Tag: Preseason Week 3

Jalen Pitre returns interception for TD, looking to breakout in Year 3 with Texans

Jalen Pitre’s big-time interception in the preseason might just be the start of a promising third season with the Houston Texans.

As a rookie, Jalen Pitre took the Houston Texans’ defense by storm, leading the team in both interceptions and tackles.

In his season season, there was a slump. Under DeMeco Ryans’ man-heavy scheme, Pitre took a step back. He didn’t record a turnover and his missed tackle rate went up.

Entering Year 3, Pitre wants to live up to his billing as a former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Daniel Jones provided that opportunity Saturday afternoon at NRG Stadium.

The New York Giants quarterback made an ill-advised throw during the first quarter when Texans defensive end Derek Barnett provided pressure up the middle. Looking to avoid the safety, Jones heaved a pass toward tight end Theo Johnson, hoping it would land at his feet.

Instead, it landed in Pitre’s hand at the Giants’ 6-yard line. After that, it was a foot race to the end zone for a touchdown as the Texans secured a 28-10 victory.

“Big shout out to DB (Barnett),” Pitre told reporters postgame. “Pressure on the quarterback, he let it go, and thank God that I was right there, and like y’all seen, grabbed it scored. That was a blessing, for sure.”

While the interception won’t count toward his stat line since it’s the preseason, it’s a sign of Pitre’s progress heading into a pivotal year. After an underwhelming season deep in coverage, Houston elected to move Pitre closer to the line of scrimmage as the team’s starting slot defender.

It’s a similar position to the STAR role he played at Baylor en route to becoming a second-round pick in 2022. Slot defenders must handle both shifty receivers inside and big-bodied tight ends with the capability of overpowering smaller defenders for substantial gains.

Pitre, who played over 500 snaps in the slot during his final season with the Bears, didn’t miss against the 6-foot-6 Johnson. He was one of five players to come away with a turnover in Saturday’s contest.

“You get the ball three times, you win,” cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who picked off Jones in the second quarter, said postgame. “That’s what we did.”

Pitre’s role remains somewhat of a mystery entering the final week of training camp. He’s taken reps in the nickel position, but when Houston moves to a base three linebacker set, he’s back at safety opposite Jimmie Ward.

The Texans might plan on using Pitre as a chess piece in 2024. Depending on the formation, he’ll shift either to the backend or near the line of scrimmage. When down low, Eric Murray and third-round pick Calen Bullock will likely take over as the last line of defense.

There’s continuity in the secondary this fall. Ward is back at safety. Stingley is healthy and looking to build off his five-interception campaign entering Year 3. While a rookie, Kamari Lassiter has locked down the No. 2 corner spot after an impressive summer.

Pitre believes that a sign of progress in eliminating big plays, a drastic issue from Houston’s top 10 defense from a season ago.

“We’ve been growing in a lot of different ways, on and off the field,” he said. “I think it’s going to do nothing but help us as we move forward. It’s great camaraderie in that room right now.”

Chiefs snap counts: Shane Buechele leads quarterbacks in preseason Week 3

What can we learn from the #Chiefs’ preseason Week 3 snap counts?

The Kansas City Chiefs concluded the 2022 NFL preseason with a victory over the Green Bay Packers.

This game provided a final opportunity for players to put some good tape out there for both the Chiefs’ evaluators and others around the NFL. No one played more than 73% of the snaps on offense or defense, which shows that almost everyone got an opportunity to play in the final game.

Here’s a look at how the snaps came down in preseason Week 3:

*Snap counts via NFL Game Statistics and Information System

Observations

  • Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce both technically didn’t play a snap, but they were on the field for the tribute to Len Dawson so the NFL is required to list them here.
  • On the offense, Mike Caliendo and Austin Reiter led the team in snaps with 39. On defense, Joshua Kaindoh and Dicaprio Bootle led the team in snaps with 49.
  • Kehinde Oginni Hassan played just one snap on defense and Jerrion Ealy played just one snap on offense against the Packers. Both were the fewest on offense and defense for the team in preseason Week 3.
  • This game was very much an opportunity for Shane Buechele to showcase his talents. Of the three quarterbacks who played snaps, Buechele played the most by far with 35. Chad Henne played the second-most with 15 and Dustin Crum didn’t get much of an opportunity at all with 4 snaps.
  • Matt Bushman played just eight snaps during the game but finished as the team’s receiving yards (73) and touchdown leader (2). Jordan Franks saw the most snaps among tight ends, playing 52% of the team’s offensive snaps.
  • Ronald Jones played just 13 snaps on the night, which was still his highest mark of the preseason. He carried the ball eight times and was targeted in the passing game once. That means he was on the field for just four snaps where the play didn’t directly involve him.
  • Of the reserve defensive tackles, Khalen Saunders played the fewest snaps followed by Danny Shelton, Taylor Stallworth, and Matt Dickerson. Tershawn Wharton interestingly played the most snaps of any defensive tackle.
  • Joshua Williams and Dicaprio Bootle seemed to play a ton of defensive snaps by design. They seem to be the cornerbacks who will benefit the most from getting more snaps under their belt because they’ve been prone to mistakes this preseason.
  • Zayne Anderson, Jack Cochrane, Leo Chenal, Joshua Williams and Darius Harris all tied for the most special teams snaps with 10. On offense, Cornell Powell and Jody Fortson had the most special teams snaps with eight.

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WATCH: Jaguars’ WR Laquon Treadwell mic’d up vs. Browns

#Jaguars receiver Laquon Treadwell had the time of his life while mic’d up vs #Browns, and we’re here for every second of it.

Few players have more to prove for the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars than receiver Laquon Treadwell, who is seeking to re-ignite his career with the team this season. Though he hasn’t managed to live up to the expectations that are typical for first-round picks, Treadwell has seemingly found new life in North Florida and was mic’d up for his Preseason Week 3 performance against the Browns.

Check out the video posted by the Jaguars on Thursday and try not to become his biggest fan:

He was clearly enjoying himself in warmups, coining the nickname “Swagnew” for teammate Jamal Agnew with whom he is competing for a roster spot. After chumming it up with his fellow receivers, Treadwell gave some encouragement to rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd.

Though he didn’t see much action against the Browns, the fifth-year receiver showed a lot of spunk in the short glimpse the team gave into his personality in the video. His joie de vivre may not be enough to secure him a spot on the final 53-man roster, but the team will certainly lose a larger-than-life character if they decide to part ways with Treadwell as cut-downs start in the coming weeks.

Jaguars OLB Travon Walker says defensive chemistry will be key focus vs Steelers

First overall pick Travon Walker wants defensive chemistry to be the #Jaguars’ primary focus in Saturday’s matchup against the #Steelers

The new-look 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars are a young squad that is oozing with talent on both sides of the ball. After being dealt a bad hand last season during Urban Meyer’s tumultuous tenure as head coach and a 2-15 record that reflected just how awful their situation was, the team is looking to put the past behind them to build on some foundational pieces their pitiful seasons have delivered them in recent drafts.

After taking quarterback Trevor Lawrence last year, they looked to shore up their defense this time around, drafting outside linebacker Travon Walker in an effort to gain an immediate pass-rushing star this season. His run of dominance at Georgia is well documented, and with only a few weeks of professional practice under his belt, Walker is already taking on a leadership role on Jacksonville’s defense.

He spoke to the media after Thursday’s practice about what he hopes to achieve in the team’s third preseason game on Saturday. Asked how important it is to see significant time on the field in preseason, Walker told reporters that he hopes the defensive line and linebackers can start to mesh ahead of Week 1.

“[We are] just getting the chemistry down, especially amongst the front seven with some things that we do up front,” Walker explained. “I think its going to play a big part with the transition, especially going into the regular season.”

Week 1 is less than a month away and with just a few practices remaining at training camp, Walker has looked every bit the part of a first-overall pick so far in preseason. He notched his first sack against the Raiders in the Hall of Fame game and was in on a forced fumble last week against the Browns, so hopes are high that his run of dominance will continue against the Steelers on Saturday.

He isn’t quite ready to say he is personally ready for all the rigors of his rookie season, but Walker continued his comments by telling the media that he is looking to stay on an upward trajectory.

“I still have a lot of work to do,” Walker said, “and I’m just going to continue to grow from here.”

