Box Score Breakdown: Recapping Week 2 of the NFL Preseason

This article is part of our Box Score Breakdown series.

Below you'll find breakdowns of all 16 games from the second week of the preseason, with bold lettering used to denote the stuff I found most interesting. That doesn't mean the things in bold can directly be applied to Week 1 or the regular season in general, but it does suggest there's at least something there for us to think about or discuss.

As mentioned in last week's edition, I'll mostly focus on:

A) Teams that actually played starters

B) Rookies

C) Job Battles

In some cases, I'll go into detail and explain why I think something does/doesn't matter, or maybe why it only matters a little. In other cases, I'll simply tell you what happened without much in the way of opinion/interpretation. If you want to discuss something in more detail, just leave a comment at the bottom of the article or send me a tweet/DM on my new twitter account (@Rotocats ... I'll think of a better name eventually).

Eagles (14) at Patriots (13)

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles held out their top players for a second straight week, including Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert (none of whom are reported to be injured).

• RB Kenneth Gainwell dominated snaps on the first couple drives for a second straight week, before giving way to rookie fourth-round pick Will Shipley.
  • This doesn't necessarily mean Gainwell will be Barkley's direct backup / get a huge workload if Barkley is injured. I'm guessing it would be more akin to a timeshare, and I wouldn't be surprised if Shipley also moves ahead of Gainwell at some point.
  • Shipley has 12 carries for 38 yards and a 5-38-1 receiving line on five targets this preseason. Gainwell has seven carries for 31 yards and a 3-10-0 receiving line on four targets.
• No real update on the WR3 competition. Parris Campbell (groin) and Johnny Wilson (concussion) didn't play, and John Ross left early with a concussion.
  • Ross caught one of two targets for nine yards before his exit. Britain Covey, Jacob Harris and Joseph Ngata also got some early playing time, but only Ngata ended up doing anything (5-88-0) and all five of his catches came after halftime.

New England Patriots

Jacoby Brissett played three drives, after just one the previous week. The first and third series were three-and-outs, while the middle series spanned 31 yards before ending with an end-zone INT on third down (on a dumb throw by Brissett).

• Drake Maye was much better than Brissett, leading the Patriots to 10 points on his first two drives before getting shut out on a pair of post-halftime drives.
  • Maye completed only six of 11 passes for 47 yards, but he added four carries for 15 yards and a TD and had a well-thrown deep ball on 3rd-and-10 that was dropped by fourth-round rookie Javon Baker.
  • Brissett has gone 3-for-10 for 17 yards and the INT in two preseason appearances, failing to produce any points on four drives.
• RB Rhamondre Stevenson only played while Brissett was in the game, taking 10 of the 15 snaps on which the veteran QB played.
  • Antonio Gibson appeared to take each of the other five snaps with Brissett, and then got some playing time with Maye.
  • Kevin Harris was the third RB into the game for a second straight week, taking his first carry for 14 yards but taking just two additional carries for two yards.
    • JaMycal Hasty also got work with the second-string offense, taking three touches for 26 yards.
• WRs K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton and DeMario Douglas got most of the first-team snaps, with Douglas primarily handling the slot in 11 personnel (and not playing in 12 personnel).
  • Ja'Lynn Polk and Jalen Reagor also got a few snaps with the starters, and Thornton's poor track record suggests we shouldn't read too much into his depth-chart standing this preseason (some/most/all of those snaps will probably go to Polk in the regular season, and the 12 personnel work might partially go to Douglas). I've seen some fantasy analysts on twitter disappointed at the rotation here, but it's allowed Polk to work with Maye instead of Brissett, which makes a lot of sense, no? Also, it's the preseason, and Polk is a rookie.
  • Polk played into the third quarter and finished with two catches for six yards on three targets. He played 26 snaps (46%), slightly more than fellow rookie Javon Baker (43%), who caught one of four targets for 12 yards and drew a 15-yard DPI penalty to partially make up for the dropped deep ball. Baker got his playing time in Q2 and Q3
• With TE Hunter Henry (undisclosed) held out, Austin Hooper had an every-down role early in the game and Mitchell Wilcox came on for two-TE formations (12 personnel).

Falcons (12) at Ravens (13)

Atlanta Falcons

This was the ultimate preseason scrubfest, with Atlanta holding out 36 players and the Ravens nearly as many. Even experienced backups like RB Tyler Allgeier, WR KhaDarel Hodge and TE Charlie Woerner didn't play.

