MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Fields is clearly way more talented than Dalton, but there is a sound logic to forcing him into learning before throwing him to the wolves.

 

Joe Burrow won’t play in second Bengals preseason game



Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow won’t get a taste of game action this week.

Burrow sat out the team’s preseason opener against Tampa on Saturday and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on Monday that he will sit out this Friday’s game against Washington as well.

Taylor said last week that he was not ruling out the possibility of Burrow playing in the preseason as he makes his return from last year’s torn ACL. Burrow has expressed a desire to see some live action ahead of Week 1 of the regular season, so we’ll see if the Bengals play a different tune for their August 29 game against the Dolphins.

No other Bengals have been ruled out for this week at this point, but there weren’t any other situations of great interest on the roster.

PFT

 

Broncos coach Vic Fangio says “it’s possible” he will name starting quarterback after next game



The Broncos have an open competition at quarterback between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater. It could soon be closed.

Asked by reporters on Monday whether coach Vic Fangio will name the Week One starter after this weekend’s preseason game against the Seahawks, Fangio said, “It’s possible.”

The Broncos presumably prefer to see Lock win the job, since he has a higher ceiling than Bridgewater. The Broncos decided a couple of years ago not to counter the Chiefs’ high-octane offense with a stifling defense but to instead fight fire with firepower. That all points to Lock getting the first crack at the starting job, with Bridgewater providing a fallback option at a higher floor than Lock.

Fangio also said that Lock is “definitely” seeing the field better, and that he showed patience in making a 33-yard completion to receiver Jerry Jeudy on third down against the Vikings.

Injuries and ineffectiveness have hampered Lock. If he can stay healthy and keep developing, he could still be a very good quarterback. The first challenge is winning the job in the competition with Bridgewater, who is due to get the start against Seattle.

PFT

 

Dalton dealing with hype surrounding Bears QB Fields

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Quarterback Andy Dalton has the support of Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy even if it’s apparent the allegiance of fans at Soldier Field rests elsewhere.

The Bears have a unique quarterback situation with popular rookie Justin Fields not expected to win the starting spot away from Dalton for opening day despite eye-opening play in the first preseason game, a 20-13 win over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday.

At least judging from fan reaction against Miami, it could be Dalton fighting an uphill battle even though he owns the job.

“That’s not easy being on that sideline for that game and hearing when Justin runs out, all the cheers,” Nagy said. “I mean, let’s just face it, if that was any of us, that’s not easy.”

It’s not as if Dalton is being booed — although No. 3 quarterback Nick Foles was when he replaced Fields.

Booing this week likely will be reserved for former Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky when he returns Saturday to play for Buffalo in a preseason game at Soldier Field.

Dalton merely shrugs off the Fields mania and maintains his focus on the Sept. 12 opener against the Los Angeles Rams, all while also helping Fields to learn the ways of the NFL.

He’s heard fans cheering and shouting Fields’ name at Halas Hall practices and seen the No. 1 jerseys each day.

“Andy is great,” Nagy said. “I mean, you know, this is such a unique situation. For a guy like Andy, where I feel really comfortable is knowing that he’s comfortable in his own skin, he believes in himself and he knows that we believe in him.”

Dalton knows Fields is the future, but is trying to make it a more distant future. Fields’ 10-for-14 effort for 142 yards against Miami was solid, but Dalton might be most impressed with Fields’ speed.

“I think when he first got here, I asked him, ‘What is it like to run 4.4?,’ ” Dalton said of Fields’ 40-yard time. “He’s special.

“If he’s got that room in front of him, that’s a part of his game that he can definitely use. With his speed that he’s got, definitely a thing that he can use in his game.”

With the Bears offensive line an issue — neither starting tackle has practiced and guard James Daniels is sidelined with a groin injury — it might require a quarterback who can run out of a collapsing pocket.

Nagy is resisting this temptation and will stick by his promise to Dalton about the opener, even though Fields gets an occasional snap at practice with first-team players. Saturday’s game didn’t change this approach.

