NFL Pre-season Roundup: Will Levis leads two TD drives to help Titans beat 49ers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Will Levis led touchdown drives on both his series and the Tennessee Titans beat the San Francisco 49ers 17-13 on Saturday night in the teams’ pre-season opener.

Levis, who worked in the off-season to learn new coach Brian Callahan’s system, completed 4 of 5 passes for 35 yards, and capped the Titans’ opening drive by scoring on a quarterback sneak.

The 49ers opened the game, going 74 yards in 11 plays with Jordan Mason scoring from 4 yards out. Brandon Allen started at quarterback for the 49ers, who did not play starter Brock Purdy nor any of their first-team skill-position players on offence.

Tennessee answered with a big assist from special teams. On their first return using the NFL’s new kickoff rule, Kearis Jackson broke free through the centre of the line for a 63-yard return. The 49ers were penalized 15 yards for sideline interference, setting the Titans up at the San Francisco 15. It took seven plays, and a 49ers defensive holding penalty, before Levis scored Tennessee’s first touchdown on a 1-yard sneak.

After forcing a punt by San Francisco on the next series, the Titans got the football back, and Levis directed a longer scoring drive, taking the Titans 64 yards in seven plays. Levis hit Calvin Ridley for a 22-yard catch and run on third down to get the drive going. Later, newcomer Tony Pollard added runs of 8 and 24 yards on the drive that was capped by Tyjae Spears’ 4-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

Third-string quarterback Malik Willis directed a scoring drive in the fourth quarter that resulted in 34-yard field goal by rookie Brandon Narveson.

BEARS 33, BILLS 6

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Caleb Williams showed signs of promise in the No. 1 draft pick’s pre-season debut, overseeing a pair of drives ending in field goals in Chicago’s victory over Buffalo.

The 22-year-old out of Southern California completed four of seven attempts for 95 yards, and also converted a third-and-9 by bolting out of the pocket for a 13-yard gain. Though he wasn’t perfect — Williams was late in nearly throwing an interception on a play wiped out by a Bills defensive penalty away from the ball — the quarterback oversaw the Bears gaining a combined 152 yards and seven first downs on 20 plays over two possessions.

The game was decided a minute into the fourth quarter when Bears linebacker Micah Baskerville stepped in front of Shane Buechele’s pass intended for Frank Gore Jr. and returned it 53 yards for a touchdown to put Chicago up 19-6. Velus Jones scored on a 4-yard run in the third quarter, and Ian Wheeler scored on runs from 7 and 8 yards in the final six minutes.

For Buffalo, Josh Allen went 2 for 3 for 22 yards, and also had a 7-yard run in being limited to playing the first quarter in the Bills pre-season opener. Though the Bills had the ball, Allen gave way to backup Mitch Trubisky to open the second quarter on a drive that ended with Tyler Bass making a 24-yard field goal to cut Chicago’s lead to 6-3.

Bass also hit a 49-yard attempt. Buffalo was limited to 200 yards offence, and crossed midfield just twice on 11 possessions.

JETS 20, COMMANDERS 17

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jayden Daniels ran for a touchdown after throwing a perfectly placed deep pass for his first NFL completion to get Washington into New York territory in their pre-season-opening loss.

Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick from LSU, and most of the Commanders’ starters on offence played just the opening series against Jets backups — and the young QB kept it going on his second pass when he connected with Dyami Brown for 42 yards along the right sideline on third-and-6 from Washington’s 34.

On third-and-3 from the Jets 5, Daniels handed to Austin Ekeler and the veteran who made his Commanders debut went up the middle for a gain of 3 that was confirmed by a virtual measurement. The NFL is testing Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology to measure line to gain instead of the traditional chain gang during some pre-season games.

Daniels faked a handoff to Ekeler on third-and-goal, took off to his right on a keeper and scampered untouched 3 yards into the end zone to give the Commanders a 7-0 lead with 8:39 left in the opening quarter. He then found his mother in the stands behind Washington’s sideline and tossed her his first TD ball.

Daniels and most of Washington’s projected starters were done after that 11-play, 70-yard drive. Daniels was 2 of 3 for 45 yards with three third-down conversions before being replaced by Marcus Mariota.

The Jets, who rested nearly all their starters including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, got the win on Austin Seibert’s 37-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining.

PACKERS 23, BROWNS 10

CLEVELAND — Jordan Love made the most of limited playing time, throwing a 65-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks on Green Bay’s third play as they rolled to an exhibition win over Cleveland.

Love, who s igned a four-year, $220 million contract extension at the start of training camp last month, completed both pass attempts in his one series on the field. Sean Clifford replaced the 25-year-old Love.

The Packers have faith in Love following in the footsteps of Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers to continue Green Bay’s lineage of great quarterbacks. He led the Packers to 10-9 record last season in his first year as a starter.

On Green Bay’s first possession, Love waited for Wicks to get behind safety Ronnie Hickman before hitting him in stride for an easy, quick-strike score.

A fifth-round pick from Virginia last year, Wicks came on strong at the end of his rookie season, scoring four TDs in a three-game stretch before being blanked in the divisional playoff loss to San Francisco.

