Sports Al Dente

Bryce Young made it easy for Panthers coach Dave Canales to decide how long to keep the starting offense on the field in their preseason finale at Buffalo on Saturday.

Young reassured the coach by finishing a 12-play, 85-yard opening drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Matthews in Carolina’s 31-26 win.

“Oh, it was great, right? Couldn’t have dreamt it better,” Canales said, also mentioning other key offensive players like receivers Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen. “Bryce looked sharp. Diontae and Adam looked great. I don’t want to go through the whole list. But anyway, the first group, I loved seeing them out there today.”

Young played only one series, and after the starters missed Carolina’s first two preseason games, he finished 6 of 8 for 70 yards. This was 9 more yards than what third- and fourth-stringers Jack Plummer and Jake Luton combined for in a 15-12 loss to the New York Jets last weekend.

The 2023 top overall pick demonstrated his understanding of his first-year coach’s new offensive system and handled various challenges in a game setting.

Young converted a fourth-and-3 by running to his left and completing a 17-yard pass to Johnson. On the next play, a play-action fake led to Young hitting Thielen for a 21-yard gain.

The touchdown pass came on third down after two incompletions, with Young waiting in the pocket until Matthews got open over the middle.

“I thought it was invaluable, something that we’ve got to continue to build off and carry into the future,” Young said. “There’s practice but being able to have that in a game and there being consequences to it, I think it was great for us as an offense to be put in a situation and for us to overcome it.”

Houston’s Cam Akers is unsure what will happen in the next few days as final roster cuts are made.

However, the veteran running back feels he has made a strong case to stay on the team.

“I feel good,” he said. “I feel like I showed people I’m still who I am. I haven’t lost a step and we’ll just see how it goes.”

Tim Boyle threw for 142 yards and two touchdowns, while Akers rushed for 53 yards, leading the Texans to a 17-15 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday in the preseason finale for both teams.

Akers, a former Ram, also added 19 yards receiving. He had a career-high 786 rushing yards with seven touchdowns for the Rams in 2022. He is currently listed as fifth on the depth chart, with Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce having secured their roster spots.

Akers made a notable play on Saturday when he powered into Jason Taylor II and knocked the safety down at the end of a 23-yard run late in the first quarter.

“That’s just big boy football,” he said. “Me going out and making a play. (It’s) JV (vs.) varsity. I’m varsity.”

The Texans were leading 10-9 when Boyle threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Johnson III on the second play of the fourth quarter, making the score 17-9.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud and Rams QB Matthew Stafford did not play, as most starters from both teams sat out.

Houston third-string quarterback Case Keenum started with Stroud and backup Davis Mills not playing. He led the offense on Houston’s first two possessions before Boyle took over.

Dresser Winn played the entire game for the Rams and was 9 of 16 for 72 yards. Zach Evans ran for 45 yards and two touchdowns for Los Angeles.

“He ran hard, leveled off some of those runs,” coach Sean McVay said. “I thought we were able to get pretty good removal on some of those drives. He was able to press it outside in one gap at a time, and he ended up doing a nice job as a slash runner today.”

Evans’ 3-yard run with about three minutes left in the game cut the lead to 17-15. However, he was stopped short on the 2-point conversion attempt.

The game was tied 3-3 after both teams made field goals in the first quarter. The Texans went ahead 10-3 when Boyle threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Troy Hairston early in the second quarter.

Los Angeles closed the gap to 10-9 when Evans scored on a 4-yard run about seven minutes before halftime. Rookie Joshua Karty’s extra point attempt missed after hitting the upright.

Stafford and backup Jimmy Garoppolo did not play in the preseason. Stafford, who has recently missed practice with a tight hamstring and has a cut on his left thumb, played a lot in a joint practice on Thursday with these teams.

Third-stringer Stetson Bennett did not play on Saturday after getting all the QB snaps in the first two preseason games. McVay said Bennett will be Stafford’s backup for the first two regular-season games, as Garoppolo is suspended for those games due to a violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.

“He’s done really well in some of the practice settings,” McVay said of Bennett. “When you do look at it, you’re obviously very fortunate to have Jimmy who will be coming back in Week 3, but he’s done enough that we feel good about him for the first couple of weeks.”

Xavier Hutchinson, who is competing for one of Houston’s last receiver spots, led the team with four catches for 34 yards.

“I came in and I had a lot of confidence in myself and I feel like I had a lot of confidence from the players on our team who had just seen me put in work,” he said. “So it was kind of easy just to believe in myself and really just try to transition into just showing it in a preseason game.”