• Younghoe Koo missed three FGs wide left, from 40, 45 and 49 yards. That's rare for a kicker with his track record, even in the preseason. But I won't be concerned unless he struggles in September.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens also held out most starters and some key backups.

Bengals (3) at Bears (27)

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals held out their starters and also quite a few backups. The rest group included QB Joe Burrow, RBs Zack Moss and Chase Brown, WRs Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin and TEs Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample.

• Jermaine Burton played into the fourth quarter last week and started this week, which isn't the best sign for his early season role, though it's not nearly as concerning as it would be for a veteran. And he's caught four of five targets for 101 yards and a TD this preseason, giving the Bengals a few glimpses of why they drafted him in the third round.

Chicago Bears

The Bears opened the game using their starters but nonetheless had three consecutive three-and-outs against Cincinnati's second-string defense. The starters finally put up three points on their fourth series, thanks to a 15-yard run by Rome Odunze and a 43-yard DPI penalty on a deep throw to No. 4 receiver Tyler Scott.

Things really took off on the fifth and final drive of the half, with Caleb Williams making a couple of spectacular throws on the run and then scrambling for a seven-yard TD. He was beating up on backups, but it sure looked pretty.

• WRs DJ Moore and Keenan Allen came out after the third drive, while most other starters stayed in the game. Moore played nine of nine snaps on the first three series, with Allen taking eight.
  • Odunze came off the field a couple times early but then took every snap on the final two drives of the half, ultimately playing on 20 of Williams' 22 snaps.
• RB D'Andre Swift was rested, after playing only two snaps the week before.
  • Khalil Herbert started and got the early carries, with Travis Homer subbing in for most of the obvious passing situations like third-and-long. Roschon Johnson didn't play, seemingly because of a minor injury.
• TEs Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett rotated for a second straight week.
  • Everett isn't going to displace Kmet as the top guy, but it's a real concern for the latter's value that the former seems likely to take away some snaps/routes in single-TE formations. Kmet is a better player, but OC Shane Waldron is familiar with Everett and may prefer his superior agility in some situations. Kmet is still the one with upside and best-ball appeal, if only because he's good enough to put up big numbers if, for example, Everett and one of the starting WRs are injured at the same time. If the reverse happens (Kmet and a WR injured), it's unlikely Everett would be anything more than a borderline TE1 or streaming type. I'm also guessing the snaps shift more toward Kmet in the regular season; this is probably a case where the preseason exaggerates the nature of a genuine concern.

Giants (10) at Texans (28)

New York Giants

The Giants played most of their starters for the entire first half, including WR Malik Nabers (who hurt his ankle last weekend), RB Devin Singletary and QB Daniel Jones.

• Jones had a decent scramble where looked healthy, but it was otherwise a brutal showing. His first pass was a dropped INT that could've been a pick-six by CB Derrick Stingley. On the second drive, Jones threw an actual pick-six to S Jalen Pitre on a foolish, desperation heave out of his own end zone. On the third drive, the Giants finally moved the ball, but Jones then underthrew a deep pass to Jalin Hyatt and was intercepted by Stingley.
  • Jones did have two well-thrown deep balls, with the first not quite brought in by Nabers and the second caught by Darius Slayton for a 44-yard gain (to set up a short TD for Devin Singletary).
• WR Malik Nabers played 30 of the 33 snaps with Jones and caught four of six targets for 54 yards.
  • Nabers made a couple great catches, and he almost caught a deep ball on the opening drive (Texans CB Derek Stingley seemingly got away with a sneaky hand/arm grab, but Nabers could've caught it anyway).
• Singletary took most of the first-team RB snaps, with Eric Gray subbing in for a few plays and catching two passes. Singletary got all eight RB carries with the starter, gaining 19 yards and a TD.
  • Singletary played 29 of the 33 snaps with Jones, taking 10 carries for 20 yards and a TD (plus one incomplete target).
  • RB Tyrone Tracy (ankle) didn't play after suffering an injury in practice. He worked ahead of Gray in the first preseason game, with both young RBs playing well (Gray had a pair of TDs).
• TE Theo Johnson played 18 of the 33 first-team snaps. He had the Giants' first reception and was the "target" on Jones' brutal pick-six.
  • Daniel Bellinger and Chris Manhertz also got double-digit snaps before halftime. This could be a three-man rotation come Week 1.
• WR Wan'Dale Robinson got 20 of the 33 first-team snaps, while Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt each took 18. 
  • It looks like Robinson will only play in three-wide formations, mostly manning the slot... not exactly a surprise. TBD if Slayton and Hyatt share snaps come Week 1 or if one is a true starter.

