2016 Preseason Overreactions, Week 3

There's only one jam-packed Thursday of preseason "action" left. After that day of games, Saturday at 3 PM CT is the deadline for teams to cut down to 53-man rosters. Once those 22 last-minute cuts are made, everyone will rush to do their fantasy football drafts. This can mean only one thing: Andy Todd's Official Fantasy Football Rankings are coming up instead of a fourth week of preseason overreactions. Let's not worry about that for now, here are week 3's results with overreactions.

Reinhold Matay - USA TODAY Sports
Jarvis Landry cuts through the Falcons' mediocre defense.

Dolphins defeat Falcons 17-6
A difference in offensive play-calling quality is made abundantly clear in Miami's effortless win over Atlanta.

Which starter looked the best? Dolphins' rookie left guard Laremy Tunsil is somehow already the best player on Miami's offense (Yes, including Jarvis Landry). The rookie tackle-turned-guard and gas mask-enthusiast fell twelve picks from when he should have gone (first overall) and has yet to not only allow any sacks but, the Ole Miss Rebel has yet to allow any pressure on Ryan Tannehill or any other quarterback once all preseason. With Tannehill being the most sacked quarterback in 2015, it's obvious that this team's biggest need was on the offensive line and the team did a phenomenal job on not passing up this once-a-decade talent.

Which starter looked the worst? Matt Ryan is still a good NFL quarterback and nobody can tell me any differently because, I saw those first five seasons of his career and they were fantastic. Recently though, the team has undergone some personnel changes (the hiring of Mike Smith & Kyle Shanahan), some unfortunate injuries (Julio Jones in 2013 & the entire offensive line in 2014) and just plain shitty offensive line play that have all caused Ryan's past three years to turn him into a mediocre NFL quarterback. This game was no different for him (12/22-129-0-1) as he threw an interception in the end zone and the plays drawn up by notorious QB-killer Kyle Shanahan featuring five-wide sets inside the 20-yard line on first and second downs were extremely questionable as always. Ryan and the Falcons are in for a rough season.

Backup of the Game: Backup Dolphin linebacker Mike Hull continues to build up his resume as one of the greatest preseason defensive players ever. The second-year Penn State Nittany Lion recorded nine tackles and would never give up an extra yard to any Falcon rusher. I am a fan of his and believe he would do well if given the opportunity to start.

Miami's cuts to a 75-man roster:  LB Akil Blount, OL Ruben Carter, LS Ryan DiSalvo, TE Gabe Hughes, PK Marshall Koehn, CBs Al Louis-Jean and Brandon Harris, G Vinston Painter and WRs A.J. Cruz, Matt Hazel and Brandon Shippen

Atlanta's cuts to a 75-man roster: QB Sean Renfree, RB Gus Johnson, WR Jordan Leslie, TE Arthur Lynch, OL Michael Huey, DL Brandon Williams, LB Ivan McLennan, CB Ryan White, S Sergio Brown

Biggest Overreaction: The Dolphins are ready to steal this division with Tom Brady suspended and the short passing game looking so smooth.

Seahawks defeat Cowboys 27-17
Tony Romo breaks bone in back as 'boys are bogus and beaten by a bunch.

Which starter looked the best? If he stays healthy for all 16 games, there is very little doubt in my mind that this is the Russell Wilson (16/21-192-2-0) MVP season. Pete Carroll let him sling it around last year after Marshawn Lynch and Jimmy Graham went down with injuries and now, after a year in the system, I think that Graham will be much more important as a receiver as Wilson becomes an even more important passer than ever before.

Which starter looked the worst? Dallas better play Dez Bryant in bubble wrap because Terrence Williams sure as hell cannot handle being the #1 wide receiver. Everyone has been waiting for Williams' breakout season where he turns into a Golden Tate-type reliable receiver with speed after the catch but, we are in year #4 of the former Baylor product's career and he shows no signs of being anything special after not being able to get open for more than one 11-yard catch against Seattle's secondary. 

Backup of the Game: After four years of being on practice squads and sitting on the bench, Cowboys DE Lawrence Okoye finally looks like a real NFL player instead of just being "that guy who is a discus thrower in the offseason". Okoye recorded five tackles in limited playing time and one sack.

Seattle's cuts to a 75-man roster: RBs George Farmer and Zac Brooks, WR Kevin Smith, C Patrick Lewis, G Kristjan Sokoli, DE Josh Shirley, LBs Quayshawn Nealy and Pete Robertson, DB Trovon Reed

Dallas's cuts to a 75-man roster: WR Richard Mullaney and Rodney Smith, C Dan Buchholz, G Mike McQueen, LB Henoc Muamba, DB Arjen Colquhoun

Biggest Overreaction: Dak Prescott is the second-coming of Russell Wilson and will lead Dallas to the postseason in his rookie year.

Patriots defeat Panthers 19-17
Garoppolo gets the start as Patriots' defense wins a close one over Carolina.

Which starter looked the best? After playing through the Super Bowl with a broken arm, it's amazing that Thomas Davis is still not considered one of the five best linebackers or better yet, defensive players in all of football. In this one, Davis looked his usual self while many others seemed to be sleepwalking as Davis grabbed four tackles and a sack against New England's #1's.

Which starter looked the worst? Cam Newton didn't seem all that interested in scrambling during a preseason game but, his stats (13/29-100-0-2 and a 9-yard carry) should still look better considering he was the MVP last season. Maybe he just lucked out by having to face Denver instead of New England in Super Bowl 50.

Backup of the Game: Panther wideout Marcus Lucas made Joe Webb play tolerably by catching two touchdowns (of 18 and 14 yards) from the quarterback-turned-wide receiver-turned-quarterback. Even though those were Lucas's only two catches, two touchdowns will get a player a long way on a team with little-to-no depth at wide receiver.

New England's cuts to a 75-man roster: RB Donald Brown, WR Nate Washington, TEs Steven Scheu and Bear Pascoe, C Bryan Stork, OTs Keavon Milton and Kyler Kerbyson, DT Terrance Knighton, LB Ramon Humber, CBs V'Angelo Bentley and E.J. Biggers, Safeties Cedric Thompson and Brock Vereen

Carolina's cuts to a 75-man roster: WR LaRon Byrd, DE Rakim Cox, S Trenton Robinson, P Mike Scifres

Biggest Overreaction: Chris Hogan is the new Wes Welker-Julian Edelman -insert white slot receiver here-

Washington defeats Bills 21-16
Huge second quarter is all Washington needs to take down Bill backups.

Which starter looked the best? Kirk Cousins (12/23-188-3-1) was not spectacular but, this was a game in which the Bills' starters were yanked by Rex Ryan quickly. Ultimately, he did throw three touchdowns and along with DeSean Jackson and a few of Cousins' other targets, won the game for the defending NFC East champions.

Which starter looked the worst? Washington tackle Morgan Moses left the game with a left ankle injury. This wouldn't typically be a "worst" but, so many starters left early and the entire Washington o-line seemed to crumble post-Moses injury.

Backup of the Game: Daniel "Boom" Herron has surprisingly reliable hands for a short stubby guy that plow ahead two to three yards at a time. This was the first game action that I have ever seen of Herron's and he was the one player keeping Buffalo alive late in the game with his receptions. The former Bengal and Colt finished with five carries for 17 yards and five catches for 49 yards for a total of 66 yards on ten touches. 

Washington's cuts to a 75-man roster: RB Kelsey Young, WRs Valdez Showers, Dez Stewart & Jarvis Turner, OTs Al Bond and Cody Booth, LBs Shiro Davis, Ejiro Ederaine & Willie Jefferson, CB Jeremy Harris

Buffalo's cuts to a 75-man roster: K/P Jordan Gay, WR Greg Little, QB Austin Trainor, TE Jimmy Mundine, OL Robert Kugler, LS Reid Ferguson, DE Alameda Ta'Amu, DT Justin Zimmer, LBs Eric Striker and David Hawthorne

Biggest Overreaction: Robert Kelley is the exact same running back, or at least he'll give the same results, as Matt Jones.

Buccaneers defeat Browns 30-13
Mike Evans and Josh Gordon torch each other's secondaries as Cleveland shows no signs of defense in loss.

Which starter looked the best? Mike Evans is 6'5'' but, against Cleveland's lackluster Pop Warner defensive backs, the dude looked 7'0'' tall. He ended his Friday night with five catches on five targets for 115 yards and a touchdown. Evans won't be losing out on targets to Vincent Jackson anymore now that he and Winston have built a cozy relationship in Tampa that Buc fans will love for years to come.

Which starter looked the worst? Former Dolphins' cornerbacks Jamar Taylor (Browns) and Brent Grimes (Bucs) both gave up brutal completions to Josh Gordon and Evans. There's a reason Miami didn't want these guys anymore and it wasn't because they were overflowing with talent in that area.

Backup of the Game: Fun fact time! The Buccaneers have not had a ten sack season since Simeon Rice was in the NFL. That fact is insane. Now, Jacquies Smith does nothing but get sacks and that's great for Tampa Bay as they might finally reach double-digit sacks again. He abused Cleveland's offensive line and recorded two sacks of Robert Griffin III (one of the least aware QBs in the league when it comes to pressure) along with four tackles in total.

