NFC North Recap: Preseason Week Three
Josh Frey
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The NFL preseason has now come and gone as each NFC North team played their final practice gaame this weekend. We saw some growth from every team over the three games, and now they all have some difficult decisions to make before Tuesday. Before that, though, here’s a quick recap of how preseason week three treated the NFC North.
Fields’ Field Day
The Chicago Bears ended their preseason on a high note. Their first-round rookie QB had a very good finale, despite playing just four series. He finished the day 7/10 for 54 passing yards, a touchdown, and 13 rushing yards. Each of his three incompletions really should have been caught as well; they all hit receivers square in the hands. We still aren’t sure who is going to start when the regular season actually gets underway, but Bears fans can rest assured knowing that Fields showcased his skills over these past three weeks.
Another Bears QB had a great day, too. Former Super Bowl MVP and current third-stringer, Nick Foles, performed very well, tossing for over 140 yards and two touchdowns, leading Chicago to a win over the Titans. Of course, his snaps all came against backups, but it was far more impressive than his game against the Dolphins. Can the Bears finally find a trade suitor for the veteran based on this game?
Knee Biters Get Bit
The Lions jumped out to a 14-6 lead early on in this game, highlighted by touchdown drives from each of Detroit’s backup QBs. The QBs looked decent on these drives, but they each had very ugly turnovers too. Tim Boyle fumbled on the opening drive of the game, and David Blough threw an awful pass that ended as an interception. Of course, the starters played very little, including seventh-overall pick Penei Sewell exiting the game after the second drive of the game. That said, the Lions should feel uneasy about their backup QB depth if Jared Goff suffers an injury.
Breshad Perriman was notably bad as well, dropping two passes that should have easily been caught by the veteran WR. Unfortunately for him, this bad performance may be the final straw before being cut this week. Detroit’s defense did very little biting in the second half against the Colts, too. Indy rushed for over 100 yards in the second half, and they scored a touchdown in the final seconds to complete their comeback. This team shows flashes of great football, but overall, this looks like yet another tough season for the Lions.
Packers Backups Turn Green Instead of Gold
The Packers played virtually no starters in this game, and it showed. The Bills came out with Josh Allen and tore Green Bay’s defense apart in the first half en route to a 19-0 win. Tackling was noticeably bad for the second and third string defense, with misses all over the field from just about everybody. The one bright spot came from Isaiah McDuffie, who recorded nine tackles and a sack. Outside of that though, this is concerning for a team that needs to fill out its special teams. Players that can’t wrap up carriers are not who you want to rely on when covering kick and punt returns.
The offense had its struggles as well, but there were more signs of greatness from rookie RB Kylin Hill. He had eight touches which ended in 44 yards, and he should be the favorite to end up as Green Bay’s RB3. Jordan Love played a decent game as well, but he threw up a few too many 50/50 balls. He still needs some development in his game, but it should be noted that the offensive line did very little to keep him protected.
An Offensive Explosion in KC
The Vikings went into this game without an offensive touchdown over their first two preseason games. Despite losing 28-25 and being outclassed by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs first stringers, Minnesota’s offense played much better. A.J. Rose concluded his great preseason with an exclamatory 32-yard rushing touchdown in the second half.
Kellen Mond has been under a lot of scrutiny this preseason, but his performance should end much of that. He looked much more comfortable in the pocket and established a rhythm early on. He ended the day with 196 passing yards and 40 rushing yards despite turning the ball over twice. Although it’s worth noting that his interception while targeting Zach Davidson seemed more on the tight end’s effort than the quarterback’s throw. Mond should be QB2 this year.