2021 NFL preseason, Week 2: What we learned from Saturday's games - NFL.com

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NFL.com breaks down what you need to know from Week 2 of the 2021 NFL preseason. Catch up on each game's biggest takeaways using the links below:

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Mitchell Trubisky's revenge! The former Bears first-round quarterback continued a career-long trend of frustrating Chicago fans. However, this time Trubisky provided the Soldier Field crowd with exasperation by dicing up the home team's defense. Aided by Brian Daboll's stellar planning and play selection, Trubisky hit a cornucopia of slants, destroying Chicago's defense to the tune of 20-of-28 passing for 221 yards and one TD while putting up 34 points in just two quarters. Trubisky looked as calm as he ever has under center, finding targets quickly and escaping when needed. Often Trubisky's first read was open, and he showed good accuracy over the middle. He still doesn't have the deep sideline throw in his toolbox, but that was the only negative for him on Saturday. The Bills punted once in Trubisky's seven drives, scoring TDs on the first four possessions. Trubisky signed in Buffalo to work under Daboll's tutelage behind Josh Allen and revamp his NFL value. On Saturday, the QB showed his reclamation process is off to a great start.
2. Khalil Herbert coming for backup reps? With David Montgomery sitting out, Damien Williams got the start and didn't stand out behind a patchwork offensive line. Williams missed at least one hole and didn't break tackles, taking five totes for eight yards (1.6 YPA) with a long of three yards. He also added one catch on two targets for two yards. Playing behind a backup line didn't help, but Williams hurt his own cause for reps with a fumble that killed a promising drive. Rookie Khalil Herbert entered and looked spry, owning the ability to make defenders miss in a phonebooth. His 13-yard TD displayed good vision and shiftiness in close quarters. It's questionable whether Herbert missed a blocking assignment on a play in which Justin Fields got blown up. Nevertheless, praise for the rookie has surged in recent weeks. Herbert could push Williams for reps as we head toward the season.

NFL Research: Trubisky's 221 passing yards Saturday were a preseason career high for the fifth-year quarterback.

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Corey Davis in line for massive target share. The big free-agent acquisition continues to build a rapport with rookie quarterback Zach Wilson. Davis saw six of Wilson's 11 passes Saturday, compiling four catches for 70 yards. The wideout got open with ease versus Packers backups, picking up chunk gains, including receptions of 27, 24, and 14 yards. Davis will take advantage of being the alpha in Mike LaFleur's offense lining up all over the formation. Expect the former first-round pick to continue putting up those types of numbers into the regular season for an offense that will need to score to overcome a suspect defense this season.
2. Kylin Hill states case for No. 3 RB role. With the bulk of Packers starters sitting, it was time for the backups to shine. Hill, a seventh-round rookie, displayed complementary speed to the hulking A.J. Dillon on Saturday. Hill got to the edge with ease and lowered his shoulder for a 12-yard TD run in the first quarter. The rookie averaged 4.1 yards per carry on seven totes. A week after catching a touchdown, Hill again displayed his ability in the passing game, showing soft hands and good vision after snagging the pigskin. He caught both of his targets for 11 yards. Hill also returned kicks for the Packers. The rookie's multi-threat potential puts him in line for snaps should Aaron Jones or Dillon suffer an injury this season. Patrick Taylor, competing with Hill for that third-RB role, led the Packers with 48 yards on eight rushes (one catch on three targets his way) but also lost a fumble to open the second half.

NFL Research: Wilson's 9-of-11 passing (81.8 comp pct), 128 pass yards, two pass TDs and 154.7 passer rating against Green Bay are all higher marks than anything Sam Darnold produced in a single preseason game with the Jets from 2018 to '19.

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. The Ravens are still the Ravens. We won't know for certain whether they've improved through the air until Lamar Jackson and his key targets take the field, but Baltimore can still run the ball quite well, with every ballcarrier on the roster running hard Saturday night (42 carries, 167 yards, 2 TD). They can also still play very solid defense in the most important moments, even if faces have changed. Chuck Clark forced an early fumble, and the defensive front stonewalled Carolina on two goal-line attempts for a turnover on downs. It seems even as players come and go, Baltimore's culture remains. Next up: figuring out how they'll fare through the air.
2. The Panthers might have the makings of something special on their defensive front. After registering 13 pressures in Week 1 against Indianapolis, Carolina recorded seven pressures in just the first half Saturday and finished with 11. One led to a tipped pass and interception, and even against Baltimore's top-notch rushing attack, Carolina was getting a positive push up front with a variety of defenders, namely new arrival Frankie Luvu. It's going to be about the little things for these Panthers, who have a lot to clean up offensively. Defensively, though, it appears they might excel in the trench battle, which could end up going a long way.

NFL Research: The Ravens extend their preseason winning streak to 19 games, the longest preseason winning streak for any NFL team since at least 1994 (as far back as we can track). Since 1994, the Ravens own the two longest preseason winning streaks in the NFL. The current winning streak started with their first preseason game of 2016.

