QB Jaxson Dart is the offensive player you’re most interested to watch on Saturday against the Jets.
John Schmeelk: Fiction – I am going with offensive lineman Evan Neal. We already saw Jaxson Dart play last week, and he showed a level of competence that is the goal for rookie quarterbacks in the preseason. After missing Week 1 of the preseason, Neal practiced on Wednesday, which should give him a chance to play on Saturday. If Neal wants to play himself into a prominent role this season, the time is now. He needs to take full advantage of all his opportunities for in-game reps. There is no time to waste and I’m curious to see how well he plays at guard against a live NFL opponent.
Matt Citak: Fact – In his first taste of NFL action last weekend, Dart looked impressive. His final stats were encouraging, but more importantly, the rookie quarterback looked comfortable out there. Dart was decisive and accurate with his passes, which is not easy to do in your very first professional game. Once the regular season comes along, Dart is unlikely to see the field for a while, which makes these next two preseason games so important. I can’t want to see what he can do as an encore this Saturday.
OL Marcus Mbow is the non-QB offensive player you’re most interested to watch.
John Schmeelk: Fiction – I already went with Evan Neal, so there’s my answer, but I will give a quick aside on Mbow here. His improvement in dealing with longer-armed, powerful rushers that like to bull rush from the start of camp to where he is today has been impressive. I would like to see that progress continue.
Matt Citak: Fact – If Dart was the most impressive rookie against the Bills, then Mbow was a close second. The fifth-round pick lined up at right tackle, then got moved to left tackle a couple of drives later, only to return to the right side. Regardless of where he played, Mbow looked strong. He was on the field for 35 pass-blocking snaps and allowed just one total pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. If Mbow can prove over these next two games that he can be relied upon right away, it would give the offensive line a significant boost heading into the regular season, especially with Andrew Thomas still on the PUP list.