Training
Camp Update
Volume 8, Issue 4 – 8/27/13
We say it all the time because it's true: Things change fast in
the NFL. And they never change faster than they do in August.
And nobody covers those changes and team situations more
comprehensively than Footballguys.com. Our Training Camp
Updates come out once a week in August and our staff covers
everything you need to know about every NFL team. This is
the deep stuff that gives you an edge. We're not going to rave
that Peyton Manning and Ray Rice are great. You know that.
Read our weekly updates to get the inside scoop on how the
Green Bay running backs are practicing and which player is
the best bet for your draft. Or the Eagles WR corps. Or which
Dallas receivers are shining in practice. It's the kind of
information that will put you over the edge and on the way to
dominating your draft.
Happy reading and let's have a great 2013 season,
Joe Bryant and David Dodds
Owners, Footballguys.com
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Arizona Cardinals
QB: Carson Palmer had a modest performance against the San
Diego Chargers by going 12/23 for 122 yards and a
touchdown. He did throw that touchdown to Michael Floyd in
the third quarter before leaving the game at least. Drew
Stanton came in from that point and had a strong completion
percentage, but also had an interception and only had 55 yards
on seven completions. The Cardinals' pecking order at the
quarterback position has been set in stone all offseason
seemingly.
RB: Rashard Mendenhall is clearly the preferred option in
Arizona. Mendenhall was impressive in Week 2 and made a
fast start against the Chargers in Week 3 also, but an issue
with his previously injured knee sidelined him. Ryan Williams
finally saw time on the field with two carries, but the odds are
stacked against him as he only came in late in the third
quarter. It appears that Alfonso Smith is the leading
candidate to replace Mendenhall if he misses time, but
Stepfan Taylor and Andre Ellington are still in the picture
also. Taylor has already shown up well in extended time on
the field, while Ellington appears to be the outsider looking in
for his rookie season at least.
WR: The arrival of Carson Palmer has many talking about
the rejuvenation of Larry Fitzgerald's career, but it appears
that Michael Floyd may be looking to give birth to his
prosperous NFL career this season. Floyd has the edge over
Andre Roberts as the second starting receiver because of he
has the ability to be a matchup nightmare for defensive
backs, he just needs to continue to show off his ability. While
Fitzgerald and Floyd will always draw the most attention of
the Cardinals' wide receivers, Roberts still has that deep play
ability that should prosper with Bruce Arians. Roberts added
two receptions for 42 yards against the Chargers in Week 3 to
go along with his 38-yard touchdown reception from Week 1.
While we haven't seen much evidence of it during the
preseason, Patrick Peterson is now reportedly available for 60
of the Cardinals' offensive plays.
TE: The Cardinals have had a bit of a cluster at the tight end
position during the preseason, but in the most important
buildup game the top three were Rob Housler, Jim Dray
and Korey Sperry. Dray appears to be set as the backup to
Housler, but Housler himsdidn't endear himself to fans much
against the Chargers. He did have one reception for eight
yards, but critically he dropped a pass in the endzone when he
was wide open. Palmer threw him a perfect pass, he simply
dropped it. That's all too familiar for the Cardinals, who were
the only team not to have a touchdown reception from a
tight end last season.
Defense: The Cardinals have retooled much of their defense
this off-season, but they retained a strength from last season in
the defensive line. Therefore, it's somewhat of a surprise that
Mike Jurecki has highlighted the defensive line as a
disappointment this year so far. The defense as a whole will
be disappointed with their display against the Chargers and
that's without even considering the freak fumble recovery that
led to a San Diego touchdown. Of course, once the Cardinals
start game-planning for opponents their performances should
dramatically improve. That can be said about any defense, but
when you have talented individuals like Tyrann Mathieu and
Patrick Peterson in the secondary that impact is multiplied.
Special Teams: It’s been a week and a half of changes. Camp
leg Will Batson was released. Kicker Jay Feely’s 30-yard miss
two weekends ago was deemed “unacceptable” by head coach
Bruce Arians. Recently released by the Dolphins, kicker Dan
Carpenter was signed last Wednesday. In this Saturday’s game
against San Diego, Feely made an extra point and Carpenter
had a 26-yard field goal attempt blocked. Carpenter was
released on Sunday. Things were simpler on returns against
the Chargers; CB Javier Arenas averaged 26.0 yards on two
kickoffs and CB Patrick Peterson had a 24-yard punt return
and a fair catch.
Cardinals Depth Chart
QB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Ryan Lindley
RB: Rashard Mendenhall (inj), Ryan Williams (inj), Stepfan
Taylor, Andre Ellington, Alfonso Smith, Javarris James
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, Andre Roberts
(inj), Jaron Brown, Charles Hawkins, Mike Thomas, Kerry
Taylor, Robert Gill, Dan Buckner, LaRon Byrd (IR)
TE: Rob Housler (inj), Jeff King, Jim Dray, Kory
Sperry, D.C. Jefferson, Richard Quinn
LT: Levi Brown, Nate Potter
LG: Daryn Colledge, Chilo Rachal, Senio Kelemete
C: Lyle Sendlein
RG: Paul Fanaika, Earl Watford, Mike Gibson, Jonathan
Cooper (IR)
RT: Eric Winston, Bobby Massie
K: Jay Feely
NT: Dan Williams (inj), David Carter (DT)
DE: Calais Campbell, Darnell Dockett (DT), , Frostee
Rucker, Ronald Talley
ILB: Daryl Washington (susp), Karlos Dansby, Kevin
Minter, Jasper Brinkley, Reggie Walker
OLB: Sam Acho, John Abraham, Lorenzo Alexander, Matt
Shaughnessy, Alex Okafor, Zach Nash, Dan Giordano (PUP)
CB: Patrick Peterson (PR), Jerraud Powers, Javier Arenas
(PR/KR),Antoine Cason, Jamell Fleming, Bryan McCann
S: Yeremiah Bell (SS), Tyrann Mathieu (FS/CB), Rashad
Johnson (FS) (inj), Justin Bethel (FS), Curtis Taylor
(SS), Jonathan Amaya (SS), Tony Jefferson (FS)
Atlanta Falcons
QB: Matt Ryan was harried by the Titans' pass rush on
Saturday night, taking five sacks for 34 yards and almost
losing a fumble (the officials ruled him down before the ball
popped out). "A couple things stick out to me," Ryan said after
the game. "Production in the red zone we've got to do better
and improve on in the next two weeks. And overall execution
needs to be better across the board. We just need to play better
than we did tonight." Ultimately Ryan finished with 11/19 for
138 yards, zero TDs or interceptions to his credit. Dominique
Davis took the rest of the Falcons' snaps, throwing 7/14 for
105 yards, one TD and one interception while being sacked
once (for -7 yards). Davis also ran twice for 45 yards. "We
gave up way too many sacks and way too many pressures on
the quarterback," head coach Mike Smith said. "It wasn't
necessarily mental. I think it was a technique thing." The
Falcons began to cut down to 75 players on Sunday, August
25 - QB Seth Doege was released in the first round of cuts.
RB: On the Falcons' first drive of the night, Steven Jackson
looked powerful and decisive, with two double-digit runs (11
and 13 yards) among the five carries he handled. He also
picked up a first down with a strong three-yard run on secondand-three during the drive. When Jackson was finished for the
night, he had amassed 12/51/0 rushing and 3/15/0 receiving
against the Titans. Jacquizz Rodgers didn't shine, with 3/9/0
rushing and Jason Snelling plodded to 3/1/0 rushing with 1/5/0
receiving in a reserve role. Fullback Bradie Ewing returned
from his unspecified injury to practices on August 20, and he
participated in the game on Saturday. "It felt good," Ewing
said. "It's been a little while. I was a little rusty, but it felt good
to be back out there with the guys and getting into some game
prep for Tennessee." Fullback Devonte Campbell was released
on Sunday as the team began to cut down to 75 players.
WR: Julio Jones (eight targets for 4/81/0) saw a lot of passes
from Matt Ryan on Saturday night, but struggled, dropping
two passes and drawing an offensive pass interference penalty
during the game. "We have a whole lot of work to do over the
next 14 days," coach Smith said after the game. "Many of the
mistakes that we made are correctable." Roddy White sat out
of the game nursing his sprained ankle, so Harry Douglas
started across from Jones (two targets for 1/16/0 receiving).
Darius Johnson was second in receiving on the team, with
4/62/1 to his credit, including a 41-yard TD pass from Davis.
TE: "Personally, I felt good," Tony Gonzalez said after the
game on Saturday. "I felt fine. There is room for
improvement, there always is. I've only been back for four
days or whatever... I'm improving my wind. I wasn't winded,
but I can get better. I can explode (better) off the line of
scrimmage. I like where I'm at, at this point after missing all of
that time." Gonzalez started and saw two targets for 2/21/0
receiving. Backup Chase Coffman saw five targets for 2/24/0
receiving vs. Tennessee. While out on family leave, Gonzalez
watched practice nightly from his team issued iPad. "Yeah, we
have the iPad with all of the plays on there and all of the
installation that you're going to need," Gonzalez said. "There
is nothing that they saw that I didn't see. I got to see
everything. It beams right to the iPad. I would watch it every
night and see what they did in practice every day."
Defense: At Tennessee, the Falcons were led by DE/LB Kroy
Biermann - he posted seven tackles (five solo) with two sacks,
three tackles for a loss and two QB hits. He is thriving in the
hybrid role defined for Biermann by defensive coordinator
Mike Nolan. Unfortunately, Asante Samuel injured his thigh
during the game - the severity of his injury isn't currently
known. On Wednesday, it was revealed at practice that Osi
Umenyiora will wear #50 for the 2013 season, after trading a
nice dinner to Pat Schiller for the jersey number. LB Robert
James returned to practices on Tuesday after rehabbing his
undisclosed injury.
Special Teams: Against the Titans, starting kicker Matt
Bryant got a chance to rest (with tightness in his back) and
camp leg Jeremy Shelley handled the placekicking, making
field goals of 27, 31 and 32 yards, but missing wide right from
46 yards. Along with holding on placekicks, Matt Bosher
averaged 52.0 yards on four punts and had two touchbacks on
five kickoffs. Starting kickoff returner RB Jacquizz Rodgers
had a 32-yard return against the Titans. WR Harry Douglas,
who is expected to only see an occasional punt return in the
regular season, averaged 11.0 yards on a pair and fair caught
another this week.
Falcons Depth Chart
QB: Matt Ryan, Dominique Davis, Sean Renfree
RB: Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers (KR), Jason Snelling,
Antone Smith, Josh Vaughn, Ronnie Wingo
FB: Bradie Ewing, Patrick DiMarco
WR: Roddy White (inj), Julio Jones, Harry Douglas
(PR), Drew Davis, Kevin Cone, James Rodgers, Marcus
Jackson
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Levine Toilolo, Chase Coffman
LT: Sam Baker
LG: Justin Blalock, Jacques McClendon
C: Peter Konz, Joe Hawley
RG: Garrett Reynolds, Phillipkeith Manley, Harland Gunn
RT: Lamar Holmes, Mike Johnson (IR)
K: Matt Bryant
DT: Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters, Peria Jerry, Travian
Robertson, Micanor Regis, Adam Replogle
DE: Osi Umenyiora, Kroy Biermann, Malliciah
Goodman, Stansly Maponga, Jonathan Massaquoi, Cliff
Matthews
MLB: Akeem Dent, Pat Schiller, Brian Banks
OLB: Sean Weatherspoon (W) (inj), Stephen Nicholas
(S), Robert James (W)
CB: Asante Samuel, Desmond Trufant, Robert
McClain, Robert Alford, Dominique Franks (PR), Kemal
Ishmael, Terrence Johnson
S: William Moore (SS), Thomas DeCoud (FS), Charles
Mitchell (FS),Zeke Mota (SS), Shann Schillinger (SS), Peyton
Thompson (FS)
Baltimore Ravens
QB: When asked for his thoughts on the team’s dress
rehearsal for the regular season, Ravens Head Coach John
Harbaugh cut right to the chase. "Very pleased about most
everything about the game… I like the way we played, I liked
how we played… I just didn't like the four returns for
touchdowns." The Ravens allowed three different returns for
scores in the first half after taking a 7-0 lead with a 9-play, 69yard drive capped by Ray Rice’s 1-yard TD run. The Ravens
went no-huddle for seven of the drive’s nine plays and Flacco
completed all five passes on the drive. The Super Bowl MVP
played into the third quarter completing 18-of-24 for 169
yards, but he threw a pair of interceptions. At least he
rebounded and finished strong, leading them to ten 3 rd quarter
points to bring them within a score of the Panthers –
highlighted by a 24-yard TD strike to undrafted rookie. Pencil
in Flacco as a solid, middle-of-the-road QB2 in standard 12team leagues.
RB: Unlike other top flight RBs, Ray Rice got plenty of action
in his team’s third preseason game. Rice played into the third
quarter along with most of the starters as he carried the ball 16
times for 62 yards and a TD. Rice started strong with a 13yard rip behind right guard Marshal Yanda on the first play of
the Ravens’ opening drive and he finished off the drive with
an easy one-yard run. Beyond that, the starting offense and
Rice bogged down for the rest of the first half until they came
alive in the third quarter. Bernard Pierce didn’t have his best
game with only seven yards on 10 carries, including a lost
fumble when Panthers MLB Luke Kuechly met him in the
backfield, stripped the ball and Thomas Davis scooped up the
ball and ran it in for a touchdown. Pierce mixed in with Rice
with the first-team getting his first action on the team’s third
series. After Rice and Pierce, the race for the third spot got
more interesting when the Ravens acquired Delone Carter
from the Colts in exchange for WR David Reed. Carter will
compete with Anthony Allen, Damien Berry and Bobby
Rainey for the third and likely final spot in the backfield, save
for fullback Vonta Leach. Allen was the first back off the
bench against the Panthers with Rainey and Berry working in
right behind him. Allen ran for 28 yards on five carries,
Rainey 31 yards on three, and Berry had a 10-yard TD in the
fourth quarter to go with his 15 yards on three carries.
WR: Torrey Smith had a quiet night with one target and no
catches against the Panthers. The Ravens coaches probably
didn’t want to push Smith and instead give more snaps and
opportunities to the team’s unsettled group of young receivers
vying for roster spots and perhaps a place opposite Smith in
the starting lineup. Jacoby Jones, of course, is the incumbent,
but the coaches have all but accepted the idea that Jones will
never blossom into a full-time starter. Jones caught two balls
for 15 yards while undrafted rookie Marlon Brown took full
advantage of his reps. A former 5-star recruit and Mr. Football
in the state of Tennessee, Brown went undrafted after tearing
his ACL last November at Georgia. Brown got open all night
as led the team with four catches, 59 yards and a TD. He
caught all four of his targets and is becoming a key player who
could emerge opposite Smith since none of the other team’s
receivers has made a move of their own. Tandon Doss is best
used on the inside when the team goes to three wide, but the
team signed veteran Brandon Stokley, who appears to be the
leading candidate inside as the team’s slot receiver. Rookie
Aaron Mellette has had moments in camp, but his
inconsistency holds him back for the time being. Mellette
should make the team and open the season as the No. 5 WR,
assuming he beats out Deonte Thompson, who hasn’t
practiced since spraining his left foot in the team’s first
preseason game.
TE: On Sunday, the Ravens cut loose veteran Visanthe
Shiancoe to thin the herd of tight ends trying to earn a spot
with Dennis Pitta sidelined for most, if not all, of the season.
Ed Dickson should start when he returns from his partially
torn hamstring. Dickson was upbeat about his chances of
playing in Week 1 and he has returned to practice and reported
no new soreness. Undrafted rookie Matt Furstenburg’s play
throughout August likely prompted the departure of Shiancoe.
Furstenburg could open the season third on the depth charts –
Billy Bajema notwithstanding.
Defense: The Ravens allowed 34 points to the Panthers on the
scoreboard, but it wasn’t the defense’s fault. The Panthers
gained only 67yards offensively in the first half, but their
defense and special teams accounted for three scores, not to
mention another 33-yard interception return by CB D.J. Moore
in the third quarter. Daryl Smith, Albert McClellan and
Brandon Williams all had sacks, but the Ravens didn’t force
any turnovers. Josh Bynes got the start at inside/weak
linebacker over rookie Arthur Brown and James Ihedigbo
continues to start at strong safety over rookie Matt Elam.
"(Bynes has) earned it," Harbaugh said. "He’s practiced really
well. He’s physical. He understands our defense inside and
out. He’s done a heck of a job." That said we’d expect Brown
and Elam to emerge at some point this season.
Special Teams: Sam Koch averaged 52.0 yards on a pair of
punts while kicker Justin Tucker hit field goals of 32 and 36
yards against Carolina. The returners were busy in the game.
Starter WR Jacoby Jones averaged 23.0 yards on three kickoff
returns and 6.0 yards on a pair of punts. RB Bobby Rainey
made his case to spell or join Jones during the regular season,
by averaging 31.0 yards on two kickoffs and returning a punt
60 yards. Although CB Asa Jackson didn’t score this week, he
did have a 34-yard punt return. WR Tandon Doss fair caught a
punt.
Ravens Depth Chart
QB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor, Caleb Hanie
RB: Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce (inj), Anthony Allen, Delone
Carter, Damien Berry, Bobby Rainey
FB: Vonta Leach, Kyle Juszczyk (TE)
WR: Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones (PR), Marlon
Brown, Brandon Stokley, Deonte Thompson (KR)
(inj), Tandon Doss, Aaron Mellette, LaQuan
Williams, Gerrard Sheppard
TE: Ed Dickson (inj), Dallas Clark, Billy Bajema, Matt
Furstenburg, Alex Silvestro, Dennis Pitta (inj)
LT: Bryant McKinnie, David Mims
LG: Kelechi Osemele, Ramon Harewood
C: Gino Gradkowski, A.Q. Shipley, Reggie Stephens
RG: Marshal Yanda , Antoine McClain
RT: Michael Oher, Jah Reid, Ricky Wagner, Jack Cornell
K: Justin Tucker
DT: Haloti Ngata (NT), Arthur Jones, Terrence Cody
(NT), Brandon Williams
DE: Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, DeAngelo Tyson, Kapron
Lewis-Moore
ILB: Daryl Smith, Josh Bynes, Arthur Brown, Albert
McClellan, Nigel Carr, D.J. Bryant, Jameel McClain (PUP)
OLB: Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Courtney
Upshaw, Pernell McPhee, , John Simon, Adrian Hamilton (IR)
CB: Lardarius Webb, Corey Graham, Jimmy Smith, Chykie
Brown, Marc Anthony, Asa Jackson (susp)
S: Michael Huff (FS), James Ihedigbo (SS), Matt Elam
(SS), Omar Brown, Brandon Trawick, Christian Thompson
(susp)
could possibly even be career-ending given his prior history of
head injuries. After saying that they wouldn’t bring in any
additional QBs a week earlier, the Bills made two moves to
upgrade their depth at the position. They signed veteran Matt
Leinart off the street and also traded LB Chris White to the
Lions for Thaddeus Lewis. For now anyway, it appears that
rookie Jeff Tuel is the player to watch as he took over for Kolb
and played the majority of the game. He got off to a solid start
completing 4 of his first 5 attempts while also throwing deep
to T.J. Graham on another play that drew a 42-yard pass
interference call. The offense couldn’t find any rhythm in the
second half, however, and the game turned into a blowout
loss. Tuel has seen a ton of reps for a #3 QB and as the player
most familiar with the offense; he will get the start in Week 1
against the Patriots if Manuel is unable to play.
RB: C.J. Spiller got the start on Sunday against the Redskins
and once again showed off his explosiveness with a 19-yard
gain out of a shotgun formation. He gave everyone a scare
when he appeared to injure his knee on a 2-yard touchdown
run up the middle, but was able to return in the second quarter
and reports indicated he was fine after the game ended. Fred
Jackson spelled him during some early drives in the game. He
will likely be in a regular rotation to prevent Spiller from
wearing down. Both backs combined for a workman-like stat
line of 57 yards on 14 attempts, but the QB issues clearly
limited their effectiveness as the offense really struggled to
convert third downs in the game. Tashard Choice once again
served as the team’s third RB and looks to be a pretty safe bet
to make the final roster. There was a news story over the
weekend regarding Spiller’s family as his step-grandfather
was identified as the shooter in a murder suicide in North
Florida.
Buffalo Bills
WR: Steve Johnson made his preseason debut against the
Redskins as he started the game and led the team with four
catches on 7 targets. He looked ready to go for the season but
did cough up a fumble in the red zone just before getting his
knee down that was recovered by Washington. T.J. Graham
got the start opposite him and showed off his speed as he drew
two long pass interference penalties and also caught a 40-yard
pass that was voided due to a push off on his part. Robert
Woods was active early in the game as he caught all three
passes thrown to him, and fellow rookie Marquise Goodwin
caught a short pass while once again showing great speed on
kickoff returns. No other receivers made any plays in the game
this week so those top four players appear to be set going into
the season. The rest will battle in the last preseason game to
see who else makes the final roster. Brad Smith could be
moved back to QB given the injuries at the position.
Meanwhile, the Bills released Da’Rick Rogers on Monday as
the talented but troubled player failed to make an impact in
camp.
QB: Rookie and presumed starter EJ Manuel remained out this
week while recovering from knee surgery, but he may still
return in time for the season opener. Kevin Kolb got the start
against the Redskins on Saturday but had a rough afternoon as
he left the game late in the first quarter with a concussion soon
after he was kneed in the head while diving for a first down.
The Bills are treating this as a serious concussion and one that
TE: Blocking specialist Lee Smith got the start in the
Redskins game and Scott Chandler saw some time as well but
neither player was much of a factor. Dorin Dickerson was the
only TE to receive a target in the game and it fell incomplete.
This offense appears to be better suited to spread teams out
with 3- and 4-WR formations, but they may need to keep a TE
in to block more often given the inexperience at QB. Getting
Chandler healthy likely remains their best chance for any
worthwhile fantasy production at the position.
Defense: Despite facing the Redskins 3rd and 4th string QBs
for the entire game, the Bills defense had a lot of difficulty
slowing them down and getting off the field. The run defense
was gouged early as they allowed nearly 5 yards per carry, and
that helped slow down the Bills pass rush and buy more time
for the opposing QBs to hit plays downfield. The Bills defense
wound up facing 81 plays compared to just 49 for the offense,
which could be a sign of things to come given the no-huddle
scheme. The Bills opened in their nickel package with Nigel
Bradham and Kiko Alonso playing at linebacker, indicating
that both could be 3-down players. OLB Jerry Hughes added
another sack to continue his strong preseason. SS Da’Norris
Searcy was reportedly on the roster bubble last week, but
started the game and was very active. Rookie S Duke
Williams also looked good as he led the team in tackles and
added a sack. FS Jairus Byrd did not play after signing his 1year franchise tender last week, which also did not include a
provision that prevents the Bills from using it on him again
next year. The biggest news to come out of the game,
however, was the broken wrist suffered by #1 CB Stephon
Gilmore, which will keep him out of the lineup for 6 to 8
weeks. That will put a lot more pressure on corners Leodis
McKelvin, Ron Brooks, and Justin Rogers.
Special Teams: In his first preseason game as the lone kicker,
rookie Dustin Hopkins wasn’t very busy. He kicked off twice
and made an extra point. In his first game as the lone punter,
Shawn Powell was much busier, averaging 52.8 yards on eight
punts. WR/KR Brad Smith had his first return of the preseason
against Washington, going nine yards on a kickoff. CB/PR
Leodis McKelvin played for the first time this preseason, but
did not have any returns. Rookies handled most of the returns
against the Redskins - WR Marquise Goodwin averaged 25.0
yards on three kickoffs while DB Nickell Robey averaged 0.5
yards on two punt returns.
Bills Depth Chart
QB: EJ Manuel (inj), Kevin Kolb (inj), Jeff Tuel, Thaddeus
Lewis, Matt Leinart
RB: C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson, Tashard Choice, Zach Brown,
Kendall Gaskins
FB: Frank Summers
WR: Steve Johnson, Rob-ert Woods, T.J. Graham, Marquise
Goodwin, Brad Smith (QB/KR), Chris Hogan, Marcus Easley,
Brandon Kaufman, Kevin Elliott (IR)
TE: Scott Chandler (inj), Lee Smith, Dorin Dickerson
(TE), Chris Gragg
LT: Cordy Glenn, Thomas Welch, Zebrie Sanders
LG: Colin Brown, Doug Legursky
C: Eric Wood, David Snow
RG: Kraig Urbik, Keith Williams, Antoine Caldwell
RT: Erik Pears, Chris Hairston, Sam Young, Tony Hills
K: Dustin Hopkins
NT: Marcell Dareus, Torell Troup, Alex Carrington
DE: Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Alan Branch, Jarron
Gilbert, Corbin Bryant, Jamie Blatnick, Jay Ross
ILB: Kiko Alonso (M), Nigel Bradham (W), Bryan
Scott, Arthur Moats (W), Brian Smith (W), Marcus Dowtin
OLB: Manny Lawson (S), , Jerry Hughes, Kourtnei
Brown, Keith Pough, Jamaal Westerman
CB: Stephon Gilmore (inj), Leodis McKelvin, Crezdon
Butler, Ron Brooks, Justin Rogers, T.J. Heath, Nickell
Robey, Kip Edwards
S: Jairus Byrd (FS), Da′Norris Searcy (SS), Aaron Williams
(FS),Duke Williams (SS), Mana Silva (FS), Jordan
Dangerfield
Carolina Panthers
QB: Cam Newton was so-so at Baltimore last Thursday,
tossing 10/19 for 99 yards, zero TDs or interceptions, and also
rushing twice for twenty yards on the ground. Newton was
sacked three times for 21 yards. Jimmy Clausen handled the
rest of the snaps at Baltimore, but only posted 2/4 for 20 yards
passing. Newton has just one TD drive through three
preseason games (14 possessions) - it's fair to say that the
Carolina offense has been underwhelming - a concern entering
the regular season slate of games. Coach Ken Dorsey
discussed Newton's abilities: "He's got such great arm
strength. When he gets his legs and his base into the throw, it's
a huge difference... also mentally, he's made tremendous
strides. I've been really excited how he's worked this training
camp and this whole preseason."
