Notes: Todd Bowles was able to unveil all his new toys in a 34-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was efficient and without any turnovers (his only two requirements to keep the starting QB job this season). Myles Jack, Jalen Ramsey, and Darron Lee all flashed subtle moments of speed and brilliance which has pundits pre-claiming this Jets unit as an '85 Bears clone. New runningback LeGarrette Blount made a unique decision to pitch the ball to a lineman teammate during a screen pass...The lateral missed the intended hands by 5-yards and was picked up and returned for a Jaguars touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo looked good in the green-and-white with 192 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns.
Miami Dolphins @ New York Giants
Notes: In what is a dream scoreline for Adam Gase's 'ground-and-pound' outfit, the Dolphins wore down the New York Giants 17-6 in their preseason opener. The trio of Chris Ivory, Thomas Rawls, and Duke Johnson Jr. look primed to continue the Miami run as the premier rushing attack in the NFL. Rookie quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Cardale Jones were smart with the football and demonstrated elite arm talent on a few throws. They both appear to be learning the ropes of the NFL quarterback position. Bobby Wagner was in mid-season form with a well-timed blitz and sack of Eli Manning early in the first. Justin Tucker missed his first field goal attempt of the season (ironically, he did the same last year before settling into one of the best seasons in his career).
Indianapolis Colts @ Buffalo Bills
Notes: Rex Ryan played it pretty close to the vest in a 20-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Aaron Rodgers led his unit on a 12-play drive into Colts territory deep into the first quarter. The drive ended poorly after Rodgers' protection broke down and the future Hall of Famer was hit, causing the ball to pop up in the air into the arms of a Colts linebacker who raced 88 yards for an Indy touchdown. Ryan was visibly fuming at his offensive linemen and did not allow Rodgers to re-enter the game. Todd Gurley looked again unstoppable and will surely garner NFL MVP votes at the end of the season. Safety Eric Reid re-introduced himself to the Buffalo brass with a few nice plays - the third-year player looks to unseat Adrian Amos as the starting free safety.