CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams made another good impression in his first appearance at Soldier Field since Chicago drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick, running for a touchdown and leading two scoring drives, and the Bears beat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-3 on Saturday.
Williams got off to a slow start coming off an impressive and brief showing last week at Buffalo in his first preseason appearance. Chicago went three-and-out on its first three possessions on a rainy afternoon. The former USC star then showed the arm and elusiveness the Bears are banking on, leading them to a field goal and scrambling for a touchdown.
Williams completed 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards against Cincinnati’s backups, including a 45-yarder to fellow rookie Rome Odunze. He ran for a 7-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.
Odunze, the No. 9 overall draft pick, also had a 16-yard run on an end-around to help set up a field goal. Khalil Herbert carried five times for 31 yards.
Tyson Bagent started the second half for Chicago and threw two touchdown passes to Dante Pettis. He was 7 of 8 for 87 yards with a 151.6 rating before Brett Rypien took over midway through the fourth.
Simone Biles, fresh off winning three more Olympic gold medals in Paris and wearing a Green Bay Packers jacket, cheered on her husband, safety Jonathan Owens from the Chicago sideline. Owens signed with Chicago after spending last year with the rival Packers.
RAVENS 13, FALCONS 12
BALTIMORE (AP) — Josh Johnson completed all 11 of his pass attempts and Emory Jones added a long touchdown throw in the second half to lift Baltimore to a victory over Atlanta.
The Falcons scored with 36 seconds remaining on a 3-yard run by Jase McClellan, but McClellan was stopped well short on a 2-point conversion by Tavius Robinson. Atlanta did not bother trying an onside kick after that.
Lamar Jackson and Kirk Cousins, each team’s No. 1 quarterback, did not play. Neither did Atlanta rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Johnson and Jones each passed for a TD, and Jones rebounded from a fumble last week that led to the decisive field goal in Baltimore’s loss to Philadelphia.
Younghoe Koo kicked two field goals for the Falcons, including a 54-yarder in the first quarter. But he missed from 40, 45 and 49 yards — all wide left.
With Cousins and Penix staying out of harm’s way, Taylor Heinicke was the starter for Atlanta and went 8 of 16 for 114 yards.
TEXANS 28, GIANTS 10
HOUSTON (AP) — New York’s Daniel Jones threw two interceptions, one which was returned for a touchdown in his first action since a season-ending knee injury last year and Houston won.
Jones tore the ACL in his right knee on Nov. 5 and had recovered for the start of training camp but was held out of New York’s preseason opener last week against Detroit. He played until halftime Saturday and was 11 of 18 for 138 yards.
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 which was picked off by Jalen Pitre and returned 5 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0.
The Giants were driving on the next possession when Jones attempted a deep throw to Jalin Hyatt. But Derek Stingley jumped in front of him near the end zone for another interception.
Jones moved the ball more effectively after that with most of Houston’s starters on the bench. He directed a 63-yard drive capped by a 1-yard TD run by Devin Singletary that tied it early in the second.
VIKINGS 27, BROWNS 12
CLEVELAND (AP) — Nick Mullens threw a touchdown pass on the heels of Minnesota’s quarterback rotation getting jumbled this week by J.J McCarthy’s season-ending injury and they beat Cleveland.
Mullens connected with wide receiver Trishton Jackson on a 14-yard TD in the first quarter for the Vikings (2-0).
Minnesota’s third-string QB Jaren Hall had two second-half scoring passes, the second a 71-yarder to wide receiver Jeshaun Jones. Rookie Will Reichard kicked field goals of 41 and 38 yards for Minnesota.
D’Onta Foreman had a 1-yard touchdown and Cade York kicked a 33-yard field goal for the Browns (0-2).
Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell and Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski chose to sit their starters as well as most backups, feeling they had gotten adequate work when the teams practiced twice this week.
LIONS 24, CHIEFS 23
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes completed a slick behind-the-back pass to Travis Kelce while throwing for 93 yards in two tidy series of work, though Kansas City lost to Detroit.
Detroit rallied to the victory when Jake Bates hit a 43-yard field goal with no time remaining.
Mahomes was 8 of 14 through the air while leading the Chiefs to a pair of field goals against the Lions’ backup defense. He also led Kansas City to a field goal in his only series in its preseason opener against the Jaguars last week.
But the highlight of the game came as Mahomes was rolling to his right and started to get pressure from Detroit defensive lineman Josh Paschal. He zipped the pass behind his back to Kelce, who was dragging across the field, and the completion on third-and-3 at the Detroit 33 was good for a first down and helped to set up an eventual field goal.
