I hope you had some fun this weekend watching NFL preseason games. There were guys out there grinding for jobs, players who might someday emerge as key contributors for the teams where they earn a roster spot.
That said, I wasn’t focused on the bubble guys. I was interested in the stars. And some key things were happening this week in the preseason games — and the greater NFL news cycle. This is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines.
The Los Angeles Rams protected Ty Simpson and played it nice and safe. Almost boring, in fact.
The first-round quarterback had 84% of his passes travel 15 yards or fewer and 72% for 10 yards or fewer. In the first three quarters, there were a lot of rollouts and passes behind the line of scrimmage so that Simpson barely needed to think — operating the basics and letting everyone else do the work for him.
I suspect that’s why coach Sean McVay said the following about the team’s preseason playcaller, Nate Scheelhaase: “I thought the coaches did a really good job putting guys in good spots. I thought [Scheelhaase] known as a extremely good recreation.”
The fantastic thing about a preseason recreation is that defenses are so simple as might be. That makes life simpler for the playcaller and the QB. Within the last 10 minutes, Simpson and his coaches began to ramp up the problem and use extra of the sector — with a bit extra intermediate throwing and a few targets towards the center of the sector.
In the end, he noticed stress on solely three of his 25 dropbacks. He had a tight-window throw on 8% of his passes. It regarded straightforward for Simpson as a result of it was very straightforward for Simpson — a stone’s throw away from 7-on-7 drills. It looks as if the response has been unanimously optimistic about Simpson, maybe due to his statistics. And whereas I’m enthusiastic about his long-term prospects on the entire, I’m undecided I noticed something significantly excellent.
However right here’s the factor: No less than Simpson performed in management. No less than he made the straightforward stuff look straightforward.
As a result of I can consider anyone who didn’t.
2.
I used to be startled by Ward’s movie.
I hate to get labored up about preseason movie, however I am unable to actually cease myself right here. There was an astonishing lack of accuracy. There was an astonishing lack of … every little thing.
If there’s one factor we all know concerning the preseason, it’s that it’s deeply deceitful. I’ll always remember in 2015 when Sam Bradford completely tore aside preseason defenses with former Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly calling the performs. And I assumed it meant one thing.
It didn’t.
Bradford was a multitude and Kelly acquired fired after going 6-9. With Ward and the Titans, the identical (however reverse) might be true right here, the place the second-year QB’s preseason calamity received’t translate to the common season. However let’s simply take a look at the numbers, as a result of it’ll assist contextualize my alarm.
On 12 dropbacks, Ward tried a tight-window throw on 8% of his passes. (Similar to Simpson.) That ought to converse to a simple day for Ward: no dangerous or high-difficulty throws.
So that you’d assume he would’ve been finishing his passes, proper?
Flawed!
He accomplished 41.7% of his passes (5-for-12). Even worse, he had a completion proportion over anticipated of -26.3%, second worst amongst all 91 passers who took 12 or extra dropbacks this primary week of preseason. His success proportion (23.1%) was second worst amongst those self same 91 QBs. His anticipated factors per dropback was tied for eighth-worst — alongside Colts QB Anthony Richardson, whose play is at the moment unhealthy sufficient that Indianapolis can’t appear to discover a commerce accomplice.
Cam Ward (1) and new Titans coach Robert Saleh (proper) cannot be ok with the QB’s outing this previous weekend. (Photograph by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos)
You’re in all probability additionally considering that possibly Ward didn’t have receivers Carnell Tate, the fourth general choose this yr, or Wan’Dale Robinson, the group’s $70-million free agent acquisition. You’d — once more — assume flawed. And Tate, whose training-camp highlights have usually appeared on the Titans’ X account this summer time, noticed three targets for zero receptions.
This was a tremendously unhealthy outing for Ward.
It was additionally a small pattern measurement — in preseason. But it surely regarded an excessive amount of just like the lowest lows from Ward’s rookie season. I had hoped he was getting previous all that. For now, let’s attempt to chalk it as much as preseason. Let’s hope it is only a complete bunch of nothing.
As a result of, man, what the heck occurred on the market?
3.
LAKE FOREST, Sick. — The Chicago Bears may need probably the most compelling and polarizing passing assault within the NFL (and I’ll have extra to say about them in a narrative later this week). However whereas Chicago’s speeding assault might get uncared for by the media, it has the top coach’s consideration.
