Friday's NFL: Giants QB Daniel Jones plays like $40 million man vs. Panthers
East Rutherford, N.J. – Daniel Jones played very much like a $40 million man in his preseason debut, throwing a touchdown pass to cap a near-perfect performance in leading the New York Giants to a 21-19 victory over the Carolina Panthers and improving No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young on Friday night.
Jones, who signed a four-year, $160 million in March, completed 8 of 9 passes for 69 yards on his only series, capping it with a 4-yard touchdown strike to Daniel Bellinger. Exciting tight end Darren Waller had three catches on the drive for 30 yards and also had a drop for the only incompletion.
Backup Tyrod Taylor threw a 33-yard TD pass to big-play rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt, while Eric Gray scored on a 9-yard run for New York (1-1). The Giants rested star running back Saquon Barkley for the second straight week.
Young, who did little in his NFL debut last week against the Jets, showed flashes and put points on the board for the first time, taking the Panthers (0-2) on a 15-yard, 62-yard drive that Matthew Wright capped early in the second quarter with the first of his two field goals.
Young played two series and was 3 of 6 for 35 yards. His best throw was a 15-yard toss to Jonathan Mingo on a play the former Alabama star read a blitz by Wink Martindale's defense and found the hot receiver.
With veteran Andy Dalton sidelined, third-string quarterback Matt Corral led the Panthers 66-yard drive that Raheem Blackshear capped with a 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Fourth-string quarterback Jake Luton made things interesting with a 20-yard TD pass to Gary Jennings with 6:47 to play.
Falcons settle for 13-13 tie with Bengals
Atlanta – Desmond Ridder led an impressive drive for Atlanta in his preseason debut and the Falcons settled for a field goal with 2 seconds left for a 13-13 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night.
After sitting the starters last week in a 19-3 victory at Miami, the Falcons (1-0-1) went with the ones for their opening possession.
Ridder completed 7 of 9 passes for 80 yards and also broke off a 7-yard run before the drive ended with an interception off a deflected pass. Cornerback Mike Hilton appeared to make contact with intended receiver Scotty Miller before the throw arrived, but no flag was thrown. The ball bounced into the air and was picked off by defensive end Joseph Ossai.
Despite the interception, it was a promising start to 2023 for the young quarterback who carries Atlanta's hopes of breaking a streak of five straight losing seasons.
As a rookie, Ridder started four games at the end of last season, leading the Falcons to a 2-2 record and persuading coach Arthur Smith that he can handle the job.
After a snoozer of a game, the final minute provided some dramatics in a largely empty stadium, with a bunch of backups and roster hopefuls on the field.
Jake Browning guided an 80-yard drive to that put the Bengals (0-1-1) ahead 13-10 with 50 seconds remaining. He completed four passes for 42 yards and scrambled twice for another 33 yards, setting up Chase Brown's 1-yard touchdown run with 50 seconds remaining.
But Atlanta third-stringer Logan Woodside connected on three straight passes for 53 yards before a third-down throw in the end zone was batted down. To a smattering of boos, the Falcons sent out Younghoe Koo for a tying 45-yard field goal with two seconds left.
Ridder and Atlanta's other offensive starters only played the first series before calling it a night. First-round pick Bijan Robinson was among them, carrying the ball four times for 20 yards and hauling in a 6-yard pass in his preseason debut.
The Bengals went with Trevor Siemian in the first half while franchise quarterback Joe Burrow continues his recovery from a calf injury. Burrow came up hobbling after scrambling at a training camp practice on July 27.
Siemian was 7 of 14 for 62 yards, guiding the Bengals into position for Eva McPherson's 50-yard field goal on the final play of the first half, sending the teams to the locker room tied at 3.
Taylor Heinicke, the former Washington starter who signed in free agency to back up Ridder, was 13 of 21 for 162 yards and hooked up with J.J. Arcega-Whiteside on a 28-yard completion that up the Falcons' only touchdown. Carlos Washington Jr. took it in from the 1.
Clowney agrees to join Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have made another late addition to their defense, agreeing to a contract with edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
The Ravens confirmed the signing Friday. Baltimore's defense has been dealing with injuries in the secondary and could also use some pass rushing help. Clowney can provide the latter. He has 43 sacks in nine seasons since entering the NFL as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft.
“Preseason, he'll probably play a little bit, and get him ready,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Then right away, Week 1, he should be out there playing hard and doing a good job for us.”
Clowney had 11 sacks over the past two seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
“I think he's a little underrated as a pass rusher. Top pick in the draft and all that,” Harbaugh said. “As a play-hard, heavy-handed edge setter, gives us a chance to get four pass rushers on the field on third-down situations, that are true pass-rusher type guys. There's a real value in that.”
Baltimore moved on from veteran pass rushers Calais Campbell and Justin Houston this offseason. Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo have potential in that department, but neither has Clowney's experience or track record.
On Thursday, the Ravens acquired cornerback Ronald Darby to help a position group that will be missing Pro Bowler Marlon Humphrey for at least a little while because of a foot issue that required surgery.
“I would say that the timeline is pretty well defined,” Harbaugh said. “I'm not going to give it to you, but it's not super long. When he's getting close you'll know. So you don't need to ask probably for a few weeks. But he's going to be back pretty early in the season.”