Tampa Bay's cuts to a 75-man roster: WRs Andre Davis and Donteea Dye, S Major Wright, P Jacob Schum, OL Joel Hale, LB Tevin Westbrook, DTs Travis Britz, Ishmaa'ily Kitchen & Martin Ifedi, RB Storm Johnson, CB Daniel Davie, T Taylor Fallin

Cleveland's cuts to a 75-man roster: QB Austin Davis, FB Robert Hughes, WRs Josh Boyce and Ed Eagan, TEs E.J. Bibbs and David Reeves, OL Corey Tucker, DL Nick Hayden, OLB Paul Kruger, DBs K'Waun Williams and Sean Baker, K Travis Coons

Biggest Overreaction: Josh Gordon is ready to return to the Pro Bowl.

Steelers defeat Saints 27-14
New Orleans' defense lives up to it's pathetic hype in loss to Pittsburgh.

Which starter looked the best? Considering Antonio Brown is the best player on either team, it should be no surprise that he looked the best. The Steelers' receiver caught all four of his targets for 87 yards and a touchdown. Will he be the #1 pick in your fantasy football draft this upcoming weekend? The hype surrounding him is large after a career year and with the production he's had the past few years, it's likely he will lead off many fantasy drafts.

Which starter looked the worst? The alleged rumors of new Saints tight end Coby Fleener being a drops machine appear to be true as he is still not on the same page as Drew Brees or Luke McCown. Fleener (1 catch on 4 targets for 4 yards) was a disappointment in Indianapolis and I see no difference for him in New Orleans other than they'll give him his most consistent playing time ever at the start of the season.

Backup of the Game: Amazingly, Landry Jones (who inspired zero confidence with four interceptions last week) looked like an NFL quarterback and then some versus the putrid Saints defense. The #1 guy behind Big Ben completed 19 of 22 for 206 yards and a touchdown to Sammie Coates.

Pittsburgh's cuts to a 75-man roster: S Jacob Hagen, DT Devaunte Sigler and Khaynin Mosley-Smith, CBs Julian Whigham and Kevin White, QB Dustin Vaughan, LBs Jordan Zumwalt and Mike Reilly, WRs Isaac Blakeney and Levi Norwood, TE Michael Cooper, DE Giorgio Newberry

New Orleans' cuts to a 75-man roster: FB Sione Houma, WRs Jared Dangerfield, Reggie Bell and R.J. Harris, TE RaShaun Allen, OL Cyril Lemon and Kaleb Eulls, DE Matt Shaughnessy, DT C.J. Wilson, LBs Dillon Lee and Tony Steward, CBs Jimmy Pruitt and Brandon Dixon, S Jamal Golden, LS Chris Highland

Biggest Overreaction: With so much youth on defense, the Saints are the worst team in the NFC South.

Packers defeat 49ers 21-10
Good Joe Callahan reappears in another easy win for Green Bay.

Which starter looked the best? One of the more surprising developments of any team's camp and preseason is the rise of 49ers cornerback Chris Davis. The same man behind Auburn's "Kick Six" was picked up in 2014 by the San Diego Chargers strictly as a return man and flamed out quickly as that was not his main forte' after all. Now in San Francisco, Davis has gone from having no NFL future to suddenly being the most impressive cornerback of the preseason. In game three, the former Tiger recorded six tackles (five solo) and two for loss.

Which starter looked the worst? After a tumultuous 2015 season and a bounce-back offseason, Davante Adams is back in the doghouse again. Adams dropped a bomb of a pass from Joe Callahan (something every receiver should take advantage of when it happens because Callahan's arm strength is low) in the end zone and only caught one pass on four targets for eight yards. Adams' spot on the final 53-man roster is in jeopardy again as Jared Abbrederis appears to be less mistake-prone than both him and Ty Montgomery.

Backup of the Game: Another corner on the 49ers who covered the entire field at some point Friday night was third-rounder Will Redmond of Mississippi State. The former Bulldog was battling multiple players including Davis and Kenneth Acker (since traded to the Chiefs for a 7th round draft pick) and made the choice harder by collecting five tackles, two for loss and one sack. His coverage skills need some work but, he is an excellent tackler for a player at his position.

Green Bay's cuts to a 75-man roster: RB John Crockett, WRs Ed Williams, Jamel Johnson and Harvey Binford, TEs Kennard Backman and Mitchell Henry, C Jacob Flores, G Josh Walker, DT Demetris Anderson, LB Derrick Mathews, CB Randall Jette, Ps Peter Mortell and Tim Masthay

San Francisco's cuts to a 75-man roster: DB Jered Bell, OLB Jason Fanaika, OT Erik Pears, TE Busta Anderson, RB Kendall Gaskins, WRs Jerome Simpson and DiAndre Campbell, K John Lunsford, DL Darren Lake, LB Wynton McManis, OL Blake Muir and Ian Silberman, CB Cleveland Wallace

Biggest Overreaction: The 49ers have the defense of a playoff team and the offense of an 0-16 team. 

Chiefs defeat Bears 23-7
Bears continue stretch of uninspiring play with dull loss to Kansas City.

Which starter looked the best? 11 years into his career, the verdict is in: Derrick Johnson, he's good. The career-Chief had three solo tackles (4 total), two for loss and one sack and held Chicago scoreless while he was in the game as Kansas City's middle linebacker.

Which starter looked the worst? Bears QB Jay Cutler (6/15-45-0-0) used to at least be a tolerably mediocre NFL quarterback but, now he's just plain bad. I get that the Bears went through fifty years of fecal matter lining up under center but, we're in year number eight of the Cutler experiment and he seems to be regressing. It's time to move on and the team will realize that sometime around week ten probably.

Backup of the Game: Before suffering a broken leg on a potentially illegal hit by Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Bears QB Connor Shaw looked like the most talented quarterback on the roster (5/6-68-1-0, two carries for 15 yards). There was real discussion about the former Browns' QB stealing the backup job from other former Brown Brian Hoyer but alas, that will not be happening this year. Shaw's showed plenty of potential but, after a major thumb injury in 2015 and a sprained knee in college, another injury is the last thing the former South Carolina Gamecock needed on his resume'. 

Kansas City's cuts to a 75-man roster: WRs Seantavius Jones and Kashif Moore, DBs Bryce Cheek and Malcolm Jackson, DL Niko Davis, LB Jonathan Massaquoi, OL Drew Nowak and Curtis Feigt

Chicago's cuts to a 75-man roster: RB Senorise Perry, FB Darrel Young, WRs Kieran Duncan, Derek Keaton and Darrin Peterson, TE Gannon Sinclair, OT John Kling, OL Martin Wallace, DL Keith Browner, LBs Lamin Barrow and Jarrett Grace, CBs Kevin Peterson and Joel Ross

Biggest Overreaction: The Bears receivers are going to cancel each other out for fantasy value this season which will be especially brutal when Jay Cutler throws like a sentient potato.

Ravens defeat Lions 30-9
Joe Flacco's return from ACL surgery goes extremely well as Baltimore dominates Lions.

Which starter looked the best? Haloti Ngata was not the same dominant defensive tackle in his first season as a Lion as he was in his previous nine seasons as a Raven. Maybe it was just the motivation of facing his former team that put him on high alert in this game but, Ngata looked like the 5X Pro-Bowler that he was in Baltimore Saturday night when he collected three tackles and a sack. 

Which starter looked the worst? Lions' 2012 first round offensive tackle Riley Reiff has had an up-and-down career to this point and just when things seemed to be steadily on the up, he went and gave up a strip-sack and recorded two penalties. Luckily for him, he did recover the fumble but, he's never going to be an elite tackle and this game was further proof of that.

Backup of the Game: The player that forced the fumble on the sack that Reiff gave up? preseason standout Matt Judon. The fifth round pass-rusher has been phenomenal every game of the preseason and with a team-high five tackles (3 solo), a sack and a pass defended, he has earned serious starter consideration and a serious improvement in playing time.

Baltimore's cuts to a 75-man roster: QB Jerrod Johnson, WRs Dobson Collins, Darius White and Chuck Jacobs, C Anthony Fabiano, G Jarell Broxton, DT Trevon Coley, LBs Mario Ojemudia and Kavell Conner, K Wil Lutz

Detroit's cuts to a 75-man roster: RB Stevan Ridley, WR Quinshad Davis, TE Matthew Mulligan, Gs Chase Ferris and Geoff Schwartz, DEs Deonte Gibson, Quanterus Smith & Louis Palmer, LB Dominique Tovell, CBs Rashaad Reynolds, Crezdon Butler & Brandon McGee, K Devon Bell

Biggest Overreaction: 31-year old RB Justin Forsett is already washed up.

Eagles defeat Colts 33-23
Philadelphia has their annual preseason game where everything looks perfect in ten-point win over dinged-up Colts.

Which starter looked the best? Remember the game where Sam Bradford torched the Packers defense last preseason? Well, this game was sort of a repeat of that game. Bradford looked like a #1 overall pick in his accuracy and got Eagles' fans hopes up for a moment until he threw a pick and reality set in that this type of inconsistency is to be expected from Sam Bradford seven years into his career. Bradford finished 17 of 20 for 167 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Which starter looked the worst? Free agent signee CB Leodis McKelvin (two tackles) has been consistently getting beat in coverage this preseason and unfortunately for Philly, looks like he will be joining Nnamdi Asomougha and Byron Maxwell in the "failed cornerback signings" column. 

