NFL Catchup: Shedeur Sanders Outplays Deshaun Watson; Stetson Bennett Stars In LA

Plenty of quarterbacks thrived on Saturday in Week 2 of the NFL preseason, some with jobs on the line. In Cleveland, it was Shedeur Sanders leading a touchdown drive as he competes for the starting job against Deshaun Watson. Out on the West Coast, Stetson Bennett IV took a strong step toward potentially being the backup for the Los Angeles Rams. A familiar face in Jameis Winston also played well, although the best QB performance may have come from an undrafted rookie out of a Division-II school. After Watson started the Browns’ preseason opener, it was Sanders’ turn on Sunday. The second-year quarterback was 8-of-11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and interception. On the Browns’ first drive, Sanders led an 11-play, 65-yard march to the end zone. He started with an eight-yard completion to wide receiver Isaiah Bond and later kept the Browns’ drive alive with a 16-yard connection to tight end Blake Whiteheart to convert a fourth-and-2. Sanders found running back Ahmani Marshall out of the backfield to get Cleveland into the red zone before he hit wide receiver Luke Floriea for an eight-yard touchdown. Sanders played three more series, finishing out the first half, but he couldn’t replicate the success he found on the Browns’ initial drive. On Cleveland’s second drive of the second quarter, Sanders targeted tight end Jermaine Terry II on a crossing route, but the Bills’ defense deflected the pass, and it fell into safety Damar Hamlin’s hands. Watson, meanwhile, did not have things go his way. The veteran started the second half and finished 5-of-12 passing for 36 yards and an interception, adding two rushes for 13 yards. There were plenty of boos for Watson in Cleveland, which he said he didn’t understand after the game. Sanders, to his credit, spoke out against the booing of Watson after the game, saying, “It’s a respect that I feel should be there.” It looks like Bennett, not Ty Simpson, may start the season as Matthew Stafford’s backup in Los Angeles. After Simpson shined in the Rams’ preseason opener, it was Bennett’s turn on Saturday against the New Orleans Saints. The former University of Georgia star was 19-of-31 for 181 passing yards with two carries for nine yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Bennett started the game and played into the second half. Simpson came in and was solid, going 8-of-12 for 73 yards. The Rams offense hummed with Bennett under center. Former Auburn standout and second-year running back Jarquez Hunter had 12 carries for 68 yards, while rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels (out of Miami) had eight receptions for 68 yards. The game was a blowout. Journeyman safety Alex Cook had the game’s most memorable play when he intercepted Saints QB Spencer Rattler and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. If it were the regular season, Harrison Butker would have kicked the longest field goal in NFL history on Saturday night. In the Chiefs’ matchup against the Buccaneers, the veteran kicker was good from 69 yards – and the kick had more to it than just that distance. It was an impressive feat that would have broken the NFL record for the longest in a real game, which was set by Jaguars kicker Cam Little last season. As the Vikings quarterback competition continued to brew, quarterback J.J. McCarthy took the stage during Week 2 of preseason. However, after four series, McCarthy left the field “banged up,” according to head coach Kevin O’Connell. “It’s always a moving target; maybe one more drive would have been great to get him based upon where he was snapcount-wise, but he was a little hobbled there. I’ll have an update for you, but he seemed to be fine,” O’Connell said after the Vikings’ preseason loss to the Ravens. McCarthy and quarterback Kyler Murray have been competing for Minnesota’s starting quarterback role, but Murray could be making a jump to earning the role. McCarthy finished the day going 5-for-10 for 81 yards and zero touchdowns. Six weeks ago, Winston was moonlighting as a World Cup correspondent for FOX Sports. Now, he’s back to his day job, which is being one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL. The Giants’ QB2 put up impressive numbers against the Dolphins on Saturday, going 15-of-21 for 150 yards through the air with an 11-yard touchdown run, as well. Winston wasn’t the only veteran player who stood out on the Giants’ offense. Running back Devin Singletary had eight carries for 40 rushing yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Darius Slayton led the team with 58 receiving yards on four catches. The most impressive performance of the day probably came from Falcons quarterback Jack Strand, who lit up the box score in a dominant 34-6 win over the Colts. Strand, an undrafted free agent out of Division-II school Minnesota State-Moorhead, was 12-of-17 for 212 yards for a whopping 12.5 yards per attempt with two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). Strand is unlikely to make the Falcons’ roster with Michael Penix Jr., Tua Tagovailoa and veteran Cooper Rush ahead of him on the depth chart, but he’s making a case to be employed at least on some team’s practice squad this season. Neither Penix nor Tagovailoa played on Saturday, while Rush started and was a strong 10-of-11 for 86 yards. Atlanta out-gained the Colts 461-164. Obviously, it’s the preseason, so the result doesn’t matter, but Indianapolis surely won’t be happy with this performance.