2025 NFL preseason, Week 2: What We Learned from Sunday's doubleheader

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READ: Saints' Rattler gets comeback moment but QB battle too close to call

Bobby Kownack's takeaways:

1. So far, so good for Jags' first-team offense. Trevor Lawrence led long marches on both his possessions Sunday. He was under a bit more duress than Jacksonville would’ve liked, but he navigated around it easily enough. He consistently made the right reads and stuck mostly to targeting Brian Thomas Jr. and Brenton Strange while looking comfortable in Liam Coen’s system. Another positive included Thomas bouncing back from an early drop, something that’s plagued him a bit in camp, to contribute a pair of catches. The Jaguars likewise showcased their ability to rebound from the comedy of errors that ended their opening drive: Lawrence tripped at the snap and managed to get the ball into Tank Bigsby’s pocket, but then inadvertently headbutted Bigsby’s knee to take the running back down with him and assure a fumble. It was embarrassing, but Lawrence and Co. scored their next time out. Lawrence is now 14 of 17 with 119 yards and a TD toss in two games of limited action. Coen’s install is looking good.
2. Kendre Miller, Mason Tipton might be ready to arrive. Don’t look now, but Kendre Miller has looked flashy this preseason. His offensive line did him no favors against Jacksonville, causing several of his carries to go for little yardage, but he kept his legs pumping and fell forward on almost every occasion. He also looked reminiscent of vintage Alvin Kamara on a 13-yard pickup that required him to dance through and around traffic. Health -- not talent -- has always been Miller's bugaboo. The Saints desperately need an RB2 to spell Kamara after failing to establish one last year. If he stays on the field, Miller could be just that. Wide receiver Mason Tipson also once again endeared himself to Saints fan. He continued his stellar preseason -- collecting a 45-yard bomb from Spencer Rattler to add to his 54-yard TD catch from Tyler Shough last week -- was pivotal during a two-minute drill to tie the game and finished with 100 yards on six catches. He was unable to finish his route on a costly fourth-quarter interception, but he certainly deserves a spot on the 53-man roster. He could even push a thin WR corps for playing time if he keeps it up.

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Christian Gonzales' takeaways:

1. Johnson and Williams bring excitement to Bears. The city of Chicago got a preview of how the Bears’ offense could look with new head coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams. The second-year QB had an impressive first drive connecting with tight ends Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet on back-to-back plays. Williams found Loveland again for an 18-yard gain. Facing a third-and-5, Williams threw a dart at Olamide Zaccheaus, who used his speed to get past two Buffalo defenders for a 36-yard touchdown. Johnson had Williams play another drive, but it wasn’t as successful as the first one. However, Williams looked confident in Johnson’s play-calling on Sunday night, completing 6 of 10 passes for 107 yards and a TD. Despite being preseason action, the Bears saw some examples of what they envisioned with the pairing of Johnson and Williams.
2. Trubisky, White are still fighting for QB2 in Buffalo. The Bills rolled with Mike White as the starter in Saturday’s preseason game against the Bears. It wasn’t White’s best outing as the journeyman signal-caller struggled to find any rhythm with his receivers not getting much separation. White attempted (4 of 11 for 54 passing yards) to put his best effort on the field, but it wasn’t his best first half. Meanwhile, veteran Mitchell Trubisky, who started his career in Chicago, couldn’t separate himself from the QB battle between him and White. Trubisky did find some success with Frank Gore Jr. in the passing game to get down the field but failed to put any points on the board for Buffalo. Trubisky finished the game completing 7 of 13 passes for 55 yards. With Hard Knocks spotlighting the position battle, the Bills will have one more preseason game to see who will be their backup QB for Josh Allen.