Houston Texans

The Texans played most of their starters for two drives. They advanced the ball rapidly on their first series but came up empty inside the 10-yard line. The second series started at their own 1-yard line and they picked up a first down, but the starters were taken out when the quarter ended before a 3rd-and-10.

• TE Dalton Schultz caught three of four targets for 39 yards despite ceding a few snaps to Brevin Jordan, who drew two targets from Stroud and caught both for 16 yards.
  • The WRs officially combined for just six targets, plus a 23-yard catch by Tank Dell that was wiped out by a holding penalty on Jordan.
• RB Dameon Pierce dominated playing time early with Joe Mixon held out, but Pierce gained only five yards on four carries. While he hasn't gotten much help from his blockers this preseason, Pierce's lack of success isn't a great sign in light of what happened last year.
  • Dare Ogunbowale subbed in for Pierce with the first-team offense in a few passing situations, while Cam Akers was the lead back for the second-string offense and took six carries for 29 yards. J.J. Taylor was next up after Akers, followed by rookies Jawhar Jordan (4-42-0 receiving) and British Brooks (5-23-2 rushing).
• C.J. Stroud played 17 snaps, with Nico Collins in for 15 of those, Pierce for 13, Stefon Diggs in for 12, Schultz for 12 and Tank Dell for 10.

Lions (24) at Chiefs (34)

Detroit Lions

The Lions rested pretty much anyone we'd care about, including WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond.

• No. 3 RB Craig Reynolds only played the opening drive before giving way to rookie Sione Vaki, who finished with 6-22-0 rushing and 4-60-0 receiving.
• The Lions definitely prefer Raymond as a No. 4 receiver who plays maybe 15 snaps and gets a target/carry on 3-4 of those, but he might be their No. 3 this year because they don't trust Daurice Fountain, Donovan Peoples-Jones, etc. 
  • Fountain had some early camp hype but mostly worked with the third-stringers in this one. Most of the WR snaps early in the game went to Peoples-Jones (four yards on five targets) Kaden Davis (2-64-1 on seven targets) and UDFA rookie Isaiah Williams (6-71-0 on eight targets).

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs continue to lead the NFL in both championships and playing starters a lot in the preseason. Correlation = Causation???

• Patrick Mahomes played two drives (18 snaps) and led the Chiefs to a pair of field goals.
  • WR Rashee Rice played 17 of the 18 snaps and caught four of five targets for 35 yards.
  • Xavier Worthy played 18 snaps, but a few of those came with Carson Wentz, including a 22-yard TD.
  • Justin Watson was the other regular WR with the starters and played 16 snaps.
  • TE Travis Kelce took 13 snaps, with his lone target being Mahomes' behind-the-back pass.
• Rice accounted for five of the 12 targets from Mahomes, including on four straight plays.
• Worthy accounted for four of the 12 targets from Mahomes, including a 39-yard gain on a deep corner route (he should've been called for a false start). Worthy also had a carry for seven yards.
• RB Isiah Pacheco only played one drive, and UDFA rookie Carson Steele was in the backfield for the start of the second drive (rather than Deneric Prince).
  • Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) didn't play.
  • Prince later had a 41-yard run with the backups and finished with eight touches for 54 yards, while Steele had five touches for five yards.
  • It seems like the Chiefs could have a two/three-man backfield committee if Pacheco misses time this year. CEH is still the one I prefer as an endgame best-ball pick, but it wouldn't be shocking at this point if he doesn't make the team.
  • FWIW, Steele is listed as a fullback on the Chiefs' roster (at 228 pounds) and might be used for pass-blocking more so than gaining yards even if he gets regular-season snaps.

Vikings (27) at Browns (12)

Minnesota Vikings

Both teams rested nearly all their starters and also some key backups, but the Vikings did play WRs Jalen Nailor, Trishton Jackson and Brandon Powell — the candidates to work alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison (ankle) in three-wide formations.

