- Miami Dolphins rookie Preston Williams is turning heads.
- After a perfect debut, Daniel Jones is expected to play more snaps against the Chicago Bears.
- The Texans spent a lot of resources on their offensive line, but have struggled to keep their QBs upright.
The second week of the preseason rolls along this weekend with 11 more games.
Here’s what we’ll be looking for:
Can Preston Williams Continue to Impress
Undrafted rookie wide receiver Preston Williams has been the most talked player at Miami Dolphins training camp, and for good reason. He’s been making plays like this:
@Thresort #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/ozkoaIXNiZ
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 13, 2019
The 6-foot-4 Colorado State product had 1,345 yards during his final year of college and joins a Dolphins offense in desperate need of talent in their receiving corps to aid second-year quarterback Josh Rosen.
Kenny Stills is the only returning Dolphins receiver who notched over 500 receiving yards last season and the Dolphins’ wide receivers as a group scored just 14 touchdowns in 2018, the same amount Williams tallied by himself a year ago.
Williams will enter tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trying to build off a stellar preseason debut, where he caught four passes for 97 yards.
An Extended Look At Daniel Jones
No one had a better week than Daniel Jones last week. The rookie silenced a lot of critics by completing all five of his pass attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown, finishing the night with a perfect passer rating.
No rookie enters the 2019 season with more pressure than Jones, the much-maligned sixth-overall pick of April’s draft.
Pat Shurmur made Jones look very comfortable last week with a lot of play-action and single read throws. It will be interesting to see if the Giants test their rookie with more complicated progressions against the Chicago Bears.
Who takes the reins in the Chiefs running game
The Kansas City Chiefs were successful on 56 percent of their runs in 2018, however that rate jumped to 61 percent following the team’s decision to cut Kareem Hunt prior to Week 12.
The Chiefs have planned on Damien Williams being their lead back, but he’s only recently returned to practice after suffering a hamstring injury early in training camp. Carlos Hyde has taken the majority of snaps in Williams’s place, but that may not be the best idea:
Not a coincidence:
2018 Browns
50% success, 5.2 YPC Chubb
49% success, 4.8 YPC Duke
38% success, 3.4 YPC Hyde2018 Jags
47% success, 3.3 YPC Fournette
47% success, 4.0 YPC Yeldon
40% success, 3.3 YPC Hyde2017 49ers
47% success, 4.4 YPC Brieda
43% success, 3.9 YPC Hyde— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 23, 2019
Rookie Darwin Thompson turned in a nice performance last week, rushing five times for 22 yards and catching a 29-yard touchdown. If the rookie can put together another solid performance, he could find himself moving up the depth chart.
Will The Texans Find A Usable Offensive Line
The Texans had arguably the worst offensive line in football a year ago, allowing a league-high 62 sacks and rushing at just a 45 percent success rate.
Even with the addition of Matt Kalil in free agency, Houston’s offensive line struggled last week, allowing four quarterback hits and a pair of sacks. Luckily for the Texans, only Joe Webb was under center last week, but Deshaun Watson is expected to play against the Detroit Lions tonight.
The Texans’ struggles have gotten to the point where John McClain of the Houston Chronicle theorized the Texans could trade Jadeveon Clowney for offensive line help. If Houston can’t keep Watson upright on Saturday night, a blockbuster trade could be on the horizon.