Mahomes has fooled around with behind-the-back throws in practice but has never completed one during a game. He said on the TV broadcast later that Kelce ran the wrong route so he threw the behind-the-back pass “out of spite.”
BILLS 9, STEELERS 3
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Russell Wilson slogged through a forgettable preseason debut in Pittsburgh, mustering little before giving way to a more dynamic Justin Fields as they lost to Josh Allen-less Buffalo.
The 35-year-old Wilson, slowed by a calf injury for much of training camp, completed 8 of 10 passes for 47 yards. He also took three sacks during five scoreless series of work.
Fields fared marginally better, finishing 11 of 17 for 92 yards. He also ran for a team-high 42 yards, showcasing the versatility that led the Steelers (0-2) to trade for him in March, though he was also stopped for a loss on a fourth-down run in the third quarter that ended a scoring threat and threw incomplete on fourth down at the Buffalo 20 in the final minutes.
Tyler Bass kicked three field goals for the Bills (1-1), who were more engaged against Pittsburgh than during a lifeless loss to Chicago last week, even with Allen watching from the sideline.
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott kept his franchise quarterback out of the lineup following a pregame thunderstorm that made the field slick and forced fans to clear the stands twice.
JETS 15, PANTHERS 12
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rookie Brandon Codrington returned a kickoff 63 yards and a punt 31 yards to set up scores and New York beat Carolina in a game in which both teams rested almost all of their starters and several key reserves.
Austin Seibert kicked four field goals, including a 52 yarder, and Greg Zuerlein added another for the Jets.
The Jets’ Aaron Rodgers and Panthers’ Bryce Young sat out after both received extensive snaps during a joint practice Thursday, which got heated at times. The primary backup QBs — New York’s Tyrod Taylor and Carolina’s Andy Dalton — also sat.
That gave the sparse crowd at Bank of America Stadium a long look at a pair of rookies starting at quarterback, with Andrew Peasley for the Jets and Jack Plummer for the Panthers. And both struggled.
Peasley played the entire first half and finished 7 of 11 for 33 yards and was sacked once. His fourth drive was his best, moving the Jets 49 yards in 17 plays to set up a 36-yard field goal by Zuerlein to tie it at 3 before halftime.
COLTS 21, CARDINALS 13
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jason Bean, Tyler Goodson and Zavier Scott each rushed for one touchdown, helping Indianapolis hold off mistake-prone Arizona in a matchup of backups.
Coaches Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon each opted to sit most of their starters after holding two joint practices earlier this week.
Bean took advantage of his most extensive playing time in two weeks by going 7 of 9 with 94 yards, one interception and the 1-yard TD run on fourth down to open the fourth quarter. Goodson started and ran six times for 35 yards and the first score of the game as he battles Zavier Scott for the No. 3 running back job. Scott had 11 carries for 55 yards and now has four TDs through the first two preseason games.
Clayton Tune started at quarterback for the Cardinals and was 8 of 10 with 79 yards and a 12-yard TD run late in the first half while Desmond Ridder finished the game 6 of 10 for 71 yards. Trey Benson carried nine times for 43 yards, but Arizona had nearly as many penalties (11) as first downs (13).
It was the first time these two franchises met in a preseason game since August 1967 when they called Baltimore and St. Louis home and were relying on quarterbacks John Unitas and Jim Hart.
RAMS 13, CHARGERS 9
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Stetson Bennett threw for 213 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown pass to JJ Laap in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles rallied for a victory over Los Angeles.
Bennett, who completed 17 of 31 passes, connected with Laap after the undrafted rookie wide receiver beat Chargers cornerback Zamari Walton on a go route down the middle with 9:48 remaining.
The touchdown made up for the previous two Rams drives, when Bennett threw an interception to Deane Leonard deep in the end zone on fourth-and-goal at the 1 and Joshua Karty was wide right on a 52-yard field goal attempt.
Karty did have a pair of field goals for the Rams (2-0). Bennett has gone the distance at quarterback in both games with starter Matthew Stafford and backup Jimmy Garoppolo on the sideline.
Cameron Dicker kicked three field goals for coach Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers (0-2). Their offense showed improvement from the first preseason game, but still failed to produce a touchdown. The Bolts and Bills are the only teams that have not scored an offensive TD in their two preseason games.
TITANS 16, SEAHAWKS 15
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Brayden Narveson kicked his third field goal of the game as time expired, helping Tennessee rally twice in the fourth quarter to beat the Seattle.
