Jaxson Dart, Seahawks' offense, Bengals' defense top questions after preseason Week 2

New York Times

2 days ago

NFL coaches and their teams have different goals in the preseason, depending on each situation. For example, the Eagles are using the preseason to figure out who they should start at cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell. Other teams have quarterback competitions and there are natural position battles that will be determined by the film in preseason.
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Some teams are trying to learn new schemes, so their starters will see more playing time than with other teams. These reps are useful and insightful. The game does change during the preseason with actual game planning and star players on the field, but there are things we can learn in these exhibition matchups.
Here are five questions answered after the second round of games.
Dart-mania is reaching a fever pitch in New York. I get it. It's been a long time since the Big Apple has seen good quarterback play. In the Giants' two preseason games, Dart has completed 26 of 35 passes for 291 yards (8.3 yards per attempt) and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown. Giants fans should be excited about Dart's long-term potential, but the right decision is to stick with the plan and sit him. Dart is coming from a simplistic offense at Ole Miss. The scouting report on him is that he will need time to acclimate to an NFL offense.
The stats and big throws are exciting, but head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka are rightfully doing a great job of keeping things simple for Dart with screens and isolation routes in which he'll throw to the single receiver in three-by-one formations or choice routes to the slot. He has eight completions on screens (bubble and true screens) for 73 yards. To Dart's credit, he's executing the concepts that are called for him at a high level. Even on simple screens, he's doing a great job of changing his arm angles to get the ball to his target, but those plays don't take a lot of thinking.
13:57 remaining in the third quarter, third-and-4
On third-and-4, the Giants were in empty and had a verticals concept called.
Dart saw the weak-side safety drop straight back rather than 'poach' the three-receiver side. Dart knew he had space to fit the ball to his receiver running the special seam route on the other side of the formation.
Dart threw a perfect pass that led his receiver away from a hit to convert on third down.
Dart is on the right developmental track. This is not a negative review. I liked Dart as a prospect! My point is to slow down the Dart train even after an exciting preseason.
The Seahawks should have a top-10 defense this season, but the question is how good their rebuilt offense can be under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. The Seahawks' offensive line has been a major issue for years, and it didn't appear they did enough to upgrade their line in the offseason, especially since they pivoted to quarterback Sam Darnold, who is quick-pressure-sensitive (pressures under 2.5 seconds).
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So far in the offseason, they look like they've made some major improvements in run blocking. First-round pick Grey Zabel has looked dominant in two preseason games, and the Seahawks might have found a hidden gem in his former teammate, North Dakota State center Jalen Sundell. He's furiously seized his opportunity while Olu Oluwatimi has missed time with injury, and has a shot to take the job. Sundell's ability to explode out of his stance is perfect for Kubiak's offense. With Zabel and Sundell on the field, in two games, the Seahawks averaged 8.2 yards per rush attempt.
If there's one thing a Kubiak knows how to do, it's scheme up a rushing attack, and it appears a formidable one is shaping in Seattle. This is the Seahawks' first year in the system, but they are already playing fast and executing every variant of wide zone in the book. From under center stretch, zone toss, mid zone, split zone, they looked comfortable doing it all against the Raiders and Chiefs, who both were overwhelmed upfront.
With the Vikings, Darnold was supported by one of the best collections of skill players and one of the best play-callers in the league. This season, the Seahawks can support him with a strong running game and a well-designed play-action game designed to get the ball out of his hands with timing. The Seahawks won't average eight yards per rush attempt in the regular season, but if this sort of physicality can translate, this offense could provide more than enough firepower to complement what should be one of the best defenses in the league.
No.
We won't even get into the pass defense, which is going to be problematic even if they get defensive end Trey Hendrickson back. The run defense has looked horrendous for the second week in a row. In two games, the starting Bengals defense has allowed 13 carries for 141 yards (10.8 ypc), including five red-zone carries. Also, they played against the Eagles' backups in Week 1.
Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt goes by "Bill"
Bill just went 27 yards to the 🏠
Watch on ESPNStream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/UD9tot9Iau
— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2025
It's still early, so there is time to improve, but they've been physically dominated up front. Some of the holes could have fit three running backs running side-by-side with their arms locked. Cincinnati's offense is better suited to handle a leaky defense than almost any team in the league, but if teams can run the ball at will and control the clock, it's hard to see the Bengals as true playoff contenders.
Colts coach Shane Steichen on Tuesday announced that Daniel Jones will be the starter for the entire season barring injury. Not only did he say Jones was the starter this season, but also that he could be the Colts' long-term starter, slamming the door shut on 2023 No. 4 pick Anthony Richardson. Of course, there is still a chance that Richardson will play for the Colts this season because Jones has been injury-prone and has only played a full season once in his six-year career.
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This reeks of a decision made by a coach and general manager who are on the hot seat. Jones offers a higher floor than Richardson, but how much higher is that floor? 10 percent higher? The ceiling is significantly lower. Jones has been a bad, turnover-prone and inconsistent quarterback throughout his career. He's had 85 turnovers (47 interceptions and 38 fumbles lost) in 70 games.
If the competition was close, they should have gone with Richardson, who is just 23 years old — younger than Shedeur Sanders, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. The Colts wanted Richardson to show improvement, and he did. He was more accurate throwing underneath and still showed the ability to make the splash throws that few human beings can make. He did make a couple of bone-headed mistakes, missing a hot read that led to a sack and injury in the first preseason game, but even veteran quarterbacks have made similar mistakes.
Richardson needed reps and time to develop, but it seems that Steichen and GM Chris Ballard are running out of time, so they are going with what they deem to be the safer choice. Richardson could still ultimately be a bust, but Jones didn't outright win the job. The right decision for the franchise long term would have been to see what they have in Richardson and to continue developing him.
After Sanders' strong performance in the first preseason game and subsequent oblique injury, Dillon Gabriel got his turn at a preseason start. Gabriel was drafted two rounds earlier than Sanders and naturally had the leg up in the competition for the second-string spot. It would have taken a monumental meltdown for him to lose his spot in the pecking order, and he played a really good game against the Eagles. Even though most people remember the pick-six that he threw, it wasn't his fault. The throw wasn't even a bad decision.
Andrew Mukuba PICK-6!
The @Eagles second-round pick takes Dillon Gabriel's pass to the house.
Watch on @NFLNetworkStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/n5jsRGN4Bw
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
Gabriel attempted to check the ball down to his tight end, but receiver Diontae Johnson ran his route too close to the line of scrimmage, allowing safety Andrew Mukuba to come off the roof and intercept the pass at the line of scrimmage. Other than that pass, Gabriel was decisive and completed several downfield passes within the structure of the offense. He converted 5 of 7 third downs through the air. He threw passes with excellent velocity and pinpoint accuracy.
14:03 remaining in the first quarter, third-and-10
On third-and-10, the Browns had a sail concept with a backside dig in which Gabriel had to read the sail route to the shallow to the dig.
Eagles defenders had leverage on both the sail and the dig route. Gabriel had to manage a muddy pocket and step up while getting through his progression and get to his third read.
He managed to get to the dig and threw a well-placed ball that didn't lead his tight end into a big hit.
Though Joe Flacco was named the starter, he's 41 years old. If the Browns start losing games and are out of the playoff picture, they could look to hand over the reins to one of their rookie quarterbacks, and Gabriel might have solidified his spot as the youngster with his first crack at things with an impressive showing.
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