It is clear that defensive improvement will be a team effort, but for his part Walker is keeping his head down to make his adjustment to the NFL as seamless as possible. Expectations are high for the coveted prospect, but with the right mentality and pieces in place around him, he could prove to be just what Jacksonville needs to get their franchise back on a winning path.

Preseason Week 3: Most important fantasy football performances

What you need to know about from preseason’s final week.

NFL preseason Week 3 provided a few glimpses of promising youth and reminded us which players are still fantasy football bosses. Unfortunately, all of the good was overshadowed by the story of the week: Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins (knee) tearing an ACL in a totally meaningless contest.

As we collectively lament the decision to play Dobbins, let’s take an optimistic stance and review the good things for fantasy footballers to celebrate.

QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: A week after looking unlike himself, Mahomes was surgical vs. the Minnesota Vikings. He found Tyreek Hill on an exceptional 35-yard touchdown along right the sideline, a ball Mahomes nearly overthrew if not for Hill having a transmission that would make a European supercar envious. Mahomes tossed another score and finished 8-for-9, 117 yards, the two scores, and a perfect passer rating. The point being, he’s already in midseason form.

Star fantasy quarterbacks: Speaking of midseason form, Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady and Buffalo’s Josh Allen warrant mentions, too. The oldest quarterback in the game ended his night 11-for-14, throwing a TD to go along with 154 yards. Allen was good for 194 yards and a pair of scoring strikes on 20 of 26 attempts. While one can say it’s beyond reckless to start these guys in the preseason (and it is), thankfully the both escaped unscathed and showed they’re ready to pick up where each left off in 2020.

WR Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills: The second-year receiver acted as the No. 1 with Stefon Diggs (knee) out of the game, corralling all five of his Allen-thrown targets. The highlight of his day was a 31-yard connection as he crossed the goal line. While Diggs is expected to be fine for Week 1, there still is much to like about Davis after a seven-touchdown rookie season in this high-scoring offense.

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San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks: Fantasy football owners are used to seeing running back rotations making for frustrating lineup decisions. San Fran head coach Kyle Shanahan employed this madness at quarterback between Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance against the Las Vegas Raiders. It took five offensive plays before we saw the rookie enter the game, and the two would be interchanged during the first several series. Garoppolo scored a rushing touchdown, and Lance followed the former New England Patriot’s lead with one of his own later in the first half. Neither Garoppolo (4/7, 64-0-0) nor Lance (6/13, 46-0-0) impressed through the air, however. Get ready for what could be an unpredictable situation!

RB Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots: The workload was slim this weekend for Stevenson, yet he managed to find the end zone yet again, bringing the three-game preseason total to five scores. Despite the small sample size in Week 3, he mustered 4.8 yards per carry on five totes, adding a pair of grabs for 17 yards. No more Sony Michel illustrates the confidence Stevenson’s strong play has inspired.

QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: Even without his top pair of receivers, the No. 1 overall pick reinforced why he is a generational talent. Lawrence pitched an 11-for-12 game with 139 yards and a couple of scores vs. the Dallas Cowboys, including a well-timed corner route to Laviska Shenault Jr. Lawrence will force his way into fantasy lineups this year.

QB Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers: One game in the preseason shouldn’t be overvalued, of course, though it’s nice to see Darnold looking comfortable and in control. He finished 19 of 25 for 162 yards and two touchdown throws. He found former New York Jets target Robby Anderson (2-15-1) and rookie Terrace Marshall Jr. (3-43-1), an LSU product who has looked the part of a future fantasy starter thus far. At any rate, Darnold didn’t all of a sudden become a coveted selection in conventional settings, but his play should inspire confidence in adding Anderson, D.J. Moore (6-48-0), and even Marshall in deeper formats.

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New England Patriots quarterbacks: Mac Jones continues to look poised and is primed for a strong NFL career. He threw for 156 yards and a touchdown on 10 of 14 passing, avoiding a turnover in the contest. Cam Newton hardly saw any action during Week 3, but the little bit he played was far from pretty stats-wise: 2-for-5, 10 yards, and an interception, which wasn’t his fault. The turnover aside, it is increasingly difficult to envision Newton being able to hold off the surging first-rounder this year.

