Training Camp UpdateVolume 9, Issue 3 – 8/19/14

We say it all the time because it's true: Things change fast in the NFL. And they never change faster than they do in August. And nobody covers those changes and team situations more comprehensively than Footballguys.com. Our Training Camp Updates come out once a week in August and our staff covers everything you need to know about every NFL team. This is the deep stuff that gives you an edge. We're not going to rave that Peyton Manning and Jamaal Charles are great. You know that.

Read our weekly updates to get the inside scoop on how the Browns running backs are practicing and which player is the best bet for your draft. Or the Bills WR corps. Or which Seattle receivers are shining in practice. It's the kind of information that will put you over the edge and on the way to dominating your draft.

Happy reading and let's have a great 2014 season,

Joe Bryant and David DoddsOwners, Footballguys.com

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Arizona Cardinals

QB: After his impressive debut in Week 1, rookie Logan Thomas didn't throw a pass in the second week of the preseason. Thomas' snaps went to Ryan Lindley, who failed to impress in the same way his counterpart did. Both players still remain firmly behind primary backup Drew Stanton, who is also firmly behind starter Carson Palmer.

RB: At this stage, it appears that Jonathan Dwyer is the Arizona Cardinals goal line back and maybe even the primary backup over Stepfan Taylor. Andre Ellington will still be the primary ball carrier, but he will need a

complementary piece. Dwyer is a proven, but limited veteran while Taylor appears to have more potential in different situations. Dwyer is likely ahead of Taylor because of his effectiveness in specific roles. Without a great offensive line to run behind, the Cardinals will need someone like Dwyer who can convert first downs with his power rather than his vision. Second year running back/fullback Robert Hughes got a lot of work against the Vikings as he continues to be the favorite for the fourth spot on the roster.

WR: The ‘John Brown Show’ was put on hold in Week 2 to make way for the Jaron Brown show. Jaron caught a screen pass on the Cardinals' first drive of the game and benefited from some very poor Minnesota Vikings tackling to escape down the sideline. He turned that play into 51 yards before showing off another aspect of his play with the second team offense. Deep down the sideline, Jaron high pointed a well thrown pass from Drew Stanton for a 35-yard reception. Jaron and John both got time with the first team as Michael Floyd was absent. Floyd didn't play, but there are no long-term concerns. The Cardinals have five wide receiver spots seemingly set in stone, Floyd, Fitzgerald, John, Jaron and Ginn. It's still unclear if Walter Powell or Britton Golden can claim a sixth spot.

TE: Bruce Arians' offense takes the emphasis off the tight end position in the passing game. This makes it very difficult for lower rung tight ends to climb the depth chart. Darren Fells had two receptions for 10 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings, but the veteran is still unlikely to crack the regular season roster. Troy Niklas, John Carlson and Rob Housler will be the three regular season tight ends unless injury rules one of them out.

Defense: The big news for the Cardinals defense this week was the return of outside linebacker John Abraham. Abraham is a long-time veteran who could potentially make the hall of fame one day, he should be able to get into football shape in time for the start of the season. As Kevin Minter continues to recover from a pectoral muscle injury, the front office decided to bring in veteran Desmond Bishop to compete for playing time with Larry Foote. Bishop is a talented player, but durability has been a major concern in previous seasons. The defense appears to have also found its answer to John and Jaron Brown, as undrafted free agent Jonathan Brown is pressing for a roster spot.

K/P: This week rookie Chandler Catanzaro watched as veteran kicker Jay Feely got the opportunity to handle all the kicking against the Vikings. Feely didn’t get any field goal opportunities. He made four extra points, although one of them clipped the upright on the way in. Feely had decent distance on his kickoffs, although no touchbacks. After camp practices and a game apiece, Catanzaro has the edge. Dave Zastudil averaged 41.3 yards on four punts.

OL: Ted Larsen was named by head coach Bruce Arians as the starting left guard in place of Jonathan Cooper, and it is unclear if this change is permanent. Cooper has been sitting out practice due to a turf toe injury and is increasingly a target of the coaches’ criticism. This has been a rough preseason for

Cooper, who missed all of last season. Right tackle Bobby Massie has been called the most improved lineman since last season. Backup center John Estes had a head’s up play during the preseason game against the Vikings, scooping up a fumbled shotgun snap and flipping it to an open running back for a touchdown.

Cardinals Depth ChartQB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas, Ryan LindleyRB: Andre Ellington, Stepfan Taylor, Jonathan Dwyer, Jalen Parmale, Zach Bauman, Robert HughesWR: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, Ted Ginn (KR/PR), John Brown, Jaron Brown, Walt Powell, Brittan Golden, Dan Buckner, Teddy WilliamsTE: John Carlson, Troy Niklas (inj), Rob Housler, Darren Fells, Andre HardyLT: Jared Veldheer, Bradley SowellLG: Ted Larsen, Jonathan Cooper, Christian JohnsonC: Lyle Sendlein, Phillip Blake, John EstesRG: Paul Fanaika, Earl WatfordRT: Bobby Massie, Max Starks, Nate PotterK: Jay Feely, Chandler CatanzaroDT: Dan Williams, Alameda Ta′amu, Anthony McCloud, Everette ThompsonDE: Calais Campbell, Frostee Rucker (DT), Ronald Talley, Kareem Martin, Ed Stinson, Darnell Dockett (IR)ILB: Kevin Minter, Larry Foote, Lorenzo Alexander, Kenny Demens, JoJo Dickson, Desmond Bishop, Daryl Washington (susp)OLB: Matt Shaughnessy (W), John Abraham (W), Marcus Benard, Sam Acho, Adrian Tracy, Alex Okafor, Keenan ClaytonCB: Patrick Peterson (PR), Antonio Cromartie, Jerraud Powers, Justin Bethel, Bryan McCann, LeQuan LewisS: Tyrann Mathieu (FS), Tony Jefferson (SS), Deone Bucannon (SS), Rashad Johnson (FS), Orhian Johnson, Anthony Walters (SS), Curtis Taylor

Atlanta Falcons

QB: "We just had a few plays here and there that kind of got off schedule, and when you do that against a good defense it's tough to overcome those mistakes," Matt Ryan (3/7 for 37 yards passing, zero TDs or interceptions, with one sack taken for -7 yards) said after the second preseason game. "We had opportunities to make plays, we just didn't make them." The first-team offense played four series and were forced to punt each time on Saturday night. Sean Renfree (7/10 for 49 yards, one TD and zero interceptions or sacks taken) replaced Ryan with 6:20 left in the first half and led the Falcons on an 11-play, 66-yard touchdown drive. T.J. Yates suffered a miserable game against his former Texans' teammates, with 4/11 for 63 yards passing and zero TDs with two interceptions (and one sack taken for -2 yards). The camp battle between Yates and Renfree isn't resolved yet heading into the third preseason tilt.

RB: Devonta Freeman led the Falcons in rushing at Houston (6/31/0 rushing with 1/11/0 receiving), followed closely by Antone Smith (8/27/0 rushing). Freeman averaged 5.2 yards per-carry vs. Smith's pedestrian 3.4. Jacquizz Rodgers showed up with 3/13/0 rushing without handling a target this week. Rodgers and Smith worked with the first team, while Freeman came in with the second team. A major issue with the Falcons' OL arose during the game Saturday when LT Sam Baker went down with a serious knee injury (torn right patellar tendon - out for the season). "It's tough," Ryan said. "I don't know the severity of Sam's injury. We'll have to see how that shakes out. You don't want to see anybody go down, especially in the (exhibition) season. It's part of the deal, but it's not one of the things you like seeing as a player." Footballguys.com's offensive line Matt Bitonti had this take on the impact of the injury: “If [Jake] Matthews lives up to draft status he will be a far better left tackle than Sam Baker ever was for the Falcons. And if Ryan Schraeder can get on the field in front of Lamar Holmes, the team might be able to build around some young bookends for seasons to come.” Bitonti indicates that the loss of Baker drops the Falcons' line just a few spots on his preseason list. Freeman was shaken up in practice on Monday, August 11 but the injury didn't amount to anything serious. Before his injury, Freeman commented: "But I have a lot of work to do with everything and every phase, pass block and runs. Overall, I just have a lot of work to do."

WR: Devin Hester scored the only Atlanta TD of the, with three targets for 2/15/1 receiving to his credit. Julio Jones saw four targets for 2/20/0 receiving, while his box score doppelganger Julian Jones led the team with four targets for 1/29/0 receiving. Julio Jones played 16 snaps and had a long reception negated by stepping out of bounds. Roddy White checked in with 1/17/0 receiving on three targets. While the starting receivers didn’t do much, just seeing them out there healthy is a big step in the right direction.

TE: Levine Toilolo failed to catch his lone target Saturday night. Mickey Shuler saw three targets for 2/19/0 during the game. On Monday, tight ends coach Mark Scelfo stated: "We have to be real careful about pushing off and using our hands. We have to get out of that first five yards where we can get free. It seems like the first five yards is fair game [for opposing DBs to use their hands to impede receivers]. We have to find a way to get past that landmark."

Defense: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Falcons' cornerback Desmond Trufant continued his strong camp with two solid days of practices against the Texans. "I'm playing with a lot of confidence," Trufant said. "Just working on the little things. I'm expecting big things this year." Trufant had two solo tackles against the Texans. The Falcons' defense kept the game close up until half-time (7-13 lead by the Texans) before Houston's special teams and defense punched in two fourth-quarter TDs to help bring the game to its 7-32 close. S Kemal Ishmael intercepted Case Keenum near the goal line to help shut down one drive by the Texan's offense - Ishmael is in line to start at S while Dezmon Southward recovers from his injury, and Ishmael may be rotated in extensively as the third S on the depth chart. DT Jonathan Babineaux commented on the difference between regular

season and preseason on Sunday, August 10: "The fact of the matter is that in the (exhibition) season we just don't do a lot of game planning," Babineaux said. "We just go out there and play and that's what we did [in the first preseason game], especially in the first series. We made a few mistakes as a unit in terms of executing, but luckily we made the necessary adjustments in the second half."

K/P: Kicker Matt Bryant had a quiet game against Houston, making an extra point. He “missed” his only field goal attempt, when his 51-yarder was blocked. Punter (and holder and kickoff specialist) Matt Bosher averaged 41.4 yards on seven punts in the game. One of those was blocked by the Texans and returned for a touchdown.

OL: In the preseason game against the Houston Texans, left tackle Sam Baker was carted off the field with a knee injury. Lamar Holmes took his place in the game. The next morning it was announced that Baker will miss the entire season. Here is the article I have written on the subject for Footballguys. Jake Matthews appears to be the team’s option to take Baker’s place, as he played that left tackle position last season in college. In joint practices earlier in the week against the Texans, Matthews learned some hard lessons against All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt.

Falcons Depth ChartQB: Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree, Jeff MathewsRB: Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers (KR), Devonta Freeman, Antone Smith, Josh VaughnFB: Patrick DiMarcoWR: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas (PR), Drew Davis (inj), Darius Johnson, Devin Hester (KR/PR), Kevin Cone, Geraldo Boldewijn, Bernard Reedy, Courtney Roby, Jeremy EbertTE: Levine Toilolo, Mickey Shuler, Andrew Szczerba, Jacob PedersonLT: Sam Baker, Lamar Holmes, Ryan SchraederLG: Justin Blalock, Harland GunnC: Joe Hawley, Peter KonzRG: Jon AsamoahRT: Jake Matthews, Gabe Carimi, Terren JonesK: Matt BryantNT: Paul Soliai, Travian Robertson, Donte RumphDE: Tyson Jackson, Jonathan Babineaux, Ra′Shede Hageman (inj), Osi Umenyiora, Jonathan Massaquoi, Stansly Maponga, Malliciah Goodman (inj), Corey Peters (inj), Cliff Matthews, Adam ReplogleILB: Paul Worrilow, Tim Dobbins, Yawin Smallwood, Pat Angerer,Darin Drakeford, Sean Weatherspoon (IR), Marquis Spruill (IR)OLB: Joplo Bartu (W/S), Prince Shembo, Kroy Biermann, Tyler Starr, Brenden Daley, Jacques SmithCB: Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Josh Wilson, Robert McClain, Javier Arenas (PR/KR), Ricardo Allen, Jordan MabinS: William Moore (SS), Dezmen Southward (FS) (inj), Kemal Ishmael (SS), Zeke Mota (SS), Tyrell Johnson (FS), Sean Baker (FS), Dwight Lowery (FS) (inj)

Baltimore Ravens

QB: The Ravens offense struggled through some slow starts in 2013 and had the issue creep up again in Week 2 of the preseason against the Cowboys. The Ravens’ top offensive unit struggled on the first three drives of the game. Flacco was off-target early, throwing behind Jacoby Jones on one third down pass attempt and sailing a pass high to Steve Smith on another 3rd down opportunity. After three drives, Flacco was a miserable 1-for-9 passing. Flacco and the offense began to heat up on the 4th drive of the game as Jacoby Jones caught a perfect pass for a 38-yard gain on a skinny post and Torrey Smith made a nice catch for a 19-yard touchdown on the very next play. “I did think that we handled it pretty well and reacted to the slow start and got going a little bit,” Flacco said. “But I would have liked to have seen us start better.”

RB: The Ravens running game looks primed to bounce back in a big way after finishing 30th in the NFL last season. The offense finished with 151 total rushing yards against Dallas. Ray Rice looked good again, gaining 21 yards on only two carries. He left the game with a minor shoulder injury. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that the injury, “shouldn’t be anything too serious” after X-rays on Rice’s shoulder were negative. Bernard Pierce showed off his power and physical running style as he ran for 55 yards on seven carries. Pierce struggled last year with his YPC dropping to a miserable 2.9 after posting a strong 4.9 YPC as a rookie. Much of the problem was due to injuries, but Pierce is healthy now. “All offseason rehabbing and all camp training, I’m actually excited for the season,” Pierce said. “The healing process was an experience. Now that I’m back to 100 percent, I’m ready to roll.” Pierce has a chance to get off to a strong start as he is slated to start the first two games while Ray Rice serves his suspension. 3rd and 4th string runners Lorenzo Taliaferro and Justin Forsett also ran well in reserve. Taliaferro should be the primary backup to Pierce to start the season and looked good in rushing for 59 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. “He’s definitely running hard,” Pierce said of Taliaferro. “The zone system is new to all of us, and we’re all adapting to it. With time, it’s definitely going to get better. He’s definitely maturing as a back and a young man. I’ll give him his props.”

WR: Torrey Smith has been soaking up as much knowledge as possible from veteran addition Steve Smith and has shown off improved route running and hands. The younger Smith ran a beautiful route and went up to beat a Dallas defender for a 19-yard TD in the corner. If Torrey Smith can improve on his 2013 total of four touchdowns with improved play in the red zone, he could be in line for a strong fantasy season as the Ravens top WR. Jacoby Jones led the Ravens with 3 catches and 49 yards and should continue to be a big play target for Flacco. With the battle for the final roster spots at WR incredibly tight, Deonte Thompson made a strong statement against Dallas with 188 kickoff-return yards on three attempts. The total included a 108-yard touchdown as Thompson showed off his incredible speed. Rookie Michael Campanaro is another of the WRs battling for the final two spots. Campanaro has come on strong in camp showing quickness and route running chops, but he was quiet in Dallas, getting

shutout on offense and not really taking advantage of his return opportunities.

TE: Dennis Pitta had a quiet night against Dallas with one catch for 16 yards on two targets. Rookie Crockett Gilmore notched a 3-yard reception on his only target of the game. The rookie Gilmore has shown solid receiving skills, but will likely be used primarily as a blocker.

Defense: Outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw has had a strong offseason and found himself in the right place at the right time as he scooped up a botched Tony Romo handoff and rumbled 25 yards into the end zone for the game’s first score. Pernell McPhee has quietly had a very strong preseason and showed well against the Cowboys. McPhee had a couple big hits on QB Brandon Weeden, including a 2nd quarter sack and spent plenty of time in the Dallas backfield. He could do some real damage as a pass rush specialist if he can stay healthy. The Ravens continue to suffer from the injury bug as cornerback Jimmy Smith was the latest to go down, leaving Saturday’s game with a chest bruise. X-rays were negative and the injury is not considered serious, but it was a scary moment for the emerging CB.

K/P: Kicker Justin Tucker made field goals of 40, 38 and 49 along with four extra points in the win over the Cowboys. His one miss was short on a 61-yard attempt. Three of his eight kickoffs went for touchbacks. Punter Sam Koch averaged 47.3 yards on three punts. The early speculation that rookie Richie Leone might usurp Koch for the punter/holder position has subsided. He had one punt for 40 yards against Dallas.

OL: New offensive line coach Juan Castillo hopes to put the controversy of being the “run-game coordinator” last season behind him. Controversy is not new to Castillo, who had a disastrous and brief stint as Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator several seasons back. Rick Wagner continues to play well at right tackle and the team has averaged 4.9 yards per carry through two preseason contests. Center Jeremy Zuttah has been impressing coaches and left guard Kelechi Osemele is reportedly in Pro Bowl form. Osemele has been called the most impressive offensive player in Ravens’ camp. Stay tuned for a possible upgrade in the line rankings.

Ravens Depth ChartQB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor, Keith Wenning, Nick StephensRB: Ray Rice (inj) (susp), Bernard Pierce, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Justin Forsett, Cierre Wood, Fitzgerald ToussaintFB: Kyle JuszczykWR: Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Jacoby Jones (KR/PR), Deonte Thompson (KR), Michael Campanaro, LaQuan Williams, Jeremy Butler, Kamar Aiken, Gerrard SheppardTE: Dennis Pitta, Owen Daniels, Crockett Gillmore, Nathan OverbayLT: Eugene Monroe, David MimsLG: Kelechi Osemele, Will RackleyC: Jeremy Zuttah, Gino Gradkowski, A.Q. Shipley, Ryan Jensen

RG: Marshal Yanda, John UrschelRT: Rick Wagner, Jah ReidK: Justin TuckerDT: Brandon Williams (NT), Timmy Jernigan (NT), Terrence Cody (inj), Cody Larsen, Derrick HopkinsDE: Haloti Ngata (NT/DE), Chris Canty, DeAngelo Tyson, Pernell McPhee, , Brent Urban (IR), Kapron Lewis-Moore (IR)ILB: Daryl Smith (M), C.J. Mosley (W), Arthur Brown (W), Josh Bynes (W), D.J. Bryant, Austin SpitlerOLB: Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil (S), Courtney Upshaw, Albert McClellan, John SimonCB: Lardarius Webb (PR) (inj), Jimmy Smith (inj), Chykie Brown, Asa Jackson, Dominique Franks, Aaron Ross (IR)S: Matt Elam (SS), Darian Stewart (FS), Terrence Brooks, Will Hill (susp), Brynden Trawick (FS), Anthony Levine (SS), Jeromy Miles (SS), Omar Brown (RFA)

Buffalo Bills

QB: There were many positive reports this week regarding the play of E.J. Manuel during joint practices with the Steelers. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite carry over into game action on Saturday night. He put up solid numbers (17 of 27 for 148 yards) in a full half of work as the Bills dominated time of possession, but most of the completions were dump offs and the starters failed to reach the end zone again. In one of the few chances Manuel took throwing the ball downfield, he tried to force a ball into tight coverage and was picked off. Thad Lewis played in the third quarter, but only completed 1 of 6 passes and continues to struggle with his accuracy. Jeff Tuel finished up the game and looked a little better, but he was also the victim of a strip sack that gave the Steelers a victory late in the fourth. In three preseason games, the Bills first team offense has four field goals and zero touchdowns in ten possessions.