Harbaugh said Humphrey could have played through the foot issue, but there was a risk of it getting worse. Darby is coming off a knee injury that ended his season in early October last year.
“He's a guy we've kind of been keeping our eye on with the rehab from the knee,” Harbaugh said. “Came in and worked out, and worked out really well. Looked really good, was in really good shape.”
Estate of late QB Haskins reaches settlement
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – The estate of late NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins has reached a “partial settlement” in its lawsuit against the driver, the owner and the broker of the dump truck that struck and killed Haskins, the family's lawyer said Friday.
Haskins, 24, was killed April 9, 2022, while he was walking on a South Florida highway. His family alleges in the lawsuit that the driver of the truck was speeding, driving carelessly and had a cargo load exceeding the legal weight limit.
Rick Ellsley, the lawyer for Haskins' family, said in a release that settlements with various other parties have been previously secured. There are still 10 other defendants in the case, A court date has not yet been set, Ellsley said.
The family's lawsuit alleges that Haskins was drugged, robbed and extorted before he was fatally struck while standing drunk on a highway after running out of gas. Toxicology reports showed that Haskins was legally drunk when he was hit by the truck on I-595. Separate samples taken from his body had blood alcohol levels of .20 and .24, both of which are above the legal limit of .08 in Florida.
The lawsuit, filed in Fort Lauderdale, alleges the former Ohio State star was drugged and robbed by a man and three women in the hours before the accident. They say it happened at a Boca Raton hotel, at an upscale golf driving range, a bar and a nightclub. The lawsuit does not give any specifics. Haskins, then with the Pittsburgh Steelers, had been in South Florida for offseason workouts.
The suit says the pickup truck Haskins had rented had a mechanical defect that caused it to run out of gas. The family also alleges that the state highway department didn’t properly maintain and light the road, or post a lower speed limit while construction work was being done. They say a temporary sign blocked visibility on the highway.
According to a death report issued in May 2022 by the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office, a woman Haskins was with told investigators they had run out of gas on Interstate 595 near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shortly before dawn. She said he went out in the dark to get more fuel.
Witnesses told the Florida Highway Patrol that Haskins was trying to wave down cars and standing in the center lane when he was hit by the truck and then an SUV. The report said he died of blunt force trauma.
The Associated Press is not naming the individuals and businesses Haskins’ family are suing because no criminal charges have been filed against any of them and there is nothing yet filed in court substantiating any of the claims.
Haskins starred at Ohio State in 2018, setting several school passing records and being named the MVP in both the Big Ten Championship game and in the Buckeyes’ Rose Bowl win over the Washington Huskies.
A 2019 first-round NFL draft pick by Washington, Haskins was released by the team after going 3-10 over two seasons. He was signed for the 2021 season by Pittsburgh as a backup quarterback, but he didn’t appear in a game.
QB Wilson looking like his old self
Englewood, Colo. – Russell Wilson is starting to look like his old self again.
Make that his younger self, as in the swaggering quarterback who helped the Seattle Seahawks win their only Super Bowl title a decade ago.
Wilson is throwing the ball with authority, accuracy and touch as he embarks on a comeback from the worst season of his career.
It's exactly what coach Sean Payton wanted to see when he sent Wilson and the rest of the starters out for a fourth drive in Denver's preseason opener at Arizona last week.
Following three fruitless drives – a three-and-out and two missed field goals – in which Wilson had many Broncos fans mumbling, “Here we go again,” Wilson went 3 of 4 with a drop for 44 yards and a touchdown in that final series.
He'll start again Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, when the Broncos starters are expected to play until halftime.
Wilson got off to a hum-drum start when training camp opened and it didn't help that he lost wide receiver Tim Patrick to another season-ending injury right away and wide receiver KJ Hamler went on the shelf with a heart condition the same day.
After turning up his play significantly, Wilson got off to a slow start against the Cardinals before capping his night with a 21-yard touchdown strike to Jerry Jeudy on fourth down, allowing the Broncos' front-line starters to finish their night on a high note.
Wilson carried over those good vibes in practice this week, stringing together three spectacular days that had fans hopeful last year was an aberration for the passer who cost the Broncos a bevy of draft picks and players.
“His movement skills have been impressive,” Payton said. "His off-schedule plays – every practice, you see an example of one or two. It really forces the receivers to (dial in). If you are not open in the initial route progression and the pocket moves one way, you have to move with it.
"His location has been really good. I think the last week and a-half or two weeks have been really impressive.”
Wilson seems to be playing with confidence once again.
“My confidence doesn’t waver much,’’ Wilson said. "But I think every day you learn a little bit more. You learn a little bit more about who we are, what we’re trying to do as a team. It’s all coming together. The picture’s all coming together.
"It takes time to paint a beautiful picture sometimes, and we’re doing that, all as one.’’
To help salvage Wilson's career – and their nearly quarter-billion dollar investment – the Broncos traded for Payton and his run-first offensive philosophies, beefed up their offensive line with the free agent additions of Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey and signed running back Samage Perine to pair with Javonte Williams, who's embarking on a comeback from a knee injury.
Williams will make his 2023 debut against the 49ers.
“I’m going to be smart. He’s not going to get 20 plays," Payton said. "In a perfect game, I’d like to see him get three or four carries, maybe a pass, and just get him going.”