RB Javian Hawkins, Tennessee Titans: One of my favorite deep sleepers prior to being an unexpected cut by the Atlanta Falcons, Hawkins was claimed off waivers by the Titans and thrust into action with almost no time to get more than a few pages into the playbook. It should be pointed out that the Titans run a similar offense as to what Hawkins was learning in Atlanta under last year’s Tennessee OC. This obviously is the Derrick Henry Show, but Hawkins could have just played himself onto the roster and into fantasy lineups — if something were to take Henry off the field for long. Keep tabs on whether Hawkins survives Tuesday’s cuts.

RB Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles: The rookie made his mark on the ground and through the sky in this one. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry on five totes, putting one of them into the end zone. As a receiver, Gainwell added 27 of his 59 total yards, securing all four of his targets. RB Boston Scott (2-49-1) also showed well in the passing game, so it will be fun to see how this plays out in the regular season. Gainwell is much better as a true rusher, although he is buried on the unofficial depth chart. Maybe Tuesday’s cut day will bring a surprise that moves him up the pecking order. If nothing else, consider it a pleasant look into the future for dynasty leagues.

WR Quintez Cephus, Detroit Lions: A second-year receiver, Cephus flashed a tiny bit in 2020. He currently is listed as a second-stringer on the unofficial depth chart, ahead of rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is going well ahead of Cephus in fantasy drafts. Although St. Brown should have a larger role in the regular season, Cephus landed three balls for 35 yards and a score with starting QB Jared Goff watching from the sideline. Cephus could work his way into relevance given that Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman are atop the depth chart. Stash Cephus in your memory bank as a possible wavier target.

RB JaMycal Hasty, San Francisco 49ers: The backfield is jam-packed, which means it’s no lock Hasty even is on the final roster. His inclusion here stems from a 6-55-2 line that came against reserves. He has sparkled a number of times now this preseason. Hasty doesn’t have any draftable value, although he could be one of those guys who winds up on rosters late in the year if injuries grant him a path to playing time.

Instant analysis of Chiefs’ preseason Week 3 win vs. Vikings

Lightning-fast analysis of the #Chiefs’ preseason Week 3 game against the #Vikings

The Kansas City Chiefs met the Minnesota Vikings on the gridiron for the first time since the 2019 regular season on Friday. They combined for an exciting matchup, one that saw the Chiefs finishing the 2021 NFL preseason undefeated.

Andy Reid got a quick look at his starters on offense and defense today, sitting them down after just a few series. They both managed some impressive performances, which is encouraging with the season opener just two weeks out.

So what all did we learn about the Chiefs in their final game of the preseason?

Key takeaways from first half of Chiefs vs. Vikings preseason Week 3

Here are a few things we learned about the #Chiefs in the first half of preseason Week 3:

The Kansas City Chiefs are off to a hot start against the Minnesota Vikings in the preseason finale, leading the NFC North foe 21-3 at halftime.

The starters played less than a quarter, but Andy Reid saw enough action to know that they’re ready for the regular season. Ever since it has been a story of backups battling for a chance at a spot on the 53-man roster.

Here are a few quick takeaways from the first half of play:

WATCH: Tyreek Hill torches former Chiefs CB Bashaud Breeland for a touchdown

#Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill got the best of his former teammate, #Vikings CB Bashaud Breeland, on the opening drive of the preseason finale.

The preseason finale between the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings only just started and the good guys are already on the board.

After a couple of runs by former Vikings RB Jerick McKinnon, Patrick Mahomes unloaded a few passes. It took the Chiefs just five plays to find the endzone, connecting with Tyreek Hill on a 35-yard touchdown pass. The player in coverage on Hill was a familiar face for Kansas City. It was none other than former Chiefs CB Bashaud Breeland, who was tasked with pressing Hill in man coverage with no help over the top.

Check out the play down below:

Breeland left in free agency this offseason after two seasons in Kansas City. It was a move that Chiefs fans weren’t big on, but early signs show they’ll be OK without him. Breeland and Hill had some friendly pregame jawing on social media yesterday.

“Don’t come out here holding me,” Hill wrote on Twitter. “(I missed you) bro let’s compete tomorrow.”

Turns out Breeland didn’t hold him, but maybe he should have.

 

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Andy Reid says Chiefs’ starters scheduled to play first half vs. Vikings

During Friday’s preseason Week 3 matchup with the #Vikings, Andy Reid says the #Chiefs’ starters are scheduled to play the full first half.

