NFL Analysis
8/26/24
6 min read
2024 NFL Preseason Week 3 Winners, Losers: Rattler Pushes for QB1, Lance Stumbles in Dallas
The NFL preseason has officially concluded, which means we are just days away from the start of the 2024 season. This preseason saw fewer and fewer starters play, and some teams didn’t play a single starter in any of the three exhibition games.
Still, there were a few players who saw their stock rise in Week 3 and others who needed to have stronger showings. So, without further ado, here are the biggest winners and losers from the preseason's final week.
>> READ MORE: Grading Every Rookie QB Performance
Preseason Week 3 Winners, Losers
Winner: Velus Jones, RB, Chicago Bears 
The selection of Velus Jones in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft was always a puzzling one by the Bears. Chicago needed more receiver help, but it drafted a 25-year-old receiver with 1,400 career receiving yards in six college seasons. Jones was not a polished receiver at all but was still selected at the top of Round 3.
Heading into Year 3, Jones has made the transition to running back, and it might save his career. Through his first two seasons, Jones has more rushing yards (154) than receiving yards (127). Now, the Bears are fully leaning into the idea of him being a running back, which appears to be working.
Against the Chiefs this weekend, Jones recorded 111 rushing yards on 13 carries, including a 39-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He also caught two passes for 11 yards and has shown the ability to contribute as a kick and punt returner.
We will find out soon if Jones makes the 53-man roster, but the full-time switch to running back has given him a chance to earn. It’s a move that has worked out in the past for former busts at wide receiver (Cordarrelle Patterson, Ty Montgomery, etc), and the Bears are hoping that Jones can be the latest success story.
Loser: Trey Lance, QB, Dallas Cowboys
A year ago, the Cowboys traded away a 2024 fourth-round pick for Trey Lance, but this was the first time that he suited up in a preseason game for his new team. Lance had decent outings in the first two weeks of the preseason, but he was given the opportunity to play from start to finish against the Chargers in Week 3.
Lance racked up more than 400 yards of offense, and his athleticism was on full display. His best play of the day was a 46-yard touchdown run on a zone read. There just aren't many quarterbacks with his size and speed that can make this play.
But Lance threw five interceptions and had two fumbles (both recovered by the offense). The five turnovers weren’t all his fault. Two of them could easily be attributed to the intended receiver. But you can’t win in the NFL with a quarterback turning the ball over that frequently.
Lance will still make the 53-man roster, but he still has a way to go before he beats out Cooper Rush for the No. 2 job. And any hope that he could be the franchise quarterback in Dallas probably went out the window.
Winner: Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers gave up their future to trade up and select Bryce Young in the 2023 NFL Draft, but his rookie season was a disaster. The Panthers ended the season with the NFL's worst record, and Young was among the league's worst passers. He finished the year with 11 touchdowns in 16 starts and a passer rating of 77.3.
While the preseason certainly won’t change anyone's mind, Young played well in Week 3 against the Bills. Buffalo didn’t play its starters on defense, but Young looked confident and marched the first-team offense down the field for a touchdown. He played just one drive but was six-of-eight for 70 yards and a touchdown to Jordan Matthews (yes, that Jordan Matthews).
This offense seems more suited to Young’s skills, and he is clearly more comfortable than a year ago. We will see how much of it translates to the regular season, but Young was a big winner from the preseason.
Loser: Evan Neal, OL, New York Giants
This is a huge season for Evan Neal, who was the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. But after two rough seasons in New York, time is running out.
The former Alabama star has been a right tackle for the Giants but has recently moved inside to guard to resurrect his career. It’s been a rough transition, mostly due to injuries. But that’s why he ended up on this list, as he suffered another injury in Week 3.
Neal left the game in the first half, dealing with an ankle injury. While it doesn’t appear to be serious, he’s missed a lot of practice time and preseason reps rehabbing from injuries.
At some point, the Giants will stop giving Neal chances, and he’ll be buried on the bench or moved via trade. For a player that needed to have a strong preseason, it was anything but for Neal. He played just 21 total snaps before leaving with yet another injury.
>> READ MORE: Giants Finish Last in Preseason OL Rankings
Winner: Mac Jones, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
There was so much quarterback movement this offseason that the Mac Jones trade went under the radar. Jones started 42 games for the Patriots in the last three seasons and made the Pro Bowl during his rookie season. Unfortunately, his play regressed during the last two seasons, and he was shipped to Jacksonville for a late-round pick.
Jones is now blocked by Trevor Lawrence, but this could be exactly what he needs to get his career back on track. Jones looked fantastic throughout the preseason, and his confidence is much higher than it was in his final years with the Patriots.
He was an efficient 13-of-18 for 113 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons, finishing the preseason with a 115.9 passer rating.
Jones won’t see the field this year unless Lawrence is injured, but this could be a fantastic time for him to rebuild his confidence. Doug Pedersen has a great track record of getting quarterbacks to play their best football, and that could be the case here for Jones, who is suddenly one of the best backups in the league.
Loser: Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr did not play a snap in Week 3 of the preseason, but he still finds himself on this list. And that’s because Spencer Rattler looked really good in the final preseason game. Rattler made several “WOW” throws, including a gorgeous 21-yard touchdown to Equanimeous St. Brown in his first drive of the game.
Rattler has looked solid this preseason, and it seems like it’s only a matter of “when” he’ll get on the field over Carr. Unless Carr plays a lot better this year, it feels likely that the Saints will eventually give the keys to Rattler.