“He’s a true pro,” Nagy said of Dalton. “He’s doing everything we’re asking him to do. And I think that’s the only thing that we can worry about right now is just, again, coming out here and practice hard, man, do everything you can.

“We know it’s not easy. But if you just worry about being the best Bears quarterback you can be, help everybody else out, you help us out, and in the end it’s a win for everybody.”

Bears teammates are trying to be cautious with throwing too much credit Fields’ way.

“Obviously from the time he stepped on the field, the crowd went crazy,” Bears safety Tashaun Gipson said. “That atmosphere, you could imagine it being packed out (in the regular season). It’s just exciting to see, man. He’s an exciting player.

“That’s why you draft him, that’s why you traded up to go get him, man. You can’t say enough good things about him.”

However, Gipson balanced out his praise.

“Andy Dalton doesn’t get enough credit I think,” Gipson said. “Andy Dalton has had a super fine camp man and obviously I’m seeing it up close, and it’s a good problem to have when you have two quarterbacks that you’re super comfortable with going and playing in a game on Sundays man.”

The type of praise that Fields has received can turn a young head in the NFL.

Teammate Khalil Mack knows a good deal about fan adoration himself and thinks Fields can cope.

“He can handle it,” Mack said. “You can kind of tell it doesn’t get to him, if that makes sense, because I’ve been around him and heard a few calls for him.

“You can kind of tell that he’s a humble guy, and won’t really let none of that kind of get to his head.”

NOTES: Defensive end Akiem Hicks left Tuesday’s practice during warmups and the team offered no explanation. ... Running back David Montgomery returned to practice on a limited basis following what had been labeled general “soreness.” ... With cornerback Desmond Trufant away for personal reasons, former Steelers cornerback Artie Burns took some first-team snaps as he tries to come back from a torn ACL suffered in last year’s camp.

 

Justin Fields out of practice Wednesday with groin injury



Bears head coach Matt Nagy’s Wednesday press conference was short on good news about the team’s rookies on the injury front.

Nagy announced that second-round tackle Teven Jenkins will have surgery to address the back injury that’s kept him off the field for all of training camp. He also revealed that first-round pick Justin Fields will not practice because of a groin injury.

PFT

 

Matt Canada: Ben Roethlisberger is right where he wants to be in new offense



When training camp got underway, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was still working to fully grasp the offense being installed by new offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

Canada discussed Roethlisberger’s work in the new offense on Tuesday and it sounds like the quarterback has gotten everything down. Canada said Roethlisberger has “embraced” the changes and is now “teaching everyone else around him.”

“I think Ben is right where he wants to be,” Canada said, via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “He’s playing very well, he’s worked extremely hard to bring along the guys up front. We have a young guy in the backfield, a young guy at tight end. . . . He’s worked extremely hard to get everyone on the same page.”

Saturday’s game against the Lions is expected to be the first chance to see Roethlisberger run the offense against another team. It will just be a sneak preview of what’s to come, but plenty of eyes will be watching to see how the old dog has taken to the new tricks in Pittsburgh.

PFT

 

Vic Fangio “pretty damn close” to quarterback decision



Broncos coach Vic Fangio said earlier this week it was “possible” he would name a starting quarterback after this weekend’s preseason game. Two days later, it sounds as if he’s even closer.

“Pretty damn close, but you know we have more information coming, OK?” Fangio said Wednesday, via Troy Renck of thedenverchannel.com.

The Broncos traded for Teddy Bridgewater on April 28 to challenge Drew Lock for the starting job. They have had the offseason program, 18 training camp practices, including walk-throughs, and one preseason game.

Bridgewater will start Saturday in Seattle.

“You know man this is one of those deals where we are competing everyday to be the best team we can be as we get ready for the fall,” Bridgewater said when asked about the quarterback competition. “Like I said a couple of weeks ago, a decision will be made and we will go forward. Whatever happens, it will be best for the team. Right now all I can do is focus on being a better player, better teammate and a better father.”

