NFL preseason Week 1: Live scores, schedule, news as all 32 teams prepare for 2021 campaign (2024)

The first week of NFL preseason games concludes Sunday with the Colts hosting the Panthers.

The Athletic’s NFL writers will have news and notes from all 32 teams through the weekend. Stay tuned here for final scores, with the full Week 1 preseason slate below, and updates from across the league.

Week 1 NFL preseason

All kickoffs ET

Aug. 12

New England 22, Washington 13

Pittsburgh 24, Philadelphia 16

Aug. 13

Buffalo 16, Detroit 15

Tennessee 23, Atlanta 3

Arizona 19, Dallas 16

Aug. 14

Chicago 20, Miami 13

Denver 33, Minnesota 6

Baltimore 17, New Orleans 14

Cleveland 23, Jacksonville 13

N.Y. Jets 12, N.Y. Giants 7

Cincinnati 19, Tampa Bay 14

Houston 26, Green Bay 7

Kansas City 19, San Francisco 16

Las Vegas 20, Seattle 7

L.A. Chargers 13, L.A. Rams 6

Aug. 15

Carolina at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

(Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today)

Jacob Eason was 15-for-21 for 183 yards while Sam Ehlinger was 10-for-15 for 155 yards and one interception in the Colts' 21-18 win over Carolina to wrap up Week 1 of the NFL preseason on Sunday.

Both players had their fair share of highlights. Ehlinger led the game-winning drive en route to Eddy Pineiro's 30-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. Ehlinger also connected on a beautiful pass deep to Tarik Black for 47 yards.

Starter Carson Wentz is out after having foot surgery, leaving Eason and Ehlinger in a competition ahead of the regular season. The Colts face the Vikings in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday.

(Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today)

Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker completed 10 of 21 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown on Sunday against the Colts. His TD pass, seen below, came on a nice escape and dart of a throw to Tommy Tremble.

Remember, Walker started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Colts and ended up as the face of the latest reincarnation of the XFL. Playing for the Houston Roughnecks, Walker had a league-high 1,338 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air. He was 5-0 as a starter before COVID-19 canceled the season in March 2020.

Now, he could be considered one of the XFL's most notable success stories, as he signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers worth up to $1.5 million last offseason. Walker made one start last season with the Panthers, completing 24 of 34 passes for 258 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions in a 20-0 win over the Lions.

(Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today)

Yes, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady played in the preseason Saturday night.

The quarterback only threw two passes, but as veterans and marquee players coming off injury rest during this time of year, it's interesting Brady saw some action in what was eventually a 19-14 win loss for the Bucs against the Bengals.

Another interesting note from this game: the teams combined for seven turnovers with Cincinnati's four and Tampa Bay's three.

As for the rookie watch, Bengals first-round draft pick Ja'Marr Chase caught a 16-yard pass. Bucs rookie quarterback Kyle Trask completed 4 of 15 passes for 35 yards.

Bengals rookie defensive end Joseph Ossai was a bright spot in the win for Cincinnati (see below), but left the game with a right wrist injury.

(Photo: Kim Klement / USA Today)

Jordan Love finally played a football game as a Packer.

The 26th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft started Green Bay's preseason opener against Houston and played extensively through the first half, completing 12 of 17 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown on a screen to Kylin Hill. He finished with a 110.3 quarterback rating. The touchdown pass ended up being Green Bay's only score of the night in a 26-7 loss.

It was Love's first football game since playing in the Senior Bowl in January 2020. No preseason during a coronavirus-altered season last year is one of the biggest reasons fans are just now getting a first-look at Love. And of course, before starter Aaron Rodgers and the Packers reconciled ahead of training camp this year, there was speculation the Love era would start in Green Bay soon.

For now, though, Packers fans can expect to see more of Love later this preseason.

(Photo: Benny Sieu / USA Today)

In his preseason debut with the Jets, quarterback Zach Wilson threw for 63 yards in two series during the first half of Saturday's game against the Giants.

Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, connected with Corey Davis for 9 yards on his first pass. On third-and-6, Wilson found Davis again on another 9-yard pass, with the rookie signal caller later getting the Jets in field goal range. The Jets took a 3-0 lead to cap off Wilson's first NFL drive.

Read more here.

(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)

Check out the 80-yard touchdown pass from 49ers rookie quarterback and No. 3 overall draft pick Trey Lance to Trent Sherfield in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs.

Lance shows off some of his arm strength and big-play ability and it was a nice sight to see after he was introduced to the NFL by way of Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones.

