Catch up on the best and latest highlights of NFL’s exciting and action-packed 2018 preseason. From the best rookie performances to the most disappointing plays, we have you covered. Read ahead to find out the best of NFL 2018 Preseason.
It’s the “warm-up” preseason of the NFL and we’ve just wrapped up Week 3. So far, the football gods have been generous and granted us with some extremely gratifying plays. Especially after such a long football winter. It’s true that the NFL Preseason isn’t as exciting as the main season itself. However for any true-blue NFL fan, the Preseason still offers some of the most magical moments in the game. Furthermore, the NFL Preseason gives us the unique opportunity to get to know rookies, and get updates on how our favorite players and teams are doing. We’ve rounded up the best highlights worth noting so far.
Week 1 Highlights
The first week of NFL Preseason is usually touch-and-go. Players just came from well-deserved breaks and it’s understandably hard to get back into the right playing mindset again. However, Week 1 is when fans are pumped up and eager to see the rookies we’ve anticipated watching and the veterans who want to prove their staying power.
This 2018, Week 1 proved to be a big stage for talented rookies to shine and for teams to show off their new moves. Here are the best highlights of the NFL Preseason Week 1:
Rookie of the week: Baker Mayfield
Now, this is one quarterback everyone has been talking about. And it’s no wonder. This former Heisman Trophy winner is considered as the number one overall pick this season.
How did the No. 1 overall pick look in his preseason debut?
EVERY @bakermayfield throw from #CLEvsNYG! pic.twitter.com/QLJQezjNT7
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2018
Mayfield definitely lived up to the hype, giving a stellar debut performance for the Cleveland Browns on Week 1. His touchdown pass to David Njoku in double coverage, for example, proves that Mayfield makes good decisions on the field. He takes necessary risks when he sees them. These risks usually pay off, with Mayfield’s arm and accuracy to put the ball where he knows his receiver can catch it. As you know, in football, a great player has both great physical capacity and more importantly, the mental ability to make successful calculated risks. And Baker Mayfield has both qualities and the ability to thrive under pressure. All in all, the Browns will have a hard time to keep this quarterback in the bench.
Team of The Week: Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers proved to be a showstopper. The match against the Philadelphia Eagles ended at 31 to 14. But perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise. Time and time again, the Steelers have proven that there is no other team quite like them. When it comes to cultivating the wide receiver position, the Pittsburgh Steelers always take the cake. Even if they lose players to free agency, the steady stream of high-quality wide receivers is something innate in this team.
In their first game of Preseason, the Steelers’ wide receivers put out a great show of skills. Rookie James Washington 35-yard catch was something to see. And let’s not forget Smith-Schuster’s 71-yard bomb.
Match of The Week: Indianapolis Colts 19, Seattle Seahawks 17
Before this match, the Seattle Seahawks were enjoying a six-game preseason winning streak. However, the Indianapolis Colts managed to snap this record and took home their first win of the season. Things were looking good for the Seahawks. In fact, at the beginning of the match, the Colts managed to hilariously hand over 7 points with a Bennie Hill-level blooper. Additionally, Shaquem Griffin entered on the Colts’ second drive and went straight to business. The talented linebacker did four tackles in his first defensive drive.
On another note, anticipation towards Andrew Luck’s performance after his injury last season. But Indiannapolis has been patient and cautios with his recovery, it was a wonder if he would be allowed to play this preseason. It seems like in this match, he was allowed to let loose a little. Luck might not have thrown deep at all. But he did complete five out of seven passesfor 55 yards, a total of 12 plays, and ending with a field goal.
Andrew Luck leads 2 scoring drives in his 2018 preseason debut: https://t.co/vzGsiVsUYh pic.twitter.com/hID081w4Av
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 10, 2018
Week 2 Highlights
Week 2 displayed a set of deeply gratifying games as the action hits up to a boil. The second week of the NFL Preseason ended with a Monday Night Football game between the Colts and the Ravens. Here are the best highlights:
Man of the Week: Jimmy Garoppolo
Skeptics are relentless when they say that the San Francisco 49ers’ star quarterback is losing his touch. But during Week 2’s match against the Houston Texans just proves that Jimmy Garoppolo still looks great on field. He was able to complete 10 of 12 passes for an impressive 136 yards, including a touchdown and an interception.
Garoppolo goes through his progressions, find Juszczyk open on fourth down. Beautiful. #SFvsHOU pic.twitter.com/Mgl8RXao4Q
— James Brady (@JamesBradySBN) August 19, 2018
Match of the Week: New England Patriots 37, Philadelphia Eagles 20
Boy, did the New England Patriots come out swinging. If Revenge was on their mind, they dominated this game brilliantly. The defending Superbowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, were out of luck. And Tom Brady, well, is still Tom Brady. The quarterback might be 41 years old, but he still plays like a young man. Brady went 5-for-5 on the first drive and capped it off beautifully with a 4-yard touchdown strike against Chris Hogan.
Brady ➡️ Hogan…
TOUCHDOWN @Patriots! #PHIvsNE pic.twitter.com/1lICFK2ZXq
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2018
However, the Patriots didn’t end on a particularly stellar note. Rookie first-round tackle Isaiah Wynn , left the field with an ankle injury.
Week 3 Highlights
Continuing the football warm up, Week 3 ended with a high and steady momentum so far. Anything can happen next week, but here are the best highlights of the NFL 2018 Preseason thus far.
Man of the Week: Andrew Luck
What seemed to be a touchy start for the previously injured quarterback. His performance on Week 1 was good, but showed very little of his original shine. During Week 3, however, Luck looked good on the field again. After missing all of 2017, Andrew Luck is back in business. The Indianapolis Colts QB clocked in eight of his first 10 passes for 90 yards. His intermediate throws were fast and strong. A perfect example is this touchdown pass to Eric Ebron during the secnd quarter of their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Luck ➡️ @Ebron85 for the @Colts TD! #SFvsIND pic.twitter.com/MxuqxD3wZE
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2018
Match of the Week: New Orleans Saints 36, Los Angeles Chargers 7
The New Orleans Saints displayed their power in a truly offensive matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. First off, all eyes were on two particular players. Quarterback Drew Brees made his official debut of the 2018 preseason while first-round pick Marcus Davenport showcased his first display of action. Davenport didn’t play during the past 2 preseason games. However, his entry at Week 3’s first quarter all but made up for it. A half-sack and three tackles was more than enough to prove his worth.