Lock made the most of his start last week, completing 5 of 7 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Bridgewater was 7-of-8 for 74 yards and a score in relief.

“The human nature is to dive into it, think about it, almost over analyze it at times,” Lock said. “That’s just humans being humans. To say I’ve never done that during this process, I would be lying to you. But it really comes down to the basics. Controlling what you can control, thinking about how you can help the team win.”

PFT

 

Stafford, Rams struggle in joint practice with Raiders

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — There were dark clouds over the Los Angeles Rams during their first joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, and it had nothing to do with an unusual August rainstorm that alternated from drizzling to downpour and back again during the two-hour session.

Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions, the offensive line was often overwhelmed and the run game mostly ineffective, the second time in less than two weeks the Rams starters have not been able to get on track in a workout with another team.

Despite seeing similar issues from their recent practice with the Dallas Cowboys, coach Sean McVay isn’t concerned by those struggles yet.

“You learn from it,” McVay said. “We don’t do any sort of game planning for these practices. This is a great opportunity to test a lot of our rules, and that’s what I like about Matthew is he’s aggressively trying things out so then you can learn how to be smart with that decision-making thought process when the games really count. There’s a lot of good things. It’s a totally different structure defensively than what we’re accustomed to seeing.”

The team period pitting the starting offenses and defenses against one another got off to a bad start when Stafford’s first pass was too high for wide receiver Robert Woods, hitting him in the hand before Raiders rookie safety Tre’von Moehrig intercepted the deflected ball.

Cornerback Rasul Douglas and linebacker Cory Littleton, a former Ram, had the other two picks.

“They did a nice job getting the ball back from us a couple times,” Stafford said. “I made a couple poor decisions that I wish I had back, that’s practice. Some of the new stuff we’re putting in, I want to make sure I get reps at it. I got to do a better job of making sure we end up with the ball after every play.”

The common trait on all three of Stafford’s turnovers was an inability to set his feet and throw with power because of pressure in the pocket. While the offensive line eventually found ways to give Stafford enough time to attempt and complete deep balls working with the Cowboys on Aug. 7 in Oxnard, California, there was no such improvement against the Raiders.

Stafford’s best completion of the day came on a short crossing route over the middle by Cooper Kupp that allowed the wide receiver to run after making the catch.

Stafford was sacked on his second drop back, and several other plays could have been whistled dead. There were also procedure penalties, and one of the few productive runs by Darrell Henderson Jr. was flagged for holding.

But Stafford said there is value in the adversity that comes from operating in unfamiliar situations before the games count.

“It’s always good to get out there and play somebody different,” Stafford said. “Different schemes, different looks, you know, different players, just getting used to all that stuff. We saw some stuff from them that we haven’t seen any of in camp, which is really good for us as a team and me as a quarterback to see our plays kind of develop against certain coverages and certain players.”

McVay agreed with his new quarterback’s assessment.

“These practices are good indicators of where you’re at,” McVay said. “It’s not the end all, be all because of how we approach it, but we’ve got a long way to go and we still have a good amount of time, but we can’t afford to waste a single day.”

That last point was McVay’s biggest concern after a fight between Rams defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day and Raiders offensive lineman Richie Incognito and a hard hit by Raiders safety Johnathan Abram on Woods during a two-minute drill created a sour mood.

Set to practice together again Thursday before playing in the second preseason game for each team on Saturday, McVay said it was important for all parties to operate in a respectful manner.

“All of us had the same intentions and, again, I don’t believe there was any sort of malicious intent from their guys, but just that practice etiquette and getting the work that we want. This is two teams trying to get ready for the upcoming season, trying to shape one another, and we want to make sure that we structure the practice in a way that’s beneficiary for both of us,” McVay said.

NOTES: OLB Leonard Floyd did not practice after hurting his ankle Monday. The injury is not serious, McVay said.

AP

 

Justin Fields back at practice, set to play Saturday



Bears quarterback Justin Fields‘ absence from practice turned out to be a one-day affair.

