NFL preseason Week 2 is now complete. We saw plenty of standouts, for good and bad reasons. But which players had the best and worst weeks in Week 2? Here’s who made a big impression this weekend.
Winner: Jaren Hall, Minnesota Vikings QB
It’s not easy to have a perfect passer rating, but second-year pro Jaren Hall did on Saturday. The feat has only been accomplished 78 times in regular season history. While Hall didn’t play the full game, he was very impressive against Cleveland. The former fifth-round pick completed 4-of-5 attempts for 87 yards and two touchdowns on perfectly placed passes. After starting camp on the roster bubble as a likely practice squad candidate, he showed why he deserves to stay on the roster as the No. 3 QB following J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending injury.
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Loser: Daniel Jones, New York Giants QB
Daniel Jones. Where do we begin. He had an up-and-down afternoon, but his interception while in his own end zone might have been the worst NFL play of the week. He managed to avoid taking a safety, but throwing a pick-6 is an even worse outcome. To his credit, Jones bounced back and inspired some much-needed confidence for Giants fans.
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Winner: Sam Howell, Seattle Seahawks QB
The Washington Commanders traded Sam Howell the moment they knew they were drafting his replacement. The Seattle Seahawks happily took a chance on the former fifth-rounder and right now that looks like a good move. He completed 11-of-14 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, and that’s even with his receivers dropping a pass. His touchdown pass to Eason Winston was a beaut.
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Loser: Nate Sudfeld, Detroit Lions QB
They can’t all be winners, and Nate Sudfeld showed why. While he did suffer from one drop, he only completed 14-of-27 passes. While that racked up 196 yards, plus a touchdown, Sudfeld also threw an interception on a ball that never should have been released.
Winner: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Playing in second preseason game, Bo Nix showed exactly why the Denver Broncos were eager to make him the 12th overall pick. He completed 8-of-9 passes for 80 yards and a passing touchdown. He also added 12 yards on three carries.
Loser: Tony Brown, Cleveland Browns CB
Tony Brown had a bad day at the office against the Vikings. He was only targeted four times, but he allowed three receptions for 21 yards and two touchdowns. To his credit, he did get a pass breakup, and even the touchdowns were the result of perfectly-thrown passes.
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Winner: Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears QB
A second-year undrafted player, Tyson Bagent showed why the Chicago Bears were smart not to bring in a more experienced backup behind Caleb Williams. Bagent completed 7-of-8 passes for 87 yards plus two touchdowns. His only incompletion was due to a dropped pass. Bagent also added 10 yards on a scramble. Plus, he dropped an absolute dime right into the breadbasket of Dante Pettis.
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Loser: Cole Turner, Washington Commanders TE
Cole Turner, a 2022 fifth-round pick by the Washington Commanders, saw three targets this week. He didn’t catch a single one. In fact, Turner dropped two passes. One of them even led to an interception in what was a day to forget for the third-year pro.
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Winner: Greg Rousseau, Buffalo Bills Edge
It’s hard to even get one sack at any level of play. But on Saturday, Buffalo Bills edge rusher Greg Rousseau tallied three sacks against the Steelers, which included going up against former first-round pick Broderick Jones. The craziest part is that Rousseau did this while playing just 11 snaps. It’s safe to say he’s ready for the season to start.
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Loser: Broderick Jones, Pittsburgh Steelers OT
Broderick Jones was the 14th overall pick in 2023. The Pittsburgh Steelers badly need him to develop into their blindside protector, but he failed in that effort this week. He only saw 20 snaps in pass protection, but he allowed two sacks, a hit, and three pressures. He also received a shoddy 54.7 run-block grade from Pro Football Focus in a day that he’ll quickly want to forget.
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