DETROIT — Jakobi Meyers caught two touchdown passes in an impressive preseason debut, and the New England Patriots drubbed the Detroit Lions 31-3 on Thursday night.
Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford didn’t play, and plenty of other key players were also spectators. Myers stood out for New England. The undrafted rookie caught scoring passes from Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham in the second quarter. He finished with six catches for 69 yards.
Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman (thumb) has been sidelined for the Patriots, and Phillip Dorsett is the only other returning receiver. Meyers seems to be taking advantage of his opportunity.
Lions receiver Jermaine Kearse was carted off injured early in the first quarter, and that was the start of a dismal night for Detroit. The Lions didn’t cross midfield until the latter half of the fourth quarter, when they finally drove for a field goal. The Patriots sacked Detroit quarterbacks nine times.
The Lions finished the third quarter with only 41 net yards — and minus-11 passing.
Lions coach Matt Patricia has been moving around on a vehicle at practice while recovering from surgery on his left leg. He did coach this game from the sideline, perched behind a handful of coolers near midfield, a safe distance from the field.
Jackson, Ravens’ defence combine for shutout win over Jaguars
BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson directed two scoring drives in three possessions and the Baltimore Ravens’ defence throttled Jacksonville backup quarterback Gardner Minshew.
The Jaguars played without quarterback Nick Foles, the 2018r Super Bowl MVP who was signed as a free agent in March. Foles was one of 32 players who were either injured or rested by coach Doug Marrone in the preseason opener, which came after the teams held two joint practices earlier in the week.
Jackson played the first quarter and went 4 for 6 for 59 yards and a touchdown.
With Foles on the sideline, Minshew, drafted in the sixth round out of Washington State, proved to be fodder for a defence that last year was ranked No. 1. Minshew lost his helmet when struck on a first-quarter foray out of the pocket, and in the second quarter he got hit a whole lot harder after mishandling a snap. Minshew quickly picked up the ball, just an instant before Kenny Young swooped in untouched and applied a crushing tackle that separated the quarterback from his helmet — again.
Minshew was mercifully lifted after going 7 for 14 for 46 yards.
Daniel Jones throws TD in only series, Giants beat Jets
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Daniel Jones threw a touchdown pass in his only series and opened speculation on how long he will have to wait to replace Eli Manning in the Giants’ 31-22 victory over the local rival Jets on Thursday night.
The preseason opener for both teams was suspended for 59 minutes late in the first quarter when lightning and heavy rain rolled into the MetLife Stadium area.
By that time, Jones had Giants fans on their feet. Taking over after Manning had a three-and-out series, the sixth pick overall in the draft hit all five of his passes, the final one a perfect 12-yard throw to Bennie Fowler III in the right corner of the end zone.
Sam Darnold and the Jets had looked just as good on their opening series for new coach Adam Gase, going 75 yards in seven plays against a defence that many think is the Giants’ weak link. Darnold hit passes of 32 and 28 yards before finding Jamison Crowder from 3 yards.
Alex Tanney added a 51-yard touchdown pass to Russell Shepard, linebacker Jake Carlock scored on a 59-yard interception return and Kyle Lauletta hit TJ Jones with a 31-yard touchdown pass for the Giants, who were 5-11 last season. Aldrick Rosas added a 23-yard field goal.
Eli McGuire caught a 7-yard pass from Trevor Siemian and Luke Falk threw a 2 yarder to Greg Dortch for the Jets’ other touchdowns. Chandler Catanzaro, who missed two extra points, hit a 34-yard field goal for the Jets, who were 4-12 under Todd Bowles.
NOTES
Jets owner Woody Johnson chatted with Gase and other coaches and players on the field before the game. Johnson is serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Britain, and younger brother Christopher is the team’s acting chairman and CEO. … Halftime was cut to five minutes to speed up the game after the delay. The teams never left the field.
SILENCE
There was moment of silence in the press box before the game to honour the late Don Banks. The longtime NFL writer died after covering the Hall of Fame induction ceremony last weekend.
INJURIES
Jets: G Brian Winters left with a shoulder injury
Giants: RB Jon Hilliman sustained a concussion in the fourth quarter.
NEXT UP
Jets: at Atlanta on Thursday night.
Giants: play host to Chicago Bears on Aug. 16.
Eagles lose backup QB Sudfeld and game to Titans
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles rested Carson Wentz only to lose his backup.
Nate Sudfeld left the sideline on a cart after injuring his left arm on a late hit in the second quarter of Philadelphia’s 27-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.
Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill tossed a pair of touchdown passes in his first game with his new team in his role as Marcus Mariota’s backup, and third-string quarterback Logan Woodside also threw two TD passes.
Sudfeld fell backward after a personal foul by Isaiah Mack and immediately went to the sideline. He was wearing an air cast on the cart ride to the locker room. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury.
Sudfeld threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Marken Michel and finished 10 of 18 for 177 yards. He’s replacing Nick Foles, the 2018 Super Bowl MVP.
Cody Kessler, 2-10 as a starter in three seasons with the Browns and Jaguars, replaced Sudfeld and took a late hit from Nigel Harris on his first play.
Mariota played one series, completing 4 of 8 for 24 yards. Tannehill was 12 of 16 for 130 yards.
Tannehill is adjusting to a backup role for the first time in his eight-year career. He started every game he was healthy to play — a total of 88 — with the Dolphins and didn’t miss a game from 2012-15.
Tannehill had a 1-yard TD pass to MyCole Pruitt and a 23-yarder to Anthony Firkser. Woodside hit Cody Hollister on a 25-yard score and Tanner McEvoy on a 17-yard scoring strike.
CLOSE-UP VIEW
Titans new offensive co-ordinator Arthur Smith got his first chance to call plays in a game at any level. He was planning to sit upstairs in the coach’s box but ended up on the sideline because of issues with headsets. Smith was promoted from tight ends coach to co-ordinator when Matt LaFleur took the head coaching job with Green Bay.
INJURIES
Titans: LB Riley Bullough (elbow).
Eagles: DT Hassan Ridgeway (concussion evaluation), DE Daeshon Hall (shoulder) and WR Charles Johnson (foot).
NEXT UP
Titans: host New England on August 17.
Eagles: at Jacksonville next Thursday night.
Singletary’s fresh legs help Bills beat Colts
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — With LeSean McCoy resting, and Frank Gore limited to two series, rookie running back Devin Singletary got the Bills off to a running start .
On Buffalo’s fourth drive, Singletary showed off the shiftiness that to led the Bills drafting him in the third round. He accounted for 16 yards rushing and 21 receiving as part of a 46-yard drive that ended with Matt Barkley hitting Cam Phillips for an 8-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring 5 1/2 minutes into the second quarter.
The Colts struggled on offence while sitting out numerous starters, including starting quarterback Andrew Luck, who is nursing a strained left calf.
Backup Jacoby Brissett finished 2 of 5 for 21 yards over three series, with both completions to off-season free-agent addition Devin Funchess.
With his Pro Football Hall of Fame uncle Jim Kelly in the stands, Colts quarterback Chad Kelly scored on a 33-yard scamper in accounting for three scoring drives — including two field goals — after taking over midway through the third quarter. Kelly, who grew up in Buffalo and has had a checkered college and pro career, finished 13 of 19 for 121 yards and 53 yards rushing.
Rosen throws for 191 yards to help Dolphins beat Falcons
MIAMI — Josh Rosen threw for 191 yards and directed three scoring drives of more than 60 yards to help the Miami Dolphins win their exhibition opener Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons, 34-27.
Rosen went 13 for 20 with no touchdowns and one interception and played half the game. He’s competing for the quarterback job with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, who worked the first two Dolphins series and led them to a field goal.
Fitzpatrick completed 2 of 5 passes for 20 yards.
Atlanta backup Matt Schaub threw for 172 yards and led the team to four scores in the first half. Schaub went 12 for 19 with no touchdowns or turnovers for the Falcons (0-2), who have lost 10 consecutive exhibition games since 2017.
Matt Ryan took the night off, and other Atlanta first-teamers saw little or no action.
Undrafted Preston Williams, who has been Miami’s best rookie in training camp, had four catches for 97 yards. That included a one-handed catch for a 36-yard gain.
The Dolphins sat a few of their first-teamers, and most were out of the game by the end of the first quarter.
Running back Kenjon Barner broke two tackles and turned a short Schaub pass into a 37-yard gain that set up an Atlanta touchdown. Barner is competing for the backup job behind Devonta Freeman.
Schaub went 7 for 8 for 77 yards on the Falcons’ first possession, a 90-yard touchdown drive that took more than 8 1/2 minutes. Schaub, 38, is the front-runner to be Ryan’s backup for the fourth consecutive season.
NEXT UP
Falcons: They play at home against the New York Jets next Thursday.
Dolphins: They play at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 16.
[relatedlinks]