Fields did not practice on Wednesday because of a sore groin in what head coach Matt Nagy called a “super conservative” decision by the team. Nagy said the hope was that Fields would be well enough to play on Saturday against the Bills and it looks like that’s where things are headed.

The first-round pick will be back on the practice field Thursday and Nagy said he is on track to play this weekend.

His entry into the game should come a little later than it did against the Dolphins last week. Nagy said he wanted Andy Dalton to get more snaps earlier this week and said on Thursday that the veteran is expected to play into the second quarter after playing two series last weekend.

PFT

 

Dak Prescott expects to play in the season opener at Tampa



Three weeks from tonight, the 2021 NFL season begins with the Buccaneers hosting the Cowboys. Quarterback Dak Prescott plans to be under center for the visiting team.

Hall of Fame scout Gil Brandt, who spent 30 years with the Cowboys, tweeted that Prescott said Wednesday he expects to be playing when the season begins. Brandt acknowledges that it will take a lot to keep Prescott from playing, but that he may not be 100 percent.

Prescott suffered a strained shoulder — specifically an injury to the lat muscle — early in camp. Simms believes Prescott has altered his throwing motion, potentially to compensate (consciously or not) for the broken right ankle suffered last year. He could be putting more arm into his throws in order to avoid putting stress on his right leg when it digs into the ground as the back end of his base.

And that’s possibly what caused an injury so unusual that the Cowboys had to consult with baseball teams about how to treat it.

Based on Prescott’s obvious irritation over limits placed on him in practice before the shoulder injury, he likely will be very impatient about getting on the field. Without him, it’s either Garrett Gilbert or Ben DiNucci at quarterback.

Or, in other words, the Buccaneers will be favored by many, many points, and they’ll still likely cover.

PFT

 

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was taken to the hospital to be evaluated for abdominal pain, head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters following Thursday night’s preseason game against the New England Patriots.

Hurts had been slated to play in the game only to be scratched after becoming ill prior to kickoff.

“He came in. He wasn’t feeling great when he came in,” Sirianni said. “We put him through pregame warmups. He wanted to go out there and go through pregame warmups. Came back in and he still wasn’t feeling good. We evaluated him. We just decided it wasn’t in his best interests to play given what he was feeling. We evaluated him. He’s fine now. He’s doing OK now but that’s why we held him out.

“He actually went to the hospital to get evaluated for his stomach. He came back, everything is good and he’s going to be OK. He had pain in his abdomen… For a guy like that to tell us, he’s a tough guy, so it must have been hurting pretty good for him to let us know about that.”

The positive for Hurts and the Eagles is that the issue isn’t something significant like appendicitis that would require immediate intervention. The downside is that Hurts was unable to take part in the game against the Patriots as the team gears up for their regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 12.

Hurts tested negative for COVID-19.

PFT

 

Ben Roethlisberger wants 'as many reps as I can' in preseason matchup vs. Lions

After two Pittsburgh Steelers preseason games passed with Ben Roethlisberger standing on the sidelines, the quarterback will make his debut Saturday against the Detroit Lions.

Pittsburgh hasn't said how much play-time Big Ben will receive this week. However, in his first game action in Matt Canada's offense, the veteran QB petitioned for a significant amount.

"I would love to get as many reps as I can," Roethlisberger said on Thursday, via the Associated Press. "It's been how many months since I stepped on a football field to take a hit or play any meaningful type of reps. With the newness of it, I definitely want to get as much as I can."

Coach Mike Tomlin has been tight-lipped regarding how many reps he'll give Big Ben in a meaningless preseason game. The coach noted that if it weren't for the club installing a new offense, the 39-year-old wouldn't have come off the sideline this preseason at all.

"If he was in the same system of offense that he'd been in, he probably wouldn't play," Tomlin said. "We've taken that approach in the past. But we think it's good for him to get in the stadium, and communicate with Matt, and do some of the things that the quarterback has to do from a dry run perspective before we step into the regular season."

As we've seen with the Steelers through two preseason games, Canada's offense offers much more pre-snap motion and different formations than the previous iteration in Pittsburgh. As such, Big Ben getting some of the timing aspects down during exhibition games is vital as we approach the regular season.

