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