Final NFL Preseason Takeaways: Brutal, Dull Finales Will Lead to 18-Game Regular Season

The league will no doubt push even harder for an additional regular-season contest. But, we did learn a few things about Anthony Richardson, Trey Lance, and the new-look Titans.

Richardson passed for 86 yards and tossed a horrible pick-six interception against the Bengals. / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

For most NFL football fans, the preseason can be a rollercoaster of emotions. 

Initially, there’s excitement because football is back after a lengthy layoff and it’s the first opportunity to see notable rookies and star players with their new teams. And it’s O.K. that the starters are pulled after a few drives, because, you know, football is so back! (I can’t be the only one tired of hearing that.) 

But by Week 2 of the preseason, you have to convince yourself to watch. Maybe you’ll get a glimpse of the next Puka Nacua, and forming a list of potential gems could be beneficial for your upcoming fantasy football drafts. 

Then there’s the brutal Week 3 of preseason, when most teams don’t play starters, and in some cases, not even the second-stringers because the game day rosters of 48 players are already set for many head coaches. 

Can you believe not too long ago there were four preseason games? Well, the NFL probably wants you to remember because they’re aiming to get to an 18-game schedule. With many dull preseason finales, perhaps the league will use that as an example as to why the regular season should be extended to 18 games and the preseason cut to two games. 

Yes, the preseason product can be rough, but you have to admire how passionate and loud Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints fans were for their respective preseason finales. 

But before we can truly say “football is so back,” let’s wrap up the preseason with a few takeaways from this weekend’s games. 

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Don’t put too much stock into Anthony Richardson’s rollercoaster week

The Cincinnati Bengals’ trash talk of Anthony Richardson during a joint scrimmage was apparently loud enough to convince the football public that the 2023 first-round pick is the Uncle Rico of quarterbacks, making many leave the Indianapolis Colts’ bandwagon.

That’s all it took for the Colts to go from sleeper contender to a suspect team that might not be playoff material. It wasn’t Richardson’s injuries from his rookie year that made the red flags start waving around Indianapolis. It was trash talk from a competitive joint practice, which had reporters close enough to hear and tweet about. We’re talking about practice. Not a (regular-season) game … O.K., I’ll stop quoting Allen Iverson.     

Verbal jabs happen all the time on the football field. But, hey, go ahead and write off the Colts because of what the Bengals said about Richardson’s rough practice. And I’m sure the new Colts doubters felt reassured after Richardson threw an ugly pick-six in the preseason matchup against the Bengals’ backup defense, forgetting about the near-perfect opening drive that ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie wideout Adonai Mitchell.

There’s no tip-toeing around the interception deep in enemy territory. It also doesn’t matter whether there was a miscommunication with tight end Kylen Granson. Richardson should have never thrown the ball there. It could be argued, though, that Colts coach Shane Steichen should have pulled the starters after the opening touchdown drive. But Steichen understood his inexperienced quarterback only played in four games last season and spent most of the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery. 

Dealing with adversity and knocking off rust in the preseason could pay off when the games count in less than two weeks. Giving Richardson extra work surely wasn’t about the second-year QB needing to prove himself to the Bengals’ chatty defense. Richardson already showed in four games last season that he has plenty of upside, which is why the Colts became a trendy playoff pick for most of the offseason. 

So, ignore Bengals cornerback Cam Britt-Taylor telling Colts fans, “That’s all he do is run.” Because, at 6'4," 244 pounds, he runs very well and is hard to bring down, especially near the goal line. As a reminder, quarterbacks don’t do much running in practices. 

Now, imagine the ultra-athletic Richardson running option plays nonstop with Jonathan Taylor in his backfield and with Steichen, one of the best offensive minds in the NFL, calling plays. The QB-RB duo only played two snaps together last season. 

The Colts’ offense will be a problem in 2024, even with Richardson making occasional mistakes. He might never be a traditional pocket passer, but Richardson does resemble Cam Newton, a former league MVP. 

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New-look Titans could be a surprise team

Levis and the Titans had some impressive drives against the Saints in their final tuneup for the regular season. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan gave his starting offense, which features many new faces, extra work in the preseason finale against the Saints. It was an impressive few drives for Will Levis & Co., and perhaps a sign of things to come in the regular season. 