"There's a lot of newness, and I think it's prudent to get as much time in as I can under those circumstances," Roethlisberger said.


Roethlisberger and the Steelers will kick off against Detroit Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

NFL.com

 

Darrell Bevell: Trevor Lawrence, Gardner Minshew still status quo in QB competition



The Jaguars started Trevor Lawrence at quarterback in the team’s first preseason game and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said on Thursday that the first overall pick of this year’s draft is likely to start against the Saints on Monday night.

Bevell was quick to note that starting Lawrence in these games isn’t a sign that the team has made a decision on their quarterback for Week 1. While just about everyone expects Lawrence to have that job, the Jaguars say he’s still competing with Gardner Minshew for the No. 1 job in Jacksonville.

“We’re still going to handle it that way until we end up making the final decision,” Bevell said, via John Reid of the Florida Times-Union. “Right now, they are still status quo. We’re trying to make everybody better. We want competition at each and every position. Both guys are getting better because of it.”

Bevell said that he thought “the whole game experience” was important for Lawrence’s growth and that he thinks the rookie will continue to improve as a result of being exposed to opposing defenses. That process wouldn’t come to an end in the preseason, which makes it all the likelier that the Jaguars will choose to roll with the player they made the long-term plan at quarterback once the dust settles on this summer’s competition.

PFT

 

Jaguars' Urban Meyer has timeline to name either Trevor Lawrence, Gardner Minshew starting QB

Practically every outside observer isn't believing either Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer or offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell when they suggest that rookie and first overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence isn't a lock to be the team's starting quarterback over Gardner Minshew when the Jaguars open the regular season at the Houston Texans on Sept. 12.

Meyer told reporters Friday he continues to speak with Bevell and passing-game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer about the depth chart and added he seems to know when he'll announce his final decision for Week 1.

"I do [have a timeline] in my own mind, but once again, it's conversation that the three people are having daily," Meyer said, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN. "In theory, it could [go through the final preseason game], but I'd rather not."


Jacksonville closes the preseason at the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 29, and coaches around the NFL are expected to sit their starters over that weekend to avoid injury concerns. Meyer said he will decide on Saturday which of his two top signal-callers will start Monday's exhibition contest at the New Orleans Saints.

Logic suggests Meyer is merely attempting to bolster Minshew's value on the trade market via a competition few are taking seriously. Then again, this is the same coach who thought giving Tim Tebow reps at tight end this summer wasn't a complete waste of time, so perhaps all should assume he's serious about potentially naming Minshew and not Lawrence QB1 before Labor Day.

YardBarker

 

Zach Wilson plays most of first half, throws two TD passes



Jets quarterback Zach Wilson‘s first preseason outing ended after two possessions and didn’t feature a touchdown.

Outing No. 2 went longer and it went better. Wilson capped his third drive of Saturday’s game against the Packers with an 18-yard touchdown strike to tight end Tyler Kroft. Wilson piloted the team to a field goal on the opening possession against a Packers team playing mostly backups after two days of joint practices during the week.

Wilson remained in the game for a fourth possession, which started on Green Bay’s 30-yard line after a long kickoff return by Corey Ballentine. After a pair of Ty Johnson runs, Wilson hit Kroft for another 18-yard score.

Wide receiver Corey Davis said this week that his chemistry with Wilson was “definitely getting there” and the two players showed off how things are developing early in the game. Wilson hit Davis for 14 yards on a third down and followed that up with a 27-yarder to set up Kroft’s first touchdown catch. The duo also hooked up for a 24-yard gain on a third down on the first opening drive and a five-yarder before a punt on the second possession.

That’s promising stuff for a combo the Jets will be counting on this year and Wilson’s 9-of-11, 128-yard outing was exactly the kind of game the Jets likely wanted to see when he took the field on Saturday. The Eagles are on tap in the final preseason outing and then attention will turn to making sure Wilson can be just as sharp against the Panthers in Week 1.