Backup of the Game: With the lack of a definitive #2 RB, it would behoove of the Eagles to keep a guy like Byron Marshall (7 touches, 52 yards) rostered in case Wendell Smallwood and/or Kenjon Barner don't live up to their current hype while Darren Sproles handles the occasional carry with his four catches a game. The undrafted Oregon Duck's chances of making the 53-man roster are not great right now but again, this team has the least clear #2 RB situation so who really knows what might happen here?

Philadelphia's cuts to a 75-man roster: WRs Reuben Randle and Chris Givens, OL Andrew Gardner, DT Mike Martin, CBs Randall Evans and Denzel Rice, S Nick Perry, LS John DePalma

Indianapolis's cuts to a 75-man roster: RB Chase Price, WRs Justin Berger and Josh Stangby, TE Mike Miller, G Eric Herman, DE Delvon Simmons, DT Ricky Lumpin, LB Junior Sylvestre, CB Winston Rose, S Alden Darby

Biggest Overreaction: Philadelphia is a real NFC East contender as long as Matt Jones and Tony Romo are injured.

Giants defeat Jets 21-20
In the Snoopy Bowl, Tavarres King shines with two TDs including game-winner.

Which starter looked the best? Former Jet-turned-Giant DT Damon Harrison had the exhibition game of his life, thus giving hope to Giants fans that he won't be just another guy that quits playing well after getting an enormous payday. The one known as "Snacks" Harrison recorded seven tackles (four solo) and one sack against Nick Mangold and the Jets' starting o-line. Yowza.

Which starter looked the worst? The Giants' starting left guard is typically Justin Pugh (a good guard) but, he had to sit this one out with a minor injury which led to the team forcing Bobby Hart into a starting role. Let's just say that the Florida State seventh-rounder should gameplan better for men of Leonard Williams' stature.

Backup of the Game: Considering he caught two game-changing touchdowns and had a 1:1 big play:touches ratio, Giants' WR Tavarres King (20-yard run and 2 catches for 38 yards & 2 TDs) is the obvious winner here. No, this wasn't his Victor Cruz breakout game that will catapult his career into stardom and no, this wasn't his Corey Washington game that will 100% guarantee his place on the 53-man roster but, this game does guarantee King another shot in the future on somebody else's team and serious consideration for the Giants' practice squad right now.

Giant cuts to a 75-man roster: WRs Kadron Boone, K.J. Maye & Myles White, LS Tyler Ott, RB Marshaun Coprich, DTs Greg Milhouse and Davon Coleman, Safeties Bennett Jackson and Cooper Taylor, OL Shane McDermott, DB Joe Powell, DE Mike Rose

Jet cuts to a 75-man roster: RBs Lache Seastrunk, Terry Williams & Romar Morris, S Dion Bailey, DL Jake Ceresna, OL Deion Barnes, DT Shelby Harris, DE Helva Matungulu, WR Kyle Williams, TE Jason Vander Laan, K Ross Martin

Biggest Overreaction: The Jets offensive line is going to be the reason Ryan Fitzpatrick won't repeat last season's success.

Titans defeat Raiders 27-14
Tennessee continues to run over the league, this time through Khalil Mack and company en route to victory.

Which starter looked the best? The entire Tennessee offensive line has had an incredible preseason of keeping Marcus Mariota upright and blocking for two reliable running backs in DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. The Titans might be a sleeper to break through to a .500 or better record this season thanks to one of the more reliable lines in the NFL. I couldn't think of one guy that specifically stood out to me and therefor, the entire offensive line wins.

Which starter looked the worst? Latavius Murray did not see much playing time for a starting running back in the third preseason game and did less than hoped in the playing time allotted to him. The one-year starter was one of the least efficient runners in all of 2015 and is entering a contract year. Expect DeAndre Washington to get more playing time next season and if Murray keeps averaging 0.0 yards per carry, maybe the replacement takes place sooner.

Backup of the Game: Last year's Heisman winner Derrick Henry (13 touches, 57 yards and a touchdown) has impressed me to the point where I took him third overall in my longtime TD-only keeper fantasy league. Henry is running like Chris Ivory in his prime already and should only get better and could be one of the best RB's in football at some point if he doesn't suffer any major injuries or setbacks before 2021. 

Tennessee's cuts to a 75-man roster: S Lamarcus Brutus, T William Campbell, WRs Reece Horn and Donte Foster, LBs Amarlo Herrera and Deiontrez Mount, CBs Tyler Patmon and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, OL Nick Ritcher, DE Mike Smith, RB David Cobb, C Andy Gallik

Oakland's cuts to a 75-man roster: C Ross Burbank, LS Andrew East, S Chris Edwards, S Chris Hackett, S Jimmy Hall, WR Joe Hansley, DB Tramain Jacobs, LB Lenny Jones, WR Max McCaffrey, DT Leon Orr, WR Nathan Palmer, K Giorgio Tavecchio, TE Colton Underwood, OL Terran Vaughn

Biggest Overreaction: Man, we sure overrated that Oakland defense.

Broncos defeat Rams 17-9
Mark Sanchez sits out possibly his final game as a Bronco as Denver wins over LA.

Which starter looked the best? As long as he's coming off a Super Bowl MVP win and manages to half-ass his way to two tackles, one sack and two QB hits in a short amount of time on the field, Von Miller is the best looking football player on either team. He's earned that huge pay day.

Which starter looked the worst? The active wide receiver with the longest 1,000-yard season streak is Demaryius Thomas with four consecutive seasons of 1,000 yards. On Saturday night, he looked more like Limas Sweed than a pro-bowler. He didn't do too horribly stat-wise (4 catches on 8 targets for 63 yards) but, he did have three terrible drops on short passes that had me asking "Why isn't Emmanuel Sanders going to lead this team in receptions this year?". Honorable mention to Jared Goff (4/12-45-0-0), who is not a starter yet but, should be one eventually in Los Angeles this year.

Backup of the Game: The Broncos signed 28-year old Dekoda Watson back on May 16th strictly as a preseason body that would get a chance to showcase his talents while Gary Kubiak rested some starters. Now, Watson likely has some value in the eyes of NFL front offices after he benefited from his teammates being double-teamed and ended the game with 2.5 sacks and four tackles (3 solo). 

Denver's cuts to a 75-man roster: S Brandon Ross, TE Manasseh Garner, S Antonio Glover, OL Mathu Gibson, DL Calvin Heurtelou, OT Cameron Jefferson, NT David Moala, WR Durron Neal, WR DeVier Posey, ILB Darnell Sankey, ILB Frank Shannon

Los Angeles's cuts to a 75-man roster: K Taylor Bertolet, TE Benson Browne, DB Michael Caputo, DT Zach Colvin, C Brian Folkerts, LB Darreon Herring, RB Zach Laskey, WR Marquez North, LS Jeff Overbaugh, WR David Richards , TE Jake Stoneburner, T Jordan Swindle, QB Dylan Thompson

Biggest Overreaction: The Rams have absolutely no receiving help whatsoever.

Vikings defeat Chargers 23-10
Minnesota gets one last win before losing all of their hope before the season even begins.

Which starter looked the best? After a few years of guys like Cordarrelle Patterson and Charles Johnson breaking out as #1 wide receivers only to fall to the wayside the very next season, many surmised that Stefon Diggs would be a repeat of those other failed experiments. Alas, Diggs caught all five of his Teddy Bridgewater-thrown targets for 71 yards and despite the drafting of Laquon Treadwell, he should lead the team in receptions this year.

Which starter looked the worst? San Diego receiver Travis Benjamin let a rookie cornerback (Mackensie Alexander) give him trouble all game and had one brutal drop. With two catches on five targets for 32 yards, it's worth wondering whether he's talented enough to handle consistent targets as a starting wide receiver.

Backup of the Game: Former CFL defensive back Dexter McCoil should be on the Chargers' opening day roster. His roster status was not clear leading up to Sunday but, with eleven tackles and a forced fumble, it should not be difficult for McCoil to earn some playing time in this mediocre defensive backfield.

Minnesota's cuts to a 75-man roster: DE Theiren Cockran, G Sean Hickey, TE Brian Leonhardt, DE Claudell Louis, WR Marken Michel, LB Terrance Plummer, G Austin Shepherd, WR Terrell Sinkfield, C John Sullivan, WR Troy Stoudermire, DT Scott Crichton, S Antone Exum

San Diego's cuts to a 75-man roster: WR Torrence Allen, CB Greg Ducre, CB Mike Lee, DT Bruce Gaston, OLB Zach Hodges, C Bruce Johnson, QB Zach Mettenberger, WR Javontee Herndon, DT Zamir Carlis, OT Tyler Johnstone, RB Dreamius Smith

Biggest Overreaction: Jerick McKinnon would be a #1 running back on any other team.

Texans defeat Cardinals 34-24
The future of the Texans looks bright in a shootout win over Arizona.

Which starter looked the best? It is way too soon to consider the signing a success but, Brock Osweiler looked pretty damn reliable on Sunday (11/13-146-1-0). It was the most accurate and calm I've ever seen Osweiler in his now fifth NFL season and as long as the o-line is healthy, this team has a good shot at winning the AFC South.

Which starter looked the worst? I was worried about the carryover from last season's depressing NFC Championship bringing down Carson Palmer for good. Now, the Cardinals should be petrified after his ugly showing against Minnesota (5/9-64-0-2) because they have zero quality backups at quarterback (No, Drew Stanton does not count as "quality").