RB: DeAngelo Williams had a cameo at Baltimore on
Thursday night, with 4/2/0 rushing to his credit. So far this
preseason, Williams has posted 21 carries for 51 yards rushing
(2.4 yards per carry on average). Rookie Kenjon Barner had
2/7/0 rushing and 1/10/0 receiving, but landed on the injury
report afterwards (ankle/foot), joining Jonathan Stewart (ankle
surgery/rehab) and fullback Mike Tolbert (hamstring). All
three missed practice Saturday, August 24. Tauren Poole was
the most productive Panther back against Baltimore, with
15/36/0 rushing and 1/1/0 receiving to his credit.
WR: Though David Gettis has posted big stats during the
preseason, he didn't display much chemistry with Cam
Newton during first team reps on Thursday. Gettis managed
just one catch for six yards while playing with the Panthers'
starters. Starter Brandon LaFell had a rough game, dropping
some catchable balls and ending up with four targets for
1/11/0 receiving on the day. Steve Smith converted three
targets into 2/18/0. Kealoha Pilares injured a knee during the
game at Baltimore, and didn't return to action. The team
revealed on August 24 that Pilares tore his ACL and is lost for
the season - he'll be headed to IR if he clears waivers.
Wideout Joe Adams continues to miss practices due to his
ongoing calf injury - he sat out the most recent session on
August 24. Armanti Edwards and Domenik Hixon also missed
the game on Thursday - both are nursing hamstring injuries,
and both also missed last week's second preseason contest. "I
talked to Hixon about it. He's been out longer than me with
his. He's frustrated, too," said Edwards. Hixon finally returned
to practice on Saturday, August 24. He'll have to make a big
impact in just a few practices if he wants to make the 53-man
roster.
TE: Greg Olsen led the Panthers in targets and receiving last
Thursday, with seven targets for 3/44/0 receiving to his credit.
Ben Hartsock continues to miss practices and preseason games
due to his injured foot. Olsen is the clear #1 on the tight end
depth chart, and given LaFells' struggles as WR #2, Olsen
looks like he'll be a significant part of the passing attack going
forward.
Defense: Carolina's defense was all over Joe Flacco and the
Ravens on Thursday night, with three turnovers converted into
TDs: CB Drayton Florence had a beautiful 71-yard
interception return (five tackles, four solo; a pass defensed, an
interception and a TD), and CB D.J. Moore took a pick 33
yards for a score (five tackles, three solo; two passes defensed,
an interception and a TD), while OLB Thomas Davis (two
tackles, two solo, a recovered fumble and a TD) recovered a
fumble and ran in a TD from two yards out. The Panthers also
intercepted a Tyrod Taylor pass to notch four turnovers forced
last Thursday. The Panthers have recorded 10 turnovers over
the past three preseason games. S Mike Mitchell led the team
with 10 tackles (eight solo), followed by Luke Kuechley
(seven tackles, four solo; two passes defensed). Kuechley
noted after the game: "We've had quite a few turnovers in each
game and that's huge for us. Defensive coaches have done a
good job of stressing it." Jon Beason started at WLB after
missing games and practices dating back to week four, 2012 he managed two tackles (one solo). Beason displayed good
versatility during the game, playing in both the 3-4 and 4-3
alignments on D. CB Captain Munnerlyn injured his hand
during the game, but X-rays came back negative for a broken
bone. DT Frank Kearse didn't travel to Baltimore (knee
injury). CB Josh Thomas spoke about striving to regain his
position as a starter in the defensive backfield: "It's about
turnovers. A lot of times it was deflections last year. This year
I want to force turnovers and capitalize on me getting my
hands on the ball. I want to get the ball back to Cam and our
offense to score."
Special Teams: Against Baltimore, WR Ted Ginn had his
first returns of the preseason, scoring on a 74-yard punt return.
“Today was the first time I got a live punt. I just did what I do
in practice, get the ball and get upfield. Without my other 10
guys I was nothing. I made a guy miss, but everybody picked
up a block and got on their man,” said Ginn. Backup returner
WR Kealoha Pilares was injured and then waived. Starting
kicker Graham Gano was productive against the Ravens,
hitting field goals of 54 and 42 yards and adding four extra
points. Camp leg Morgan Lineberry did not play. Starting
holder/punter Brad Nortman continued to share time with
rookie Jordan Gay. Lineberry and Gay have since been
released.
Panthers Depth Chart
QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Jimmy Clausen
RB: DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart (PUP), Kenjon
Barner (KR), Armond Smith, Tauren Poole
FB: Mike Tolbert
WR: Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, Domenik Hixon, Armanti
Edwards,Ted Ginn (KR/PR), David Gettis, James Shaw, R.J.
Webb, Taulib Ikharo, Brenton Bersin, Dominique
Curry, Kealoha Pilares (IR)
TE: Greg Olsen, Ben Hartsock, Richie Brockel (FB), Brandon
Williams, Zack Pianalto
LT: Jordan Gross, Bruce Campbell (IR)
LG: Amini Silatolu, Hayworth Hicks, Nate Chandler
C: Ryan Kalil, Jeff Byers
RG: Garry Williams, Zachary Williams, Edmund Kugbila
(IR)
RT: Byron Bell, Thomas Austin
K: Graham Gano
DT: Sione Fua, Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short, Dwan
Edwards, Nate Chandler (NT), Colin Cole
DE: Charles Johnson, Greg Hardy, Frank Alexander, Mario
Addison, Craig Roh
MLB: Luke Kuechly, Jason Williams, A.J. Klein
OLB: Thomas Davis (S), Jon Beason (W), Chase
Blackburn, Doug Hogue, Jordan Senn, Ben Jacobs
CB: Josh Norman, Josh Thomas, Captain Munnerlyn, Drayton
Florence, D.J. Moore, James Dockery
S: Charles Godfrey (FS), Michael Mitchell (SS), Haruki
Nakamura (SS), Colin Jones (FS), D.J. Campbell (SS), Robert
Lester (SS), Anderson Russell
Chicago Bears
QB: The Bears first-team offense finally got off to a great start
and showed what they were capable of in Friday night’s
matchup against the Raiders. Jay Cutler led the team on five
scoring drives in the first half as the Bears took a 27-3 lead
into halftime. After being criticized for locking onto his
favorite receiver a week ago, Cutler looked much more
comfortable spreading the ball around and targeted six
different receivers in the first quarter alone. His final numbers
were not great (12 of 21 for 142 yards with 1 TD), but he was
let down by a few big drops. “It was a good outing for
everybody, but it is preseason.” Cutler said. Josh McCown
took over in the second half, but did not show much as the
Raiders staged a rally. He was responsible for the team’s only
interception in the game, but otherwise had a pretty uneventful
outing. After just being signed last week, Jordan Palmer saw
mop up duty in the game and Trend Edwards did not play
while Matt Blanchard sat out with an injury. Blanchard was
released with an injury settlement on Tuesday.
RB: Matt Forte was a revelation in this game as he clearly
appeared to be the best player on the field for either team. He
racked up 76 yards rushing on just 6 attempts, including a
beautiful 35-yard scamper. Then he looked just as impressive
catching the ball out of the backfield on a 32-yard touchdown
pass. "He's getting more and more comfortable with the
running lanes and the blocking schemes," Cutler said. "I think
Marc (Trestman) is doing a great job of getting him outside
and finding nifty ways to get him touches outside the box."
Backup Michael Bush replaced him and picked up two
touchdowns himself, including a nice 10-yard run up the
middle. Rookie Michael Ford appears to have a strong hold on
the #3 RB job as he looked very impressive in the second half,
including a great 15-yard touchdown run that included a
couple of spin moves and broken tackles. As a group, the
Bears RBs combined for 153 yards on 25 carries (6.12
average), 49 yards on 4 catches, and 4 touchdowns. The
blocking of FB Tony Fiametta has also played a key role at
times.
24-yard kickoff return and two punt returns of one yard each.
Rookie RB Michael Ford produced for the second straight
game, this time averaging 24.5 yards on four kickoff returns.
WR: The Bears opened up in a 3-TE formation that only
included Brandon Marshall at receiver, but they opened things
up quickly and got more players involved than in previous
games. Alshon Jeffery had a standout performance, leading
the team with 7 catches on 8 targets for 77 yards. The
highlight came on a play when he caught the ball in the dirt
infield, kept his balance and spun away from the defender to
pick up 22 yards. It was an outing to forget for Marshall as he
had some uncharacteristic drops and finished with 0 catches
on 4 targets, so there may be some concern that his focus will
wane if he’s not the go-to receiver he’s used to being in this
new offense. Rookie Marquess Wilson made a nice catch on
three targets during some quality time with the starters,
suggesting he could be a candidate for the slot receiver role if
Earl Bennett doesn’t return from his concussion soon. Eric
Weems also added a couple of catches in the game and there
was a Devin Aromashodu sighting (who was later cut), but
otherwise the backups will focus on next week for a chance to
earn a roster spot.
Bears Depth Chart
TE: Martellus Bennett finally got involved in the offense this
week as he was targeted 3 times in the first half. He brought in
one pass for a nice 16-yard gain, but had two others bounce
off his hands. Fendi Onobun also had another terrible drop
with no defender near him in the open field. It seems that
Steve Maneri has a solid lead in the fight for the #2 TE job
given his strength as a blocker, but the Bears are still debating
between a player with upside in Onobun or a more reliable vet
like Adams for the #3 job. Veteran Leonard Pope was thought
to be an option there but was released in the first set of cuts.
Defense: The first string defense continued their strong
preseason play against the Raiders as they held starting QB
Matt Flynn to just 3 of 6 passing for 19 yards with a pair of
interceptions (by CBs Tim Jennings and Isaiah Frey). The
Raiders were 0 for 6 on 3rd downs in the first half, but they did
stage a rally in the second half led by QB Terrelle Pryor to get
back into the game. DE Julius Peppers saw a little bit of action
in the game to get himself ready for the season and picked up
a tackle for loss. MLB Jon Bostic once again looked
impressive inside as he led the team with 7 solo tackles. CB
Charles Tillman picked up a sack in the game, and Frey
continues to emerge as the team’s nickel corner. OLB James
Anderson also had a strong game, finishing with five solo
stops and he could be an IDP sleeper if he can hold onto a
nickel role. DT Henry Melton is improving but remains out
while recovering from a concussion and may not be ready for
the season opener. S Tom Zbikowski was the only surprising
cut on defense, but he had yet to show much during the
preseason.
Special Teams: Kicker Robbie Gould hit 45- and 53-yarders
against Oakland to raise his preseason total to 7 of 7 on field
goals. Starter Adam Podlesh handled all the punting against
the Raiders while rookie Tress Way did not play. After
discussing his Hall of Fame prospects during the week, return
specialist Devin Hester got a little work in the game, with a
QB: Jay Cutler, Josh McCown, Trent Edwards, Jordan Palmer
RB: Matt Forte, Michael Bush (inj), Armando Allen, Lorenzo
Booker,Harvey Unga, Michael Ford
FB: Tony Fiammetta
WR: Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Earl Bennett
(inj), Marquess Wilson, Devin Hester (PR), Joe
Anderson, Eric Weems (KR), Terrence Toliver, Josh
Lenz, Brittan Golden
TE: Martellus Bennett, Kyle Adams (TE), Steve
Maneri, Fendi Onobun
LT: Jermon Bushrod, Cory Brandon
LG: Matt Slauson, Eben Britton
C: Roberto Garza, Taylor Boggs
RG: Kyle Long, James Brown, Edwin Williams
RT: Jordan Mills, J’Marcus Webb, Jonathan Scott
K: Robbie Gould
DT: Henry Melton (inj), Stephen Paea (NT), Nate
Collins, Zach Minter, Corvey Irvin, Christian Tupou, Turk
McBride (inj)
DE: Julius Peppers, Shea McClellin, Corey
Wootton, Cornelius Washington, Aston Whiteside
MLB: D.J. Williams, Jon Bostic
OLB: Lance Briggs (W), Blake Costanzo (S/W), James
Anderson (S), Khaseem Greene, J.T. Thomas, Cheta
Ozougwu, Jerry Franklin
CB: Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, Sherrick
McManis, , Zackary Bowman, Isaiah Frey, Demontre
Hurst, C.J. Wilson, Maurice Jones, Kelvin Hayden (inj)
S: Major Wright (SS), Christopher Conte (FS), Craig
Steltz, Brandon Hardin, Anthony Walters, Tom Nelson, Cyhl
Quarles
Cincinnati Bengals
QB: Andy Dalton was crisp on a variety of underneath routes
(12-16 for 113 yards) against Dallas. But he didn't do anything
to quiet critics of his arm strength when he hesitated and
underthrew a deep route down the middle for an interception.
Dalton and the offense looked good on the first series of the
third quarter in which they used a no-huddle tempo. Josh
Johnson struggled in the second half, but looks to have the
backup job locked up. His competition, John Skelton, didn't
play. Expect Skelton to see lots of time in the final preseason
game but it will only serve to put snaps on tape for his next
potential employer.
RB: BenJarvus Green-Ellis was back in the third preseason
game. He was effective between the tackles when the interior
line prevented penetration. He had two powerful runs for short
gains, but lost yardage on three others. Gio Bernard continues
to be quicker and arguably more effective on inside runs than
Green-Ellis. Bernard showed speed to the edge and impressive
acceleration on two screen plays as well as flashing the ability
to break tackles on one play against the Dallas second team
defense. Rex Burkhead, Cedric Peerman and Dan Herron are
fighting for the final two running back roster spots. All have
shown flashes of running talent. Burkhead has some upside in
passing situations, but both Peerman and Herron are valuable
special teams talents. The Bengals will have a tough decision
here. Bernard Scott will start the season on PUP.
WR: A.J. Green saw his first preseason against Dallas and
was not limited by his early preseason knee injury. He was
effective on the sideline and inside routes, catching three of
his five targets for 42 yards. He made a nice catch on a fade
route inside the five but couldn't get his second foot in bounds.
There's no reason for concern with Green as the season begins.
He's unlikely to see many snaps in the final preseason game.
Mohammed Sanu again looked physical and sure handed on
underneath routes. He'll be a major part of this team's base
offensive package. Marvin Jones caught the ball well in
traffic, but fumbled inside the five to end the team's first drive.
The second and third teams were ineffective. Cobi Hamilton
got inside the pylon for a short touchdown catch but fumbled
on an end around run. Dane Sanzenbacher and Ryan Whalen
didn't catch a pass. Signs point to Andrew Hawkins being
considered for the team's injured reserve with return
designation slot.
TE: Tyler Eifert sat out the preseason game with a minor wrist
injury. His absence was precautionary and he is expected back
to practice soon. Jermaine Gresham has responded to the
competition and looked consistently focused all preseason. He
caught all three of his targets and powered through tackles.
The Bengals have shown a variety of offensive formations and
both tight ends will be moved around to create mismatches
between the numbers.
Defense: The Bengals allowed the Cowboys to convert 9 of
16 third down chances, missing multiple tackles as Tony
Romo threw two touchdown passes in the first half. Dre
Kirkpatrick struggled in man coverage against Dez Bryant
outside and in the slot. The former first round pick will
struggle to see much playing time this year behind the team's
group of veteran corners. The starting defense missed Carlos
Dunlap, who's recovery from an early preseason concussion
has been slower than hoped, and James Harrison. Strong
safety hopeful George Iloka missed another week with a
broken hand. He hopes to return in Week 1, but Shawn
Williams may be starting to establish himself as a strong
competition for the job.
Special Teams: The competition between WRs Brandon Tate
and Dane Sanzenbacher heated up against Dallas. While
Sanzenbacher had a 53-yard kickoff return, among Tate’s
return was a 75-yard touchdown on a re-punt (after the initial
punt hit Jerry Jones’ scoreboard). Tate noted, “Darrin
[Simmons] always tells us that nothing good happens for the
punt team on a re-kick, and we made them pay. I give all the
credit to the other 10 guys out there with me. Everybody
blocked it perfectly, and all I had to do was find the hole and
shoot through it.” Rookie Quinn Sharp kicked a 28-yard field
goal and was released the following day. Mike Nugent added
an extra point.
Bengals Depth Chart
QB: Andy Dalton, Josh Johnson, John Skelton, Zac
Robinson (PUP)
RB: BenJarvus Green-Ellis (SD), Giovani Bernard
(3RB), Bernard Scott (PUP), Cedric Peerman, Rex
Burkhead, Dan Herron, Jourdan Brooks
FB: Orson Charles, John Conner, Chris Pressley (PUP)
WR: A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones, Andrew
Hawkins (PUP), Brandon Tate (KR), Cobi Hamilton, Dane
Sanzenbacher, Ryan Whalen, Taveon Rogers, Roy Roundtree
TE: Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert, Alex Smith
LT: Andrew Whitworth, Anthony Collins, Tanner Hawkinson
LG: Clint Boling
C: Kyle Cook, Trevor Robinson
RG: Kevin Zeitler, Mike Pollack
RT: Andre Smith, Dennis Roland, Dan Knapp
K: Mike Nugent
DT: Geno Atkins, Domata Peko (NT), Devon Still, Brandon
Thompson (NT)
DE: Michael Johnson, Carlos Dunlap (inj), Robert
Geathers, Wallace Gilberry, Margus Hunt
MLB: Rey Maualuga (S)
OLB: Vontaze Burfict (W), James Harrison (S), Vincent Rey
(W),Dontay Moch, Emmanuel Lamur, Brandon
Joiner (IR), Sean Porter (IR)
CB: Leon Hall, Dre Kirkpatrick, Terence Newman, Pacman
Jones (inj), Brandon Ghee, Shaun Prater, Chris LewisHarris, Buddy Jackson, Onterio McCalebb
S: Reggie Nelson (FS), George Iloka (SS), Shawn Williams
(SS), Taylor Mays (SS), Jeromy Miles (SS)
Cleveland Browns
QB: Brandon Weeden was clearly the MVP of the first two
weeks of the preseason, but he somewhat fell back to Earth in
Week 3. Weeden finished the game with 12 completions on 25
attempts for a total of 105 yards, but more important than his
statistics were the mistakes he made. Weeden looked very
similar to the quarterback who struggled as a rookie. By
the time the regular season starts, he should land somewhere
between the two extremes he has shown off during the
preseason. It's clear that Jason Campbell has won the backup
job as he entered the game after Weeden while Brian Hoyer
came in very late to throw an interception. The only question
at the quarterback position is whether Hoyer will be on the
roster or not.
RB: The Browns opened their game against the Colts with a
clear emphasis on establishing Trent Richardson. Richardson
had three carries for 22 yards and a 10-yard reception on the
Browns' first drive. After exposing him early however, the
Browns smartly moved away from Richardson to avoid
overworking him. He finished the game with seven carries for
31 yards and that sole reception for 10 yards. With Dion
Lewis out for the season, the Browns' backup running backs
struggled to make an impression against the Colts. They only
combined for eight carries in total, but that doesn't excuse the
23 yard total. Lewis' absence allowed Jamaine Cook, who had
been released earlier in the offseason, to return to the team.
Cook finished the Colts game with two attempts for 11 yards
and three receptions for 24 yards.
WR: Greg Little has had an eventful week and very few of
those events have been positives. After being caught speeding
for the second time this offseason, Little had just three
receptions for 28 yards and a fumble that would have resulted
in a first down against the Colts. With Josh Gordon suspended
for the start of the regular season, the Browns need Little to
take his game in the other direction. The Browns were missing
David Nelson, Davone Bess and Jordan Norwood through
injury so they were lacking in options. Replacing Gordon is
going to be difficult, and while Travis Benjamin didn't make
an impact on offense against the Colts, he does appear to be
the favorite to get Gordon's snaps.
TE: The Browns opened the Colts game with Kellen Davis
and Jordan Cameron on the field together. However, neither
player was able to make an impact during the game as they
finished with a combined four receptions for 16 yards.
Cameron would have been expecting more production in
extended time on the field, but his failings were as much to do
with the offense around him than his own individual display.
Cameron is clearly the primary receiving option in Cleveland,
while Davis and Gary Barnidge should be used in different
situations based on their different skill-sets.
Defense: Barkevious Mingo's status remains unclear at this
point of the preseason. Mingo suffered a bruised lung during
Week 2 of the preseason and some reports suggest that he
could be out for months rather than weeks. To worsen
matters upfront, both Jabaal Sheard and Des Bryant were
inactive for the Week 3 preseason game. Both players are
expected to be ready for the regular season however. Mingo,
Sheard and Bryant are all going to be vital cogs in the Browns'
defense. For that reason, their absences make it very difficult
to read into the 27 points the team gave up against the Colts.
However, the most worrying aspect of the game was the fact
that they gave up 17 of those points to the first team offense.
Special Teams: T.J. Conley was waived last week, leaving
Spencer Lanning as the starting punter. Lanning averaged 46.7
yards on seven punts against Indianapolis. Rookie kicker
Brandon Bogotay did not play against the Colts due to a groin
injury. Veteran Shayne Graham accounted for all of the
Browns scoring, with field goals of 50 and 44 yards. CB
Johnson Bademosi fielded kickoffs, as he may well do in
September, averaging 24.3 yards on three returns. WR Travis
Benjamin, the starting punt returner, and rookie WR Mike
Edwards each fair caught a punt.
Browns Depth Chart
QB: Brandon Weeden, Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer
RB: Trent Richardson, Brandon Jackson, Miguel
Maysonet, Dion Lewis (IR), Montario Hardesty (IR)
FB: Chris Ogbonnaya (FB), Brad Smelley
WR: Josh Gordon (susp), Greg Little, Travis
Benjamin, Davone Bess (PR), David Nelson (inj), Josh
Cooper, Tori Gurley, Naaman Roosevelt
TE: Jordan Cameron, Gary Barnidge, Kellen Davis, Dan
Gronkowski
LT: Joe Thomas, Oneil Cousins
LG: John Greco, Jarrod Shaw, Domonic Alford
C: Alex Mack
RG: Garrett Gilkey, Shawn Lauvao (inj), Jason Pinkston (inj)
RT: Mitchell Schwartz, Ryan Miller
K: Shayne Graham, Brandon Bogotay
NT: Phil Taylor (DE), Ishmaa′ily Kitchen
DE: Ahtyba Rubin (NT), Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn, John
Hughes,Brian Sanford, Hall Davis
ILB: D′Qwell Jackson, Craig Robertson, L.J. Fort, JamesMichael Johnson, Tank Carder, Justin Cole
OLB: Paul Kruger (S), Jabaal Sheard, Barkevious Mingo
(inj),Quentin Groves, Armonty Bryant, Emmanuel
Stephens, Paul Hazel
CB: Joe Haden, Chris Owens, Buster Skrine, Leon McFadden,
Trevin Wade, Antwuan Reed
S: T.J. Ward (SS) (inj), Tashaun Gipson (FS), Johnson
Bademosi (FS), Janoris Slaughter (SS) (inj), Josh
Aubrey (SS), Kent Richardson (FS), Abdul Kanneh
Dallas Cowboys
QB: The Week Three dress rehearsal couldn’t have gone
better for the first team passing offense, as Tony Romo
completed 13-of-18 (72% completion rate) passes for 137
yards and two touchdowns in a half of football. Romo was
pleased to have finally gotten his unit into the end zone. "I
thought it was important more than anything just to score
points and put us in a position to have a good feeling as we
finished the preseason with the starters," said Romo. With an
ADP of 72nd (QB11), Romo represents draft day value for the
277th consecutive season (or so it seems). Backup Kyle Orton
also bounced back from a Week Two debacle, and completed
all four of his passes for 44 yards and a TD to RB DeMarco
Murray. Potential third stringer Alex Tanney had an
uninspiring day (3 of 6 for 44 yards) and is going to find it
difficult to stick with the 53-man roster.
RB: All systems go for DeMarco Murray, who saw his first
extended action of the preseason and looked like a fantasy
RB1. He rushed for 51 yards on 12 carries (4.3 per carry) and
caught two passes for 14 yards including a 7-yard TD from
Kyle Orton. With Lance Dunbar recuperating, rookie Joseph
Randle paced the team with 16 carries for 66 yards. Phillip
Tanner wasn’t as successful (14 carries for 39 yards) and may
be a long shot to stick on the roster presuming Dunbar is OK
to return soon.
WR: Fantasy owners feel burned by Miles Austin, who has
been disappointing in recent seasons due to conditioning and
hamstring issues. Yet Austin has had a stellar preseason that
was likely capped (he won’t play much if at all in Week Four)
with a 4-catch, 59-yard game against the Bengals. Austin
caught a 12-yard pass from Tony Romo to give the Cowboys a
14-7 lead against the Bengals 1st team defense. Head coach
Jason Garrett is seeing the Austin of old, “He looks fresher, he
looks quicker to me. And he’s a hard matchup player for
people because he’s big. He can play outside, but he also has
quickness to play inside and sometimes you’re playing against
a smaller nickel guy. He’s a bigger guy than that and maybe
equally as quick so sometimes it’s hard to cover someone of
that inside stuff.” Austin is healthy, and that means he’s worth
significantly more than his current ADP (WR34, 86 th overall).
