The first week of the preseason is mostly over, and if you were expecting to gain some clarity on the quarterback battles around the league, you’ll be disappointed. None of those battles are going to be solved after just one preseason game, but there were some interesting things to note on Friday.
2013 NFL preseason, Week 1: Quarterback horse races continue
Not much was decided for the various quarterback battles in Week 1 of the preseason, but there’s plenty worth talking about.
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We’ll take a look at each battle below:
Mark Sanchez made the start and has been something of a favorite given that Geno Smith is a rookie. Sanchez actually played well, despite throwing an interception on his third pass attempt of the game. He finished with a 10-for-13 mark, 125 yards and a touchdown to go with the interception. Smith, on the other hand, went 6-for-7 for 47 yards with two 3-and-outs before leaving the game with an injury.
At this point, it looks like Sanchez is safe heading into the second game of the preseason, at least for now.
Blaine Gabbert struggled on Friday, but he did miss a few practices leading up to the game. He was the starter, and finished 5-for-10 for just 19 yards and an interception. He’ll probably get the benefit of the doubt heading into Week 2 of the preseason, but Chad Henne put him on notice with a strong performance. Henne finished 8-for-11 for 87 yards with no touchdowns, but also no interceptions.
Michael Vick is the favorite to win, and he played well to keep himself as the front runner going forward. Against the New England Patriots, Vick completed 4-of-5 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown before giving way to Nick Foles. He didn't wow with his level of play, but he completed 5-of-6 passes for 43 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions.
Rookie Matt Barkley played well, and though he’s a long shot to win it, the Eagles have to love to see that. He completed 11-of-22 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown with no picks. Expect the depth chart to look the same heading into next week.
Matt Flynn is still in line to be Oakland’s starting quarterback this season after Friday 4-of-5, 37-yard performance under center. On the first drive of the game, he was sacked and fumbled the ball away, which gave Dallas possession and eventually three points. Pryor was 6-of-10 for 88 yards, but he threw an interception in Dallas’ end zone to crush a promising drive. He picked up 31 yards on three carries.
In the battle for third-string, undrafted rookie free agent Matt McGloin had the only Raiders' touchdown of the game when he found Brice Butler for a 30-yard strike in the third quarter. Fourth-round draft choice Tyler Wilson entered in the fourth quarter, completed three of six passes for 28 yards and was sacked.
New England Patriots: Ryan Mallett vs. Tim Tebow
Tom Brady is the starter for sure -- that's not even remotely close to being up for debate. But Ryan Mallett may not be coming along as quickly as the Patriots want, and Tim Tebow is always in the mix, it seems. On Friday, Mallett completed half of his passes -- 9-of-18 -- for 97 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. He might have played for longer, but he sustained an apparent head injury and gave way to Tebow.
It was, of course, mixed results for Tebow as well. He completed just 4-of-12 passes for 55 yards, but did manage to add 31 rushing yards off of four carries. At this point, Mallett is still well in the lead provided he can return from the injury he sustained.
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