Backup of the Game: Houston OLB Brennan Scarlett is not expected to make the 53-man roster but, he's a lock for somebody's practice squad now. Arizona is fairly deep along the offensive line and the former Stanford pass-rusher still burst through for six tackles (four solo) and two sacks.

Houston's cuts to a 75-man roster: DT Ra'Zahn Howard, WR Tevin Jones, ILB Ryan Langford, WR Josh Lenz, T Matt Pierson, OLB Carlos Thompson, T Arturo Uzdavinis, DE Jeoffrey Pagan, OLB Gerald Rivers, CB Duke Thomas

Arizona's cuts to a 75-man roster: G Jake Bernstein, WR Amir Carlisle, TE Gerald Christina, QB Jake Coker, T Clay Debord, LS Daniel Dillon, DT Iosia Iosia, CB Asa Jackson, WR Franky Okafor, CB Shaun Prater, P Garrett Swanson, S Tyrequek Zimmerman, CB Elie Bouka, CB Alan Ball

Biggest Overreaction: Brock Osweiler is already the greatest quarterback in Texans history.

Jaguars defeat Bengals 26-21
Jags stay conservative in primetime win over Cincy on Sunday night.

Which starter looked the best? DT Geno Atkins got to hit the quarterback twice, which is rare for a defensive tackle as they are mostly trusted to plug up the running game. On Sunday night, the Pro Bowl d-lineman only played for one half and managed to consistently get around the Jaguars' center.

Which starter looked the worst? This choice is hard because both of these teams are extremely solid and played well all-around in this game. Bengals safety Shawn Williams showed some weaknesses and was really the only player that had an "off" game.

Backup of the Game: Jacksonville RB Joe Banyard (11-54-1) was surprisingly the most consistent runner in this entire game, a game that featured Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard (in small doses), T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory. The former Viking backup is fourth in line in Jacksonville but, with his recent off-field troubles, Denard Robinson can be passed up.

Jacksonville's cuts to a 75-man roster: LB Joplo Bartu, WR Shaq Evans, K Sam Ficken, CB Mike Hilton, RB Cameron Marshall, P Ryan Quigley, WR Jamal Robinson, DE Bjoern Werner

Cincinnati's cuts to a 75-man roster: LB Jayson DiManche, K Zach Hocker, WR Michael Bennett, FB Jeff Luc, TE John Peters, S Floyd Raven, DE Jack Gangwish, WR Antwane Grant, LB Darien Harris, QB Joe Licata, CB Corey Tindal, WR Brandon Tate

Biggest Overreaction: Blake Bortles will never throw deep ever again.

Best of luck to all of your teams this Thursday night and may you all hold on to your quarterbacks tightly before their leg tragically explodes.

Emergency Instant Review of Frank Ocean's "Blonde"

After a few tweets, I felt invested enough in this album that I found through shady means (Not sharing how I found it) that I decided to put up another another instant review to another intriguing album that requires my attention. Previous victims of these half-assed posts include Chance The Rapper's "Coloring Book" and Miley Cyrus's Flaming Lips-laced "Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz".

1. "Nikes" Love the fuck outta "Nikes". I was worried I had found a sketchy-ass untrustworthy version of this when greeted with Franklin and the Chipmunks for 3 minutes but, I quickly realized that the instrumental sounded 100% normal. The lyrics are the story here and the production is just added artistic bonuses.

2. "Ivy" With Rostam of V. Weekend fame and Jamie xx as producers, I had higher expectations for "Ivy". Frank's voice is off right now... Oh shit, Voice alteration curveball <3.

3. "Pink + White" Pharrell and Tyler produced this... It is solid.

4. "Be Yourself" After this pep-talk from Frank's mother, I am convinced that the devil's lettuce is nothing to mess with. Good thing I've dodged it to this point in my life. #Blessed

5. "Solo" Hit me with more church organ and you've got yourself a guaranteed B song grade or higher. I have no idea what the fuck is going on in the background as it sounds like an entirely unrelated hip-hop song is playing. HOW IS TODD RUNDGREN CREDITED ON THIS SONG? What am I missing? This was an experience. Weird. Wait, is this J. Cole?

6. "Skyline To" Oh my god, no. I had accidentally opened up YG's "Still Brazy in another window". I am so disappointed in myself, this review was a terrible idea. I have failed you.

Ok, about song #6 (Skyline To)... Frank is touching on his rap beginnings but, continues to refuse to go back there as of yet. Tyler's Erykah Badu-inspired production is still a strength even after a two year-absence from my headphones. Did Kendrick write Frank's spoken verses or was there a slight drop of a sample from a Kendrick Lamar song? He is credited here, leading to more confusion on my part.

7. "Self Control" There's really no drums on this album whatsoever and I don't mind it. Maybe his other project "Endless" has more drums and features on it, I have more questions than answers about Frank Ocean's music seven songs into this trip. Dude seriously enjoys experimenting with the higher-pitch voice automation on this album. I know very little about Yung Lean but, apparently I should be listening to him afterwards after reading his Wiki page. This is chill as fuck and I dig it so much at this late hour.

8. "Good Guy" Short skits and cutting in along with cutting out are a common theme in Frank's albums but, I really wish this were longer.

9. "Nights" The repetitive instrumental is fine but... oh okay, just change the tempo in the middle of me typing my sentence, no big deal. "On my kumbaya shit". This sounds... Bon Iver-ish. That would be a dream combo in every way musically imaginable. This is 3 songs in 1 over 5 minutes. "Pyramids" did it much better with just 2 in 1 over 9 minutes.

10. "Solo (Reprise)" Andre 3000's only musical relevance nowadays is showing up on a Frank project once every 4 years. That's not a bad thing but damn, does the music community miss him.

11. "Pretty Sweet" Some trippy Beatles "I Am The Walrus" shit is happening here. Now it turned into a driving tune with a fast-paced guitar. Now there's a children's choir that's kind of distorted. What the fuck is this album?

12. "Facebook Story" Some french musician named Sebastian is now talking about not accepting a woman's friend request on Facebook. I know that I say this about every album I insta-review like this but, this is going to require more listens in order for me to know what the fuck is going on and why I haven't heard Frank in like... 3 tracks.

13. "Close To You" Distorted Frank returns! The Francis and the Lights influence is clearly all over this track. I wish it were longer but, that's a basic summary of this entire album up to this point. Every track has come and gone, memorable but not terribly interesting upon first listen.

14. "White Ferrari" The long-rumored James Blake collaboration is real! I'd just like to shout out a dude named Zak that I used to know who told me about James Blake right after Bon Iver, Bon Iver dropped. Blake has one of the best albums out this year (more on that in December) and any time he has anything to do with a song and I discover that mid-song, that moment of realization catapults that song from a C-grade to a higher level for me in the moment. He's that good.

15. "Siegfried" "Blonde" feels like it's about to close on a pretty strong note despite staying with the chill, drumless vibe throughout the full 60-minute run. This song is the best track so far and is the easiest to zone out on, a true goal that every artist should make a song aiming to achieve. Sampling "Flying" by The Beatles is a bold strategy and it has paid off brilliantly.

16. "Godspeed" I have no idea how in the world the Grammy's are going to decide who gets Album of the Year nominations this year (other than David Bowie's "Blackstar" will absolutely receive a nomination and will win) with all of these exclusive releases and uproar caused by social media-imploding albums like Lemonade, The Life of Pablo, A Moon Shaped Pool, Views, Coloring Book, both Frank projects and so much other good shit to sort through. We are truly in the golden era of music...

Did I forget to review that track? I'm sorry. It wasn't very noteworthy to me. *gives you a moment to cringe at my not recognizing Frank's hidden genius on track #16 of a seemingly throw-shit-at-a-wall-and-see-what-sticks album*

17. "Futura Free" This song is 9-minutes long so, I'm expecting something epic and memorable. It is off to a fantastic start. The epic intro cut back into a heavily-autotuned Frank singing over another piano. As much as I like the distortion and experimenting with music, I don't think something as pure as Frank Ocean's voice should be fucked with this often on an hour-long album, you know what I mean? After a solid 30-45 seconds of silence, another part of this song seems to be beginning. Right now it just sounds like a shittily recorded AMA between a random Youtuber and some people just trying to enjoy their coffee. Man, this song is not at all what I thought this was going to be yet. (3 minutes later) man, this better not be the entire rest of the song or I might have my entire opinion about this album jaded by a fucking terrible outro. Update: That was it. What the fuck right now?

END RESULT: I'm a man who enjoys himself some slow-burning albums that take time to grow on the listener but, after the first few tracks, this gets really shaky really quick. I want to love it but, the pureness that was Frank's voice on every prior release is just way too noticeably absent from this album.  I respect his willingness to spread his artistic wings and fly with whatever the fuck it is he's trying to do here but nuh uh, I am not having it. This is an MTV unplugged album gone horribly wrong.

Final Grade: D+ (obviously open to change if the album grows on me)

Pictured here: Frank Ocean facepalming to the most frustrating album of 2016.

2016 Preseason Overreactions, Week 2

It's nearly fantasy football draft season (but who am I kidding?, you've probably already drafted ten teams like I have, you psycho) and for the first time in a few years, I am ALL IN on this fantasy football season. I'm hoping that none of this excitement is misplaced energy and that my third annual fantasy football rankings are the most accurate or at least most bold and click-worthy (ALL ABOUT THAT WEBSITE TRAFFIC) rankings I have done yet. There are still two weeks of preseason overreacting to plow through and there are plenty of teams that looked completely lost one week and phenomenal the next (Ex: 49ers, Raiders, Broncos). Again, this shows us how little the preseason can be used as an indicator for anything that is about to happen this Fall/Winter and that these overreactions, while sometimes hold some small truths, are ultimately just as they appear to be. All Biggest Overreactions are sarcastic and only a borderline crazy person would feel 100% confident in the statements that will follow. Viewer discretion is advised.

