National Football League

NFL 2023 preseason highlights: Jahmyr Gibbs, Dee Alford, Jahan Dotson, more

Published Aug. 12, 2023 3:57 p.m. ET

The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner!

But there is still plenty of preseason football to be played before Week 1 action kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 7 with a game between the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions.

Many teams have already played their preseason openers, and there has been no shortage of jaw-dropping plays thus far.

Check out the players who landed on our highlight reel.

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

Gibbs turned heads when he carried the ball six times for 19 yards, while also hauling in his lone target from backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld for 18 yards, in Friday's tilt against the New York Giants.

Lions QB Jared Goff recently described Gibbs, whom the Lions drafted with the No. 12 pick in this year's draft out of Alabama, as a significant offensive weapon.

"Our goal is to get guys who are special in space, and he’s one of them," said Goff about Gibbs.

Maurice Alexander, WR, Lions

Gibbs wasn't the only Lion showing out Friday, as former USFL wideout Alexander brought fans to their feet with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Lions finished the game on an 18-3 run to defeat the Giants, 21-16.

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos

Jeudy finished Friday's game against the Arizona Cardinals with two catches for 40 yards, including a picture-perfect 21-yard touchdown catch over the middle on a fourth-down play.

The Broncos narrowly lost to the Cardinals, 18-17.

Jahan Dotson, WR, Washington Commanders

Dotson, a first-round pick out of Penn State in 2022, scored the Commanders' first touchdown against the Cleveland Browns on Friday — a 26-yard score in the second quarter — by catching a high pass from second-year QB Sam Howell.

He got past two Cleveland defenders en route to the end zone after coming down with the pass around the 10-yard line.

The Commanders went on to narrowly defeat the Browns, 17-15.

Elijah Moore, WR, Browns

The former New York Jets wideout brought in his lone target for 6 yards, but also picked up 18 yards on a rush after lining up in the backfield. He was promptly evaluated for a rib injury, which reportedly isn't serious.

Moore, who is entering his third NFL season, was drafted with the 34th overall pick in 2021 out of Ole Miss. Moore totaled 984 yards and six touchdowns on 80 receptions in 27 games with the Jets before being traded to the Browns in March.

Emanuel Wilson, RB, Green Bay Packers

Packers rookie running back Wilson scored twice against the Cincinnati Bengals, including an 80-yard score in the fourth quarter, and racked up a game-high 111 rushing yards.

Wilson's stellar performance came on a meaningful day for the 24-year-old undrafted free agent.

"Today marks 14 years of the day my father was taken for [sic] me," he wrote on social media earlier Friday. "Today is also my first NFL game and I'm blessed to have the opportunity to play on this day."

The Packers finished Friday's matchup on 22-3 run en route to defeating the Bengals, 36-19.

Dee Alford, CB, Atlanta Falcons

Alford broke multiple tackles on his dazzling 79-yard punt return for a touchdown with less than three minutes left in the game to secure Atlanta's 19-3 win over the Miami Dolphins.

"It felt great, but I kind of knew I was going to do it," Alford said. "I can't really explain the feeling because it was supposed to happen — that type of feeling."

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