NFL preseason winners and losers: Jaxson Dart, Caleb Williams shine in Week 2
- - NFL preseason winners and losers: Jaxson Dart, Caleb Williams shine in Week 2
Nate Davis, USA TODAYAugust 18, 2025 at 4:55 AM
The NFL’s 2025 preseason is nearly complete, 32 of its 49 games in the books — Week 2 set to conclude Monday night when the Washington Commanders host the Cincinnati Bengals.
It’s typically tempting to draw premature conclusions from the exhibition slate — and make no mistake, some of these games hardly approximate bona fide professional football, starters and other front-liners often completely spared. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some key takeaways to glean as the league’s 32 teams finalize their preparations for the 18-week regular-season marathon that awaits, with more games to follow for those which run the best race.
While acknowledging the football caveats inherent to August, your winners and losers from the weekend:
NFL preseason Week 2 winnersCaleb Williams
Take two drives and a grain of salt for what they’re worth, but his (relatively) long-awaited debut in new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense went swimmingly in Sunday night’s 38-0 whitewash of the Buffalo Bills. Williams was pinpoint accurate, made good decisions and practiced self-preservation − all things he struggled to do as a rookie after getting drafted first overall in 2024 and apparently throughout this summer's training camp. Again, two drives − yet sufficiently positive for the Bears and their fans to hang their hat on. For now.
Jaxson Dart
The Giants’ first-round quarterback made his debut in front of the home fans Saturday and passed for one touchdown while running for another in a 31-12 drubbing of New Jersey’s other team, the Jets. Dart also threw for 137 yards while connecting on all but two of his 16 throws. Russell Wilson will start the season behind center for the Giants, but Dart has consistently displayed the production, swagger and maturity this month that suggest he could be ready to play sooner than later − especially if the Giants struggle to pile up wins against the league’s hardest schedule.
TreVeyon Henderson
After taking a kickoff 100 yards to the house last week, the New England Patriots' rookie running back ran for an 8-yard score Saturday. Fantasy owners take note − this guy and his big-play abilty are going to earn a significant workload this season, quite possibly to the tune of an RB1 role eventually.
Another week, another TreVeyon Henderson TD Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9LW2fv6gdz
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
Seahawks’ run game
Despite a 10-7 debut in 2024, second-year Seattle coach Mike Macdonald wanted a more physical team in 2025 − and that means running the ball. With first-round G Grey Zabel opening holes, the Seahawks racked up 268 yards on the ground and 5.6 a clip during Friday night’s defeat of the Chiefs, who rested most of their key players. Regardless, 268 yards amassed in chunks is still 268 yards amassed in chunks and such output foreshadows what could be a much more bruising offense.
Eagles rookies
And the rich just get obscenely richer. After the reigning Super Bowl champions took some defensive hits during free agency, EVP/GM Howie Roseman invested his first two 2025 draft picks in LB Jihaad Campbell and S Andrew Mukuba, who are both competing for significant snaps. Campbell had a sack among his four tackles against the Cleveland Browns, and Mukuba had a 75-yard pick-six. Roseman may have successfully reloaded his D more quickly than anyone could have imagined − especially if these rooks are only asked to come off the bench.
Tyler Loop
The Baltimore Ravens' rookie kicker officially won the job as the replacement for departed and disgraced predecessor Justin Tucker. Loop continued his sterling August by drilling five field goals Saturday in a 31-13 defeat of the Dallas Cowboys.
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Tua Tagovailoa's backups
Reclamation project Zach Wilson and rookie Quinn Ewers combined to complete 26 of 40 passes for 259 yards and three TDs during a 24-17 triump in Detroit on Saturday. No, Wilson and Ewers didn't face the Lions' top defenders and probably aren't players HC Mike McDaniel wants to see in his lineup for any extended period. Still, it's nice for the Fins to have multiple fallback plans at quarterback given Tagovailoa's extensive injury history.
Ashton Jeanty
The Las Vegas Raiders’ ballyhooed rookie back rushed for 33 yards on seven carries and his first (unofficial) touchdown Saturday a week after being held to negative yardage in his (unofficial) debut. But the real highlight occurred when Jeanty trucked San Francisco 49ers DB Deommodore Lenoir in the open field.
