The NFL is back, but not all the way. With the kickoff of the 2022 preseason schedule over the weekend, there were some hints of what might happen during the regular season.
Starting with the biggest spotlight position, quarterback, there were plenty of highs for Kenny Pickett and other promising rookies making their debuts, with the low of Zach Wilson getting another knee injury scare to begin a critical Year 2.
Wilson wasn't the only second-year first-rounder under close watch. And in the same game in which he got hurt, the Eagles gained more confidence in their third-year QB.
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With all that in mind, here the key takeaways from the exhibition action, separating the appropriate reactions from the overreactions:
NFL preseason Week 1 takeaways
Reaction: Trey Lance is perfect for Kyle Shanahan's 49ers offense.
Lance, leaning on only one rush, lit up the Packers in limited duty in his first game as the unquestioned starter (4-of-5 passing, 92 yards, TD, 18.4 yards per attempt, perfect 158.3 passer rating). He looked much more seasoned with a good grasp of the versatile scheme, trading in his greenness as a dedicated rookie No. 2.
San Francisco traded up for Lance in 2021 for having a much higher ceiling than Jimmy Garoppolo with his arm, downfield accuracy and athleticism. After a full offseason of learning, his talent is rising to his strong all-around support. The deep ball connection to rookie Danny Gray was a thing of beauty.
Reaction: Jalen Hurts is perfect for the Eagles' pass-more offense
Hurts, despite the unnecessary hard hit from Jets linebacker Quincy Williams, had a big run-free outing with considerable action. He completed all of his passes (6-of-6, 80 yards, TD 13.3 yards per attempt, also a perfect 158.3 passer rating), including a pretty 22-yard scoring strike to tight end Dallas Goedert.
The Eagles are pivoting back to opening up the offense with expanded weaponry, from new No. 1 A.J. Brown to new possession man Zach Pascal. The plan is for Hurts to not run nine-plus times per game and that might mean throwing well more than 30 times per game. Hurts seems up to the challenge of proving himself as a passer first.
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Overreaction: Justin Fields isn't ready for the Bears offense.
Fields dazzled in his preseason debut as a rookie. A year later, after taking lumps at the end of Matt Nagy era, Fields' first sophomore action as the No. 1 didn't come with any luster.
For some, how Fields played against the Chiefs (4-of-7 passing, 48 yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, 78.3 passer rating, 10 rushing yards) extended the narrative that things will cave in for him in Year 2 with concerns about the offensive line and receiving corps.
But the Bears should have been pleased with the little things and the confidence (sometimes overconfidence) in the Fields handled himself in the Packers-styled scheme under Luke Gentry. While Fields had the early flash as a rookie, he didn't have the systemic support to build his substance. There's good indication that vibe will change as the Bears do better in tailoring the offense to his skills.
Overreaction: Matt Ryan isn't being saved by the Colts' offense.
From most accounts, Ryan isn't disappointing Frank Reich as Indianapolis' new pocket passer of choice with his command of the scheme and leadership skills. The shaky short performance against the Bills (6-of-10 passing, 58 yards, 5.8 yards per attempt, 76.3 passer rating) didn't reflect the positive feelings in camp.
Although Sam Ehlinger played the best in the Colts' preseason opener just like he did as a rookie, fellow veteran Nick Foles operated on a lower level than Ryan did. The bottom line is, Reich has a QB-friendly system. Minus a resting Jonathan Taylor, the Colts displayed some good diversity with their backs, wide receivers and tight ends in the passing game. The strong running game support is always there and the line is sturdy.
The Colts are not looking for a rogue playmaker at QB a la Carson Wentz. They want a facilitator who can play within the scheme. Ryan is still in good position to do that.
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Reaction: Daniel Jones still might be saved by the Giants' offense.
