5 Takeaways from Week 1 of Preseason

Preseason is an exciting time of year for American Football fans everywhere. The 7 month drought without football is over. We finally get to see our favorite teams back on the field and playing semi-competitive football again. We get our first look at the new rookies, who have their first chance to showcase their abilities, whilst keeping our fingers and toes crossed that our favorite and best players don’t get injured.

With all teams taking part in week1 preseason action, these are my 5 takeaways from this week’s action.

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#1 Baker Mayfield looked great

Now let’s not get too excited, as its only preseason after all, but Baker Mayfield had a highly impressive start in a Browns uniform. The box scores shouldn’t be read into too much in these early weeks, as there are a lot of 3rd and 4th string defense’s out there.

But still, Mayfield finished with stats of 11 of 20 for 212 yards and 2 TDs. He had a poise in the pocket and already seems to have the aura of a competent NFL QB. This was a strong showing by Mayfield, whose stats were boosted by hitting Antonio Callaway on a slant route, which Callaway took 54 yards to the house. The Bills await Mayfield next.

#2 Injuries are brutal

Every year there a couple of big-time players who unfortunately suffer the dreaded ACL tear in preseason action. This year the unlucky player was Washington Redskins rookie Running Back Derrius Guice. Big things were expected from Guice this year as the spearhead of the Redskins ground game.

He tore his ACL on an impressive run, where he showed his nasty running style and ruthless stiff arm. With Guice our for the season, the Redskins backfield consists of Samaje Perine, Rob Kelley, Kapri Bibbs and passing down specialist Chris Thompson. None of these names will excite Redskins fans or fantasy owners. Could the ‘Skins add a free agent RB to help out? Could DeMarco Murray be coaxed out of retirement? We will see.

Other notable injuries so far are George Kittle, Matt Breida, Jerick McKinnon, Isiah Crowell, Devante Parker and Antonio Brown.

#3 Saquon Barkley only needed 1 attempt to impress

Giants fans have been very excited this offseason, since drafting Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in the 2018 draft. Barkley is one of the most impressive athletes to come into the league in years. He has it all. Strong running, great speed, lightning quick agility and dependable hands. So all eyes were on Barkley as he took the field for the Giants against the Browns this last week.

So, what did Barkley do? He broke off a great run and took his first carry for 39 yards. This could be an insight into what to expect this season from Barkley. Could he challenge Todd Gurley and Leveon Bell as being the best back in the league? Only time will tell.

#4 Christian McCaffrey’s usage

A lot of people have been down on McCaffrey since the signing of CJ Anderson this offseason. People are expecting Anderson to take on the role of early down back, just like Jonathon Stewart did last season for the Panthers. However, if you look back at new Panthers Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner’s history, he heavily utilizes one main Running Back.

So it was nice to see McCaffrey rolling with the first team, in the first quarter against the Bills. He was involved in early rushing downs, passing downs and in the RedZone. Could he be the main back in Carolina? If so, he could put up some serious numbers if he can stay healthy. Keep your eye on the next few preseason games for the Panthers.

#5 Andrew Luck is back!

It was so good to see Andrew luck back on the football field. Things were not looking great for Luck, with his shoulder injury meaning he didn’t throw in a competitive game for more than 600 days.

The Colts hierarchy toyed with us last year, saying he would play when ultimately his shoulder wasn’t healthy enough. So it was a relief to see Luck trot out on to the field and complete 6 of his 9 passes against the Seahawks. It was only a brief cameo from Luck, but it shows he is on track to start the season for the Colts. If he can get back to his pre-injury form, then the AFC South is going to be the most competitive division in the NFL.