With just a few days until the start of the regular season, anticipation is building around the NFL. Considering there isn’t one or two top contenders to hoist the Lombardi in Santa Clara next February, there are even more unknowns than in previous seasons.
Are the Seattle Seahawks primed for a down season with concerns along the offensive line? What’s going to happen in Green Bay after the Packers lost Jordy Nelson for the season to a torn ACL? Heck, are the New England Patriots still the favorites in the AFC after losing a ton of key components in the offseason?
None of these questions were answered during the preseason. However, we did learn a lot about some of the top teams in the NFL. We also realized that not a single squad around the NFL is without a major hole heading into the regular year.
In our final preseason edition, here are the top 10 takeaways from the five-week exhibition slate that came to a conclusion last Thursday.
1. The Philadelphia Eagles offense is going to be really good
With so many new parts this year, no one really knew what to expect with Chip Kelly and the Eagles when the preseason started. The team responded by putting up some ridiculous numbers throughout the exhibition slate. Sitting the first game and the preseason finale, starting quarterback Sam Bradford got some much-needed playing time in the two games in between. In just four drives, the newly-acquired veteran completed 13-of-15 passes for 156 yards with three touchdowns. In fact, he led the Eagles to touchdowns in all four of his possessions. Backup quarterback Mark Sanchez also played well, completing 63 percent of his passes with three scores and zero picks.
While DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews didn’t see much action, both showed that they will fit in extremely well in this fast-paced offense. They went for a combined 104 yards and two scores on 22 attempts. This duo should do extremely well with holdover Darren Sproles to form one of the best running back groups in the NFL. In addition to all this, the likes of Jordan Matthews and rookie Nelson Agholor have looked really good during the summer. That’s huge with Jeremy Maclin now catching passes in Kansas City.
2. A win-win for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots
Not only did Brady win his appeal of the four-game suspension the NFL levied against him, but the Patriots also got an extra long look at second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who sure looks like he’s the team’s quarterback of the future. Not knowing who was going to start Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots needed to make sure the former second-round pick was ready in case Brady’s appeal failed.
Because of this, Garoppolo played the fifth-most snaps of any quarterback this preseason. Proving he has the talent and needs just a bit more seasoning, the young signal caller completed 76 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and two picks. He might not be ready to take over the reins just yet, but another year or two of experience could do the trick. Acquiring the ability to get this extensive look only puts the Patriots personnel team in a better position to judge Garoppolo moving forward.
3. The Legion of “who?”
I have to admit that this was copied from a Twitter follower who responded to a mention of the Seattle Seahawks secondary. It really is tongue in cheek, but there might be some truth to it.
Kam Chancellor remains a hold out heading into the regular season. And while the expectation has to be that he would end his absence from the team early in the season, the Pro Bowl strong safety is reportedly willing to hold out well into the regular year. This forced Seattle to exhaust a fifth-round pick for backup Kansas City Chiefs safety Kelcie McCray, who has exactly zero NFL starts in three seasons. McCray may be a decent player, but he is in no way up to the level of a Kam Chancellor.
Outside of that, Cary Williams is slated to start at corner opposite Richard Sherman. Williams, a seven-year NFL veteran, has struggled thus far this summer and simply isn’t a start-caliber cover guy. In fact, he was jettisoned from a bad Philadelphia Eagles secondary after two substandard seasons with the team. Magnifying things further here, Tharold Simon will be one of Seattle’s first corners off the bench when it goes to the nickel package. While tremendously talented, Simon was absolutely atrocious down the stretch last season, allowing a ridiculous 147.5 quarterback rating when targeted in the playoffs.
Seattle’s secondary will be just fine due to the presence of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas. However, it doesn’t appear to be anywhere near as dominating as we have seen in previous seasons. That’s a fact.
4. Tyrod Taylor could have the Buffalo Bills thinking playoffs
The last time Buffalo made the playoffs Bill Clinton was hanging at The White House blaring “Baby, One More Time” by Britney Spears. It was 1999, and we were all afraid what Y2K would bring. Fast forward 16 years, and the Bills have an opportunity to break this long playoff drought.
Taylor earned the starting gig in Buffalo, thanks to an outstanding camp and preseason. He completed 77.4 percent of his passes during the preseason games, accumulating 226 yards with no touchdowns but also no turnovers.
Preseason stats don’t mean much, but Taylor’s tape tells us a much larger story here. He looked poised in the pocket, went through his progressions well and showed plus-level accuracy. Add in the athleticism and arm strength we already knew the Virginia Tech product possessed, and he has an opportunity for a breakout campaign. If that happens, the Bills could be looking at their first playoff appearance since Justin Bieber was five.
5. Questions remain for some of the NFL’s top teams
For the first time in a while, we enter the regular season without a clear-cut favorite to hoist the Lombardi. From the two teams that appeared in the Super Bowl last February to others that are tasked with challenging them this year, the preseason showed us that there were some pretty big question marks on some of the best squads in the NFL.
In Seattle, Pete Carroll’s offensive line leaves a whole heck of a lot to be desired. After giving up seven sacks in the preseason opener, the Seahawks reshuffled this line for the team’s second game. The results being a former college tight end playing right tackle and a former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle playing center. Yes, you read that right.
In Green Bay, the Packers are going to have to continue outscoring opposing teams without the services of No. 1 wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who tore his ACL in the team’s second preseason game. While Davante Adams should break out big time in Nelson’s stead, who is going to step up in that all-important third wide receiver slot?