RB: Fred Jackson got the official start against the Steelers, but there’s probably not much to read into that as the Bills are expected to split touches between him and C.J. Spiller this year. Jackson was very active in the game as he finished with 6 rushes and 7 catches for 55 yards combined. You pretty much know what to expect from Jackson given his reliability in all facets of the game. Spiller also got 6 carries from scrimmage, but he was not targeted in the passing game and didn’t find nearly as much room to run. It is possible there may not be enough touches for him to live up to expectations with Jackson still playing at a high level. Among the backups, Anthony Dixon again ran with power and punched in a short-yardage touchdown. Bryce Brown also struggled to make an impact as he picked up just 12 yards on 6 carries.

WR: All eyes continue to be on Sammy Watkins, who is dominating practice but has yet to show much in game action. He was held without a catch in the Steelers game and left early with a rib injury that he sustained on his only target of the game. The injury did not appear to be serious, but few details

were released after the game. Mike Williams got the start and caught the only ball thrown in his direction, but had a quiet night. Robert Woods replaced Watkins in the game and wound up leading all Bills WRs with 3 catches on 6 targets for 49 yards. He has good chemistry with Manuel and should wind up as the #3 WR at worst. Chris Hogan once again got playing time with the first team, but was held catchless on two targets. Tori Gurley, a late signing who has spent time on several practice squads, came up with a couple of catches in the fourth quarter. Marquise Goodwin sat out the game with a hamstring injury.

TE: We got a sense of the type of role Scott Chandler could play for this team as he finished the game with 4 catches on 6 targets for 40 yards. With the Steelers often dropping seven defenders into coverage, Manuel played it safe and looked to Chandler and the RBs often. The interception by Manuel also came on a play when he tried to force the ball to Chandler despite very tight coverage down the seam by a rookie LB. Evan Rodriguez came through with a nice 18-yard catch and run and could still be in the mix for a roster spot. Tony Moeaki remains out with a hamstring injury.

Defense: The first string defense had a rough outing against the Steelers as they were victimized for two passing touchdowns in the first quarter. Antonio Brown torched the Bills for a 76-yard touchdown on the second play of the game as CB Corey Graham was picked off by SS Duke Williams and FS Da’Norris Searcy was slow to react. On the very next series, Markus Wheaton beat CB Stephon Gilmore to the corner and hauled in a perfect pass for a 16-yard touchdown. Continuing a theme of the preseason, the run defense once again played very well as the Steelers only managed 35 yards on 18 carries. Corner Leodis McKelvin sat out again with a hip injury and Aaron Williams did not start at FS but coach Marrone said that was just to get Duke Williams some time with the starters. DT Stefan Charles came up with two sacks and a forced fumble in the second half and could be in line for a bigger role than originally expected following an impressive camp.

K/P: Against the Steelers, kicker Dan Carpenter made field goals of 37, 53 and 44 yards, but was wide right on an attempt from 49 yards. Dustin Hopkins, presumably hoping to make the final roster as a kickoff specialist, did not play in the game. Carpenter handled all of the five kickoffs in the game, with four going for touchbacks. Jake Dombrowski, hoping to overtake Brian Moorman for the punter/holder job, hit a 44-yarder on his only punt in the game. Moorman punted once for 39 yards, placing it inside the 20-yard line.

OL: Doug Legursky got the start for injured left guard Chris Williams in the preseason game against the Steelers. Williams is recovering from a back injury and the team is hopeful that he will be ready for Week One of the regular season. Starting right guard Kraig Urbik also saw time at left guard, and that allowed rookie Cyril Richardson to see time with the first unit. Bills beat writer Joe Buscaglia raised some eyebrows this week when he suggested that the team should start two rookies, Richardson and Seantrel Henderson, on the right side of the offensive line.

Bills Depth ChartQB: EJ Manuel, Thaddeus Lewis, Jeff Tuel, Dennis DixonRB: C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson, Bryce Brown, Anthony Dixon, Ronnie WingoFB: Frank Summers, Evan RodriguezWR: Sammy Watkins (inj), Mike Williams, Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin (KR), Chris Hogan, T.J. Graham, Marcus Easley, Tori Gurley, Chris Summers, Caleb Holley, Naaman RooseveltTE: Scott Chandler, Tony Moeaki, Lee Smith, Chris Gragg, Dominique JonesLT: Cordy Glenn, Seantrel HendersonLG: Chris Williams, J.J. UngaC: Eric Wood, Doug LegurskyRG: Kraig Urbik, Cyril RichardsonRT: Erik Pears, Cyrus Kouandijo, Chris HairstonK: Dan Carpenter, Dustin HopkinsDT: Marcell Dareus (NT), Kyle Williams, Corbin Bryant, Stefan Charles (NT), Damien Jacobs, Landon CohenDE: Mario Williams, Jerry Hughes, Manny Lawson (S/DE), Alan Branch, Jarius Wynn, Ikponmwosa Igbinosun, Bryan Johnson, Jacquies SmithMLB: Brandon Spikes, Preston Brown (S), Jimmy GainesOLB: Keith Rivers (S), Nigel Bradham (W) (susp), Ty Powell (S),Stevenson Sylvester (W), Nathan Williams (S), Randell Johnson, Kiko Alonso (inj), Darrin Kitchens (IR)CB: Stephon Gilmore, Leodis McKelvin, Nickell Robey, Corey Graham, Ron Brooks, Mario Butler, Ross Cockrell, Kamaal McIlwainS: Aaron Williams (FS), Da′Norris Searcy (SS), Duke Williams (SS), Jonathan Meeks (SS), Jajuan Harley (FS), Kenny Ladler

Carolina Panthers

QB: Cam Newton returned to action Sunday night against the Chiefs, but he is still clearly limited by his ongoing ankle rehab. He took two sacks for -19 yards that he would have easily avoided if fully healthy; Newton didn't even try to evade the tacklers. As a passer he was subpar, with 4/9 for 65 yards, zero TDs and zero interceptions thrown. As this was his first game action since his ankle surgery, there was a lot of rust to knock off his game - but fantasy owners should stay tuned to see how he responds in the third preseason game. "It felt good to get out there and get some time in the huddle. We have to go back to work and get better," Newton said after the game. Head Coach Ron Rivera noted, "If we can run the ball effectively with the backs and not have to rely on him [Newton] running we would much rather do that." Take note fantasy owners, the Panthers may be curtailing Newton’s rushing attempts this season. Newton stated after the game: "I'm trying to win football games and if that is saying, `Cam hand the ball off every play. Cam run the ball down the field 20 yards like a chicken with his head cut off every play. Cam drop back and throw the ball. Cam go get everybody a drink of water.'... Whatever is asked of me, I will do to try to win the football game." Also, with a new cast of receivers outside of

Greg Olsen, Newton has a sizeable learning curve to master between now and opening day. Backup Derek Anderson was his usual steady self on Sunday night, with 5/8 for 91 yards passing, one TD and zero interceptions thrown, with one sack taken for -5 yards. Joe Webb cleaned up the final minutes with 2/3 for 27 yards passing, zero TDs or interceptions, with one sack taken for -9 yards.

RB: Jonathan Stewart announced his return with authority vs. Kansas City, scoring two touchdowns against one of last year’s top defenses. He broke arm tackles with ease and looked truly impressive on both scores. "It felt good. It's been a while since I've touched the end zone,” Stewart said. "It's preseason, so it’s good to get my feet wet and get back in the groove of things." Fozzy Whittaker staked his claim to a roster spot with 13/71/1 rushing and 1/22/0 receiving. DeAngelo Williams (3/9/0 rushing with 1/5/0 receiving) started the game, but was limited. Mike Tolbert (1/4/0 rushing) had a bit role in the contest, while Kenjon Barner (7/18/0 rushing with 1/14/0 receiving) made his case to stick on the 53-man roster.

WR: Kelvin Benjamin (four targets for 2/41/0 receiving) led the team in receiving, but he and Newton are still working on their timing; Newton overthrew Benjamin on a potential scoring play early in the contest. "We had a slow start tonight, which is unacceptable," Newton said. "We have to stay on schedule and not waste opportunities like the (deep) shot to Benji." Jason Avant (two targets for 1/25/0 receiving) and Jerricho Cotchery (two targets for zero receptions) both had quiet outings in the second preseason contest – it's clear that Benjamin is going to be featured among this group. Kealoha Pilares missed practice on Friday due to an ankle injury.

TE: Tight end Brandon Williams finished with the second most receiving yardage Sunday night (two targets for 1/31/0 receiving). Starter Greg Olsen was sidelined due to a calf injury that has curtailed his practice participation in the last few sessions. Coach Rivera said a player stepped on Olsen’s calf on the last day of training camp in Spartanburg. The injury is considered minor and isn't a threat to Olsen's regular-season participation. Ed Dickson handled two targets for 1/11/0 receiving during the game on Sunday night and he’s in the mix to back up Olsen.

Defense: The Panthers' defense made the Chiefs uncomfortable all night long, with three sacks, six tackles for loss, five passes defensed and six quarterback hits on the night. Alex Smith led two field-goal-producing drives, but failed to find the end-zone against the Panthers' first team D. DE Charles Johnson injured his hamstring and did not play the second half Sunday night, he's being evaluated further. CBs Antoine Cason and Melvin White each had six to lead the team, and both had two tackles for a loss. Chase Blackburn missed Sunday’s game with a back injury that is not viewed as serious. Coach Rivera said an MRI exam on Blackburn revealed no significant damage. S Roman Harper is still nursing a toe injury and he’s a question mark for the Panthers' defensive backfield.

K/P: After missing the opener with a sore back, kicker Graham Gano played in the Chiefs game. He made all four

extra points and handled kickoffs in the first half. Camp leg Jordan Gay handled the second half kickoffs and punted twice for a mere 33 and 8 yards. At the other end of the punting spectrum, starter Brad Nortman averaged 64.0 yards on three punts.

OL: The interior of the line looked solid in run blocking against the Chiefs. Center Ryan Kalil and left guard Amini Silatolu were excellent in opening up holes for Jonathan Stewart’s two touchdown runs. At left tackle, Byron Bell’s strong summer continues. Bell has not allowed a sack in the team’s two exhibitions and appears to have the lead over Nate Chandler in their battle for the left tackle position. Chandler, should he lose this battle, will remain in the starting lineup at right tackle. In depth news, Derrick Dennis is emerging as a possible backup option at guard. The team is reportedly impressed with his play as of late.

Panthers Depth ChartQB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb, Matt BlanchardRB: DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart (inj), Kenjon Barner, Darrin ReavesFB: Mike Tolbert (SD), Michael ZordichWR: Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Tavarres King, Tiquan Underwood, Kealoha Pilares, Marcus Lucas, Marvin McNutt, Toney Clemons, Corey Brown, Brenton BersinTE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams, Richie Brockel (FB), D.C. Jefferson, Mike McNeillLT: Byron BellLG: Amini Silatolu, Chris Scott, Brian FolkertsC: Ryan Kalil, Fernando VelascoRG: Trai Turner, Garry Williams, Derrick DennisRT: Nate Chandler, Travis Bond, Edmund Kugbila (IR)K: Graham GanoDT: Star Lotulelei (NT), Dwan Edwards, Kawann Short (NT), Colin Cole, Drake Nevis, Linden Gaydosh, Casey Walker (NT)DE: Charles Johnson, Greg Hardy, Frank Alexander, Mario Addison, Kony Ealy, Alex Hall, Wes Horton, Craig RohMLB: Luke Kuechly, D.J. Smith, Ben JacobsOLB: Thomas Davis (S), Chase Blackburn (W), A.J. Klein (W), Jason Williams, Anthony MoralesCB: Antoine Cason, DeAndre Presley, Bene Benwikere, Charles Godfrey, Melvin White, Josh Thomas, Josh Norman, James Dockery, Carrington ByndomS: Roman Harper (SS), Thomas DeCoud (FS), Robert Lester (SS),Colin Jones (FS), Tre Boston (SS), Tom Nelson

Chicago Bears

QB: The Bears hosted the Jaguars on Thursday night in their second preseason game. The first string offense took some time to get going as they went three-and-out on their first series, and then didn’t get the ball again until late in the first

quarter. The starters played into the second quarter and Cutler took advantage with a productive drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall. Jimmy Clausen took over from there and showed some flashes once again, but he was victimized by some drops and threw the team’s only interception of the night. Jordan Palmer took over in the fourth quarter and led the Bears on a pair of touchdown drives that allowed them to get the win. The battle for the #2 QB job remains close with both players looking capable of running this offense.

RB: Matt Forte once again found himself with very little room to run against the Jaguars as he finished the game losing two yards on four carries. He was much more effective as a receiver out of the backfield; picking up 22 yards on 3 catches. For a player like Forte, the main goal for the Bears will be to keep him healthy once the regular season begins. Shaun Draughn once again served as the #2 RB and looked explosive with 33 yards on 3 carries while also adding a pair of receptions. Rookie Ka’Deem Carey was a workhorse in the second half and punched in a 1-yard touchdown run, and Senorise Perry followed that up with a 5-yard touchdown run to win the game in the last minute. Michael Ford returned a kickoff but did not see any touches on offense, suggesting he is firmly on the roster bubble.

WR: Eric Weems started the Jaguars game working out of the slot while also serving as the team’s primary kick returner. After fumbling a kickoff in the first quarter, however, the Bears apparently decided he was not reliable enough and released him on Saturday to make room for veteran Santonio Holmes. While it’s not a great sign that he signed this late, it does indicate how desperate the Bears are for an answer at the #3 WR spot after the injury to Marquess Wilson. Josh Morgan had a solid showing against the Jaguars with 41 yards on 3 catches and appears to be next in line for the job. Chris Williams remains another intriguing option due to his speed, but he sat out the game with a minor hamstring injury.

TE: Martellus Bennett put his team-imposed suspension behind him and had a 25-yard gain against the Jaguars first team defense. The Bears suffered a tough loss when Zach Miller left the game on a cart just a week after posting two touchdowns. He was placed on injured reserve with a lisfranc injury, so the team may look next to Matthew Mulligan who led all Bears with 4 catches on 4 targets.

Defense: The Bears first string defense had their problems against the Jaguars as they gave up 134 yards in the first quarter and generally made Chad Henne look like Tom Brady. They only gave up 25 yards rushing on the first three defensive series, however, and also had several stops behind the line of scrimmage. Young linebackers like Shea McClellin and Jon Bostic are getting more comfortable, and the rebuilt defensive line looks like it will be much more effective than it was a year ago. Bostic again played with the nickel defense, which suggests MLB D.J. Williams may not have a 3-down role. Rookie CB Kyle Fuller left the game with an ankle injury that he suffered on the opening kickoff, but they were still waiting to determine how long he’d be out for. The safety position remains in flux, but Ryan Mundy continues to work

with the starters at strong safety while Danny McCray started at free safety. Chris Conte sat out this game, and both Adrian Wilson and Brock Vereen took over in the second quarter.

K/P: Robbie Gould’s place kicking was limited to two extra points against the Jaguars. Rookie Pat O’Donnell still remains the favorite to serve as holder (and punter). He averaged 48.7 yards on three punts in the game, placing two inside the 20-yard line. Challenger Tress Way averaged 43.3 yards on three punts. The long snapping competitors, Chad Rempel and Brandon Hartson, have improved since struggling earlier in camp. They switched around the pairings in this week’s game - Hartson worked with O’Donnell and Rempel worked with Way. Rempel and Way were then released on Monday.

OL: The Bears offensive line continues to battle injuries. Jordan Mills, Brian de la Puente and Eben Britton all sat out of the team’s latest preseason contest against the Bengals. Mills is still experiencing pain in his surgically repaired left foot and the team is calling his status “day-to-day.” Michael Ola is starting in Mills’ place, and had another mixed effort. Ola was solid in pass protection but was called for a penalty toward the end of the first half. The fact that Ola is playing with the first team instead of Dennis Roland is a positive sign for his chances to make the roster.

Bears Depth ChartQB: Jay Cutler, Jordan Palmer, Jimmy Clausen, David FalesRB: Matt Forte, Shaun Draughn, Ka′Deem Carey, Michael Ford,Jordan Lynch, Senorise Perry, Darius Reynaud (KR)FB: Tony FiammettaWR: Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Marquess Wilson (inj), Santonio Holmes, Josh Morgan, Michael Spurlock (KR), Armanti Edwards, Terrence Toliver (inj), Josh Bellamy, Chris Williams, Dale Moss, Greg HerdTE: Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario, Matthew Mulligan, Jeron Mastrud, Zach Miller (IR)LT: Jermon Bushrod, Dennis RolandLG: Matt Slauson, James BrownC: Roberto Garza, Brian De La Puente, Rob TurnerRG: Kyle Long, Eben Britton, Charles Leno, Dylan GandyRT: Jordan Mills, Michael Ola, Rogers GainesK: Robbie GouldDT: Stephen Paea (NT), Jay Ratliff, Ego Ferguson, Will Sutton, Tracy Robertson, Brandon Dunn, Lee PeguesDE: Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen, Willie Young, David Bass, Cornelius Washington, Austen Lane, Trevor ScottMLB: D.J. Williams, Christian Jones, Jerry FranklinOLB: Lance Briggs (W), Shea McClellin (b), Jon Bostic (S/M), Khaseem Greene (S), Lawrence Wilson (S), Jordan Senn (W), Devekeyan Lattimore (W), Tana Patrick (S)CB: Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, Kyle Fuller, Sherrick McManis, ,Kelvin Hayden, Demontre Hurst, Isaiah Frey, C.J. Wilson, Derricus PurdyS: Ryan Mundy (SS), Brock Vereen (FS), M.D. Jennings (SS),Danny McCray (FS), Adrian Wilson (SS), Christopher Conte (FS), Craig Steltz (SS)

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Andy Dalton played three series against the Jets in the second preseason game. He completed all eight of his passes for 144 yards and led the Bengals to two touchdowns and a field goal. The Jets first team defense didn’t have its top cornerback, but the front seven was intact. Dalton was more accurate than last week and took advantage of play action and misdirection to hit open receivers. His 43-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu came off play action on a skinny post. Dalton took most of his snaps from the shotgun and found receivers from a variety of offensive sets. The Bengals showed signs of creativity on passing downs before the loss of Marvin Jones. Tyler Wilson and Matt Scott played the final three quarters. With Jason Campbell expected to return from an arm injury in time for the regular season, neither Wilson nor Scott are likely to make the team. They didn’t do the receivers any favors, finishing a combined 15-of-35 for 93 yards.

