Sports
Early takeaways from 49ers, Raiders debuts in NFL preseason Week 1
Inside: Preseason action: how to scout, who impressed and what’s scheduled this weekend. Only 26 days till kickoff!
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How to scout in August
There’s a term for people who religiously watch preseason football: sickos.
If that’s you, you’re in good company. If not, and you’re open to a lifestyle change, I spoke with three experts to put together this brief guide on how to watch preseason football.
How to watch like a scout, by Ted Nguyen:
“You’re seeing the most vanilla schemes on both sides of the ball, so look for transferable skills and growth. That’s different at each position. For young quarterbacks, you want them to handle the pre-snap operation, make throws in rhythm and not rely on second-reaction plays.
“These games are parts of a larger arc of development, and it’s easy to lose sight of that at times. Carson Beck looked great in the Hall of Fame game, but Beck’s been inconsistent at practice, based on beat reports.”
How to scout for your fantasy team, by Jake Ciely:
“I’m more interested in snap counts in different formations and with starting units, especially if there has been an offensive coordinator or scheme change.
“We’re doing our best to predict so many aspects of each player, which makes usage — whether snaps, touches or formations — much more important than preseason stats.”
Before your next appearance on “The Athletic Football Show,” by co-host Dave Helman:
“The most useful tip I can give for watching preseason football is simple: look for the rookies.
“It’s hard to gauge preseason playing time for almost anyone else on an NFL roster, but rookies will play a lot of snaps these next two weeks, and some of them will be stars in short order. Keep an eye out.”
As for those players, both vets and rookies, who stood out in each category last night …
Preseason Week 1 notebook
Several rookie receivers flashed star potential in yesterday’s preseason action. None more than the No. 33 pick in April’s draft.
All aboard the De’Zhaun Stribling hype train. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound receiver’s debut matched the training camp reports as his impressive hands were on full display against the Titans’ starting corners.
“I don’t know how he missed the first round,” left tackle Trent Williams said during the broadcast. “A guy that big, that can run that hard, as tough as he is, as willing as he is as a blocker, as smart as he is. I don’t understand how we’d miss out on that.”
Stribling caught seven of eight targets for 63 yards in limited action. This 32-yarder was a statement.
The 4.3-speed receiver flashed everything you want to see, and he should be a Week 1 starter. Stock up.
We also saw Fernando Mendoza’s debut. Kirk Cousins started for the Raiders, leading them to a score on his sole series. “It’s his job to lose,” Klint Kubiak said of Cousins, who was sharp against mostly Cardinals starters.
Mendoza came in next and played four drives. One ended in a score, thanks to a 53-yard carry from rookie running back Mike Washington, while another saw the Raiders in field-goal range before a missed 38-yarder. It was a strong start punctuated by this dart.
(Let’s just take a second to pause. Take a deep breath and smile. Football highlights are back.)
Despite the above throw and an admirable stat line (10-of-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown), Mendoza focused on his shortcomings. “I let my teammates down today,” he said afterward. “I need to grow a lot.”
Mendoza will get plenty of time to grow if Cousins builds off the strong start.
Other notes:
Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love is fun. He started, ran for 58 yards on 11 carries against mostly Raiders starters, drew comparisons in group chats to Adrian Peterson and made this spin move. Success.
Steelers quarterbacks played well. Mentor Aaron Rodgers sat while Pittsburgh’s backups impressed, specifically Drew Allar. The third-round rookie out of Penn State led three scoring drives, completed 10 of 13 passes and finished with a near-perfect passer rating of 154.8. More takeaways here.
Titans QB Cam Ward underwhelmed. Last year’s No. 1 pick did not look good, missing several open throws and struggling with footwork in Brian Daboll’s offense. Ward finished 5 of 12 for 57 yards against mostly 49ers backups. No. 4 pick Carnell Tate had a quiet debut (three targets, no receptions). It’s preseason Week 1. Exhale, Titans fans.
For more from last night’s action, we’ve got stock reports for the Patriots, Colts, Bengals, Chargers and Lions. For who to watch for this weekend …
Keep an eye on …
It’s a mix of starters and backups in games that kick off at 7 p.m. ET tonight and continue until the Cowboys and Seahawks play at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
How do the Dolphins look? New coach Jeff Hafley has said all of his players should be prepared to play against the Commanders (7 p.m. today), with Malik Willis expected to start in his first game as Miami’s quarterback. His No. 1 receiver might be third-round rookie Caleb Douglas, who is turning heads in camp.
And Browns QBs? Deshaun Watson starts over Shedeur Sanders tomorrow against the Bears (1 p.m.) as the competition continues. (Sanders will start the second game.) I’m more interested in watching rookie receiver Denzel Boston. Most Chicago starters will sit, including Caleb Williams.
We’ve also got the Giants players with the most to gain this weekend, including Odell Beckham Jr., and a similar story for the Vikings, starting with backup quarterback J.J. McCarthy. “Accuracy remains the foremost priority,” per Alec Lewis.
Find the full NFL schedule here.
Extra Points
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