TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield continued his bid to follow Tom Brady as Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback and jumpstart his career with a solid, if not overly impressive preseason debut for the Buccaneers in a 27-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night.
The 2018 No. 1 overall pick is competing with Kyle Trask for the starting job that opened when Brady retired after last season.
Mayfield, who played without six starters on offense, including three veteran linemen and receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, was 8 of 9 for 63 yards and one touchdown over five series against a mix of Pittsburgh starters and reserves.
Trask, a 2021 second-round draft pick who appeared in just one regular-season game in two years as the No. 3 quarterback behind Brady and Blaine Gabbert, was sacked three times while going 6 of 10 for 99 yards with one interception.
Steelers starter Kenny Pickett, who worked one series, completed six of seven passes for 70 yards on a 10-play, 83-yard drive and finished with a 33-yard TD throw to George Pickens.
Mason Rudolph tossed a 67-yard TD pass to Calvin Austin III for Pittsburgh, which also used Mitchell Trubisky and Tanner Morgan.
PACKERS 38, BENGALS 19
CINCINNATI (AP) — Jordan Love, the replacement for Aaron Rodgers, played only part of the first quarter but was in command as the Packers went on to beat the Bengals in the teams’ preseason opener.
He completed 7 of 10 passes for 46 yards and a lofted a perfect throw to Romeo Doubs for a 9-yard touchdown.
Sean Clifford, a rookie out of Penn State, got most of the playing time for Green Bay after Love took a seat. He directed three touchdown drives but was also intercepted twice by Bengals safety Tycen Anderson, who brought the first one back 43 yards for the Bengals’ only first-half TD. Clifford finished 20 for 26 for 208 yards and a touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Davis.
For the Bengals, Joe Burrow sat out with a calf strain — he likely wouldn’t have played anyway — as Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian split the reps at quarterback.
Emanuel Wilson ran for two touchdowns, including a breakaway 80-yarder, for Green Bay.
FALCONS 19, DOLPHINS 3
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dee Alford scored on a 79-yard punt return, Breon Borders returned one of Atlanta’s three interceptions for a score and the Falcons defeated Miami.
After Alford broke multiple tackles for the touchdown with 4:36 left in the game, Skylar Thompson was intercepted by Borders on a throw that was too high for Chris Coleman. Borders returned the pick 26 yards for a touchdown. Yunghoo Koo then missed his second extra-point attempt of the game.
Atlanta’s Logan Woodside was 14 of 22 with 146 yards. Desmond Ridder, the Falcons’ projected starter, didn’t play.
Thompson and fellow backup Mike White struggled as regular starter Tua Tagovailoa watched from the sideline. Thompson went 10 of 16 after starting the second half. White was 9 of 14 with 85 yards in two quarters.
Godwin Igwebuike had 13 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons.
LIONS 21, GIANTS 16
DETROIT (AP) — Adrian Martinez scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 1:51 left to give Detroit a preseason victory over New York.
After Graham Gano’s third field goal gave the Giants a 16-14 lead with 7:59 to play, Martinez led the Lions on a 69-yard drive. New York stopped former Steelers running back Benny Snell Jr. twice from the 1, but Martinez — an undrafted rookie who had 49 TD runs in 45 college games for Nebraska and Kansas State — dived over the goal line for the score.
Tommy DeVito’s desperation pass was intercepted by Brandon Joseph to clinch the game.
Maurice Alexander returned a punt 95 yards for a touchdown at 2:37 of the third quarter for the Lions, and Sudfeld hit Jameson Williams for a 2-point conversion. Sudfeld led the Lions to a field goal and a 14-13 lead late in the third quarter. He finished 15 of 28 for 194 yards and two interceptions.
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