RB: Giovani Bernard played every snap of the first three series with the first team; including multiple red zone snaps and two consecutive carries inside the 5-yard line. Both carries were straight ahead power runs. Bernard didn’t shy away from contact between the tackles, though he did need a rugby scrum push into the end zone on his 1-yard score. BenJarvus Green-Ellis took the first series with the second team. It would be his only action of the night; with a report that he left with a minor injury. He had a single carry before Scott fumbled on a sack. Jeremy Hill played into the second half. He again looked strong between the tackles and showed some elusiveness on a pass play to the flat, getting past a linebacker for more yardage. Hill looked strong unfortunately the Bengals announced that he left the game with a shoulder injury. After the game, Marvin Lewis said the team expected Hill to be fine. Cedric Peerman had seven carries after a knee injury (rumored to be an MCL sprain) to Rex Burkhead that could be serious. If Burkhead is down for a period of time, Green-Ellis may have a clearer shot at the 53- man.

WR: The team initially gave a vague timetable of a “few weeks” for Marvin Jones, after surgery to fix a fracture in his foot last week. More recent reports have the Bengals expecting Jones to be out through the team’s Week 4 bye, with the hope that Jones can return for the Week 5 game against New England. That would be around eight weeks from surgery, an optimistic but possible outcome if rehab goes perfectly for Jones. Players with similar injuries have missed 10-12 weeks. The Bengals showed a variety of offensive sets against the Jets, moving A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Jermaine Gresham around. Both Green and Sanu saw time split wide, in the slot and in tight bunch formations. That will continue to be a focus of the offense when Jones returns. Dane Sanzenbacher worked in the slot tight to the formation with the first team. He wasn’t targeted by Dalton, but will have a role with Jones out. The poor play of the roster filler quarterbacks made it difficult to evaluate the players fighting for the final roster spots behind the top four receivers. Cobi Hamilton, who has an excellent chance to make the team as a special teams player, was targeted 13 times but caught only two passes in 50 offensive snaps. 

TE: Tyler Eifert was held out of the second preseason game with what many outlets are reporting to be continued concern over a balky shoulder. Bengals.com beat writer Geoff Hobson is reporting it was a back issue. There does not appear to be any concern from the team about the injury and Eifert, along with Jermaine Gresham, should have an expanded role with Marvin Jones injured. Gresham lined up as a weakside X receiver against the Jets at times. Expect Eifert to do the same when he returns. Both could do damage from that formation. At minimum, it’s a formation that will stress opposing defenses as they try to matchup against Green, Sanu and Jones.

Defense: The Bengals are still closely monitoring and managing the practice reps for Geno Atkins and he wasn’t in uniform for the second preseason game. He’ll continue to work on conditioning in the hope that he can have a productive albeit limited role early in the season. Margus Hunt has begun seeing some nickel pass rush reps opposite Carlos Dunlap, with Robert Geathers and Wallace Gilberry moving inside to defensive tackle. That formation had success against the Jets. Darqueze Dennard left the game with a hip injury that is not believed to be serious. The linebacker group looks to be set, with Rey Maualuga inside flanked by Vontaze Burfict and Emmanuel Lamur. Burfict and Lamur will be the nickel backers. Vinny Rey remains the primary backup at all three positions.

K/P: Kicker Mike Nugent made a 42-yard field goal and two extra points in the loss to the Jets. In his second game action since last fall’s broken jaw, punter Kevin Huber averaged 47.0 yards on five punts, placing two inside the 20-yard line. Last week one of his punts was returned for a TD and this week his final punt attempt was blocked for a safety. Camp leg Quinn Sharp did not play in the game.

OL: Backup right tackle Will Svitek made a mental mistake in the preseason game against the Jets which lead to a strip-sack of backup quarterback Matt Scott. Svitek was playing due to Andre Smith’s continuing problems with a concussion. Smith has not passed his test, despite the fact that the incident happened over two weeks ago. This situation bears further observation, as Smith is obviously not progressing in his recovery. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth was inactive against the Jets, however he has returned to practice and should be on track to rejoin the lineup soon.

Bengals Depth ChartQB: Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell, A.J. McCarron, Matt Scott, Tyler WilsonRB: Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill (inj), BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cedric Peerman, Rex Burkhead, James Wilder Jr., Jeff ScottFB: Ryan Hewitt, Nikita WhitlockWR: A.J. Green, Marvin Jones (inj), Mohamed Sanu, Brandon Tate (KR), James Wright, Dane Sanzenbacher, Ryan Whalen, Cobi Hamilton, Colin LockettTE: Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert, Orson Charles (HB), Alex Smith, Kevin BrockLT: Andrew Whitworth, Marshall Newhouse

LG: Clint Boling, Mike PollakC: Russell Bodine, Trevor RobinsonRG: Kevin Zeitler, TJ JohnsonRT: Andre Smith, Will Svitek, Tanner HawkinsonK: Mike NugentDT: Geno Atkins, Domata Peko (NT), Devon Still, Brandon Thompson, Chriso Bilukidi (NT), Ogemdi Nwagbuo, Lakendrick RossDE: Carlos Dunlap, Robert Geathers, Wallace Gilberry, Margus Hunt, Will Clarke, David King, Sam Montgomery, Larry BlackMLB: Rey Maualuga, Vincent Rey, J.K. Schaffer, James DavidsonOLB: Vontaze Burfict (W), Jayson DiManche (S), Brandon Joiner(S), Sean Porter (W), Emmanuel Lamur (W), Dontay Moch (W),Bruce Taylor (S), Marquis Flowers (S)CB: Leon Hall (inj), Darqueze Dennard, Terence Newman, Pacman Jones (PR), Dre Kirkpatrick, R.J. Stanford, Lavelle Westbrooks, Chris Lewis-Harris (susp), Onterio McCalebb, Victor HamptonS: Reggie Nelson (FS), George Iloka (SS), Danieal Manning, Shawn Williams (FS), Taylor Mays (SS), Isaiah Lewis

Cleveland Browns

QB: The struggle to find a starting quarterback continues in Cleveland. Mike Pettine started hedging on his plans to name a starting quarterback before the third preseason game last week. That was a clear indication that he wasn’t seeing anything special in practice to separate Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Nothing he saw in the Monday Night preseason game helped him, as both Hoyer and Manziel put on a display of inaccuracy, lack of poise in the pocket and poor decision making. After the game, Pettine acknowledged that “neither guy distinguished himself” and that he didn’t even have a “gut feeling” on which quarterback would win the job. Whichever quarterback he chooses will firmly be on the hot seat. Pettine also told reporters that his Week 1 starter may not be a final decision. With Manziel not distinguishing himself and his focus called into question after a missed meeting last week and an on-field (showing his middle finger to the Washington defense) loss of poise, it’s likely that the Browns will turn to Hoyer for a tough early season stretch. But the uncertainty will linger for another week.

RB: Ben Tate is entrenched as the primary back. He took all the first team reps in the second preseason game and looked comfortable in Kyle Shanahan’s zone running scheme. Terrance West also looked good. The Browns won’t miss a beat if Tate is injured and West will get touches even when Tate is running well. Isaiah Crowell saw his first preseason action on offense against Washington. Unfortunately, it was only three snaps. Whether his low usage is because the Browns do not plan to keep him or they’re hopeful they can get squeeze him onto the practice squad by limiting the tape other teams can see on him remains to be seen. Dion Lewis saw more time with the third team. He managed just seven

yards on four carries, but scored on an 8-yard pass from Manziel in the fourth quarter.

WR: The Browns remain in limbo, with no reported end in sight on Josh Gordon’s suspension appeal. A decision is expected soon, but there’s no known timetable. Gordon continues to run with the first team and was targeted five times by Manziel against Washington. Miles Austin and Artrell Hawkins are the other first team receivers. Nate Burleson will also figure into the mix. He’s been limited by a hamstring injury recently and didn’t suit up in the second preseason game. Travis Benjamin likely fills out the roster, with Charles Johnson competing to make the roster if Gordon is suspended.

TE: Gary Barnidge and Jim Dray will make the team, but the only fantasy value of note will be Jordan Cameron. Cameron confirmed that his shoulder injury was a minor AC joint sprain last week and he was able to play against Washington. Targeted three times, he didn’t have any catches. The Browns may limit his practice reps this week, but he’s on track for a healthy start to the regular season.

Defense: Craig Robertson continues to play well enough to hold onto at least a rotational part of the inside linebacker job with rookie Chris Kirksey. Robertson again got the start with the first team against Washington. The full time job will be Kirksey’s in time, however. Barkevious Mingo has played well enough to relegate Jabaal Sheard to a rotational role. That should be a big boost to the Cleveland pass rush. First round cornerback Justin Gilbert saw his first preseason action this week. Buster Skrine is expected to play in Week 1 after offseason thumb surgery, but Gilbert will see subpackage duty immediately.

K/P: Kicker Billy Cundiff hit a 29-yard field goal and made a pair of extra points in the loss to Washington. He was wide right on a miss from 54 yards. He logged a touchback on one of his four kickoffs. Punter/holder Spencer Lanning averaged 37.3 yards on fours punts in this week’s game. Two of those were placed inside the 20-yard line and one went into the endzone for a touchback.

OL: In the preseason game Monday night against Washington, left tackle Joe Thomas had a false start called on him on the Browns’ second offensive play of the game. Thomas settled down and erased Brian Orakpo for the rest of the half. John Greco had a similarly up and down evening, one play not getting out of his stance quick enough and led to a sack. Mitchell Schwartz also struggled in pass protection at times, which makes the Michael Bowie pickup more telling. Bowie is out for the season but the team clearly wants to upgrade. It was not all bad news as center Alex Mack was excellent. In addition, according to ESPN reporter Adam Caplan, the Browns believe rookie second round pick Joel Bitonio will be a star at the position.

Browns Depth ChartQB: Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Rex Grossman, Connor ShawRB: Ben Tate, Terrance West, Dion Lewis, Isaiah

Crowell, Edwin Baker, Jamaine CookFB: Chris Ogbonnaya, Chris PressleyWR: Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Charles Johnson, Nate Burleson, Willie Snead, Travis Benjamin (PR/KR), Marlon Moore, Tim Smith, Josh Gordon (susp)TE: Jordan Cameron, Gary Barnidge, MarQueis Gray, Keavon Milton, Jim Dray, Andre Smith, Emmanuel Ogbuehi, Kyle Auffray, Martell WebbLT: Joe Thomas, Reid Fragel, Chris FaulkLG: Joel Bitonio, Paul McQuistanC: Alex MackRG: John Greco, Garrett Gilkey, Jason PinkstonRT: Mitchell Schwartz, Martin WallaceK: Billy Cundiff, Brandon BogotayNT: Phil Taylor (DE), Ishmaa′ily KitchenDE: Ahtyba Rubin (NT), Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn, Armonty Bryant, John Hughes, Cam HendersonILB: Karlos Dansby, Christian Kirksey, Craig Robertson, Tank Carder, Keith PoughOLB: Paul Kruger (S), Jabaal Sheard, Barkevious Mingo, Eric Martin, Darius Eubanks, Jamaal WestermanCB: Joe Haden, Justin Gilbert, Buster Skrine, Leon McFadden, Pierre Desir, Isaiah Trufant, Jordan Poyer, T.J. Heath, Aaron BerryS: Donte Whitner (SS), Tashaun Gipson (FS) (inj), Johnson Bademosi (FS/KR), Jim Leonhard (FS), Josh Aubrey (SS)

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Tony Romo passed a big test by starting against the Ravens in this week’s preseason contest. Romo played 14 snaps and looked sharp passing the ball; he was 4-of-5 for 80 yards and a 31-yard TD pass to Dez Bryant. His short evening wasn’t perfect, as he fumbled a handcuff intended for DeMarco Murray that was subsequently returned by the Ravens for a touchdown. Fumble aside, fantasy owners and Cowboys fans were no doubt thrilled to see Romo take another step back from offseason back surgery. “To me, he looked comfortable. I thought that first third down where had to climb the pocket and deliver the ball to Dez [Bryant], I thought that looked a lot like Tony Romo,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “I think he felt comfortable out there. I think he saw things well, moved around, progressed through his different reads. I just thought he handled himself well and he looked good.” Brandon Weeden struggled in backup duties, completing just 10-of-19 attempts for 129 yards with an interception. The battle for the QB3 role continues apace as both Caleb Hanie and Dustin Vaughan found the end zone in the 2nd half against the Ravens backups.

RB: DeMarco Murray benefitted from a run-heavy focus against the Ravens; he ran for 34 yards on 8 carries (4.3 per rush) and caught a 21-yard reception for good measure. Murray has been crisp throughout the preseason and will be a fantasy RB1 barring injury. Lance Dunbar has been tagged as the clear backup by many Cowboys observers, yet he struggled against the Ravens with just 7 yards on four carries (1.8 per rush) along with an 11-yard catch. Both Joseph

Randle and Ryan Williams gained 49 yards from scrimmage, with Williams breaking the tie thanks to a 3-yard rushing touchdown in the 4th quarter. It’s not clear whether Dallas would keep four tailbacks, but neither Randle nor Williams have struggled enough to make cut downs an easy decision.

WR: Dez Bryant has enjoyed a stellar preseason, not only producing on the field but also demonstrating a level of maturity and leadership that would’ve seemed impossible a few years ago. Bryant dominated against the Ravens 1st team defense, with 3 catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in limited snaps. Terrance Williams is still waiting to get untracked in preseason action, and failed to catch a pass in the game. In spite of his quiet preseason game showings, Williams had a stellar training camp and was highlighted as one of the standouts by DallasCowboys.com. The only other receiver with more than one reception was Jamar Newsome – who caught 2 for 29 including a 5-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter.

TE: With Jason Witten sitting out, Gavin Escobar was featured in the passing attack; he caught three receptions for 58 yards (19.3 per catch). He wasn’t the only tight end to thrive against the Ravens as backup James Hanna caught a 24-yard touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Defense: The Cowboys defense is widely expected to struggle this season, and the Ravens game did little to ameliorate those concerns. Dallas couldn’t stop the Ravens in the air (Flacco was 9-for-17 for 113 yards and a TD) or the ground (Rice and Pierce combined for 76 yards and a TD on 9 carries). The Ravens 96-yard touchdown drive was kept alive by a roughing-the-passer penalty on George Selvie. Rolando McClain is a bright spot amidst a mediocre effort. MacClain led the Cowboys with six tackles and has received increasing 1st team reps at middle linebacker.

K/P: Newly acquired rookie punter Tom Hornsey, winner of the Ray Guy Award last Fall, punted once for 38 yards against the Ravens. Incumbent Chris Jones averaged 40.0 yards on four punts, pacing two inside the 20-yard line. The Cowboys appear to be pressing Jones for the holding/punting job rather than just easing his workload with a camp leg. Kicker Dan Bailey kicked hit a 53-yard field goal and three extra points.

OL: Despite two holding penalties, called early in the game on Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, the offensive line had an excellent effort against the Ravens. Martin was called out for his excellent trap blocking. Compared to last season, quarterback Tony Romo had far more time to throw than usual. Romo was able to achieve the max passer rating (158.3) in the contest. At left guard, Ron Leary appears to have the inside track over Mackenzy Bernadeau. In depth news, Jeremy Parnell is back from a minor injury and should be on track to be the team’s swing tackle.

Cowboys Depth ChartQB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Caleb Hanie, Dustin VaughanRB: DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle, Ryan Williams, Ben Malena

FB: Tyler Clutts, JC CopelandWR: Dez Bryant, Terrence Williams, Cole Beasley, Devin Street, Dwayne Harris (KR/PR), Jamar Newsome, LaRon Byrd, Chris Boyd, Tim Benford, Dezmon BriscoeTE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna, Jordan Najvar, Asa WatsonLT: Tyron Smith, Darrion WeemsLG: Ronald Leary, Mackenzy BernadeauC: Travis FrederickRG: Zack MartinRT: Doug Free, Jermey ParnellK: Dan BaileyDT: Henry Melton, Nick Hayden, Ken Bishop (NT), Amobi Okoye, Terrell McClain, Chris Whaley (IR)DE: George Selvie, Demarcus Lawrence (inj), Jeremy Mincey, Anthony Spencer, Tyrone Crawford, Ken Boatright, Adewale Ojomo, Ben Gardner (IR)MLB: Justin Durant (S/W), Rolando McClain, Anthony Hitchens, Will Smith, Orie Lemon (RFA), Sean Lee (IR)OLB: Bruce Carter (W), Kyle Wilber (S), DeVonte Holloman (S/M), Martez Wilson, Caesar Rayford, Jonathan Stewart, Cameron LawrenceCB: Brandon Carr, Orlando Scandrick (susp), Morris Claiborne, B.W. Webb, Sterling Moore, Terrance Mitchell, Justin Green, Korey LindseyS: Barry Church (FS), J.J. Wilcox (SS), Jeff Heath (SS), Matt Johnson (FS), Jakar Hamilton (FS), Ahmad Dixon, Johnny Thomas

Denver Broncos

QB: What else can be said about reigning MVP Peyton Manning? Against San Francisco he had a 120.8 passer rating, including a fantastic strike to Wes Welker to convert 3rd-and-8. He was 12 of 14 for the day, and went 8-for-8 on Denver’s second drive, culminating in a TD to Julius Thomas. Brock Osweiler continued to show progress in his development, posting a 125.5 passer rating and showcasing improved pre-snap recognition. While last week showed off his scrambling, this week showed a willingness to stick in the pocket. Osweiler is locked in as the #2 quarterback. Zac Dysert received some preseason playing time and was the third Bronco to post a 115+ passer rating against San Francisco. Dysert’s roster spot could still be in jeopardy if Denver only keeps two quarterbacks.

