With Week 1 of the NFL preseason now a thing of the past, teams are beginning to focus on their Week 2 opponent.
Unlike past seasons, there will only be three preseason games.
Week 1 gave us numerous standout moments, including a 91-yard touchdown run by New England Patriots rookie Rhamondre Stevenson.
What a run by Rhamondre Stevenson! 91-yard touchdown.👀😳(Via @FTBVids_YT)
— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) August 13, 2021
But as we approach Week 2, teams are getting a better idea of what kind of team they have this season.
These three teams struggled in Week 1 and need to bounce back in Week 2 to prove they are on the right track for the regular season.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars played the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, falling 23-13.
Fans did get to see their first look of first overall pick Trevor Lawrence, who completed 6-of-9 passes for 71 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions.
TREVOR LAWRENCE DIME 😲
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/ytBGR4WjVZ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 14, 2021
But even with Lawrence in the fold, the Jags’ Week 1 game showed how far they have to come.
All 13 of Jacksonville’s points came in the fourth quarter.
Of their 302 total yards, only 115 came in the first half.
In their five first half drives, the Jaguars series went: punt, turnover on downs, punt, punt, interception.
To make matters worse, Jacksonville started almost their entire first-team offense.
Everyone except for wide receiver DJ Chark and guard Andrew Norwell, who are battling injuries, played.
On the flip side, the only two defense starters the Cleveland Browns played were cornerback Greedy Williams and defensive lineman Andrew Billings, who sat out the 2020 season.
Despite going up against second and third-stringers, the Jaguars first-team offense still couldn’t move the ball.
Lawrence is the first step for Jacksonville to make their way back into contention.
But there’s still a long way to go in Duval.
2. Minnesota Vikings
Unlike the Jaguars, the Minnesota Vikings rested most of their offensive starters.
Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Justin Jefferson all didn’t play.
But still, a 33-6 loss to the Denver Broncos has some cause for concern.
Offensively, Minnesota started Jake Browning, who is currently listed as the team’s backup on their unofficial depth chart.
He completed five-of-ten passes for 31 yards and an interception.
PATRICK SURTAIN PICK SIX 💥
pic.twitter.com/aJGl4V5M2k— PFF (@PFF) August 14, 2021
Kellen Mond, who the Vikings used a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on, replaced him and completed 6-of-16 passes for 53 yards.
Defensively, the Vikings again decided to rest their starters meaning the second and third-stringers played the whole game.
And while they’re backups, it’s clear they need to improve to earn a spot on the roster.
The Vikings allowed 387 total yards as both Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater had touchdown passes.
It’s not time to panic in Minnesota as this is not the same team fans will see Week 1 of the regular season.
But it’s clear there is some work to be done amongst the team’s depth going forward.
1. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams were in the same situation as the Vikings, resting all of their offensive and defensive starters.
In fact, head coach Sean McVay said he plans on resting starting quarterback Matthew Stafford the entire preseason.
But the Rams’ situation is a bit different than the Vikings, at least offensively.
Stafford is coming off of offseason thumb surgery.
He has appeared in in all 16 games in all but three of his 12 NFL seasons.
Getting reps for Stafford with his new receivers would have been nice, but he has proven to be a durable NFL quarterback.
The one issue Los Angeles needs to fix going forward is their running back room.
Presumed starter Cam Akers is out for the season with an Achilles injury.
Darrell Henderson is now expected to be the team’s starter, but he didn’t play.
Who did play were Xavier Jones and Jake Funk.
Jones carried the ball seven times for 21 yards while Funk rushed five times for 12 yards.
They were both out-rushed by quarterback Bryce Perkins, who had 23 yards on the ground; the highest on the team.
Throughout the offseason, Jones and Funk are two names the Rams have said they believe can contribute this season.
When Akers went down, they didn’t pursue a veteran runner because of them.
Rams don't have any immediate plans to pursue a free-agent running back. They believe in Darrell Henderson, like last year's undrafted free agent RB Xavier Jones and also drafted RB Jake Funk in the seventh round this year. For now, they're standing pat, but could revisit later. https://t.co/kkIVXrySFq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2021
While it was just one game, and one where the offense didn’t play, Jones and Funk need to emerge going forward.
Henderson will likely carry the load, but all three running backs will have to be at the top of their game that Akers left behind.
NEXT: 3 NFL Tight Ends On Verge Of Breaking Out In 2021