• Nailor and Jackson played nearly every snap over the first few drives, while Powell came on for three-wide formations. Each of the three saw two targets from Nick Mullens on the first three drives, with Jackson then getting a couple more targets after that.
  • Nailor and Powell didn't play after the third drive.
  • Nailor finished with one catch for 31 yards, Powell caught two passes for 19 yards, and Jackson went for 3-39-1 on four targets.
    • Jackson now has 139 yards and two TDs through two preseason games, but the snap rotations suggest Nailor is ahead of him for playing time (and Nailor has also been productive, catching four of six targets for 94 yards).

Cleveland Browns

• RB Pierre Strong was the lead runner early on, with D'Onta Foreman subbing in for a few plays and then getting a lot of work once Strong was done.
  • Strong took four touches for five yards, while Foreman had 10-18-1 on the ground and 5-46-0 on five targets.

Seahawks (15) at Titans (16)

Seattle Seahawks

This was another game in which both teams held out all the guys we care about, including a lot of the more experienced backups.

• QB Sam Howell did well, completing 11 of 14 passes for 153 yards and a TD, though he took two sacks and fumbled once.

Tennessee Titans

• QB Malik Willis got the start and completed 12 of 16 passes for 116 yards, with one interception and four carries for 30 yards.
  • Mason Rudolph fared better, completing 10 of 17 passes for 125 yards and a TD and adding four carries for 15 yards.
  • They're competing for the QB2 job, which will lead to starts if Will Levis is a bust.

Cardinals (13) at Colts (21)

Arizona Cardinals

This was yet another game with starters held out on both sides.

• Rookie RB Trey Benson got most of the early carries but yielded some snaps to Emari Demercado and Michael Carter.
  • Benson finished with nine carries for 43 yards. Demercado had 10 totes for 25 yards and a nine-yard reception. Carter had two carries for nine yards and a catch for 15 yards.
• There was no obvious separation between QBs Clayton Tune (8-of-10 for 79 yards) and Desmond Ridder (6-of-10 for 71 yards). Neither had a TD or turnover, but Tune was sacked three times.
  • Tune started this week, Ridder last week. The Cardinals are probably in a lot of trouble if either actually has to play this year.

Indianapolis Colts

• TE Jelani Woods played only four snaps, working behind both Andrew Ogletree and Will Mallory on the second-string offense (Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox didn't play).
  • It looks like this will be a committee again, and Woods may not be part of it.
• RBs Tyler Goodson and Evan Hull split work early in the game (Trey Sermon was out with a hamstring injury).
  • Sermon had emerged as the favorite for the No. 2 RB job, but now it's unclear if he'll be healthy Week 1.
  • Goodson finished with 6-35-1 rushing and no targets. Hull had 4-26-0 rushing and caught his lone target for five yards. Both played through the end of the second quarter but didn't get touches after halftime (besides a kick return for Goodson).

Commanders (6) at Dolphins (13)

Washington Commanders

Both teams played a lot of starters in this one, including two drives for rookie QB Jayden Daniels, who completed 10 of 12 passes for 78 yards and added two carries for 13 yards to produce a pair of field-goal attempts. The skill-position snap allotments for the first-team offense were nearly identical to in the previous preseason game.

• WR Terry McLaurin played on each of Daniels' 18 snaps and caught two of three targets for 27 yards. McLaurin was removed at the same time as Daniels
• WR Jahan Dotson played on almost all of Daniels' snaps, often from the slot, and then got some more playing time after the rookie QB was removed.
  • Dotson caught one of two targets for three yards.
• WRs Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown split snaps with the first-team offense.
• TE John Bates played every snap with Daniels, same as last week, and didn't play any snaps after the QB was taken out.
  • Zach Ertz was absent for the birth of his baby, but he played only a few snaps the week prior. In this one, Ben Sinnott got a few plays with the starters and then a ton of work with the backups but was targeted just once (for a 10-yard gain).
  • It seems like Bates and Ertz will rotate early in the season, with Bates blocking more and Ertz running more routes. But it is kind of interesting that Bates, a fourth-year pro who has never caught more than 20 passes in a season, has played every snap with Daniels on the field this preseason.
• RBs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler split first-team snaps again, and neither played after the first two drives. Robinson took 10 snaps to Ekeler's eight.
• Rookie WR Luke McCaffrey caught both of his targets for 30 yards, with his catches coming in Q2 and Q3. His lack of work with the starters isn't promising in terms of the Week 1 role, but it's a great situation to work his way up the depth chart, as Washington apparently doesn't have anything set in stone at WR beyond McLaurin as the No. 1.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins played most of their starters, but not WRs Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle (undisclosed). QB Tua Tagovailoa completed five of five passes for 51 yards and a TD on his lone drive.

