NFL Preseason 2021 Week 2: Winners and losers from games so far
It's difficult to believe the NFL preseason is approaching its end. As Week Two wraps up, the winners and losers are coming closer to winning jobs or losing them. Many decisions are already being made, and players' futures are getting decided. On that note, here's a look at some winners and losers from preseason games thus far.
Winners
Jarett Patterson, RB, Washington Football Team
Jarett Patterson exploded onto the field in this week's preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 16 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry, and was a big reason the Washington Football Team had any offense in the game at all. Currently, the third-string running back, Patterson may be able to challenge JD McKissic for the second-string role.
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Buffalo Bills
What a day for Mitchell Trubisky. In a game against his previous employers, he was determined to make them regret moving on from him. He succeeded in doing so, as Trubisky completed 20 of 28 pass attempts for 221 yards and one touchdown. He was a big part of the 41-15 preseason annihilation of the Bears.
Trubisky also outperformed his rookie replacement Justin Fields as well as Andy Dalton, who both combined for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It seems Trubisky is hoping to get a starting gig next year. If he keeps playing as well as he did in this game, he might be able to get one soon.
Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins
Here are the notes I have left over from the preseason game. First, I wrote that Myles Gaskin looks good. Right below that, I wrote that Myles Gaskin is a beast. The starting tailback for the Miami Dolphins looked the part in his game against the Atlanta Falcons. Of course, the Falcons are well known for their defensive troubles. However, Gaskin jumped off the screen.
He had six carries for 27 yards and a touchdown. He also had four receptions for 44 yards and a touchdown. In just a few series, Gaskins has earned a full game's worth of production. Put simply, keep an eye on him on Sundays.
Losers
Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos
After his performance in Week One of the preseason, Drew Lock seemed to be a guaranteed starter for the Denver Broncos this season. However, Week Two of the preseason saw him fall back into his 2020 ways. His accuracy was all over the place; he struggled in the red zone, and also failed to get a touchdown.
After this week's preseason game, Drew Lock's seemingly big lead over Teddy Bridgewater is gone, and both quarterbacks are tied now. That may be good news for Teddy Bridgewater, but it is bad news for the Denver Broncos, who may have to have their competition run into the third and final week.
While most of the league will be resting their starters, the Broncos will likely still be figuring out who their quarterback will be for 2021.
Chase Daniel, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
Chase Daniel has been a career backup in the NFL, but his time may be winding down after his performance in Week Two of the preseason.
Third-string quarterback Easton Stick played a heck of a game. He threw one of the best touchdowns of the preseason in which he was able to suck in an entire defense and then threw it over the top to a wide open receiver in the endzone.
Meanwhile, Chase Daniel struggled to move the ball time after time in a one-score game. He also threw an ugly interception that should have been returned for a pick six.
Brandon Allen, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Luckily for the Bengals, Allen will hopefully not see the field this year. That's because he failed to complete 50% of his passes. Overall, it was a completely forgettable performance that may raise questions about his future with the team going into 2022.
In other words, when the team evaluates the year and turns on the tape of his Week-Two preseason performance, they may find themselves interested in making an upgrade. Allen will need to turn it around in Week Three of the preseason boost his chances of making the cut this year.