Week 3 of the preseason wraps Sunday with three games on tap: Bears-Titans, Bengals-Redskins and 49ers-Vikings. Follow along all day and night for updates on all the action on the day.
Scores and schedule
Eagles 38, Dolphins 31 (Box Score)
Panthers 24, Jaguars 23 (Box Score)
Patriots 30, Lions 28 (Box Score)
Seahawks 26, Chiefs 13 (Box Score)
Ravens 13, Bills 9 (Box Score)
Giants 32, Jets 31 (Box Score)
Cardinals 24, Falcons 14 (Box Score)
Colts 19, Steelers 15 (Box Score)
Browns 13, Buccaneers 9 (Box Score)
Chargers 21, Rams 19 (Box Score)
Saints 13, Texans 0 (Box Score)
Cowboys 24, Raiders 20 (Box Score)
Broncos 20, Packers 17 (Box Score)
Bears 19, Titans, 7 (Box Score)
Redskins 23, Bengals 17 (Box Score)
Vikings 32 49ers 31 (Box Score)
Vikings first-team offense still hasn't scored a touchdown
Here's all you need to know about the 2017 Vikings: In three preseason games, the first-team offense has mustered exactly three points in 12 possessions. By comparison, their opponents on Sunday night, the 49ers -- an outfit that won two games last season -- scored 14 points in their first two possessions, thanks to some precision quarterbacking from offseason addition Brian Hoyer (see below).
Part of the problem Sunday was that Minnesota's offensive line struggled to protect quarterback Sam Bradford, who was sacked three times in the first three drives. Last year, Bradford played with eight different combinations on the offensive line and finding cohesion with that group remains a priority.
"It's been good," Bradford told NBC Sports' Michelle Tafoya in the third quarter. "Obviously we're still rotating some guys in there, trying to figure out exactly who's going to be out there when we start the season but I'm happy with how those guys have played. We'll see how it shakes out."
And even after the offensive line settled down, one of the Vikings' most dangerous players, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, couldn't hold onto the ball.
Diggs had two big drops (one coming on what would have been a third-down conversion), a fact made all the more puzzling when you consider that he had only three drops during the 2016 season.
In case you're wondering about the running game, free-agent signing Latavius Murray ran for 6 yards on two carries against the 49ers while second-round pick Dalvin Cook managed 17 yards on five carries. The duo also combined for 16 yards on four receptions.
Despite an offense that continues to sputter its way through the preseason, Bradford remains a beacon of consistency. He completed his first nine passes -- though for only 57 yards -- which mirrors the success he had last season when he led the league in completion percentage (71.6 percent) but ranked 19th in yards per attempt (7.0).
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot," Bradford explained. "Too many mistakes, you know, a little bit frustrating to come out here tonight and play the way we did. I felt like we had a better week of practice than we showed tonight. So obviously there's a lot to clean up before the regular season."
And how will the offense operate differently now that Bradford, who arrived in Minnesota last September, has a year in the system?
"I feel like we've had a really good offseason so far, just being with the team, just being able to go through things in detail," he said. "You know, I'm really excited to actually sit down and start game planning for Week 1, to get into New Orleans and figure out how we're going to attack them."
Silver lining: Minnesota's second- and third-team offense were scoring juggernauts, and the highlight had to be this nifty two-point conversion, courtesy of Taylor Heinicke with no time on the clock, to give the Vikings the victory.
THE @VIKINGS WIN!
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2017
THE @VIKINGS WIN!
THE @VIKINGS WIN!
THE @VIKINGS WIN!
THE @VIKINGS WIN!
THE @VIKINGS WIN!#SFvsMIN pic.twitter.com/vsiC6rC0Cy
Free advice, Minnesota: Just give the ball to Jerick McKinnon
While the Vikings offense figures out how to score points, might we suggest featuring Jerick McKinnon more often. Worst case, just line up in punt formation, have McKinnon stand 40 yards behind the line of scrimmage and tell him to pretend he's returning a kick.
HE GONE!@JetMckinnon1.
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2017
108 yards.
WOW.#SFvsMIN pic.twitter.com/DD4cF197SS
49ers rookie LB Reuben Foster was dominant
In the days and weeks leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft, Reuben Foster was considered a top-10 talent, but he was sent home from the combine for a verbal altercation with a hospital employee and it was later discovered that he failed a drug test at the combine due to a diluted sample. When it was all said and done, Foster didn't hear his name called until the 49ers traded up late in the first round and grabbed him with the 31st pick.
