Aaron Rodgers made his much-anticipated NFL preseason debut and provided New York Jets’ fans with a glimpse of what he’s still capable of doing.
Rodgers completed 5 of 8 passes for 47 yards and a 14-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson in his first preseason game since 2018. Rodgers didn’t play in the preseason his last few seasons in Green Bay. But he’s with a new team, and Jets coach Robert Saleh asked him to take some snaps before his regular-season debut.
“There’s always some butterflies when you step out there for the first time,” Rodgers said after the game, “but I loosened up pretty good when I got the ovation when I took the field. That was a special moment to have that kind of support.”
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The Jets haven’t had a true franchise quarterback since Joe Namath nearly six decades ago. They’ve spent Top 10 picks on Mark Sanchez and Zach Wilson to no avail.
Well, Rodgers is near the end of his career, but he’s still among the NFL’s best quarterbacks. And he showed he could still spin it with a perfectly placed pass on a fade to Garrett Wilson, who was tightly covered.
Wilson snatched the ball for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Here are some other highlights from the final week of the preseason:
Offensive coordinator Dak Prescott?
When Dak Prescott gets done playing quarterbacks in the NFL, perhaps he’ll be an offensive coordinator.
Prescott, who did not play in the preseason, called the plays for third-string quarterback Will Grier Saturday night in the Cowboys’ 31-16 win over Las Vegas. When the Cowboys acquired Trey Lance late Friday night, the club informed Grier, a third-round pick by Carolina in 2019, that he would be released, but they would allow him to play the entire game against Las Vegas.
Well, Grier completed 29 of 35 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
“Yeah, it’s fun,” Prescott said of calling plays. “It’s a great time. Obviously, knowing that this was a big night for Will, I was trying to make him comfortable, keep him comfortable, and continue with the spirit we have going.
“It’s a tough situation, honestly. Love that guy to death over there. We’re going to welcome Trey, and that’s what you do for a teammate. I’m a very selfless person, so that’s not going to change by any means. But my heart’s with that guy over there right now.”
Nick Herbig could grow into elite pass rusher for Steelers
Pittsburgh defensive end Nick Herbig, a fourth-round pick from Wisconsin, has been one of the most productive rookies in the preseason.
Herbig, the younger brother of Steelers’ guard Nate Herbig, has 3.5 sacks, creating an opportunity for him in the regular season. He has a quick first step, but he also has a natural bend, which allows him to get around tackles and attack the quarterback.
The 6-2, 227-pounder had 20 sacks and 30 tackles for loss in his last two seasons at Wisconsin. He dropped to the fourth round because of his size.
But pass-rushers are hard to find, and the Steelers have excelled at developing undersized pass-rushers.
“He’s getting a lot of notice because of his rushing, but that’s just a component of his game and play,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters. “He’s got to be good against the run, he’s got to be skilled and productive in the kicking game, and so there’s a lot of things that a young guy needs to work on and focus on.”
Bryce Young gets on the board
Bryce Young, the No.1 pick in the draft, threw his first touchdown pass of the preseason.
He led the Carolina Panthers to points on both of his drives, completing 7 of 12 passes for 73 yards. He threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen. He also ran three times for 21 yards.
Young showed everything Carolina, all the skills he displayed at Alabama to become the first player taken.
“I think he was sharp and productive and made plays,” Panthers head coach Frank Reich said after the game. “And showed even more playmaking ability — with his feet, the throw for the touchdown.”
Regular season consistency next on Jordan Love’s to-do list
Green Bay’s Jordan Love has played quite a bit in the preseason the last couple of years because former quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t.
This is Love’s team now, and he’s finally going to get a chance to show what he can do in the regular season.
He completed nine of 15 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 19-15 win over Seattle. He led the team on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a touchdown.
In three games, Love completed 21 of 33 passes for 193 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 109.8 passer rating. Now, it’s about finding a rhythm and attacking the season.
“Consistency. Just being consistent for myself and this offense as a whole,” Love said. “When we get the opportunity to make big plays, we’ve got to make them.
“It just comes down to consistency every day in practice, and it will translate to the games.”
Sean McDermott acting like a defensive coordinator
In Buffalo’s first two preseason games, coach Sean McDermott called the defensive plays.
He took more of a CEO approach in their 24-21 win over Chicago on Saturday. Now, the question is whether McDermott will call the plays once the season begins.
Leslie Frazier has handled the job since 2017, but he reportedly decided to resign and take a year off after the season. Buffalo’s secondary coach and passing game coordinator, John Butler, called the signals against Chicago.
“We’ll see,” McDermott said when asked whether he’ll call the Bills defense in Week 1 against the Jets. “I thought John did a good job today, and it was good to be able to watch some things and see where it goes.”
Path wide open for Baker Mayfield, Bucs
Baker Mayfield, the first player taken in the 2018 draft, solidified his spot as Tampa Bay’s starter by completing all six of his passes for 43 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown to Chris Godwin.
Mayfield, playing on his fourth team in three seasons, beat out Kyle Trask for the starting job. No dominant team exists in the NFC South, so if he plays well the Bucs will contend for the division title.
“We did all the little things right on that second drive. … It was a good outing for us,” said Mayfield, who — despite playing a little less than two quarters during the preseason — feels he and the first-string offense are ready for the regular season.
“We’ve had a lot of good work (in practice and games). I think we’re ready. We’ll see Week 1.”
Add C.J. Stroud to the rookie starting QB list
C.J. Stroud, the second player taken in the draft, earned the Houston Texans’ starting job.
Carolina’s Bryce Young (first overall) and Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson (fifth overall) became the third rookie quarterback to earn a starting job.
“It was definitely a blessing, something that I think I worked for and definitely earned, but at the same time, nothing else really changes,” Stroud told the team’s website. “Still going to work like the way I’m working even more now. So I’m blessed enough to be able to be a starter so young in this league, which isn’t the easiest thing to do.
“But I know my coaches have trust and faith in me, so we’ll go out there and try to do my best.”
Stroud, 2-of-4 for 16 yards and had a touchdown pass to Nico Collins in the first quarter, beat out Davis Mills.
“We know we’re not where we need to be as a team overall,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We all have to continue to get better, and it’s just having the mindset to do that and C.J., along with all our other guys, know we have to get better in that regard.”
Jean-Jacques Taylor is an NFL Insider for Sportsnaut and the author of the upcoming book “Coach Prime“, with Deion Sanders. Follow him on Twitter.