Chase Goodbread's takeaways:

1. Nickels, dimes, touchdowns. Among the steps forward that Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was called to make entering his second NFL season was to hit bigger plays downfield and not settle too much for cheap completions underneath coverage. But it was the short stuff that led to TD drives in his first two series Saturday, and nobody could argue with the efficiency. He completed 11 of his first 12 passes for 14 quick points, with all but two of them traveling less than 10 yards downfield. He leaned more on RB Myles Gaskin, who looked very sharp both rushing and receiving, and methodically handled a questionable Falcons defense. The big plays will come -- WRs Will Fuller and DeVante Parker aren't yet in the playing mix -- but Tagovailoa, who played the entire first half, showed a confident command.
2. Frankly speaking. With QB Matt Ryan sitting out and AJ McCarron exiting with an early injury, the Falcons got an extended look at rookie QB Feleipe Franks from Arkansas. The Falcons weren't playing starters Saturday, however, and pass protection for Franks was much too leaky to learn much about him. He was sacked a whopping four times by Miami LB Sam Eguavoen. But it's clear, at least, that he's no statue at 6-foot-6, 234 pounds. He deftly avoided several pressures and sprung a 20-yard scramble, and had two TD drives in the second half, albeit one of them without a pass attempt. A terrible interception thrown directly into coverage will be what keeps him awake Saturday night, but he's an intriguing project.

NFL Research: With his four sacks Saturday night, Eguavoen became just the fourth Dolphin (Nate Orchard in 2019, Ronald Flemons in 2004, Adewale Ogunleye in 2002) since at least 2000 with 4-plus sacks in a single preseason.

Adam Maya's takeaways:

1. O.J. Howard needs more time. The Buccaneers have been waiting on Howard to deliver on his first-round promise for more than four years. His performance Saturday embodied why that's been a tantalizing endeavor. Howard, still working his way back from the torn Achilles he suffered last October, dropped the first two passes thrown his way, including a downfield pass up the seam on third down that stalled the Bucs' opening drive. Howard would rebound with three receptions, repeatedly finding crevices in the Titans' defense. But a whiff in pass protection proved costly, as John Simon beat the fifth-year tight end off the edge before sacking and stripping Ryan Griffin. Arians warned that Howard is "not there yet" last week. Two preseason games later, that sentiment remains true.
2. Elijah Molden is ready to play. Caleb Farley? TBD. The rookie cornerbacks made their preseason debuts Saturday, with Molden getting the start in the slot. The fourth-rounder made a notable impact throughout the first game, including a pressure that helped free linebacker David Long for a sack and a fourth-and-1 stop on Giovani Bernard. Molden also handily took down the 6-foot-6 Howard twice to prevent big gains. He'd finish with eight solo tackles, two for loss, a pass defensed and QB hit. Farley was involved in just one notable play and it was entertaining, if not telling. Scotty Miller raced past the first-rounder but got just one foot down after making the catch near the sideline, with Farley recovering in time to push the speedy wideout out of bounds for a long, incomplete pass. He might be raw but his athleticism and effort are impressive.

NFL Research: The Titans have allowed three or fewer points in back-to-back preseason games for the first time since at least 2000.

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Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Ben Roethlisberger looks like old self in new offense. Big Ben flashed several vintage traits, spearheading two touchdown drives in his first preseason work in Matt Canada's new offense. The Steelers quarterback looked spry, avoiding sacks on the opening drive and throwing a pin-point pass on the move that Eric Ebron couldn't hang onto. Later, Big Ben arched a beautiful deep ball to Diontae Johnson -- given the QB's struggles on deep shots last year, it was good to see him hit that heave early. Then the Pittsburgh signal-caller pulled out his patented pump fake that fooled the camera. Somehow Ben didn't drop the ball, pulled it back up and hit rookie TE Pat Freiermuth for the TD. Freiermuth caught a second TD on the ensuing drive on another great red-zone pass from Roethlisberger. The QB finished 8-of-10 passing for 137 yards, 2 TDs, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Big Ben motored through a Lions defense sitting several starters. Preseason isn't about the stats. It was about Big Ben getting reps in Canada's offense and commanding it with ease. Test passed, with flying colors.
2. Up-and-down night for Jeff Okudah*.* It was a wild evening for the former No. 3 overall pick. Okudah got torched deep early by Diontae Johnson, who easily ran by the corner for a 43-yard catch. It's the type of play Okudah gave up too often as a rookie. However, the CB bounced back later with a nice play to break up a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the end zone. After sitting on the struggle bus his entire rookie campaign, the Lions are counting on Okudah becoming the lockdown corner they projected him as before the draft. Rebounding after getting beat is a positive sign for the young CB that new DC Aaron Glenn surely likes to see. The next step is Okudah negating the deep shot in the first place.

NFL Research: Saturday night was Roethlisberger's first preseason game with multiple passing TD since Week 3 of the 2016 preseason at the Saints. His is the only game a QB has had this preseason with a perfect passer rating.

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