All praise for NFL rookies after debuts in preseason

From the No.1 pick to Mr Irrelevant, these games are their chance to prove why they earned their spot on their team in the first place.

Coaches praised rookies around the league after successful debuts.

(Getty Images)

Cardinals are loving what Love does

No. 3 overall pick, Jeremiyah Love, is back to doing what he does best, rushing the ball.

Love had 14 touches during the first half against the Raiders before going out with an ankle injury, yet HC Matt LaFleur is not too worried about the severity of it and was satisfied with his performance 

“He could have returned if we needed him to, so he’s fine,” LaFleur said to NBC Sports. “But again, you never know. It’s one of those things that maybe tomorrow it’s a little more sore than the next, so we’ll take that day by day. Again, just talking to him in there, he was good and excited and happy to be out there playing.”

LaFleur mentioned in the post-game press conference that their goal was for Love to have double digits and for him to get a couple of catches and some runs.

“Well, if you have a back that can run routes out of the backfield, you typically have favorable matchups,” LaFleur said to NBC. “There’s obviously certain linebackers that are really good at covering guys. If you got a guy that you feel is pretty dynamic, that can obviously be a pretty big weapon for you.”

Allar and Howard turn heads in Pittsburgh

One of the most unexpected rookies to make the headlines was Drew Allar, who threw for two TDs and rushed for one with a total of 153 passing yards.

Fellow rookie Will Howard also got some playing time, and both were praised by Mike McCarthy after the game.

"I thought as far as the way they took the play, commanded the huddle. ... I thought they were very poised," said McCarthy to ESPN. "I liked the way all three of them played, especially our young guys. I liked the way Will responded. ... He did a good job overcoming some long down on distances, and I thought his two-minute drill was outstanding. And I thought Drew played very, very well."

Allar recognized it was all thanks to how the Steelers have been helping him prepare in the past few weeks.

"It's a huge confidence boost, but I think I came into the game confident just because of the preparation and everything that has gone on in the last two weeks down in Latrobe," Allar said to ESPN. "Coach McCarthy and the whole offensive staff put together a really concise game plan ... just calling stuff that they know I'm comfortable with and just allowing us to go out and play fast. I feel like they did a great job of putting me in a position to go out and be successful."

Kubiak deems Mendoza "an ascending player"

Probably the most awaited debut since January, Fernando Mendoza is 'officially' an NFL player.

The former Hoosier was thankful for the experience and opportunity given to him, looking forward to what's next.

"First, I want to thank God and my teammates and coaches for allowing me the opportunity," Mendoza mentioned to FOX. "Today was an invigorating experience where there aren't many moments when you feel fully alive, and on the field is when you feel fully alive, especially in the NFL atmosphere.

"So I want to give thanks for that. It was great to get out there, get my feet wet .. I think it was a good experience."

Klint Kubiak didn't see anything new from Mendoza, just the same guy they've been seeing the past couple of weeks.

"As far as getting in and out of the huddle and commanding the group and getting the play-calls down, I saw the same guy we've seen in practice," Kubiak said to FOX. "I saw an ascending player."

Stribling was "feeling great out there" with the 49ers

De'Zhaun Stribling was one of the standout performers from Thursday night.

Although it ended in a loss, the 23-year-old had a good game with seven receptions and 63 receiving yards and felt positive about his first game-day experience.

"I felt great out there," Stribling told 49ers Webzone. "It felt like I was really clicking with the offense, hearing in the huddle, lining up on the field. So I'm very grateful I had the opportunities and the passes that I did."

There were a couple of corrections that Kyle Shanahan found during Stribling's game, but he was overall happy with his performance.

"It seemed good," Shanahan said to 49ers Webzone. "I mean, we'll see when we watch the film. I thought he struggled a little bit on that first drive, but I think he got three drives after that, and seemed like he executed all the stuff that went to him. And I liked how his hands looked out there, and he played physical."

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