Here’s How the NFC North Fared in Week 2 of Preseason Action
Last week, the Minnesota Vikings were the only NFC North team to take a loss in preseason action. They fell to the Seattle Seahawks, 24-13.
This time around, the Vikings may have lost again, but they were joined by every other team in the division as well. Here is a look at how the NFC North fared in Week 2 of preseason action.
Fields Sits Out, Chicago Falls to Indy
Last week when the Bears claimed a victory over the Tennessee Titans, they started the game by playing many of their starters. This time around, they sat most of their starting groups on both sides of the ball, including QB Justin Fields, and they fell at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 24-17.
PJ Walker started the game for Chicago, and interestingly, undrafted free agent Tyson Bagent was the second QB to see action, ahead of Nathan Peterman. Bagent performed very well, completing 9 of his 10 passes for 76 yards.
However, the combination of Sam Ehlinger and Gardner Minshew torched Chicago’s secondary, combining for 220 yards and a touchdown while completing 22 of their 29 passes. 17 fourth quarter points allowed Indy to roar back and claim a home win.
Jaguars Dominate Detroit
QB Teddy Bridgewater donned #50 for the Lions in his preseason opener, but he struggled to begin the game for Detroit, completing just 5 of his 11 passes for 34 yards. On the other side, both C.J. Beathard and Nathan Rourke surpassed 100 yards passing, and Jacksonville added 145 yards in the running game to boot. This game didn’t see much drama as Jacksonville dominated from the start and claimed a 25-7 victory over Detroit.
Pats Edge the Pack
Jordan Love once again started for Green Bay, and he completed 5 of his 8 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown to rookie WR Jayden Reed. However, Bailey Zappe connected with his own rookie receiver Kayson Boutte for a 42-yard TD and scored another 6-yard TD that gave New England the 21-17 victory.
A scary moment in the fourth quarter ultimately ended this game as Patriots CB Isaiah Bolden took a massive hit and had to be carted off the field. Reports following the game suggest that he has feeling in all of his extremities, but he was taken to a local hospital for continued tests and monitoring. Both teams decided to suspend play following the hit. Hopefully Bolden is able to make a swift recovery.
Vikings Defense Falters in Loss to Titans
The story of this game was Tennessee’s rushing attack. The Titans mustered 282 rushing yards against the Vikings defense. Julius Chestnut led the way with 98 yards, but QB Malik Willis also added 91 rushing yards of his own, and rookie Tyjae Spears broke off a 33-yard TD to get the scoring going.
Minnesota had a few promising drives throughout the night, but struggles on third down and some poorly timed penalties ultimately kept the Vikings out of the end zone for most of the evening. They finally scored a TD on a 1-yard run from DeWayne McBride, but it was too little, too late for the Vikings as they fell to 0-2 in preseason play.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.