The first full week of the NFL preseason kicked off with 11 games on Thursday night. Sure, these games don’t mean anything in the long run (unless you’re Bill Belichick, who’s known to watch the full slate of exhibition games), but here are a few initial takeaways from each team’s first 60 minutes of football.
It was a good night for young quarterbacks. Sam Darnold, last year’s third overall draft pick, recovered after his first pass was deflected and nearly intercepted to lead a seven-play touchdown drive, looking comfortable in the designer route combinations that define Adam Gase’s shrewd system.