Week 2 of the NFL preseason is in the rearview mirror, bringing us one week closer to the start of the regular season. But before w can get there, let’s review what we saw in Week 2. Specifically, we’re taking a look at the worst QB performances from this week’s preseason action.
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Kellen Mond looking incompetent
Minnesota Vikings fans have been calling for a chance to see 2021 third-round pick Kellen Mond under the gun ever since he was drafted. Despite having a Pro Bowl quarterback in Kirk Cousins, there are still individuals out there who believed Mond could perform better than Captain Kirk.
Good luck finding those takes now.
Mond had two horribly thrown interceptions, and he got lucky on a couple others.
While we’ve just seen two weeks of action, one good, and now we’ve seen one very bad outcome. It’s not hard to see that Mond has talent. He can move well in and out of the pocket, making off-schedule throws, and he has plenty of zip to sling the ball all over the yard.
Unfortunately, he’s behind in the actual aspects of playing quarterback. You know, the ones that require him to identify coverages, go through his reads, and get the ball out in a timely manner.
While Sean Mannion is no superhero, he started looking competent when compared to Mond. That’s an amazing feat. Clearly the Vikings weren’t impressed either, and they’ve since addressed the backup QB issue, trading for Nick Mullens.
Related: Minnesota Vikings: Projecting the 53-man roster in 2022
PJ Walker earns third-string role by default
It seemed like PJ Walker was in a competition for the third quarterback gig in Carolina, though if we’re being honest, he may have never had a chance. That’s since changed with Matt Corral going down for the year with a Lisfranc injury. Now? Walker may have earned the final QB spot on the roster by default, because he certainly didn’t earn it with his play on the field.
In Week 2’s preseason action, Walker completed just 8-of-15 passes for 107 yards, but he also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in the endzone. To make matters worse, Walker took four sacks despite having plenty of athleticism to escape the pocket.
Sure, he was never able to get in rhythm, with coach Matt Rhule alternating him and Corral every other quarter, but Walker has plenty of football experience in different leagues. This was not a good showing.
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Kyle Trask’s development not going well
Kyle Trask is a second-year pro for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who was selected 64th overall a year ago. Had Tom Brady just stayed retired, it’s possible Trask would have been thrust into the starting lineup at some point in 2022. Thankfully, we won’t have to see that nightmare. Still, on some teams, Trask’s draft status would have him in line to potentially start by now. Davis Mills, a third-round pick from the same draft class has been installed as the Texans’ starter for a year and a half.
Anyway, Trask was a mess against the Titans in Week 2. He completed just 45.8% of his passes for what seems like a respectable 105 yards, but he averaged just 4.4 yards per completion, which is nearly low enough to just call running plays on every down instead.
Trask also added (took away?) to his effort by throwing an interception and getting sacked four times, fumbling twice. We know the Bucs’ offensive line is in shambles, but a player who has a future as a starter should have some sort of internal clock. We haven’t seen it yet from Trask, and his NFL future is starting to look dimmer.
Related: 6 NFL rookies who showed out during Week 2 of the NFL preseason
Josh Rosen’s NFL days looking numbered
Oh how the mighty have fallen. This is the same Josh Rosen who was the tenth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They could have had Lamar Jackson. But instead they waited a year and picked Kyler Murray No. 1 overall. I don’t think the Cards are complaining, but Rosen likely has a lot of complaints over how his career has gone.
He’s still just 25, but hasn’t been able to stick on an NFL roster. He’s appeared in games with three different teams, and now is on a fourth. Only he’s no lock to make the roster, and if we’re going off his preseason play alone, he wouldn’t even merit a practice squad spot.
Rosen’s career completion percentage is just 54%, so when he managed to complete just 35% of his passes this week, we were still surprised. Rosen tallied just 88 passing yards on 20 attempts. Playing against third-stringers who likely won’t crack a roster anywhere else, Rosen should have been able to light up the yard. Obviously that didn’t happen.
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Nathan Peterman still doesn’t have it
Nathan Peterman’s No. 1 fan is no longer employed by the NFL, but somehow, some way, Peterman still is. Peterman’s forever a legend (for all the wrong reasons) for throwing five interceptions in the first half of his NFL debut. But that was back in 2017 when he was a bushy-eyed 23-year old rook. Now he’s 28 and should have a bit more seasoning, one would think.
Nope. Peterman’s still stinking it up.
He completed 8-of-14 passes for 85 yards, taking a sack, and he also fumbled twice. The Bears should just cut bait now, what were they thinking by signing Peterman over the hundreds of other quarterbacks on the free agent market? How about giving Colin Kaepernick a chance? Hello? You play to win the game!
Related: Projecting the winner of the three starting QB competitions this NFL preseason