As Caleb Williams, CJ Stroud and the other starters from both teams watched the game from the sidelines, the NFL’s new kickoffs didn’t have the desired effect on the quality of the show.
Brett Rypien stole the show Thursday night before lightning and heavy rain brought the Hall of Fame game that kicks off the NFL preseason to a close.
The quarterback threw three touchdown passes to lead the Chicago Bears to a 21-17 victory over the Houston Texans.
The first game of the preseason schedule was stopped with 3:31 left in the third quarter, after a 36-minute delay.
All eyes were on the Goodell Circuit’s new kickoffs as they were radically redesigned after a 2023 season that featured very few kick returns.
None of the eight kickoffs were returned beyond the 32-yard line. Three were returned to the 26-yard line.
Tyson Bagent got the start at quarterback in place of Williams, the first overall pick in the last draft for whom expectations are very high in Chicago. Davis Mills faced him in place of Stroud.
Rypien, who quickly replaced Bagent, finished the game with 11 of 15 completions for 166 yards, including touchdown passes of 20 and 9 yards to Collin Johnson and a 22-yarder to Tommy Sweeney.
Mills, who was 5-19-1 as a starter in the two seasons before Stroud’s arrival, finished 10-of-13 for 102 yards and a nine-yard touchdown pass to Teagan Quitoriano.
Williams, who was not in uniform, should still get a total of 45 to 55 reps between now and the final three preseason games, according to the network’s Courtney Cronin. ESPN.
2024-08-01 21:28:00
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