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin still isn’t ready to name his starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both led touchdown drives for the Steelers, who lost 24-17 to the Detroit Lions on Saturday in their preseason finale.

Jermar Jefferson scored two touchdowns for the Lions, including a 7-yard run in the fourth quarter that put them ahead.

“It didn’t start pretty, but we finished strong,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said.

Tomlin has said many times that Wilson is in the “pole position” for the starting role, and the 35-year-old veteran did nothing in Detroit to suggest he won’t start when the season begins in two weeks. However, Tomlin would not make a decision yet.

“We’ll make a decision at the end of our work week,” he said.

Wilson completed both of his pass attempts, including a 32-yard throw to George Pickens. Two plays later, Cordarrelle Patterson scored on a 31-yard run to finish the game-opening drive.

Wilson spent the rest of the game on the bench while Fields had three drives to show his skills. His performance was mixed.

Fields converted a third down with a run and then threw a 22-yard pass to MyCole Pruitt, setting up La’Mical Perine’s 1-yard touchdown run.

In the previous two preseason games, neither Wilson nor Fields had led Pittsburgh to a touchdown.

“We’ve had a really great training camp and OTAs and we finally put it on the field,” Wilson said.

Fields’ second drive ended when he fumbled the snap while looking to the right in the shotgun formation. He recovered the ball but was then sacked. His third drive also ended with a sack.

Trey Lance played a lot in the preseason for the Dallas Cowboys but ended up with many interceptions.

The third-string quarterback threw five interceptions — the last one on the final play at the Los Angeles goal line — as the Chargers defeated the Cowboys 26-19 in their preseason finale on Saturday.

Derius Davis ran 70 yards for a touchdown on LA’s first play, and Simi Fehoko caught a 78-yard touchdown pass to start the second quarter.

Lance managed to run for a touchdown and throw for a score, but one of his five interceptions was a 25-yard pick-6 by undrafted rookie Tre’mon Morris-Brash, with Dallas trailing by a point in the fourth quarter.

This might be Lance’s last extensive playtime for the Cowboys.

The 2021 No. 3 overall pick by San Francisco played most of the preseason — with no turnovers before facing the Chargers — as Dallas decides if Lance will be part of their future.

For now, Lance will spend the last year of his rookie contract as the third quarterback behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush. The Cowboys traded for Lance last year after he lost the backup role to Brock Purdy with the 49ers.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones was more focused on the number of snaps Lance took rather than the number of mistakes he made. Jones noted that Lance has had limited playing time over the past four years, including college.

Lance was on the field for all 93 plays after getting 116 snaps in the first two preseason games.

“I hate that those five interceptions are going to be a stat on a game that I couldn’t have asked for more reps and a better situation to watch him play,” Jones said. “He needed that, because the one thing he’s missing more than anything is the lack of reps, much less NFL reps.”

Easton Stick threw the long touchdown pass to Fehoko but was otherwise 11 of 28 for 109 yards with an interception, as the Chargers work on finding a backup quarterback behind Justin Herbert.

Both teams rested their starters, and the game turned into a Dallas-area reunion for the players who scored both of LA’s offensive touchdowns.

Davis was on the TCU team that was the national runner-up to Georgia in the 2022 season. Fehoko, a fifth-round pick by the Cowboys in 2021, was waived by them after the preseason last year.

Davis, a receiver and kick returner, took an end-around handoff from Stick and raced to the LA sideline, cutting back inside without being touched.

“The way he worked the sideline was incredible,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “A lesser man would not have scored on that play. I was right there. I didn’t think he was going to be able to get a turn.”

Stick, who started four games last season after Herbert broke a finger, hit Fehoko in stride along the sideline in the second quarter. Fehoko avoided a tackle attempt by Andrew Booth, stayed inbounds by tip-toeing, and ran the final 30 yards freely.

Lance showed more signs of being inaccurate, throwing behind a receiver on Tony Jefferson’s second-quarter interception and missing a wide-open running back, Deuce Vaughn, in the flat.

Lance made a comeback with a well-placed throw to rookie Ryan Flournoy, connecting for a score on a fade route for the second week in a row.

His second interception was in the end zone, ending an 11-play drive to the Chargers’ 6-yard line in the third quarter. Lance ran 46 yards for a touchdown on the next drive.