To no one’s surprise, Dez Bryant was also in fine form,
grabbing six receptions for 54 yards and a 5-yard TD from
Tony Romo in the 2nd quarter. The rest of the WR depth chart
isn’t quite set in stone, although the odds favor Dwayne
Harris, rookie Terrance Williams and Anthony Armstrong.
TE: Jason Witten (1 for 11 yards) was a non-factor against the
Bengals but there’s little question he’ll be a focal point when
the games matter. The backup situation remains uncertain as
Andre Smith had an eye-opening 27-yard reception but
probably doesn’t fit into the regular season plans unless the
Cowboys plan to carry four tight ends. James Hanna and
Gavin Escobar should both be secure in their roles.
Defense: The Cowboys defense looks much improved under
Monte Kiffin, which may not be saying much given Rob
Ryan’s overinflated resume. In any event, the Cowboys held
the Bengals first team offense to 7 points and finished the
night with two interceptions, a sack, three tackles for loss, and
five QB hits. Defensive leader LB Sean Lee was signed to a 6year, $42mm extension with $16mm in upfront guarantees.
It’s a big bet for a player that’s battled injuries, but one that
could look prescient if Lee stays on the field; he’s that
talented.
Special Teams: Kicker Dan Bailey, who made a 26-yard field
goal against Cincinnati, said of his wide right 50-yard attempt,
“Something’s not right. Had to call a timeout. And then, just
the whole operation, just really wasn’t right.” Punter Chris
Jones said after hitting the suspended scoreboard at AT&T
Stadium, “It’s not a mindset that I have to adjust to be like,
‘OK, I’ve got to kick a liner. I’ve got to kick it lower or not as
hard or any of that stuff. I just go and try and hit the same ball
every time.” WR Dwayne Harris averaged 25.0 yards on two
kickoff returns and had a two-yard punt return.
Cowboys Depth Chart
QB: Tony Romo, Kyle Orton, Alex Tanney
RB: Demarco Murray, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar
(inj), Phillip Tanner, Kendial Lawrence
WR: Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Terrence Williams, Dwayne
Harris, Cole Beasley, Danny Coale (inj), Anthony
Armstrong, Carlton Mitchell, Tim Benford
TE: Jason Witten, James Hanna, Gavin Escobar, Dante
Rosario, Andre Smith
LT: Tyron Smith, Darrion Weems, Demetress Bell
LG: Mackenzy Bernadeau, Nate Livings (inj), Ronald Leary
(inj),Kevin Kowalski
C: Travis Frederick, Phil Costa, Ryan Cook (IR)
RG: Doug Free, David Arkin
RT: Jermey Parnell
K: Dan Bailey
DT: Jay Ratliff (PUP), Jason Hatcher, Sean Lissemore, Nick
Hayden, Ben Bass, Landon Cohen, Jeris Pendleton
DE: DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer (inj), Monte
Taylor, George Selvie, Jerome Long, Tyrone Crawford (IR)
MLB: Sean Lee, Orie Lemon
OLB: Bruce Carter (W), Justin Durant (S), Ernie Sims
(W), Kyle Wilber (S), DeVonte Holloman, Brandon Magee
CB: Brandon Carr, Morris Claiborne, Orlando
Scandrick, Sterling Moore, B.W. Webb
S: Barry Church (FS), Will Allen (SS), Matt Johnson (SS), J.J.
Wilcox (SS), Danny McCray (FS), Eric Frampton, Micah
Pellerin
Denver Broncos
QB: In Week 3 of the preseason, Peyton Manning capped off
his healthiest offseason in years by reminding everyone just
what makes him Peyton Manning, throwing 34 times for 234
yards in one half against the Rams. Manning rifled in his
sideline routes, showcasing an arm that looked stronger than it
has at any point during his Broncos tenure. Brock Osweiler
finally received his first chance to play with the first string
offense, leading two drives to start the third quarter. The first
drive was a 3-and-out, but the second was a 79-yard
touchdown drive that showed plenty of promise. After the
starters left, Osweiler suffered some miscues. put too much
heat on his dump-offs, leading to two incompletions, and
threw an interception that was equal parts poor read and lazy
route running by receiver Trindon Holliday. After the game,
John Fox recognized how important it was for Osweiler to get
some work with the first string offense, saying, "He’s been
thrown out there with some other guys so far in the first two
games. And I thought he operated pretty good. A couple of
poor decisions, like any other young player. But I thought he
did some good things as well."
RB: A sloppy game against the Seahawks prompted offensive
coordinator Adam Gase to call a team meeting to stress the
importance of ball security. Unfortunately, Ronnie Hillman
missed the memo, fumbling for the third time in two weeks.
Hillman had secured the ball with both hands and seemed to
have his forward progress stopped when rookie linebacker
Alec Ogletree pried the ball loose. After the game, John Fox
gave Hillman a vote of confidence, "I thought the one this
week was altogether different than last week. I personally
thought his progress was stopped. I have not lost confidence in
him whatsoever." Hillman returned to the field on the next
series, but received no touches before giving way to Montee
Ball and Knowshon Moreno.
Montee Ball had his best outing yet against the Rams. He
produced more positive plays than negative plays in the
running game, and finished a long drive with authority with
three straight carries at the goal line to punch the ball in for a
touchdown. He was more consistent in pass protection,
finishing the game with no blown assignments. His most
egregious error was a drop on 2nd down where he turned to
run with the ball before he had it fully secured. The brightest
spot of the day for Montee Ball came in Peyton Manning's
post-game press conference, where Manning said, "We have
some young players, we have some first-year starters,
potentially at tight end, and we're going to have a young
running back. Montee Ball is going to play a lot."
Knowshon Moreno didn't see the field until 2 minutes were
left in the first half vs. the Rams, but he made the most of his
action. He remained as consistent as always in pass protection,
and was a dependable target in the passing game. Most
importantly, Moreno showed a burst and finished his plays
with an authority that has been lacking for much of his Denver
career. While Denver's game plan and Manning's comments
seem to indicate that Moreno is locked in as a backup, Moreno
is making it clear with his play that he is still not willing to
concede without a fight.
WR: Wes Welker continues to sit out with an ankle injury,
although Broncos officials indicate that it is not serious, and
that Welker could have played had it been a regular season
game. In his absence, Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas
combined for 13 receptions, 130 yards, and a touchdown
against the Rams. Saturday was Decker's turn to be featured,
as he produced five first downs in the first half. Decker even
was targeted on a rare deep route, although the play was
defended well. Thomas' final numbers look similar to
Decker's, but Demaryius took a little while to get into the flow
of the game, as his first two targets both bounced harmlessly
off of his fingertips. In Welker's absence, Andre Caldwell was
tapped to play in 3-WR sets, and he acquitted himself quite
well. He showed quickness that belies his 9.5 career yard-perreception average. Caldwell was the first read on several
plays, and Manning showed no hesitation in looking his way.
Caldwell's strong performance probably cements the #4
receiver job for him.
TE: Jacob Tamme finally returned to the field after being
limited for weeks by a quad injury, and reportedly looked as
quick and healthy as ever. Against the Rams, Tamme resumed
his role as Denver's top "move" tight end, getting several
targets, including one deep. Tamme also played some on
special teams. While Joel Dreessen continues to sit out
following an offseason knee scope, Julius Thomas got the start
as Denver's primary "in-line" tight end, playing in both 1-TE
and 2-TE offensive sets. Thomas wasn't featured in the
passing game, and a particularly egregious assignment error
on special teams led to a blocked field goal. Given the
importance of blocking for Denver's in-line TE, it remains to
be seen whether Thomas will retain the job once Dreessen
returns. Manning gave reason for optimism after the game,
"We have some young players, we have some first-year
starters, potentially at tight end, and we're going to have a
young running back."
Defense: Injuries in the defensive front hampered Denver, as
Derrick Wolfe and Robert Ayers both sat out against the
Rams. In their place, Denver's defensive tackles shined with
two sacks. At linebacker, Stewart Bradley's injury prompted
Denver to shift Wesley Woodyard over to middle linebacker
and start Danny Trevathan at weak-side linebacker, where he
struggled trying to cover the athletic Jared Cook for the Rams.
Despite Trevathan's struggles, the alignment is one Denver
could return to should Bradley and Irving struggle at MLB to
open the season. While injuries prevented Denver from
showing it against the Rams, the Broncos are likely to use a
combination of Nate Irving and Shaun Phillips at strong-side
linebacker to try to Von Miller's shoes during his 6-game
suspension. Champ Bailey continues to miss time, but the
Broncos remain optimistic he'll be back by the regular season.
Week 3 marked the return of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie,
who flashed some of the man coverage skills that had him so
highly regarded before his disastrous stint with the Eagles. At
safety, it seems preseason star Duke Ihenacho has locked up
the second starting safety spot; columnist Mike Tanier named
him one of his 23 breakout candidates for 2013.
Special Teams: Kicker Matt Prater hit field goals of 31 and
54 yards plus three extra points against St. Louis. He had a 34yard attempt blocked. Punter/ holder Britton Colquitt averaged
44.2 yards on five punts, placing two inside the 20-yard line.
Return specialist WR Trindon Holliday didn’t have any
kickoff returns, as they all went for touchbacks. He fair caught
two punts. The only one he returned, he fumbled – dredging
up old concerns over ball handling. The Broncos recovered the
ball on this incident.
Broncos Depth Chart
QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert
RB: Montee Ball (SD), Knowshon Moreno (3RB), Ronnie
Hillman, Lance Ball (KR), Jeremiah Johnson, C.J.Anderson
(inj)
FB: Jacob Hester
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker (PR), Wes Welker
(inj), Andre Caldwell, Tavarres King, Trindon Holliday
(KR/PR), Lamaar Thomas, Greg Orton (IR)
TE: Jacob Tamme, Julius Thomas, Joel Dreessen (inj), Virgil
Green
LT: Ryan Clady, Chris Clark, Vinston Painter
LG: Zane Beadles, Phillip Blake
C: Manny Ramirez, CJ Davis, JD Walton (PUP), Dan Koppen
(IR)
RG: Louis Vasquez, Ryan Lilja, John Moffitt, Chris Kuper
RT: Orlando Franklin, Paul Cornick
K: Matt Prater
DT: Kevin Vickerson, Terrance Knighton, Sylvester
Williams, Mitch Unrein
DE: Derek Wolfe (inj), Robert Ayers, Malik
Jackson, Quanterus Smith, Jeremy Beal, Ben Garland, Gary
Mason Jr., John Youboty
MLB: Wesley Woodyard (W), Nate Irving, Stewart Bradley
(inj),Steven Johnson
OLB: Von Miller (S) (susp), Shaun Phillips (S), Danny
Trevathan (W), Lerentee McCray, Doug Rippy
CB: Champ Bailey (inj), Chris Harris, Dominique RodgersCromartie (inj), Tony Carter, Kayvon Webster, Omar Bolden
(KR), Aaron Hester
S: Mike Adams (FS), Duke Ihenacho (SS), Rahim Moore
(FS), David Bruton (FS), Quentin Jammer (FS), Ross
Rasner, Quinton Carter (IR)
Detroit Lions
QB: The Lions roared to a 40-9 victory over the New England
Patriots in their third preseason game and yet, ironically, it
was the Lions surprisingly strong defense against the Patriots
that generated most of the buzz after the game. The Lions
forced four turnovers in the first half and held Tom Brady and
the Patriots to just three first-half points. Matthew Stafford
also played the entire first half, leading the starters to their
first preseason touchdown in the first quarter on a 9-yard
strike over the middle to TE Tony Scheffler. Stafford finished
12 of 25 for 166 yards, even though he was once again without
Calvin Johnson. “We were down a big playmaker in our
offense tonight and our defense knew that, showed up and
played great," Stafford said. "It's about the team, man." Shaun
Hill had the night off leaving the backup duties to Kellen
Moore, who led the Lions on a touchdown drive to begin the
second half. Moore found rookie tight end Joseph Fauria for a
22-yard touchdown and later found Michael Spurlock for
another 15-yard score. Thaddeus Lewis finished off the game
completing his last two passes in a Lions uniform as the team
dealt him to Buffalo on Sunday in return for OLB Chris
White.
RB: Once again, with Calvin Johnson resting a sore knee,
Reggie Bush was the focal point of the Lions offense. Bush
ran for only one yard on six carries, but he broke loose for 103
yards on five catches. Bush’s 67-yard catch and run in the first
quarter set up a David Aker’s 23-yard field goal – his first of
three on the night. Bush’s ability to make defenders miss was
on full display in this game and his ability to change direction
in the open field after catching the football makes him a
desirable target on draft day for those in PPR leagues. Joique
Bell has nailed down the backup spot behind Bush with
another strong performance. Bell gained 52 yards on five
carries and caught two passes for another 49 yards. Lions
Head Coach Jim Schwartz had this to say about Bell’s
preseason on Sunday: "He's strong and he's got very good
balance… He's done a nice job, both in the pass game and the
run game. ... It's just a continuation of what we saw last year."
Mikel Leshoure slots in behind Bell as the No. 3 back.
Leshoure ran five times for 32 yards while rookie Theo
Riddick ran well late in the game with nine carries, 30 yards
and a TD to go along with a 10-yard reception. Special teams
ace Montell Owens’ knee buckled after taking a handoff
against the Pats. He’ll go on IR and he is almost certainly done
for the year.
WR: Calvin Johnson is in no danger of missing Week 1, but
he did miss another preseason game after he was expected to
play. The team decided to keep their star receiver on the
sidelines as a precaution after he has been bothered by a
bruised knee throughout the preseason. Ryan Broyles finished
with two catches for 32 yards while generally working with
the second team as Nate Burleson and Patrick Edwards each
had one reception for 6 yards in Johnson’s stead. Broyles
looked fine in the game, but he also admitted last week to
having both good and bad days after recovering from back-toback ACL tears over the last two years. "Your body shows up
some days and some days it doesn't," he said. "This has been
one of the most challenging things of my life. ... Mentally, like
I said, I'm 100-percent. My body thinks differently from dayto-day." Michael Spurlock caught a15-yard TD in the fourth
quarter and Matt Willis caught a pair of balls for 21 yards.
TE: Brandon Pettigrew turned in a solid outing against the
Patriots with three catches for 39 yards. Pettigrew won’t win
many foot races against his peers, but as we’ve reported
previously he reported to camp in excellent condition. He
seems ready to put his last two drop-filled seasons in the past
heading into his contract year. Tony Scheffler and Joseph
Fauria each caught touchdowns on Thursday. Scheffler has
been awfully quiet throughout the preseason, although his job
appears to be safe despite having a $2 million contract. The
undrafted Fauria will probably stick on the roster as the No.3
tight end since rookie seventh round pick Michael Williams
broke his hand against the Patriots. He could land on injured
reserve.
Defense: Some of the Lions offseason moves paid dividends
on Thursday night against the Patriots as defensive lineman
Jason Jones recorded a pair of sacks and recovered a fumble,
safety Glover Quin forced a fumble, top pick Ziggy Ansah
also recovered a fumble and Chris Houston intercepted Tom
Brady. "The defense set a standard today. We can be one of
the better defenses (in the league) if we keep working,"
said oft-injured safety Louis Delmas, who also recovered a
fumble on the Patriots opening drive. The Lions defensive line
and their “wide nine” technique proved difficult for the
Patriots offensive line to handle. Jones, Ndamukong Suh, Nick
Fairley and Ansah all made their presence felt in both the
running game and in the passing game applying pressure to
Brady. "Those guys make my job easy," LB Stephen Tulloch
said. "They disrupt everything." The lowlight, perhaps, were
another five personal fouls by the Lions. Willie Young’s drew
the most attention since it caused HC Jim Schwartz to bench
him.
Special Teams: After hitting a 63-yarder in practice last
week, starter David Akers handled the majority of the kicking
against the Patriots. He made two extra points and field goals
of 23, 31, 49 and 47 yards, although he was wide right on a
31-yard miss. Håvard Rugland added a pair of extra points in
the scoring frenzy. Rookie Sam Martin continues to look
great, averaging 56.0 yards on four punts, placing two inside
the 20-yard line. In addition to scoring on offense, WR
Micheal Spurlock returned a punt 15 yards. Rookie RB Steven
Miller, among the narrowing pool of returner candidates,
averaged only 5.3 yards on three punt returns.
Lions Depth Chart
QB: Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill, Kellen Moore
RB: Reggie Bush (3RB), Mikel Leshoure, Joique Bell, Theo
Riddick
FB: Shaun Chapas, Montell Owens (inj)
WR: Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Ryan Broyles, Patrick
Edwards, Kris Durham, Corey Fuller, Michael Spurlock
(KR), Matt Willis, Troy Burrell, Terrence Austin
TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Tony Scheffler, Michael Williams
(inj), Joseph Fauria
LT: Riley Reiff
LG: Rob Sims, Rodney Austin
C: Dominic Raiola, Bill Nagy
RG: Jake Scott, Larry Warford, Dylan Gandy
RT: Jason Fox, Corey Hilliard
K: David Akers
DT: Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Justin Bannan, C.J.
Mosley, Andre Fluellen, Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Jimmy SaddlerMcQueen, Xavier Proctor
DE: Jason Jones (DT), Ezekiel Ansah, Willie Young, Israel
Idonije (DT), Devin Taylor, Robert Maci
MLB: Stephen Tulloch, Rocky McIntosh, Brandon Hepburn
OLB: DeAndre Levy (W), Ashlee Palmer (S), Travis Lewis
(S), Tahir Whitehead (S), Chris White (S), Carmen Messina
CB: Chris Houston, Darius Slay, Bill Bentley, Rashean
Mathis, Ron Bartell, Jonte Green, Chris Greenwood, Brandon
King
S: Glover Quin (SS), , Louis Delmas (FS) (inj), Amari
Spievey (FS),Don Carey (FS), John Wendling (FS), Tyrell
Johnson (FS), Conroy Black
Green Bay Packers
QB: Graham Harrell was released on August 24 failing to
hold off Vince Young for the backup duties. A lackluster 6/13
for 49 yards with zero TDs or interceptions vs. Seattle on
Friday night sealed Harrell’s fate. Young provided a spark to
the offense, with 6/7 for 41 yards passing, one TD and zero
interceptions thrown; he also rushed three times for 39 yards
to lead the team in that category vs. Seattle. "I'm still not there
yet. I'm still taking it one day at a time. It's a lot coming in,"
Young said after the game. Young has completed 12/19 for 74
yards and a touchdown during the preseason so far. "It's going
to take a lot of work behind the scenes, me and Benny and
Coach Clements, we're doing a lot of hard work behind the
scenes. I'm trying my hardest to try to catch up with the guys,
but they're so more advanced right now, I'm trying my hardest
to catch up with them right now." B.J. Coleman (2/7 for eight
yards passing vs. Seattle) figures to be #3 on the depth chart
with Harrell gone. Starter Aaron Rodgers tossed 4/7 for 41
yards, zero TDs or interceptions during his time on the field
Friday night, which amounted to one offensive series. "The
goal tonight was to play everybody and get some guys in
earlier than you do in the so-called traditional third game,"
head coach Mike McCarthy said. "We were able to
accomplish that. We had good work against an excellent
football team, particularly against their 1's. This will give us a
very accurate evaluation...I'm fully aware of touchdowns [only
two scored over three preseason games] and all that. This is
about developing a roster and trusting the process to get the
offense, defense and special teams ready. It's not all about the
games right now. I feel strongly we'll get ready."
RB: DuJuan Harris (3/2/0 rushing with 1/11/0 receiving)
started the game on Friday, but re-injured his right knee early
in the contest - the same knee injury had kept him from
participating during the first three weeks of training
camp/preseason. Harris stated after the game that his sore knee
was "fine", but subsequent evaluation led to the team placing
Harris on season-ending Injured Reserve. Needless to say,
this opens the door for Eddie Lacy to have a significant role
from the start.
Lacy had a hard time moving the football against Seattle's top-
shelf D (8/-5/0 rushing), but that’s of little concern in terms of
Lacy’s full-season outlook. Backup Alex Green led the team's
running backs with 2/31/0 in a relief role late during the game.
Johnathan Franklin posted 4/1/0 rushing during the game,
while James Starks didn't handle the football. Starks has sunk
the bottom of the depth chart, and may be in danger of getting
cut during the coming two weeks.
WR: Jordy Nelson (knee surgery/rehab) and Randall Cobb
(biceps tendon strain) both sat out of the third preseason game,
leaving James Jones (seven targets for 2/11/0 receiving) and
Jarrett Boykin (two for 2/22/0) to start the game for the
Packers. Second year wideout Jeremy Ross had two nice
returns during the game, and also posted one target for 1/8/0
receiving. Ross hopes he's shown enough to earn a spot on the
53-man roster: "It's just an eye opener that 'Hey man, I have to
keep working,'" Ross said. "Nothing's going to be given. This
is a job that has to be taken. It has to be earned. So I think for
me, I have to go out there and continue to earn it, earn the
job."
TE: Jermichael Finley led the team in receiving vs. Seattle,
with six targets for 2/28/0, and narrowly missed a TD catch
that was reversed on further review. D.J. Williams (three
targets for 3/19/0) and Andrew Quarless (one for 1/16/0) were
also in the mix against the Seahawks on Friday. Finley
continues to be heavily targeted by Rodgers and company, and
is clearly the #1 tight end on the squad entering regular
season.
Defense: While Datone Jones has been struggling to practice
and play due to his ankle injury, (Jones did play for the first
half on Friday, despite aggravating his sore ankle in practice
Wednesday, August 21 - Jones didn't record a tackle, though)
veteran C.J. Wilson has been playing well along the DL for
the Packers. He had three tackles (two solo) vs. Seattle and
made a notable play on Marshawn Lynch (tackle for no gain)
while the first teams were in action. WILB Brad Jones had
five tackles (three solo), one sack, one tackle for a loss and a
QB hit in the game on Friday, but Jones also suffered a
hamstring injury of unspecified severity. If Jones is out for a
significant period of time the Packers' D would suffer. Starting
FS Morgan Burnett also left the contest due to a hamstring
injury. CB Casey Hayward aggravated a pre-existing
hamstring injury (he'd been out of practices for three weeks
due to the initial hamstring injury). OLB Jarvis Reed also
suffered a knee injury of unspecified severity on Friday night.
"I don't feel good about the injuries," coach McCarthy said
after the game. "But it's something going on throughout the
league. It's part of the game of football. It factors in your
decisions. That's the way it goes. We've just got to get those
guys back. It's a little surprising that we had as many injuries
tonight. We'll see how these guys feel in the morning. Maybe
it's not as bad as you might think right now." CB Josh Barrett
suffered an ankle injury in practice and sat out of the game.
"For him to miss a game it had to be something significant,"
McCarthy noted. "We'll see. He's a warrior." CBs Tramon
Williams and James Nixon also missed the game vs. Seattle.
CB Micah Hyde led the Packers with five solo tackles vs.
Seattle, and he also had a pass defensed and a quarterback hit.
Special Teams: In addition to averaging 55.6 yards on five
punts against Seattle, Tim Masthay also sent the opening
kickoff for a touch back. If he potentially handles kickoffs in
the regular season, that could impact the placekicking
decision. Mason Crosby handled the limited placekicking
against the Seahawks making a 38-yard field goal and an extra
point. After a rough stretch in one practice last week,
speculation about Crosby’s future resurfaced. But those
concerns settled back down with this week’s release of
Giorgio Tavecchio. WR Jeremy Ross had a 33-yard kickoff
return, an 11-yard punt return, and fair caught two punts, in
his quest to make the team and supplant WR Randall Cobb as
the return specialist.
Packers Depth Chart
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Vince Young, B.J. Coleman
RB: , Eddie Lacy, Johnathan Franklin, Alex Green, James
Starks, DuJuan Harris (IR)
FB: John Kuhn, Jonathan Amosa
WR: Jordy Nelson (inj), James Jones, Randall Cobb (KR/PR)
(inj),Jarrett Boykin, Jeremy Ross, Tyrone Walker, Myles
White, Charles Johnson (inj), Kevin Dorsey (IR)
TE: Jermichael Finley, Andrew Quarless, D.J. Williams, Ryan
Taylor, Jake Stoneburner, Brandon Bostick, Matthew
Mulligan
LT: David Bakhtiari, Derek Sherrod, Bryan Bulaga (IR)
LG: Josh Sitton, Greg Van Roten
C: Evan Dietrich-Smith, Garth Gerhart
RG: TJ Lang, Joe Gibbs, J.C. Tretter (IR)
RT: Don Barclay, Marshall Newhouse
K: Mason Crosby, Zach Ramirez
NT: B.J. Raji
DE: Ryan Pickett (DE/NT), Datone Jones (inj), C.J.
