By Anthony Wootton
Week 2 of the NFL preseason wasn’t short of storylines this weekend.
If Mitch Trubisky thought he’d be heading into Week 1 of the regular season as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback, he’d better think again.
Head coach, Mike Tomlin, has a QB battle, following an impressive display from first round rookie Kenny Pickett on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans’ rookie signal caller, Malik Willis, showed signs of promise in their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Titans and the Dallas Cowboys appear to have nailed down their returners for the forthcoming season, while the Baltimore Ravens maintain their incredible preseason form.
Here are five takeaways from the weekend.
Kenny the pick in Pitt?
Steelers fans will be salivating at the prospect of the former Pittsburgh Panthers college being handed the reins from the retired Ben Roethlisberger.
In his two preseason games he’s completed 17 of 22 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns. One of those touchdowns came after an impressive drive on Saturday night.
With the clock ticking down to halftime, Pickett needed just 42 seconds to complete 6 of 7 passes for 63 yards and a score. The touchdown going to Benny Snell off an 11-yard pass.
It was the final act for the 24-year-old on the night, however Tomlin and offensive coordinator Matt Canada had seen all they needed.
Pickett, Trubisky and Mason Rudolph will be given their opportunity again on Sunday, when the Steelers take on the Detroit Lions in the final preseason game.
Then they must decide whether the fate of the franchise lies in the hands of the rookie before their visit to the Bengals on opening weekend.
Mike Tomlin wasn’t giving anything away after the game, “We’ll address depth chart-related things over the next couple of days as we zero in on our next opportunity,” Tomlin said. “I don’t make knee-jerk reactions or statements following the performance.”
Wills shows promise in Nashville
It was clear that head coach Mike Vrabel and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing had worked on Malik Willis’s pocket presence last week.
The third round pick completed 7-of-17 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, although he did continue to use his legs, running or 42 yards on five carries, including a long of 24 yards.
Willis impressed against Baltimore the week prior, rushing for his first touchdown. This weekend he threw his first touchdown pass, 6 yards to rookie tight end Chig Okonkwo.
It was the only touchdown of the game.
Speaking about the work his coaching staff has done with Malik Willis in the pocket, Vrabel said, “I don’t want to see anybody get hurt, especially our quarterbacks.”
“You run out of the back of the pocket in this league, these guys are coming. So, we’ll continue to coach him on his pocket presence and being able to keep his eyes downfield. It’s such a fine line.”
There isn’t any threat to Ryan Tannehill’s position as starting quarterback for the Titans, but Tennessee will want to ensure they’ve got the back-up they need in Willis.
Although it’s safe to say the Titans have found their new returner!
The fifth round rookie wide receiver, Kyle Philips, from UCLA has impressed throughout OTAs and training camp.
On Saturday he caught the eyes of everyone, fielding three punts and returning them for a total of 77 yards.
Special teams coordinator, Craig Aukerman, will likely be having words with Philips for returning a punt after fielding it in the end zone.
But, the receiver made an impact and capped his night with a 35-yard return.
In college he returned 26 punts, scoring two touchdowns. Philips averaged 22.6 yards per punt return last year, and was 19.3 yards per punt in his college career.
The 5-foot 11″ receiver also caught a pass for 11 yards on Saturday. Speaking after the game, Philips said, “I definitely want to make a play every time the ball is in my hands. I want to contribute to this team, and help us win some games. So, every time I touch the ball I want to try and make something happen.”
Turpin turbo-charged for Cowboys
Last season wide receiver KaVontae Turpin was catching passes and returning kicks for the USFL team, the New Jersey Generals.
The 5-foot 7″ return specialist from TCU was voted MVP of the USFL, and on Saturday he was the standout player for the Dallas Cowboys in their 32-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
In the first quarter, Turpin received the Chargers’ kickoff at the 2-yard line and took it 98 yards for the score.
Turpin, who had a 78-yard score off a return for the Generals in the USFL, proved that lightning can strike twice against the Bolts.
Towards the end of the first half on Saturday, he received a punt, dodged Chargers defenders and took it to the house for 86 yards.
Ravens streak continues
The Baltimore Ravens have their remarkable preseason record intact, as they extended their win streak to 22 games on Sunday night.
Fourth round rookie tight end, Isaiah Likely, was the standout player for the Ravens, hauling eight receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in the 24-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
His touchdown pass came from quarterback Tyler Huntley, who went 13-of-14 passing for 129 yards and a score.
Huntley has thrown for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns this preseason, and will have certainly cemented his place as Lamar Jackson’s backup in Baltimore.
The Ravens will look to extend their preseason winning streak to 23 games when they host the Washington Commanders on Saturday night.