RB: Montee Ball returned to practice after his appendectomy, but is still not in pads. He took a few reps with Manning and Osweiler and looks good for a Week 1 return. Ronnie Hillman got the start against the 49ers and split first-team reps with C.J. Anderson. Hillman only received four carries and two targets, and his day was done after the second drive with the rest of the first team. Hillman profiles as a change-of-pace back when Montee Ball returns. Anderson got cleared to return to practice on Thursday the 14th and received a new helmet to help prevent future concussions. According to Anderson, this was his first concussion and he returned without setbacks. Anderson led the Broncos RBs against San

Francisco, rushing nine times and punching the ball in for a short touchdown.

WR: Demaryius Thomas is obviously Denver’s go-to receiver, and he was the recipient of five of Manning’s 14 targets, including three straight. The Manning-to-Thomas connection will be among the league’s most prolific in 2014. Wes Welker had another quiet night against San Francisco, catching just one pass as Peyton Manning spread the ball around, not giving anyone except for Demaryius Thomas more than two targets. With the wealth of weapons on Denver’s offense, Welker’s weekly usage will likely be inconsistent in 2014, but the offense should still be prolific. Emmanuel Sanders has been sidelined by a quad injury, but Denver’s coaching staff remains enamored with his skills. Andrew Mason of DenverBroncos.com says, “For Sanders, his skill set is different than Decker's, but his effectiveness could be equal in the final sum.” Rookie Cody Latimer caught his first career (preseason) touchdown on a 33-yard strike from Osweiler. He is developing a solid rapport with Denver’s backup, but will likely struggle to see the field barring an injury ahead of him on the depth chart, as Denver rarely uses more than 3 receivers at a time.

TE: Julius Thomas caught a 19-yard reception on 2nd-and-9 and a 17-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-5 against the 49ers. He remains a matchup-nightmare in the middle of the field when defenses overcommit to Denver’s talented receivers on the outside, and looks locked in and primed for a big season.

Defense: Von Miller is still working his way back from offseason ACL surgery and has been doing well in individual drills. He is on pace to play in the third preseason game against Houston. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said of Miller, “I said it earlier in camp that I have no question in my mind that Von Miller will be back to his old self for this camp.” Chris Harris had his first padded practice of the offseason and remains on pace for opening day. Denver’s defense received a big blow when Danny Trevathan, last year’s leading tackler and the man responsible for calling defensive plays on the field, went down with a tibial fracture. Initial reports suggest he’ll be sidelined 6-8 weeks, which would possibly have him ready to return following Denver’s Week 4 bye. So far, linebacker Brandon Marshall (no relation to the receiver) has been filling in, with safety T.J. Ward earning snaps at LB in dime defensive sets.

K/P: Starting kicker Matt Prater made a 26-yard field goal and two extra points in the win against the 49ers. Camp leg Mitch Ewald added a 22-yard field goal and two extra points. Britton Colquitt averaged 42.3 yards on three punts, placing all three inside the 20-yard line. In non-kicking matters, Prater concluded camp by parking a tractor behind Peyton Manning’s and Wes Welker’s vehicles.

OL: The Broncos’ offensive line has looked very good this preseason and a huge part of that improvement is getting Ryan Clady back from injury. In their second preseason game, the line provided tons of time for quarterback Peyton Manning to operate against the vaunted 49ers’ defense. Orlando Franklin is looking great at guard where he can use

his physicality in a phone-booth and not have to worry about edge rushers. Manny Ramirez is looking more comfortable in his second year at the center position and right tackle Chris Clark appears to be less challenged going against strong side pass rushers.

Broncos Depth ChartQB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert, Bryn RennerRB: Montee Ball, Ronnie Hillman, C.J. Anderson, Juwan Thompson, Brennan Clay, Kapri Bibbs, Jerodis WilliamsWR: Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker (PR), Emmanuel Sanders, Cody Latimer, Andre Caldwell, Jordan Norwood, Gregory Wilson, Bennie Fowler, Nathan Palmer, Gerell Robinson (inj)TE: Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme, Virgil Green, Cameron MorrahLT: Ryan Clady, Winston Justice, Vinston PainterLG: Orlando Franklin, Ramon HarewoodC: Manny Ramirez, Will Montgomery, Matt ParadisRG: Louis Vasquez, Ryan MillerRT: Chris Clark, Michael SchofieldK: Matt Prater, Mitch EwaldDT: Terrance Knighton (NT), Sylvester Williams, Kevin Vickerson, Mitch Unrein (NT), Marvin Austin, Sione Fua (NT)DE: DeMarcus Ware, Derek Wolfe, Malik Jackson, Quanterus Smith, Kenny Anunike, Brian SanfordMLB: Nate Irving, Jamar Chaney, Lamin Barrow, L.J. FortOLB: Von Miller (S), Danny Trevathan (W) (inj), Steven Johnson(W), Brandon Marshall (S), Jerrell Harris, Lerentee McCray, Corey Nelson, Jameson Konz, Shaq BarrettCB: Aqib Talib, Bradley Roby, Chris Harris (inj), Kayvon Webster, Tony Carter (inj), Jerome MurphyS: T.J. Ward (FS), Duke Ihenacho (SS), Rahim Moore (FS), Quinton Carter (FS), Omar Bolden (FS), David Bruton (SS)

Detroit Lions

QB: The Lions lost 27-26 to the Raiders on Friday night, but Matthew Stafford was razor sharp, finishing 9-of-10 for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford, who played three series, threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate. He followed that up with completions to five different receivers on an 11-play, 58-yard drive, culminated by a 4-yard touchdown pass to Kris Durham. Head Coach Jim Caldwell was happy with the offense’s play. “They’ve been working hard at it, and I think it shows,” Caldwell said. “Matthew threw the ball around well, he did a good job mixing things up, getting us into the right run looks and things of that nature. But we still have a long way to go.” Stafford finished with an impressive 142.9 passer rating. After struggling mightily last week, backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky was solid against the Raiders, completing 8-of-12 passes for 153 yards. “You’re always trying to prove yourself to your coaches and teammates,” Orlovsky said. “When the first-team offense goes out and

executes, you want to do the same thing.” Kellen Moore finished the game and had an uneven performance, going 5-of-8 for 50 yards.

RB: Reggie Bush and Joique Bell continued to share snaps with the first-team offense, with Bush playing on ten snaps and Bell eight. Each had three rushes for seven yards. Bush also caught two passes for two yards and had another drop on a high-thrown ball. Bell did not have a reception. Coach Caldwell says there is room for improvement in the running game. "We still need to keep working on our running game to shore that up a little bit,” Caldwell said. Theo Riddick only had one touch on seven snaps, but it was a highly impressive 36-yard reception on a screen pass. Riddick, who left last week’s game with an abdominal injury, made several defenders miss tackles, which is something Riddick has been praised for since training camp started. Mikel Leshoure had another pedestrian performance, rushing for 23 yards on seven carries.

WR: For the second consecutive week Calvin Johnson watched from the sidelines, but he is expected to play next week against Jacksonville. “I’ll get some plays in that game,” Johnson said. “I’ll feel good about it then.” Other receivers have gotten opportunities with Johnson out and Caldwell has seen improvement. “I think they’re catching the ball better,” Caldwell said. “Whoever’s in there should be able to make some plays and play well.” Golden Tate continues to play well, securing all three of his targets for 41 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown reception. Kevin Ogletree, who is currently listed as the starter in 3-receiver sets, had one catch for 16 yards. Ryan Broyles and Kris Durham are his chief challengers for the job. Broyles, who has been one of the most impressive Lions players in the preseason, had two receptions for 42 yards, including an impressive 34-yard reception in which he broke one tackle and made another Oakland defensive player miss. Durham only had one catch for four yards, but it was a touchdown reception that was made with a defender’s hand in his face.

TE: First-round draft pick Eric Ebron, who has struggled at times during training camp, had a strong game against the Raiders, catching both of his targets for 36 yards. Ebron flashed the big play ability that showed why the Lions spent the tenth overall pick on him. Ebron had a 14-yard reception along the sideline and a 23-yard catch in the deep middle of the field. The latter could have been an even bigger play had Ebron not bobbled the ball before securing it. Ebron is still adjusting to his multiple roles on the offense. “He moves and lines up in a lot of different areas, but when he had his opportunities tonight, he made some plays,” said Stafford. Neither Brandon Pettigrew nor Joseph Fauria was targeted in the game.

Defense: Nick Fairley’s demotion and lackluster play continue to dominate the discussion of the Lions defense. Fairley, who played several snaps with the starters and stayed in the game when the second-team entered the game, only had one tackle. Caldwell did not want to draw any firm conclusions following the game, preferring to wait to compare the performances of both Fairley and starter C.J. Mosley. “I’m not going to

comment on his performance tonight because I’ve got to look at the film and see,” Caldwell said. Mosley finished the game with three tackles. Starting defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, who was removed from the PUP list last week, did not play. He is expected to play during the preseason. Rookie defensive end George Webster had the only sack for the Lions. The secondary struggled at times and three defensive backs (Rashean Mathis, Bill Bentley, and James Ihedigbo) were called for penalties while in coverage. That is significant considering the league’s intention to put more focus on defensive holding and illegal contact this year.

K/P: Kicker Giorgio Tavecchio was quietly even against the Raiders, with a 25-yard field goal and an extra point. Rookie Nate Freese was up and down. The high point was hitting a 55-yard field goal off the infield dirt. The low point was hitting the upright on one his two extra point attempts. Once again they split kickoff duties, although punter/holder Sam Martin is expected to do so in the regular season. Martin averaged 46.5 yards on a pair of punts while camp leg Drew Butler averaged 53.0 on three punts.

OL: Anyone who is a fan of offensive line play should read the Grantland article profiling LeCharles Bentley’s offseason line school. Larry Warford reportedly worked out there between the draft and the start of his rookie season, and it was a contributing factor to his big season. Warford played well in the team’s second preseason game against the Raiders, opening up creases for the Lions’ tailbacks. Besides Warford there is some concern about the run blocking, as Lions’ backs have only averaged 3.5 yards per carry this preseason. Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle had a rough effort against Oakland, as he was flagged for holding and missed a block which led to a tackle for loss. Waddle hasn’t quite locked up the right tackle job, and there is still some time for Corey Hilliard to get his job back.

Lions Depth ChartQB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore, James FranklinRB: Reggie Bush, Joique Bell (SD), Theo Riddick, Mikel Leshoure, George Winn, Steven MillerFB: Jed Collins, Montell OwensWR: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate (PR), Kevin Ogletree, Ryan Broyles, Kris Durham, Jeremy Ross (KR/PR), TJ Jones, Corey Fuller, Patrick Edwards, Andrew Peacock, Cody Wilson, Conner VernonTE: Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron, Joseph Fauria, Jordan ThompsonLT: Riley Reiff, J.B. ShugartsLG: Rob Sims, Rodney AustinC: Dominic Raiola, Travis SwansonRG: Larry Warford, Garrett ReynoldsRT: LaAdrian Waddle, Corey HilliardK: Nate Freese, Giorgio TaveccioDT: Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, C.J. Mosley, Caruan Reid, Andre Fluellen, Jimmy Saddler-McQueen, Corvey IrvinDE: Ezekiel Ansah, Jason Jones, Devin Taylor, Darryl Tapp, Larry Webster, Xavier Proctor, George Johnson, Kalonji Kashama

MLB: Stephen Tulloch, Julian Stanford, Travis Lewis (S), Brandon HepburnOLB: DeAndre Levy (W), Kyle Van Noy (S), Ashlee Palmer (S),Tahir Whitehead (S), Cory GreenwoodCB: Darius Slay, Rashean Mathis, Bill Bentley, Cassius Vaughn, Jonte Green, Nevin Lawson, Nate Ness, Aaron HesterS: Glover Quin (SS), , James Ihedigbo (FS), Don Carey (SS), DeJon Gomes (SS), Isa Abdul-Quddus (SS)

Green Bay Packers

QB: Aaron Rodgers saw his first action of the preseason with 11/13 for 98 yards passing, one TD and zero interceptions or sacks taken. "The offense got off to a great start," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "I really liked the production (a TD and FG on Rodgers two drives) that we were able to get done in the first two series." According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, coach McCarthy went with the no-huddle offense from the start of the game and was prepared to run the entire series with the same personnel. Rodgers drove the team 86 yards on 12 plays for a touchdown with the same 11 players taking all the snaps. Matt Flynn (2/3 for 44 yards, one TD and zero interceptions, with two sacks taken for -17 yards) threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jeff Janis, a seventh-round pick, and added a 2-point conversion pass to Davante Adams that made it 18-7 late in the third. "I felt good, I felt comfortable, I felt in control," Flynn said. "It was nice being out there, making checks, making reads. There were some plays I thought we left out there, but that always happens in preseasons. I thought I made good, quick decisions." Scott Tolzien threw 10/15 for 107 yards, zero TDs or interceptions, with one sack taken for -1 yards. He and Flynn remained locked in a battle for the backup quarterback slot, though Flynn may hold an edge due to his extensive experience in the league.

RB: "We practiced up-tempo offense and to be able to come out and execute it at this stage of the game is great," running back Eddie Lacy said after the 21-7 victory over St. Louis. "It will be tough for opponents to keep up and be able to beat us." Lacy posted an outstanding 5/25/0 rushing with 2/22/0 receiving during his time with the first team offense on Saturday. James Starks was limited to 4/9/0 rushing with one target for zero receptions, while DuJuan Harris actually led the Packers in rushing with 7/32/0 rushing (and one catch for two yards). Harris fumbled during a return opportunity: “Everybody’s just trying to do what we can, man,” Harris said. “I don’t think about competition. I just think about doing my job and doing it well. Anything else that happens after that is out of my control. I don’t worry about it.” Rajion Neal missed this contest (knee injury) - so Michael Hill (4/17/0 rushing with 1/27/0 receiving) got a chance to stake his claim to the number four running back job. Behind Lacy and Starks, the depth chart is still in the process of firming up entering the third preseason game.

WR: Jordy Nelson started for the Packers after returning from a hamstring injury incurred earlier in the week, but had no catches in limited action; he did notch a 10-yard receiving TD but had it nullified by an illegal use of the hands penalty on an offensive lineman. Running with Nelson and the other "ones", Randall Cobb saw three targets for 3/34/1 receiving, while rookie Jeff Janis caught a Matt Flynn pass for a TD later in the game (one target for 1/34/1 receiving). Davante Adams saw three targets for 2/28/0 receiving (plus the two-point conversion mentioned above). Jarrett Boykin saw four targets for 3/21/0 and remains in the number three position on the depth chart at wide receiver, followed by Adams at number four. Janis is battling with several other receivers (Kevin Dorsey, two targets for 1/18/0, including a bad drop; Myles White, three targets for 1/2/0 receiving) for the remaining slots in the stable.

TE: Richard Rodgers got the start vs. St. Louis - he was in on all 12 plays for the first drive of the game; but didn’t catch a pass. Rodgers commented after the contest, "I've got a job to do and I tried to do it. We did a good job on the opening drive. We were getting the ball out quickly, and it really felt like we settled into a rhythm." The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein notes: "Rodgers and Brandon Bostick have seemed to be more involved with the No. 1 offense during training camp and the preseason." Bostick was sidelined with a lower leg injury in the first quarter and later tweeted: "No worries, I'm good" in the aftermath of the injury. Andrew Quarless led the Packers in receiving on Saturday, with five targets for 4/58/0.

Defense: The first-team defense staked the Packers to a 10-0 lead before Sam Bradford hit Lance Kendricks for an 11-yard strike midway through the second quarter. After that score, the Packers' D shut out the Rams and helped Green Bay to a 21-7 victory. Officials called 30 penalties in the game, 22 of which were accepted. There were six flags for hands to the face, which is one of the areas of emphasis for officials this year. There also were six calls for defensive holding and pass interference (combined). Aaron Rodgers commented: "You saw it there. You saw a lot of defensive holding calls. You saw an offensive pass interference call, maybe two, and you saw illegal contact, hands to the face, a bunch of them. It makes you have to play, especially after a big play, you're always looking back to see if there's a penalty out there. We don't want to get down that road too far. Hopefully, it's the preseason and they're working their kinks out as well." Reserve LB Jayrone Elliott had a spectacular series late in the game with three sacks (for -23 yards and a fumble) during the fourth quarter. Coach McCarthy commented, "What could you say, the young man gets a chance like that. We wanted to make sure he got more reps this week. (Adrian) Hubbard also. And then just the production. Once again that would fall in the big-play category and on top of it, to see the sideline get behind the young guys, that's what good teams do. We're growing. We improved today."

K/P: Through the middle of last week, kicker Mason Crosby was 38 of 42 (90.5%) on field goal in camp. In this past weekend’s game against the Rams, he made field goals of 31 and 49 yards along with an extra point. He also handled all the

kickoffs, unlike last year at this time when the team experimented with using punter Tim Masthay. In the St. Louis game, Masthay averaged 47.8 yards on five punts, placing three inside the 20-yard line.

OL: While starting tackles David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga kept the pocket clean against the Rams’ big name pass rushers, penalties were a small concern. Bakhtiari was called for hands-to-the-face penalty that negated a touchdown. At the center spot, J.C. Tretter continues to look impressive while rookie Corey Linsley drew a pair of penalties, one of which wiped out a touchdown. After a good showing in the first preseason game against the Titans, backup tackle Derek Sherrod had a much rougher performance in the second game against the Rams. Sherrod allowed one sack and two quarterback hits in extensive playing time at both left and right tackle. Some observers believe Sherrod was helped by the wet natural grass in preseason week one, but the quick field turf in preseason week two gave the advantage to speed rushers.