Wilson, Mike Daniels, Mike Neal, Josh Boyd, Jordan
Miller, Jerel Worthy (PUP)
ILB: A.J. Hawk (L), Brad Jones, Rob Francois, Terrell
Manning, Sam Barrington
OLB: Clay Matthews (R), Dezman Moses (R), Nick
Perry, Nate Palmer, Jamari Lattimore (M/R), Vick
So′oto, Andy Mulumba
CB: Tramon Williams (inj), Casey Hayward, Davon
House, Sam Shields, Jarrett Bush, Micah Hyde, Loyce Means
S: Morgan Burnett (FS) (inj), M.D. Jennings (SS), Jerron
McMillian (FS), Sean Richardson, David Fulton, Chris Banjo
Houston Texans
QB: In the team’s third preseason game against the New
Orleans Saints, Matt Schaub had a reasonably efficient game,
finding open receivers and delivering the ball. With the help of
an effective running game, the Texans first unit was able to
dominate time of possession. On the majority of plays Schaub
had time to throw, though the right side of the line continued
to give up occasional pressure including a sack. Schaub
delivered one difficult throw over a defender to Owen Daniels
in the end zone, though a defender knocked the ball out of
Daniels’ hands to prevent the touchdown. Schaub ended 15 of
26 for 213 yards. T.J. Yates played with the second string and
went 7 for 9 for 73 yards and a touchdown as he made a strong
case for retaining the backup spot. Yates threw a little behind
Dennis Johnson near the goal line or he might have ended the
day with two touchdowns. Case Keenum’s performance with
the third string will make the team’s decision a difficult one as
he also played well. Keenum and Yates both made good reads
and threw the ball accurately. Yates’ height gives him an
advantage in finding throwing lanes, though Keenum
possesses mobility that is lacking in the team’s other
quarterbacks.
RB: Arian Foster was activated from the PUP list as his calf
and back issues have healed sufficiently. The Texan’s lead
back gradually built his number of practice reps until Foster
was a full participant by the end of the week. Ben Tate started
against the Saints and had his strongest game of the preseason.
The offensive line gave him room to run and Tate’s patience
and tough running after the cut resulted in 74 yards on 11
carries, including a touchdown where he rode the back of
fullback Greg Jones into the end zone. The battle to be the
team’s number three running back that so far has been
favoring Deji Karim flared back to life. Dennis Johnson
finally showed the speed and cutting ability that had drawn
notice during camp. Johnson accumulated 31 yards on 5
carries and also did well as a punt returner, though his night
was marred with a fumble. Cierre Wood received limited
opportunities in comparison.
WR: DeAndre Hopkins reportedly already has earned the
confidence of Matt Schaub. The first round selection did not
play against the Saints as he continues to go through the
NFL’s protocol for recovery from a concussion suffered last
week. The activation of DeVier Posey from the PUP list
should bolster the Texans receiver depth. Brought along
slowly at first, Posey was practicing fully by the end of the
week. Andre Johnson is Matt Schaub’s favorite target, and the
absence of Hopkins contributed to Johnson putting on a 7catch, 131-yard clinic in one half of work. On one play, his
fake slant opened a three yard cushion to the corner and
resulted in a big gain. Keshawn Martin caught two passes but
when Schaub turned to him for a big gain, Martin failed to
bring down a one-on-one jump ball deep down the sideline.
Despite receiving snaps with the first string, Lestar Jean did
not catch a ball until the second unit was in the game. Alec
Lemon continued his strong bid to make the squad with 5
catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. His night was not all
positives though. Lemon had a fumble, and dropped a
touchdown pass on a beautifully thrown ball by Yates. While
Lemon made up for it with his touchdown catch later in the
same drive, his score was more about the defense losing track
out of him in trips formation than it was due to Lemon’s
ability.
TE: With the addition of third string rookie tight end Ryan
Griffin, the Texans have great depth at the position and it
showed in their play calling. The first string used a number of
three tight end formations, though Owen Daniels was still the
most active and targeted of the trio and had 4 catches for 47
yards. A defender punched the ball out of Daniels’ hands to
prevent what would have been a sliding touchdown catch.
Garret Graham received most of his targets on routes designed
to place him just past the first down marker, though in the past
he has seen downfield throws as well, particularly on bootlegs.
Ryan Griffin’s pair of receptions came from the hands of
Yates and Keenum later in the second half.
Defense: Last week’s renewal of the Antonio Smith-Richie
Incognito feud resulted in Smith’s suspension as the defensive
end tugged free Incognito’s helmet and swung it at the other
player. Smith will sit out the rest of preseason and the first
week of the regular season. As the Texans temporarily lose
Smith, they may be gaining Ed Reed. The safety is having his
hip examined by his surgeon in what should be the last
step of his rehab. If cleared, Reed should begin practicing.
Whitney Mercilus’ recovery from injury is progressing but he
was not ready to play against the Saints. The team’s defense
fared well against Drew Brees early as Jared Crick came away
with a sack. Brees then just evaded giving up a safety as
linebacker Willie Jefferson and safety D.J. Swearinger closed
in. Later in the game, the Saints gashed the Texans defense
with long runs after the catch. The defenders bit first on a
screen that went for long yardage. Soon thereafter, linebacker
Joe Mays tried to strip the ball rather than make a tackle,
resulting in a Saints touchdown. With Smith out and J.J. Watt
resting, the Texans defense only managed enough consistent
pressure to make the quarterbacks deliver the ball in a timely
fashion.
Special Teams: After missing the first two preseason games
with soreness in his plant leg, Shane Lechler had punts of 44
and 60 yards against New Orleans. Rookie camp leg Andrew
Shapiro had a 43-yard punt. Kicker Randy Bullock hit field
goals of 48, 55 and 21 yards plus two extra points. He
commented, “[Preseason] has gone well. I’m healthy. I’ve
worked hard with the training staff. I’m very comfortable.”
Return specialist WR Keshawn Martin had a one-yard punt
return and a fair catch against the Saints. RB Dennis Johnson
once again was used on returns, averaging 28.5 yards on a pair
of kickoffs along with a five-yard punt return.
Texans Depth Chart
QB: Matt Schaub, T.J. Yates, Case Keenum
RB: Arian Foster (inj), Ben Tate, Dennis Johnson, Deji
Karim, Cierre Wood
FB: Greg Jones, Tyler Clutts
WR: Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Keshawn Martin
(KR/PR), Devier Posey (inj), Lestar Jean, Alan Bonner, Alec
Lemon (IR)
TE: Owen Daniels, Garrett Graham, Ryan Griffin, Jake Byrne
LT: Duane Brown, Nick Mondek
LG: Wade Smith, David Quessenberry
C: Chris Myers, Cody White
RG: Ben Jones, Brandon Brooks
RT: Derek Newton, Ryan Harris, Brennan Williams, Andrew
Gardner
K: Randy Bullock
NT: Earl Mitchell, Terrell McClain, Chris Jones, Daniel Muir
DE: J.J. Watt, Antonio Smith (susp), Jared Crick, Sam
Montgomery, Tim Jamison, Keith Browner, David
Hunter (IR)
ILB: Brian Cushing, Darryl Sharpton, Mister Alexander, Tim
Dobbins, Joe Mays, Kenny Demens
OLB: Brooks Reed (S), Whitney Mercilus (W), Bryan
Braman (S), Trevardo Williams
CB: Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Brice
McCain, Brandon Harris, Roc Carmichael, Elbert Mack
S: Danieal Manning (SS), Ed Reed (FS) (inj), D.J. Swearinger
(SS/FS), Shiloh Keo (FS), Eddie Pleasant, Orhian Johnson
Indianapolis Colts
QB: The Colt’s first string moved the ball well against the
Browns, with Andrew Luck going 16-of-25 for 164 yards, 2
touchdowns and 1 interception. The offensive line was unable
to contain the pass rush with any consistency, which led to
frequent scrambling by Luck. “He's running way too much.
We've got to do a better job of keeping him clean,” head
coach Chuck Pagano said after the game. The quarterback
seemed overly locked in on Reggie Wayne in this game,
perhaps due to both starting tight ends being out with injury.
Luck has many positive attributes and continues to grow
towards possibly becoming an elite quarterback, but his
forcing the ball when facing pressure is a fault that may need
correcting. On one such play, the Browns came away with an
interception when pressure led to a hurried pass and a
deflection that came down in the hands of a defender. Matt
Hasselbeck entered the game midway through the third quarter
and led an 8-play, 51-yard drive that culminated in a field
goal. The drive included a number of quality passes including
one he looped over a defender to place the ball where only his
receiver could get it.
RB: Starter Ahmad Bradshaw began practicing this week but
was not active in the team’s third preseason game. Coach
Chuck Pagano said that what hurts most is missed practice
time, and that getting Bradshaw preseason action would be
a bonus, but that he wasn’t worried if it did not happen.
The Colts saw Delone Carter as a longshot to make the team,
which precipitated his trade to the Baltimore Ravens in
exchange for wide receiver David Reed. Vick Ballard started
against the Browns with Donald Brown spelling him. Ballard
had a 15-yard run early in the game, but afterwards was
largely ineffective as the Colts offensive line failed to produce
the holes needed for the power running game that Pagano
seeks. Donald Brown fared better when on back-to-back plays
he showed more patience than Ballard did, allowing cutback
lanes to open. Ballard ended the day with 10 carries for 33
yards, while Brown needed only 5 carries to reach 35 yards.
Kerwynn Williams had mixed results as he showed speed but
was brought down too easily by defenders.
WR: Against the Browns Reggie Wayne had everything
thrown his way except the kitchen sink. He drew 11 targets
from Andrew Luck, catching 7 for 79 yards. T.Y. Hilton had a
far quieter day by comparison, though one of his two catches
was an 8-yard touchdown on which he was left completely
uncovered. Darrius Heyward-Bey gained six yards on a
reverse and caught all three of the balls thrown his way. Griff
Whalen continued to show flashes and made the most of his
targets, hauling in all four that were catchable and gaining 57
yards. The trade that brought David Reed to the team is as
much about addressing weaknesses in the kick return game as
it is bolstering the receiving corps. His presence may be a
blow to other players competing for the final roster spots at
wide receiver.
TE: Injuries to Coby Fleener (knee) and Dwayne Allen (foot)
kept the Colt’s top tight ends sidelined for the third preseason
game. Allen’s rehab is progressing well and the team hopes
both will begin practicing again soon. Their absence likely
played a role in how often Luck focused on Reggie Wayne in
the passing game. Dominique Jones was able to pull in a
single 13-yard pass from Luck while playing in their stead.
Defense: Outside linebacker Robert Mathis praised the play
and learning ability of his rookie backup, Bjoern Werner. “To
come here, just bouncing around, getting a taste of like
three different positions, he’s picking up fast.” The
preseason debuts of linebacker Pat Angerer and safety LaRon
Landry brought the Colts defense close to full strength. The
Browns found success early running the ball against the Colts
starting defense as Trent Richardson moved the ball 22 yards
on the ground and another ten as a receiver in the first four
plays. On later drives, the defensive line played better against
the ground game, limiting Richardson to short gains. The
offseason upgrades to the secondary showed in their improved
play, continually in position to contest passes to the Browns
receivers even though the starting defensive line did not
generate many quarterback hits. The best pass rush came late
in the game from a pair of sacks by reserve linebacker Caesar
Rayford.
Special Teams: Kicker Adam Vinatieri hit field goals of 32
and 25 yards and made two extra points against Cleveland,
while rookie camp leg Brandon McManus added an extra
point. In his third audition, rookie RB Kerwynn Williams
averaged 4.0 yards on a pair of punts and had a 39-yard
kickoff return. Among other potential returners, WR David
Reed returned a kickoff 29 yards, WR T.Y. Hilton fair caught
a punt, CB Marshay Green had a 38-yard punt return, and WR
Jabin Sambrano averaged 2.0 yards on a pair of punt returns
against the Browns.
Colts Depth Chart
QB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Chandler Harnish
RB: Ahmad Bradshaw, Vick Ballard, Donald
Brown, Kerwynn Williams (KR)
FB: Stanley Havili, Robert Hughes
WR: Reggie Wayne, Darrius Heyward-Bey, T.Y. Hilton
(KR/PR), LaVon Brazill (KR/PR)(susp), David Reed
(KR), Griff Whalen, Jabin Sambrano, Lanear
Sampson, Jeremy Kelley, Rodrick Rumble, Nathan Palmer
(IR)
TE: Coby Fleener (inj), Dwayne Allen, Justice Cunningham,
Dominique Jones
LT: Anthony Castonzo, Bradley Sowell, Justin Anderson
LG: Donald Thomas, Jeff Linkenbach, Joe Reitz
C: Samson Satele, Khaled Holmes
RG: Mike McGlynn, Hugh Thornton, Robert Griffin
RT: Gosder Cherilus, Ben Ijalana, Lee Ziemba
K: Adam Vinatieri
NT: Aubrayo Franklin, Josh Chapman, Montori Hughes
DE: Cory Redding, Ricky Jean-Francois, Ricardo Mathews,
Lawrence Guy, Martin Tevaseu, Drake Nevis
ILB: Jerrell Freeman (W), Kavell Conner (M) (inj), Kelvin
Sheppard (M), Pat Angerer (M), Mario Harvey, Shawn
Loiseau
OLB: Robert Mathis (S), Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner, Josh
McNary, Monte Simmons, Caesar Rayford, Lawrence Sidbury
(IR), Justin Hickman (IR), Quinton Spears (IR)
CB: Vontae Davis, Greg Toler, Darius Butler, Cassius
Vaughn (KR),Josh Gordy, Marshay Green, Sheldon Price
S: LaRon Landry (SS), Antoine Bethea (FS), Joe Lefeged
(SS),Sergio Brown (FS), Larry Asante (SS), Delano
Howell, Dax Swanson, John Boyett (IR)
Jacksonville Jaguars
QB: Blaine Gabbert missed the third preseason game due to
his fractured right (throwing hand) thumb. In spite of his
injury, the coaching staff has named Gabbert the Week One
starter. Backup Chad Henne played into the third quarter on
Saturday, with 11/18 for 106 yards, two TDs and one
interception thrown, though he did take four sacks for -14
yards - all told, the Jaguars allowed seven sacks of their
quarterbacks vs. Philadelphia, for -26 yards. "We had a couple
miscues out there, but overall, we fought adversity and put the
ball in the end zone," Henne said after the game. "It's
definitely efficient. That's how we have to be." Matt Scott
handled most of the second half with 6/11 for 52 yards
passing, while Mike Kafka tossed 2/3 for 12 yards passing
during his time on the field.
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew handled the football seven times
with 7/28/0 rushing vs. Philadelphia (he also had one target for
zero receptions on Saturday). Backup Jordan Todman took
advantage of the continuing absence of Justin Forsett (turf toe
injury), and reeled off 8/105/1 rushing, taking a carry 63 yards
to the house. It was the longest running play that the Jaguars
have posted during the past two years. "I helped myself a little
I'm sure, but it takes a lot more than one game to prove
yourself and make a team," Todman said after the game. "You
can't live off that. I'm happy with my performance and
hopefully, I'm here next week." Jones-Drew wasn't very
impressed, though: "We always talk about who's fast. Todman
right there showed he had a little speed, but we'll see later on
who's the fastest at the end of the season." Denard Robinson
posted 7/33/0 rushing and had one target for zero receptions
doing clean-up duty for the Jaguars late in the game.
WR: Justin Blackmon once again led the Jaguars in receiving
vs. Philadelphia, with seven targets for 4/50/1 receiving - he
was followed by tight end Brett Brackett and Cecil Shorts,
who made his preseason debut with two targets for 1/20/0
receiving, while playing the entire first half. Reports after the
game indicated that Shorts didn't suffer a setback to his sore
calf. It looks like Shorts will be ready to roll when the regular
season kicks off. Rookie Ace Sanders has played well during
training camp/preseason, and with Justin Blackmon suspended
for four games to start the season, Sanders may get a shot at
starting in September. Kicker Josh Scobee talked about
Sanders: "What I heard about him when he was drafted was,
'awesome returner, has some skills as a receiver,'. But he's
showing he can go up and make something happen after the
catch. As kickers, we sit on the sideline and watch quite a bit
of practice and you can see the explosiveness he has from two
fields away." Sanders had just one target for 1/6/0 receiving
vs. the Eagles on Saturday night, though. Jordan Shipley (one
for 1/10/0) and Mike Brown (one for 1/8/0) are the other
receivers in the mix for time with the starters while Blackmon
is out. Mohamed Massaquoi was cut on Monday, August 19
after free-falling down the depth chart during training camp.
The Jets signed Massaquoi on Thursday, August 22.
TE: Allen Reisner snagged one of the two TDs that Henne
threw on Saturday night, with 1/8/1 on one target, while
Marcedes Lewis was sidelined again due to his ongoing issue
with a sore calf. Head coach Gus Bradley said of Reisner:
"He's growing on all of us. I think what happens is coaches
begin to trust them. You trust guys like that, and he's built
trust of what he can do and how much he can add to the
offense, so he's done a nice job of that." TE coach Ron
Middleton added, "He's [Reisner] got phenomenal hands."
Brett Brackett was second on the team in receiving on
Saturday, with five targets for 4/24/0. Isaiah Stanback
continues to battle a sore hip and didn't catch a pass in the
game, which facilitated his release this week.
Defense: The Jaguars' D allowed 452 combined yards to the
Philadelphia offense (280 passing yards allowed, 172 rushing
yards allowed), despite the fact that Jacksonville's offense had
31:27 time of possession during the game. The Jaguars'
starting defense was in for 45 snaps vs. Philadelphia, and
surrendered 298 yards combined, and 16 of the 31 points that
the Eagles eventually amassed. There is a lot of room for
improvement in this phase of the game. DE Andre Branch, a
second round pick a year ago but fighting for a roster spot this
year, helped his case with a sack of Michael Vick during the
contest. Branch said, “I felt like I played solid, but as I said
it's not my job. I haven't heard that [about being on the bubble]
from them [the coaching staff]." S Johnathan Cyprien returned
an interception for a touchdown off of Mike Kafka in practice
on Wednesday, August 21, and CB Marcus Trufant also had
an interception during that practice session.
Special Teams: Josh Scobee hit a 35-yard field goal against
Philadelphia, but was wide left on a 47-yard attempt. Camp
leg Ken Parrish once again had the majority of the punts, four
this week to starter Bryan Anger’s one. The three-way long
snapping competition continued as Jeremy Cain, rookie
Carson Tinker and rookie Luke Ingram alternated snaps
against the Eagles. Potential kickoff returner and rookie
‘offensive weapon’ Denard Robinson had a 25-yarder.
Potential punt returner WR Jordan Shipley had a 14-yarder,
although rookie WR Ace Sanders is still expected to be the
primary punt returner in the regular season.
Jaguars Depth Chart
QB: Blaine Gabbert (inj), Chad Henne, Matt Scott, Mike
Kafka, Ricky Stanzi
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew, Justin Forsett (inj), Denard
Robinson, Jordan Todman, Jonathan Grimes
FB: Will Ta′ufo′ou, Lonnie Pryor
WR: Cecil Shorts, Justin Blackmon (susp), Ace
Sanders, Jordan Shipley, Mike Brown, Jeremy Ebert, Tobias
Palmer, Toney Clemons, Charly Martin
TE: Marcedes Lewis, Allen Reisner, Brett Brackett, Ryan
Otten
LT: Eugene Monroe, Mark Asper
LG: Will Rackley, Mike Brewster, Austin Pasztor
C: Brad Meester
RG: Uche Nwaneri, Jason Spitz
RT: Luke Joeckel, Cameron Bradfield
K: Josh Scobee
DT: Roy Miller, Senderrick Marks, Brandon Deaderick, Kyle
Love, D′Anthony Smith, T.J. Barnes, Abry Jones
DE: Tyson Alualu, Jason Babin, Jeremy Mincey, Andre
Branch, Pannel Egboh, Ryan Davis
MLB: Paul Posluszny, Mike Zimmer
OLB: Russell Allen (W), LaRoy Reynolds (M/S), Geno
Hayes (S),Brandon Marshall, Julian Stanford, Andy
Studebaker, Kyle Knox
CB: Dwayne Gratz, Alan Ball, Marcus Trufant, Mike Harris,
Demetrius McCray, Kevin Rutland, Marcus Burley, Jeremy
Harris (IR)
S: John Cyprien (SS), Dwight Lowery (FS), Josh Evans
(FS),Christopher Prosinski (SS), Steven Terrell (FS), Antwon
Blake (FS)
Kansas City Chiefs
QB: Alex Smith’s official line from the preseason game
against Pittsburgh looks pretty efficient, but there were plenty
of missed opportunities. The timing didn’t look quite right on
several short passes, and Smith wasn’t ready to call his day a
success. “The passing game is like anything. You’re never
totally satisfied.” One major positive was that Smith was
finally able to consistently connect with his receivers. Smith
and Chase Daniel were the only quarterbacks to play this week
and Daniel’s stat line nearly mirrored Smith’s. Daniel still
looks uncomfortable in the pocket at times, but he’s picked up
Andy Reid’s offense and has the skillset to complete the short
passes Reid’s attack calls for. Ricky Stanzi was released after
losing the QB3 battle to rookie Tyler Bray.
RB: Those still worried about the health of Jamaal Charles
can breathe easier now that he’s completed a full week of
practice and played nearly a half against the Steelers. Charles
did not have much success, but the fact that he was back on
the field is all owners really need to be concerned with. Knile
Davis looks like he’s locked up the role of primary backup to
Charles despite fumbling against the Steelers. His 109-yard
kickoff return for a touchdown showed the explosiveness
that the Chiefs have been raving about. It’s that kind of upside
that can make Reid forget about a fumble or two. “The thing I
was proud the most about for him was that he came off a
fumble and then put together the big return,” Coach Andy
Reid said. “He didn’t hang his head and went back to it and
came up with a nice return.” Shaun Draughn looks to be
behind Cyrus Gray in the battle for RB3. Gray is seeing more
time with the 2s in practice and games while Draughn seems
relegated to the back of the roster.
WR: The big news of the week was the Chiefs trading of Jon
Baldwin for A.J. Jenkins. Jenkins got to work right away with
Alex Smith, and Smith thinks Jenkins has a chance to be an
important part of the offense. “He's got a ton of talent, a lot
of speed, so I think the change is doing some good," said
Smith. Jenkins saw time with the second team offense but
didn’t log a catch in the team’s game against Pittsburgh. With
Baldwin out of the picture the team will now give Donnie
Avery a chance to earn the WR2 spot. Avery was active in the
team’s third preseason game catching 6 passes for 54 yards in
a little over one half of play. Junior Hemingway looked like he
may see his stock move after getting some work with the first
team offense and catching a 5-yard touchdown pass from Alex
Smith to end the first half. Unfortunately, Hemingway had a
couple of bad drops in the second half that may weigh heavier.
With Dwayne Bowe, Avery, Jenkins, Dexter McCluster, and
Devon Wylie looking like solid bets to make the roster,
Hemingway finds himself squarely on the roster bubble. Wide
receiver Rico Richardson played just 13 offensive snaps, but
caught the game winning touchdown in overtime.
TE: Anthony Fasano may defy the odds and end up as the
starting tight end to start the season. Fasano started and
received the most time with the first team against Pittsburgh.
He’s been a favorite target of Alex Smith throughout the
preseason and is clearly the team’s best blocker at tight end.
Travis Kelce lost a lot of momentum, missing a week of
practice and the preseason game in Pittsburgh. Kelce is out
with what is described as a dinged knee that is not expected to
linger into the regular season.
Defense: The Chiefs first team defense was solid against
Pittsburgh. The only touchdown they gave up came when the
Steelers started their possession on the Chiefs 21-yard line.
Akeem Jordan looks like he’s won the middle linebacker job
next to Derrick Johnson, but as Nico Johnson develops he’ll
get plenty of playing time. Eric Berry continues to look like a
beast against the running game, and the Chiefs continue to
play him close to the line of scrimmage. The lack of depth in
the Chiefs secondary reared its head again as Bruce
Gradkowski and Markus Wheaton beat the second team
secondary badly for a 34-yard touchdown. Safety Tysyn
Hartman continued to make plays in the secondary and on
special teams, blocking a 52-yard field goal attempt.
Special Teams: Although kicker Ryan Succop did some
kicking (field goals of 19 and 38 yards plus two extra points)
and Dustin Colquitt did some punting (47.3 yard average on
four punts), the return units were once again the big story.
This week against Pittsburgh it was rookie RB Knile Davis,
who returned a kickoff 109 yards. Safety Quintin Demps
scored last week. RB Dexter McCluster and WR Devon Wylie
are capable of taking it the distance. New special teams
coordinator Dave Toub has given his returners the green light
to return deep kickoffs and punts, and that allegedly extends
into the regular season.
Chiefs Depth Chart
QB: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray
RB: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, Shaun Draughn, Cyrus
Gray
FB: Anthony Sherman
WR: Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery, Dexter McCluster
(KR/PR), Junior Hemingway, A.J. Jenkins, Devon Wylie, Josh
Bellamy, Darryl Stonum
TE: Anthony Fasano, Travis Kelce, Tony Moeaki
(inj), Demetrius Harris, Kevin Brock
LT: Branden Albert
LG: Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson, Geoff Schwartz
C: Rodney Hudson, Eric Kush, Luke Patterson
RG: Jon Asamoah, Bryan Mattison
RT: Eric Fisher, Dustin Waldron
K: Ryan Succop
NT: Dontari Poe, Jerrell Powe (inj), Anthony Toribio, Daniel
Muir
DE: Tyson Jackson, Mike DeVito, Allen Bailey, Austen
Lane, Lucas Patterson, Marcus Dixon
ILB: Derrick Johnson, Akeem Jordan, Zac Diles, Nico
Johnson, Orie Lemon
OLB: Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, Edgar Jones, Frank
Zombo, Mike Catapano
CB: Brandon Flowers, Sean Smith, Dunta Robinson, Sanders
Commings (inj), Jalil Brown
S: Eric Berry (SS), Kendrick Lewis (FS), Tysyn
Hartman (FS), Husain Abdullah, Quintin Demps
Miami Dolphins
QB: Ryan Tannehill played the entire first half and was sharp;
he completed 17 of 27 passes for 150 yards and 1 touchdown.
