Week 2 of the NFL pre-season is in the books, which means there's just one more tune-up game sitting in-between now and the real thing beginning on Sept. 9.
So close, but yet so far.
Through a pair of games, teams are already getting a good sense of what the depth chart will look like, who will handle certain downs, protection schemes and all the nitty gritty bits of football.
But for us, it's a chance to analyze the teams and players from afar. So, here's what we learned about Week 2 of the pre-season:
Broncos' revamped offence looks dangerous
Getting into his first game since fracturing his ankle late in the divisional-round win against the Buffalo Bills last season, Bo Nix looked like he's ready to rock and roll.
Granted, it was limited action for Nix and the first-team offence, as the third-year man under centre in Denver took the keys for just two drives in his action under new play-caller Davis Webb.
Nix completed 6-of-9 passes for 76 yards in those drives, and there were two plays that really stood out: A 21-yard TD toss to RB RJ Harvey on a wheel route and a 35-yard seed up the middle to a wide open Jaylen Waddle.
A pleasant sight for Broncos fans, the Harvey wheel route wasn't anything new because the two connected on the same play in Denver's win over Houston last season. Still exciting for fans to see, though.
Waddle's grab was his sole one of the game, but a WR creating major separation 20-plus yards down the field is something the Broncos have been severely lacking at the position for nearly a decade.
Already a good unit, Denver is loaded and back healthy. If the small sample size holds true, the Broncos are on track to have one of the more explosive offences in the league.
Rueben Bain Jr. is a beast
Rueben Bain Jr. is on a mission to make sure the teams that passed on him regret their decision.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie made his pro debut on Saturday, and displayed the pass-rush ability that had him in contention for the top pick for a majority of the collegiate season.
Bain Jr.'s name was in headlines leading up to the draft due to media concern over his short arm length.
Was that actually a major factor among NFL front offices? We'll never know for sure. But he did become the first defensive end since 1999 to be selected in the first round while having sub-31-inch arms.
And now Jason Licht and Co. in Tampa are quite happy the University of Miami edge rusher fell to them, and Bain Jr. showed why in Week 2 as highest-graded defender among first-round rookies, per Pro Football Focus.
His biggest highlight of the game came when he tossed 319-pound offensive lineman Kahlil Benson to the side en route to causing chaos on Justin Fields in the backfield.
The best part of that play? He needed just one arm to do so. Talk about a middle finger to the rest of the league.
He always had the talent to be a top pick. He had 9.5 sacks last season and earned an All-American nod. He always had the work ethic, shown by his viral post-practice workout videos that made the rounds on social media last week.
He's just now proving himself once again, but this time in NFL game action.
Missing rookie in Tennessee
The fourth-overall pick. Top receiver off the board. Zero catches through two games?
Something doesn't add up.
The player in question? Carnell Tate.
It is somewhat confusing to see such a hyped prospect go through his first two professional games so quietly. Especially as a WR from Ohio State, where the recent track record of success is almost as certain as death and taxes.
Perhaps there's truly nothing to worry about. Maybe we're just looking for things to nitpick. But it's curious, nonetheless.
Titans head coach Robert Saleh isn't concerned with the 21-year-old's lack of touches, saying after Sunday's game "when it's time to scheme, we'll get guys the rock."
He's right, after all. It's just the pre-season, no need to overreact. That comes during the regular season.
So for now, we just wait to see how Tate looks when the Titans host the Jets on Sept. 13.
Raiders found a stud at RB
For just a few hours on Sunday, Mike Washington Jr. was in line to be the starting RB in Las Vegas.
That thought came crashing back to reality after it was reported that Ashton Jeanty suffered a sprained ankle, and not the season-ending injury many believed it to be through initial reports.
Regardless, Washington Jr. looks to be a serious problem for opposing defences.
The 2026 fourth-round pick shined yet again in Week 2, totting the rock nine times for 56 yards — including a 33-yard scamper — after a 63-yard debut in Week 1.
Through two games, the 23-year-old's 119 yards on the ground are the most in the league, and he also is tops among rookies in yards after contact (106), per Pro Football Focus.
"Guys are having success and they carve out roles, and that's where he's headed," Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters after the game.
Washington Jr. has already drawn comparisons to former Raider Darren McFadden, and, well, the two tested eerily similar at the combine.
The two backs stood six-foot-one, ran 4.33-second 40-yard dashes, had 10-yard splits of 1.51 seconds and had 10-foot, eight-inch broad jumps.
Oh, and they both went to the University of Arkansas.
Comparisons aside, the Raiders seem to have found a quality back in the middle rounds of the draft, and at the very least, Washington Jr. will be a great complement to Jeanty.
1:47