The Dallas Cowboys have one of the most-talented teams in the NFL, but they are attempting to get the running back situation fixed after losing DeMarco Murray in free agency. The team signed Darren McFadden and has holdover Joseph Randle on the roster. However, neither really impressed during the preseason slate — an indication that Dallas will go to a running back by committee approach. Enter into the equation third-year running back Christine Michael, who was acquired from Seattle in a trade this past weekend. How’s he going to fit into the mix?
In the AFC, the defending champion Patriots have a ton of question marks. Can LeGarrette Blount be the primary ball-carrier in what appears to be a talent-stricken backfield? Who will step up at wide receiver behind Julian Edelman now that Reggie Wayne was released and Brandon LaFell is on the physically unable to perform list? Heck, how is the team’s secondary going to play without the likes of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner?
I can do this all day long. Pittsburgh has issues on defense, Denver’s offensive line leaves a lot to be desired and Andy Dalton appears to have regressed under center in Cincinnati. The lone dog without many holes are the Indianapolis Colts, who should be considered Super Bowl favorites heading into Week 1.
6. A new era in Oakland
The Raiders are unlikely to contend for a playoff spot this season. Heck, anywhere near a .500 record would be considered a major surprise. Any fan expecting this when January comes calling will be sorely disappointed. Instead, the MO of the front office has been clear: Build through the draft, supplement in free agency, and then find a way to contend years down the road. This is a process that started after Reggie McKenzie cleaned house prior to the 2014 season. It’s also a process that might have been streamlined after the team hired former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio to oversee the rebuilding process.
In his first summer as the team’s head coach, Del Rio seems to have instilled a new culture in Oakland. The team’s attitude seems to be much different than in the past — something that was magnified by simply watching how it performed during otherwise meaningless preseason games. What we saw was more physicality in the trenches and a swagger from the young players. These are two things that the Raiders had been missing in the past. And while the rebuilding process is nowhere near completion, this is a great initial step.
7. Shaky offensive lines all over the NFL
We covered the offensive line issues in the NFC West late last month. Every single team in that ultra-competitive division has some major pass-protection issues heading into the season. None more so than the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Even with mobile quarterbacks under center, these two teams are going to struggle passing the ball on a consistent basis unless a few key pieces step up for each squad. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals are going to be without Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati and starting right tackle Bobby Massie for at least the first couple weeks of the season. It doesn’t take a genius to realize what this means for an immobile Carson Palmer.
In Philadelphia, the Eagles enter 2015 without both Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans — two of the team’s best offensive linemen over the past half decade or so. The Green Bay Packers will continue to throw David Bakhtiari out there at left tackle with Bryan Bulaga manning the right side. Bakhtiari, a third-year player out of Colorado, has stepped in nicely on the left side. Though, Bulaga has missed 27 games since the Packers made him a first-round pick back in 2010. He needs to remain healthy if this unit is going to play well in front of Aaron Rodgers.
In the AFC, the Denver’s offensive line issues are well known. The team lost starting left tackle Ryan Clady for the season after he suffered a torn ACL during spring workouts. Meanwhile, star guard Orlando Franklin signed with the division-rival San Diego Chargers. And while Evan Mathis was a solid pick up, the Broncos can’t love the idea of starting rookie second-round pick Ty Sambrailo at left tackle. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers had to place starting center Maurkice Pouncey on injured reserve (designated to return) over the weekend. He’s slated to miss at least the first eight games of the season.
8. Atlanta Falcons passing game looks elite
Even in limited action, Matt Ryan showed he was in mid-season form, leading the Falcons to multiple touchdowns in just a handful of possessions. The veteran completed 13-of-18 passes for 210 yards with two scores and zero interceptions. Recently extended Julio Jones added four receptions for 61 yards and a score on just four targets. Heck, we were ready for the Falcons passing offense to take a quick break before the regular season after just a few drives. That’s how good it looked in the preseason.
A bit further down on the depth chart, both Leonard Hankerson and rookie Justin Hardy played well. Hankerson, an off-season addition from the Washington Redskins, tallied seven receptions for 78 yards and a score on 11 targets. Meanwhile, Hardy put up 11 catches for 130 yards in extensive playing time. If one of those receivers can step up behind Jones and Roddy White, the Falcons passing offense could once again hit elite levels this season.
9. An Aussie star in San Francisco
Entering training camp as a long shot to make the roster, this former Australian rugby player made his presence known big time. Just five months after picking up an American football for the first time, Jarryd Hayne earned a spot on the 49ers 53-man roster. He did so after putting up a ridiculous 406 all-purpose yards in four preseason games, including 175 rushing yards on 25 attempts.
Displaying elite-level field vision, this promising young running back surprised naysayers a great deal. He also showed plus-level athleticism and near dominant physicality in putting up one of the most surprising preseason performances in recent NFL history.
Now that Hayne is on the final roster, it will be interesting to see how first-year head coach Jim Tomsula utilizes him. Not only was he tremendous on offense, he was the team’s best return man. Some have concluded that he won’t be among those active on Sundays, but it’s hard to imagine San Francisco refusing to utilize what is obviously an amazing talent.
10. Ryan Tannehill’s progression to elite status
We saw it last season. Tannehill very quietly put up a stellar season for an eight-win Dolphins team, throwing for over 4,000 yards with 27 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions en route a 92.8 quarterback rating and career-best 66.4 completion percentage. Now flush with new skill-position talent all over the field, the former first-round pick showed that he was indeed prepared to take that next step this summer. He completed 33-of-41 passes for over 300 yards with three touchdowns and zero picks during the preseason slate.
Again, preseason numbers don’t come close to telling us the full story here. Now fully comfortable in the team’s offense and with improved pocket awareness, the Texas A&M product looks like a completely different player than the one that entered the league as a first-round pick in 2012. It will be interesting to see if this is enough to help the Dolphins to a rare playoff appearance.