NFL PRESEASON ROUNDUP
Steelers 31, Eagles 14
Landry Jones and Josh Dobbs each tossed touchdown passes and Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia on Thursday night in the preseason opener. The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles rested several starters, including quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles. Nate Sudfeld threw a pair of touchdown passes and two interceptions. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown sat for the Steelers and Le'Veon Bell still hasn't signed his franchise tender. Jones completed all four of his passes for 83 yards, including a 71-yard TD pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the first quarter. Smith-Schuster made a leaping catch over Rasul Douglas at the 33 and ran untouched to the end zone. Fitzgerald Toussaint had a 3-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion to give Pittsburgh a 15-8 lead. Dobbs threw a 29-yard TD pass to Damoun Patterson late in the second quarter. Sudfeld threw a perfect strike for a 63-yard TD to Shelton Gibson and fired a 15-yard TD pass to rookie Dallas Goedert. He finished 10 of 14 for 140 yards. Wentz still hasn't been cleared for contact after having surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee last December. Foles, the Super Bowl MVP, has missed a few practices with muscle spasms in his neck and shoulder.
Saints 24, Jaguars 20
Blake Bortles completed 6 of 9 passes for 53 yards and scored on a short bootleg in Jacksonville's loss to New Orleans. Bortles was poised in the pocket and nearly perfect in one series of work, a significant improvement from the way his preseason started a year ago. Bortles had a five-interception performance during a training camp practice in 2017 and continued to struggle during joint practices with New England. He was benched two weeks into the preseason and had to earn the starting job. A year later, his starting spot is as solid as just about anyone's on the team. It showed against the Saints. Playing without two starting offensive linemen — left guard Andrew Norwell (calf) and right tackle Jermey Parnell (precaution) — Bortles led the Jaguars on a 15-play, 79-yard drive to open the game. He converted both third-down passes he faced and finished off the series by going untouched around the right side. Saints star Drew Brees got the night off, allowing backup Tom Savage to play the first half. Savage completed 10 of 14 passes for 70 yards. Brees only played in one preseason game in 2017. Mark Ingram, suspended the first four games of the regular season for violating NFL policy on performance enhancers, carried seven times for 23 yards and a touchdown. Ingram scored against Jacksonville's backups and after a 15yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty kept the drive alive. The exhibition game involved two teams playing for the first time since heartbreaking postseason exits. The Saints were on the losing end of the "Minnesota Miracle" in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. The Jaguars led New England by 10 points in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship before falling 24-20.
Panthers 28, Bills 23
Bills receiver Kelvin Benjamin's feud with former teammate Panthers quarterback Cam Newton continued before and during Carolina's win against Buffalo. First, the two exchanged words on the field about 90 minutes before kickoff. Then they each played key roles in touchdowns drives in the first quarter. Benjamin caught four passes for 59 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown reception from Nathan Peterman on Buffalo's first possession. Benjamin scored by beating former Bills cornerback Kevon Seymour off the line, and was open when catching the pass at the 2 up the left sideline. Newton responded on the next possession, completing 4 of 5 attempts for 67 yards as part of an 85-yard drive capped by Christian McCaffrey's 2-yard run. The bad blood between the two emerged last week when Benjamin criticized Newton's accuracy and questioned why the Panthers used a first-round pick to draft Benjamin in 2014. It was the latest time Benjamin has voiced his frustrations since forcing his trade to Buffalo in October. Before the game, a video posted by The Charlotte Observer showed Benjamin chatting with Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis when Newton approached the two and attempted to shake Benjamin's hand. Newton waved away Davis, and then had a brief discussion with Benjamin before the receiver began walking away. Newton followed and the two talked again. The discussion ended when Benjamin shrugged and turned to walk away, and Newton waved his hand at the receiver's back. Newton finished 6 of 9 for 84 yards in two series. He was nearly intercepted on Carolina's second possession when he overthrew tight end Greg Olsen over the middle. Jordan Poyer got a hand on the ball, but was unable to bring it in to his body. The Panthers overcame a 17-7 first-half deficit and went ahead for good on C.J. Anderson's 4-yard run 2:19 into the fourth quarter. Mose Frazier caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from backup Garrett Gilbert, and Elijah Hood sealed the win with a 21-yard TD reception from Taylor Heinicke with 5:05 left.
Buccaneers 26, Dolphins 24
Ryan Tannehill completed passes on the first four plays in his return from two serious injuries to his left knee, sparking a 40-yard drive that ended with a missed field goal in his only series, and Miami lost to Tampa Bay. Tannehill, seeing his first action since December 2016, was off-target on his final two throws and finished 4 for 6 for 32 yards. New Buccaneers kicker Chandler Catanzaro made a 26-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to cap a 67-yard drive and give them the win. Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston played the second quarter against Miami's second team and led a group of reserves to 10 points on drives of 32 and 40 yards. He went 11 for 13 for 102 yards in four series. Winston is suspended for the first three games of the regular season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Bucs on a 57-yard, sixplay touchdown drive on their first possession. It was capped by Peyton Barber's 4-yard run. Miami's David Fales, battling Brock Osweiler for the backup QB job, led the second-string offense to a field goal against the Buccaneers' first-team defense. Fales also directed a 75-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter, and he finished 8 of 11 for 115 yards. Kenny Stills and two other Dolphins protested during the national anthem before the game. Receivers Stills and Albert Wilson kneeled behind teammates lined up standing along the sideline. Defensive end Robert Quinn stood and raised his right fist, as he did during the anthem last season with the Los Angeles Rams. Stills kneeled during the anthem in the 2016-17 seasons and has been vocal discussing social injustice issues that inspired the protest movement by NFL players.