Packers Depth ChartQB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Scott TolzienRB: , Eddie Lacy, James Starks, DuJuan Harris, Rajion Neal, Michael Hill, LaDarius Perkins, Orwin SmithFB: John Kuhn, Ina LiainaWR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams,Jeff Janis, Myles White, Chris Harper, Kevin Dorsey, Alex Gillett, Jared Abbrederis (IR)TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick (inj), Ryan Taylor, Jake Stoneburner, Colt Lyerla (inj), Raymond WebberLT: David Bakhtiari, Derek Sherrod, Aaron AdamsLG: Josh Sitton, Lane TaylorC: J.C. Tretter, Corey LinsleyRG: TJ Lang, Andrew TillerRT: Bryan Bulaga, Don BarclayK: Mason Crosby, Tim MasthayNT: B.J. Raji, Letroy Guion, Josh BoydDE: Datone Jones, Mike Daniels, Mike Neal, Khyri Thornton, Mike PennelILB: A.J. Hawk (L), Brad Jones (M), Jamari Lattimore (M/R), Sam Barrington (L), Victor AiyewaOLB: Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers (DE), Nick Perry (L), Chase Thomas (L), Andy Mulumba (R), Jayrone Elliott, Nate Palmer (R), Carl BradfordCB: Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, Davon House, Jarrett Bush (FS), Antonio Dennard, Demetri Goodson, Jumal Rolle, Ryan WhiteS: Morgan Burnett (SS), Micah Hyde (FS), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (FS),Sean Richardson (SS), Chris Banjo (SS), Tanner Miller, Charles Clay

Houston Texans

QB: The Texans second preseason game went much better than the first. Ryan Fitzpatrick played into the second quarter when rookie Tom Savage took the field with the second team for a series before Fitzpatrick returned for the final 90 seconds

of the half. Fitzpatrick completed 9-of-12 passes for 97 yards while adding a 10-yard run on the team’s opening drive and a 15-yard run in the last drive of the first half that also featured a 31-yard connection to Keshawn Martin and an 8-yard TD strike to DeVier Posey with 19 seconds remaining. Fitzpatrick’s performance followed a strong week of practice; he is firmly entrenched as the team’s starter. "He's getting more and more comfortable with the system and he went out there and played a good game for our team," HC Bill O'Brien said. The team’s biggest camp battle is perhaps the competition between Case Keenum and Savage. Even though Savage got into the game in the first half, he remains behind Keenum through two games. On Thursday, Keenum was given some first-team reps in practice for the first time this preseason. Keshawn Martin dropped the first pass thrown to him, caught the second and Keenum’s third throw was incomplete. Keenum rebounded nicely, though, with a touchdown to TE Garrett Graham. It was classic Keenum – consistently inconsistent. Savage’s reps have mainly come with the third team. In Thursday’s practice, he threaded a pair of touchdowns to Alfred Blue and undrafted rookie WR Anthony McClung, respectively. Savage completed 4 out of 5 for 8 yards against the Falcons while Keenum finished 6-of-12 for 81 yards. He guided the team to the Falcons 22-yard line to start the second half before he was intercepted at the goal line by Kemal Ishmael.

RB: Arian Foster (hamstring) returned to the field last Wednesday for a joint practice with the Falcons, but he did not play in Saturday’s preseason game. Jonathan Grimes started in Foster’s place and combined for 67 yards – 42 yards on 9 carries and 25 yards on three receptions. He and Alfred Blue were used in a committee with the first team. Blue converted on a goal-line carry from the 1-yard line and made a few impressive runs in the red zone. Blue finished with six carries for 22 yards and a TD. Grimes’ highlights were a 22-yard run and a 17-yard return of a blocked punt for a touchdown. The team’s newcomers got some work in the second half with a comfortable lead – William Powell ran six times for 17 yards and Ronnie Brown managed only three yards on six attempts. Last week, the team released Andre Brown, Dennis Johnson and Tim Cornett, replacing them with Powell and Brown. Grimes continues to have the edge for the No. 2 spot, but keep an eye on Blue the next two weeks. HC O’Brien had this to say about the former LSU Tiger, "Good teammate, hardworking guy, football smart, three-down back -- he's got to continue to improve catching the football, but good runner, good vision, good on special teams, understands football, asks good questions. I see some good things from Alfred." 

WR: Andre Johnson (hamstring) also participated in Wednesday’s practice with the Falcons, but didn’t start in Saturday’s game. Johnson missed 15 days with his strained hamstring. Keshawn Martin led the team with 3 catches for 39 yards on 3 targets, while also picking up 26 yards on the ground. UDFA rookie Travis Labhart caught all three of his targets for 36 yards while DeAndre Hopkins was targeted three times; catching two of them for 19 yards. DeVier Posey caught his only target for the 8-yard TD from Ryan Fitzpatrick just before half. Mike Thomas didn’t figure into the box score.

TE: The Texans tight ends didn’t get much work against the Falcons. Rookie C.J. Fiedorowicz caught two passes for 14 yards, while second-year Ryan Griffin was targeted three times without securing a catch.

Defense: Fans got their first taste of top pick Jadeveon Clowney as he flashed his playmaking ability with two consecutive big hits behind the line of scrimmage in the preseason home opener. "It's work," Clowney said. "You just got to work and get after the guys, go hard and hope for something good. You just have to do your job." Clowney set the tone as he racked RB Antone Smith for a 2-yard loss and then beat left tackle Sam Baker to sack Matt Ryan. J.J. Watt dressed for the game, but didn’t play. Cornerback Andre Hal returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown and Grimes’s 17-yard return of a blocked punt by Anthony Denham gave the team two scores from the defense and special teams. Other highlights included an interception of former Texans’ QB T.J. Yates by rookie LB Max Bullough, a blocked field goal by safety Jawanza Starling and a pair of strong plays by safety D.J. Swearinger. Swearinger hit Julius Jones and then jumped TE Levine Toilolo to break up a pass that he nearly intercepted. Unfortunately, his bravado cost him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the team 15 yards. The lowlight in the Texans win was the number of penalties committed – 15 for 117 yards and six first downs for Atlanta. Brian Cushing came off the PUP list but Justin Tuggle started in his place, making two tackles against his father Jesse’s former team. Cushing remains on track for the season opener. Rookie NT Louis Nix also was removed from the active/PUP list, although he has a ton of ground to make up on Jerrell Powe for the starting nose tackle job.

K/P: Rookie Chris Boswell’s challenge for the kicking job probably ended in the Atlanta game. While he made a 33-yard field goal, he missed a pair of 33-yard extra points, wide right on both attempts. Randy Bullock meanwhile made both of his extra points, along with a 40-yard field goal. Bullock also fared better than Boswell on kickoffs. Boswell punted once again, this time for 45 yards. Starting Shane Lechler averaged 50.3 yards on three punts, placing one inside the 20-yard line.

OL: Coaches have been impressed with the recent play of rookie guard Xavier Su’a-Filo, and he started the game against Arizona at right guard for the still injured Brandon Brooks. There is still no timetable for Brooks’ removal from the active non-football injury list, but the coaches believe he is making progress. When Brooks does return, it is unclear if he will resume at right guard or go over to left guard where Ben Jones currently has the job. At right tackle, Tyson Clabo looked decent in reps with the first team and there could be a battle brewing between him and Derek Newton. The loser of this battle will likely be the swing tackle. We will keep Newton as the starter for now in the depth charts, but this situation bears further observation.

Texans Depth ChartQB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, Tom SavageRB: Arian Foster (inj), Jonathan Grimes, Alfred Blue, Ronnie Brown, William PowellFB: Jay Prosch, Toben Opurum

WR: Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Keshawn Martin (KR/PR), Devier Posey, Mike Thomas (KR/PR), Alec Lemon, Anthony McClung, Travis Labhart, Uzoma Nwachukwu, Lacoltan Bester, Joe Adams, Alan Bonner (IR)TE: Garrett Graham, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin, Zach Potter, Anthony DenhamLT: Duane Brown, Will YeatmanLG: Ben JonesC: Chris Myers, Cody White (IR)RG: Xavier Su’a-Filo, Brandon Brooks (inj), Alex Kupper, Conor Boffeli, Bronson IrwinRT: Derek Newton, Tyson Clabo, Brice SchwabK: Randy Bullock, Chris BoswellNT: Jerrell Powe, Louis Nix, Ricardo Mathews, David Hunter, Austin BrownDE: J.J. Watt, Jared Crick, Tim Jamison, Jeoffrey Pagan, Keith Browner, Julius WarmsleyILB: Brian Cushing, Jeff Tarpinian, Justin Tuggle, Mike Mohamed, Max Bullough, Akeem Dent, Paul Hazel, Chris YoungOLB: Jadeveon Clowney, Brooks Reed, Whitney Mercilus, Ricky Sapp, Quentin Groves, Lawrence SidburyCB: Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Brandon Harris, Elbert Mack, Josh Victorian, Andre Hal, A.J. Bouye, Marcus WilliamsS: D.J. Swearinger (SS), Kendrick Lewis (FS), Chris Clemons (FS), Shiloh Keo (FS), Eddie Pleasant (SS), Jawanza Starling (SS), Lonnie Ballentine (FS)

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Everything continues to go just fine for the Colts at the quarterback position. Andrew Luck saw a healthy workload against the Giants, and completed 12 of his 18 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. He did all of this without Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton in the lineup. Luck continues to show he’s the type of quarterback who can make due with a less than desirable supporting cast. Matt Hasselback eluded a few defenders in the pocket against New York; looking like a much younger man. Hasselback has spent most of this camp, and preseason, reminding observers what a nice backup quarterback situation Indianapolis has. That is not something most NFL teams can say. Third stringer, Chandler Harnish, looked slightly better than he did in the preseason opener against the Jets. He still faces an uphill battle to earn a roster spot.

RB: Trent Richardson continues to struggle in preseason action. Richardson once again looked indecisive, and slow behind a suspect offensive line. The Colts tried to establish the run on their first offensive series, but nothing broke for them. The coaches finally ditched the rushing attack during the second series, and let Andrew Luck take over. If this keeps up, you have to wonder whether it ever happens for Trent Richardson and the Colts. The trouble is the former third overall pick in the draft is supposedly looking great in practice. The Indy Star reports that Richardson looks both

decisive and explosive, in non-game scenarios. It’s puzzling why he cannot translate that to the field when it counts. Dan Herron continues to make his presence felt. He’s playing extremely well this preseason. His strong effort looks like it’s earned him the number-three job, and made him a lock for the final roster.

WR: The criticism for Hakeem Nicks was hot and heavy last week. The coaches were questioning his conditioning, and many were ready to sell all stock in him. This week, the tone is completely different. Nicks recorded five catches for 53 yards against his old team. He also would have had an additional 36 yards had he not been called for an unsportsmanlike penalty jarring with his former teammates. Nicks displayed the great hands and smooth run after catch skills that made him one of the best in the business a few years ago. It looked like a concerted effort on the Colts part to work Nicks into the action. Andrew Luck spoke on whether he was force-feeding Nicks, “"A couple of guys on the team asked me that too. (They said) 'You were giving it to Hakeem on purpose, huh?' I think you give it to the open guy on purpose. It was just the way the game played out". It’s important to remember that Indianapolis was without Wayne and Hilton. Yet, this game showed that the team still wants Nicks to succeed, and he’s capable of doing so. As Stephen Holder wrote after the game, “It was a performance that left you wondering just how potent the Colts' group of receivers, when fully intact, could be. Go ahead and let your mind wander”.

TE: It was another quiet game for Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. The young duo totaled just a single reception and only four yards. Bleacher Report’s Tyler Brooke believes that the pair “will make more of an impact once the season begins”, despite their low preseason output. Training camp star, Erik Swoope, isn’t making enough impact on the field to garner the same buzz he did a few weeks ago. It doesn’t look like he will make the final roster. The Colts will almost certainly look to stash him on the practice squad. Should they take that course of action, they run the risk of another team poaching him.

Defense: The depth along the defensive line has been a surprising theme of the Colts’ preseason. We know the coaches have consistently praised Montori Hughes. Fellow nose tackle, and true starter Josh Chapman balled out when defending the run against the Giants. He looks to form a good three-man line with Arthur Jones and Cory Redding. Ricky Jean-Francois is another solid depth player the team can rotate in, along with Hughes. Keep an eye on undrafted rookie tackle, Zach Kerr. He was a favorite of a few draftniks, and had some dominant stretches late in the preseason game. If Kerr gets some more playing time, and performs again, he could make this team. The rest of the defensive depth doesn’t look so great. New addition D’Qwell Jackson delivered a sack on Eli Manning, and is playing quite well in exhibition games. Unfortunately, his backup Kelvin Sheppard drew a few flags on Friday night. In the secondary, Greg Toler has been another one of the Indy Star’s training camp standouts. He is the unquestioned number-two cornerback. Not many other defensive backs are stepping up to the plate in Indianapolis. The only other player garnering headlines is undrafted rookie

Loucheiz Purifoy. The former Florida Gators’ corner flew around the field when he got playing time against New York. Stampede Blue projects the talented Purifoy to see his name on the final roster after cut day.

K/P: Starting placekicker Adam Vinatieri made field goals of 53 and 43 yards in the loss to the Giants. Camp leg Cody Parkey hit from 45 and 31 yards. Although perhaps most interestingly was the final miss, a 64-yarder in the waning seconds, by punter, holder, and kickoff specialist Pat McAfee. Afterward, coach Chuck Pagano guaranteed that McAfee would hit a 60+ yard game winner this year. That may, or may not, be interpreted to mean that McAfee will get all 60+-yard attempts, if any arise.

OL: With several injuries along the interior of the line, there were some changes in the game against the Giants. Lance Louis started at left guard for Jack Mewhort, while Jonotthan Harrison started at center for Khaled Holmes. Louis was unsteady in his snaps and could not get push in the run game. Mewhort actually returned to practice the Monday after the game and is expected to send Louis back to the bench as early as next week against the Saints. Harrison settled down after his unsteady performance the week prior and had a really decent game against the Giants, especially in pass protection. The team hopes that Holmes will be able to return to the lineup for week one, but if not, Harrison might actually be a serviceable stop-gap.

Colts Depth ChartQB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Chandler HarnishRB: Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Dan Herron, Zurlon Tipton, Phillip Tanner, Deji Karim, Vick Ballard (IR)FB: Stanley Havili (PUP), Mario Harvey, Cam WhiteWR: Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton (KR/PR), Hakeem Nicks, Da′Rick Rogers, Donte Moncrief, Grif Whalen, Josh Lenz, Ryan Lankford, Eric Thomas, Tony Washington, Nu′Keese RichardsonTE: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle, Weslye Saunders, Erik SwoopeLT: Anthony Castonzo, Jack BrecknerLG: Jack Mewhort, Lance Louis, Donald Thomas (IR)C: Khaled Holmes, Joe ReitzRG: Hugh Thornton, Eric PikeRT: Gosder Cherilus, Xavier Nixon, John UlrickK: Adam Vinatieri, Cody ParkeyNT: Josh Chapman, Montori Hughes, Brandon McKinney, Fili Moala (IR)DE: Cory Redding, Arthur Jones, Ricky Jean-Francois, Zach Kerr, Tyler Hoover, Nnamdi Obukwelu, Gannon ConwayILB: Jerrell Freeman (W), D′Qwell Jackson, Kelvin Sheppard (M), Josh McNary, Andrew Jackson, Shawn Loiseau, Henoc MuambaOLB: Robert Mathis (susp), Erik Walden (S) (susp), Bjoern Werner, Jonathan Newsome, Andy Studebaker, Cam Johnson, Phillip Hunt, Jonathon Sharpe, Aaron Morgan (IR)CB: Vontae Davis, Greg Toler, Darius Butler, Sheldon Price, Josh Gordy, Marcus Burley, Loucheiz

Purifoy, Johnny Adams, Kameron Jackson, Qua CoxS: LaRon Landry (SS), Delano Howell (FS), Sergio Brown (SS), David Sims (SS), Colt Anderson, Mike Adams, Dewey McDonald

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Even though the Jaguars are sticking to their guns with regards to Blake Bortles’ “red shirt” season, his second consecutive solid preseason performance did little to quell the whispers. Starter Chad Henne performed well and finished with 130 yards and a touchdown. Henne completed 12-of-17 and showed good mobility in the pocket as he led the Jaguars to a 13-7 lead before his departure. "Definitely the first couple of drives we wanted to get the tempo going," Henne said. "The way we did that was first and second down. We moved the chains and got some explosive plays out of it as well." But the story of the game was Bortles, who threw for 160 yards on 11-of-17 passing. Bortles entered the game with 3:35 left in the first half and quickly led the team to a 45-yard FG drive. He continued to display a calm pocket presence, good mobility to avoid hits and extend plays as well as making precise throws on the run into traffic. Perhaps as a reward for his solid preseason play, the coaches gave Bortles first-team reps in practice; he’s slated for more of the same in the third preseason game.

RB: Thursday’s game was Toby Gerhart’s first appearance with the Jaguars after he missed nearly two weeks with a hip flexor. Gerhart looked good on the team’s opening drive, breaking off a pair of powerful runs between the tackles and reeling in an 8-yard catch. He finished with 19 yards on six carries but was engulfed by tacklers on all three of his runs outside the tackles. Jordan Todman received work with the first and second teams in the first half. Todman rushed for 18 yards on eight attempts and caught three balls for 24 yards. Todman’s most notable play was a botched handoff with Bortles, but he continues to have a leg up on Denard Robinson and Storm Johnson even if Robinson has looked more explosive. Robinson led the team with 34 yards on six carries working as the team’s third back. He was able to get to the edge for the second straight game with outside runs of 12 and nine yards. Storm Johnson ran for 14 yards on five carries. He muffed a second half kick return, before rebounding quickly and turning it into a decent return. All of Johnson’s work came in the second half of the fourth quarter. Perhaps the key for Todman’s edge so far has been his superior work in pass protection. He had a key blitz pick up against the Bears’ Jon Bostic that allowed Henne to find Marcedes Lewis for a completion. The battle for the backup spot isn’t over, though. Johnson’s size makes him the best option to be a feature back, while Robinson and Todman have more explosiveness and appear to be better suited as change-of-pace guys. Over the weekend, the team waived/injured FB Bradie Ewing and signed former supplemental pick Harvey Unga.

WR: Cecil Shorts did not play on Saturday night, but he did return to practice on Sunday after missing the last three weeks

with a right hamstring strain. In the final year of his rookie contract, Shorts will be brought along slowly, but he wasted no time getting involved as he caught a swing pass from Henne on the first snap of 11-on-11 session drills with the first team. "It felt good," Shorts said. "After that, it was just downhill. Rusty, rusty, rusty, but I'll be fine." With Shorts out, Marquise Lee and undrafted rookie Allen Hurns ran with the 1s for most of the week. Once everyone is healthy, Hurns will likely slide back into the No. 5 spot behind Shorts, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Ace Sanders. Lee caught all four of his targets against the Bears finishing with 27 yards and a 6-yard TD. Lee was given an earful after their last game by HC Gus Bradley for his effort, but he responded well and continues to have an impressive preseason otherwise. "He is extremely focused, really competitive, really driven," Bradley said of Lee. "I thought he came out today, learned from those things and got better." Mike Brown was the busiest receiver on Saturday night with a team-high 8 targets, finishing with 3-49-0. Kerry Taylor contributed with 3-54-0. Robinson could remain sidelined for a few more weeks while Sanders has been on a leave of absence for a “personal issue” but could return to play in the team’s final preseason game on August 28.