Early in the second quarter, on a third-and-twelve, Tannehill
forced a pass targeted for Charles Clay in the middle of the
field that should have been intercepted. Other than that, he
was able to avoid making any mistakes. He had a chance for a
three-touchdown night if Brandon Gibson and Brian Hartline
were able to pull in two catches in the end zone. Pat Devlin
has had trouble staying on the field and he may have trouble
staying on the roster. Prior to the Dolphins’ fourth preseason
game, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald did not
project Devlin to make the 53-man roster. Devlin was given
the chance to earn a roster spot by playing the entire second
half, but he did not seize the opportunity; he finished 12 for 21
for 114 yards and 1 interception. Matt Moore’s role as the
backup seems secure.
RB: During the past week, Mike Sherman, the Offensive
Coordinator exclaimed, “I think Lamar Miller and Daniel
Thomas are competing neck-and-neck.” Miller began his
day by ripping off a right-tackle run for 20 yards. The Miami
offensive line did not provide much running room after that
versus the Tampa Bay defense that held opposing teams to an
NFL low 3.5 yards-per-carry in 2012. On Miami’s first trip to
the red zone, Miller received two carries from the four-yard
line and did not manage to pick up any yards. He finished the
day with 35 yards on eight carries and added one catch for just
two yards. Thomas managed only three yards on seven carries,
but did reel in two passes for 12 yards. Miller looks to be the
guy on early downs and should receive the majority of
touches, while Thomas is expected to takeover in passing
situations and possibly at the goal line. Jonas Gray and Mike
Gillislee continue to battle for the role as the third running
back, which may also be their only chance at a roster spot.
Gray was grinded out just 12 yards on eight carries and lost a
fumble, while Gillislee only squeezed out 11 yards on his six
carries. Gillislee did add three catches for 33 yards, which
included a 21-yard screen pass that displayed a dimension that
Gray may not have.
Special Teams: “You really can’t redeem a fumble. I just got
to get better. That can’t happen. It’s unacceptable for myself,”
said return specialist WR Marcus Thigpen of his fumbled punt
return that led to points for Tampa Bay. On the plus side, he
averaged 14.7 yards on three punt returns and also had a 22yard kickoff return. In his first game as the only kicker on the
roster, rookie Caleb Sturgis got to work on his chip shots
against the Bucs – hitting field goals of 22, 23 and 28 yards.
Long snapper John Denney signed a three-year extension last
week.
Dolphins Depth Chart
WR: After Mike Wallace finally connected with Tannehill
last week, he caught another three passes for 31 yards,
including a nice snag 13-yard catch in the middle of the field.
It was another step in the right direction for the speedy
receiver who is working to become a more polished and
versatile route runner. Hartline had the one drop, but quietly
recorded 4 catches for 40 yards. He is serving as much more
of a possession receiver compared to last season. Gibson, who
stands the most to gain from the absence of Dustin Keller,
began the game by dropping an easy pass. He then strung
together a few good looking receptions before dropping
another easy pass in the end zone. He eventually added a fouryard touchdown from Tannehill and finished with 43 yards on
5 catches.
TE: Keller was placed on the Injured Reserve after suffering a
season-ending knee injury in Miami’s third preseason game.
His absence resulted in a shakeup at the position. Charles
Clay is getting the first chance to replace Keller as the
starting tight end. “You’d have to give the nod to Clay as the
starter,” Sherman said. “He’ll play in a bunch of different
packages. He’ll do a lot of different things for us, and he’s
more than capable.” Clay did play a lot of snaps, but was
unable to make much of an impact at all. He only managed to
catch one ball for five yards and can be safely ignored in
redraft leagues. Dion Sims received a fair share of snaps as
well and may pass Clay on the depth chart. Sims displayed
decent body control on his only reception - an 18-yard gain on
a seam route.
Defense: The Miami defense held the Tampa Bay offense,
which was erratically led by Josh Freeman to begin the game,
to just 160 total yards. The defensive line is clearly the
Dolphins strong suit and their rotation at defensive tackle is
coming along nicely. Paul Soliai flashed his run-stuffing
prowess on the early downs and seems to give way to Jared
Odrick, who recorded a sack versus the Buccaneers, and
Randy Starks in passing situations. DE Olivier Vernon also
blew past his blocker for a sack. The Miami Herald has heard
from sources that there is “growing concern” that their prized
draft pick, DE Dion Jordan, may not be ready to play in Week
1 as he continues to rehab his re-injured shoulder. Jordan’s
presence should only improve this unit when he does return to
full health. In the secondary, CB Richard Marshall, who was
competing for a starting spot, was released this past week.
Dimitri Patterson is now expected to start opposite Brent
Grimes and while rookie Jamar Taylor continues to get up to
speed, Nolan Carroll has been a soft spot in the secondary.
QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, Pat Devlin (inj), Aaron
Corp
RB: Lamar Miller (KR), Daniel Thomas, Mike
Gillislee, Marcus Thigpen (PR), Jonas Gray, Cameron
Marshall
FB: Evan Rodriguez
WR: Brian Hartline, Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, Rishard
Matthews, Marvin McNutt, Chad Bumphis, Brian
Tyms, Keenan Davis, Kenny Stafford, Armon Binns (IR)
TE: , Charles Clay, Dion Sims, Michael Egnew, Kyle
Miller, Dustin Keller (IR)
LT: Jonathan Martin, Dallas Thomas, Jeff Adams
LG: Richie Incognito, Nate Garner
C: Mike Pouncey
RG: John Jerry, Josh Samuda,
RT: Tyson Clabo, Will Yeatman, Andrew McDonald
K: Caleb Sturgis
DT: Paul Soliai, Jared Odrick, Randy Starks, Vaughn Martin,
Kheeston Randall, Chris Burnette, AJ Francis, Tracy
Robertson
DE: Cameron Wake (W), Olivier Vernon, Dion Jordan
(inj), Derrick Shelby, Tristan Okpalaugo
MLB: Dannell Ellerbe, Austin Spitler, Jelani Jenkins
OLB: Koa Misi (S), Philip Wheeler (W), Jason Trusnik
(S), Jonathan Freeny (W), Lee Robinson (S), Josh Kaddu
(W), Alonzo Highsmith(S), Antwan Applewhite
CB: Brent Grimes, Dimitri Patterson, Nolan Carroll, Will
Davis, Jamar Taylor, R.J. Stanford, Don Jones (SS), De′Andre
Presley, Julian Posey
S: Reshad Jones (SS), Chris Clemons (FS), Jimmy Wilson
(FS), Kelcie McCray (FS), Jordan Kovacs (FS), Keelan
Johnson (SS)
Minnesota Vikings
QB: The Vikings offense took a step forward in their third
preseason game as Christian Ponder threw a pair of
touchdown while playing into the third quarter. Ponder
finished 17-of-23, but for only 116 yards and he also threw an
interception. He found rookie Zach Line for a 1-yard score in
the second quarter and then Joe Webb for a 3-yarder on the
first drive of the second half to cut the 49er’s lead to 20-14.
"That drive in the third quarter, we kind of got that experience
of establishing some rhythm on offense," Ponder said. "We
ended on a good note." All in all, it was an improvement after
a passer rating of 28.3 in his first two preseason games, but the
warning signs remain. Ponder fumbled the third play of the
game to give San Francisco the ball on the Vikings 11 and he
failed to generate any big plays of significance. Matt Cassel
will almost certainly be called upon at some point during the
season, but he, too, wasn’t overly impressive completing just
3-of-10 for 28 yards to finish out the game.
RB: Adrian Peterson made his preseason debut, although he
played only two snaps and didn’t touch the ball. "It was
definitely limited but I felt like it was kind of effective getting
the play-action in," Peterson said with a straight face. "It is all
about keeping your body in shape; doing the necessary things
... just making sure your body is ready to roll." In his stead,
Toby Gerhart led the way for the Vikings backfield with seven
carries for 20 yards and two receptions for 11 yards. Matt
Asiata, Joe Banyard and Bradley Randle all got some work
behind Gerhart, but Asiata could be the only one to emerge
with a roster spot if the Vikings keep three tailbacks along
with Pro Bowl FB Jerome Felton, who was suspended by the
league on Monday for three games, and possibly Zach Line,
who now has caught two touchdown passes during the
preseason.
WR: Greg Jennings has been relatively quiet during the
preseason, save for all the chatter aimed at former teammate
and Packer QB Aaron Rodgers. Although quiet in games,
Jennings has reportedly been impressive throughout preseason
practices. "He's still got that burst, he's still got that ability to
make plays after the catch, and he's still got great hands," head
coach Leslie Frazier said. Against the 49ers, Jennings started
and caught two passes for 24 yards. He was targeted by
Ponder downfield on a bomb, but Ponder overthrew him.
Jerome Simpson also caught two passes for 24 yards, although
his best play of the night occurred when he tripped a drunk fan
who ran onto the field wearing a Joe Montana jersey in the
fourth quarter. Rookie Cordarrelle Patterson caught a pair of
passes for 11 yards and also gained four yards on an end
around as he remains behind Simpson at the “X” receiver. It
wouldn’t be surprising to see Patterson surpass Simpson
sooner rather than later. OC Bill Musgrave said last week that
Patterson has done a good job with his assignments, so his
development may not take as long as some might expect given
how raw he is coming out of college. "The quarterbacks want
to know that guys are going to be dependable, be at the right
depth, come out at the right angle and he was that way. ... And
quarterbacks are starting to trust him," Musgrave said.
Meanwhile, Jarius Wright sat out of the game on Monday
night, but the good news is that he was cleared to return after a
concussion suffered on August 16. Wright will open the
season as the No. 3 receiver and the top option in the slot with
Patterson firmly on his heels.
TE: Kyle Rudolph’s preseason has been fairly quiet as well.
He caught one pass for 5 yards against the 49ers to give him
four for 44 through the first three games. John Carlson caught
three passes for 6 yards; Chase Ford two for 23.
Defense: Desmond Bishop still hasn’t cracked the starting
lineup for the Vikings, but he did pace the team with an
impressive nine solo tackles on Sunday night. Bishop is still
running behind Marvin Mitchell on the strong-side and he was
rumored to be on the roster bubble. WLB Chad Greenway
intercepted a Colt McCoy pass and finished with four solo
tackles and an assist. Kevin Williams recorded a sack and two
tackles, but more importantly, he wasn’t thrilled a chop block
by 49er guard Joe Looney left him with a knee injury. "I was
just upset that I’m getting cut 11 years in (the NFL) from a
guy who I don’t even know." An MRI is scheduled for
Monday, but early indications are that it isn’t of a seasonending variety. CB Chris Cook injured his groin in the first
half and didn’t return. Rookie DT Sharrif Floyd had a minor
knee scope by the team expects him to be fine for Week 1.
Floyd backs up Williams, so the team is hoping for good news
from William’s MRI.
Special Teams: Starting kickoff returner rookie WR
Cordarrelle Patterson had an 18-yard return against San
Francisco. WR Stephen Burton, CB A. J. Jefferson, CB Greg
McCoy and rookie RB Bradley Randle also fielded kickoffs.
Starting punt returner DB Marcus Sherels did not play (due to
attending a funeral) while CB Bobby Felder, who is
challenging for the starting role, averaged 20.0 on two punt
returns. Kicker Blair Walsh had a light outing against the
49ers, with two extra points and three kickoffs. Rookie
holder/punter Jeff Locke continues to work on his hang time
and Aussie style punts.
Vikings Depth Chart
QB: Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel, McLeod BethelThompson
RB: Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, Matt Asiata, Joe Banyard
FB: Jerome Felton (susp), Rhett Ellison (FB), Zach Line
WR: , Greg Jennings, Jerome Simpson, Jarius
Wright, Cordarrelle Patterson (KR), Stephen Burton, Joe
Webb, Rodney Smith, Adam Thielen, Greg Childs (PUP)
TE: Kyle Rudolph, John Carlson, Chase Ford, Colin
Anderson
LT: Matt Kalil, Kevin Murphy
LG: Charlie Johnson, Troy Kropog, Travis Bond
C: John Sullivan, Joe Berger
RG: Brandon Fusco, Jeff Baca, Seth Olsen
RT: Phil Loadholt, DeMarcus Love (susp), Brandon Keith
K: Blair Walsh
DT: Kevin Williams (inj), Letroy Guion (NT), Fred
Evans, Sharrif Floyd, Chase Baker, Everett Dawkins, Anthony
McCloud, Christian Ballard
DE: Jared Allen, Brian Robison, Everson Griffen, De′Aundre
Reed, George Johnson, Collins Ukwu
MLB: Erin Henderson, Audie Cole, Michael Mauti
OLB: Chad Greenway (S), Marvin Mitchell (W), Desmond
Bishop (W), Gerald Hodges, Larry Dean, Tyrone McKenzie
CB: Chris Cook (inj), Xavier Rhodes, Josh Robinson, A.J.
Jefferson, Marcus Sherels (PR), Brandon Burton, Bobby
Felder
S: Harrison Smith (FS), Jamarca Sanford (SS), Mistral
Raymond (SS) (inj), Robert Blanton (FS), Andrew
Sendejo, Darius Eubanks, Brandan Bishop
New England Patriots
QB: Cracks finally began to emerge in Tom Brady's play after
a stellar offseason under difficult circumstances. Brady
completed 16 of 24 passes for 185 yards and an interception
against the Detroit Lions. Ryan Mallett was better statistically,
finishing the game with 96 yards and a touchdown while
completing 50 percent of his passes, but he hasn't inspired
optimism for fans at all during the preseason. Mallett is firmly
entrenched as the team's backup quarterback, as Tim Tebow
didn't even play in the team's third preseason game. Tebow
may still make the roster, but only if the Patriots see him as a
useful situational player and not as just a quarterback.
RB: Stevan Ridley was similarly unimpressive against the
Lions, but his status as the team's leading back was solidified
by poor play from the other options. Brandon Bolden fumbled
and quickly landed on the bench. Shane Vereen also fumbled
early and was barely on the field because of it. While Bolden's
fumble could have cost him his opportunity to stick around,
especially because LeGarrette Blount is in contention to play
some on special teams now, Vereen's is less noteworthy and
shouldn't affect his status at all moving into the regular season.
The status of Leon Washington is unclear after he didn't open
the Lions game as the kickoff returner. It could simply have
been to give opportunity for others, but it's a difficult situation
to track.
WR: There was one obvious bright spot for the Patriots this
week: Kenbrell Thompkins. Thompkins led the Patriots in
receiving with eight receptions for 116 yards. Thompkins has
a versatility and refined style to his game that has many
comparing him to Chad Johnson, not the Chad Johnson who
played in New England but rather the one who excelled in
Cincinnati. Thompkins, Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce all
look set to make the roster with Julian Edelman and Danny
Amendola. Edelman played with the first unit in Detroit and
should stick around because of his versatility in spite of his
bit-part role through the off-season. Amendola missed the
Lions game, but his injury isn't thought to be serious.
TE: Zach Sudfeld started training camp with a roar and
continued to earn rave reviews throughout the preseason, but
Week 3 brought the first bruise to his resume. Sudfeld played
33 snaps and was targeted three times, but pivotally he
fumbled the ball away to draw the ire of Belichick. While
Sudfeld felt his first bruise, Jake Ballard did the most work he
has done in New England at the perfect time. Ballard started
and played 41 snaps even though he didn't catch a pass, he did
prove his health. Daniel Fells was inactive on Thursday night,
while Michael Hoomanawanui played the least out of the three
active tight ends. A case could be made for any of the Patriots'
four tight ends not named Rob Gronkowski to be cut, with
Sudfeld being the least likely to go.
Defense: The biggest development from the preseason game
against the Lions was the absence of Adrian Wilson early on.
Steve Gregory and Devin McCourty started at safety, with
Kyle Arrington and Aqib Talib starting at cornerback. Wilson
is a proven veteran who shouldn't need to play the extended
time he did at this stage of the season. That suggests that
Wilson is fighting for his place and still needs to prove himself
to the Patriots' coaching staff. For the defense as a whole, the
game itself was very worrisome. The Lions played without
Calvin Johnson but still scored 40 points over four quarters,
with 16 of those coming in the first half.
Special Teams: Against Detroit, kicker Stephen Gostkowski
made his only field attempt, a 31-yarder, raising his preseason
tally to 3 of 6. Punter/holders Zoltan Mesko and rookie Ryan
Allen both continue to punt well, with Mesko possibly holding
a slight edge, although it’s very close. The loser could very
well end up on another team for September. RB Leon
Washington did not log any returns against the Lions. Four
players each had one kickoff return: WR Julian Edelman (4
yards), WR Matthew Slater (16 yards), rookie WR Josh Boyce
(17 yards) and RB LaGarrette Blount (27 yards).
Patriots Depth Chart
QB: Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Tim Tebow
RB: Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen (3RB), LeGarrette Blount,
Brandon Bolden, Leon Washington (KR/PR), George Winn
FB: James Develin, Ben Bartholomew
WR: Danny Amendola, Kenbrell Thompkins, Julian
Edelman, Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce, Matt Slater
(SS), Quentin Sims, Johnathan Haggerty, Mark Harrison
(PUP), T.J. Moe (IR)
TE: Rob Gronkowski (PUP), Zach Sudfeld, Jake
Ballard, Daniel Fells, Michael Hoomanawanui (FB), Brandon
Ford
LT: Nate Solder
LG: Logan Mankins
C: Ryan Wendell
RG: Will Svitek, Dan Connolly (inj), Marcus Cannon (inj)
RT: Sebastian Vollmer, Markus Zusevics (IR)
K: Stephen Gostkowski
DT: Vince Wilfork (NT), Tommy Kelly, Travis
Chappelear, Gilbert Pena, Armond Armstead (res)
DE: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine
Cunningham, Michael Buchanan, Jake Bequette, Marcus
Benard, Justin Francis, Marcus Forston
MLB: Brandon Spikes (M), Dane Fletcher, Steve Beauharnais
OLB: Jerod Mayo (W), Donta Hightower (S), Jamie
Collins, Jeff Tarpinian,
CB: Aqib Talib, Kyle Arrington, Alfonzo Dennard, Ras-I
Dowling,Logan Ryan, Marquice Cole, Justin Green
S: Devin McCourty (FS)(KR), Steve Gregory (SS), Adrian
Wilson (SS), , Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner, Duron
Harmon, Kanorris Davis
New Orleans Saints
QB: Drew Brees played through three series on Sunday,
producing 4/6 for 104 yards, one TD and zero interceptions at
Houston. "It's always nice when you can throw a pass three
yards and it turns into a touchdown," Brees said of Pierre
Thomas' 51-yard TD reception. Luke McCown followed up
with a solid 10/14 for 118 yards, two TDs and zero
interceptions thrown - both quarterbacks moved the offense
well during their time on the field. Ryan Griffin also managed
a TD pass with 8/13 for 86 yards and one TD with zero
interceptions thrown. All told, the Saints posted 22/33 for 302
yards passing, four TDs and zero interceptions at Houston the New Orleans' offense is humming along entering regular
season.
RB: Thomas scored a TD as noted above - he had 4/19/0
rushing and 1/51/1 receiving (two targets) on the day. "I think
that one play to Pierre kind of sparked us a little bit and all of
a sudden we were able to make a few plays," head coach Sean
Payton said. Mark Ingram led the team in rushing with 4/24/0
and also had two receptions for 28 yards (two targets). "We
have five backs that can be anywhere, line up anywhere on the
field that can run routes and catch the ball very effectively,"
Ingram said after the game. "It just depends on the personnel
and the play call. If it happens to be, they call empty and I'm
in there, I can line up in the slot and run the route as well. So
can [Travaris] Cadet, Khiry [Robinson], Sproles... We can all
contribute in every phase to the offense." Darren Sproles
reeled in two receptions for 17 yards out of two targets - the
Saints' running-back-by-committee is alive and well entering
the regular-season slate of games. Reserve RB Cadet snagged
a lot of passes at Houston, with 3/37/0 receiving to go with his
4/16/0 rushing, and Robinson had 1/10/0 receiving on two
targets with 5/11/0 rushing at the end of the game.
WR: Marques Colston was missing in action due to his
ongoing foot injury rehab - in his absence, Kenny Stills led the
team in receiving with 2/54/1 to his credit at Houston - he
snagged his TD from McCown's throwing arm. Nick Toon
dropped a potential long-gainer and ended the day with two
targets for 1/11/0 receiving. On Thursday, Toon commented
about his game, saying: "I do have above average speed for a
guy my size and it's definitely something I can bring to the
table and become a well-rounded, multi-threat receiver, not
just a possession guy... I think last week it was great for me to
get past the defense and catch a deep ball because my speed
has been something that has been overlooked throughout my
career." Andy Tanner (three targets for 3/33/2) was a favorite
target of McCown on Sunday - he snagged one of the TDs that
McCown threw and also pulled in the TD that reserve Ryan
Griffin tossed. As noted above, all four of the top running
backs were heavily involved in the passing game during the
regular-season tune-up game. Lance Moore saw two targets
for 1/15/0 before giving way to the backups at Houston.
Preston Parker had one catch for eight yards during the game
(two targets).
TE: Jimmy Graham had a quiet night at Houston, turning
three targets into just 1/10/0 receiving. Ben Watson also
snagged a reception (1/13/0 on one target) - against Houston,
the Saints' top four running backs handled eight passes for 133
yards receiving and one TD, leaving little in the way of
production for the tight ends this week.
Defense: The Saints' D continues to look very suspect, with
15/26 for 213 yards passing, zero TDs or interceptions
allowed to starter Matt Schaub (Andre Johnson showed off his
chemistry with Schaub posting eight targets for 7/131/0 during
just part of the game, burning CB Keenan Lewis repeatedly).
Eventually the Texans' QBs rang up 32/49 for 355 net yards
passing, one TD and zero interceptions thrown, while also
grinding out 27/141/1 rushing on the night (that's 496 net
yards combined allowed for those keeping score at home).
Houston held the football for 34:26 during the contest,
winning the time of possession battle handily. Rookie S
Kenny Vaccaro continued his impressive preseason by leading
New Orleans in tackles at Houston (six total, with five solo
stops). OLB Will Smith was forced out of the game with a
tweaked right knee, and was later diagnosed as a torn ACL –
ending his season. LBs Jonathan Vilma, Martez Wilson, and
Junior Gallette were all sidelined due to injury for the third
preseason game - the Saints' linebacking corps is thin and
banged up entering regular season, friends. Curtis Lofton did
get back in the game this week after skipping last week's tilt he posted two tackles (one solo), and stated after the game, "It
felt good to get back. I'm still knocking off a little rust. But
getting back out there felt good, getting out there with the
guys. Still got a long ways to go, but I'll be ready for Week 1."
Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan said: "I want our team to be
the best prepared team we can be. You want to try and put our
guys in the best situation we can be. And to me that takes a lot
of film study. And that's something I've always prided myself
in, that I'm willing to work and whatever it takes. So I don't
have much of a social life after that." On Friday, Coach
Payton spoke about CB Patrick Robinson's return to action in
the third preseason game: "He's doing well. This has been a
good week for him in regards to this being his first week back
getting snaps. And he'll play in this game." Robinson managed
one pass defensed during the contest in Houston.
Special Teams: Kicker Garrett Hartley was good on a 51-yard
field goal and four extra points against Houston. He
commented last week, “My body feels great, and the ball
striking is where I want it right now. It’s only going to
continue to get better.” Thomas Morstead averaged 50.0 yards
on four punts against the Texans. First string return specialist
RB Darren Sproles still has not had any returns in preseason.
Second string return specialist RB Travaris Cadet had a punt
return for no gain. WR Preston Parker, who is on the
proverbial roster bubble, helped his chances with a 53-yard
kickoff return.
Saints Depth Chart
QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Ryan Griffin
RB: Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles
(3RB/KR/PR), Travaris Cadet (KR/PR), Shawne Alston
FB: Jed Collins
WR: Marques Colston (inj), Lance Moore, Kenny Stills, Nick
Toon,Courtney Roby (KR), Saalim Hakim, Preston
Parker, Andy Tanner, Joseph Morgan (IR), Chris Givens (IR)
TE: Jimmy Graham, Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Michael
Higgins, Keavon Milton
LT: Charles Brown, Terron Armstead
LG: Ben Grubbs, Eric Olsen
C: Brian De La Puente, Ryan Lee
RG: Jahri Evans, Ricky Henry
RT: Zach Strief, Marcel Jones, Bryce Harris
K: Garrett Hartley
NT: Brodrick Bunkley, John Jenkins, Tom Johnson, Isaako
Aaitui
DE: Cameron Jordan (DT), Akiem Hicks, Rufus
Johnson, Glenn Foster, Tyrunn Walker, Braylon
Broughton, Jay Richardson, Kenyon Coleman (IR)
ILB: Curtis Lofton (M), David Hawthorne (S), Jonathan
Vilma (inj), Kevin Reddick, Ramon Humber, Chris
Chamberlain (IR)
OLB: Will Smith, Martez Wilson (S) (inj), Junior
Galette, Parys Haralson, Austin Johnson, Rayford
Shipman, Baraka Atkins, Victor Butler (IR)
CB: Jabari Greer, Keenan Lewis, Patrick Robinson, Corey
White, Chris Carr, Rod Sweeting, Ryan Lacy, Jumal Rolle
S: Roman Harper (SS), Malcolm Jenkins (FS), Kenny
Vaccaro (SS),Jim Leonhard, Isa Abdul-Quddus (FS), Rafael
Bush (SS), Jerico Nelson
four targets. Victor Cruz sat out against the Jets but Cruz shed
his walking boot last week and is set to return to practice. He
expects to be 100% for Week One, which means fantasy
owners should pounce on his slightly discounted ADP while it
lasts.