AP Photo/Fred Vuich
Did Landry Jones just lose the Steelers' #2 QB job behind Ben Roethlisberger?

Eagles defeat Steelers 17-0
Nobody impresses in a game worth three scores.

Rookie of the Game: 7th round linebacker Tyler Matakevich was not going to let any runners get past him, especially with how badly his offense was getting shut out. The former Temple standout had six tackles, four solo and one behind the line of scrimmage in a game where he had very few competitors for this fake award. His odds at making the final 53-man roster have escalated and with a potentially looming James Harrison suspension, it will be much easier for this inside linebacker to lock up a free roster space.

Who should stay? Stanford D-lineman Aziz Shittu (2 tackles, 1.5 sacks) had a better game than any other defensive lineman on Philadelphia's roster as he tries to increase seemingly impossible odds at making the Eagles' roster. Pass-rushing defensive tackles are harder to find than pass-rushing ends and with the Eagles already employing Bennie Logan, Fletcher Cox, Taylor Hart, Beau Allen and the seemingly expendable Mike Martin, it's possible that Shittu finds himself another team for the regular season.

Who should go? I don't care if the Steelers decide to re-sign a washed-up Michael Vick, he couldn't possibly be any worse than Landry Jones was in this exhibition game. Ben Roethlisberger's backup had the most atrocious performance by any single player in the preseason thus far with 111 yards on 12/20 passes (not too bad, right?) along with no touchdowns (not inspiring but okay) and FOUR interceptions (Oh. No.). Each interception looked miles worse than the previous and it's not like fourth-string QB Dustin Vaughan (7/13-67-0-0) had that many problems against Jim Schwartz's defense. Jones was unimpressive in his two starts last season and the team just signed lifetime practice-squad QB Bryn Renner due to Bruce Gradkowski injuring himself again. Big Ben has never been a guy to stay healthy for all 16 games and with that already known, I don't see why Pittsburgh doesn't find somebody available that's better than Jones or at the very least, more mobile.

Biggest Overreaction: Kenjon Barner > Ryan Mathews is Philadelphia's best kept secret.

Bengals defeat Lions 30-14
Mike Nugent misses another FG in a night where nothing else went wrong for Cincinnati.

Rookie of the Game: Tyler Boyd was one of the highest regarded receivers coming out of college this season and there was a real chance of him making the cut at the end of the first round with so many receiver-needy postseason teams. Watching this game, it has become blatantly clear who the #2 receiver in Cincinnati is. He may have only caught two passes for 38 yards with a touchdown but, the separation Boyd created surprised me as he always struck me as more of a "toss it up and I'll snag it from the DB" guy. If he can be a better version of Marvin Jones, he should absolutely be on your fantasy radar and the decline in numbers for Andy Dalton may have been overestimated.

Who should stay? Lions' tight end Orson Charles was a Bengal from 2012 through 2014 and now, he's trying to make Detroit's roster as added depth at a position filled with injuries for the team. Starter Eric Ebron is not likely to miss much time with an ankle injury but, it's still just another injury for a frequently dinged-up first-rounder. Behind Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew is nowhere near the tight end he once was and opens the season on the PUP list while Tim Wright is on IR and recent-signee Andrew Quarless is suspended for the first two games of the season. In the meantime, Charles is a guy with size, hands and experience that should make the roster, if not for long then at least for a few games. Charles caught all four of his targets from Detroit's weakest quarterbacks for 40 yards.

Who should go? The two years spent behind Matt Schaub in Houston have apparently rubbed off on Dan Orlovsky. Two weeks in a row the man that has made running out of his own endzone famous has thrown pick-sixes. It's obviously unlikely and a little unreasonable to call for multiple teams to just ditch their trusted veteran #2 QB's but, Detroit has had Orlovsky many years too many now and they have yet to see any success whatsoever when he has been needed. This team did draft former Iowa/Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock and frankly, they should just promote him to #2 now because, even though I don't think he's any good at all, I still believe that that is better than Dan Orlovsky.

Biggest Overreaction: Detroit's defense is the same as it's been for the last fifteen years, they have nothing going for them on that side of the ball.

Patriots defeat Bears 23-22
In a game followed by bad injury news, New England still managed to beat the Bears.

Rookie of the Game: The Patriots have been looking for Aaron Hernandez 2.0 for four years now and the Zach Sudfelds, Scott Chandlers and Michael Hoomanawanuis of the world have not cut it. Two of those tight ends were proven veterans and one was a kid who all the fantasy owners hypnotized themselves into believing in one offseason. I realize Martellus Bennett is far more proven as a receiving tight end but, why should his fate be any different than that of all the other non-Hernandi (the new plural of Hernandez). In case Bennett would fail to impress or become too much of a headache for the same team that got nothing out of Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth right as their careers dropped off, A.J. Derby (who spent his entire rookie season of 2015 on IR) is likely their best candidate to become Hernandez 2.0 on the field. Last year's sixth-rounder out of Arkansas was about as reliable as a receiving tight end can be in college and despite his clear blocking failures, Derby was the main target of rookie QB Jacoby Brissett and caught six passes on seven targets for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Who should stay? Despite the additions of veteran E.J. Biggers and second round draft pick Cyrus Jones, Justin Coleman did an okay job as the #3 corner last season and seems to have improved drastically so far. If the Patriots were really able to pull off another Asante Samuel/Malcolm Butler early-career talent jump in the defensive backfield, then Tom Brady's fifth Super Bowl ring is right around the corner. Coleman may give up some bad receptions but, he's more like Antoine Winfield in that he is a defensive back with clutch tackling ability. Also likely staying, OT LaAdrian Waddle, RB Tyler Gaffney and sixth round guard Ted Karras since all hell broke loose in the span of twenty minutes with three injured players of importance. RB Dion Lewis had to have his knee scoped and will probably miss the minimum six weeks on the PUP list while, OT Sebastian Vollmer is headed to IR after shoulder surgery and reserve guard Shaq Mason broke his hand so, the team likely won't be releasing more than one player at his position.

Who should go? Harold Jones-Quartey was signed off of the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad last season as a desperation signing after Brock Vereen proved unworthy of a roster spot. Jones-Quartey is quickly proving to do the same as he recorded zero solo tackles, got fooled by play-actions and flagged on a late hit that erased a sack. His mental errors combined with his lackluster play a year ago in a serious role have left his locker wide open for removal of jerseys. The Bears drafted two safeties in Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson so it's clear how low their confidence in their safeties were in April and it's only gotten worse with Jones-Quartey's performance.

Biggest Overreaction: Brian Hoyer is a shell of the mediocre quarterback he once was. The Bears need to move forward with just Cutler and Connor Shaw.

Falcons defeat Browns 24-13
RG3 returns to rookie form before Cleveland backups choke away game to Atlanta at home.

Rookie of the Game: I adore what the Browns did in this year's draft. With inspiration from former Oakland A's assistant to the GM, Paul DePodesta and GM Sashi Brown, the team went all in on acquiring as many draft picks as possible to kick out much of the old players that made the Browns play like they were running through sewage and replace them with unknown entities. With 14 drafted and 12 undrafted rookies rostered, Cleveland's future may not be gleaming with sunshine but, it certainly looks much brighter than it would have under any previous GM since they re-entered the league. Their draft strategy seemed to be "Big names from big schools that might not translate to the NFL but, we've seen them do it up to this point so why the hell not draft Derrick Kindred?" and draft Rookie of the Game Derrick Kindred they did. The former TCU safety was the most recognizable athlete on the Horned Frogs' defense the last few years since he was the only one that stayed healthy on a defense for a team that was consistently good or even great at times. In this game, Kindred made a few impressive tackles including one where he basically lined up as a Linebacker hybrid (the Mark Barron role) and fought off the left guard with both speed and strength to tackle Cyrus Gray. Kindred finished the game with six tackles (all solo) and as a fourth-rounder, there is a real possibility that he might start over Ibraheim Campbell (who has also looked good this preseason).

Who should stay? Every Browns' draft pick. I don't care that they drafted four wide receivers, they should keep all of them because everybody knows what they're getting with Taylor Gabriel and nothing he does is extraordinary or even very reliable. Josh Gordon will still have to sit out 4 games and that should leave enough space for the team to fit in Corey Coleman, Rashard Higgins, Ricardo Louis (who I'm not even a fan of on offense) and Jordan Payton. Sure, Terrelle Pryor looks awesome right now and quality is sometimes greater than quantity but, they need a bigger sample size of Pryor at his newer position of receiver in order for him to make an opening week roster. It doesn't matter how fast Pryor looks against Desmond Trufant once a game, NFL defenses will figure that shit out in a heartbeat and realize that the former Ohio State QB can only run and be trusted to catch on one predictable route. I don't think Pryor should make this team but, I'm in the minority and the Browns want to keep fans in seats and there's no better way to do that than to see a statewide hero try something new at the highest level of his sport. Andrew Hawkins likely isn't going anywhere as RG3 will need at least one veteran safety blanket outside of Gary "Buttcatch" Barnidge. I have also been majorly impressed by DE Carl Nassib of Penn State.

