Dobbins hurt; Ravens add to preseason win streak
LANDOVER, MD.» J.K. Dobbins left with a knee injury, Lamar Jackson made his 2021 preseason debut and the Tyler Huntley-led Baltimore Ravens routed Washington 37-3 Saturday to win their Nfl-best 20th consecutive exhibition game.
Dobbins going down early with a left knee injury is the biggest lingering effect for Baltimore with the regular season on the horizon. After catching a screen pass from Jackson, the second-year running back went down awkwardly midway through the first quarter on his third touch of the game. He was attended to on the field before being carted off the sideline and ruled out.
Jackson played only one series after sitting out Baltimore’s first two preseason games. The 2019 MVP was 3 of 4 for 29 yards and was sacked twice on a drive that ended with a missed field goal.
While the Ravens awaited word on Dobbins, who was again expected to split carries with Gus Edwards in a run-heavy offense, Huntley tore through Washington’s reserves by going 24 of 33 with four touchdown passes and a rushing score.
Bills 19, Packers 0. ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. » Josh Allen had the Buffalo Bills’ up-tempo passing attack humming so efficiently in his preseason debut receiver Emmanuel Sanders wondered when his turn would come to make a play.
The veteran offseason freeagent addition was fifth in line as part of an opening drive in which Allen completed 10 of his first 11 attempts, including a touchdown, in a 19-0 win over the Green Bay Packers in both teams’ preseason finales Saturday.
“It was like bing, bing, bing,
bing and I was like, `When is it my turn? And the next thing you know, it was my turn and I caught it,” said Sanders of his 6-yard catch for a first down that got the Bills across midfield.
Buffalo finished 3-0, extending its preseason winning streak to eight games, going back to a 26-13 loss to Cincinnati on Aug. 26, 2018. The Packers finished 0-3, closing a preseason in which a majority of their starters didn’t play. Aaron Rodgers sat out the entire preseason.
Bears 27, Titans 24. NASHVILLE, TENN.» Nick Foles threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Jesper Horsted with 6:51 left, and the Chicago Bears held off the Tennessee Titans to wrap the preseason.
Horsted, a tight end who played at Princeton, finished with three TDS and 104 yards receiving, catching all five passes thrown to him. His first TD came from rookie Justin Fields in his first start with the other two from Foles in the second half.
Buccaneers 23, Texans 16. HOUSTON» Tom Brady threw for 154 yards and a touchdown in just more than a quarter and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a 23-16 win over the Houston Texans.
It was by far his most extensive work this preseason after the seven-time Super Bowl champion played just six snaps in a loss to Cincinnati two weeks ago and sat out last week against Tennessee.
Tyrod Taylor failed to move the offense effectively for Houston in three drives, going 6 of 9 for 31 yards. He’s expected to be Houston’s starter this season with star Deshaun Watson’s future with the team in question after 22 women filed lawsuits alleging that he sexually assaulted or harassed them.