New York Giants
Defense: Stevie Brown – the Giants principal ball hawk in the
secondary – tore his ACL and was lost for the season. Brown
tore the ligament while returning an interception against the
Jets. His loss opens the door for Ryan Mundy. The Giants
were effective against the Jets, at least in the early going when
both team’s starters were on the field. CB Prince Amukamara
and DE Justin Tuck had interceptions and in total the Giants
defenders notched 2 sacks and nine QB hits on the night. The
Giants linebacking corps is broadly a question mark, but Mark
Herzlich is staking a claim to be an every down player.
Herzlich had the stat line of the night against the Jets – 9
tackles, 6 solos, a sack, a pass defensed and a tackle for loss.
Although the team lost a key member in the secondary, it also
gained back a key contributor in CB Terrell Thomas. Thomas
suited up for the first time in nearly two years, ran about 20
plays, and most importantly felt good afterwards. Thomas
said, “I feel great. It’s a long time coming. I’m blessed to
have been in the situation … come back after my third ACL.
To get out there and be able to come back in the way I did,
just to be out there with my teammates against a good
opponent like the Jets is…I had a lot of fun today.”
QB: Eli Manning and the passing game failed to sharpen up in
their Week 3 dress rehearsal against the Jets. Manning
completed a woeful 8-of-20 passes for 83 yards. Many of his
passes were off the mark, but he wasn’t done any favors by his
receivers. Curtis Painter handled mop up duties and was no
better (13-for-29 for 140 yards) – but his play in the Week 3
calls into question whether the team is serious about keeping
Painter on the roster at the expense of rookie Ryan Nassib.
Needless to say, head coach Tom Coughlin is troubled by
what he’s seen from his offense: "The one thing that's very
disappointing to me is where we are offensively. There was no
consistency whatsoever. We've got work to do on the
offensive side of the ball. Whatever is going on, we've got to
solve it and we've got to solve it fast."
RB: We’ll keep saying it every week until you start believing
it, but David Wilson is going to be the lead back in New York
this year as long as he doesn’t fumble the opportunity away.
Andre Brown has a role, but it won’t be a time share
committee. Wilson took a handoff 84 yards for a touchdown
and finished his day with 92 yards (and the aforementioned
TD) on just seven touches. Meanwhile Andre Brown mustered
just 17 yards on seven carries (2.4 yards per rush). Michael
Cox may be at risk of throwing away a strong training camp
after notching negative 3 yards on three carries against the Jets
– at the same time Ryan Torain has rounded into shape (7
rushes for 33 yards). Although Torain has been the better
runner in recent weeks, Cox’ value extends to special teams –
he led the Giants with 79 yards on three kickoff returns this
week.
WR: The good news is Jerrel Jernigan led the Giants with five
receptions for 66 yards against the Jets. The bad news is those
five receptions came on FIFTEEN targets – meaning
Jernigan’s catch rate was an appalling 33%. He wasn’t alone
in his struggles. Hakeem Nicks caught just one of his six
targets – including a key drop that would’ve been a sure
touchdown in the red zone. Eli Manning took the blame for
the red zone miscue, “I probably could have thrown it a little
bit further out there and gave him a chance. The guy got his
hands on it and knocked it away. I think it was a combination.
It could have been a little bit better ball and the guy made a
good play also.” Rueben Randle only got his hands on two of
TE: The tight ends may have a role to play, but we wouldn’t
know that from the way the preseason turned out. Starter
Brandon Myers had just one catch for 5 yards against the Jets,
and his main backups were equally unimpressive; Bear Pascoe
had a 10-yard reception and Larry Donnell caught two passes
for 18 yards. Fantasy owners need to understand that Myers is
no more than a TE2 in 12-team leagues, and not a high upside
option at that.
Special Teams: Kicker Josh Brown continues to pile up
preseason points. This week against the Jets he hit field goals
of 40, 33, 50 and 40 yards. His one miss was wide left from 53
yards. Starting kickoff returner RB David Wilson did not have
any returns, yet again. Rookie RB Michael Cox, rookie DB
Charles James and DB Laron Scott returned kickoffs. Cox
could spell Wilson at times in the regular season. In this
week’s game, WR Rueben Randle had his first preseason punt
return, an 11-yarder. CB Jayron Hosley returned a punt and
Charles James had two fair catches.
Giants Depth Chart
QB: Eli Manning, David Carr, Ryan Nassib, Curtis Painter
RB: David Wilson (KR), Andre Brown (SD), Michael
Cox, Da′Rel Scott, Ryan Torain
FB: Henry Hynoski
WR: Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz (inj), Rueben Randle
(PR), Louis Murphy, Ramses Barden, Jerrel Jernigan, , Keith
Carlos, Julian Talley, Kevin Hardy, Marcus Harris, Kris
Adams (IR)
TE: , Brandon Myers, Adrien Robinson, Bear Pascoe, Larry
Donnell
LT: Will Beatty, Matt McCants
LG: Kevin Boothe, Selvish Capers
C: Jim Cordle, David Baas (inj)
RG: Chris Snee, Brandon Mosely
RT: Justin Pugh, David Diehl (inj), James Brewer, Levy
Adcock
K: Josh Brown, David Buehler
DT: Linval Joseph (NT), Cullen Jenkins, Johnathan
Hankins, Marvin Austin, Mike Patterson, Markus
Kuhn, Shaun Rogers
DE: Jason Pierre-Paul, Mathias Kiwanuka (S), Justin
Tuck, Damontre Moore, Adrian Tracy, Matt Broha, Justin
Trattou, Adewale Ojomo
MLB: Mark Herzlich, Dan Connor
OLB: Spencer Paysinger (W), Keith Rivers (S), Jacquian
Williams (W), Kyle Bosworth (S)
CB: Corey Webster, Prince Amukamara, Jayron Hosley
(PR), Aaron Ross, Terrell Thomas, Trumaine
McBride, Terrence Frederick, Charles James
S: Antrel Rolle (FS) (inj), Ryan Mundy (FS), Tyler
Sash, Cooper Taylor, David Caldwell, Will Hill (susp), Stevie
Brown (IR)
New York Jets
QB: Saturday night was supposed to provide clarity for the
New York Jets’ quarterback position but all it appears to have
done is made things foggier. Geno Smith got the start and had
a typical rookie outing, Jets-style: some beautiful passes and
good decisions followed by mind-numbingly dumb ones and
turnovers. Smith had three interceptions against the New York
Giants, as well as an inexplicable safety where he showed a
complete lack of field awareness when he stepped out of
bounds as he tried to throw the ball away under pressure.
Smith certainly didn’t win the starting job but what came next
was nearly as insane in its illogical nature. Head coach Rex
Ryan decided to put Mark Sanchez into the game in the fourth
quarter behind the third string line. The purpose of this was
unclear save for Rex Ryan’s desire to win the game, which he
relayed in a very tense press conference. In fact, according to
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com, Sanchez didn’t want to
play with the backup players. A poor decision became an
outright disaster when Sanchez left the game with a shoulder
injury on his second series. Of course, being Sanchez, he first
fumbled a snap on the initial series. However it’s the injury
which could plague the Jets to start the season as a potential
starter is now in jeopardy of missing time early in the season,
though right now the actual extent of the injury is unclear.
Matt Simms replaced Sanchez – something which the media
thought was going to happen instead of a Sanchez appearance.
Simms played well, totaling 120 yards and a touchdown in
limited action against substitutes, but he’s nowhere near
starting. Rumor has it the Jets are looking to bring in veteran
journeymen including Trent Edwards for a tryout. The
Jets’ quarterback situation is now a complete disaster and
could be worse depending on the actual status of Sanchez’s
shoulder, words nobody ever expected to type.
RB: Lost in the quarterback implosion is the continued
lackluster performance by the backfield. Chris Ivory had a
hard time creating yards and while he showed the ability to
break tackles, it didn’t amount to much. Bilal Powell had
some nice runs but was not very good in pass protection and
dropped some easy catches. After impressing the team in
training camp, Powell’s play has been terribly inconsistent and
like so much of this team, he has failed to capture a bigger role
when he had the chance. Nobody else stood out either in
practice or the game against the New York Giants. Rookie
Tommy Bohanon played well at fullback, but Kahlil Bell and
Mossis Madu had limited chances and did nothing with them.
It comes back to Ivory, who is still behind after having missed
camp due to hamstring issues. His practices have been solid
and his pass protection very good. His carries have been
limited due to a concern about overworking him, which may
also account for his mediocre showings on the field so far.
WR: Stephen Hill’s development continues, showing flashes
of great play and flashes of immaturity. Against the Giants,
Hill was flagged for a 15-yard facemask penalty when he
grabbed a defender’s facemask due to some very evident
frustration. That’s the sort of thing a second-year receiver
cannot do, and a mistake which is unacceptable. Hill also had
another in a long line of drops, a lost fumble and then left the
game with a wrist injury. He’s day-to-day as an MRI came up
negative. The other active veteran, Jeremy Kerley had a very
inconsistent game, with a nice catch but also several drops.
Drops are an issue which plagued the Jets offense Saturday
night both with the receivers as well as the running backs.
Two more recent additions to the team had solid nights, with
former Seattle Seahawk Ben Obomanu, who was the recipient
of Geno Smith’s first touchdown. Obomanu did a good job of
getting open and advancing the ball for the score on the play
as well, but did have a rather bad drop later on what should
have been a simple slant play. That’s two very good games out
of three appearances for Obomanu. Meanwhile, undrafted
rookie Ryan Spadola had a tremendous game with three
catches for 110 yards and a touchdown from quarterback Matt
Simms. He was the target on Geno Smith’s first touchdown,
one picked off by cornerback Prince Amukamara. On the play,
Spadola was overpowered by the Giants defensive back and
he’ll have to learn how to use his body’s size and strength to
fight off NFL level defenders. Still, he’s probably locked up
his roster spot and with as many issues as the Jets have at
receiver, he could find a larger role. Mohamed Massaquoi
signed with the Jets recently and looked good in his few snaps,
but he has a long way to go before he’s up to speed. Santonio
Holmes continues to run on the side of practice but his
timeline is unknown and Braylon Edwards didn’t play on
Saturday, and was subsequently released.
TE: Jeff Cumberland didn’t have a catch on the day and he
was utilized mostly as a blocker. He started off slow, but
ended up with some key blocks later on. Kellen Winlow Jr
seemed to be Geno Smith’s favorite target and responded with
several very nice catches, though some were short of first
downs and he was forced to try and dodge tacklers to make the
marker.
Defense: The Jets’ defense began the day getting pushed
around by the New York Giants, with running back David
Wilson cracking off an 84-yard run on the very first Giants
offensive play. On the run, the safeties lost containment and
Garrett McIntyre (In for Quinton Coples) was blocked out of
the play. After that, the Jets run defense stiffened allowing just
55 yards the rest of the game. Overall the defense allowed no
other touchdowns. The Giants were able to move the ball up
and down the field but had to settle for field goals. This was
especially big in the face of Geno Smith’s three interceptions
and one safety. The team could easily have fallen into a deep
hole, but the defense didn’t allow it to happen. While the team
generated no interceptions, they forced two fumbles
(recovering one) and four sacks, including one by rookie
Sheldon Richardson. The secondary still has some issues and
rookie Dee Milliner was out due to injury, but the defensive
unit is playing well as a whole.
Special Teams: Against the Giants, both kicker candidates got
a shot at a game-winning field goal in overtime. Both were
second attempts following an icing timeout. Nick Folk missed
wide right from 39 yards. Later in OT, Billy Cundiff was good
from 32 yards. In a tight race, that could be the decider.
Starting punter/holder Robert Malone out-punted challenger
Ryan Quigley on their three punts apiece in the game. Starting
punt returner WR Jeremy Kerley averaged 5.7 yards on three
returns plus had two fair catches. Starting kickoff returner RB
Joe McKnight (head) was active but did not play in the game
and was subsequently waived. Rookie CB Mike Edwards and
CB Kyle Wilson each had a kickoff return.
Jets Depth Chart
QB: Geno Smith (inj), Mark Sanchez (inj), Greg
McElroy, Matt Simms
RB: Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, , Mike Goodson (susp), Mossis
Madu, Kahlil Bell, John Griffin (IR)
FB: Tommy Bohanon, Lex Hilliard
WR: Santonio Holmes (inj), Stephen Hill, Jeremy Kerley
(PR), Clyde Gates, Mohamed Massaquoi, Ben
Obomanu, Titus Ryan, Vidal Hazelton, Zach Rogers, Ryan
Spadola, Michael Campbell
TE: Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Winslow Jr., Konrad
Reuland, Chris Pantale
LT: DŒBrickashaw Ferguson, Jason Smith, Oday
Aboushi
LG: Vladimir Ducasse, Brian Winters, Dennis Landholt
C: Nick Mangold , Caleb Schlauderaff
RG: Willie Colon, William Campbell
RT: Austin Howard, JB Sugarts
K: Nick Folk, Dan Carpenter
NT: Kenrick Ellis, , Antonio Garay, Damon Harrison
DE: Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Leger
Douzable, Tevita Finau, Junior Aumavae
ILB: David Harris (M), Demario Davis (W), Josh
Mauga, Nick Bellore (M), JoJo Dickson
OLB: Antwan Barnes, Quinton Coples (inj), Garrett
McIntyre, Calvin Pace, Ricky Sapp, Danny
Lansanah, Jacquies Smith
CB: Antonio Cromartie (KR), Dee Milliner, Kyle
Wilson, Ellis Lankster, Isaiah Trufant, Mike Edwards, Darrin
Walls, Aaron Berry (IR)
S: Dawan Landry (SS), Jaiquawn Jarrett (FS), Antonio Allen
(FS),Josh Bush (SS), Royce Adams (FS), Rontez Miles (PUP)
Oakland Raiders
QB: The battle at quarterback got very interesting for the
Raiders this week. Presumed starter Matt Flynn had a terrible
outing against Chicago and is now dealing with a sore arm
for the second preseason in a row. "It's probably more of a
precautionary measure on my part than it is anything else,"
head coach Dennis Allen said Sunday. Flynn’s arm issue and
erratic play has opened up a window for Terrelle Pryor, who
will start the preseason finale against Seattle. Pryor has been
wildly inconsistent this preseason but as he showed against
Chicago his athleticism comes in very handy when paired with
the porous Raiders offensive line. Pryor’s 25-yard touchdown
run against the Bears gave the team a spark that they just don’t
have with Flynn. Undrafted free agent Matt McGloin
continues to lead Tyler Wilson for the QB3 spot and there’s
growing speculation that the team will in fact cut their fourth
round pick.
RB: The running game looks like a major area of concern for
the Raiders. They struggle to block anyone, resulting in
disturbing statistics out of the backfield. Starter Darren
McFadden missed their game this week with a shoulder injury
that is not thought to be serious. Latavius Murray’s long
absence was better explained this week as we found out he had
ankle surgery, and was subsequently placed on Injured
Reserve. Rashad Jennings is clearly safe as the RB2. Jennings
rushed 12 times for 35 yards this week behind some very
uninspired blocking. Murray’s injury solidifies Jeremy
Stewart’s hold on the third running back spot.
WR: Sam McGuffie and Josh Cribbs were both cut this week.
Cribbs was trying to make the team as a kick returner, but
fumbled once and was badly outplayed by Jacoby Ford in the
return game. Brice Butler did not make an impact for the first
time this preseason and it was reported on Sunday that he had
a minor hamstring issue. With Denarius Moore and Rod
Streater each held to one catch against the Raiders, Tray
Session was the only receiver with more than one reception.
Session was cut two days later. It’s extremely difficult to
judge the Raiders receivers at this time because of the state of
their quarterback and offensive line.
TE: With David Ausberry out for an extended time, the tight
end competition opened back up this week for the Raiders.
"Yeah, you know, we were starting to clear that up," said
Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson. "We felt like David
Ausberry certainly was having a good football camp and
now... with Richard Gordon in there and Jeron Mastrud,
they're in the battle for the number one spot. We like the
emergence of our young tight ends. It was good to get Nick
Kasa back but we like the young tight ends right now and how
they've come along. But really we'll take a good hard look at
Richard Gordon and Jeron Mastrud this week." With that
being said, rookies Mychal Rivera and Brian Leonhardt led
the team with 2 catches apiece, for 35 and 37 yards
respectively, against the Bears. Another rookie, Nick Kasa
caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Terrelle Pryor. The
team knows they can trust Gordon as a blocker but has no idea
at all what they have for a pass catching tight end. It’s looking
more and more likely that they’ll be searching the waiver
wires for a tight end.
Defense: The Raiders defense isn’t anywhere close to full
strength yet, but they’re getting closer. First round pick D.J.
Hayden saw his first action of the preseason and finished with
3 tackles. Hayden’s performance was average, but the bright
side was that he played and had no complications. Linebacker
Nick Roach thinks the defense will continue to progress as
they get more guys back from injury. "It's coming along,''
Roach said. “The more we get to play with each other, the
more improvement you'll see. The last two games we've gotten
our fits better, anticipating where we're going to be.'' Rookie
Sio Moore continues to be a bright spot on defense, racking up
4 more tackles against the Bears including a couple behind the
line of scrimmage. He was the lone bright spot on the first
team against the Bears as they gave up 27 points in the first
half. Joselio Hanson made a nice interception on an
underthrown deep out from Josh McCown, but was placed on
injured reserve on Tuesday.
Special Teams: Camp leg Eddie Carmona was released last
week. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski made field goals of 58 and
30 yards against Chicago, while missing wide right on a 49yard attempt. The punter/holder competition continues to be
very, very close. Chris Kluwe hit a 50-yard punt against the
Bears, while Marquette King averaged 50.5 yards on two
punts. WR Josh Cribbs hurt his chances of making the final
roster with a fumble, a muff, and an average of 21.5 yards on
two kickoffs returns. He was released on Sunday. In contrast,
WR Jacoby Ford averaged 33.7 yards on three kickoffs.
Raiders Depth Chart
QB: Terrelle Pryor, Matt Flynn, Tyler Wilson, Matt McGloin
RB: Darren McFadden, Rashad Jennings, Jeremy
Stewart, Latavius Murray (IR)
FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale
WR: Denarius Moore (PR), Rod Streater (inj), Brice
Butler, Jacoby Ford, Juron Criner, Andre Holmes
(susp), Conner Vernon, Isaiah Williams, Greg Jenkins
TE: David Ausberry (inj), Richard Gordon, Mychal
Rivera, Nick Kasa, Jeron Mastrud
LT: Menalik Watson, Alex Barron, Jared Veldheer (inj)
LG: Tony Bergstrom, Jason Foster
C: Stefen Wisnieski, Alex Parsons
RG: Andre Gurode, Mike Brisiel (inj), Lucas Nix
RT: Khalif Barnes, Willie Smith
K: Sebastian Janikowski, Eddie Carmona
DT: Vance Walker, Pat Sims, Christo Bilukidi, Stacy
McGee, Kurt Taufa′asau, Ryan Baker, Johnny Jones (IR)
DE: Lamarr Houston, Jason Hunter, Andre Carter, Jack
Crawford, David Bass, Brandon Bair
MLB: Nick Roach, , Kaluka Maiava, Omar Gaither, Billy
Boyko
OLB: Kevin Burnett (W), Sio Moore (S), Keenan
Clayton, Chase Thomas, Kaelin Burnett, Miles Burris
(S)(PUP)
CB: Mike Jenkins, D.J. Hayden, Tracy Porter (inj), Phillip
Adams, Brandian Ross (FS/CB), Chimdi Chekwa, Taiwan
Jones (KR), Joselio Hanson (IR)
S: Charles Woodson (FS), Tyvon Branch (SS), Usama Young
(FS), Reggie Smith (SS), Shelton Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
QB: In the Eagles’ regular season dress rehearsal, the offense
wasn’t as crisp as it was in Week Two, but the team still
showed enough to maintain the enthusiasm for a resurgent
year. Michael Vick – fresh off being named the Eagles starter
– completed 15-of-23 passes for 184 yards with a TD and
interception. Vick managed 53 yards rushing, too, but
cautioned against running recklessly: "I ran the ball pretty
well. I don't want to run that much, but I would if I have to. I
did it and protected myself all night. If I can do it like that,
then I can help this football team." Nick Foles was laser sharp
in backup duty, completing 10-of-11 passes for 112 yards
(109.1 pass rating) – sending a message that he’s more than
ready to step into the huddle if Vick gets hurt or lacks
consistency.
RB: Bryce Brown continues to get drafted in the middle
rounds as a “handcuff with upside.” That continues to be a
mistake. Sure, Brown had an impressive rushing tally against
the Jaguars (11 carries for 92 yards and a 4-yard TD) but he
lost another fumble. Brown may be the more explosive runner,
but as long as Chris Polk continues to handle pass protection
and hold onto the ball, he’s going to spell LeSean McCoy in
key situations. Polk followed up Brown’s 4-yard TD in the
fourth quarter with one of his own; and then plowed through a
2-point conversion for good measure. Starter LeSean McCoy
did more damage as a receiver (2 for 19 yards) than a runner
(five carries for 9 yards), having very little running room. In
fact, outside of a 15-yard carry McCoy managed to lose six
yards on his other carries.
WR: The receiving corps isn’t fully settled heading into the
53-man roster cut down. DeSean Jackson is the only sure
thing, and he continued a strong preseason with a 3-catch, 48yard night against the Jaguars. Jason Avant also caught three
balls for 36 yards. Russell Shepard – who has lost some
momentum in recent weeks – caught two passes for 38 yards
while slot receiver Damaris Johnson had 24 yards on two
catches. Riley Cooper only had one catch, but he made it
count with a 9-yard TD from Michael Vick against the Jaguars
first-team defense.
TE: The conventional wisdom was the Brent Celek would
lose his fantasy value as he would be asked to block more
while Zach Ertz and James Casey would become the receiving
threats. Yet Celek continues to be the playmaker of the trio,
and showed his versatility yet again by leading the Eagles with
four receptions for 54 yards against the Jaguars. Ertz (13
yards) and Casey (3 yards) had forgettable nights.
Defense: It’s hard to criticize a defense that records 7 sacks in
73 plays, although we need to remember it was against a
moribund Jaguars’ offense. Connor Barwin was the star of the
night (a welcome sight after the high priced free agent had a
quiet preseason) with a sack and an interception. Casey
Matthews, Mychal Kendricks, Vinny Curry, Everette Brown,
Travis Long and Cedric Thornton had the other sacks. As
strong as the pass rush was, the run defense struggled. The
Jaguars rushed 34 times for 202 yards (5.9 per rush) and a
touchdown. Of particular note was a 63-yard run by backup
RB Jordan Todman because it came at the expense of rookie
safety Earl Wolff; whether that misstep is enough to put the
ball back in veteran Nate Allen’s court remains to be seen. "I
was being too aggressive. Took a bad angle," Wolff said after
the game. "I'm not one to take a bad angle, but it happened.
I'm going to learn from my mistakes." The simple truth is this
defense is going to be aggressive, but give up its share of big
plays. Philly Magazine’s Sheil Kapadia has an excellent
breakdown of the Eagles defense, and starts by pointing out
how dominant Fletcher Cox has been of late.
Special Teams: Long snapper Jon Dorenbos returned to
action after having missed the second game with a concussion.
Kicker Alex Henery hit field goals of 30, 31 and 45 yards in
the first half against Jacksonville. After handling the majority
of the punting in the first two games, rookie Brad Wing did
not play against the Jaguars and was released on Sunday.
Starter Donnie Jones averaged 48.3 yards on three punts,
placing one inside the 20-yard line. Starting punt returner WR
Damaris Johnson handled almost all the returns in this week’s
game – averaging 28.5 yards on four kickoffs and 15.5 yards
on four punt returns.
Eagles Depth Chart
QB: Michael Vick, Nick Foles, Matt Barkley, Dennis
Dixon, G.J. Kinne
RB: LeSean McCoy, Bryce Brown, Chris Polk, Matthew
Tucker
FB: Emil Igwenagu
WR: DeSean Jackson, Riley Cooper, Jason Avant, Damaris
Johnson (PR), Russell Shepard, Greg Salas, Jeff
Maehl, Ifeanyi Momah, Clay Harbor, Will Murphy, David
Ball, Nick Miller, Jeremy Maclin (IR), Arrelious Benn (IR)
TE: Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, James Casey, Derek Carrier, Will
Shaw
LT: Jason Peters, Allen Barbre, Matt Kopa, Ed Wang
LG: Evan Mathis, Nate Menkin
C: Jason Kelce, Julian Vandervelde, Dallas Reynolds, Matt
Tennant
RG: Todd Herremans, Danny Watkins
RT: Lane Johnson, Michael Bamiro, Dennis Kelly (inj)
K: Alex Henery
NT: Isaac Sopoaga, Antonio Dixon
DE: Fletcher Cox, Bennie Logan, Cedric Thornton, Vinny
Curry, Joe Kruger, David King, Clifton Geathers, Isaac
Remington, Damion Square, Daryell Walker, Phillip Hunt
(IR)
ILB: DeMeco Ryans, Mychal Kendricks, Casey Matthews,
Emmanuel Acho, Adrian Robinson, Jake Knott, Jason Phillips
(IR)
OLB: Trent Cole, Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Everette
Brown, Chris McCoy, Travis Long
CB: Bradley Fletcher, Cary Williams, Brandon Boykin
(KR), Curtis Marsh, Jordan Poyer, Brandon Hughes
(inj), Trevard Lindley, Eddie Whitley
S: Patrick Chung (SS), Nate Allen (FS), Earl Wolff (SS), Kurt
Coleman (FS), David Sims (FS), Colt Anderson
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB: Through two preseason games, Ben Roethlisberger had
run for his life and primarily played “dink and dunk” football.
