Locked in a competitive battle for one of the final receiver spots, Bersin made a positive impression in the preseason opener against the Ravens.
This first catch came on a 3rd-and-17 with the Ravens in man coverage underneath. Bersin gets a clean release off the line of scrimmage and runs a deep dig across the middle of the field for the reception. He’s not shy of contact, which is huge for any slot receiver:
On this next example, Bersin uses his left hand to create an inch of separation and he hauls in a catch over the middle. Again, he’s not afraid of contact, as this shot left him with some sore ribs:
Finally, Bersin shows reliable hands and athleticism to complete the catch and fall out of bounds to stop the clock. Fellow wideout Damiere Byrd had a similar opportunity on the same drive, but couldn’t complete the process of a catch. If Bersin continues to make plays like this, it will be tough for the Panthers to cut him:
Williams’ night will mostly be remembered for the strip-sack he gave up on his first snap. It was certainly a bad look, but Williams has played right tackle for nearly his entire football life. The adjustment from right to left tackle is challenging. The movement, nuances and power required are different.
Williams actually rebounded nicely when he slid back over to the right. Here he displays a smooth kick slide and anchors well to prevent the defender from pressuring the quarterback:
Williams is again lined up at right tackle. The edge rusher delays his blitz. Williams assists the guard with a punch to the defensive tackle. He then transitions to his edge assignment and prevents the defender from sacking the quarterback or deflecting the pass:
Despite the positive reps Williams showed in pass sets at right tackle, he was inconsistent on run downs. Here he’s slow to pull and get his hands on the defensive tackle. The result was a common theme for the running game as a whole:
This preseason is a golden opportunity for Delaire, who battled through a torn labrum for most of last season. No one doubts his ability to speed rush offensive tackles. The question is can he hold up on run downs and use power to beat offensive tackles? His performance in Baltimore hasn’t eased those concerns.
On this first play, the Ravens run an inside zone for an explosive gain on Delaire’s side. He loses leverage and the offensive tackle completely washes him out of the play to create a nice hole for the running back:
On this run play, Delaire over-pursues too hard. He’s the force defender, which means he is responsible for holding the edge. Once he loses contain, running back Terrance West has plenty of room to bounce his carry:
Delaire again over pursues his rush on this play. This time, quarterback Josh Johnson bounces his bootleg outside for a solid gain:
Both Williams and Delaire are second-year players, so their potential hasn’t disappeared after just one preseason game. We’ll see if they can show it over the next three preseason games.