Jones also didn't put up wow numbers (6-of-10 passing, 69 yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, 80.8 passer rating) in his brief first outing for new coach Brian Daboll and new coordinator Mike Kafka. But he didn't seem as rattled as with previous schemes and there were signs the Giants' once-maligned offensive line is turning a corner to be an asset.
The Giants also suggest they will have a diverse, flee-flowing passing game involving use more players in different ways. While facing make or break this season, the situation is more favorable for a breakthrough.
Reaction: 49ers, Bills and Rams keep getting richer in the passing game.
Danny Gray, the rookie third-rounder with Lance in San Francisco, has the size and speed to displace Brandon Aiyuk as the primary third big playmaker to complement Deebo Samuel and George Kittle. The deep ball dimension improving while Lance adds a running element can make Kyle Shanahan's balance offense even more dangerous.
The Bills already are loaded with Josh Allen's best wideout corps with Stefon Diggs, rising star Gabriel Davis, buzzing Isaiah McKenzie and new possession slot Jamison Crowder. Rookie fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir is adding to that. He built on his early promise as an inside-out playmaker from Boise State by catching all five targets for 92 yards in his debut against the Colts. Shakir can be extra field-stretcher and valuable perimeter reserve until taking on a bigger role in 2023.
The Rams don't play their key offensive players in the preseason under Sean McVay and the top three at wideout are set with Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson. But their depth behind them has become better than imagined.
Lance McCutcheon, an undrafted rookie out of Montana State, had been making a case to make the team competing in camp. He provided McVay more about which to think by burning the Chargers for five catches and 87 yards and two TDs on only six targets, including a 60-yard play.
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Overreaction: The Buccaneers' running back situation is worth some concern
Tampa Bay had seen some conditioning concerns develop with Leonard Fournette in the offseason and then saw Giovani Bernard (ankle) get hurt again in the preseason opener. After not re-signing Ronald Jones, that's made it challenging to find the right backfield rotation to support Tom Brady.
But they're seeing their third-round investment in rookie Rachaad White pay off. White was the star against the Dolphins with seven rushes for 32 yards and adding two catches for 16 more yards. He was more effective with less volume than fellow youngster Ke'Shawn Vaughn, who had 12 touches for 41 yards.
White can handle some of the power work of Fournette and his work at Arizona State suggests he can be a key outlet receiver like Fournette has become when needed, too.
Reaction: The Chiefs' running back situation is worth some concern
Kansas City has some doubts whether Clyde Edwards-Helaire can handle an effective workload and are looking for the best backup option after not re-signing Darrel Williams. Jones was signed with that in mind. He and Jerick McKinnon were the veteran 2-3 punch going into camp. Among the youngsters, while Derrick Gore has faded on the depth chart, rookie seventh-rounder Isiah Pacheco has gotten plenty of buzz to rise as a reserve.
Unfortunately, CEH, Jones, Pacheco and Gore combined for only 11 rushing yards on 10 attempts against the Bears. Jones was buried in the rotation with no McKinnon and Pacheco had limited chance to keep banging on the door. The Chiefs need to get better results to feel they have the right mix of rushing and receiving to support and take pressure off Patrick Mahomes in a new-look passing game.
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Reaction: The Texans and Jaguars running backs are worth watching.
The AFC South is home to the two past league rushing champions, Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. But don't sleep on Jacksonville and Houston adding to the mix with special young backs.
Jaguars 2021 first-rounder Travis Etienne is making up for lost time after tearing his ACL before his rookie season. With James Robinson still recovering from an Achilles' injury, Etienne led their backfield, turning his 10 touches into 33 yards against the Browns. He showed some good burst to build on the buzz from his second training camp.
Texans rookie fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce has a golden opportunity behind oft-injured former Colt Marlon Mack and ancient former Patriot Rex Burkhead. He showed great burst in leading the team in rushing in his debut against the Saints (five rushes, 49 yards). For a team in full youth movement, Pierce has some welcoming well-rounded qualities to carve out a potential feature role.