And if the preseason is any indication of things to come, the 49ers might find themselves with one of the league's best young defenders. Here's Foster on the very first play of Sunday's game against the Vikings:
Reuben Foster! Tried to warn you. #49ers pic.twitter.com/D28GCT6ueP
— Sean Jordan (@BaySean) August 28, 2017
And here he is at the end of the first half, one in which the 49ers' defense pitched a shutout against the Vikings.
Big Hit #2 Former Alabama Current #49ers LB Reuben Foster #NBC pic.twitter.com/nJeEnh7u5q
— InsideBamaRecruiting (@RTRnews) August 28, 2017
He's fast everywhere, but Reuben Foster running on artificial turf is just something else.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) August 28, 2017
Needless to say, 49ers fans are happy with the team's decision to give up their second-round pick (34th overall) and fourth-round pick (111) in order to take Foster 31st overall.
THANK YOU @ChicagoBears FOR THAT DUMB TRADE OF YOURS ALLOWING US TO DRAFT REUBEN FOSTER
— Evan Sowards (@EvanSowards) August 28, 2017
49ers offense gets off to fast start
There are plenty of concerns about the 49ers offense, primarly because it's unclear if Brian Hoyer is anything other than a short-term solution to lingering questions about the quarterback position. But if you're looking for reasons for optimism, Hoyer and Marquise Goodwin -- who is literally a world-class sprinter -- hooked up on a 46-yard yard touchdown pass on the offense's first drive.
🏃💨💨💨@flashg88dwin is fast.
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2017
Like, REALLY fast.#SFvsMIN pic.twitter.com/e7Rm5Xhigq
Goodwin's celebration was almost as good as the touchdown:
.@flashg88dwin brings the SPEED. #SFvsMIN pic.twitter.com/msvI0Ijtsc
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2017
Turns out, Hoyer was just getting warmed up. He finished the 1st quarter going 8 for 8 for 128 yards and with a perfect 158.3 passer rating. And then, on the very first play of the 2nd quarter, he did this:
.@bhoyer7 connects with @elguapo for another @49ers TD! #SFvsMIN pic.twitter.com/rjAJFbvkFz
— NFL (@NFL) August 28, 2017
Just like last season, 49ers safety Eric Reid takes a knee during the anthem
Forty-Niners safety Eric Reid knelt during the national anthem ahead of Sunday's preseason matchup against the Vikings. He appeared to be the only 49ers player to do so though at least four teammates -- Marquise Goodwin, Tim Hightower, Dontae Johnson and Eli Harold -- stood while putting their hands on Reid's shoulder as a show of support.
Eric Reid kneels during the national anthem with support from his teammates. pic.twitter.com/pE4JmvPpAO
— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 28, 2017
Reid also knelt during the 2016 season after former teammate Colin Kaepernick became the first player to do so as a protest against social injustice.
As recently as two weeks ago, Reid said he had no plans to take a knee again in 2017, even despite the recent violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
"It doesn't change my plans [to not take a knee]," Reid said at the time, via SFGate.com's Eric Branch. "It's important to discuss the issues that we have in our country. I think it's becoming more and more apparent. Maybe people didn't see what the black community saw when me and Colin were doing our protests, and other players were doing (their) protests, last year. I think it's more apparent now after this past weekend."
Neither Reid nor any of his other 49ers teammates knelt during the team's first two preseason games.
Redskins still miss DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon
The big storyline heading into the 2017 season was how the Redskins' offense would make up for the loss of DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, who combined for 135 receptions, 2,046 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016. Now Jackson is in Tampa Bay and Garcon is in San Francisco and the Skins are hoping that the group that remains can make up the difference.
This offseason, the Redskins added quarterback-turned-receiver Terrelle Pryor and Brian Quick, formerly of the Rams. Pryor ranked 50th in total value last season, according to Football Outsiders' metrics with the Browns and Quick ranked 79th.
And the Redskins return Jamison Crowder, who was second on the team in receptions last season (67), as well as tight end Jordan Reed, who had 66 catches. There's also Josh Doctson, the 2016 first-round pick who played in only two games as a rookie because of an Achilles injury.