• RB Raheem Mostert got five carries and nine snaps (out of 11) on the opening drive, then was done for the day.
  • De'Von Achane subbed in for a couple snaps on the opening drive and then played into the second quarter, taking 13 snaps overall en route to a 2-10- rushing line and 2-34-0 on three targets.
• TEs Jonnu Smith, Durham Smythe and Julian Hill shared snaps throughout the first half, all staying in the game well after Tagovailoa and Mostert were removed.
  • Smith caught each of his four targets for 23 yards, including a five-yard gain on a shovel pass on Miami's second snap and then a nine-yard gain later on the same drive. He looks slimmer/quicker than ever and adds a new dimension to Miami's offense, but the TE rotation Saturday night reflects doubts about volume. 

Bills (9) at Steelers (3)

Buffalo Bills

Most of Buffalo's starters played the first three drives and then came out of the game before QB Mitchell Trubisky (who started in place of a resting Josh Allen). Curtis Samuel also didn't play.

• There were 15 snaps on the first three drives and RB James Cook played all 15.
  • Ray Davis was the second RB into the game and took eight carries for 58 yards (in addition to a 12-yard gain wiped out by a penalty).
  • Ty Johnson subbed in for Davis on the fourth drive and took a carry for six yards. He played seven snaps in his first game back from a hamstring injury but had just the one touch. It seems Davis has jumped ahead of Johnson for the No. 2 role, which is what most expected.
• TE Dalton Kincaid came out after the first two snaps. There was no report of injury.
• WRs Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins and Khalil Shakir got most of the playing time on the first three drives. Coleman played a lot more after that as well, while Hollins and Shakir only got a couple additional snaps.
  • The trio combined for 24 receiving yards on six targets; the Bills had just 106 passing yards and 18 attempts on the night, with bad weather a factor.
  • PFF's Nathan Jahnke notes that Shakir only played in 11 personnel, after getting two of the five first-team snaps in 12 personnel in the previous preseason game.
• Trubisky (knee) and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (neck) were injured.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Russell Wilson and a lot of other starters played five drives, spanning 20 plays, which yielded four punts and a missed field goal. Wilson was sacked three times and completed eight of 10 passes for 47 yards.

• WRs George Pickens and Van Jefferson were full-time players, with Calvin Austin the third receiver.
• RB Najee Harris got 10 snaps, with Jaylen Warren taking nine. Neither played after the fifth drive.
  • Warren suffered a hamstring injury and is now uncertain for Week 1.
• TE Pat Freiermuth was far from a full-time player for the second straight week, even yielding some 11 personnel snaps to Darnell Washington. I'm more skeptical of this than Kmet's lack of playing time, because the Steelers are badly in need of receiving weapons and it's not like Freiermuth is a truly terrible blocker. 
• QB Justin Fields played the rest of the game after Wilson, completing 11 of 17 passes for 92 yards and running eight times for 42 yards.

Jets (15) at Panthers (12)

New York Jets

Both teams rested their key players.

• After dominating snaps in the early portion of his first preseason game, Braelon Allen split work with fellow rookie Isaiah Davis Saturday night.
  • Allen took eight carries for 27 yards and added 2-12-0 on four targets. Davis took four carries for 14 yards and caught his lone target for no gain.
  • Allen may not have the RB2 job locked up.

Carolina Panthers

WR Jonathan Mingo played for a second straight week while other first-team players didn't. It's not exactly a secret that Mingo is far from locked into a starting spot, though he at least seems to have pole position for Week 1 because Xavier Legette has missed so much time.

• Legette returned to practice last week but didn't play Saturday. Mingo caught his lone target for four yards on 14 snaps.
• Rookie TE Ja'Tavion Sanders played 18 snaps, including a lot of playing time early on. He caught both of his targets for 22 yards, making him Carolina's leading receiver in a dreadfully dull game.
  • Ian Thomas (calf) and Tommy Tremble (hamstring) have been banged up this summer, which could help Sanders earn playing time early on. Sanders is the team's only TE with any upside as a pass catcher.

