Tag: NFL preseason

Watch: Falcons safety Jaylinn Hawkins blitzes, sacks Titans QB

Watch the second-year safety blitz up the middle and take down Titans quarterback Logan Woodside just before halftime.

Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ knack for calling effective blitzes has been on full display through the first half of Friday’s preseason matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Atlanta has been racking up sacks thus far and the latest comes from Jaylinn Hawkins.

Watch the second-year safety blitz up the middle and take down Titans quarterback Logan Woodside shortly before halftime, as shared by the Falcons’ Twitter account below.

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Falcons Highlights: Erroll Thompson blows up Titans QB

On third-and-six, undrafted free-agent linebacker Erroll Thompson came through the middle to blow up Titans QB Logan Woodside

The Falcons haven’t had much success thus far in their preseason opener. However, Dean Pees’ noted blitz-heavy defense is causing problems for the Titans’ offense.

On third-and-six, undrafted free-agent linebacker Erroll Thompson came through the middle to blow up Titans QB Logan Woodside and force an incompletion. Watch below, as shared by the Falcons’ Twitter account.

Tennessee converted on fourth down and would settle for a field, giving the Titans a 13-0 lead over the Falcons in the second quarter.

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Falcons Highlights: Mykal Walker, Ade Ogundeji combine for sack

For the second drive in a row, the Atlanta Falcons were able to stall the Tennessee Titans’ offense with a timely sack.

For the second drive in a row, the Atlanta Falcons were able to stall the Tennessee Titans’ offense with a timely sack. This time, second-year linebacker Mykal Walker and rookie EDGE Ade Ogundeji combined to bring down Titans quarterback Logan Woodside.

Watch the play below, as shared by the Falcons’ Twitter account.

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Watch: Falcons’ Jonathan Bullard sacks Titans QB on opening drive

The Titans got the ball first and after an opening drive filled with sloppy play on both sides, Falcons defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard came up with a sack

The Atlanta Falcons opened up their preseason slate against the Tennessee Titans on Friday evening. The Titans got the ball first and after an opening drive filled with sloppy play on both sides, Falcons defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard came up with a sack to force a punt.

Watch below, as shared by the team’s Twitter account.

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5 Raiders rookies to watch in preseason opener vs Seahawks

5 Raiders rookies to watch in preseason opener vs Seahawks

No players look forward to preseason football more than rookies. It’s the first time they ever don the official uniform and take the field for the team that either drafted them or signed them as an undrafted free agent. And they’re hoping it will be the first of many times. How they perform will go a long way in deciding that.

RT Alex Leatherwood

Leatherwood was a controversial pick at 17 overall. One the Raiders have been defending ever since. They say they picked him because of his maturity and intelligence most of all. That was not the issue many scouts seemed t have. Their issue was that he was a great run blocker, but not considered a great pass protector and therefore was seen as a guard by some.

Mike Mayock’s words initially weren’t dripping with confidence, saying they would try him at tackle first “and see if he can hold onto that job”, noting that he has position versatility. Which is to say that they figure if he doesn’t work out at tackle, he can just move to guard. The Raiders really need him to work out at tackle. And that means keeping the pocket clean for Derek Carr.

RB Trey Ragas

With Jalen Richard not practicing with a foot injury, there could be a running back spot open for the taking. Ragas was an undrafted free agent signing by the team, but many consider the Louisiana product to have a real shot. The 5-10, 230-pounder averaged six yards per carry for the Ragin’ Cajuns and has shown some nice wiggle in camp. He will have his platform to prove he can be the guy behind Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake.

DE/LB Malcolm Koonce

First and foremost watch for how they deploy Koonce. The third-rounder was practicing at defensive end through the first couple weeks of camp, but this week has been working at linebacker. Gus Bradley clearly wants to see if Koonce can be a situational pass-rushing outside linebacker for him in the mold of Melvin Ingram.

CB Nate Hobbs

At this juncture, veteran Nevin Lawson has the edge on the nickel corner job. But Lawson will not be available the first two weeks of the season, which means Hobbs will have a chance to be the day one starter. The fifth-round rookie’s primary competition is 2020 fourth-round pick Amik Robertson.

FS Tre’von Moehrig

There is no question that Moehrig will be the game one starter for the Raiders. The job is his to lose. Mainly, fans will just be eager to see the player most agree was a steal at 43 overall in the second round.

The Jim Thorpe Award winner has been as advertised in camp, looking like he could play center field or slot corner with equal proficiency. He’s sticky and rangy and that’s a great combination to have. He should be fun to watch.

Also see: 5 Raiders vets to watch in preseason opener vs Seahawks

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5 Raiders vets to watch in preseason opener vs Seahawks

5 Raiders vets to watch in preseason opener vs Seahawks

Preseason is all about individuals. The Raiders are trying to form a roster and a depth chart and many of these players will be showcasing themselves to earn a spot on this team and/or playing time. Here are five Raiders to watch for as they jockey for position on this squad.

WR Bryan Edwards

Edwards had a rough day this week in camp, dropping two passes, one of which was then picked off by Trayvon Mullen. But other than that, he’s mostly been showcasing the same 50/50 ball prowess we saw from him in last year’s camp.

The problem was that once it came time to put those talents on the field, it didn’t show up. An injury hampered him early on and we never saw his high-flying acrobatic catches take the league by storm. We get our first chance to see what a year under his belt has done for him.

