NFL Preseason Week 1: Four Things We Learned

By Alex Merson

Week One of the NFL Preseason is in the books, and despite there being plenty of time until the season begins, there is plenty of action from both individual players and teams that can give us some indication of what to expect by the time Week One rolls around.

Here are four things that we learned from the first slate of games:

Caleb Williams Is The Real Deal

All eyes were on the Chicago Bears’ number-one pick as he made his first start in Bears colours against the Buffalo Bills.

In his first drive, the quarterback drove his team down for a field goal, but it was the sequence of plays that led to those three points that showed his talent. On a 3rd and 12, Williams slung a pass into DJ Moore to convert for a first down. On the following play, whilst under a heap of pressure he somehow managed to flick a pass to newly acquired running back DeAndre Swift, who took off for a 42-yard gain.

Upon getting the ball back, Williams found tight end Cole Kmet with a smooth play action on the run throw towards the sideline, in which his placement was perfect.

He also scrambled for a first down on third down that set his team up for another field goal.

Caleb was subsequently taken out of the game after the drive, but despite the short amount of game time, Williams showed proof of why the hype around him is warranted.

In those two drives, Williams complete four of seven passes for 95 yards, to go with 13 yards rushing.

The former Heisman award winner showed his fantastic arm, as well as his ability to both throw on the run and show improvisation to get out of bad situations.

On a negative note, both drives were held to only a field goal once reaching the red zone and getting into the end zone to finish those drives will be key once the season begins in September.

There is certainly more to come from Caleb Williams over the coming weeks, but for his first start, he certainly showed that he will be able to transfer his skills to the professional game.

Jermaine Burton Makes The Bengals Recevier Room Even Scarier

The Bengals used their 2024 NFL Draft third-round pick on Alabama wide receiver Jermaine Burton, and both he and the team couldn’t have asked for a better first pre-season game.

It took him a while to get into the game, only coming into action late in the third quarter, but once on the field, he showed off his skill.

Burton was found three times, amassing 83 receiving yards, with the highlight being a 37-yard touchdown catch down the left sideline after beating one-on-one coverage to give the Bengals the lead late in the fourth quarter.

The former Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide man amassed over 2,300 yards and 23 touchdowns in his 50 college games.

He will face tough competition to see the field consistently in the upcoming season, with the likes of Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irvin in an already stacked receiver room. Not to mention one of the best in the game Ja’marr Chase, who is currently holding out of camp as he looks for a contract extension.

With plenty of football to be played before the season begins, Burton will have many chances to prove to head coach Zac Taylor that he should be a consistent starter in this electrifying offense.

There Is A Clear QB2 For The Rams

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There is no question as to who the starting QB would be for the Los Angeles Rams in this upcoming season.

Matthew Stafford has been their guy since his trade from the Detroit Lions, leading them to a Super Bowl win just a few years ago.

The main talking point however was who would be the man to step in if Stafford goes down, which we have seen before.

Former Patriots, Raiders and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was picked up in free agency, but question marks still surround his future after being banned for the first two games of the season after violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.

For week one of the pre-season, Rams fans’ eyes were focused on Stetson Bennett, the 26-year-old second-year man from Georgia.

Bennett was picked by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, after winning two national championships under centre for the Bulldogs.

However, Bennett was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list for the 2023/24 season and didn’t feature at all.

But, Sunday nights game was his chance to return and show his skillset against the Dallas Cowboys.

For the most part, Bennett failed in performing, he threw four interceptions and had thrown just over 170 yards in the opening 58 minutes of football, and everything just looked off.

He did complete a game-winning drive, where he finally threw a touchdown in the final seconds to win the game, which leaves some hope for the second year.

But for the most part, it was a very poor showing as he struggled to find any kind of rhythm, missing pass after pass.

Despite Garoppolo’s ban heading into the season, there is very little doubt that the man who has featured in a Super Bowl will be the backup to Stafford from Week 3 onwards.

Louis Rees-Zammit's Target Of A Roster Spot Has Hope

Louis Rees-Zammit turned plenty of British heads when he announced in January that he was quitting Rugby to pursue a career in the NFL.

After training for months to learn the fundamental skills it takes to become an NFL player, he was signed by the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs on a three-year deal.

On Saturday, Rees-Zammit got his first piece of action in an NFL game, as he appeared all over the field in the Chiefs’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

His first taste of the NFL came in the third quarter, where he lined up in the backfield and rushed for a gain of a yard on a second-down play.

The Welshman appeared again on the same drive, this time on special teams where he chased down a Chiefs punt to make an impressive tackle on the Jaguars’ return man.

In the fourth quarter, he lined up in the backfield once more, this time making a three-yard reception on a screen pass, followed by a run in the red-zone where he failed to gain a yard.

He finished the day by taking a kickoff late in the game, which is something that may be seen across the league more this season, as it gives the kickoff team an extra player to be used to tackle, as due to new rules, more kicks are expected to be returned.

Despite the former rugby star not doing anything necessarily eye-catching, his ability to cover multiple positions could mean he could be given a chance in the upcoming season, as a player with that much versatility is rare in the NFL.

As for many players featuring in pre season games across the league, it is early to judge whether or not Rees-Zammit will be good enough to see any football this season, but for someone who just twelve months ago hadn’t even played a down of football in his life, the progression is being shown and the first experience of the game was a good one.

ALEX MERSON

NFL ANALYST

Previously writing for Ninety-Nine Yards, Alex is a sports content creator and Football Journalism Student at the University of Derby. Follow him on Twitter at @AlexMerseJourno.

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