Callahan flashed a variety of plays that suited his athletic second-year quarterback, including bootlegs and designed screens plays to get Levis into a rhythm. Veteran newcomers Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard and Nick Vannett all contributed on an impressive nine-play, 84-yard opening drive, which ended with a 1-yard touchdown run from Pollard. 

There are many new parts for the rookie head coach, but it’s a strong sign that Callahan already has chemistry from his offense. Callahan was instrumental with building a productive offense for Joe Burrow during his time as the Bengals’ offensive coordinator. 

Levis might have everything he needs to make a sizable jump in his second NFL season after a busy offseason for the Titans.

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We’re headed to an 18-game schedule after dull preseason finales

The NFL pulled a few fast ones this preseason.

They got eager football fans to sign up and pay for their NFL+ app so they can watch preseason games. And let’s not forget they’re still requiring season ticket holders to pay for preseason games to get the entire 17-game regular-season schedule.

I’m not sure what’s more ridiculous, networks slapping a plus sign on apps instead of thinking of a better name or the amount of apps we have to pay for in the streaming era. It makes you wonder why many left the cable and satellite providers in the first place.

Money grabs suck, especially when the product isn’t at its best. The NFL has gotten plenty of money from preseason games and will now aim to gain more dollar signs by moving to an 18-game regular season before negotiating billion-dollar contracts with TV and streaming networks.

Soon the NFL might say no need for three preseason games after charging a premium for them as a way to convince the public that expanding the regular season will benefit everyone. Well, besides the health of NFL players. 

Sure, the Week 3 preseason games were bad, but the product in the regular season might diminish if the league gets an 18-game regular season.  

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Trey Lance’s rocky preseason ends with five INTs vs. Chargers

Lance's five interceptions against the Chargers might have been the worst performance of the NFL preseason. / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

A year ago today, the San Francisco 49ers received criticism for shipping Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys for only a fourth-round pick after relinquishing multiple first-round picks to make Lance the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft.

There’s now a better idea of why the 49ers were O.K. with moving Lance for such low compensation. It definitely helped that they have Brock Purdy and he was healthy for the start of last season. But they knew better than anyone else that Lance wasn’t close to developing into a legitimate franchise quarterback, and with very little film of him in the NFL, a fourth-rounder was probably the best they were going to get for Lance.

Now a year later, Lance is entrenched as the Cowboys’ No. 3 quarterback, and entered the preseason as a long shot to surpass Cooper Rush on the depth chart to be Dak Prescott’s backup. But being third allowed Lance to receive plenty of playing time in the three preseason games, something he needed with very little experience in the NFL. 

Lance, however, had a rough three games and ended the preseason with five interceptions against the Los Angeles Chargers. He did keep plays alive with his mobility, but accuracy and reading defenses remain an issue. With mixed results, it’s not a given that Lance makes the Cowboys’ 53-man roster before Tuesday’s cuts. 

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Jahan Dotson trade makes sense for both NFC East teams

I always laugh at the exaggerated graphics that get posted on social media after a notable player gets traded, ignoring why that player got traded in the first place. 

But, hey, let’s all lose our minds about how stacked these teams are after every trade and ignore the teams gaining draft picks. 

Based on a few social media graphics last week, some see the Philadelphia Eagles as having the best trio of wide receivers after they acquired Jahan Dotson from the Washington Commanders. Dotson, the 2022 first-round pick, should help A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but this is more about depth than adding a difference-maker.   

Brown and Smith will still be heavily featured in Philly’s offense, but if Dotson finds his footing as a third option, the Eagles will certainly be better because they have had a revolving door at the No. 3 wideout position. 

On the other hand, Dotson wasn’t a consistent playmaker for the previous Washington regime and failed to impress new head coach Dan Quinn and his staff. It says a lot that the Commanders were fine with trading Dotson to a division rival. It says even more that Washington lacks depth at wide receiver and wasn’t willing to make it work with the former first-round pick. 

Perhaps Dotson finds a role with the Eagles and the Commanders turn Philadelphia’s third-round pick into a future playmaker for Jayden Daniels. It’s a good trade for all involved, but maybe not the kind of transaction that requires fancy graphics with three exploding head emojis.

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