TE: Marcedes Lewis continues to be heavily involved with three receptions for 46 yards. Brandon Barden continued to inch his way closer to the No. 2 job with Clay Harbor sidelined by a calf injury. Barden (5 receptions) was the team’s leading receiver in last week’s scrimmage, but he missed the preseason opener due to illness. He dropped a pass that bounced off his hands in the red zone last Tuesday. Fendi Onobun got the coaches attention when he out fought safety Johnathan Cyprien in practice for a touchdown. Onobun has been a workout warrior in preseasons past and remains a long shot to earn a roster spot.

Defense: Tyson Alualu recorded a sack for the second straight preseason game. Josh Evans intercepted Jimmy Clausen and Will Blackmon forced and recovered an Eric Weems fumble on a first half kick return. The Jaguars defense continues to look much improved versus last season as they held the Bears to 312 total yards (79 rushing), forced two turnovers, recorded one sack and had five tackles for loss. Roy Miller (2), Ziggy Hood and LaRoy Reynolds all came up with tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Rookie Telvin Smith hasn’t made an impression in the box scores yet, but helped forced a turnover for the second game in a row. SLB Dekoda Watson (groin) returned to practice on Sunday for what was his first action of camp following offseason sports hernia surgery. LaRoy Reynolds has been holding down his spot for the last few weeks. "Naturally, of course, you just want to jump right in and just go right into it," Watson said after he got off to a good start and broke up a pass in 7-on-7s.

K/P: Camp leg Kasey Redfern once again got some work in all phases of specialization in the preseason loss to Chicago. He kicked a 29-yard field goal, kicked off twice, and averaged 42.8 yards on four punts, placing one inside the 20-yard line. Starting kicker Josh Scobee saw more placekicking in this week’s game, making field goals of 49, 25 and 43 yards. Bryan Anger had one punt for 51 yards.

OL: Overall, the Jaguars’ offensive line continues to struggle, especially starting center Mike Brewster. In the preseason game against the Bears, somehow, Brewster was beaten for a sack and gave up a holding penalty on the same play. In related news, the team signed veteran center Antoine Caldwell and will throw him in the center competition right away. Third round pick Brandon Linder has been working at both guard and center. Jacques McClendon looked poor in the game, but could still start at guard if Caldwell doesn’t pan out and Linder plays center over Brewster. Right tackle Austin Paszor broke his hand in the game. As offensive linemen often play with casts, it was surprising to hear that the team will wait a month before re-evaluating Pasztor. If this is true and Pasztor misses regular season time, Cameron Bradfield would be expected to start in his place. When he plays, Bradford is usually an adventure, so this is not good news. Left tackle Luke Joeckel routinely was pushed back by Jared Allen, but the team assumes he will get it together before the season. In other backup news, sixth round pick Luke Bowanko left the game with a sprained ankle. If healthy, Bowanko could also factor into that guard conversation, if Linder moves to center.

Jaguars Depth ChartQB: Chad Henne, Blake Bortles, Ricky Stanzi, Stephen MorrisRB: Toby Gerhart, Jordan Todman (KR), Denard Robinson (KR/WR), Storm Johnson, Terrance CobbFB: Will Ta′ufo′ou, Harvey Unga, Bradie Ewing (IR)WR: Marqise Lee, Cecil Shorts (inj), Allen Robinson (inj), Mike Brown, Ace Sanders (PR) (susp), Tandon Doss (inj), Chad Bumphis, Kerry Taylor, Stephen Burton, Lamaar Thomas, Kevin Smith, Kenny Shaw, Justin Blackmon (susp)TE: Marcedes Lewis, Clay Harbor, Brandon Barden, Danny Noble, Marcel Jensen, Fendi OnobunLT: Luke Joeckel, Demarcus LoveLG: Zane Beadles, Drew NowakC: Mike Brewster, Antoine Caldwell, Patrick LewisRG: Brandon Linder, Jacques McClendon, Luke BowankoRT: Austin Pasztor, Cameron BradfieldK: Josh ScobeeDT: Senderrick Marks, Roy Miller, Ziggy Hood, Deandre Coleman, Abry Jones, Ricky Havili-Heimuli, David CarterDE: Tyson Alualu, Red Bryant, Andre Branch, Chris Clemons, Ryan Davis, Chris Smith, Gerald RiversMLB: Paul Posluszny, LaRoy Reynolds (M/S), Nathan Stupar, Allen BradfordOLB: Geno Hayes (W), Dekoda Watson (S), Telvin Smith (W), J.T. Thomas (W), Chris Smith (S), Marcus Whitfield, Josh HullCB: Dwayne Gratz, Alan Ball, Will Blackmon, Mike Harris, Demetrius McCray, Aaron Colvin, Jamell Fleming, Jeremy Harris, Deion BelueS: John Cyprien (SS), Winston Guy (FS), Christopher Prosinski (SS), Sherrod Martin (FS), Josh Evans (FS), Craig Loston, Joe Young

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Alex Smith looked much more comfortable in the team’s second preseason game despite not leading any touchdown drives. He was pressured regularly as the offensive line struggled against the Carolina pass rush, but he handled it well. Smith stood tall in the pocket under pressure and was his normally accurate self. Chase Daniel was his normal unspectacular self with the second team, but looks to have a firm grip on the QB2 job. Aaron Murray saw action early in the third quarter and completed his first pass for a 43-yard touchdown down the seam to Travis Kelce. The ball was well-placed but Murray may have lost any ground he picked up by tossing an ill-advised interception on the next drive. Murray said he learned from the experience. "Every play counts. I have to make sure I'm extremely accurate on every single ball. That's something I've continued to learn over this past month.” While Tyler Bray didn’t see any work this week in the game, Andy Reid said Bray will see a lot more work in Week Three.

RB: Jamaal Charles missed this week’s game with a foot injury that was apparently suffered while moving out of the training camp dorms. Andy Reid did not sound concerned about the injury lingering. "He twisted his foot," Reid said. "Kind of a freak thing. It was crazy. It didn't happen at practice. It was after practice as we were leaving so we held him out for precautionary reasons. I think he's going to be fine. I left him back at home. We'll go from there. But he's doing well." Knile Davis started in his place and struggled against a strong Carolina front. Davis saw a lot of work in the pass game as well with some success, but he still doesn’t look completely comfortable catching the ball and getting up the field. The injury also meant more work for Cyrus Gray, who once again had success against the Panthers reserves. Gray is still fighting for a spot on the roster. De’Anthony Thomas had limited success in the offense but looks to have cemented himself as the team’s punt returner at the very least. His speed still flashes every time he touches the ball but he took some really big hits, illustrating the risk of such a small back in such a violent league.

WR: There was a big buzz around camp late in the week about the status of Dwayne Bowe’s finger injury almost immediately after his one game suspension was announced. “Dwayne Bowe has been out here and his finger is shot,” Reid said. “It’s been thrown out of place about 15 times, so now he’s not catching the ball but he’s getting his work done. You can practice with that kind of thing.” Bowe answered those questions against Carolina with 5 catches for 62 yards in the first half. His finger did not seem to be an issue and Alex Smith was clearly looking to get him the ball. Donnie Avery looks like a lock to be the WR2 and made his first catch of the preseason. Junior Hemingway and A.J. Jenkins both saw time with the first team but neither registered a catch. Hemingway and Kyle Williams both shined in practice this week, and the team seems particularly fond of Williams. “We knew when he came here that he was very good on the inside,” (receivers coach David) Culley said. “He knew how to run the slot. He’s a very good route runner in there [and] he knows how to uncover—he’s got a good feel for it.” Frankie

Hammond benefitted from Albert Wilson missing the game with an ankle injury and logged 22 snaps. Hammond looks to lead the battle for what may be the last receiver spot assuming that Wilson has already locked one up.

TE: Travis Kelce once again stole the show with a 40-yard touchdown reception straight down the seam. Although both of his big plays have come after the starters have left, Alex Smith is impressed: “Kelce has made two huge plays, and he even had some other ones underneath tonight and making guys miss and getting north and south.” Smith continued, “It was good to see. He’s going to add another element to the tight end position. He’ll stretch some defenses and do some things with the ball in his hands. It’s exciting to see.” As impressive as Kelce has been, Anthony Fasano is still listed atop the depth chart and seeing more targets from Alex Smith in game play. There seems to be a consensus that Fasano has the edge due to his run blocking, but the team is expected to run a lot of two tight end sets. Demetrius Harris is continuing to develop as the TE3, and impressing his coaches at the same time. “The transformation he made in the offseason,” said Melvin, “from the strength and conditioning part of it, what the strength coaches did with him, and the time he spent catching footballs and running routes, he’s a football player now.”

Defense: Eric Berry continues to be sidelined by tendinitis in his heel and the secondary continues to struggle because of it. They were better against Carolina, but a lot of that was due to Cam Newton’s rustiness and the Panthers’ inexperience at receiver. Sean Smith earned the start against Carolina and looked better than Ron Parker had the previous week. The Chiefs pass rush tallied 4 sacks against the Panthers including rookie Dee Ford, who had a ½ sack. Nico Johnson, who is fighting for a roster spot, led the team with six total tackles. Mike DeVito also missed the game with a broken hand but Vance Walker provides plenty of depth in that area and will be a big part of the rotation even when DeVito returns. James Michael-Johnson continued his push to be the third ILB, and led the team with 41 snaps at linebacker against the Panthers.

K/P: Kicker Ryan Succop missed some practices last week with a minor groin injury, but returned and played in the Panthers game. He helped his job security with field goals of 54 and 25 yards. Challenger Cairo Santos hit a 44-yard field goal and added an extra point. Both players had nearly identical yardage on their kickoffs, although Succop had touchbacks. It remains a close race. Dustin Colquitt averaged 38.8 yards on five punts, placing three inside the 20-yard line.

OL: In their preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, the Chiefs’ offensive line had some struggles. The first team offensive line was flagged for four penalties in the first half. Left guard Jeff Allen was steamrolled by a defensive lineman, leading to a big hit on quarterback Alex Smith. Right guard Zach Fulton was not blocking anyone in the screen game. Left tackle Eric Fisher struggled to contain his man on passing downs. Head coach Andy Reid chalked these errors up to the youth of the line, and he expects the players to learn from their mistakes. Reid also gave a vote of confidence to Fisher, who he believes is still working to recover from offseason shoulder surgery.

Chiefs Depth ChartQB: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray, Aaron MurrayRB: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis (KR), De′Anthony Thomas (KR),Cyrus Gray, Joe McKnightFB: Anthony ShermanWR: Dwayne Bowe (susp), Donnie Avery, A.J. Jenkins, Junior Hemingway, Albert Wilson, Weston Dressler, Kyle Williams, Frankie Hammond, Mark Harrison, Jerrell Jackson, Fred Williams, Deon AnthonyTE: Anthony Fasano, Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, Richard GordonLT: Eric Fisher, Jeff Linkenbach, R.J. DillLG: Jeff Allen, Rokevious WatkinsC: Rodney Hudson, Eric KushRG: Zach Fulton, Ricky Henry, Rishaw JohnsonRT: Donald Stephenson, Ryan Harris, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Colin KellyK: Ryan SuccopNT: Dontari Poe, Jaye HowardDE: Mike DeVito, Allen Bailey, Vance Walker, Mike Catapano, Dominique Hamilton, Chas AlecxihILB: Derrick Johnson, Joe Mays, Nico Johnson, James-Michael Johnson, Jordan CampbellOLB: Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Dee Ford, Frank Zombo, Ridge Wilson, Alonzo Highsmith, Devan Walker, Josh Martin, Josh MaugaCB: Marcus Cooper, Sean Smith, Ron Parker, Phillip Gaines, Chris Owens, Vernon Kearney, Kevin Rutland, DeMarcus Van Dyke, Justin Rogers, Kip Edwards, Brandon Jones, Quinton Byrd, Sanders Commings (inj)S: Eric Berry (SS), Husain Abdullah, Malcolm Bronson, Jerron McMillian, Steve Gregory

Miami Dolphins

QB: Perhaps the most notable correction that Bill Lazor made with Ryan Tannehill was his footwork and the quarterback described its effect: “It’s helped me get the ball out faster, have more velocity on some of my throws, and just be more consistent. Some of the incompletions I’ve had in the past are due to inconsistent footwork.” In the second preseason game, he displayed improved decisiveness en route to 110 passing yards on nine of 14 passing with one lost fumble. The struggling run game is bound to place a lot of weight on the shoulders of Tannehill. With the signing of Brady Quinn, Pat Devlin, who has been unable to practice with a hamstring injury, was released. Matt Moore’s hold on the backup job was uncertain for a brief moment, but 13 of 19 passing for 158 yards and one touchdown versus Tampa Bay added some cushion to his lead.

RB: Per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Joe Philbin stated that Knowshon Moreno is “looking like his old self in the run game, but still isn't quite there in the pass game.” Moreno did not suit up on Saturday. Lamar Miller started but managed only three yards on three carries behind the suspect offensive line. He did add two receptions for 20 yards,

including a 13-yard reception that included a few missed tackles. As a team, the Dolphins lost 5 yards on nine carries in the first half. No running back has stepped up to earn the No. 3 job. Daniel Thomas (hamstring) continues to miss practice and Mike Gillislee (hamstring) has joined him on the sidelines; neither of them played on Saturday. Damien Williams remains in consideration for the job and flashed his receiving skills in camp this week. He was the second back on the field versus Tampa Bay, totaling 20 yards on 11 carries, including a one-yard touchdown plunge, while adding a four-yard reception.

WR: Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline were full-go in camp and started in the second preseason game. Wallace failed to get on the stat sheet, allowing a screen pass to bounce off of his chest and the only other target being a deep ball that was slightly overthrown by Tannehill. Wallace also stated that practicing deep balls with Tannehill after practice wouldn’t be healthy for his legs, which hurts chances of developing chemistry. Hartline only had one catch for five yards. Brandon Gibson lost first team snaps to rookie Jarvis Landry at practice, although he remains the front-runner. Gibson got the start and notched 28 yards on two receptions versus Tampa Bay, while Landry also saw some playing time with the first team, catching one ball for 26 yards. Rishard Matthews is strengthening his grip on the No. 5 job and caught three passes for 43 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown on a fade route.

TE: Charles Clay missed the second preseason game, but finally returned to practice on Monday, albeit on a limited basis, after a knee injury kept him sidelined for nearly two weeks. All signs now indicate that he’ll be ready for the regular season. Dion Sims was working with the first team during his Clay’s absence and he had just one eight-yard reception on Saturday. Michael Egnew returned from his concussion and suited up for the game. He had one catch for seven yards, but with rookie Arthur Lynch locked into a roster spot, he must impress throughout the end of camp to make the team.

Defense: Overall, the defense fared better versus Tampa Bay than in the preseason opener, limiting the Buccaneers to only seven first half points. In total, they allowed just 250 total yards while recording five sacks and two forced fumbles. DE Olivier Vernon saw his first action and got to the quarterback for a sack. DT Jared Odrick added a sack of his own, and embattled DE Dion Jordan managed a strip sack, albeit after the Buccaneers starters left the game. In response to LB Koa Misi playing the ‘Mike’ position, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle ominously remarked, “We are working different combinations in the event that we don’t feel comfortable with it.” Misi notched six tackles, a benefit of his new position, and made no glaring mistakes. LB Jordan Tripp relieved starting LB Dannell Ellerbe at WLB during practice - his chances of making the team are looking favorable. Tripp and fellow linebackers, Jason Trusnik and Chris McCain, all saw some action with the first team defense on Saturday. In preparation for S Reshad Jones’ suspension, he was demoted to the second team in camp while CB/S Jimmy Wilson got reps at FS. Wilson bounced off of Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans on a tackle attempt and is clearly better suited for the nickel. That botched

tackle would have resulted in a touchdown if CB Brent Grimes didn’t chase Evans down and force a fumble through the end zone. To replace Wilson at nickel, No. 2 CB Cortland Finnegan will kick inside with either Jamar Taylor or Will Davis filling in on the outside. Davis has the early lead as he saw the first action of the two, defensing two passes.

K/P: Last week, after missing time with a groin injury kicker Caleb Sturgis returned to practice, kicker Danny Hrapmann was released and kicker John potter was signed. In pregame warm-ups, Sturgis aggravated his injury. Potter then handled all the kicking in the Bucs game, hitting field goals of 48 and 51 yards plus two extra points. At this juncture, Sturgis’ job is no longer secure. Against Tampa, Brandon Fields averaged 50.1 yards on seven punts, placing two inside the 20-yard line.

OL: The Dolphins are still not sure if starting center Mike Pouncey will be placed on the PUP list prior to the season opener. Pouncey says his recovery has gone well and he hopes to be ready to play sooner than the previously predicted Week Six target date. At right guard, Dallas Thomas has been outstanding this preseason and credits the offseason hire of a nutritionist to his improved conditioning. Dallas looks on target to start next to former Tennessee Volunteer teammate Ju’Wuan James.