Who should go? Carving out an NFL career that lasts eight years is an impressive accomplishment all by itself, finishing your career with nearly 500 tackles will at least make you a hometown legend for life and being on five separate teams gives you plenty of teams to recommend your services for the future but, Philip Wheeler's just looks washed up and his career seems to be finished. Not only did he get run over on a tackle attempt, he also managed to get dinged up and his odds at making the final roster continue to shrink with trusted veterans Sean Weatherspoon, Courtney Upshaw and Brooks Reed joining budding star Vic Beasley on the Falcons' outside linebacker depth chart. There's a reason why Wheeler could not make the 49ers' roster after the preseason and the Falcons are now discovering why that was the case.

Biggest Overreaction: Robert Griffin III and Terrelle Pryor: Making Cleveland great again. One deep ball at a time.

Packers defeat Raiders 20-12
Oakland's run game goes frigid on a summer night at the frozen tundra in a Lambeau Field loss.

Rookie of the Game: In the words of a friend of mine on Twitter "Blake Martinez is going to be a stud". The Packers' inside linebacker that was drafted in round four was deemed a necessity in case Carl Bradford never breaks out the way that most undrafted, Ted Thompson pickups do and Sam Barrington never returns to his pre-foot problems up-and-comer status. Jake Ryan was just okay during his rookie season and is bound to improve but, Martinez was far more dominant in college and more important to his school's defense at Stanford than Ryan ever was at Michigan. The one clear NFL advantage that Martinez holds over Ryan is his pass coverage abilities which were on full display against short zip-throws artist Derek Carr. Martinez was all over the field and Packer fans will love watching him and Ryan for years to come (sorry, Sam Barrington).

Who should stay? Oakland has already promoted former-Seahawk linebacker Korey Toomer from the practice squad and with ten preseason tackles (eight solo), his addition behind other former-Seahawks Bruce Irvin and Malcolm Smith make the Raiders' defense more familiar with each other along with already being freakishly talented (see: Khalil Mack, Sean Smith, Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph). Toomer did a terrific job at holding week 1-standout and mobile QB Joe Callahan from ever getting comfortable in this one. Toomer has been on and off of practice squads for four seasons and it's nice to see him beating out a few inexperienced competitors for a roster spot for once.

Who should go? Packers linebacker Reggie Gilbert. "Oh, hi Connor Cook. No, you go first. Please, I insist.". I was under the assumption that anyone that shared names with two defensive linemen from the Super Bowl XXXI Packers would be a fan-favorite and play passable football at least, which would be a really fun story from an undrafted free agent. Alas, this is the only play of note I have seen from Gilbert and he just let Connor Cook get away with a first-down completion in the same game where Cook threw a brutal pick on an attempted pass to K.J. Brent.

Biggest overreaction: Oakland really is cursed for whatever reason and is bound to disappoint this season with Carr and Latavius Murray hitting major walls in their development.

Vikings defeat Seahawks 18-11
Seattle's offensive line continues to terrify Seahawk fans as Vikings win rematch of 2016 divisional round game.

Rookie of the Game: Undrafted Jacksonville State rookie running back Troymaine Pope has done enough to make an NFL practice squad at the bare minimum with his performance Thursday night against the Vikings. Ten carries for 86 yards and a touchdown along with a 26-yard kick return boosted Pope from relative unknown to practice squad/roster necessity to any team that needs stronger running back depth (see: Jacksonville, Green Bay, Buffalo or even Minnesota). The reason Seattle might not protect him from the cut-downs to the eventual final 53 is that they have already invested quite a bit in the position behind sophomore blooming star Thomas Rawls. Christine Michael looks better than ever and helped them in the postseason so, he's staying. C.J. Prosise was a third round draft pick out of Notre Dame and Alex Collins, a fifth rounder out of Arkansas so they are also both more than likely staying. The only player Pope may have leapfrogged on the depth chart is seventh-rounder Zac Brooks of Clemson and he hasn't gotten much playing time to defend his roster spot even though he might not even have one as very few teams keep five non-fullback running backs. Pope has a future, it just probably won't be in Seattle.

Who should stay? Kelcie McCray has struggled in his two starts at strong safety in place of the injured All-Pro Kam Chancellor but, has looked more than serviceable in moments as well. McCray is very much a hit-or-miss talent on defense and with Seattle's history under Pete Carroll, it is more likely that McCray realizes his potential than doesn't. McCray recorded four tackles (three solo) with two pass defenses against Shaun Hill and should beat out the inexperienced Keenan Lambert while Ohio State's Tyvis Powell continues to learn behind both McCray and Chancellor.

Who should go? Considering the current health statuses of Teddy Bridgewater and Shaun Hill and the reports that the most recent practices with inexperienced QB's Joel Stave and Brad Sorensen, any quarterback that is not named Teddy should be in danger of losing their chance at playing in the final two preseason games. Not only does the offense not show anything with two dudes that will never see the light of a meaningful NFL game but, the coaching staff learns absolutely nothing about their defense when the kids and reserves get to feast off a guy that could barely hold onto his spot in his college lineup (Stave) and a man who has been repeatedly bested by worthless Kellen Clemens, who couldn't make Washington's roster when their options were a washed up Rex Grossman and a washed up Donovan McNabb. The Vikings need to sign a REAL QB with real experience like a (hold in the vomit for now) Ryan Lindley or a Charlie Whitehurst or even Matt Flynn because Stave and Sorensen will not help the team in any way right now.

Biggest Overreaction: Laquon Treadwell had zero receptions on four targets? SOUND THE BUST ALARM!

Washington defeats Jets 22-18
Matt Jones suffers preseason-ending injury while Washington receivers impress in win over backup Jets.

Rookie of the Game: Former Temple Owl WR Robby Anderson had the strongest showing from a receiver so far this preseason (which is only 32 games old) by catching six passes for 131 yards and a 42-yard touchdown. With Ryan Fitzpatrick, those stats would be considered really good. With Bryce Petty (currently the alleged third-stringer behind Fitzmagic and Geno Smith), those stats look awesome. Anderson went from being a long-shot at making the roster in any form to a likely practice squad body thanks to two good deep passes from Bryce Petty and the separation plus the hands of a real-life NFL receiver being possessed by the undrafted receiver. The Jets are definitely looking strong at the wide receiver position with Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, young Devin Smith, Quincy Enunwa and a solid gathering of names battling for the WR5 roster spot. Now, they just need Fitzpatrick to somehow duplicate his career year from last season (cringes).

Who should stay? With the team's current roster construction, Washington has no use for first round pick Josh Doctson in 2016 barring an injury to a fellow wide receiver. Understand that the team made the selection of Doctson with starters DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon's expiring contracts in mind, this team is still stacked behind those two veterans with three other highly capable options in the passing game. Ryan Grant, Rashad Ross and Jamison Crowder are all talented wideouts that have produced on the field (see: Crowder's 59 catches as a rookie in 2015). This team has so many slot receivers in a time where that specific position has never been deemed more useful that it's no wonder Kirk Cousins was so awesome last season and should continue to play well as the new face of the franchise. The one receiver who grabbed attention and popped off the stat sheet in this one was Rashad Ross (4 catches, 58 yards, 2 touchdowns) and he showed his return-man speed by beating Jet corners deep and even catching a deep ball for one of his touchdowns. Ross is probably the most likely to miss out on the final 53-man roster but, after this performance, it would be one of their toughest cuts to make.

Who should go? Geno Smith's (6/13-47-0-1) roller-coaster ride of a career in New York is only three years old but, it seems like his time in green is coming to an end. Ryan Fitzpatrick is clearly the starting quarterback with no competition from Smith whatsoever and now, Bryce Petty looks awesome after the team took Christian Hackenberg in the second round of this year's draft. The writing is on the wall for a quarterback that I still believe had some potential at some point that was totally wasted on bad teams with a teammate that felt like busting his jaw and effectively destroying his career last season (IK Enempali). Geno is not Todd Bowles' guy and that might be the most incriminating reason for his impending release when both Petty and Hackenberg were drafted by the new GM while Bowles was trusted with coaching them both.

Biggest Overreaction: Washington looked just fine without RB Matt Jones (AC joint injury), they'll win the division with or without him.

AP Photo/Ron Jenkins
Another preseason Dak Attak has Cowboys fans raving about their team's potential.

Cowboys defeat Dolphins 41-14
The D in Dallas stands for "Dak" as rookie QB torches another team in a blowout.

Rookie of the Game: Future hall of fame QB Dak Prescott threw two touchdowns on 199 yards while completing twelve of fifteen passes. The greatest quarterback in Cowboys' history also ran for 28 yards, 2 touchdowns and erected a statue of himself at halftime that Jerry Jones will place right in front of AT&T Stadium until football ceases to exist because nobody will be playing in football in fifteen years, realizing that nobody will ever again play the sport as well as Dak Prescott once played it. We've stepped into Biggest Overreaction territory and Tony Romo won't have to worry about anymore collarbone injuries now that he'll be warming the bench by week 4.

Who should stay? Dolphins linebacker Mike Hull is the perfect backup middle linebacker as he does not do many things extraordinarily but, he will run all over the field and tackle the guy with the ball with ease. Obviously, you want a middle linebacker that can drop back and play in coverage for a starter and nothing compliments that guy (in this case: Kiko Alonso) better than a backup who will always be able to wrap up a runner and stop opponents' progress. The undrafted Penn State Nittany Lion only got one tackle last season and with a whole bunch of changes on defense for the Dolphins, it is likely that he will get more playing time if he stays and he absolutely should.