In the third game, however, Pittsburgh finally entered with an
actual game plan and executed it very well offensively.
Roethlisberger looked like his old self, throwing for 166 yards
and a touchdown in one half of football. Backup Bruce
Gradkowski played the entire second half and he too put up
his best performance of the preseason, highlighted by a 34yard touchdown pass to rookie Markus Wheaton.
RB: The big story of the week was the injury to LeVeon Bell.
First, he was going to miss 8-10 weeks, and then it was
deemed not as serious. Either way, he will not require
surgery, but no commitment was made by the coaches as to
his return date. More light will be shed on Bell’s possible
return on August 31 or September 3. Those are the dates when
teams are allowed to utilize their “Physically Unable to
Perform” and “IR: Designated for Return” tags. Due to Bell’s
situation, Pittsburgh traded for Felix Jones, who got a fair
amount of action for a brand new player. Jones carried eight
times, mainly as a backup to Jonathan Dwyer with the starters
and also returned kickoffs. Dwyer played on third downs, but
that’s not likely to happen all year long as Isaac Redman and
LaRod Stephens-Howling – both better than Dwyer on third
downs – were both inactive for this game. Baron Batch was
immediately passed on the depth chart by Jones and was cut
after the game. Pittsburgh beat writer Dale Lolley believes
that Redman, not Dwyer, will be the Week One starter if
Bell can’t get on the field.
WR: Pittsburgh’s receiving corps looked dynamic. Antonio
Brown got things started with a 49-yard catch on the team’s
second play from scrimmage. He added two more catches and
had a potential fourth that would have gone for 25 yards called
back due to a very questionable chop block call. Emmanuel
Sanders caught just one pass, but it went for 24 yards. He also
ran an end around that gained five yards. He should be a
reliable intermediate target all year long, pending health.
Veteran Jerricho Cotchery continues to be the extra receiver in
three-receiver sets, despite the continued dynamic presence of
rookie Markus Wheaton. Cotchery made two grabs for 32
yards, both in traffic and including a nice 21-yarder. Wheaton
got involved in the no-huddle offense with the starters near the
end of the first half and caught a pass for 12 yards. Later in the
game, playing as the number one wideout, he caught a 34-yard
touchdown pass from Bruce Gradkowski. Wheaton continues
to show that he’s deserving of being this team’s third receiver.
That should happen sooner rather than later.
TE: Due to the injuries to Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth, the
team’s starting tight end is David Paulson. He had an up-anddown game, making two nice catches for 10 yards but
dropping what would have been a gain of at least 15 yards on
what was arguably his easiest opportunity to make a catch.
Backup tight end and blocking specialist David Johnson
played his first preseason game since a nasty injury last
season. He made it through the game successfully and without
setback.
Defense: The defense played well in stretches but ultimately
allowed a touchdown in a hurry-up situation as Kansas City
moved 72 yards in 1:00 near the close of the first half.
Defensive linemen Ziggy Hood and Brett Keisel made impact
plays. Hood helped stuff a 4th-and-inches from Kansas City’s
own 21-yard line, allowing Pittsburgh to score on a short field.
Keisel strung out a third quarter running play and stripped
Knile Davis – a fumble Pittsburgh would recover. The
linebacking corps played well. Lawrence Timmons showed
off his exceptional athleticism on one play where he was manto-man with running back Jamaal Charles. Timmons stayed
with Charles on an out route from the backfield and broke up
the pass. Rookie Jarvis Jones got snaps with the starters but
was still playing a lot of special teams (perhaps an indication
that he’s still behind Jason Worilds in the competition). Jones
was also still playing in the fourth quarter because the team
wanted him to get as many snaps as possible. He was injured
and had to go to a local hospital for evaluation but was
released the following morning. Jones’ status is uncertain for
the fourth preseason game, but he may not have played very
much anyway even in full health. The defensive backfield got
a shot in the arm when Cortez Allen returned to his starting
cornerback position. After being injured throughout the last
few weeks, Allen came back with a lot of energy and solid
tackling. The only touchdown the first team allowed came
against William Gay, who continues to be a borderline
liability in coverage – even in the nickel. The safety play was
also very good, highlighted by Troy Polamalu wreaking havoc
as only he can.
Special Teams: Kicker Shaun Suisham hit field goals of 28
and 27 yards against Kansas City, but had a 52-yard attempt
blocked. The punter/holder competition continued as Drew
Butler averaged 49.0 yards on four punts and Brian Moorman
averaged 36.0 yards on two punts, with both players placing
half inside the 20-yard line. On returns, RB LaRod StephensHowling continues to miss time with a sprained MCL. RB
Felix Jones – recently acquired from the Eagles - got in the
mix quickly, averaging 25.5 yards on a pair of kickoff returns.
WR Antonio Brown had a three-yard punt return. Rookie WR
Reggie Dunn continues to get a look - he returned a kickoff 43
yards and fair caught a punt.
Steelers Depth Chart
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones
RB: Le′Veon Bell (inj), Isaac Redman, Jonathan
Dwyer, La′Rod Stephens-Howling (KR), Felix Jones, Curtis
McNeal
FB: Will Johnson
WR: Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho
Cotchery, Markus Wheaton, Justin Brown, Derek
Moye, Reggie Dunn, Kashif Moore, Plaxico Burress (IR)
TE: Heath Miller (PUP), Matt Spaeth (inj), David
Paulson, David Johnson (PUP), Jamie McCoy, Peter
Tuitupou, John Rabe
LT: Mike Adams, Joe Long
LG: Ramon Foster
C: Maurkice Pouncey, John Malecki
RG: David Decastro, Justin Cheadle
RT: Marcus Gilbert, Kelvin Beachum, Guy Whimper
K: Shaun Suisham, Danny Hrapmann
NT: Steve McLendon, Alemeda Ta′amu, Hebron
Fangupo, Anthony Rashad White, Omar Hunter
DE: Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood (inj), Cameron Heyward, Al
Woods, Brian Arnfelt, Cordian Hagans, Nick Williams (IR)
ILB: Lawrence Timmons (R), Larry Foote, Stevenson
Sylvester (R),Mortty Ivy, Marshall McFadden, Sean Spence
(PUP)
OLB: LaMarr Woodley (L), Jason Worilds (L), Jarvis Jones
(inj),Christopher Carter, Vince Williams, Alan Baxter
CB: Ike Taylor, Cortez Allen (inj), William Gay, Terry
Hawthorne, Curtis Brown, Josh Victorian, Isaiah
Green, Demarcus Van Dyke (IR)
S: Troy Polamalu (SS), Ryan Clark (FS), Shamarko
Thomas, Robert Golden, Damon Cromartie-Smith (SS), Ross
Ventrone
St. Louis Rams
QB: Sam Bradford is supposedly embracing his role as a
leader on the Rams' offense and his performances during the
preseason so far have been good for the most part. Bradford
finished Week 3 against the Denver Broncos with nine
completions on 16 attempts for 110 yards and a touchdown
with no turnovers. He threw that touchdown to Jared Cook,
but notably, Cook also caught four receptions for 50 yards.
The duo had supposedly developed excellent chemistry in
training camp, but this was the first example of this during a
preseason game.
RB: Daryl Richardson had limited impact as a runner or
receiver, but he was clearly the Rams' first option at the
running back position again. The Rams have already named
Richardson the starter for Week 1 and the limited exposure for
the team's other backs suggested they have no intentions of
changing their minds. Isaiah Pead did have five carries
including a 15 yard burst. Pead played with the Rams' second
unit against the Broncos' second unit. His performances
throughout the preseason haven't been worthy of a starting
place regardless of his impending suspension to start the
season. Zac Stacy was an outside bet to get carries in the
regular season, however he hasn't done enough to earn a
significant role during the season it seems.
WR: Tavon Austin has been somewhat of a disappointment
on offense during the preseason. The diminutive receiver came
into the league with unfathomable expectations, so that is no
surprise, but at the very least he showed off his talent as a
special teams returner against the Broncos. Austin set up Jared
Cook's touchdown with a huge punt return. While that talent
needs to translate to receiver, it's still a positive sign. The
Rams' passing attack was stagnant outside of the Jared CookSam Bradford connection. Brian Quick led the receivers with
two receptions for 24 yards and those plays came in the fourth
quarter when the first team offense had long since moved to
the sideline.
TE: This week was all about Jared Cook highlighted by a
ridiculously athletic touchdown reception. Cook not only
jumped so high that he towered over the linebacker trying to
cover him, he also caught the ball with his hands at full
extension meaning that very few defensive backs would have
prevented the play. Cook is the type of player the Rams
simply haven't had in recent years, that play epitomized his
skill-set.
Defense: Defensive coordinator Tim Walton hasn't shown his
hand during this preseason. The Rams have played with a very
vanilla scheme which won't reflect how they play during the
regular season. That has hurt the performance of his defense as
a whole, but has still allowed individuals to make plays or
miss plays. Alec Ogletree missed many, many plays during his
debut against the Cleveland Browns, but he made just as many
against the Broncos. Ogletree finished the game with four
tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble
recovery. Furthermore, he returned that fumble for a
touchdown. If Ogletree can realize his potential, then the
Rams front seven figures to be very scary as the defensive line
looks to be the best in the NFL. Michael Brockers has been
the talk of the offseason with his impressive play and new
physique, but rotational piece William Hayes has also been
impressive as of late while Robert Quinn, Kendall Langford
and Chris Long continue to be excellent. If Ray Ray
Armstrong and TJ McDonald can make enough plays behind
them to complement the rest of the defense, the unit as a
whole could be amongst the best in the league.
Special Teams: Against Denver, kicker Greg Zuerlein hit a
35-yard field – his first attempt from under 50 yards this
preseason. He also chipped in a 58-yarder. Rookie camp leg
Brett Baer punted five times and was wide on a 43-yard field
goal attempt. Starting punter Johnny Hekker has punted three
times, averaging 53.0 yards. WR Tavon Austin had punt
returns of 23 and 81 yards against the Broncos. He didn’t
score on the latter, being brought down at the three by the
highest paid punter in the league. Rookie RB Benny
Cunningham returned a kickoff 33 yards.
Rams Depth Chart
QB: Sam Bradford, Austin Davis, Kellen Clemens
RB: Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead (KR) (susp), Zac
Stacy, Chase Reynolds, Benny Cunningham
WR: Chris Givens, Tavon Austin, Austin Pettis, Brian Quick,
Stedman Bailey, Nick Johnson, Emory Blake
TE: Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Mike McNeill, Corey
Harkey (inj),Cameron Graham, Eric Stevens, Zach
Potter, Philip Lutzenkirchen
LT: Jake Long, Ty Nsekhe
LG: Shelley Smith, Chris Williams
C: Scott Wells, Tim Barnes
RG: Harvey Dahl, Barrett Jones
RT: Rodger Saffold, Joe Barksdale
K: Greg Zuerlein
DT: Kendall Langford, Michael Brockers, Jermelle
Cudjo, Matt Conrath, Garrett Goebel
DE: Robert Quinn, Chris Long, William Hayes, Eugene
Sims, Sammy Brown (S), RJ Washington, Mason
Brodine, Gerald Rivers
MLB: James Laurinaitis, Josh Hull, Daren Bates
OLB: Jo-Lonn Dunbar (S) (susp), Alec Ogletree (W), Will
Witherspoon (W), Jonathan Stewart, Joseph LeBeau, Ray Ray
Armstrong
CB: Cortland Finnegan, Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson,
Brandon McGee, Darren Woodard, Drew Thomas, Andre
Martin
S: T.J. McDonald (SS), Darian Stewart (FS), Rodney McLeod
(FS), Matt Giordano, Matthew Daniels, Cody Davis, Quinton
Pointer, Rashard Hall
San Diego Chargers
QB: The Chargers have been running a lot of up-temp, nohuddle offense during the preseason, something they seldom
did last season. In the third preseason game against the
Cardinals, Philip Rivers' stats were unimpressive: he was 10for-18 for 71 yards and an interception, resulting in a passer
rating of 41.7. But stats aside, he was comfortable and
effective directing the offense, leading the team on first-half
touchdown drives of 92 and 80 yards. The interception, his
second in 33 passes this preseason, was a floater that he threw
as he was hit. Pass protection is still a major area of concern.
Charlie Whitehurst played well enough that he'll likely retain
the number two job, and Brad Sorensen played well enough
that he'll probably make the final 53-man roster rather than
being stashed on the practice squad (which would necessitate
his clearing waivers).
RB: Ryan Mathews has looked strong throughout the
preseason, and his average draft position has risen in recent
weeks. He was sidelined by two broken collarbones last
season, but he is running more decisively this preseason than
he has in the past, and is powering his way through arm
tackles despite being nine pounds lighter. Mathews had
fumbling problems early in his career, and he fumbled on a
goal-line carry against the Cardinals. It remains to be seen
how the coaching staff will respond if Mathews fumbles in
that situation in the regular season, and it also remains to be
seen whether Mathews will remain healthy. But despite those
concerns, his preseason performance has given fantasy owners
a lot to be optimistic about. Danny Woodhead made his
preseason debut against the Cardinals and made a couple of
nice catches. Woodhead will be used primarily in passing
situations this season, and is well suited for that role. He is an
excellent pass-blocker (he allowed no sacks on nearly 60 passblock assignments with the Patriots last season), and an
effective receiver out of the backfield, having averaged 11.2
yards per reception in 2012. Behind Mathews and Woodhead,
Fozzy Whittaker has been rising up the depth chart and may
edge out Ronnie Brown for the third running back spot.
(Edwin Baker has been released.)
WR: Any report about the Chargers WRs should start with a
series of injury updates. Danario Alexander has been placed
on injured reserve, but Malcom Floyd, recovering from a knee
strain, may be on track to play in the regular-season opener.
He was held out of the third preseason game, as expected, but
was able to sprint, start and stop, and change direction while
working off to the side during practice during the week. When
asked if he'd be back for Week One of the regular season, he
answered, "I better be back before then." Malcom Floyd has a
better chance of returning for Week One than Eddie Royal
does. Royal is recuperating from a bruised lung and a
concussion, and no timetable has been set for his return,
although a return by the opening week is possible. With
Alexander, Floyd, and Royal unavailable (and with Vincent
Brown and Keenan Allen having been available only off-andon), the Chargers signed Seyi Ajirotutu last week. After
practicing for just one week before the third preseason game,
he got the start across from Vincent Brown (with Keenan
Allen in the slot) and made a 13-yard reception in the red zone
that set up the team's first touchdown. Both Ajirotutu and Dan
DePalma played ahead of Robert Meachem, who did not see
action until the second half, and whose roster spot appears to
be in jeopardy even though his $5 million salary is fully
guaranteed. Vincent Brown was sidelined early in camp with a
hamstring injury and has been quiet during the preseason
games, but has been a standout in practices since his return.
Rookie Keenan Allen, meanwhile, has been inconsistent both
during training camp practices and preseason games, but he
has shown flashes of quickness and has made some nice
catches, and is looking like he'll be involved in the offense as
a rookie. Deon Butler has been released.
TE: Antonio Gates has looked spry all preseason, and should
benefit from the team's new emphasis on quick underneath
routes. Gates caught three first-half passes from Rivers against
the Cardinals. The story of training camp and the preseason,
however, has been the development of Ladarius Green. He is
third on the depth chart behind Gates and John Phillips, but
the Chargers will find a way to get him on the field. In three
preseason games, Green has 8 catches for 161 yards (20.1
yards per catch) and two touchdowns. He has the speed to run
downfield routes, and just as importantly, he has made big
strides as a blocker, which will help get him playing time
even without an injury to Gates or Phillips.
Defense: Against the Cardinals, DE Damik Scafe filled in for
the injured Corey Liuget. Scafe seems to have the third
defensive end job sewn up, but the Chargers may not rotate
their ends this season as they have in the past. Starters Corey
Liuget and Kendall Reyes will remain on the field more rather
than rotating out. OLB Dwight Freeney has been effective as a
pass-rusher in each of the team's three preseason games. He
pressured or hit Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer three
times. Across from him, Jarret Johnson is known mostly as a
run-stuffer, but he has two sacks this preseason. Manti Te'o
has still not returned to practice since injuring his ankle during
the first preseason game. He aims to be back for week one of
the regular season, but it might be tough for a rookie to be
effective right away without many live reps under his belt. At
cornerback, the season-ending injury to rookie Steve Williams
left the team somewhat thin, so they signed Richard
Marshall after he was released by the Dolphins. Marshall was
expected to compete with Johnny Patrick for the nickel spot,
but concussions suffered by Patrick during consecutive
preseason games against the Bears and Cardinals appear to
give Marshall the edge to open week one there, with Derek
Cox and Shareece Wright starting on the outside.
Special Teams: Rookie camp leg Richard Kent, who averaged
50.5 yards on a pair of punts against Arizona, was released.
Kicker Nick Novak was good on a 50-yard field goal, but
wide left on a 51-yard attempt. Starting punter Mike Scifres
averaged 47.0 yards on two punts. Against the Cardinals,
starting kickoff returner WR Richard Goodman averaged 22.5
yards on two kickoffs. WR/PR Eddie Royal (bruised lung and
concussion) was inactive. Punts were returned by rookie WR
Keenan Allen (44-yarder and two fair catches) and rookie WR
Luke Tasker (4 and 6 yards).
Chargers Depth Chart
QB: Philip Rivers, Charlie Whitehurst, Brad Sorensen, Jarrett
Lee
RB: Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead (3RB), , Ronnie
Brown (3RB), Fozzy Whittaker, Michael Hill
FB: Le′Ron McClain, Chris Gronkowski (IR)
WR: Malcom Floyd (inj), Vincent Brown, Eddie Royal (PR)
(inj),Keenan Allen, Robert Meachem, Seyi Ajirotutu, Richard
Goodman, Luke Tasker, Mike Willie (IR), Danario Alexander
(IR)
TE: Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, John Phillips, Ben
Cotton, David Rolf
LT: King Dunlap, Max Starks
LG: Chad Rinehart, Rich Ohrnberger, Johnnie Troutman
C: Nick Hardwick, David Molk
RG: Jeromey Clary, Stephen Schilling
RT: D.J. Fluker, Mike Harris, Kevin Haslam
K: Nick Novak
NT: Cam Thomas, Kwame Geathers, Byron Jerideau
DE: Corey Liuget, Kendall Reyes, Jarius Wynn, Damik Scafe,
Brandon Moore, Logan Harrell
ILB: Donald Butler, Manti Te′o (inj), D.J. Smith, , Bront
Bird, Andrew Gachkar, Phillip Dillard, Jonas Mouton (IR)
OLB: Jarret Johnson, Dwight Freeney, Larry English, Frank
Beltre, Tourek Williams, Thomas Keiser, Daniel
Molls, Melvin Ingram (PUP), Devan Walker (IR)
CB: Derek Cox, Shareece Wright, Johnny Patrick, Richard
Marshall, Marcus Cromartie, Greg Gatson, Will
Middleton, Steve Williams (IR)
S: Eric Weddle (FS), Marcus Gilchrist (SS), Brandon Taylor
(SS), Jahleel Addae, Darrell Stuckey, Sean
Cattouse (FS), Cornelius Brown, Kenny Okoro, Josh Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
QB: Colin Kaepernick started off the evening cold (1/7
passing), but eventually warmed up to finish with 7/13 for 72
yards, one TD and zero interceptions thrown to his credit,
capping his time on the field with six straight completions.
Kaepernick didn't run the ball on Sunday night. Colt McCoy
followed up with an appearance that extended into the second
half, throwing 11/15 for 109 yards, zero TDs and one
interception (McCoy rushed three times for ten yards). McCoy
appears to have done enough to secure the #2 role, as Coach
Harbaugh said, "I feel real good right now that Colt's the
backup,".McCoy restructured his contract on August 25, going
from a base salary of $1.5 million to veteran league-minimum
$630,000. For his part, McCoy felt positive after the third
preseason game: "Over the past week, I really feel like things
have kind of come together. I've practiced really well. And,
minus a couple of exceptions, I think I played well tonight."
Seneca Wallace (signed by the team August 22 after he was
cut by New Orleans, putting pressure on McCoy's contract
negotiations) played cleanup for the 49ers on Sunday night,
posting 2/2 for 27 yards, zero TDs and zero interceptions in a
cameo appearance. B.J. Daniels tossed 2/3 for 30 yards
passing and was second on the team in rushing with 2/20/0
during his time on the field.
RB: Frank Gore played sparingly in the third preseason game,
with 2/2/0 rushing to his credit before heading to the bench to
rest. Kendall Hunter got his first live-game reps since his
November 2012 Achilles' tendon surgery, and sprang a nice
15-yard run on his first carry before finishing the night with
3/13/0 rushing (no receptions). Jewel Hampton actually led the
team in rushing with 8/45/1 to his credit, while Gore's backup
LaMichael James managed 9/15/0 rushing, but dinged up his
elbow; after the game coach Harbaugh indicated the injury
wasn't serious. Anthony Dixon chipped in 3/8/1 rushing and
3/33/0 receiving, capping the 49ers' 34-point evening with his
TD rush at four minutes left in the fourth quarter. All told, the
49ers ran the ball for 34/135/2 against Minnesota. A local
report indicated that Gore's backup this year will be Hunter,
followed by James as the #3 man on the depth chart.
WR: Rookie Quinton Patton is finally past the broken finger
that limited him for much of training camp, and he led the
49ers in receiving Sunday night with six targets for 4/35/1.
Marlon Moore saw seven targets for 3/32/0 receiving as the
49ers worked on determining who would be their #2 wide
receiver this season. Presumptive #1 WR Anquan Boldin
didn't haul in a pass during the game. Fantasy owners should
note that Moore has started all three preseason games to date.
Jon Baldwin (recently acquired from Kansas City for A.J.
Jenkins) made his 49ers debut vs. Minnesota and saw three
targets for 2/23/0 receiving. Chad Hall saw three targets for
2/13/0 while LaVelle Hawkins handled one target for 1/22/0
receiving during the contest, but he also drew two costly
penalties during the contest. "He's definitely got to do a better
job of not getting emotionally hijacked after doing something
great," coach Harbaugh said after the game. Kyle Williams
(knee pain in his surgically repaired knee and hamstring
injury) still has yet to play during preseason. Austin Collie
didn't get in the action until well into the second half on
Sunday, and he saw one target for 1/8/0 receiving. Local
speculation indicates that Collie may be on the roster bubble
heading into cut down week.
TE: Vernon Davis pulled in both passes thrown to him
Sunday night (2/21/0 receiving), as did his backup Vance
McDonald (two targets for 2/24/0 receiving). Davis is the
clear #1 tight end in this corps and figures to be heavily
involved in the passing attack during 2013.
Defense: "Justin Smith (three solo tackles, one for a loss) had
a burr in his saddle or something tonight," coach Harbaugh
said Sunday night. "He was Justin Smith." The 49ers allowed
just 22/86/0 rushing to the Vikings on Sunday night (although
Adrian Peterson did play for two snaps, he was never handed
the football or touched by a defender). 12 yards was the
longest scamper that San Francisco allowed to the Vikings
during the game. In the passing phase, Christian Ponder and
Matt Cassel posted 20/33 for 128 yards passing, two TDs and
one interception. All told, Minnesota had just 214 net
combined yards of offense at Bill Walsh Field Sunday night.
Ahmad Brooks (two solo tackles, one sack and a pass
defensed) strip-sacked Ponder and Aldon Smith (two solo
tackles) recovered at the 11-yard line, setting up a San
Francisco score during the game. FS Eric Reid, a 2013 firstround draft pick, made his first start of the exhibition season
and posted three solo tackles, tying for second-most tackles
during the game on Sunday night. Nnamdi Asomugha was the
49ers' third CB during the game and reportedly played well.
Asomugha officially recorded one pass defensed during his
time on the field. The 49ers deploy their nickel back often, so
if Asomugha holds on to the #3 spot he may see a lot of field
time this year. Reserve S Darcel McBath was placed on IR
due to a foot injury.
Special Teams: WR Lavelle Hawkins initially helped his
roster chances with a 105-yard kickoff return against
Minnesota. He then doubly hurt his chances with two penalties
for excessive celebration at the end of the play. Starting
returner RB LaMichael James fair caught a punt. Kicker Phil
Dawson made field goals of 30 and 50 yards against the
Vikings. Camp leg Colton Schmidt handled kickoffs in the
second half. Starting holder/punter Andy Lee averaged 49.0
yards on two punts. Murmurings surfaced last week that
rookie Kevin McDermott is not just a camp wrist and could be
a serious challenger to Brian Jennings’ long snapping job.
