NFL Preseason Week 3 Roundup

The week 3 out of four in this NFL Preseason has just wrapped up, and the games were exciting as some were pretty close and contested. We also had some outstanding plays at a point where the teams and players could risk things and simply enjoy themselves on the field.

Let’s get ready to dive deeper into some of the results of these interesting matches and see if they give us a good idea of what we should expect.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Roundup: Ravens 13 – Falcons 12

If there were a picture next to a definition of an NFL journeyman, Josh Johnson would most certainly reside there. The 38-year-old has played for seven NFL teams and signed contracts with 14 franchises

However, it seems as though his long and winding road might finally have led to a home as the Baltimore Ravens’ solidified backup quarterback.

Johnson was a perfect 11-of-11 passing for 120 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, and a 142.4 rating during the Ravens’ 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. The performance was a sigh of relief following a subpar showing in his Week 1 preseason showing.

While David Ojabo wasn’t credited with a tackle, he had a quarterback hit and a few strong rushes. It was his first game action since being cleared for contact during his recovery from last year’s season-ending knee injury.

The Falcons pulled to within 13-12 during the game’s final minute, but linebacker Tavius Robinson’s tackle thwarted Atlanta’s two-point conversion attempt.

The Ravens were also encouraged by what they saw from rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac before he left the game with cramps. Isaac missed most of the offseason due to a hamstring injury, so he’s still building up his conditioning.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Roundup: Texans 28 – Giants 10

Daniel Jones was thrilled to be back on the field this Saturday for the New York Giants even if the results weren’t optimal. He threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown in his first action since a season-ending knee injury last year, and the Houston Texans beat the Giants 28-10.

Houston’s C.J. Stroud threw for 88 yards in one quarter after playing two series in his preseason debut last week. The Texans didn’t score on his first drive and he was lifted for Case Keenum in the middle of the next one at the start of the second quarter.

Jones was under heavy pressure in the end zone on his second drive when he threw a desperation pass whichwas picked off by Jalen Pitre and returned 5 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0.

The push kept going forward and it simply looked like the Texans were too much of a problem for the Giants to solve, but there is nothing to worry about just yet.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Roundup: Chiefs 23 – Lions 24

Just when you think Patrick Mahomes has nothing more to achieve in football, he goes behind your back and wows again.

After years of practice, Mahomes finally attempted and completed a behind-the-back pass Saturday in the first quarter of Kansas City’s 24-23 preseason loss to Detroit. The third-and-three attempt, caught by Travis Kelce, traveled 7.2 yards in the air, moved at 11.27 mph, and had a completion probability of 86.8 percent, according to Next Gen Stats.

The play went eight yards for a first down and extended Kansas City’s second drive, which ended in a field goal. Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, left the game soon after, having completed eight of 14 pass attempts for 93 yards on two field-goal drives.

The next step in Mahomes’ journey to becoming the most exciting football player of all time is for the Chiefs QB to attempt the feat in a regular-season game.

The match was overall pretty contested, and it ended as a very close win for the Lions, but we can’t deny that the moment of the match was the incredible play by the Chiefs’ QB.

NFL Preseason Week 3 Roundup: 49ers 16 – Saints 10

Rookie safety Malik Mustapha certainly looked the part of a hard-hitting 49ers defensive back on and off the field in San Francisco’s 16-10 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.

Mustapha, whom the 49ers selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, has played well in the preseason thus far as he continues to climb up San Francisco’s depth chart with veteran safety Talanoa Hufanga working his way back from a torn ACL.

The Saints’ Defensive ends Carl Granderson and Chase Young spent most of their time in the 49ers’ backfield, harassing San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy into a two-for-six outing and just 12 yards of offense.

The second and third-stringers didn’t fare well for New Orleans (1-1). Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler lost a fumble and second-year quarterback Jake Haener nearly had one as neither did much to separate themselves in the race to be Carr’s backup.

The game just showcased a more cohesive team from the 49ers.