On paper, this doesn't seem like an even trade, but the plan was to have quarterback Kirk Cousins, who ranked No. 3 among all passers last year, via Football Outsiders, orchestrate an offense that relies heavily on pre-snap motion to create favorable matchups.
Unfortunately, there was no hint of such a game plan in Sunday's preseason matchup against the Bengals. In a first half that can best be described as forgettable, Cousins spent more time picking himself off the turf than finding open receivers. In fact, Cousins was sacked on each of the team's first three drives, and the team didn't convert a first down until the fourth drive when Cousins' quarterback keeper moved the chains on third-and-2.
Things got worse before they got better -- Pryor dropped a wide-open pass in the middle of the field, and a few plays later, Cousins threw an ill-advised pass towards the sideline that was intercepted by Vontaze Burfict and returned 64 yards for a touchdown (see the gory details below).
The Redskins' offense showed glimpses of life during the final few drives of the first half -- including this Chris Thompson run-and-catch:
Cousins to Thompson & he's off for a 27-yard gain! #HTTR #CINvsWAS pic.twitter.com/9pftWPCY24
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) August 27, 2017
But those brief signs of life won't mitigate the larger concerns that have loomed over this unit for months. Also not helping: an offensive line that struggled against the Bengals coupled with a problematic running game, which dates back to last season.
Kirk Cousins not looking like a franchise quarterback
All those offseason concerns about how the Washington offense would recalibrate after losing Jackson and Garcon in free agency, and offensive coordinator Sean McVay to the Rams appear to be justified. Because Washington looked atrocious during the first quarter of Sunday's preseason get-together against the Bengals, and the nadir came early in the second quarter when quarterback Kirk Cousins blindly threw this pass to the sidelines. Predictably, it was intercepted by Vontaze Burfict, and 62 yards later the Bengals linebacker was celebrating in the high-priced seats:
🚨 PICK-6 ALERT 🚨@Bengals LB @King55Tez takes it 62 yards to the house! #CINvsWAS pic.twitter.com/HG4ciyoC6N
— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2017
It gets worse:
Chasing after a linebacker on an interception during a preseason game is dumb annnnnnnnnnnnd you got faced. pic.twitter.com/59o41gXWmQ
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) August 27, 2017
For an idea of just how inept the Washington offense has been, consider this: The first three drives ended on sacks, yielded no first downs and totaled minus-1 yard. The team's first first down came on drive No. 4 and only after Cousins ran a quarterback keeper on third-and-2.
Bengals' first-team offense looks sharp
The Bengals finished 6-9-1 last season and a lot of the losing had to do with an inconsistent offense, starting with the offensive line. But the entire unit looked like a finely tuned machine on Sunday in Washington with quarterback Andy Dalton orchestrating a 15-play, 87-yard drive that ended like this:
From three yards out, @JeremyHill33 runs it in for a @Bengals touchdown! #CINvsWAS pic.twitter.com/NsXQ2qT749
— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2017
In addition to Dalton going 5 of 6 for 55 yards, A.J. Green, John Ross and Joe Mixon all contributed. Also, Mixon continues to look very, very good (though he fumbled on the next series):
Joe Mixon has moves pic.twitter.com/UpUAJj8GK2
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) August 27, 2017
Glennon marches Bears down the field
Mike Glennon is trying to hang onto the starting job in Chicago. No. 2 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky has been nipping at his heels all preseason, but Glennon put together a really nice drive to start Game 3, potentially securing for himself the top spot on the depth chart.
Glennon completed 7 of 9 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in staking the Bears to a 7-0 lead, repeatedly picking on rookie cornerback Adoree' Jackson (Glennon was 5 of 5 throwing in Jackson's direction) before finding Dion Sims wide open in the back of the end zone off play-action.
Gosh, @Mike_Glennon!
— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2017
What a pretty drive.
Capped with this touchdown STRIKE. 👇 #CHIvsTEN pic.twitter.com/yXJSm0GcSf
After that drive, Glennon is now 20 of 27 for 173 yards, two touchdowns and an interception during the past two preseason games, a major improvement over his performance (2 of 8 for 20 yards and a pick-six) in the preseason opener against the Broncos. The Bears clearly want Glennon to win the job and give Trubisky a chance to spend at least part of this season learning the position from the bench, and Glennon's performance of late is much more encouraging than what Chicago saw early on.