PFT

 

Matt Nagy says Andy Dalton will start Week One



Plenty of Bears fans had hoped rookie quarterback Justin Fields would leapfrog veteran Andy Dalton before Week One of the regular season. On Saturday, Bears coach Matt Nagy made the season-opening plan unequivocally clear, if it wasn’t already.

Dalton will start, Nagy told reporters after a preseason drubbing at home against the Bills.

“We need to see him in the regular season,” Nagy said.

PFT consistently has reported that Dalton was promised the Week One starting gig when he signed with the team in the offseason, before the draft. Although many promises are made to be broken, and no verbal assurances are ever binding, Nagy remains intent to resist the temptation to go with Fields.

Nagy surely is influenced by his 2017 experience in Kansas City, where he worked as offensive coordinator. That year, the Chiefs traded up to draft quarterback Patrick Mahomes. That year, Alex Smith started every game of the regular season with one exception; Mahomes started a meaningless Week 17 game against the Broncos.

The circumstances are very different in Chicago, however. The Bears haven’t had a high-end quarterback since at least Jay Cutler. Some would say not since Jim McMahon. Many would say not since Sid Luckman.

Also, Dalton has no equity with his new team. Smith had played for the Chiefs for four season before Mahomes arrived, and the Chiefs consistently contended. Dalton spent the first nine years of his career in Cincinnati and last year in Dallas.

On Saturday, Dalton completed 11 of 17 passes for 146 yards, one touchdown, and one interception; that equates to a passer rating of 86.9. The Bears trailed during the Dalton vs. Mitch Trubisky duel 28-0 before Dalton connected with receiver Rodney Adams for a 73-yard catch and run, which following the blocked extra point cut the margin to 28-6.

Fields completed nine of 19 passes for 80 yards, a passer rating of 59.1. Field added 46 yards on four carries. He had a great long throw from deep in the pocket. He also took a brutal (and illegal) hit from linebacker Andre Smith.

The Bears open the season in 22 days on NBC, with a primetime game against the Rams in L.A. Even if (as it appears) Nagy will start, it’s possible that Nagy will have a package of plays for the rookie.

PFT

 

Jerry Jones: Dak Prescott is ready to start season opener, and we feel great about it



Dak Prescott is not going to play in Saturday night’s exhibition game against the Texans at AT&T Stadium, but the Cowboys quarterback threw around 50 passes before the team’s pregame warmups.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones refuted any idea Prescott might not be ready to play in the season opener Sept. 9.

“He threw with authority and accuracy before the game,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan before the game, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “If we were lining up against Tampa tonight, he’d be starting, and we’d feel great about it.”

Prescott pulled himself out of practice July 28 with pain in his throwing shoulder. He did some light throwing Aug. 7 and again Aug. 10 in training camp before getting in some pregame work with Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott before the Aug. 13 exhibition game against the Cardinals.

He returned to practice this week, and the Cowboys expect to build up the volume of his throws in practice next week.

Prescott has not seen game action since Week 5 of last season when he dislocated and fractured his right ankle.

PFT

 

By the way... Zack Wilson looks like the real deal through 2 preseason games.

 

So did Ryan Leaf

 

Carson Wentz, Quenton Nelson will return to practice on Monday



Jacob Eason or Sam Ehlinger? The Colts may not have to make that decision, after all.

Coach Frank Reich as announced that quarterback Carson Wentz will return to practice on Monday, three weeks after surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot.

Reich said that guard Quenton Nelson also will return on Monday. Nelson had the same surgery as Wentz, one day later.

The Colts face Seattle three weeks from today. Both Wentz and Nelson had timetables of five to 12 weeks for their returns. Both could be ready to go come Week One.

Center Ryan Kelly also is expected to return to practice on Monday. He has missed time with an elbow injury.

It’s critical that the Colts have all of them. The schedule starts with a crippling five-game stretch: Seattle, Rams, at Titans, at Dolphins, at Ravens.

Maybe, barring aggravation or new injuries, they will.

PFT