Alright, the NFL preseason kicked off, and if you blinked, you might’ve missed the collective freak-out across the league. Every year, we watch a tiny slice of football and immediately crown or condemn players and teams. We’re talking glorified training camp scrimmages here, folks, but everyone’s making snap judgments like it’s Super Bowl Sunday. While some of this exhibition action can hint at what’s coming, we can’t force long-term takeaways from such small sample sizes. Preseason’s shortened now, and we saw plenty of starting quarterbacks, both new and old, get mixed results. Our own Seahawks, along with the Patriots, definitely didn’t get off to a good warmup start. Yeah, I said it.
Chill Out on the Quarterback Takes, For Real
Look, the Browns’ quarterback situation is already getting wild takes. The overreaction? Shedeur Sanders has already lost the job. Against the Bears, his numbers weren’t exactly flashy: 6-for-11 for 79 yards, a 7.2 yards per attempt average, and an interception, all for a 39.6 passer rating. Deshaun Watson, who played before Sanders, was sharper, going 11-for-15 for 126 yards, 8.4 yards per attempt, and a 98.2 passer rating. That late, bad turnover from Sanders really highlighted the gap.
But here’s the deal: Watson’s costing the Browns almost $41 million against the cap this year, while Sanders is just over $1 million. That’s a huge factor for offensive-minded coach Todd Monken’s first year. Plus, Watson’s got the experience edge over Sanders, who’s a second-year late-round guy. Still, Sanders has apparently looked much improved in the new system, showing more accuracy from the pocket than he did as a rookie. Monken hasn’t committed to Watson, the competition is open, and Sanders is slated to start Week 2 against the Bills. If Sanders flashes what Watson did, this thing could absolutely come down to the wire in late August before the real opener. So pump the brakes, everyone.
Another Team, Another QB Battle: Titans Are a Work in Progress
Over in Tennessee, Cam Ward’s first outing for coordinator Brian Daboll against the 49ers was a lot rougher than Sanders’ game. His stats were grim: 5-of-12 for just 57 yards, 4.8 yards per attempt, and a 56.6 passer rating. He just couldn’t get into any rhythm before Mitchell Trubisky and Will Levis took over. Rookie first-round wide receiver Carnell Tate? Blanked stats-wise.
The Titans are a hot mess of a work in progress right now. They’re trying to incorporate Daboll’s play-calling with a huge personnel shakeup, including Tate and veteran Wan’Dale Robinson. There was overall shakiness from both the running and passing games. But Ward showed too much promise late in his rookie season for us to think he’s just gonna flop with what should be much better support in 2026. This unit should keep getting better, Ward included.
Look, this is just Week 1 of preseason. It’s never pretty for everyone, and it’s certainly not a crystal ball for the whole regular season. For our Seahawks, that “didn’t get off to good warmup starts” stings a bit, but it’s just the beginning. Let’s see how things develop over the next few weeks before anyone starts planning parade routes or hitting the panic button. We’ve got more football coming, and that’s always something to look forward to.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
Leave a Reply