The last three possessions for Dallas ended with interceptions by Lance, ending with Robert Kennedy kneeling just inside the goal line on a play from the LA 20 with 7 seconds left.

Antonio Pierce, the normally outspoken Raiders coach, sometimes makes a big impact with just a few words.

On Saturday, when asked about two rookie cornerbacks who haven’t yet stood out, Pierce was straightforward.

“I think it’s still a work in progress,” Pierce said.

This can also be said for the Raiders’ roster as a whole. Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco are working together to trim the roster to 53 players by 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday. Like other teams, the Raiders will keep an eye on players who might become available after being cut by other teams.

“If we can get better, then we can get better,” Pierce said, keeping his answer brief.

The Raiders lost their first two preseason games and ended their exhibition schedule with a 24-24 tie against the San Francisco 49ers on Friday night. They start the regular season on September 8 against the AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers and hope to prove wrong the low expectations.

Roster decisions are crucial, especially since the preseason didn’t fully address concerns about defensive depth. Last season, the Raiders ranked ninth in scoring defense, but key injuries could be problematic.

The starters also faced challenges during the preseason. The Raiders struggled against the run, allowing 136.7 yards per game and 4.5 yards per rush.

The secondary hasn’t been impressive either. Even with six starters on the field last week, third-string Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance was effective in a 27-12 Dallas win.

Las Vegas hoped to strengthen the secondary by drafting Decamerion Richardson in the fourth round from Mississippi State and M.J. Devonshire in the seventh round from Pittsburgh. Richardson did not play against the 49ers, even though the Raiders used backups.

Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh praised quarterback Justin Herbert and other players who were trapped in an elevator for two hours at the team hotel the night before a preseason game in Dallas.

Harbaugh mentioned that Herbert was among “11 or 12 of our players” in the elevator, along with Jeri Fouts, the wife of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Chargers TV analyst Dan Fouts.

Dallas Fire-Rescue helped all the people stuck in the elevator by lifting them through ceiling panels into another elevator Friday night. Before the rescue, a technician tried but failed to get the elevator working.

Fire officials reported that the elevator was stuck somewhere between the third and fifteenth floors at The Westin in downtown Dallas, about 15 miles from the Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington.

The Chargers won the preseason game 26-19 on Saturday. Herbert and the other starters for the Chargers did not play. LA will start the regular season on September 8 at home against the Las Vegas Raiders.

“You get in those situations, and it’s a test of wills,” Harbaugh said. “I was proud of each of the guys and the two women that were on that elevator. That’s a win. You feel good about yourself. You were challenged. It was a test of will, and you pull it down, or pull it in.”

Harbaugh mentioned that he almost ended up on the stuck elevator and saw everyone as they came out after being rescued.

“And it was hot,” Harbaugh said. “As each person came off the elevator, sweating and some had their shirts off. Justin Herbert, his hair was a little wet. But his shirt was completely dry. That was another thing that blew me away.”

Israel Abanikanda helped the New York Jets take an early lead with an impressive run. After that, their defense took charge.

Abanikanda had a 45-yard touchdown run in the first half, and the Jets sacked Tommy DeVito eight times in their 10-6 win over the Giants in their preseason finale on Saturday night.

“It was cool to see all those guys get after it,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. Aaron Rodgers and the other expected starters for the Jets watched from the sidelines, as did Daniel Jones and most of the Giants’ starters.

DeVito, who is the No. 3 quarterback behind Jones and Drew Lock, played the entire game but had a tough time. He completed 14 of 27 passes for 103 yards.

DeVito was often running — gaining 48 yards on five carries — while facing constant pressure from the Jets (3-0). Takk McKinley had 2 1/2 sacks, and undrafted rookie Braiden McGregor had two sacks. DeVito mentioned that the Jets kept changing their defensive looks and even started using cornerback blitzes.

“They did a lot more than I was expecting,” DeVito said. “I think we were ready for it, but they started amping up a lot of pressure, (including a) left corner blitz. I think literally they did that probably on the second drive. It was a little unexpected.”

The Giants (1-2) had only one expected starter — center John Michael Schmitz Jr. He left in the first quarter with an ankle injury but said after the game he was fine. None of their six draft picks, including first-round wide receiver Malik Nabers, played.

The only potential Jets starters who played were defensive ends Micheal Clemons and Will McDonald, who got extra playing time in the preseason since Haason Reddick was holding out while seeking a new contract.