Lance finished 5-for-14 for 128 yards and the one 80-yard score. Read more here.

(Photo: Kyle Terada / USA Today)

Tua Tagovailoa had two throws that defined his game.

One was a 50-yard deep shot to tight end Mike Gesicki that set up the Dolphins’ first trip to the red zone. The other was an interception intended for tight end Adam Shaheen.

On the plane ride home, Tagovailoa had just three series to go over from his preseason debut — there weren’t any exhibitions in his rookie year — and they resulted in two trips to the red zone. That’s a good success rate of moving into scoring territory. The problem was converting the opportunities, few as they were.

The Dolphins settled for a field goal on that first trip despite getting second-and-goal from the 1-yard line. They gave the ball back on the second trip with Tagovailoa’s interception in the end zone.

Overall, Tagovailoa went 8-for-11 for 99 yards in the Dolphins’ 20-13 loss to the Bears at Soldier Field.

He left the game healthy. He showed up to the postgame news conference smiling and wearing a colorful hoodie. That’s a win in a preseason game.

Read more below.

(Photo: Jon Durr / USA Today)

Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, made his preseason debut by starting against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

Lawrence finished Saturday's game 6-for-9 for 71 yards through two drives.

Lawrence was 3-for-5 for 24 yards in his first drive, which included a nice 10-yard pass to Marvin Jones Jr. Lawrence wasn't done flashing his ability as he added a 35-yard pass to Jones on his second drive for a first down.

(Photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

Vikings rookie quarterback Kellen Mond only had three training camp practices under his belt because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, but received much of the work under center in a 33-6 preseason loss to the Broncos on Saturday.

Mond, a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, was 6 of 16 for 53 yards and turned in a few impressive runs at five carries for 25 yards. He nearly had a touchdown pass to Whop Philyor in the third quarter on a fourth-and-goal, but it was knocked out at the last second by Denver's Caden Sterns.

Minnesota mostly used its second and third-string players in Saturday's preseason game. The Vikings host the Colts next weekend.

(Photo: Nick Wosika / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Veteran left tackle Jason Peters has agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears, his agency, Elite Loyalty Sports, announced on Saturday. No contract details are known at this time.

Peters, 39, played the last 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills. After going unsigned for months last year, the nine-time Pro Bowler re-signed with the Eagles last July after Brandon Brooks tore his Achilles. Philadelphia initially planned to play Peters at guard, but he returned to tackle after additional injuries to the team's offensive line.

Peters has started double-digit games in 13 of the last 16 seasons.

"He’s coming in here to compete to be the left tackle," Bears coach Matt Nagy said.

The Bears played their first game of the preseason on Saturday, defeating the Miami Dolphins 20-13.

Read more on how Peters fits in Chicago and his legacy in Philadelphia here.

(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)

It's not all about young quarterbacks today.

Patrick Surtain II, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft for the Broncos, snagged a Pick-6 against Minnesota on Saturday. It didn't take long for him to make his mark.

On Surtain II's expectations for the first preseason game, The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes: Broncos general manager George Paton on Thursday called rookie cornerback Patrick Surtain II “an incredible chess piece” for Fangio’s defense. The No. 9 pick from Alabama has lined up at dime linebacker, in the slot role in the nickel and in his more traditional outside corner spot. Fangio isn’t going to unload the full complexities of his defensive scheme in the preseason opener, but don’t be surprised if Surtain gets snaps in different roles during his first game.

(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Drew Lock, the Broncos' 2019 second-round pick, started Saturday's preseason game at Minnesota and didn't disappoint.

Lock completed 5 of 7 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns before relinquishing duty to Teddy Bridgewater in the second quarter. One of those touchdown passes was an 80-yarder to KJ Hamler in the first quarter.

Bridgewater — the former Viking entered the game to an applause from the Minnesota home crowd — was also impressive with 74 yards and a 4-yard touchdown pass to Trinity Benson on 7-of-8 passing. Meanwhile, Benson caught one touchdown pass each from Lock and Bridgewater.

Bridgewater and Lock are in a quarterback battle that is far from determined. Check out more on it and other Broncos preseason storylines below.

(Photo: Jeffrey Becker / USA Today)

The Ravens are winners of 17 consecutive preseason games with their last loss coming on Sept. 3, 2015 against the Atlanta Falcons. It's the best streak since Vince Lombardi's 1960s Packers.

