NFL pre-season, the players that matter Day 2
Friday was day 2 of the NFL preseason and all eyes were on those players that mattered. Whether they are in a new system, in camp battle, or need to be battled tested, I will cover it here.
The Miami Dolphins are in a lock between Jay Ajayi and All-Pro veteran Arian Foster. Last night, Ajayi had a chance to separate himself as Foster was out of the lineup. It didn't actually occur that way, instead, he probably reversed the process as he only gained six yards on two carries, and did not catch a pass. You can say that his hands need a lot of work as one pass he batted in the air for a would-be interception if the Giants defender was able to come down with the ball inbounds.
In Cleveland, Robert Griffin III got his first chance in his new uniform. Griffin's first throw was beautiful as he hit Terrelle Pryor deep to the right sidelines for a 49-yard gain. Then he became RG 3 again. He threw a pick near the goal line, which was an amazing play by the defender, and finished with just three more completions on eight attempts for 18-yards. He also seemed to hold on to the ball too long as he was hit on almost every dropback. Overall, it was a nice game for the former Rookie of the Year winner, but he will need to build on this. On a side note, backup quarterback Austin Davis left the game with a concussion.
In New York, the Jets are in a camp battle to backup Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bryce Petty, Geno Smith, and Christian Hackenberg. Petty completed 7-of-14 passes for 93 yards in the Jets' preseason opener. Media is stating that Hackenberg may not see action until the final preseason game. One thing to consider is that the Jets will have four quarterbacks now that Fitzpatrick has resigned. Does that mean one will be cut and if so, who?
Also, in New York, Sterling Shepard reeled in one of his three targets for 24 yards. The rookie had some hype coming in as a standout in camp but finished with more questions than answers. More of those questions came as Ryan Nassib was throwing him the ball. On one target he torched his defender, but Nassib launched it over his head. Shepard’s only grab came on a reception for 24-yards. He turned a wobbly pass by Nassib into a tumbling grab as he ran a great route to get to a badly placed ball.
In Arizona, David Johnson looked very impressive in the limited action he had. He collected 31 yards on three carries, all came after his first attempt. His second hand off netted him eight yards before closing out the night with a 23-yard burst on the right side of the tackle. His outside rushing is just phenomenal, now he just has to learn how to take it up-the-gut.
In Minnesota, Laquon Treadwell is trying to reach the second spot as a wide receiver and is off to a good start as he caught four passes for 41 yards in the Vikings' opener Friday night. He will need more nights like these as he is clearly behind veteran Charles Johnson at this point. Treadwell only played three snaps with the starting group, while Johnson played the rest. Johnson also furthered himself from Treadwell with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Teddy Bridgewater.
Keep an eye on for future games
Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati Bengals) 1-40 yards. Top flight rookie in a very good offensive system.
Zach Zenner (Detroit Lions) 24 yards on seven rushes and added three catches for 32 yards. Lions are hoping Zenner is their main ball carrier.
Andre Williams (New York Giants) 41 yards on nine carries. Fighting for backup positioning.
Jake Ruddock (Detroit Lions) 8-of-11 passes for 72 yards and a touchdown. Fighting for the third quarterback job, and possible backup now.