DT Solomon Thomas

This former third overall pick had the inside track on the starting 3-tech job when he arrived. He has lost a lot of ground since then. Now not only is he in a battle with the other two defensive tackles that were signed around the same time, but he has veteran Gerald McCoy to contend with as well.

Thomas is convinced that playing 5-tech DE with the 49ers was a primary factor in his struggles over his first four seasons. And that a move to 3-tech DT will be great for him. But reports are that the Raiders may think he’s too small for the position, hence the addition of McCoy. Thomas will have the opportunity to prove his size won’t be an issue.

DT Darius Philon

One of the players competing with Thomas for reps in the DT rotation is Philon. He has drawn some praise from his coaches for his pass rush up the middle. I have seen some of it first hand. Keep an eye on Philon just as you do for Thomas as this game is a big step for both in their battle at that position.

DE Carl Nassib

Nassib came out as gay this summer. Why does that matter here? Because Nassib admitted he felt a tremendous weight throughout his career from keeping his sexual orientation under wraps. And that weight was lifted when he came out. And he has felt better and better every day since then, in large part due to the tremendous support he’s received from his teammates and the league.

Nassib had 12.5 sacks in the two seasons before signing with the Raiders. Imagine what kind of player he can be when he isn’t burdened by anything outside of simply playing his best football? Think about the kind of player Darren Waller has become since he opened up about his addiction? I, for one, am really looking forward to seeing Nassib show his full potential.

LB Tanner Muse

Calling Muse a veteran may not be accurate. But he’s not a rookie either. Technically he’s a first-year player because he didn’t play last season. Muse has seen a good amount of time with the first team at strong-side linebacker and was listed as such on the unofficial depth chart.

A third-round pick in 2020, Muse was expected to be a special teams guy initially. At least until he bulked up a bit and got some time learning the ropes at the NFL level. Well, even though he hasn’t played, he has been learning and been bulking up. We get our first look at how he’s coming along in this game.

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Lions vs. Bills: Key things to watch for in Detroit’s preseason opener

What to watch for in the Detroit Lions’ preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions football is back! The Lions will welcome fans into the Ford Field stands for the first time since 2019 for Friday night’s preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills.

It’s also head coach Dan Campbell’s debut in Detroit. Many Lions players will also be rocking the Honolulu blue and silver for the first time in an actual game setting, including QB Jared Goff and DE Michael Brockers, who followed GM Brad Holmes from the Los Angeles Rams.

Campbell has indicated he will play the starters in the game, something the Bills are not going to do with many of their key performers. The scoreboard isn’t nearly as important as a result, but the process in getting to the final score is incredibly significant. Here are a few things I’ll be keenly watching on Friday night.

Watch: Detroit Lions Podcast preseason preview and training camp updates

Detroit Lions Podcast and Lions Wire break down what’s happening in Lions camp and preview the preseason opener

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast featuring Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon is now available. This one gets into actual football that is coming on Friday, the Lions’ preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Who are the Lions players to watch? How has training camp been progressing under new head coach Dan Campbell? What players stand out, good and bad? All of those bases get covered in this week’s edition.

The show streams live on YouTube. An audio-only version is available via your favorite podcast provider, too.

Jets likely won’t see Aaron Rodgers in preseason match vs. Packers

Aaron Rodgers will “most likely” sit out the preseason, meaning the Jets will take on Jordan Love on August 21.

The Jets won’t have to worry about facing Aaron Rodgers in Week 2 of the preseason.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur – the older brother of Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur – said Rodgers will “most likely not” play at all in the preseason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This means the Jets defense will likely take on second-year quarterback Jordan Love during the exhibition game on August 21.

The Jets won’t avoid Rodgers completely, though. The team is scheduled to practice with the Packers in two joint sessions on August 18 and 19. That should give the defense a few opportunities to battle with Rodgers before taking on Love that weekend.

Rodgers and the Packers will be a little familiar with the Jets defense. The last time Rodgers faced a Robert Saleh-led defense was during the 2019 NFC Championship game. The 49ers held the Packers to seven points through the first three quarters en route to a 37-20 win. Rodgers faced Jeff Ulbrich’s Falcons in Week 3 of the 2020 season, but that was before Ulbrich was promoted to defensive coordinator. Rodgers tore that defense up for 327 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in a blowout win.

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Dan Campbell says the starters will play ‘about a quarter’ in preseason opener

Lions head coach Dan Campbell says the starters will play ‘about a quarter’ in Friday’s preseason opener

Lions head coach Dan Campbell has gone back and forth in his press conferences this training camp about the way he will use the starters in the shortened preseason. On Monday, Campbell made his first real solid declaration of how the first preseason game will get handled.

Campbell stated the starters will play “about a quarter” against the Buffalo Bills on Friday night at Ford Field. He phrased it in the tone where there is some flexibility to the one quarter, but that’s the general idea he and his staff agreed upon for the starting lineup.

With just three preseason games instead of the old standard of four, and a new regime mixing in so many new players, the Lions do project to need more time working the starters and key reserves in the exhibition season than other teams. Campbell has confirmed that status in several press conferences, but Monday’s admission is the first real concrete commitment to playing the starters in the preseason.

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