Cameron Meredith goes down
Bears wideout Cameron Meredith left the game at the end of the first quarter after suffering a gruesome knee injury. He caught a pass over the middle of the field and got sandwiched between two defenders, resulting in his knee bending in a way that knee are not supposed to bend. (Don't watch the video below if you have a weak stomach.)
Looks like a season ended for Cam Meredith. pic.twitter.com/FG9wVjaII8
— Chief (@BarstoolChief) August 27, 2017
When the game returned from commercial, Meredith's leg was in an air-cast and he was being carted off the field. The Bears quickly announced that he was done for the day, and it appears that he has a significant knee injury that could keep him out for a while, if not the entire season.
It's a big blow for the Bears; Meredith was expected to work as one of their top two wide receivers this season.
Taywan Taylor taking advantage
The Titans snatched Western Kentucky wideout Taywan Taylor with their third-round pick in the 2017 draft, and it has become clear throughout the preseason they have plans for him with their first-team offense.
Taylor was heavily involved with the starters during the Titans' dress rehearsal against the Bears. He received two carries totaling 7 yards and was the intended recipient of a reverse from Derrick Henry, but Henry got tackled before he could make the pitch to Taylor sweeping around in the other direction.
Taylor also helped the Titans convert a third-and-31 (!!!) by catching a seam route, breaking three tackles at once, then dragging a couple more defenders for more yards at the end of the play.
What's your play call on 3rd and 31?
— NFL (@NFL) August 27, 2017
Ask Marcus Mariota.
Then move those chains! #CHIvsTEN pic.twitter.com/lPgCywrfXT
This all came after Taylor had four catches for 56 yards in the Titans' preseason opener and three catches for 46 yards in their second game. He looks like a nice play maker for an offense that could use a good a speedy complement to its exotic smashmouth running game.
Previously in Week 3 of the preseason
On Saturday, Tyrod Taylor entered concussion protocol after taking a nasty hit to the back of his head in the Bills' preseason game against the Ravens. Taylor lasted only two series. John Brown had a big night for the Cardinals, smoking the Falcons secondary for two TDs from Carson Palmer, while the Chargers dominated the meaningless Battle for L.A. Meanwhile, in Dallas, Dak Prescott looks immune to a sophomore slump, continuing his hot preseason by going 11 of 14 for 113 yards and tossing a TD to tight end Jason Witten in one half against the Raiders. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Christian Hackenberg looked not good for the Jets, serving up two pick-sixes to the Giants before giving way to Bryce Petty, who tossed two TDs. It was also a rough night for the Broncos, who saw Paxton Lynch (shoulder), Demaryius Thomas (groin), Zach Kerr (knee) and safety Will Parks (hip) leave the game against the Packers with injuries.
On Friday, in addition to the Patriots losing Julian Edelman to a knee injury, the Chiefs saw Spencer Ware with a serious-looking knee injury. Unlike with the Patriots receiver, Ware is expected to have avoided a torn ACL, but if his injury turns out to be just a knee sprain, it's still possible he'll be sidelined several weeks into the regular season, opening the door for Kareem Hunt. For more on those injuries as well as the performances of Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Eddie Lacy, Patrick Mahomes and more, check out Friday's daily roundup.
On Thursday, no one was able to grab hold of the Jaguars starting quarterback reins in an uneven performance for both Chad Henne and Blake Bortles, Jay Cutler's second game with the Dolphins was also filled up and downs and Carson Wentz look great during his work with the first-team offense. You can read about those stories and everything else from Thursday's action in our daily roundup.
More news
- Russell Wilson had quite the outfit for the Mayweather-McGregor fight on Saturday night
- A Bucs defender rocked some sweet cleats hyping Saturday's big fight
- DeShone Kizer has reportedly locked up the Browns' starting QB job
- The Cowboys reportedly fear Anthony Hitchens tore his ACL and will miss the season
- The Chiefs' Spencer Ware is reportedly out for season with a torn PCL and damage to his LCL
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will not attend Ezekiel Elliott's suspension appeal hearing
- Titans offensive lineman Quinton Spain and Bears defensive lineman Jaye Howard were ejected for throwing punches.
- Titans defenders Jurrell Casey, Logan Ryan, and Wesley Woodyard raised their fists in the air at the end of the national anthem.