Ben Johnson will get excited anytime he has the chance to educate or focus on the bottom recreation. And so it was attention-grabbing to listen to first-year offensive coordinator Press Taylor relay Johnson’s philosophy on the run recreation.
“I do not assume Ben’s ever talked about the phrase effectivity,” Taylor stated final week. “We speak about explosives. We try to assault a protection. I feel there is a notion — lots of people are going to run the ball. ‘We’ll keep environment friendly. We’ll management the clock. We wish to assault a protection.’
“We’re seeking to assault fronts to show area, to create run lanes, to create explosives. We do not take a look at the run recreation as a method to keep on observe. We take a look at the run recreation as a method to assault defenses and actually be explosive and proceed to only put our foot on the fuel.”
Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes focus on Ben Johnson’s objective for the Bears to turn into the highest-scoring offense ever.
All eyes are on quarterback Caleb Williams, whose aptitude for late-game heroics was unimaginable final season. He is a former No. 1 general choose, and his arm expertise is otherworldly. He has the uncommon potential to generate explosive performs at any second.
And whereas we do not usually take into consideration D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai in the identical method, it looks as if Taylor and Johnson would really like us to. The 2026 season shall be about additional establishing that identification.
4.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Regardless of not having the brand new contract that he desires, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had been a prepared participant in coaching camp. The truth is, his presence had been infuriating newcomer A.J. Brown — to the purpose the place the star receiver admitted he was trying ahead to joint practices as a result of the competitors was getting too fierce between teammates.
The underlying takeaway is that Gonzalez is among the many finest cornerbacks within the league. (And from my vantage level, he’s the perfect.) He ought to receives a commission as such.
However when these joint practices began final week, Gonzalez was not on the sector.
It positive appeared like that was the cornerback’s first flex of leverage in his contract negotiations with the group. And he didn’t cease there. He wasn’t on the sector for the group’s first preseason matchup in opposition to the Colts at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addressed Gonzalez’s absence.
“Christian was unavailable — bodily unavailable for the follow. That is the clarification,” Vrabel informed reporters after the group’s preseason recreation. “Similar to different gamers that I informed to have therapy, and everyone has a plan right here, there have been different guys that have been in that very same class.”
The “clarification” remains to be fairly obscure.
And that’s usually the way it goes when a participant is holding in.
If there was something that may additional entrench Gonzalez, it was the information that Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, represented by the identical agent, Reggie Johnson, signed a $132-million, four-year deal.
New England’s protection can’t afford to begin the season with out Gonzalez. The Patriots will want their finest defensive participant on the sector after they kick off the NFL season in a rematch in opposition to Seattle on Sept. 9. They should get a deal carried out. And it’ll in all probability must be a deal that’s extra profitable than what Witherspoon acquired.
5.
EAGAN, Minn. — This was one heck of an announcement from Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy about six-time Professional Bowl security Harrison Smith, who retired after final season.
“I might say clearly having Harry [Harrison Smith] again there, a man who’s gonna in all probability let you know each single play that is coming — it has been completely different [not having him],” Murphy stated on the Vikings’ follow facility in Eagan final week. “However clearly, we acquired guys stepping in. We acquired communicators like 44 [Josh Metellus], even the younger guys are stepping in. So we acquired guys that also are communicators.”
Harrison Smith walks off the sector after his last NFL recreation final January. (Photograph by Stephen Maturen/Getty Photos)
Minnesota’s protection remains to be unimaginable, beginning on the high with DC Brian Flores, who appears destined to — ultimately — discover his method again right into a head teaching place. Flores has been no much less ruthless this camp, doing what he can to terrorize the 2 quarterbacks — and amping up the diploma of problem, with assist from stars like edge rusher Dallas Turner, as every QB tries to show himself.
Two weeks in the past, I noticed firsthand how shortly Flores’ protection can shut down the Vikings’ offense, with each Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy failing to finish a single go within the 2-minute drill. Murray’s offense went three-and-out and McCarthy threw an interception.
Even so, Smith received’t be a simple man to switch. And also you get the sense that possibly they received’t must. There have been rumors a few attainable Smith return, however Minnesota isn’t relying on it. As a substitute, they’re relying on Metellus, who’s starting his seventh yr with Minnesota.
“It’s loopy, man, to be following after a man for thus a few years,” Metellus informed me. “And you then get to a place the place you observe him a lot that you simply similar to step into his street, virtually naturally.”
