Preseason NFL takeaways: Steelers snapping woes overshadow Justin Fields' debut (2024)

Week 1 of the NFL preseason continued on Friday night with three games.

Here are five takeaways from Texans-Steelers, Falcons-Dolphins and Eagles-Ravens.

Snapping issues overshadow Justin Fields' debut

Fields' Steelers debut, a 20-12 loss to the Texans, was overshadowed by center Nate Herbig's disastrous game.

The former guard was responsible for two failed snap exchanges. The operation looked much cleaner when rookie Zach Frazier took over as a member of the second unit.

Fields finished 5-of-6 for 67 yards in three series before being pulled, but there was no clarity in Pittsburgh's quarterback battle between Fields and Russell Wilson because of the miscues at center.

Ravens CB Nate Wiggins shines during perfect opening drive

Wiggins, Baltimore's first-round pick (30th overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft, performed a defensive masterclass in his first series of a 16-13 loss to the Eagles.

The former Clemson Tiger had three pass breakups, showing perfect timing as he successfully defended passes on first and fourth downs after Philly crossed midfield.

Falcons already hit with injury bug

Michael Penix Jr. was effective in his Falcons debut, going 9-of-16 for 104 yards. But while he came out of the week strong, plenty of his teammates left hobbled following a 20-13 loss to the Dolphins.

The injury bug hit the Falcons again after wide receiver Rondale Moore (knee) was lost for the season earlier this week.

Defensive back DeMarcco Hellams suffered a leg injury against the Dolphins. Trainers placed a cast on his leg and he was carted off the field.

Hellams, a seventh-round pick out of Alabama in 2023, appeared in 15 games last season and was expected to play a bigger role in Year 2. Per Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick, he had rotated with safety Richie Grant as part of the first-team offense in training camp.

In the second quarter, rookie third-round edge Bralen Trice had to be helped to the medical tent after suffering a lower leg injury.

Preserving player health is the top priority for teams during the preseason, and the Falcons are already failing.

Texans WR Tank Dell is well past his 2023 ACL tear

Dell was in the conversation with Rams wideout Puka Nacua for best rookie wide receiver last year before he broke his left fibula in Week 13 and missed the rest of the season.

Before his injury, Dell had 47 receptions, 709 yards and seven touchdowns, which were the most by a rookie at the time.

Against the Steelers, the former North Carolina receiver scored a 34-yard touchdown, catching the ball in stride at the 18-yard line and accelerating past defenders on his way to the end zone.

Teams figuring out 2024 kickoff rule

We're beginning to see how teams will experiment this preseason with the league's 2024 kickoff rule.

Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn's squib-kick attempt landed short of the landing zone (between the returning team's goal line and its 20-yard line), giving Pittsburgh the ball at its own 40-yard line.

We still wouldn't be surprised if line-drive kicks are used frequently during the preseason as teams study their efficacy in gaining an edge in field position.

With the revised kickoff rules, a kick that falls in the landing zone and goes into the end zone without being returned results in a touchback at the 20-yard line.

Datashows that starting field position is key to the number of points an offense can be expected to score on a drive.

If a kicker routinely succeeds on his line drives, its effect on starting field position could be massive.

However, as "Thursday Night Football" Prime Vision's Sam Schwartzstein cautioned, teams will likely elect to use a standard kickoff if — like Fairbairn against the Steelers — kickers continue missing the mark.