Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor one of the big surprises of NFL preseason
The USA TODAY NFL staff on things that surprised them this preseason:
JARRETT BELL
*Less dress. It struck me that there were fewer starters around the NFL risked with extensive playing time in the third preseason game, which is typically the "dress rehearsal." Packers star Aaron Rodgers, for example, didn't play a single snap last weekend. No doubt he doesn't need another preseason snap.
*RGIII losing starting job while "concussed." All offseason, Jay Gruden declared that Robert Griffin was his starter. The manner in which he lost his job — idled while undergoing concussion protocol — is even more stunning than the fact he was benched for Kirk Cousins.
*Johnny Manziel's tendinitis. For all that's been scrutinized with Johnny Football, the arm problem represents new territory.
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*Tyrod Taylor. And you thought Matt Cassel was the guy to beat out EJ Manuel for Buffalo's QB job.
*NaVorro Bowman. The 49ers all-pro linebacker looks like himself again....18 months after suffering such a gruesome knee injury that made you wonder if he'd ever be the same player again.
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NATE DAVIS
*Not just Jimmy Graham: Though the acquisition of the Pro Bowl tight end was the headline maker of the NFC champs’ offseason, he may not be the only new difference maker this season. The Seahawks are very high on rookie defensive lineman Frank Clark and slot receiver/returner Tyler Lockett, who has already shown what an impact he can make during the preseason.
*Ravens D dominant again? Though Haloti Ngata joined Ray Lewis and Ed Reed as former Ravens defensive stalwarts this offseason, Baltimore’s D could reclaim elite status. Look for young linemen Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan to make an impact along with emerging second-year LB C.J. Mosley. And with a now-healthy group of corners, the Ravens could be stifling again.
*The Panthers need to re-assess their draft strategy: GM Dave Gettleman made a questionable call taking ‘tweener LB Shaq Thompson in Round 1. Now Carolina heads into the season with tackles Michael Oher and Mike Remmers protecting Cam Newton, who is throwing to an underwhelming group of wideouts in the wake of Kelvin Benjamin’s season-ending knee injury. Suddenly a third consecutive NFC South crown seems highly questionable.
LINDSAY H. JONES
*Marcus Mariota might not have lit up the preseason, but I was surprised at how quickly he has managed his transition to the NFL. For a player who was supposed to face such a steep learning curve, Mariota zoomed through the basics of professional quarterbacking – things like running a huddle and learning to take snaps under center. Mariota’s preseason certainly wasn’t perfect, but he looks far more pro-readythan most people expected.
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*I was leery of pre-training camp praise of the Miami Dolphins, but I’m on board after seeing 10 teams in person over the first three weeks of preseason. The Dolphins have had the least amount of drama of AFC East teams. And I saw enough out of the Dolphins – even with concerns about the interior of their offensive line – that I’m about to re-think my preseason predictions that had the Patriots remaining in control of that division.
* In Denver, the message since last spring was the new offense would be a combination of things new head coach Gary Kubiak has always done (like a zone blocking scheme) and elements of the offense Peyton Manning had run so well for years (a no-huddle, precise passing game). But it looks like Kubiak is just trying to fit Manning into his offense. If it’s a collaboration, it looks to be 80 percent Kubiak and just 20 percent Manning – and the 39-year-old quarterback does not look comfortable.
TOM PELISSERO
*Matt Cassel always seemed like the smart choice to be the Bills’ quarterback, given his experience and the playmakers around him. But Tyrod Taylor is the superior athlete, and he showed in the preseason he could be more than just a runaround guy. Making some plays from the pocket surely helped Joe Flacco’s former backup win the job over Cassel and former first-round pick EJ Manuel.
*Johnny Manziel looked like a new quarterback after his offseason stint in a treatment center. He ended the preseason on the sideline because of elbow trouble, but Manziel – nee Johnny Football – figures to get another look from the Browns if he can continue to play under control.
*Even though he’s ancient by NFL running back standards at age 34, Fred Jackson’s release from the Bills was a big surprise. He had a 41-yard run and a 1-yard touchdown in his only preseason game and wasn’t outrageously priced, with scheduled salary and bonuses this season of $2.6 million (plus another $1.1 million available in incentives). Spending most of his nine years with the Bills in a timeshare has left some tread on his tires.
LORENZO REYES
*How much the new extra point rule affects game play. In the 2014 regular season, there were 1,230 extra point attempts but only eight misses (99.3 % conversion rate). Through just 50 games this preseason, there were 10 misses in 161 attempts (93.7 % conversion rate) under the new rule, which essentially makes the point-after-touchdown a 33-yard field goal. It’s clear the new rule is going to be a significant factor this season – especially when the weather turns.
*Matt Cassel, thanks to his experience in the league, seemed to be the favorite headed into Bills training camp to win the starting QB job. But Tyrod Taylor‘s appointment as starter makes a lot of sense. Taylor brings a mobile threat in the ground game and impressed with his arm in Buffalo’s three preseason games. With ex-49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman taking the same role in Buffalo, he’ll try to mold Taylor a version of Colin Kaepernick, though Buffalo’s offense will still revolve around its ground game.
*The wide receiver market is thinning. Could A.J. Green be next? After Dez Bryant of the Cowboys and Demaryius Thomas of the Broncos earned their long-term deals in July, the Falcons signed Julio Jones to a five-year extension worth $71.25 million Saturday. That means Green, who enters the final year of his rookie deal with the Bengals in 2015, would become the most desirable receiver on the market if he hits free agency at the end of the year – and would likely field a monster pay day on the open market.
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