The London Bulldogs - The First Look
The Bulldogs split their first two games of the year to start the preseason at 1-1
After an eventful offseason that saw the team move to a new country and acquire a brand new franchise Quarterback and stud Running Back, the London Bulldogs have finally gotten the chance to show the world what the NFL's first British-owned franchise is capable of.
Trey Quinn pulls down a catch in traffic for a first-quarter touchdown against the Steelers.
The Bulldogs' preseason opened with a trip to Pittsburgh, where they started off with an impressive display on both sides of the ball. Free Safety Kendall Fuller stopped the Steelers' second drive abruptly when he picked off Big Ben for a 58-yard touchdown return, and the offense pushed the team ahead 14-0 by the end of the first quarter after Alex Smith connected on a high touchdown pass to WR Trey Quinn.
After Smith helped the Bulldogs get ahead in the first quarter, the Bulldogs sent in their first-round draft pick Kelvin Sanders to finish the game at Quarterback for the remaining three quarters. The rookie out of Kansas State looked shaky in his first outing on an NFL field, throwing for an unimpressive 7-19 and just 58 yards. The Steelers dominated the offensive game easily, with Mason Rudolph accumulating over 300 yards passing in three quarters of play. But while the Steelers were able to gain yardage with ease, they repeatedly failed to turn those yards into points. The Bulldogs showed tenacity along the defensive line, and several drives that could have turned into points for Pittsburgh were stopped by sacks.
Ultimately, a strip-sack by Da'Ron Payne -- who tallied 3.5 sacks on the day -- led to a touchdown return, the Bulldogs' second defensive score of the game and the touchdown that definitively secured the win. Rudolph did his best to bring the Steelers back, but a late-game touchdown pass was not enough to overcome a two-score deficit so late in the game, and the Steelers conceded a win to the Bulldogs in their first appearance.
The Bulldogs defense recorded three sacks against the Lions in their home opener.The Bulldogs then took their game back across the pond, where they hosted the Detroit Lions for their first game at home in the UK. In true London fashion, the game was played through constant rainfall, and the wet conditions made their presence felt early on. On just the second play of the game, Alex Smith threw an interception after his receiver slipped and fell on the wet turf, allowing the Lions a quick 7-0 lead to start. Smith played only a few drives, however, before Kelvin Sanders was given a second shot at running the offense.
The Bulldogs kept to a simple, hard-nosed style of offense throughout the game. The Power I formation factored heavily into a slow and methodical rushing attack, and for most of the game the Bulldogs lined up in some variation of the I Formation or Single Back, rarely having more than two Wide Receivers on the field at once. It was slow and physical, but it worked. Aaron Jones showed off his own power by pushing in a three-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter, and the game was tied 10-10 at the halftime break.
The Bulldogs were able to take their first lead of the day late in the third quarter, when Younghoe Koo drove a 29-yard kick through the wind and rain for a narrow lead. By the fourth quarter, though, that lead had evaporated, and the Bulldogs were left with just over four minutes to lead a comeback drive to push the game into overtime.
Kelvin Sanders tightened up his game for the final drive, and was able to get his team inside the ten yardline to threaten the game winning score. It looked as if all had been lost when his pass sailed high over his receiver on 4th and goal, but a defensive pass interference call gave them a fresh chance at the 1 yardline. Bryce Love smashed his way across the line of scrimmage for a touchdown, and the game seemed to be headed for overtime -- until Younghoe Koo's extra point struck the left upright and bounced into the endzone, leaving the Bulldogs behind 20-19.
The missed extra point decided the game, and the Bulldogs had to accept a frustrating loss in their first home outing of the year.
QB Kelvin Sanders takes snaps during a practice session ahead of their week three matchup with the Titans.
With the opening two weeks of the preseason under their belt, the Bulldogs have some good reasons to feel positive about the back half. After a dismal performance in week one, Kelvin Sanders showed some better decision-making in week two. Though he threw for three interceptions, rainy conditions and dropped passes helped to inflate this total; his 21-30 completion rate against Detroit shows the young signal caller is moving in the right direction. The Bulldogs were back out working hard on the practice field following Saturday night's loss, and there is no reason to expect that Sanders won't turn in an even better performance in week three.
The Bulldogs have also shown surprising tenacity on defense, with the defensive line relentlessly pressuring opposing quarterbacks and racking up sacks at an impressive rate. RE Chase Young, who missed much of his rookie season last year due to an injury, has looked strong, and DTs Matt Ioannidis and Da'Ron Payne have emerged as a deadly duo in the trenches, with Payne in particular recording a staggering 6.5 sacks in the first two games of the preseason.
Wide Receiver play has been lacking for London, however, and both Kelvin Sanders and Alex Smith saw their completion percentages dampened by costly drops. The offensive line has also struggled, allowing consistent pressure to leak into the backfield to rush Sanders' passing game and stifle the rushing attack the Bulldogs are so keen to build.
The Bulldogs will remain at home next week to host the Tennessee Titans, and will then round out the preseason with a trip to Los Angeles to face the Rams.