Preseason, Week 2, 6 Takeaways

Sam Darnold. Jets Starting QB?

The Jets are in a position that they haven’t been in for a while now. They have three quarterbacks that could all bring results. But, after spending a first round pick on Darnold, I think it’s clear that the Jets will start Darnold. He has had two solid games now in the preseason, playing with 1st teamers in his second outing. He is a confident leader and passer and reads coverages well. He works through his progressions and passes quickly. He is exciting to watch and will really re-energise the Jets fans. Things are looking up in New York.

Could Teddy Bridgewater end up starting (not for the Jets) this season?

When Teddy entered the league in 2014, the Vikings had high hopes for him, spending their 1st round pick. Coming out of college he was a dominant quarterback with great attributes. Sadly, in 2016 during practice, Teddy suffered an awful knee injury which would mean he missed the entire 2016 season, and all but 2 snaps in the 2017 season. Critics were unsure he could ever return to what had made him one of the highest rated QBs in recent drafts. The Jets picked him up in 2018 and paid him only $500,000. During the two preseason games he has played this year, he has shown the talent he possesses. As a result, there are a number of teams who could trade for him if the Jets let him go or receive an offer they can’t refuse. There are a number of theories and im going to look into those more in another article. Teams like the Jags, the Bucs etc spring to mind. Keep an eye on Teddy this season, I believe we will see him start.

Andrew Luck suffered, is he ready to return?

Andrew Luck and the Colts faced off against the Ravens in their week 2 matchup. Luck didn’t look comfortable at all and really struggled finding his guys. His accuracy was questionable, and he didn’t look like he was working through his progressions as well as he should have been. His mechanics also looked off. This isn’t what the Colts need to see from Luck. He took two sacks, with one huge sack coming from Suggs as he flew around the edge. Was it just a bad game? Probably, we know Luck has talent. But, he needs to display that more when he’s called upon. He attempted 13 passes and only completed 6, was sacked twice and intercepted once. He finished the night with a rather dull passer rating of 24.5.

Chris Warren with the Raiders looked like a beast, will he get playing time?

Chris Warren has impressed Gruden and the Raiders. Given his last two outings for the Raiders, its going to be near impossible to cut Warren from the team. Looking at the way he runs, he surely will be Oaklands future RB1. He had an impressive game against the Lions in their preseason opener, however against the Rams, he touched the ball 18 times, rushed for 110 yards scoring 1 touchdown. Keep an eye on Warren, he will feature in the regular season.

Chad Kelly is DEFINITELY the 2nd string Broncos QB

Chad Kelly has impressed me throughout the last two games for the Broncos. He is dominant, he is a leader, his mechanics are fantastic, his accuracy is on point, his arm strength is impressive. Elway thought so too, and gave Kelly the backup job, ripping it away from a downtrodden Paxton Lynch. During the Broncos second outing against the bears, Kelly attempted 9 passes and completed 7 for an astonishing 90 yards and 1 touchdown. He finished with a passer rating of 145.4. He has shown everything that’s needed from young quarterback, and at this point, could the Broncos safely say they have found their long-term franchise QB? Based on the last two games, I’d put money on the fact that those conversations are being had within Denver.

Calvin Ridley proving how valuable he will be in 2018

Calvin only touched the ball 3 times in the game against Kansas City, but he made those three touches count. Kick off, Ridley receives the ball and dodges 3 tackles to pick up 35 yards on the return. It was a great run and it looked easy for him. His speed is something else. His next touch, Ryan steps back in the pocket, fires it deep and Ridley caught it for a 36 yard. He looked over his shoulder, whilst being pursued and made the overhead catch. It looked effortless. To finish the night off, he catches a pass, pretty much sat down in the end zone for his first NFL touchdown. This kid is one to watch and for me will feature heavily in the Falcons line up. Looking at the weapons the Falcons have on offense, we could see a cure to that hangover this season.

#2018 #NFL #Preseason