Once again, it was Bortles showcasing his talent for an excited Jacksonville fan base.
All 32 NFL teams are in action on Thursday night with the regular season only a tantalizing seven days away. Despite the flurry of action, only a few teams are playing anybody of consequence with most starters adorned in t-shirts, shorts and a relaxed demeanor.
Check back here throughout the night, as we will update upon the completion of each contest.
Atlanta Falcons 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 14
Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Bortles got his first start and looked excellent in limited time, completing 4-of-6 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Despite pressure from the left side, Bortles unleashed a bomb to fellow rookie Marqise Lee for a 53-yard score.
Atlanta's T.J. Yates got the start in place of Matt Ryan and led the offensive charge, hitting on 15-of-20 passes for 243 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Receivers Freddie Martino and Antone Smith were on the other end of the touchdowns, going for 67 and 66 yards respectively.
Cincinnati Bengals 35, Indianapolis Colts 7
Cincinnati's 2014 second-round pick Jeremy Hill was a workhorse against the Colts, rushing for 90 yards on 20 carries. Hill briefly left with an apparent knee injury during the first half but returned. Hill also caught six passes for 70 yards from veteran backup quarterback Jason Campbell, who completed 13-of-16 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Cobi Hamilton led all receivers with 74 yards and a 50-yard score.
The Colts got nothing accomplished offensively. Reserve quarterback Chandler Harnish played the duration and threw for 102 yards with a touchdown and interception. Indianapolis allowed five sacks, including three by Bengals second-year lineman Margus Hunt. Da'Rick Rogers scored Indianapolis' lone touchdown on a 7-yard reception, but brought a penalty afterwards for punting the ball. How does this affect his chances of making the roster?
#colts TD catch by Da'Rick Rogers. And the moron draws a flag for punting the ball. See ya.
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) August 29, 2014Detroit Lions 23, Buffalo Bills 0
Buffalo played a majority of its starters but could not muster any offense against the Lions. EJ Manuel was poor, completing 3-of-7 passes for 56 yards before giving way to Jordan Palmer. Palmer was also ineffective, hitting 9-of-22 for 73 yards and three interceptions. Running back Anthony Dixon was a bright spot, picking up 46 yards on eight carries.
Kellen Moore was strong for Detroit, throwing a pair of touchdowns including a 25-yard strike to second-year receiver Corey Fuller. Moore finished with a line of 17-of-28 for 172 yards. Rookie tight end Eric Ebron contributed to the Lions attack with two catches for 23 yards. Reserve back Mikel Leshoure failed to make noise, carrying eight times for 18 yards.
Philadelphia Eagles 37, New York Jets 7
Matt Barkley has seen limited time this preseason behind both Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez, but he was a stud against the Jets. The former USC star showed well with 253 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Arrelious Benn reeled in a 43-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Jeff Maehl led all receivers with 84 yards on four catches.
Matt Simms and Tajh Boyd are competing for the third quarterback spot and neither stepped up. Simms found the mark 7-of-17 times for 121 yards while Boyd went 7-of-12 for 92 yards and a score. Tight end Chris Pantale was solid with three receptions and 74 yards, including a 50-yarder.
Miami Dolphins 14, St. Louis Rams 13
Dolphins rookie wide receiver Matt Hazel stood out among the masses at Sun Life Stadium, going for game-highs with four receptions and 79 yards. Hazel also found the end zone on a 22-yard connection in the fourth quarter with Seth Lobato. Daniel Thomas struggled to get going against a tough Rams front, gaining 38 yards on 13 carries, albeit with a touchdown.
Michael Sam has been showing up this preseason, and he continued that trend against Miami. The seventh-round pick out of Missouri tallied a team-high six tackles. Offensively, backup quarterback Austin Davis was accurate, completing 12-of-19 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown to Austin Pettis.
Washington 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10
Colt McCoy is a forgotten name in the nation's capital, but he took advantage of center stage against Tampa Bay. McCoy completed 22-of-29 passes for 321 yards with a pair of touchdowns and two interceptions. Rookie running back Silas Redd was flashy behind McCoy, gaining 79 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.
The Buccaneers were conservative throughout the night, throwing only 15 times between Mike Kafka and Mike Glennon. Reserve running back Jeff Demps carried 19 times for 59 yards, and Soloman Patton led the Tampa Bay receivers with 34 yards. The Buccaneers struggled on third down, converting 2-of-9 opportunities.
Carolina Panthers 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 0
Kelvin Benjamin continued his promising summer for the Panthers. The rookie first-round receiver caught four passes for 56 yards, helping the causes of quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Joe Webb. The duo combined to throw for 214 yards on 25 attempts with an interception. On the ground, Fozzy Whittaker picked his way for 91 yards and a score on 23 carries.
The Steelers were under siege up front, allowing five sacks. Backup quarterback Landry Jones took the brunt of the beating, sacked three times. Jones completed 14-of-18 passes for 98 yards. Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey led Pittsburgh with six catches for 44 yards. The 2009 first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders is hoping to catch on with his third team in as many seasons.
Green Bay Packers 34, Kansas City Chiefs 14
Reserve quarterback Scott Tolzien made his case to jump veteran Matt Flynn on the Packers depth chart, throwing a pair of touchdowns and 138 yards on 12-of-18 passing. Tolzien outperformed Flynn, who hit on 7-of-15 attempts for 102 yards, although also with two scores.
The Chiefs struggled with the rule book, called for 14 penalties that amassed 131 yards. The battle for backup quarterback behind Alex Smith was ugly on three fronts, with Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray and Aaron Murray all failing to make a positive impression. Bray threw the only touchdown, but also the lone interception.
New York Giants 16, New England Patriots 13
Jimmy Garoppolo continues to look like the long-term future in New England. The Patriots' second-round draft pick in May out of Eastern Illinois played the entire game and went for 284 yards with a touchdown and interception. Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins were the main targets, leading New England with 57 and 46 yards respectively.
The Giants were able to run with abandon, garnering 179 yards on the ground with rookie Andre Williams leading the pack. Williams carried five times for 44 yards while veteran Peyton Hillis had 11 attempts for 40 yards. Kicker Josh Brown hit two field goals in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium, giving New York a narrow victory.
Minnesota Vikings 19, Tennessee Titans 3
Vikings second-year running back Joe Banyard was excellent against Tennessee, rushing for 111 yards on 18 carries. Banyard also had a reception, helping to open up the offense for Christian Ponder. Ponder was almost perfect, completing 12-of-15 for 121 yards. Teddy Bridgewater saw limited time, hitting on 4-of-9 for 17 yards and a touchdown.
Zach Mettenberger took almost every snap for the Titans and played well. The former LSU standout made good on 12-of-17 throws for 154 yards. However, Mettenberger could not find the end zone due in large part to three sacks and a -2 in the turnover column.
Injuries
The Bills were one of the few teams to play starters on Thursday, and they paid for it. Sammy Watkins re-injured his ribs and was forced to leave against the Lions in the first quarter. The severity of the injury is unknown. Buffalo also watched backup running back Bryce Brown walk off gingerly in the second quarter with a knee injury, per Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Brown was able to return later in the half.