Dolphins Depth ChartQB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, Brady Quinn, Seth LobatoRB: Lamar Miller, Knowshon Moreno (3RB), Daniel Thomas, Mike Gillislee, Damien Williams, Cameron Marshall, Orleans DarkwaWR: Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews, Matt Hazel, Damian Williams, Marcus Thigpen (KR/PR), Armon Binns, Ryan Spadola, Kevin Cone, Stephen WilliamsTE: Charles Clay (inj), Dion Sims, Michael Egnew, Arthur Lynch, Gator Hoskins, Kyle Miller,  Brett BrackettLT: Branden AlbertLG: Darren Colledge, Shelley SmithC: Samson Satele, Mike Pouncey (INJ), David Arkin, Nate Garner,Sam BrennerRG: Dallas Thomas, Billy Turner, Danny WatkinsRT: Ja’Wuan James, Jason FoxK: Caleb Sturgis, John PotterDT: Randy Starks, Earl Mitchell, Jared Odrick, A.J. Francis, Isaako AaituiDE: Cameron Wake (W), Olivier Vernon, Dion Jordan (susp), Derrick Shelby, Terrence FedeMLB: Koa Misi, Jason Trusnik (S)OLB: Philip Wheeler (S), Dannell Ellerbe (W), Jonathan Freeny (S), Jordan Tripp, Jelani Jenkins (W)CB: Brent Grimes, Cortland Finnegan, Jamar Taylor, Will Davis, Jalil Brown, Walt AikensS: Reshad Jones (SS) (susp), Jimmy Wilson (FS/SS), Louis Delmas (FS), Don Jones (FS) (susp), Jordan Kovacs (SS), Michael Thomas(SS)

Minnesota Vikings

QB: The week opened in “crummy” fashion for Teddy Bridgewater. After Bridgewater threw five interceptions in three practices and admitted to overthinking, ESPN’s Chris Mortenson and Britt McHenry both reported they expect Matt Cassel to start the season opener. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer may have tipped his hand Thursday when he stated, "I love Teddy Bridgewater. I love him. I think he's going to be tremendous. And I don't know when." Cassel tightened his grip on the starting job by completing 12 of 16 passes for 153 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Saturday night’s preseason contest against the Arizona Cardinals. He even added 30 rushing yards on three carries for good measure. Through two preseason games, Cassel is now 17-for-22 for 215 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. While some beat writers proclaimed the competition over after Cassel’s strong showing, Teddy Bridgewater refuses to go down without a fight. After entering the game at the 4:47 mark of the third quarter, Bridgewater was 16-for-20 for 177 yards and two TDs, including the game winner to Rodney Smith with only 18 seconds left on the clock. All of the tools that had so many scouts in love with Bridgewater as a prospect were on full display. Zimmer had high praise for the rookie, saying after the game, “Teddy was calm. He was smart. He got a bunch of blitzes in that whole series … He made a lot of great plays there. I thought Teddy played well tonight.” While Cassel certainly has the upper hand at this point (Cordarrelle Patterson would agree), Bridgewater’s impressive bounce back performance keeps him in the conversation.

RB: Adrian Peterson was once again a healthy scratch Saturday night, as the Vikings try to preserve his health for the regular season. Without their stud RB, the Vikings had a difficult time mustering a rushing attack against an Arizona defense that was one of the best at stopping the run last season. Second stringer Matt Asiata led with 10 carries, but was only able to gain 19 yards. Exciting rookie Jerick McKinnon lost two yards on two touches, but for the second straight week, he made a case for increased snaps by making plays without the ball in his hands. McKinnon’s key downfield block was instrumental in springing Kyle Rudolph to the end zone on his 51-yard TD reception in the second quarter. Fourth stringer Joe Banyard was the only Vikings’ RB to get anything going on the ground, thanks to this 56-yard third quarter run, on a delayed handoff from Bridgewater.

WR: Saturday was a quiet night for the Vikings’ starting wide receivers. Cordarrelle Patterson had only two catches for 9 yards, while Greg Jennings caught both of his targets for 27 yards. Jerome Simpson and Jarius Wright continue to run neck and neck in the battle for the third receiver role; though both will likely see the field plenty. Wright had two catches for 24 yards in the game. Simpson’s only catch came on a crucial third and long conversion to keep Minnesota’s opening drive alive. The story of the game at wide receiver was sixth stringer Rodney Smith, who was told to “be ready” by Bridgewater before the play on which he caught the game-winning TD. At 6’5’’, 220 lbs., with 4.43 speed, Smith is an interesting prospect entering his second season, especially on a Vikings team devoid of stereotypical red zone targets (outside of Kyle

Rudolph). However, it would seem Adam Thielen, who also impressed (four catches for 54 yards), has been the more consistent performer throughout camp. It remains to be seen if the Vikings will carry six receivers on the active roster.

TE: After dropping an easy TD catch from inside the 10-yard line on Minnesota’s opening drive, Kyle Rudolph more than redeemed himself with a 51-yard catch and sprint TD. The speed Rudolph showed on the play lends credence to reports he slimmed down over the summer. After the game, Rudolph, who’s reportedly down to 260 pounds, said, "I have noticed I feel a lot lighter on my feet. I feel much better running, and I think it shows up on tape." Rudolph would end the first half with five catches, 89 yards, the TD, and high praise for OC Norv Turner. "He came up to me when he was out in the first half and said, 'That guy you've got upstairs is a genius’," head coach Mike Zimmer said.

Defense: Starting defensive tackle Linval Joseph was lucky to escape significant injury last weekend when a stray bullet struck him in the calf during a nightclub shooting (he was an innocent bystander). Joseph, whom the Vikings are counting on to be a run stuffer, is expected to be ready for Week One. The Vikings’ starting secondary was abysmal vs. the Cardinals, eliciting memories of the unit that was routinely gashed last season. DBs Captain Munnerlyn and Xavier Rhodes both missed tackles near the line of scrimmage, allowing WR Jaron Brown to take an opening drive reception 51 yards. The four-way battle at strong safety – between Kurt Coleman, Chris Crocker, Jamarca Sanford, and Andrew Sendejo – remains unsettled. The Vikings pass rush fared better, as this year’s number nine overall pick, Anthony Barr, recorded a sack for the second straight week, and defensive end Everson Griffen terrorized backup QB Drew Stanton, knocking him down three times.

K/P: Kicker Blair Walsh made field goals of 21, 34 and 21 yards against the Cardinals. However he also missed twice, hitting the upright on a 51-yarder and going wide left on an extra point. Coach Mike Zimmer noted, “I don't know that I attribute it to anything yet. He's been great in practice, and he's been great previously. I expect him to make those kicks, and I'm sure he will." Punter/holder Jeff Locke averaged 47.0 yards on two punts placing one inside the 20-yard line.

OL: With injuries to several players, last season was considered a down year for the Vikings’ offensive line. In the preseason game against the Cards, the pass protection looks much improved compared to last season. Of special note is left tackle Matt Kalil, who appears to be fully recovered from offseason knee surgery. Kalil missed a block in the run game but overall his play has been good. Right tackle Phil Loadholt was beat for pressure on one occasion but he too has been good overall. Center John Sullivan is playing at an extremely high level and has been outstanding this preseason. Sullivan could be in the running for best center in the league this season.

Vikings Depth ChartQB: Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater, Christian PonderRB: Adrian Peterson, Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, Joe

BanyardFB: Zach Line, Jerome FeltonWR: Cordarrelle Patterson (KR), Greg Jennings, Jarius Wright, Jerome Simpson (susp), Rodney Smith, Adam Thielen, Josh Cooper, Kamar Jorden, Kain Colter, Erik LoraTE: Kyle Rudolph, Rhett Ellison, Chase Ford, Allen Reisner, Michael HigginsLT: Matt Kalil, Mike RemmersLG: Charlie Johnson, Jeff Baca, David YankeyC: John Sullivan, Zac KerinRG: Brandon Fusco, Vladimir Ducasse, Joe BergerRT: Phil Loadholt, Kevin MurphyK: Blair WalshDT: Linval Joseph (NT), Sharrif Floyd, Fred Evans (NT), Chase Baker (NT), Shamar Stephen, Kheeston Randall, Tom JohnsonDE: Brian Robison, Everson Griffen, Corey Wootton, Scott Crichton, Justin TrattouMLB: Jasper Brinkley, Audie Cole, Michael MautiOLB: Chad Greenway (W), Anthony Barr (S/DE), Gerald Hodges (W), Larry Dean (S), Brandon WattsCB: Josh Robinson, Captain Munnerlyn, Xavier Rhodes, Shaun Prater, Marcus Sherels (PR), Antone Exum, Kendall James, Derek Cox, Jabari Price, Kip EdwardsS: Harrison Smith (FS), Jamarca Sanford (SS), Mistral Raymond (SS), Andrew Sendejo (SS), Robert Blanton (FS), Kurt Coleman, Chris Crocker, Brandan Bishop

New England Patriots

QB: In his preseason debut, Tom Brady proved to be efficient on two drives. He was intercepted for a touchdown, but that turnover came on a miscommunication with tight end Steve Maneri. The surprise came after Brady left the field, when Jimmy Garoppolo came in before Ryan Mallett. It's too early to tell if Garoppolo has secured the second spot but he performed well for the second week in a row. If Mallett fails to win the #2 job, he could be released or traded for a modest price tag.

RB: Stevan Ridley started again but the worst possible result –another fumble – happened. Fumbles aren't good for any back, but Ridley's recent track record makes it an even greater concern. Rookie James White had practiced with the first team before the Eagles game, so he was in a strong position to capitalize on Ridley's mistake. However, White was unimpressive. Both Roy Finch and Jonas Gray were impressive against lesser opposition, but it still seems unlikely that they will force their way onto the field during the regular season. At the very least, they can make it very difficult for the Patriots to keep them off the regular season roster. All of these developments heighten the pressure on Brandon Bolden. Shane Vereen has been the Patriots most impressive running back to this point, but his value remains greater as a receiver than a runner.

WR: The Patriots are still waiting on Aaron Dobson to hit the field. Kenbrell Thompkins was the biggest benefactor of Tom Brady's play against the Eagles. Thompkins caught all of his targets from the Patriots' starter, including an impressive touchdown reception on a back shoulder throw against tight coverage. Brandon LaFell, someone who is likely competing with Thompkins for a starting role, responded in kind with an impressive play at the back of the end zone on a Jimmy Garoppolo pass. The Patriots aren't a franchise that looks kindly upon stupid mistakes. Josh Boyce compounded a drop with when he unnecessarily blocked a defender in the back on a scoring play. Boyce was a fourth round pick in the 2013 draft, but right now his roster spot is in jeopardy. While Boyce slides, Brian Tyms continues to climb. Tyms had an impressive game against the Eagles as he tries to make the Patriots roster. If he continues to maintain his current trajectory, it’s going to be very difficult for the Patriots to cut him loose after his 4-game suspension.

TE: Veteran tight end Steve Maneri was signed last week and quickly thrown into live action. He appeared to be responsible for Tom Brady's interception against the Eagles, as he ran the wrong route. More importantly, Rob Gronkowski participated in 11-on-11 drills this week and is inching closer to getting the all clear for a Week One start. He’s not out of the woods yet, but there are positive signs with each passing day.

Defense: The ‘Darrelle Revis effect’ was quickly felt in New England. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles completely avoided Revis' area of the field. It's unclear how much that contributed to the overall effectiveness of the defense, but the Patriots first team will be happy with their performance against Chip Kelly's well-designed offense. Dont'a Hightower and Rob Ninkovich both made impressive splash plays, as Hightower forced a fumble on the Eagles' first completion and Ninkovich had an impressive sack on Foles in the pocket. It wasn’t all good news though as Hightower was picked on in coverage. Jamie Collins, the Patriots most athletic linebacker, had fewer issues, but Hightower's presence on the field served as a reminder that the Patriots are still waiting on Jerod Mayo to return. Mayo and Collins together should prove to be very important for the Patriots' pass defense.

K/P: Kicker Stephen Gostkowski notes last week, “Sometimes it is tough during training camp when it is day after day, but that is where you build mental toughness and confidence to go into the game.” This week he made six extra points against Philadelphia, but missed his only field goal attempt, wide left from 43 yards. Ryan Allen averaged 43.3 yards on three punts, but also had one blocked by and Eagles player that got past rookie long snapper Tyler Ott. Two days later Ott was released, and Danny Aiken keeps the long snapping job

OL: The starting center continues to be veteran Dan Connolly, despite the team drafting Bryan Stork in the fourth round, and offseason rumors that the team did not want to pay Connolly’s salary. Right guard is a multi-way battle between Jordan Devey, Marcus Cannon, Jon Halapio and Josh Kline. In the preseason game against the Eagles, Devey started at

right guard and was the only member of the Pats offense to participate in all the snaps. Cannon is also working in at both tackle spots, and could be the backup player the team most wants to get on the field. Kline was working as a blocking tight end. All of this might leave Ryan Wendell as the pricey veteran who could face a tough cut at the end of the summer.

Patriots Depth ChartQB: Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Jimmy GaroppoloRB: Shane Vereen (3RB), Stevan Ridley, James White, Brandon Bolden, Jonas Gray, Roy Finch, Tyler Gaffney (inj)FB: James DevelinWR: Julian Edelman (PR), Aaron Dobson (inj), Danny Amendola, Kenbrell Thompkins, Brandon LaFell, Josh Boyce, Jeremy Gallon (inj), Brian Tyms (susp), Matt Slater, Wilson Van Hooser, Greg Orton (IR)TE: Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui (FB), D.J. Williams, Steve ManeriLT: Nate Solder, Cameron FlemingLG: Logan MankinsC: Dan Connolly, Ryan Wendell, Bryan Stork, Braxton CaveRG: Jordan Devey, Jon Halapio, Josh KlineRT: Sebastian Vollmer, Marcus CannonK: Stephen GostkowskiDT: Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly, Dominique Easley, Chris Jones (NT), Armond Armstead, Joe Vellano, Jerel Worthy, Sealver Siliga, Ben Bass, Marcus Forston, Eathyn ManumaleunaDE: Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jake Bequette, Michael Buchanan, Will Smith, Zach MooreMLB: Jerod Mayo, Chris WhiteOLB: Jamie Collins (W), Dont′a Hightower (S), James Anderson, Steve Beauharnais (S), Ja′Gared DavisCB: , Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner (susp), Alfonzo Dennard, Logan Ryan, Kyle ArringtonS: Devin McCourty (KR/FS), Duron Harmon (SS), Tavon Wilson (FS),Patrick Chung (SS), Jemea Thomas, Nate Ebner, Kanorris Davis

New Orleans Saints

NOLA.com's Larry Holder's projected roster for New Orleans after two preseason games: "This should change week by week as quite a few roster spots at the bottom of the depth charts are up for grabs..."

QB: The battle for the #2 quarterback intensified vs. Tennessee as both Ryan Griffin (13/19 for 179 yards, two TDs and zero interceptions, with one sack taken for -3 yards) and Luke McCown (12/20 for 117 yards, two TDs and zero interceptions or sacks taken) threw two TD passes during the 31-24 victory. Logan Kilgore batted cleanup with 2/3 for 28 yards passing. "I thought both Luke and Ryan did a lot of really good things," head coach Sean Payton said. "I thought they both located the ball well. With Ryan, I thought you see him step up and buy a little time and get the ball down the field a little bit." Griffin added: "I feel like there’s a lot that

I'm yet to show. I still have a lot of things I need to work on. It's a process." Payton has classified Drew Brees as "day to day" and added that Brees is "getting there." Brees reportedly continues to show progress in his recovery from the strained oblique, firing some hard passes to receiver Kenny Stills (currently recovering from a quadriceps strain) in Saturday’s practice.

RB: Pierre Thomas returned to practice on Monday, August 11 in full pads and participated in some full-team drills after being held out of last Friday’s preseason opener and Sunday’s practice with an undisclosed injury. He snagged three passes for 27 yards in the second preseason game, though he didn't log a carry. Mark Ingram led the team in rushing with 5/19/0 and also added a 23-yard TD reception. Khiry Robinson had a quiet night with 4/11/0 rushing and 3/2/0 receiving. The Saints' backfield is shaping up to be a three-headed monster, whatever the depth chart may read. New Orleans has preferred a committee approach for several years and this year is shaping up to be no different.

WR: Joseph Morgan tore up the Titans with big receptions; he ended the game with a team-leading 3/108/0 receiving including a long of 52 yards on four targets. Rookie Brandin Cooks regressed, with four targets but only 1/16/0 to show for his chances. Kenny Stills worked with Brees in practice sessions early last week. Coach Payton stated about his injury: "Same way with Kenny (quad strain), we'll just be smart day-to-day." In all, 16 targets were thrown passes on Friday night. Until we see Brees rather than the backups throwing passes to the receivers, it's going to be tough to judge exactly who is on top of the heap, although currently it looks like Marques Colston, Cooks, and Stills are going to be the top three guys when the games start to count.

TE: Jimmy Graham dominated the Titans on Friday night, with six targets for 5/48/2 receiving in the exhibition. However, he also drew two more 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties by doing his signature dunk over the crossbar after his two TDs (after getting one in a scrimmage earlier during training camp) – the dunking is now explicitly outlawed by the NFL. "Yes, I was. I'm very upset. Would you be upset? I was, particularly," Coach Payton commented after the game (he yelled at Graham on the sidelines during the contest). The Saints favored ‘11’ (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) and ‘21’ (two running backs, one tight end, two receivers) personnel formations against the Titans, using them on 62 of 70 snaps. The team rarely went with two tight ends, after using the two-tight-ends alignment extensively during the first exhibition game.

Defense: Payton expects both CBs Champ Bailey and Patrick Robinson will return to practice soon (without specifying either player's injury). S Kenny Vaccaro had a stellar game against the Titans Friday night: Four tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one tackle for a loss. Fellow S Vinnie Sunseri made a strong impression while playing with the reserves vs. Tennessee: "As rookies, we were trying to make a statement, trying to show that we belong with everybody," Sunseri said afterward. "(I) got a feel for it, got my feet wet. I'm starting to get more comfortable with the defense." Coach

Payton added: "I thought he played a lot better than last week. He was around the ball... He looked like he was relaxed." According to NOLA.com on August 15, Saints' OLB Junior Galette and DE Cam Jordan are on personal missions to win the battle for most sacks in a season. Each has one sack so far during preseason. Galette commented: "We feed off each other's energy. I think it's only going to make us better as a team. If that's what it takes, for us to compete against each other, I feel like he's going to push me. In my eyes, I don't feel like anybody can compete with me. But if he's keeping up, if he's leading, that's going to make me want to chase him." After the game, Payton was livid about the undisciplined showing by the Saints: "It's the first sign of a team that has no discipline [22 penalties in the game, with 14 in the first half]. Here's a number for you. Five takeaways, we're at the nine minute mark in the fourth quarter, and we're up seven." Galette added: "We got about five turnovers and the game was still close. You can see all the hidden yardage."

K/P: The competition between kickers Shayne Graham and Derek Dimke continues to be close. Both missed in practice the other day. Both made all their kicks against the Titans. Dimke made three extra points and Graham hit a 34-yard field goal and added an extra point. Dimke kicked off five times (70, 72, 70, 72 and 67) yards). All were returned. The other kickoff was handled by punter Thomas Morstead, who also placed four of his five punts inside the 20-yard line.