Adrian Martinez, who was the UFL’s regular-season and championship game MVP last season, started at quarterback for the Jets and led them on two scoring drives in the first half before being replaced by fellow rookie Andrew Peasley at the start of the third quarter.

Martinez went 12 of 20 for 99 yards and ran for 23 yards on three carries as he tried to secure a spot on the roster behind Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor.

Undrafted rookie Ayir Asante fumbled the opening kickoff after being hit by Tre Swilling, and Qwan’tez Stiggers recovered the ball, giving the Jets possession at the Giants’ 45-yard line. Greg Zuerlein then kicked a 38-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Abanikanda increased the Jets’ lead to 10-0 early in the second quarter with a 45-yard touchdown run. He took the handoff, was spun around at the line, slipped past three tackles, and sped into the end zone.

“I knew it was going to pop off because I had a couple of runs earlier in the game for 10 yards here and there, so I knew one was going to pop for green,” Abanikanda said. “I didn’t know I was going to get that free.”

It was one of the few exciting moments for the fans at MetLife Stadium before they livened up the atmosphere themselves by doing “the wave” at the end of the third quarter.

Abanikanda, a fifth-round pick from last year, ended with 83 yards on nine carries. He is competing for a roster spot behind Breece Hall and rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, who are expected to be in the Jets’ backfield.

Rookie Jude McAtamney’s 43-yard field goal reduced the Giants’ deficit to 10-3 late in the first half.

Zuerlein’s 33-yard attempt hit the left upright as time expired in the second quarter, and he missed a 47-yarder later. McAtamney’s 23-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter made it 10-6.

Geno Smith’s short appearance in the preseason only built more excitement about what he could bring to Seattle’s offense when the real games begin.

Smith impressed during his one series in the preseason, throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf, helping the Seahawks win 37-33 against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday night.

“Made some great throws. Seemed decisive. The plan was to do a couple of series but I think we saw enough after I think the good five plays,” Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said.

Both teams used their starters only a little, and some, like Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson, didn’t play at all, leaving backups to handle most of the game for both teams.

Smith had watched from the sidelines for Seattle’s first two preseason games but finally got a chance to play a bit under new coordinator Ryan Grubb. Smith completed 4 out of 5 passes for 62 yards on his only drive.

After missing his first throw, Smith hit his next four, including a 25-yard pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the touchdown throw to Metcalf.

Kenny McIntosh, competing for the No. 3 running back spot on Seattle’s team, had a 56-yard touchdown run where he used a stiff arm on Cleveland safety Chase Williams.

“I definitely had it in my bag but that’s one of the things (assistant) coach (Kennedy Polamalu) emphasizes is on the little things. Those are one of the little things we always work on (is) stiff arming,” McIntosh said.

Injury-prone wide receiver Dee Eskridge may have given himself a slim chance of making the 53-man roster by showing the speed and agility that once made him a second-round pick with a 79-yard punt return touchdown for Seattle (2-1).

Sam Howell was 6 of 9 for 45 yards after taking over from Smith, but had a 73-yard touchdown pass to Cody White called back because of a penalty. Jason Myers showed he’s ready for the regular season with field goals of 58, 51, and 47 yards.

Jameis Winston played the first two series as quarterback for Cleveland (0-3) before Dorian Thompson-Robinson took over for the rest of the first half. Thompson-Robinson was 11 of 20 for 115 yards and threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to Jamari Thrash.

Tyler Huntley played the second half, going 17 of 22 for 146 yards and three touchdowns. Huntley connected with Michael Woods II for touchdowns of 12 and 17 yards, with the second one coming with 8 seconds left.

“Everything is tough. Every decision is tough. That’s a good roster. That’s a good problem to have when you have tough decisions to make,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said.

Watson was among several Browns starters who watched the preseason finale from the sideline. Joel Bitonio, Amani Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Greg Newsome II were among the Cleveland starters who did not play.

Stefanski said Watson wanted to play, but since many of the offensive starters were sitting out, he decided to keep his starting quarterback on the sideline too.

“Just didn’t feel like it would be best to put him out there in this setting,” Stefanski said. “Very confident in the amount of work that he’s gotten to date throughout the spring and summer and he’ll be ready to roll Week 1.”

Five starters on Cleveland’s defense — Shelby Harris, Za’Darius Smith, Devin Bush, Grant Delpit, and Juan Thornhill — played a little in the first quarter before being replaced by backups.

Seattle’s starting defense mostly played just one series, and they might have left the game sooner because outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu was injured with a knee issue on the fourth play of the game.