margin on Thursday night. However, even in defeat, there were some positives to take away from the game.

Bailey Zappe led the team in passing yards, going 12-of-14 on the evening and throwing for 79 yards.

The New England offense struggled for most of the evening, and it wasn’t until the later stages of the game that things began to click. Undrafted rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham provided a spark for the Patriots. He did most of  his work on the ground, carrying the ball five times for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Cunningham was a big part of the conversation on Twitter, and here’s what fans had to say following the loss.

Instant analysis to Patriots’ 20-9 loss to Texans in preseason opener

Instant analysis to the Patriots’ 20-9 loss to the Texans.

The Houston Texans walked into Gillette Stadium and pushed the New England Patriots’ flimsy offensive line around for a 20-9 victory in Thursday’s preseason opener.

It was an unbearable effort from the Patriots offensively until fourth string quarterback Malik Cunningham made it interesting in the fourth quarter. The former Louisville quarterback had been taking reps at receiver throughout training camp. He was even in at the skilled position earlier in the game against the Texans.

But it was under center where he turned a dull offensive performance into a popcorn moment. With the offensive line breaking down around him, he took matters into his own hands by rushing for 34 yards and a touchdown to give the Patriots their first and only touchdown of the game.

It’s important to keep things in context. Cunningham was playing late in a preseason game against the Texans’ reserve defensive unit. However, it’s impossible not to walk away from this game feeling impressed by his effort.

Before his touchdown run, he had a sure-fire throw in the end zone with perfect touch, while on the move, but wideout Tre Nixon dropped the pass.

Not much else happened on the offensive side of the ball for New England.

Of course, it was a different story defensively as always with veteran safety Jalen Mills intercepting Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud on the very first drive of the game. And Patriots rookie defensive end Keion White was dominating in the trenches and consistently pressuring Stroud.

Mills looked solid in his return at safety, and White looked like an absolute monster in the making for the Patriots’ defense.

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez was credited with three total tackles, and he punched out a ball that rolled out of bounds on a play. So overall, the rookie first-round draft pick had a good debut as well. The Patriots did struggle, however, guarding Texans’ wideout Tank Dell on the backend. Houston’s rookie receiver hauled in five receptions for 65 yards and one touchdown.

Mac Jones and the rest of the starters took the night off, which was probably a good decision in hindsight. The last thing the Patriots needed was their starting quarterback playing behind that makeshift offensive line.

With the opener in the rearview, it’s back to the drawing board at training camp for the Patriots, who are slated for a road game against the Green Bay Packers next Saturday night.

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