Truck stick AND a first down 😤 @AshtonJeanty2Watch on @NFLNetworkStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/6KgtYBHGz5
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025
Jonas Sanker
The New Orleans Saints’ rookie safety made five tackles and picked off a pass Sunday, helping to salvage a tie with the Jacksonville Jaguars and possibly cementing his own role.
Stetson Bennett IV
The former University of Georgia star, competing for a job with the Los Angeles Rams behind QBs Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo, passed for 324 yards and three TDs, including the game-winner with 5 seconds left in a 23-22 defeat of the crosstown Chargers on Saturday.
oh my what a throw from Stetson Bennett hereStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/b2v7NS7SuN
— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2025
NFL preseason Week 2 losersStetson Bennett IV
The former University of Georgia star, competing for a job with the Los Angeles Rams behind QBs Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo … was intercepted and subsequently steamrolled by 6-2, 305-pound rookie lineman TeRah Edwards in perhaps the weekend’s most viral moment.
the best thing you'll watch all day📺 | CBS2 LA pic.twitter.com/o90ru3sYYf
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 17, 2025
Jonas Sanker
Had he not returned his INT 40 yards and ducked out of bounds sooner, Sanker could have potentially set the Saints up for a game-winning field-goal try. But rookies gonna rookie – especially in August.
The rook Jonas Sanker gets the INT with no time left 🫡#Saints | @JonasSanker pic.twitter.com/suydvt58jJ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 17, 2025
Ashton Jeanty
After his, um, best (?) NFL game, the former Boise State star proclaimed, "I've arrived, and it's time to keep going and make plays for this team.” Can’t wait to watch you this season, Ashton − you might even anchor my fantasy team. But, dude, you have most definitely not arrived yet nor made a play that counts for anything. Just keeping it a buck here ... but no doubt your arrival is pending.
J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr.
Drafted in the first round a year ago, the sophomore quarterbacks have combined for three regular-season starts − all by Penix − yet were relegated to bubble wrap over the weekend. Penix hasn’t played for the Atlanta Falcons this preseason and barely did so last year. McCarthy is a year removed from a season-ending August knee injury and a week removed from limited snaps in his 2025 return for the Minnesota Vikings. We’ll have to trust that Vikes coach Kevin O’Connell and Atlanta counterpart Raheem Morris are practicing appropriate load management. But given the expectations heaped on a pair of glorified rookies, their approach will invite questions if their teams − and their young signal-callers in particular − get off to slow starts next month.
Panthers offense
No points generated by Carolina's starers in Saturday’s loss to the Houston Texans, and they apparently won’t play again until the regular-season opener. Really?
Colts quarterbacks
Indianapolis coach Shane Steichen says he’s close to choosing between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones as his QB1 for 2025. But as the old saying goes, "If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” Through two preseason games, Richardson and Jones have collectively produced one touchdown drive − the former predictably alternating flashes of greatness and inconsistency, the latter … is Daniel Jones. Could be a QB carousel in Indy this year. Stay loose, Riley Leonard.
Dillon Gabriel
The Browns rookie quarterback picked 50 spots ahead of Shedeur Sanders, who was down with an oblique injury, didn’t look nearly as good as his draftmate during his own preseason debut, Gabriel serving up an interception returned for a touchdown and losing a fumble while leading just one TD drive in a half of work. To make matters worse, Gabriel made a remark about “entertainers” during an in-game interview that some interpreted as a shot at Sanders, forcing him to subsequently clarify he was not referring to his teammate. Still, all kinds of rookie mistakes.
Joe Milton III
Acquired in an offseason trade in order to compete for the backup job behind Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys’ newest quarterback once again didn’t look ready for the role Saturday while playing the majority of that decisive loss to the Ravens. Milton completed half of his 18 passes for 122 yards and was picked off once while being outplayed by Baltimore backup Cooper Rush, Prescott’s reliable understudy in recent years.
Jim Harbaugh
So about those sanctions handed down to your alma mater and former employer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Coach? Seriously, feel free to, ahem, "engage" any time.
NFL fans
If you’re attending a preseason game between teams that just conducted joint practices (think Broncos-Cardinals or Buccaneers-Steelers), don’t expect to see many players you recognize on the field once kickoff actually rolls around. Preseason football − it’s fantastic … unless you’re a paying fan.
Contributing: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL preseason winners and losers: Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart shine
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