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The NFL preseason has come to a close. Here is how all the Arizona Wildcats around the league fared in the third week of action.
J.J. Taylor, RB, New England Patriots
Taylor capped the preseason with another strong performance, leading the Patriots with 76 rushing yards on just nine carries in a 22-20 win over the New York Giants. He also caught two passes for 11 yards. One of them came after he laid out former USC defensive tackle Leonard Williams on a pass block.
J.J. Taylor (5-6, 185) just laid out Leonard Williams (6-5, 291) pic.twitter.com/OaR0ekuSZC
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) August 29, 2021
For the preseason, Taylor totaled 179 rushing yards (on 7.9 yards per carry) and 20 receiving yards. He is not only a lock to make New England’s roster at this point, but could have a huge role.
The Patriots traded Sony Michel to the Rams earlier in the week, opening even more opportunities in the backfield.
Gary Brightwell, RB, New York Giants
Just like the old times, Taylor shared the field with Brightwell, who had four carries for 10 yards and three catches for 20 yards. Brightwell finishes the preseason with 49 yards after missing the first game with a leg injury.
Nick Folk, K, New England Patriots
Folk made his preseason debut and drilled a 41-yard field goal. He is expected to be the Patriots’ starting kicker in the regular season.
Nick Foles, QB, Chicago Bears
Foles got a bulk of the snaps in Chicago’s 27-24 win over the Titans and completed 10 of 13 passes for two touchdowns, easily his best performance of the preseason. Still, he is slated to the third-string quarterback behind Andy Dalton and Justin Fields once the regular season begins.
Dane Cruikshank, S, Tennessee Titans
Cruikshank missed another game due to injury.
Roy Lopez, DL, Houston Texans
Lopez continued his sack streak in a loss to the Buccaneers, tallying half a sack on a stunt. He was part of at least one sack in all three preseason games, as he appears to be in line to be an immediate contributor for the Texans.
Roy Lopez gets another 0.5 sack...he's been phenomenal.
— Ari Alexander (@KPRC2Ari) August 29, 2021
Love the salsa.
Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, LB/S, San Francisco 49ers
DFF was a captain in a 34-10 win over the Raiders and recorded two tackles. He is on the roster bubble heading into cutdown day.
Rob Gronkowski, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gronk did not record any stats in the preseason as the Bucs continue to preserve him for when the games actually count.
Jace Whittaker, CB, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals’ game against the Saints was cancelled due to a hurricane in the area.
Lorenzo Burns, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Burns had a pass deflection in a 34-14 win over the Cowboys.