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Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid has made a decision on how he’ll handle the starters during the preseason finale.

Earlier in the week, Reid was noncommital talking about snaps for star QB Patrick Mahomes in the preseason finale. Now, it sounds as if the preseason Week 3 tilt against the Minnesota Vikings will look a lot like the previous week in terms of action for the starters.

“What we’ll do with this game is, we’ll play the 1’s for the first half,” Reid told reporters on Wednesday. “And then we’ll see about after that and go from there. And then the other guys will jump in and fill in.”

When asked if he had always envisioned a full half of play for the starters in preseason Week 3 from the get-go, Reid waffled a bit on his comments.

“I’m just going to see,” Reid said. “We’ll see how it goes, but that’s what I’ve got scheduled for them. We’ll play it by ear from there.”

With the final week of the preseason, Reid is looking for a few things from his offensive and defensive starters before the regular season arrives. He’s feeling confident now, but both units can do a lot to reassure the veteran coach prior to Week 1.

“On the offensive side, just getting the No. 1 offensive line a couple of reps is what I’m looking at,” Reid said. “And on the defensive side, just making sure that we’ve got all the kinks knocked out there. Which I’m feeling pretty good about right now.”

One thing that gives Reid some added flexibility is the extended work that Patrick Mahomes and the starting offense had against the Arizona Cardinals last week. Mahomes played 32 snaps and the starting offensive line got 41 snaps in their second week of preseason action.

“The one bonus is that we got a lot of snaps last week,” Reid said. “I can do whatever we need to do for this game because of last week’s game.”

That added flexibility means that if Reid feels like pulling the first team after a single series, he’ll feel comfortable and confident to do so. It seems that Reid’s comments on playing the starters for the first half are written in pencil rather than written in ink.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid non-committal to Patrick Mahomes’ playtime in preseason finale

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid suggested that QB Patrick Mahomes might not play as much if at all against the #Vikings in preseason Week 3.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid stuck to his guns on his preseason routine during the first two preseason games, but there may be a departure from the norm in preseason Week 3.

The NFL eliminated a preseason game this offseason, but Reid has approached the three preseason games as he did with a four-game preseason. He ramped starters up, giving them a quarter of work in Week 1, a full half in Week 2. If he’s to follow course, the starter would be in line for three full quarters of play during the third preseason game.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Reid was asked if he intended to play Patrick Mahomes for three quarters on Friday. His answer was about as non-committal as it gets.

“We’ll see, we’ll see how it goes,” Reid said. “He got quite a few snaps, 33 snaps or so the last game.”

After the Chiefs’ defense forced three consecutive three-and-outs, Mahomes got a ton of action in the first half of play against the Cardinals. That included a 15-play opening drive that only resulted in three points. Reid didn’t seem to expect that Mahomes would get that many snaps in Arizona. It could ultimately factor into his decision when it comes to how much Mahomes will play against the Vikings.

“That was a long first half now,” Reid continued. “I wasn’t anticipating 45 plays. But that’s OK, we need the work and he got good work in.”

With a lot of coaches around the league resting their starters and star players during the preseason, Reid’s strategy seems a bit old school. He explained his philosophy for playing Mahomes during this preseason.

“Well, I think it’s good for Pat (Mahomes), but I also think it’s good for the offensive line,” Reid reemphasized. “(It’s important for) Pat to see how that’s going to work and get a feel for them and for them to get a feel for him. So, we’ve got some young guys, that’s why I left them in with Chad (Henne) so that they could get a little bit more extended work there.”

Reid’s potential change in heart for Mahomes doesn’t necessarily mean that other starters won’t get work for Kansas City. No matter the decision at quarterback, expect the new starting offensive line to continue to play final week of the preseason.

“Really, all five of them — we’ve got two veterans on the left side — all five of them are new,” Reid said. “So we need to play. This gives us that opportunity.”

Preseason Week 3 marks the Chiefs’ preseason debut at Arrowhead Stadium. After failing to score a touchdown in the first two weeks of the preseason, I’d anticipate Mahomes at least getting some work in against the Vikings on Friday. With that said, these comments from Reid certainly suggest that Mahomes’ playtime against the Vikings is far from decided.

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