Who should go? On a team that is freakishly deep in offensive line talent, it should be impossible (even for the last man on the depth chart running behind the last men on the depth chart) for RB Darius Jackson to only average 3.1 yards per carry. Jackson has now been unimpressive for two consecutive games, likely won't see much playing time in the notoriously starter-heavy game 3 and will likely be released should a more talented running back like Troymaine Pope or Isaiah Pead (who went for 48 yards on 4 carries for Miami in this one) become available. Darren McFadden likely isn't going to miss any time past the first six weeks so, Dallas shouldn't need Jackson whether he is on the roster or not.

Biggest Overreaction: Just look back at the Rookie of the Game section.

Chargers defeat Cardinals 19-3
Two week one disappointments collide heads in an ugly game that San Diego doesn't lose.

Rookie of the Game: The top rated rookie safety of the preseason so far is Arizona Cardinal Matthias Farley. If you have not been watching the Cardinals, you might be asking "Who the hell is Matthias Farley?!" and you are not alone as Cardinal fans were mostly asking the same question last week. The undrafted Notre Dame product has covered the field extremely well the first two weeks of the preseason and I'll even go out of the way to say that he has been the most impressive defensive player so far, despite being on an 0-2 team. No relation to late SNL great Chris Farley, Matthias recorded another five tackles (all solo) against San Diego Friday night and may have knocked a veteran (Chris Clemons or D.J. Swearinger) off the final roster. Arizona may have some curious cuts in the coming weeks.

Who should stay? Fifth round safety Marqui Christian continues to impress in Arizona's defensive backfield as well. The one problem he has that will keep him on the practice squad this season is that he cannot catch a pass (dropped an easy pick thrown by Mike Bercovici) and as seen last week, he can get easily juked out of his stance by a fast, elusive runner like DeAndre Washington. Christian would be great if he didn't have these mental mistakes often since he, much like Farley, is all over the field all the time. Against San Diego, Christian recorded five tackles as well (four solo) with one pass defensed that could have been an easy pick. He might not make the 53-man roster as safety depth is still strong on this defense but, he should stay a Cardinal through the season.

Who should go? Chris Hairston may have the veteran leadership and experience that San Diego's o-line has sorely missed since Nick Hardwick retired but, the dude has always been in a battle for a starting job and after last season's dumpster fire, Hairston is now battling for a role as a backup. Hairston has severely struggled in camp this year and his problems as a pass-blocker have been overshadowed by his weak run-blocking ability this preseason. For the second week in a row, the Chargers were unable to get a steady running game going after finishing 32nd in rushing DVOA last season. Now, a ton of blame can and should be placed on the running backs but, when this team has barely done anything to improve their offensive line the past few seasons (yes, they drafted Max Tuerk to back-up new signing Matt Slauson), the offensive line needs to take on a ton of blame as well.

Biggest Overreaction: The Cardinals only have 13 points in two games? OVERRATED! clap clap clapclapclap.

Panthers defeat Titans 26-16
Carolina wins despite a mediocre defensive showing in Tennessee.

Rookie of the Game: With Kendall Wright on the mend, Tajae Sharpe has suddenly become a favorite target of Titans' quarterback Marcus Mariota. The fifth round draft pick out of UMass went relatively unnoticed throughout his college career because the only other productive NFL player to come out of Massachusetts since the 70's is former pro bowl WR Victor Cruz. Right now, Sharpe is WR2 on the depth chart behind 2015 breakout Dolphin Rishard Matthews. Sharpe caught all six of his targets from Mariota (on his ten pass attempts) for 68 yards against Carolina's shakier-than-last-year defensive backs. Under Mike Mularkey, I'm not sure there will be any fantasy value outside of the running back duo but, if there's one receiver you have to own out of this group... it might just be Tajae "Holy shit, I can't believe I'm saying this right now" Sharpe.

Who should stay? After all of the hype that cornerback Zack Sanchez received whilst playing for Oklahoma, I was surprised (not stunned) to see him fall to Carolina in the fifth round. Despite being undersized, the former Sooner has impressed in two preseason games, grabbing a pick off of Matt Cassel (the most white bread of all NFL quarterbacks) in this win over the Titans. The Panthers lost both Roman Harper and Josh Norman in their defensive backfield and the loss of two starters frees up plenty of spots not only in the lineup but, on the bench as well. Bene Benwikere is, oddly enough, sticking around as the #3 corner and not receiving a promotion while the team's 2nd (James Bradberry) and 3rd (Darryl Worley) round draft picks are listed as starting cornerbacks. With the team actively looking to start two higher-rated rookies, it would not shock anyone to see Sanchez make the team and possibly even get a start or two before the end of the year if there are injuries in the Carolina secondary.

Who should go? Bishop Sankey (3 touches, 8 yards) has no more reasons for a place on the Titan roster. Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray are clearly locked into roster spots and with the money still owed to Dexter McCluster, I doubt that ownership is just going to say "Adios MC Cluster". The one player that Sankey is truly trying to fight off for a roster spot is David Cobb, a fifth-rounder from last season that has done a very nice job this preseason (despite losing a fumble in this game) and had the full support and hype of the organization just last season. Sankey may be on his way to New England with Dion Lewis's injury and his solid receiving skills but, he's not long for Tennessee anymore.

Biggest Overreaction: That Carolina pass defense is not going to miss a beat without Josh Norman this season.

Bills defeat Giants 21-0
Ignoring a suspension and controversial release, Rex Ryan's defense shuts out the Giants.

Rookie of the Game: Giants' corner Donte Deayon has let many receivers get their hands on the ball but, he also tends to get his hands on the receivers' hands at just the right time, preventing many of those passes from turning into completions. Deayon had just one tackle and two pass defenses in this game in a contest that was widely filled with veterans trying to save themselves' from the 90-to-75 cutdown. Deayon should absolutely be in consideration for the practice squad but, he needs to improve his awareness and vision if he wants to be on the 53-man roster anytime soon.

Who should stay? From the University of Miami (OH), linebacker Bryson Albright has quickly stolen Bill fans' attention that was originally focused on Oklahoma superstar Eric Striker. Albright has a very realistic chance at locking up a roster spot with two more games of playing strong on the edge and getting after opposing quarterbacks. Albright only recorded three tackles and a recovered fumble in this one but, the Giants were always looking for extra blockers to pay special attention to him after he got enough pressure to force limp throws in a terrible game for Giant QBs (8/25-64-0-2).

Who should go? The Logan Thomas (2/4-17-0-2) experiment is never going to work and apparently, that was not made clear enough by the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins giving up on him after one season each. The former Virginia Tech star was more selected by Bruce Arians as a favor to his old school than as a strategic advantage and it has been sad to see him flop in three different area codes after watching him play flashy, fun football in the ACC.

Biggest Overreaction: This will be the year that Tyrod Taylor wins Offensive Player of the Year at least. He is a breakout star.

Ravens defeat Colts 19-18
Andrew Luck completes all 8 passes in first preseason action, a loss to Baltimore on a fluke play.

Rookie of the Game: After murdering E.J. Manuel in plain sight of a whole bunch of television cameras, it was pretty apparent that the Colts had something in fourth round draft pick, linebacker Antonio Morrison. In game #2 of the Colts' preseason, Morrison reintroduced himself to those same cameras by covering the entire field and recording nine tackles (4 solo) including one for a loss. With Sio Moore injured for an unknown amount of time, Morrison will see a boost in playing time and, while he doesn't have a great opportunity at a starting job right now, the former Florida Hurricane that got in trouble for barking at a police dog will build his case for the Colts' future middle linebacker job. After all, D'Qwell Jackson is 32 years-old and coming off an injury of his own.

Who should stay? When Jeremy Butler was called upon last November as a result of injuries to Steve Smith Sr., Breshad Perriman, Michael Campanaro, Travis Taylor, Steve Largent and Don Hutson, the following performances of his were not expected to be as solid as they were since his quarterback was a rotating trio of Matt Schaub/Ryan Mallett/Jimmy Clausen. Butler has carried his 2015 surprise success into the 2016 preseason. In the Ravens win over Indy, the former Tennessee-Martin product caught all four of his targets for 35 yards and a touchdown. With all of those earlier names (or at least, the ones that were actually in Baltimore last season) returning with their health somewhat in tact and with the addition of Mike Wallace for some reason, Butler was shoved down the depth chart. I still don't see anybody on the team's roster that I would 100% trust if I were Baltimore but, Butler's roster spot is legitimately in doubt at the moment.

Who should go? Robert "Turdbin" Turbin has one touchdown on 281 career carries. Even though that is more a result of in-game coaching strategy and not a direct result of Turbin's ability or lack thereof to get into the end zone. He's never been the best option for any team he's been on and teams are always looking to replace him when the emergency occurs that forces them to turn to Turbin (see: Cleveland going straight to Duke Johnson Jr., Dallas signing Christine Michael and Seattle continuously flirting with the idea of Christine Michael). Indianapolis is low on options under Frank Gore (Josh Ferguson? Yuck. Jordan Todman? Bleh. Trey Williams? Why?) and I still don't see a reason they'd hang onto Turbin after his 25 yards on 8 touches Saturday afternoon.