Rams (13) at Chargers (9)

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams again rested key backups, in addition to all their projected starters. The most interesting thing, for a second straight week, was that rookie RB Blake Corum was held out healthy. Corum appears locked in as the No. 2 RB, with the question now being whether he takes a big chunk out of Kyren Williams' workload or is just a premium handcuff. Either way, Corum is exactly the kind of player we want to draft after the Top 100 picks or so. It might even be better if he's just the handcuff, as massive snap/touch counts for Williams would increase the odds of an injury, which is the 'smash' scenario for Corum (you're probably not starting him anyway as a timeshare/backup RB).

• Rookie WR Jordan Whittington was very busy for a second straight week, catching five of eight targets for 52 yards (after 6-74-0 on eight targets in the preseason opener). 
  • Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell were rested, FWIW. I don't think Whittington will play much Week 1, but he might as the year progresses.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers played a lot of starters alongside QB Easton Stick, though RBs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins were held out.

• Joshua Palmer, Brenden Rice and Ladd McConkey were the main WRs early in the game, while DJ Chark got most of his playing time later and ultimately played the most snaps (29) of any Chargers wide receiver.
  • Rice's inclusion as a starter was surprising. The rookie sixth-round pick saw just two incomplete targets on 23 snaps, but it's possible he's in the mix for a top-three role alongside Palmer and fellow rookie McConkey.
  • I'm not really sure what to make of the Rice thing. Reports throughout camp have Chark working with the starters, and there's basically been no intel on Rice until this (apart from mentioning that Jerry Rice's son is on the team).
  • WR Quentin Johnston made a fantastic 19-yard catch, but he saw just one other target on 19 snaps (and both targets came in the third quarter).
• RB Jaret Patterson was the starter and played 24 snaps, but rookie sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal also got work with the first-team offense and ended up with 11-49-0 rushing plus two catches for eight yards (three targets) on 28 snaps.
  • Vidal, a popular sleeper, was oft-discussed last week, after he didn't play in the preseason game and Daniel Popper of The Athletic suggested the rookie might not make the 53-man roster. Things are looking a bit better for Vidal now, though it's hard to tell where he truly stands.
  • Patterson took four carries for 10 yards and five catches for 28 yards.
• TE Hayden Hurst didn't play. Will Dissly got most of the TE snaps early.

Buccaneers (7) at Jaguars (20)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Both teams held out most of their starters, but the Bucs used WRs Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer, one of whom figures to be their No. 3 receiver (probably McMillan, based on camp reports).

• McMillan caught one of three targets for six yards. Palmer caught his lone target for 10 yards.
• RB Bucky Irving dominated early playing time for a second straight week and took six carries for 26 yards. He's looking good for the RB2 role, though Chase Edmonds (hamstring) hasn't played this preseason and might've gotten some of those Q1 snaps if he'd been healthy.
  • Irving got all his touches on the first two drives, with Cody Thompson and Sean Tucker then replacing him for the third series.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• RB Tank Bigsby got most of the snaps in the first half, with D'Ernest Johnson subbing in at times.
  • Bigsby took 10 carries for 37 yards and caught each of his three targets for 19 yards.
• WRs Brian Thomas and Elijah Cooks were the top WRs early in the game, with Parker Washington being the No. 3 receiver but having more impact.
  • Thomas, a first-round pick, played a surprising number of snaps for someone that's been working with the first-string offense. He played 22 snaps but was targeted just once (for a 14-yard gain).
  • Washington caught each of his three targets for 39 yards and a TD. All three targets came on Jacksonville's first two drives (the second of which spanned 17 plays, 80 yards and 10 minutes of game clock).
• QB Mac Jones completed 16 of 23 passes for 210 yards and two TDs. C.J. Beathard (5-of-7 for 40 yards and three sacks) came in at the start of the second half but then injured his groin, giving Jones more playing time in the fourth quarter.

Cowboys (27) at Raiders (12)

Dallas Cowboys

Dallas held out a lot of players, including RBs Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott.

• WR Jalen Tolbert, the favorite for the No. 3 receiver job, started and played nine snaps, catching one pass for six yards on the opening drive.

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders mostly played starters, led by Gardner Minshew, who was then named the team's Week 1 starter Sunday. WR Davante Adams and TE Brock Bowers didn't play, with coach Antonio Pierce attributing their absences to minor injuries.