Narveson, a rookie from North Carolina State in camp to ease veteran Nick Folk’s workload, made field goals of 21, 59 and 46 in the fourth quarter. That final one capped a nine-play drive with Mason Rudolph proving why he deserves the job backing up Will Levis at quarterback for Tennessee.
Jason Myers kicked his third field goal, a 50-yarder, for a 15-13 lead with 1:55 left as the Seahawks appeared ready to turn safety Ty Okada’s late interception into a victory.
Titans first-year coach Brian Callahan started Malik Willis, the third-round pick in 2022 out of Liberty, giving him a chance to show what he could do with backups. His best drive used up 14 plays and 9:23 setting up Narveson’s first field goal early in the fourth quarter to pull Tennessee within 12-10.
Rudolph didn’t need the start to show why he’s the Titans’ better option at backup quarterback. One drive was more than enough as he drove the Titans 78 yards in 10 plays and found Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 15-yard TD pass pulling them within 9-7 of Seattle.
JAGUARS 20, BUCCANEERS 7
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Mac Jones threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, taking a step toward formally securing Jacksonville’s backup job, and they beat Tampa Bay featuring few starters.
Jones got the nod in place of Trevor Lawrence and completed 16 of 23 passes, including TDs to Parker Washington and Brevin Easton. He also scrambled six times, including a nifty, duck-under move on linebacker Vi Jones in the second quarter to avoid a sack.
Jones’ best throws were for scores. He hit Washington in stride for 25 yards and a 7-0 lead that capped a 17-play drive. Washington finished with three receptions for 38 yards a week after returning a kickoff 73 yards against Kansas City.
Jones returned in the fourth quarter after C.J. Beathard was ruled out with a groin injury and lofted a perfect pass to Easton for a 31-yard score. Jones finished with a QB rating of 127.1. Beathard was 5 of 7 for 40 yards and was sacked three times.
Jones entered the game as the front-runner to be Lawrence’s backup, partly because the Jaguars traded a sixth-round draft pick for him but also because they view him as an upgrade over the 30-year-old Beathard.
The Buccaneers (1-1) and Jaguars (2-0) practiced against each other Wednesday and Thursday, getting enough quality work that most starters got the night off.
DOLPHINS 13, COMMANDERS 6
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa went 5-for-5 with a touchdown pass in his only series to help Miami to a victory over Washington.
Playing for the first time since he signed a four-year, $212 million extension, Tagovailoa was sharp, throwing for 51 yards on a 61-yard scoring drive that he capped with a 13-yard pass to River Cracraft on fourth-and-1.
Washington rookie Jayden Daniels was solid as well, playing two series and going 10 of 12 for 78 yards and rushing for 13 yards. The No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft led drives of 46 and 52 yards. The first ended on a missed field goal from 49 yards by Riley Patterson, who connected from 46 yards on the second.
Patterson went 2 for 4 on the night, also connecting from 38 yards and missing from 43.
Jason Sanders made field goals from 39 and 33 yards for the Dolphins (2-0).
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel appeared to follow the formula he has used in his previous two preseasons with Tagovailoa, who has sat out the opener and the finale while making a brief appearance in the second game.
COWBOYS 27, RAIDERS 12
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The competition for the Las Vegas’ starting quarterback job remained murky after both Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew were outplayed Saturday night by Trey Lance, a third-stringer who threw a touchdown pass and rushed for another to lead Dallas to a victory.
Lance, a former No. 3 overall draft pick who is trying to remain on the Cowboys’ roster, completed 15 of 23 passes for 151 yards. He played the final three quarters for Dallas (1-1). With starter Dak Prescott watching from the sideline, Cooper Rush played the first quarter and completed 1 of 3 passes for 6 yards.
Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey ended the first half with a 66-yard field goal to give the Cowboys a 13-6 halftime lead. That kick would have tied Justin Tucker’s NFL record if the game had been played in the regular season.
O’Connell looked ready to make a case to be the starter for the Raiders (0-2), but a 69-yard interception returned for a touchdown by cornerback Kemon Hall on the first play of the fourth quarter undid his earlier work. He finished 14 of 20 for 96 yards with a touchdown and the interception.
Minshew, O’Connell’s competition for the job, started for the Raiders and had the full array of offensive talent, except for wide receiver Davante Adams and tight end Brock Bowers. Minshew played a drive into the second quarter, missing several open targets while completing 10 of 21 passes for 95 yards. The Raiders scored just a field goal in his four drives.
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