Oddly enough, Baltimore finished the 2015 preseason 1-3 with the other losses coming from Washington and Philadelphia. The Ravens put the 17-game win streak on the line when they host the Saints on Saturday night.

(Photo: Mitch Stringer / USA Today)

Check out the 8-yard touchdown run below from Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields against the Miami Dolphins.

It took a few drives for the Bears' offense to warm up, but the Ohio State product is showing why fans are so excited about him under center.

Fields followed that touchdown run with a 30-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Jesse James. The touchdowns were part of 20 unanswered points for Chicago, helping the Bears eventually win 20-13 on Saturday.

Fields completed 14-of-20 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown with five carries for 33 yards and another score.

(Photo: Robin Alam / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Many will be rooting for Colts rookie quarterback Sam Ehlinger in what will be his first NFL action when the Colts host the Panthers to open its preseason on Sunday.

Ehlinger recently lost his brother, Jake, who died in May. Also, Ehlinger was 14 when his father died of a heart attack. Now, Ehlinger has a prime opportunity to impress with starter Carson Wentz injured and out after foot surgery. Ehlinger received first-team reps with the team in practice this week.

Read more below from Zak Keefer on Ehlinger, whose path to this point is full of triumphs and adversity.

(Photo: Marc Lebryk / USA Today)

Justin Fields made his preseason debut for the Bears against the Dolphins, entering the game to a standing ovation at Soldier Field.

The rookie quarterback was 2 of 2 for 10 yards with his first drive as a professional marred by two false start penalties. But the excitement from Bears fans was clear.

The other young quarterback in this game, Miami's Tua Tagovailoa, was 8 of 11 for 99 yards with an interception through three drives of work.

(Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

Dallas’ second preseason game was a lot like its first. Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory did not play. The defense again took the ball away on their first series. But there was too much sloppy play, and the Cowboys exited with another loss.

“This was clearly not as clean as you would like,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “You would like to take a bigger step there. We have a lot to clean up. A lot of our young guys played a ton of football, so it will be great video to evaluate.”

To break it down, here are five bad things and five good things that came out of the Cowboys’ 19-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Friday night.

Read more below.

(Photo: Joe Camporeale / USA Today)

Friday night's Cowboys-Cardinals game had Dak Prescott and Kyler Murray on the bench and efficient but unremarkable performances from starting QBs Garrett Gilbert and Colt McCoy. Then Chris Streveler came in.

Arizona started its fourth possession on the Dallas 36 yard line. On his first snap Streveler ran a read-option and was pushed out of bounds on the left sideline for a loss of 2 yards. Then he found rookie Rondale Moore over the middle for a 9-yard gain, Moore's fifth touch of the game. Then he ran a quarterback draw right up the middle of the Dallas defense, covering 23 yards to the Cowboys' 6.

On first and goal, he stretched and handed off to Eno Benjamin, who ran left into the end zone untouched. Four snaps, two minutes, six points, incalculable confidence for one of the least-known QBs in the NFL.

So who is Chris Streveler? He was a 2017 first-team all-American for South Dakota in the FCS and the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. At his pro day he ran a 4.51 40, cleared 125 inches in the broad jump and had a 38.5-inch vertical leap — all marks better than any QB at the 2018 NFL Combine. (Streveler was not invited.) And he rushed for 726 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019, his final season in the CFL.

Dallas eventually found the end zone in the fourth quarter on a pass from Ben DiNucci to Brandon Smith, but it's not an exaggeration to say Streveler was the most exciting player in the game. Whether on the draws or the read options or the rollouts when he beat Dallas defenders to the corner, he kept the defense off balance. He was Arizona's QB on its final seven possessions and finished 12-for-24 for 107 yards passing, and he rushed 10 times for 55 yards. He led the Cardinals on the tying and winning drives on the last two of those possessions.

With Kyler Murray and Colt McCoy ahead of him, Streveler figures to be entrenched at third on the Cardinals' depth chart. But he continues to demonstrate that he has the physical skills and confidence to be a catalyst when called upon.

(Photo: Joe Camporeale / USA Today)

Tennessee Titans running back Darrynton Evans left Friday night's preseason matchup against the Falcons with a leg injury. Evans, the primary backup to Titans star Derrick Henry, had 26 yards on four carries, good for 6.5 yards per attempt, before leaving the 23-3 win at Atlanta.

The Titans as a team finished the exhibition with 138 yards rushing paced by rookie running back Mehki Sargent's 58 yards on 16 carries.

(Photo: Dale Zanine / USA Today)