Biggest Overreaction: Forget Justin Forsett, give all of the Baltimore rushing workload to Terrance West!

Buccaneers defeat Jaguars 27-21
Tampa's defense excels in matchup of Florida teams.

Rookie of the Game: There was a reason for all of the Vernon Hargreaves III hype going into the draft this year and there's a reason Tampa Bay selected him eleventh overall. In this game, Hargreaves was only targeted twice and made the most of those opportunities in the most Darrelle Revis-y way possible by picking off both passes. The Florida Gator did not get much action with the first team but, has more than proved that he could handle a couple targets from Chad Henne so, he'll be with the first team this upcoming weekend against RG3 and the Cleveland Browns. Alterraun Verner is locked in as a starter on this Mike Smith defense and Hargreaves will be an awesome compliment on the other side with Brent Grimes and/or Jonathan Banks being trusted with covering any other wideouts.

Who should stay? Defensive Ends Bjoern Werner and Chris Smith both had really nice games here and they both needed to as Dante Fowler Jr. is healthy now and roster spots are harder to come by at their position. Werner (2 tackles, both for loss) is a former first round draft bust of the Indianapolis Colts who was moved around from the d-line to linebacker back to the d-line multiple times and he was always on a mediocre defense but, it's not like he doesn't deserve a second chance. Chris Smith (4 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 QB hits) has 3.5 sacks in two seasons of mostly coming off the bench for Gus Bradley's Jaguars after being selected from Arkansas in the fifth round in 2014. Smith will obviously have an edge from coaches of the team for being a known, trusted utility player but, Werner's future is a lot more unclear. Ultimately, this team has the #3 overall pick from last year (Fowler) and a third-rounder from this year's draft (Yannick Ngakoue) along with trusted veteran Jared Odrick and another Jacksonville favorite in Ryan Davis and all of those options make Werner's odds much lower than they probably should be.

Who should go? Bucs' wide receiver Kenny Bell is not going to deliver on the promise he showed in college at Nebraska. Last year's fifth-rounder spent his rookie season on IR and now, he's still not catching any passes. Granted, he was only targeted twice but, you need to show up when your roster spot is on the line in a more positive manner than Bell has. Bell has accumulated a brutal holding penalty, four reception-less targets, a fumble and has not looked any good in practices along with already losing hold of return duties. Somebody will probably give him a chance on their practice squad somewhere, it just won't be the Buccaneers anymore.

Biggest Overreaction: Jameis Winston is about to have a serious case of a sophomore slump.

Texans defeat Saints 16-9
Minus one J.J. Watt, Houston's defense doesn't miss a step in a win over New Orleans.

Rookie of the Game: It's no surprise that Saints' rookie safety Vonn Bell models his game after Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu since they are freakishly talented and really fucking good at playing football. The second round draft pick out of Ohio State was originally going to sit on the bench behind overpaid Jairus Byrd and probably even lose out on playing time to 90 year-old returnee and Super Bowl hero Roman Harper. Now, after a game in which he recorded 8 tackles and a sack all by himself, Bell has catapulted himself into discussions for the starting free safety job over Byrd and no longer will he and Harper be in the same category for playing time. Bell is a stud-in-waiting and will dominate his rookie season. The question is... will his career keep being awesome, a la the honey badger, or will his weaknesses (if he has any) be exposed, causing irreparable damage to his career a la Matt Elam.

Who should stay? The New Orleans cornerback depth is so incredibly weak and uncertain that the team was forced to sign veteran Cortland Finnegan last week. Undrafted rookie Ken Crawley is another guy who can be safely considered a part of the Saints' future opening Sunday roster. Crawley, of University of Colorado fame, has been far more impressive than some of the other kids the Saints have tried out at the corner this offseason and likely sealed his fate this weekend with four tackles and two pass defenses.

Who should go? After his successful run at LSU (most runners at LSU are successful), it has been surprising how ineffective Kenny Hilliard has been over the last six Texan preseason games. The former seventh-rounder had eleven yards on seven carries and is firmly planted below Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue and Tyler Ervin on the depth chart. The thing about his chances in Houston are that Jonathan Grimes and Akeem Hunt are also still on the roster and actually continue to get better. This all leaves Hilliard stuck as the RB6 on the team and I don't see any NFL future for the guy who will forever be overshadowed and forgotten thanks to current LSU running back Leonard Fournette.

Biggest Overreaction: Houston's passing game is majorly improved! They are serious Super Bowl contenders right now!

49ers defeat Broncos 31-24
Chip Kelly's offense outdoes Wade Phillips defense because... aww, who the hell knows. Preseason!

Rookie of the Game: Jeff Driskel's NFL future might not be a shiny, glistening diamond but, in a Chip Kelly offense, weird shit happens all of the time and maybe, just maybe, Driskel can have some success at the pro level (I mean... Nick Foles threw 27 TD's and 2 INT's under Kelly once so, anything is possible). The Louisiana Tech QB had another intriguing showing in which he completed six of seven passes for 66 yards and ran for 12 yards in a game where he looked a whole lot more comfortable than he did in last week's debut. Considering he did this against Denver, it's possible he just needed to get the first-appearance butterflies out of his stomach before he could play more like Nick Foles! and less like Nick Foles.

Who should stay? Marcus Rush is a name that only Michigan State fans are going to recognize. The undrafted pass-rushing specialist showed off his big guns in this one with four tackles, three sacks and even a forced fumble. Rush showed a combination of speed and strength that gave Niner fans flashbacks to the days of Justin Smith (which were only two years ago but, seem like an eternity). Budding prospect pass rusher Aaron Lynch is already down until week five thanks to a suspension so, finding a place for Rush on the roster won't be hard at first. The question is whether or not he performs well enough off the bench in those first four games in order to stay on the roster over a more proven 49er linebacker.

Who should go? Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Former AFC Champion runner-up QB Mark Sanchez has rediscovered his addiction to fumbles. The simple stat-line looks fairly generic and okay for Sanchez (10/17-120-0-0) and if you were just watching plays in which he got passes off, you'd think everything was fine here and that Denver could and will start him the first half or so of the season. The artist formerly known as "Sanchize" ended up being sacked thrice and fumbling twice, making Bronco fans want to roll the dice on one of the other two quarterback options. Frankly, I think Trevor Siemian is a waste of a roster spot and will only do harm to what should still be a playoff team's season while, Paxton Lynch has made some super impressive displays of accuracy on throws downfield without many errors along the way. Really, Lynch SHOULD be starting week 1 but, Gary Kubiak is the same guy that stuck with Peyton Manning last season despite his being the worst quarterback in the NFL and then they all fell ass-backwards into Super Bowl rings thanks to Von Miller, Malik Jackson and the not-ready-for-primetime Panthers. Siemian will start week one and the team will regret it in due time.

Biggest Overreaction: The 49ers are the sleeper team that nobody's watching this year. All aboard the Chip train! Choo choo!

Rams defeat Chiefs 21-20
Los Angeles wins another close one over their former quarterback.

Rookie of the Game: The Rams were up by one late in the game and needed to prevent Kansas City from getting a first down. In stepped rookie corner Mike Jordan (no, not the guy you're thinking of) to save the day with two excellent plays on throws by Aaron Murray that helped seal another win on Jeff Fisher's preseason resume. Jordan's a long-shot to make the roster but, he'll always have this gametape and the three tackles (one solo) plus two pass defenses that came with it for future reference.

Who should stay? Former Washington Husky and undrafted free agent outside linebacker Cory Littleton is another player that came into camp as a man with long odds of making the Rams' final roster. Now, after an impressive showing versus Kansas City (3 tackles, one for loss, one QB hit), Littleton's odds have improved as the Rams do not have much in the way of OLB depth. Mark Barron and Akeem Ayers are locked in as the starters on this team with Ogletree moving inside due to the release of James Laurinaitis. The two "kids" who are still hanging above Littleton on the depth chart are coming off rookie seasons where they too were long-shots at making the roster but, did and got a few tackles as depth. Bryce Hager (a 7th-rounder from Baylor) recorded five tackles in 2015 and Cameron Lynch (undrafted out of Syracuse) collected four tackles as a deep reserve linebacker. Ultimately, neither of those two have made any major impressions so, why not Cory Littleton?

Who should go? Any Chiefs quarterback that isn't Alex Smith or Nick Foles can go directly to the practice squad or get off Andy Reid's lawn! Here are the stats of the four guys competing to play behind the most conservative passer we've seen this century in Smith...

- Nick Foles: 22/30, 170 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs + 1 carry for 2 yards
- Aaron Murray: 8/14, 110 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs + 2 carries for 2 yards, 3 fumbles and 1 lost
- Tyler Bray: 3/9, 48 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
- Kevin Hogan: 2/6, 21 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT

Keep in mind that this team fifth-rounders both this year and last on Kevin Hogan and Aaron Murray, respectively. I get that this team is desperate to have their first starting QB actually drafted by their franchise since Todd Blackledge (THIS IS A REAL FACT, LOOK IT UP, IT'S INCREDIBLE) but, they should not be throwing out draft picks on a guy they will cut (Hogan) and a two-year practice squad QB (Murray).

Biggest Overreaction: The Rams are obviously going to run all the time so, why not just give Benny Cunningham and Malcolm Brown 50% of the carries alongside Todd Gurley?

Good luck to your teams and may all of the starters dodge injuries!