• RB Zamir White started and got the first two carries, including a 17-yard gain on the Raiders' second snap, but he continued playing into the third quarter, perhaps hinting at a lack of confidence even if he's still on track to start Week 1.
  • White played 18 snaps total, taking four carries for 23 yards.
• RB Alexander Mattison had five carries for 15 yards and one catch for six yards, also playing into the third quarter (in addition to Q1 and Q1). Dylan Laube had three carries for eight yards and no catches on two targets, with all his opportunities coming in the second and third quarters.
• WR Tre Tucker started and caught three of six targets for 66 yards, seeing five passes from Minshew and one from Aidan O'Connell.
  • Tucker caught two of four targets for 73 yards in the preseason opener, and he's returned three punts for 71 yards this preseason. The big-play ability he flashed late last season may carry over to his second NFL campaign, though the volume projection is obviously lacking with Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Bowers and Michael Mayer all in Vegas.
• WR Jakobi Meyers finished without a catch on four targets. Not that it matters at all, but I wonder if the Raiders would consider trading him (rather than Davante Adams, who has been a subject of rumors for a while). 

Packers (2) at Broncos (27)

Green Bay Packers

The Packers rested a lot of guys, including some that project for backup roles like RB AJ Dillon and WR Dontayvion Wicks. Rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd also didn't play (he's been dealing with a hamstring injury

Denver Broncos

QB Bo Nix led the first-team offense for the first two drives, completing eight of nine passes for 80 yards and a TD and adding three carries for 12 yards. The Broncos scored 10 points on his two drives.

• RB Javonte Williams had three carries for 17 yards and one catch for 15 yards, with all his touches coming on the first two drives.
  • Jaleel McLaughlin also had four touches (for 21 yards), and also got them all on the first two drives.
• RB Samaje Perine was next into the game after Williams and McLaughlin, sharing snaps with Audric Estime from mid-Q2 through mid-Q3.
  • Estime played well into the fourth quarter.
• Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Josh Reynolds were the starting WRs, with Adam Trautman at tight end.
  • Sutton was targeted just once and Reynolds not at all, while Patrick caught each of his four targets for 30 yards and a TD (with all four targets on the first two drives).
• WR Marvin Mims was targeted once... on an interception in the third quarter.
• WR Troy Franklin played, I think, but not until later in the game (and he wasn't targeted).
• Trautman got the most playing time at TE early, with Greg Dulcich and Lucas Krull also getting some snaps. 
  • Dulcich caught both of his targets for 27 yards, but that was with Jarrett Stidham under center in the second quarter.

Saints (10) at 49ers (16)

New Orleans Saints

QB Derek Carr and a lot of other starters played three series, with the first two being three-and-outs and the third a 16-play, 95-yard TD drive.

• RBs Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller (hamstring) didn't play. Jamaal Williams got the first four RB touches before Jordan Mims subbed in. Williams had six of nine RB touches on the first three drives, gaining 34 yards.
• Taysom Hill had five carries for 21 yards and a TD, all on the first three drives, but he wasn't targeted.
  • Hill was lined up as a fullback on his one-yard TD run, and he also had a nice lead back from the FB spot on Williams' best run of the night (a 15-yarder).
  • Hill moved all over the place but didn't take any direct snaps as a QB. He was mostly lined up as a tight end, fullback or halfback. Maybe Klint Kubiak likes Hill even more than Pete Carmichael did?
• With Rasheed Shaheed (hamstring) unable to play, Cedrick Wilson joined Chris Olave in the starting lineup, and rookie Bub Means got some snaps as the No. 3 receiver.
  • A.T. Perry, meanwhile, saw all six of his targets in the second half, catching two for 24 yards.
  • Olave caught three of four targets for 26 yards. Means caught two of two for 16. Wilson caught one of two for five yards.
• TE Foster Moreau also played a lot early on, catching his lone target for seven yards.

San Francisco 49ers

QB Brock Purdy played three drives and 11 snaps, failing to move the ball. Christian McCaffrey (calf), George Kittle and Deebo Samuel didn't play, nor did WRs Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.

• Rookie WR Jacob Cowing didn't see any targets from Purdy but continued playing after the starting QB left and finished with a 4-51-0 receiving line on five targets.
• RBs Jordan Mason (hip), Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) didn't play, leaving Matt Breida, Cody Schrader and Ke'Shawn Vaughn as the team's healthy RBs.