VIKINGS 24, RAIDERS 23

MINNEAPOLIS — Rookie J.J. McCarthy rebounded from an ill-advised throw that was intercepted by Las Vegas starting cornerback Jack Jones with two touchdown passes against backups, a mixed but promising pre-season debut for Minnesota’s future franchise quarterback in a victory.

Rookie Will Reichard kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to stop Minnesota’s 10-game pre-season losing streak. The Vikings last won an exhibition on Aug. 24, 2019, at home against Arizona.

Gardner Minshew, in a too-close-to-call competition with Aidan O’Connell for the starting quarterback job for the Raiders, was 6 for 12 for 117 yards and a second-quarter touchdown to D.J. Turner.

The Vikings have given newcomer Sam Darnold the majority of the turns with the first team in practice and are trending toward starting the season with the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, but he’s just keeping the throne warm for McCarthy. 

After Darnold went 4 for 8 for 59 yards on the opening drive that stalled at the 4-yard line with consecutive end-zone incompletions, McCarthy entered the game to an eager roar from the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium. In six possessions, the 10th overall pick in the draft from national champion Michigan went 11 for 17 for 188 yards.

SEAHAWKS 16, CHARGERS 3

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Sam Howell threw for 130 yards and a touchdown in his Seattle debut as they had a successful pre-season opener under Mike Macdonald, defeating Los Angeles in coach Jim Harbaugh’s first game.

Howell, acquired from Washington during the off-season, directed a pair of scoring drives in the second quarter. He completed 16 of 27 passes in 10 series and played until a little over midway through the third quarter.

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith did not play after missing practice time last week due to knee and hip issues. Wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, along with running back Kenneth Walker III, were among the other Seahawks offensive starters who did not see action.

While the Seahawks were able to move the ball, the Chargers struggled. They went three and out and gained only 21 yards on their first six offensive possessions with Easton Stick at quarterback.

Stick, who has been taking the majority of first-team snaps for the past week with Justin Herbert sidelined due to a foot injury, was 5 of 13 for 32 yards and an interception in his eight series of work during the first half.

JAGUARS 26, CHIEFS 13

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Parker Washington delivered the longest return under the NFL’s new kickoff rules — an ankle-breaking, 73-yarder that set up an early touchdown — and Jacksonville beat two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City.

Washington made at least five tacklers miss before finally going down at the Chiefs’ 30-yard line. Trevor Lawrence found running back Travis Etienne for a 9-yard score four plays later to give the Jaguars the two biggest highlights of the game.

Chiefs receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who signed a one-year, $7 million contract in March, landed awkwardly on a shoulder following an 11-yard reception on the opening play and did not return.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and Kansas City’s other starters played a series before watching the rest from the sideline. Mahomes drove the Chiefs into field-goal range and might have done more had Rashee Rice not dropped a third-down pass over the middle.

Washington, meanwhile, made the most of every opportunity.

The second-year pro, a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 from Penn State, turned heads with the kickoff return and then added a 13-yard punt return. He later chipped in a 10-yard catch in which he slipped out of Keith Taylor’s grasp.

BUCCANEERS 17 BENGALS 10

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati saw all they needed to see of Joe Burrow in their first series against Tampa Bay.

In his first game action in nearly nine months, Cincinnati’s franchise quarterback directed a 73-yard drive, tossed a touchdown pass to Tee Higgins and then walked off the field.

The Buccaneers scored late to win the game 17-14, but Burrow passed his test. 

He was 5 for 7 for 51 yards, directed five first downs and completed passes to four different receivers.

The first and last were to Higgins, one of the few other Bengals’ offensive starters to play. Burrow found Higgins for a 9-yard gain to open the drive. Then, on second-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 10, Burrow hit Higgins at the 5, with the receiver sidestepping cornerback Josh Hayes to go in untouched.

Burrow looked as if he was back to his old self after having surgery last year to repair a torn ligament in his throwing hand. He avoided taking any hits, on one play throwing the ball into the ground to avoid blitzing safety Kaevon Merriweather.

SAINTS 16, CARDINALS 14

GLENDALE, Ariz. — New Orleans rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler led the winning drive in final minute, providing a spark in his bid to become the team’s backup quarterback this season, and they beat Arizona.

Rattler — a fifth-round selection out of South Carolina — spearheaded a 12-play, 56-yard drive in the final two minutes, capped by a 37-yard field goal from Charlie Smyth with five seconds left.

The Saints are trying to decide on a backup quarterback behind Derek Carr and it’s a duel between Rattler and second-year player Jake Haener.

Haener played most of the first half, completing 9 of 13 passes for 107 yards. His big moment came near the end of the second quarter when he connected with A.T. Perry on a 58-yard pass down the sideline, which set up a field goal. Perry finished with a team-high 85 yards receiving.

Rattler had a 4-yard touchdown in the third quarter, giving the Saints a 13-7 lead. A star at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix before going on to Oklahoma and South Carolina, he was 9 of 17 for 70 yards.

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