Here are Matt Williamson’s takeaways from the three preseason games played on Friday night.
Buffalo Bills 27, Carolina Panthers 14
The Bills came out throwing in Carolina. Against what should be an excellent defensive front, Buffalo’s rebuilt offensive line held up extremely well in protection. The ball did come out quick, which was great to see from Josh Allen. Allen also made some touch throws, something rarely seen from the big-armed passer during his rookie season. Adding receiver Cole Beasley in particular in the off-season, as well as giving Allen at least a respectable offensive line could really help his maturation. Highly drafted quarterbacks often take a huge leap forward in their second season. Could this be the path for Allen? As preseason games go, this was a raging success for Allen and the Bills top offensive unit.
Speaking of excellent defensive fronts, the Bills ‘defense, especially the big guys up front, put on a dominant defensive performance against what should be a much improved Carolina offensive line. The Bills now have depth as well as potential star power (Ed Oliver) on their vastly underappreciated defensive line. Kevin Johnson also expertly jumped a Will Grier pass and it took it 71 yards to the house. It didn’t get enough publicity, but Buffalo had one of the NFL’s best playmaking defenses last year. It could be even better in 2019.
As for the Panthers offense, Jordan Scarlett was once again Carolina’s best ball carrier. Of course this is Christian McCaffrey’s job, but Scarlett could be a nice change of pace here and there even early in the season with his no-nonsense downhill running style.
New York Giants 32, Chicago Bears 13
Against mostly backup Bears defenders, Eli Manning marched down the field with little resistance. None of Manning’s passes hit the ground and a quick touchdown resulted. But Daniel Jones relieved Manning late in the first quarter. After being the talk of the town last week, Jones again played well. Jones second completion of the day was a thing of beauty down the left sideline for a long gain. He later threw a perfect ball to TJ Jones for a 15-yard touchdown. This sounds crazy, but Jones has thrown the ball better in the NFL than he did in college. He also read the blitz well at times and knew where to go with the football. But Jones did fumble a snap that looked like it was his fault and had the ball batted out of his hands in the pocket with little ball security awareness. The Bears recovered on both instances. Clearly the rookie needs to clean that up, but overall this was another successful outing for Jones.
It is noteworthy that New York’s defense opened in a true 3-4 front and we saw plenty of this during this contest. First round pick Dexter Lawrence saw a lot of time on the field in the middle of that front. Utilizing five defenders on the line of scrimmage is probably the best way for New York to get their best big men on the field. We should see plenty of snaps with Lawrence, Dalvin Tomlinson and PJ Hill on the interior hopefully flanked on nearly every snap by youngsters Oshane Ximines and Lorenzo Carter, a true breakout candidate in his second season. In this game, Chicago’s pass protection from their offensive tackles was a real problem. But clearly this game was much more important for New York than for the Bears.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16, Miami Dolphins 14
Mark Walton has asserted himself as Miami’s third back behind Kenyon Drake and Kalen Ballage. Walton is a sharp route runner in the short zones and proved to be very sturdy in protection as well. Walton has obvious talent. It has been off the field issues that have slowed the start to his career. Back home in Miami, Walton could thrive.
A name to remember is Sam Eguavoen. He stood out in this game and considering the state of the Dolphins, might have a real opportunity to make an impact early on. Eguavoen read plays and closed on the ball very well. An excellent tackler, he was great in contain and securing the edge as well. His best role is on passing downs though as a coverage player. The former CFL player also has a lot of value for Miami on special teams. Eguavoen really stood out.
Another young player for Miami, former first round pick, Charles Harris, had himself a game on Friday night as well. His bull rush and explosion were apparent. Harris also showed very heavy hands in his pass-rush as well as stacking and shedding in the run game. Harris was easily one of the best players on the field in this game.
Lastly, another young name to know on this Miami defense is Jonathan Ledbetter. Ledbetter is a big solidly built defensive end that might be even better on the interior. He was heavily recruited but like Walton, off the field issues got in the way at Georgia. Ledbetter plays hard though and is very difficult to move off his spot.
While that is all exciting for the rebuilding Dolphins, Tampa Bay ate the middle of Miami’s offensive line alive in this game. The Buccaneers certainly have some talented defensive tackles and give that collective unit credit, but this was more of a case of just terrible interior offensive line play. Laremy Tunsil is a true star at left tackle, but the other four spots on Miami’s line look destined to be major liabilities this year.
A former scout for Pitt, Akron, and the Cleveland Browns, Matt Williamson worked with ESPN’s Scouts, Inc. for years. He is a contributor to Touchdown Wire and currently works for the Steelers Nation Radio Network.