49ers Depth Chart
QB: Colin Kaepernick, Colt McCoy, B.J. Daniels, Seneca
Wallace
RB: Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James
(inj), Anthony Dixon (FB), Jewel Hampton, Marcus Lattimore
(PUP)
FB: Bruce Miller, Cameron Bell, Jason Schepler
WR: Anquan Boldin, Kyle Williams (inj), Marlon
Moore, Quinton Patton, Jonathan Baldwin, Chad Hall, Austin
Collie, Kassim Osgood, Chuck Jacobs, Mario Manningham
(PUP), Michael Crabtree (PUP)
TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald (inj), Garrett
Celek, MarQueis Gray
LT: Joe Staley, Adam Snyder, Kenny Wiggins
LG: Mike Iupati, Joe Looney
C: Jonathan Goodwin, Daniel Kilgore
RG: Alex Boone, Wayne Tribue
RT: Anthony Davis, Carter Bykowski, Al Netter
K: Phil Dawson
NT: Ian Williams, Glenn Dorsey, Purcell Mike
DE: Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, Will Tukuafu, Tony Jerod-
Eddie, Tank Carradine (res), Quinton Dial (res), DeMarcus
Dobbs (susp)
ILB: Patrick Willis (M), Navorro Bowman (T), Dan
Skuta, Michael Wilhoite
OLB: Ahmad Brooks (S), Aldon Smith, Corey
Lemonier, Nick Moody, Travis Johnson, Cam
Johnson (inj), Nathan Stupar
CB: Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown, Nnamdi
Asomugha, Tramaine Brock, Marcus Cooper, Perrish
Cox, Darryl Morris, Lowell Rose, Eric Wright (res), Chris
Culliver (IR)
S: Donte Whitner (SS), Eric Reid (FS), C.J. Spillman
(FS), , Craig Dahl (SS), Trent Robinson (FS), Ray
Ventrone, Michael Thomas, Darcel McBath (IR)
Seattle Seahawks
QB: Russell Wilson wasn't at his most productive against the
Packers. He finished the game with 11 completions on 17
attempts for 126 yards, but also had two interceptions. Wilson
is the clear starter and Brady Quinn may now be the clear
backup also. Quinn came in second against the Packers and
played well connecting on five of eight attempts for 89 yards
and a touchdown. Tarvaris Jackson came in late in the game
and only attempted three passes, completing two for 17 yards.
RB: Marshawn Lynch has barely been used this preseason,
but he probably shouldn't have even been used as much as he
was. Lynch is the unquestioned feature back in Seattle, while
Robert Turbin appears to be the unquestioned backup. Turbin
missed time earlier in camp and the preseason, but he was the
backup for the Seahawks against the Packers and played some
with the first team in Lynch's place also. Even though
Christine Michael exploded for over 90 yards rushing,
Turbin's refined, all-around game should keep him as the more
involved backup in Seattle. Michael's performance in Week 3
did at least show off a glimpse of what can happen in the
future or if injuries hit Seattle's backfield. He is a very, very
talented runner.
WR: With Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin still out, Doug
Baldwin and Golden Tate continue to be the team's starting
receivers. Baldwin and Tate only combined for three
receptions and 40 yards against the Packers as the first team
passing game focused on the backs and tight ends. Jermaine
Kearse and Stephen Williams have both been very impressive
throughout camp and the preseason. This week it was
Williams who stood out more than Kearse. While Kearse only
had one reception for nine yards, Williams led the team with
two receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. Williams has
repeatedly shown off his ability to get free deep down the
field. With Rice and Harvin out, that is exactly what the
offense will be lacking for the regular season.
TE With Zach Miller out, the standout player at the tight end
position was Luke Willson this week. Willson was drafted in
the fifth round because of his receiving ability, something that
he showed off with a big third down conversion, but his solid
blocking is what will allow him to be on the field during the
regular season.
Defense: The Seahawks have been missing a raft of passrushers upfront for the preseason so far, but one returned in
Week 3. Bruce Irvin may not be playing defensive end
anymore, but he was still able to flash for the defense as a
linebacker. While Irvin returned to game action, Cliff Avril
has only been able to practice so far and is being brought
along slowly as he recovers from his hamstring injury. The
Seahawks' defense as a whole wasn't at its best against the
Packers, but it wasn't far off. Eddie Lacy finished the game in
negative yardage after destroying the Rams the previous week,
while Aaron Rodgers' sole series resulted in a field goal.
Special Teams: Kicker Steven Hauschka hit a 27-yard field
goal and added two extra points, while punter/holder Jon Ryan
placed 3 of 5 punts inside the 20-yard line against Green Bay.
CB Jeremy Lane returned a kickoff 41 yards. On punt returns,
CB Will Blackmon averaged 5.5 yards on a pair, WR Golden
Tate averaged 3.0 yards on a pair, and CB Walter Thurmond
had a 17-yarder. The committee approach could very well
carry into the regular season, and could potentially include
WR Jermaine Kearse, WR Bryan Walters and rookie RB
Christine Michael.
Seahawks Depth Chart
QB: Russell Wilson, Brady Quinn, Tavaris Jackson
RB: Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, Christine
Michael, Spencer Ware (FB), Derrick Coleman
FB: Michael Robinson
WR: Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine
Kearse, Chris Harper, Stephen Williams, Percy Harvin (PUP)
TE: Zach Miller, Luke Willson, Sean McGrath, Cooper
Helfet, Darren Fells, Anthony McCoy (IR)
LT: Russell Okung, Michael Bowie
LG: Paul McQuistan, James Carpenter, Rishaw Johnson
C: Max Unger, Lemuel Jeanpierre
RG: JR Sweezy, Ryan Seymour
RT: Breno Giacomini, Mike Person
K: Steven Hauschka, Carson Wiggs
DT: Brandon Mebane, Michael Bennett (DE), Clint
McDonald, Tony McDaniel, Jordan Hill, Jarred Smith, Jaye
Howard, Sealver Siliga, DeQuinta Jones, Jesse Williams (IR)
DE: Red Bryant, Cliff Avril (inj), Chris Clemons (inj), Ty
Powell, Greg Scruggs (PUP)
MLB: Bobby Wagner, Heath Farwell
OLB: K.J. Wright (W), Malcolm Smith (S), Bruce Irvin
(S/DE) (susp), O′Brien Schofield, Allen Bradford, Mike
Morgan, Korey Toomer, John Lotulelei
CB: Brandon Browner, Richard Sherman, Antoine
Winfield, Jeremy Lane, Walter Thurmond, Byron
Maxwell, Chandler Fenner, Ron Parker, Therald Simon (PUP)
S: Earl Thomas (FS), Kam Chancellor (SS), Jeron Johnson
(SS),Winston Guy (SS), Chris Maragos, DeShawn Shead
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB: Josh Freeman had a horrid third preseason game at
Miami, managing just 6/16 for 59 yards passing, with zero
TDs or interceptions thrown - and he took five sacks for -24
yards during his time on the field, and rushed once for eight
yards. "It was an uphill battle," Freeman said afterwards. "We
really weren't in sync like we'd like to be. There were a
number of things that we have to get cleaned up." Head coach
Greg Schiano was not pleased, either: "The quarterback play
was not what I wanted it to be. The good thing is that we have
two weeks before the season starts, because we're going to
need every day of it." Backup rookie Mike Glennon didn't fare
much better, with 3/9 for 44 yards passing, one TD and zero
interceptions, with one sack taken during the contest. Glennon
did toss the winning score at 1:03 left in the fourth quarter, but
the 'W' didn't add much luster to the Tampa offense, which
had a mere 160 net yards combined during the game, with
only 70 net yards passing. Tampa converted just one out of six
third down situations in the first half on Saturday. On
Wednesday, Freeman responded to derogatory comments
made by Fran Tarkenton: "I have not [heard his comments],"
Freeman said. "Obviously, Fran Tarkenton and his career
speaks for itself. He is a Hall of Famer. But the important
thing is people in this building — coaches, teammates — they
have faith and they know who I am as a player." Mike
Williams supported Freeman, "Everybody has a right to their
opinion, but I think Josh, he's awesome. I think he's one of the
best quarterbacks in this league."
RB: Though Doug Martin practiced fully during the week
prior to the third preseason game, he was held out of the game
as a precaution. Martin spoke about his mentality while on the
field: "To be an every-down back, you need to be able to pass
protect, to be able to read the field, scan the field and be able
to pick that guy up and protect the quarterback. You've got to
have that want-to." In Martin's absence, Brian Leonard
(10/38/1 rushing with one reception for zero yards) and Peyton
Hillis (7/28/0 rushing) led the Buccaneers in rushing at Miami.
Mike James chipped in 7/17/0 rushing in a reserve role. All
told, the Buccaneers managed 26/90/1 rushing (a 3.5 yards per
carry average).
WR: Given Freeman's struggles on Saturday, Williams' stats
were not impressive, with seven targets for 2/33/0. Vincent
Jackson saw four targets but only managed 1/13/0 on the night
(that was his first catch of the preseason, by the way). Backup
David Douglas was the only receiver to score on Saturday,
with one target for 1/12/1. Kevin Ogletree managed 2/13/0
receiving out of four targets - basically none of the wide
receivers had a performance to write home about this week.
TE: Neither Luke Stocker nor Tom Crabtree caught a pass in
Miami, so reserve Danny Noble was the top tight end in
receiving Saturday (two targets for 1/19/0 receiving). Crabtree
did play a role on special teams (he stripped a Dolphin of the
football during a return) - he was active during the contest. On
Thursday, Coach Schiano seemed to hint at a tight-end-bycommittee approach this year: "Luke hasn't played enough to
say [he] is going to go in there and play 50, 60 plays. Let's see
how fast Luke can get back to the form he was playing at [last
year], because I did think he improved last year."
Defense: Tampa's defenders limited the Dolphins to just one
offensive TD and also surrendered three field goals - Miami
was in the red zone often (four times), but Tampa forced short
field goals of 22, 23, and 28 yards as their defenders dug in
around the goal line. The defense did allow 312 yards of
combined offense, but hung on to help the offense eke out a
one-point win. Rookie DT Akeem Spence tackled Miami's
Daniel Thomas for a loss on two separate plays, compiling
four tackles (three solo) with the two tackles for a loss "Week to week, I'm getting more comfortable," Spence said.
"I did my best tonight to beat the center to the punch." LB
Lavonte David led the Buccaneers with six tackles (three
solo). DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim (no tackles) replaced
Da’Quan Bowers as a starter for the second consecutive
preseason game, though Schiano had complimented Bowers,
saying: "I think he can be a really fantastic player.
Consistency is the big thing right now, but I do think he's
making strides. I think he's improved in this training camp."
CB Darrelle Revis practiced for the fourth straight day on
Thursday, August 22, which Schiano said is his longest stretch
as he recovers from a torn left ACL. Revis was inactive for the
third preseason game, however. Dashon Goldson spoke about
the secondary players' desire to go from worst to first place as
a pass defense during 2013: "This isn’t the secondary they had
last year. I think we can get it done."
Special Teams: With Lawrence Tynes injured and dealing
with an infection, the Bucs signed former Bills kicker Rian
Lindell to compete with Derek Dimke. Against Miami, Lindell
made a 38-yard field goal and an extra point while Dimke had
an extra point. As always, punter Michael Koenen handled the
kickoffs, so that won’t factor into the placekicking
competition. Only one of the three primary candidates for the
returner roles played against the Dolphins. WR Eric Page
averaged 17.5 yards on a pair of punt returns, fair caught one,
and also had a 23-yard kickoff return. RB Michael Smith did
not play in the game and rookie CB Branden Smith had no
returns.
Buccaneers Depth Chart
QB: Josh Freeman, Mike Glennon, Dan Orlovsky
RB: Doug Martin, Brian Leonard (FB), Mike James, Peyton
Hillis (FB),Jeff Demps (KR), Michael Smith (IR)
FB: Erik Lorig
WR: Vincent Jackson, Mike Williams, Kevin
Ogletree, Tiquan Underwood, Chris Owusu, Eric Page, David
Douglas
TE: Luke Stocker, , Tom Crabtree, Nate Byham, Danny
Noble
LT: Donald Penn, Mike Remmers
LG: Carl Nicks, Ted Larsen, Roger Allen
C: Jeremy Zuttah, Cody Wallace
RG: Davin Joseph, Jamon Meredith
RT: Demar Dotson, Gabe Carimi
K: Rian Lindell, Derek Dimke, Lawrence Tynes (inj), Connor
Barth (IR)
DT: Gerald McCoy, Akeem Spence (NT), Gary Gibson
(NT), Derek Landri, Andre Neblett, Matthew Masifilo
DE: Daniel Te′o-Nesheim (DT), Adrian Clayborn, Da′Quan
Bowers, William Gholston, Steven Means, Pep
Levingston, Trevor Scott, Aaron Morgan
MLB: Mason Foster, Najee Goode
OLB: Lavonte David (W), Jonathan Casillas (S), Dekoda
Watson (S), Adam Hayward, Jacob Cutrera (W), Joe
Holland, Marvin Booker
CB: Darrelle Revis, Johnthan Banks, Michael
Adams, Leonard Johnson, Danny Gorrer (inj), Anthony Gaitor
(IR)
S: Mark Barron (SS), Dashon Goldson (FS), Ahmad Black
(FS),Keith Tandy, Cody Grimm, Sean Baker, Nick Saenz
Tennessee Titans
QB: One way to look at the Titans dress rehearsal on Saturday
is this – it was “baby steps” in the right direction for Jake
Locker, who threw his first touchdown pass of the preseason
as well as committed his first turnover. It was easily his best
game yet as he completed 11-of-13 for 133 yards including an
11-yard strike to Nate Washington for a touchdown in the
second half. He also added 22 yards with his legs on three
runs. "Preseason or not, at least we won one that the guys
played into the third quarter on both sides, so you kind of got a
real feel of where we're at," said Titans Head Coach Mike
Munchak after the game. "Still a lot different than the regular
season. We know that. But again, you want to be ready to go
out and play." For his part, veteran backup Ryan Fitzpatrick
secure the win after the Falcons scored ten points in the third
quarter to make it 20-16. Fitzpatrick found rookie Justin
Hunter for a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter and then
later put the game on ice with a 6-yard TD to Michael Preston.
RB: Chris Johnson once again looked like his old explosive
self against the Falcons as he ran 11 times for 65 yards.
Backup Shonn Green had to leave the game after twisting his
ankle. He rushed five times for 17 yards and the ankle injury
did not look serious at all. Johnson had plenty of running
room, thanks to holes created by the Titans new guards Andy
Levitre and Chance Warmack. So far, in the preseason,
Johnson has run for 155 yards and a TD on 20 carries to go
with three receptions for 11 yards. Greene handled the shortyardage carries and converted a third-and-one easily. He also
took over for an entire series before leaving the game due to
the ankle. Green now has carried the ball 16 times in the
preseason for 78 yards with a touchdown.
WR: Beyond Locker’s performance, it was also a good game
for Kenny Britt, who caught three balls for 42 yards. Britt
started along with Nate Washington, who led the team with
four catches, 70 yards and a touchdown before he left with a
minor ankle injury of his own. Washington had a strong
preseason for the Titans and he’ll open the regular season
along with Britt as starters in their two-wide formations.
Kendall Wright hopes to be ready for Week 1 after he sprained
his knee in the team’s second preseason game. In his place,
Damian Williams played in the slot and he has locked down
his roster spot along with talented rookie Justin Hunter.
Veteran Kevin Walter is coming off back surgery and
expected to start the season on the reserve/PUP list. Michael
Preston has looked good throughout the preseason, so the team
might try to sneak him through waivers for the practice squad.
Preston once again caught a touchdown. He now has eight
catches for 144 yards and two TDs in the preseason.
TE: Delanie Walker was activated the PUP list but he wasn’t
active against the Falcons. Taylor Thompson and Craig
Stevens started in his absence. Thompson caught two passes
for 21 yards while Steven had one grab for 5 yards. Walker
expects to be ready for the season opener, although it remains
to be seen how involved he will be in the Titans offense.
Defense: Tennessee sacked Matt Ryan five times on Saturday
night after they were shredded on the ground in their first two
games by the Redskins and Bengals. The Titans defensive line
was also without end Ropati Pitoitua and tackle Sammie Hill,
not to mention linebackers Akeem Ayers and Zach Brown due
to injuries. The Titans finished the game with a total of six
sacks. "That was one of our goals this whole season is to get to
the quarterback and take pressure off of our DBs, and I felt up
front we had a great game today being able to do that," said
DT Jurell Casey, who appeared to have recovered a fumble to
go along with his 1.5 sacks. Unfortunately, instant replay
showed otherwise. Colin McCarthy returned to practice last
Thursday after being sidelined for three weeks. Moise Fokou
has been starting in his place, but the endorsement he received
from Munchak seemed tepid, leaving the door open for
McCarthy to regain the spot if he can stay healthy and earn it.
Special Teams: "It's one of those things at this time I'm not
worried about it," noted kicker Rob Bironas after missing
several kicks two weeks ago. He fared much better in this
week’s game, making field goals of 39 and 53 yards plus an
extra point. Camp leg Maikon Bonani made two extra points
and handled kickoffs against Atlanta. WR Marc Mariani
(shoulder injury) did not play again. His recovery status
impacts the roster prospects of RB Darius Reynaud, who
averaged 16.5 yards on two kickoff returns, had a one-yard
punt return, and fair caught another against the Falcons.
Titans Depth Chart
QB: Jake Locker, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Rusty Smith
RB: Chris Johnson, Shonn Greene (inj), Darius Reynaud
(KR/PR), Jackie Battle, Jalen Parmale, Stefphon Jefferson
FB: Quinn Johnson, Collin Mooney
WR: Kenny Britt, Nate Washington (inj), Kendall Wright
(inj), Justin Hunter, Damian Williams (KR/PR), Kevin Walter
(PUP), Marc Mariani (KR/PR), Michael Preston, Diondre
Borel, Rashad Ross, Dontel Watkins
TE: Delanie Walker (inj), Taylor Thompson, Craig
Stevens, Jack Doyle, Brandon Barden
LT: Michael Roos, Daniel Baldridge
LG: Andy Levitre, Chris Spencer
C: Robert Turner, Fernando Velasco, Brian Schwenke
RG: Chance Warmack, Kasey Studdard
RT: David Stewart, Mike Otto, Barry Richardson, Byron
Stingily
K: Rob Bironas
DT: Jurell Casey, Mike Martin, Sammie Lee Hill, Antonio
Johnson, Zach Clayton, Stefan Charles, DaJohn Harris
DE: Derrick Morgan, Ropati Pitoitua, Kamerion
Wimbley, Karl Klug, Lavar Edwards, Scott Solomon
MLB: Moise Fokou, Colin McCarthy (inj), Patrick
Bailey, Alex Watkins, Greg Jones
OLB: Akeem Ayers (S) (inj), Zach Brown (W), Tim Shaw
(M/S), Zaviar Gooden, Gary Guyton
CB: Jason McCourty, Alterraun Verner, Tommie
Campbell, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Khalid Wooten, Coty
Sensabaugh, Terrence Wheatley
S: Michael Griffin (FS), Bernard Pollard (SS), George Wilson
(SS), Daimion Stafford, Al Afalava, Corey Lynch, Markelle
Martin (IR)
Washington Redskins
QB: As expected Robert Griffin III did not play in the dress
rehearsal for the regular season, but all signs point to a prompt
regular season return. Griffin began participating in full-team
drills last week and publicly declared himself 100% for the
first time. "I would say I'm 100 percent, but you can't put a
number on it," said Griffin. "No one ever knows when they are
100 percent or what percentage they're playing at. The biggest
thing is, I'm not below 100 percent." Backup Kirk Cousins
appears to have avoided a serious injury and expects to be
active for the season opener. “I think this was at most a twoweek injury and I did it three weeks before the season,”
Cousins said. With the two top quarterbacks out, Rex
Grossman ran the first team offense against the Bills in the
Week Three preseason victory. Grossman completed 11-of-21
passes for 171 yards and a 7-yard TD to Pierre Garcon. Pat
White finished out the game (7-of-14 for 96 yards) and made
an impression with his legs (26 yards rushing and a
touchdown), but faces long odds to make the 53-man roster
particularly with Griffin and Cousins looking probable for the
season opener.
RB: Alfred Morris had 16 yards on four carries before ceding
the floor to his backups. Roy Helu – yet again – made it clear
he’s the #2 runner and handcuff in the event of a Morris
injury. Helu ran for 70 yards and also caught a 21-yard
reception (91 yards in a part-time role) and will factor into the
weekly game plan even with Morris as the workhorse. Evan
Royster didn’t play but may still be safe because rookie Jawan
Jamison also missed the game and Chris Thompson averaged
a meager 2.9 yards per rush (44 yards on 15 carries). It should
be noted that both Thompson and Helu fumbled, but the
Redskins recovered. Keiland Williams – quite for much of the
preseason – ran for 52 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo.
Thompson has been impressed by Alfred Morris’ mentorship
– a noble stance to take considering Morris is only a year
removed from the same situation: “He tells us that a lot of
the stuff that we’re dealing with right now, he just went
through it last year. So he knows where we’re coming from.
And I think that’s the really great thing. He’s just been
through all of this so he really knows how to help me and
fellow rookie running back Jawan Jamison continue to grow
and get better.”
WR: Pierre Garcon had one catch against the Bills, but it was
a 7-yard touchdown strike. More importantly, Garcon has
been a healthy participant throughout training camp, which
makes him a high end fantasy WR2 with WR1 upside entering
the final weeks of fantasy draft season. Veteran Santana Moss
(1 catch for 45 yards) believes Garcon is in line for a monster
season. "In this offense you would love to be Pierre," Moss
said. "He's going to be the Andre Johnson to this offense.
That's what they brought him here for, and if he keeps playing
the way he's playing, which I don't doubt he will stop, he's
going to be that guy and he has every opportunity to be that
guy. I used to sit back and watch Andre and say, 'How can he
be so open?' And now I see it because there is so much you
have to cover in this offense, and you can't cover everybody."
Aldrick Robinson (4 catches for 61 yards) led the team against
Buffalo and has quietly put himself in position to start
opposite Garcon (while Moss plays the slot). Josh Morgan’s
roster spot MAY be in jeopardy (0 catches on two targets)
while Donte Stallworth’s roster spot IS already gone – he was
waived this week.
TE: Fred Davis (1 catch for 31 yards), Jordan Reed (3 catches
for 31 yards) and Logan Paulsen (2 for 23 yards) all showed
up in limited work against the Bills, and their roles are set for
the regular season. Davis is healthy and entrenched as the
starter, while Reed has improved with each week and may
factor into the starting offense later in the regular season.
Defense: The Redskins allowed just 155 yards against the
Bills including a shockingly low 63 yards passing. While
impressive, it should be noted that Kevin Kolb suffered a
severe concussion after just four passing attempts, and with EJ
Manuel already out, the offense was turned over to undrafted
rookie free agent Jeff Tuel. Daryl Tapp was the star of the
game (7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass defensed) and has played his
way into a major role. Brian Orakpo believes the Redskins
will get creative with their blitz packages this season even
though they haven’t needed to blitz much in the preseason:
"As you've seen so far, we haven't blitzed at all, and that's
something Haslett loves to do," Orakpo said. "But he hasn't
had a need for it. We've been getting after it with four guys."
Special Teams: Kicker Kai Forbath had his busiest game of
the preseason against Buffalo, hitting three field goals (28, 53
and 21 yards) and adding three extra points. He also handled
all of the kickoffs except for two by John Potter. Starting punt
returner CB Richard Crawford suffered a season ending knee
injury in the game. One of his potential replacements, rookie
RB Chris Thompson, got his first preseason returns –
returning a kickoff 27 yards and averaging 16.0 yards on three
punt returns. Other candidates to return punts include rookie
WR Syke Dawson, rookie WR Nick Williams and WR
Santana Moss.
Redskins Depth Chart
QB: Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins (inj), Rex Grossman, Pat
White
RB: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu (3RB), Evan Royster, Chris
Thompson, Keiland Williams (FB), Jawan Jamison
FB: Darrel Young
WR: Pierre Garcon, Josh Morgan, Santana Moss, Leonard
Hankerson, Aldrick Robinson, Dezmon Briscoe, Brandon
Banks (KR/PR)
TE: Fred Davis, Logan Paulsen, Niles Paul, Jordan Reed (inj)
LT: Trent Williams, Maurice Hurt, Tom Compton
LG: Kory Lichtensteiger, Josh LeRibeus
C: Will Montgomery
RG: Chris Chester, Adam Gettis
RT: Tyler Polumbus, Tony Pashos
K: Kai Forbath, John Potter
NT: Barry Cofield (inj), Chris Baker, Ron Brace, Chris Neild
DE: Stephen Bowen, Jarvis Jenkins (susp), Kedric
Golston, Adam Carriker (PUP)
ILB: London Fletcher, Perry Riley, Nick Barnett, Vic
So′oto, Keenan Robinson (IR)
OLB: Ryan Kerrigan, Brian Orakpo (inj), Rob Jackson (susp),
Brandon Jenkins, Bryan Kehl, Darryl Tapp
CB: Josh Wilson (inj), DeAngelo Hall, David Amerson, E.J.
Biggers, Chase Minnifield, Jerome Murphy, Richard Crawford
(IR)
S: Bacarri Rambo (FS), DeJon Gomes (SS), Reed Doughty
(SS/FS), Brandon Meriweather (SS), Jordan Pugh, Tanard
Jackson (susp), Phillip Thomas (IR)