Jacksonville Jaguars 23, Pittsburgh Steelers 21. The final score has pretty much no impact on the season – just look at the 4-0 2008 Detroit Lions who finished 0-16 – but the roster evaluation is critical.
Game experience and game situations can dictate whether a player who is solid in training camp can actually excel at the NFL level. The preseason is an opportunity for the players on the bubble to rise or to suddenly sink.
With that in mind, we’ll take a look at some of the players who saw their stock rise during the first matchup of the preseason.