OL: With both starting guards Ben Grubbs and Jahri Evans inactive for the game, the Saints offensive line did a mixed job against the Tennessee Titans. The running game never got fully established. Left tackle Terron Armstead was very good overall and could be on the cusp of a big year. Armstead has been studying film of other offensive tackles in preparation for this season. Right tackle and offensive captain Zach Strief gave up some pass rush pressure and had trouble sealing the edge. Recently acquired Jonathan Goodwin started at center, along with Senio Kelemete and Marcel Jones at the guard spots. Goodwin did well however was called for a holding penalty trying to make up for a whiffed block by Kelemete. Unsurprisingly, Goodwin appears to be taking a hold of this starting job away from Tim Lelito.

Saints Depth ChartQB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Ryan GriffinRB: Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson, Pierre Thomas (3RB), Travaris Cadet (KR/PR), Tim Flanders, Derrick StrozierFB: Erik Loreg, Greg Jones, Austin JohnsonWR: Marques Colston, Kenny Stills, Brandin Cooks, Joe Morgan,Nick Toon, Robert Meachem, Brandon Coleman, Andy Tanner, Charles Hawkins, Seantavius Jones, Chris Givens (IR)TE: Jimmy Graham, Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Nic Jacobs, Travis BeckumLT: Terron Armstead, Ty Nsekhe, Tavon RooksLG: Ben Grubbs, Mike Golic Jr.C: Jonathan Goodwin, Tim Lelito, Matt ArmstrongRG: Jahri Evans, Senio KelemeteRT: Zach Strief, Marcel Jones, Bryce HarrisK: Shayne Graham, Derek Dimke

NT: Brodrick Bunkley, John JenkinsDE: Cameron Jordan (DT), Akiem Hicks, Glenn Foster (inj), Tyrunn Walker, Cheta Ozougwu, Brandon Deaderick, George UkoILB: Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne, Ramon Humber, Kevin Reddick, Khairi Fortt, Kyle KnoxOLB: Junior Galette, Parys Haralson, Victor Butler, Keyunta Dawson, Ronald Powell, Rufus JohnsonCB: Keenan Lewis (inj), Patrick Robinson, Champ Bailey, Corey White, Stan Jean-Baptiste, Rod Sweeting, Trevin Wade, Terrence Frederick, Derrius Brooks, AJ DavisS: Jairus Byrd (FS), Kenny Vaccaro (SS), Rafael Bush (FS),Marcus Ball (SS), Vinnie Sunseri (SS)

New York Giants

QB: You never want to overreact to the preseason, but with training camps wrapping up and midway through the preseason schedule, the Giants new passing scheme has yet to impress – at least in terms of starters vs opposing 1st team defenses. Against the Colts, Eli Manning completed just one pass in 7 attempts (1-for-7) for six yards (39.6 passer rating). He’s now 7-for-16 for 49 yards on the preseason and needs a strong effort in next week’s “Test Run.” As a veteran with two Super Bowl rings, Manning is taking the slow preseason start in stride. “I don’t think we’ve ever been a great preseason team, as far as I remember,” Manning said. “I know how things are going in practice and what we’re capable of doing. We’ve got improvements to do, but we’ve got a little time and we’re going to keep working on those things. I’ve seen progress over these weeks in practice and some of these concepts we’re getting better at, we’re getting a better feel for these things, better timing for everything. We’ll continue working on those.”

Contrary to Manning, backup Ryan Nassib has thrived in the preseason and currently leads all NFL QBs with 378 passing yards (63% completion rate and 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs). It was important for Nassib to play well after being demoted to 3rd string in the prior week.

RB: Rashad Jennings came back to Earth against the Colts; he ran for just 17 yards on 7 carries (2.4 per carry) before giving way to the backups. Andre Williams fared no better (8 for 19 yards) while Michael Cox led the team with 32 yards and a touchdown – albeit against Indianapolis’ 3rd stringers. The only question among the RBs is whether Andre Williams has done enough to open the season ahead of Peyton Hillis.

WR: The starting tandem of Rueben Randle and Victor Cruz combined for zero receptions on three targets against the Colts. Just as the quarterback play has been spotty, so too has the production at the receiver position. The good news is both Randle and Cruz are healthy, and it’s important to note that Cruz had a 51-yard reception called back on a penalty. Cruz is not surprisingly taking an optimistic view of things: "There is still a ways to go," Cruz said. "We still have a ton of practices

before Week 1 in Detroit. We still have a ton of film to watch, a ton of things to change and things to get better at that we can get better at, and things we can fix. I think it is only a matter of time until we get everything clicking. I think we will have it down pat and we will get things going by Week 1, for sure." Head coach Tom Coughlin acknowledged this week that the team is considering keeping six receivers on the 53-man roster; which is a testament to how Marcus Harris, Corey Washington and Julian Talley have played throughout the preseason. It’s Washington that’s of particular note – for the 3rd consecutive preseason game Washington scored a clutch touchdown. While Washington won’t make a fantasy mark this year, it was just a few years ago that Victor Cruz made a similar mark in the preseason when no one expected him to become an impact starter. Vaunted rookie 1st rounder Odell Beckham continues to miss time with a sore hamstring, and has already been ruled out of this week’s preseason game against the Jets. Fantasy owners need to temper expectations for Beckham this year, considering he’s had no time to work into the offense.

TE: Adrian Robinson led the Giants with 59 yards receiving on two catches, but hasn’t been consistent in practices. The Giants TE situation remains unproven, at best, and discouraging at worst.

Defense: The Giants defense allowed six scoring drives, with the first team giving up a quick 10 points in the 1st quarter. Andrew Luck sliced the Giants starting secondary for 89 yards and a 5-yard TD pass to Griff Whalen. The highlight of the night came when LB Spencer Adkins recovered a Colts fumble in the end zone for a touchdown – part of an improbable 27 point 4th quarter rally by the Giants 3rd stringers. Jon Beason, out since early June, remains committed to playing in Week One. In the meantime Jameel McClain is manning the middle but will move to the strong-side (and compete with rookie Devon Kennard) once the season gets underway.

K/P: Brandon McManus remains tied with Josh Brown, which means Brown would keep his job and McManus would hope that the rest of the league is watching. In the game against the Colts, Brown kicked two extra points. McManus kicked one extra point. Both players got plenty of leg on each of their two kickoffs. The busiest player in the game was Steve Weatherford, who averaged 49.7 yards on nine punts.

OL: Left tackle Will Beatty made his return to the starting lineup in the team’s third preseason game against the Colts. This was welcome news, as Charles Brown has been abysmal in his place. Beatty was called for holding and in general the line struggled against the exotic blitzes of the Colts. Right tackle Justin Pugh gave up a pressure on a stunt but has been playing at a high level overall. Rookie Weston Richburg has been learning quickly and could be on track to start at right guard, which has been something of a mess since Chris Snee retired. Richburg is competing with Brandon Mosely and John Jerry at that position for the right to start Week One of the regular season.

Giants Depth ChartQB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Curtis PainterRB: Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams (SD), Peyton Hillis, Michael Cox (KR), David Wilson (IR)FB: John Conner, Henry Hynoski, Kendall GaskinsWR: Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle (PR), Odell Beckham (inj), Jerrel Jernigan, Mario Manningham, Marcus Harris, Corey Washington, Trindon Holliday (KR/PR), Preston Parker, Julian Talley, Kris Adams, Travis HarveyTE: , Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Xavier Grimble, Kellen Davis, Adrien RobinsonLT: Will Beatty, Charles BrownLG: Geoff Schwartz, James Brewer, Troy KropogC: JD Walton, Dallas ReynoldsRG: Weston Richburg, John Jerry, Brandon Mosely, John SullenRT: Justin Pugh, Steven BakerK: Josh Brown, Brandon McManusDT: Cullen Jenkins, Markus Kuhn, Johnathan Hankins, Jay Bromley, Everett DawkinsDE: Damontre Moore, Jason Pierre-Paul (inj), Mathias Kiwanuka, Robert Ayers, Israel Idonije, James Gayle, Kerry WynnMLB: Jon Beason (inj), Mark Herzlich, Terrell ManningOLB: Spencer Paysinger (W), Jameel McClain (S/M), Jacquian Williams (W), Devon Kennard, Spencer Adkins (W), Kendrick Adams (S)CB: Corey Webster, Prince Amukamara (inj), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Walter Thurmond (susp), Jayron Hosley (susp), Zackary Bowman, Charles James, Bennett Jackson (inj), Trumaine McBride, Junior Mertile, Chandler Fenner, Ross WeaverS: Stevie Brown (SS), Antrel Rolle (FS/SS), Chaz Powell (FS), Quintin Demps (SS), Nat Berhe, Cooper Taylor (inj)

New York Jets

QB: Geno Smith remains poised to be the opening week starter and did nothing to change that Saturday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, despite an interception which was more miscommunication than anything else. Smith played the whole first half and completed 10 of 13 passes for 98 yards and ran for a 1-yard touchdown. More critical than the stats was the fact that he made much smarter decisions than we’ve seen from him in the past. Michael Vick came in for middle relief and looked solid, but didn’t do enough to make the Jets reconsider their faith in Smith. Whether they will regret that remains to be seen, but Vick has played well this preseason and at least gives them a stellar backup. Tajh Boyd came in for mop-up duty and continues to look a bit overwhelmed. He’ll have two more games to show he can improve but it’s still very likely that Matt Simms is the third quarterback (assuming the Jets keep one) and Boyd ends up on the practice squad.

RB: Chris Johnson showed some of his old burst on Saturday, and got around the corner a few times. As ESPN New York’s

Rich Cimini pointed out, Johnson worked primarily out of the pistol and it seemed to be very effective. Chris Ivory is still dealing with a rib issue, and his absence allowed Bilal Powell to gain a little distance on Daryl Richardson for the No. 3 running back spot. Powell looked sharp running the ball, breaking off a nice 32-yard run in addition to a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Richardson didn’t have quite as good a day, struggling to find much room to move and not gaining a ton of positive yards on his carries. Alex Green also had issues, although it’s worth noting that both were running behind the backup offensive line.

WR: There is still not much separation among the Jets wide receiver corps. Eric Decker is still dealing with a sore quadriceps and didn’t play against the Cincinnati Bengals, though the injury is believed to not really be serious according to NJ.com’s Dom Cosentino. Meanwhile, after strong outings during the early days of camp, Stephen Hill has begun to round into midseason form, which for Hill means “he’s inconsistent and drops the ball too much.” ESPN New Yorl’s Rich Cimini said recently he believes Hill is the Jets No. 4 receiver, at best. Hill is continuing to look like a bad pick by a franchise that can’t afford it at wide receiver. Jeremy Kerley hasn’t seen much work, but at least he’s consistent and with Decker out, the most reliable player in the group. Greg Salas has overcome his hip injury and played well against the Bengals, catching both of his targets – one each from Geno Smith and Michael Vick. David Nelson was also active, though he only caught two of his four targets, totaling just nine yards. Last week we talked about how rookie Shaq Evans could end up on injured reserve and this week we have similarly gloomy news about fellow rookie Jalen Saunders. The fourth-round pick went into the hospital last week after a car accident which was the result of what police at one point called a “medical incident.” NJ.com’s Consentino reports that the team is being cagey with what is exactly wrong with Saunders. Initially they said he went to the hospital as a precaution, but several days later you have to wonder what is going on and how serious it is. Saalim Hakim and Jacoby Ford both got into the game and both failed to reel in their single targets (Hakim’s from rookie Tajh Boyd and Ford’s from Vick) and Clyde Gates made a nice catch on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Vick which was challenged but upheld.

TE: We have a Jace Amaro sighting—and not the ball-dropping guy who has looked terrible in camp. No, this Amaro made two nice catches on two targets and didn’t have any of those drops we’ve been seeing so much of. On the other hand, he was likely to person who drew the flag on a “too many players on the field” penalty—one of too many flags from the offense on Saturday night. While Amaro’s star was rising, Zach Sudfeld’s fell a bit as he missed both his targets from Michael Vick, couldn’t haul in a two-point conversion throw from Geno Smith and was called for holding on special teams. He should bounce back, but this was a bit reminiscent of last year. Jeff Cumberland has been dealing with an Achilles injury and didn’t play Saturday. The Jets will throw him the ball, but he’s normally more of a blocker than a pass-catcher.

Defense: The defense is not looking as good as we were told it would be. The secondary, battered by injuries, got torn apart

by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and his offense, and the front seven isn’t producing nearly enough pressure. There were bright spots though, most notably from rookie Calvin Pryor who recovered a fumble and destroyed a Bengals receiver. Pryor didn’t get to face the Bengals’ No. 1 offense, but he played well. They need him (and a healthy Dee Milliner) because this secondary is a mess. In just one quarter of play, Dalton lit them up to the tune of 144 yards and a touchdown. He left the field with no obvious grass stains as well. Altogether, this defense is troubling to watch and needs to find its feet before Week One.

K/P: Starting kicker Nick Folk hit a 42-yard field goal and added two extra points against the Bengals. Camp leg Andrew Furney made an extra point in the second half. Starting punter Ryan Quigley averaged 51.0 on three punts, with a net of 47.3 yards. He also handled two second half kickoffs, one of which was a touchback. Camp leg Jake Schum, averaging 39.3 yards on four punts, with a bad bounce bringing down his average.

OL: During the preseason contest against the Bengals, the Jets offensive line was called for too many penalties. The right side of Willie Colon and Breno Giacomini were called for two penalties each in the first half. Second year guard Brian Winters was also called for unsportsmanlike conduct. The coaches want Winters to trust his technique and not turn his encounters with defensive linemen into a street fight. Winters did not actually start this game, as Oday Aboushi instead got the nod, and did a decent job in the first quarter. In addition to getting reps at both guard spots, backup Oday Aboushi is taking reps at right tackle. Aboushi could very easily unseat Winters before Week One. Although still working with the second team, here is an interesting rookie diary from fourth round pick Dakota Dozier.

Jets Depth ChartQB: Geno Smith, Michael Vick, Tajh Boyd, Matt SimmsRB: Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory (inj), Bilal Powell (3RB), Daryl Richardson, Alex Green, John Griffin, Michael SmithFB: Tommy BohanonWR: Eric Decker, Stephen Hill, Jeremy Kerley (PR), David Nelson, Clyde Gates, Jacoby Ford (KR), Jalen Saunders, Quincy Enunwa, Greg Salas, Vidal Hazelton, Saalim Hakim, Michael Campbell, Shaq Evans (IR)TE: Jeff Cumberland, Jace Amaro, Zach Sudfeld, Konrad Reuland, Chris Pantele, Colin AndersonLT: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Ben IjalanaLG: Brian Winters, Oday AboushiC: Nick Mangold , Caleb SchlauderaffRG: Willie Colon, Dakota Dozier, William CampbellRT: Breno Giacomini, Bruce CampbellK: Nick FolkDT: Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison (NT), Kenrick Ellis (NT),T.J. BarnesDE: Muhammad Wilkerson, Jason Babin, Leger Douzable, IK Enemkpali, Tevita FinauILB: David Harris (M), Demario Davis (W), Nick Bellore (M), Jeremiah George, Troy Davis (W)OLB: Quinton Coples, Calvin Pace, Garrett

McIntyre, Antwan Barnes, Trevor Reilly, Tim Fugger, Jermaine Cunningham (IR)CB: Dee Milliner (inj), Ellis Lankster, Antonio Allen (FS/CB), Dimitri Patterson (inj), Darrin Walls, Kyle Wilson, Ras-I Dowling, Johnny Patrick, Brandon Dixon, Nick Taylor, Jeremy Reeves, Dexter McDougle (IR)S: Dawan Landry (SS), Calvin Pryor (FS), Jaiquawn Jarrett (FS), Josh Bush (SS), Rontez Miles, Brandon Hardin

Oakland Raiders

QB: Last week it looked like things couldn’t get any worse for the Raiders quarterbacks and this week it did. Matt Schaub’s second consecutive week of uninspired play was put in the spotlight after rookie David Carr was injured playing behind the backup offensive line. Carr got one series with the first team and remained on the field with the second team until his injury. Thankfully x-rays on Carr’s ribs were negative. Head coach Dennis Allen saw improvement in Carr, but he doesn’t sound like he has any plans to move him ahead of Schaub in the depth chart this week. "Our game plan, probably, going in is to get some significant work for the ones, because when you get into that fourth preseason game, they're probably not going to get as much work," Allen said. "I think we'll see a lot of Matt Schaub in this game." For the second consecutive week Matt McGloin had an impressive drive but he’s still well behind Carr in the battle to be the QB2 due to Carr’s improvement.

RB: Once again Maurice Jones-Drew got the start at running back and was given most of the first quarter action. Darren McFadden saw more time in the second quarter and scored a 1-yard touchdown but neither running back had a particularly impressive stat line. Allen, for one, was impressed with McFadden’s explosiveness. "Yeah, I was just talking to (general manager) Reggie McKenzie earlier, and I think Darren is probably running the ball as well as I've seen him run it since I've been here," Allen said. "I think he's probably more explosive than I've seen him since I've been here." Latavius Murray saw limited action and Kory Sheets continued his push for a roster spot with 27 yards on 5 carries. Sheets is still viewed as a long shot but he has shown flashes in camp.

WR: All of the top four Raiders receivers saw time with the first team but none of them did anything special. James Jones and Rod Streater both caught passes on the first drive and Denarius Moore hauled in one pass for eight yards. Andre Holmes, despite his reported rapport with Schaub struggled again until Matt McGloin came into the game. According to Allen, Holmes’ absence in the first half had little to do with him. “No, listen, we wanted to work some different lineups. We wanted to get James [Jones] and Dmoe [Denarius Moore] with the ones and see how that looked. I think we’ve got some depth at that wide receiver position and I think we’ve got to look at some different things to see exactly how that whole thing is going to shake up.” The pecking order amongst these four continues to be as clear as mud. Brice Butler had an

impressive showing in the second half and looks to be another lock to make the roster at receiver. Juron Criner is going the opposite direction, as he seemingly has been since his impressive 2013 camp

TE: With David Ausberry’s injury, Mychal Rivera looks like the team’s only option to start at tight end. Rivera had a better performance in Week Two but the news in Oakland right now is about Brian Leonhardt. Leonhardt saw action with the first team and has impressed his head coach with his improvement. "I've seen constant improvement from him every day," Allen said. "From his first day here, to now, I mean's he's grown by leaps and bounds. You see it all the time, guys that come out of nowhere and end up being good players for you. It's really a testament to his perseverance and work ethic." The team also added free agent Kyle Auffrey, signaling that they recognize their lack of depth and aren’t necessarily happy with their options.

Defense: The Raiders first team defense was eaten alive by the Lions, specifically through the air but head coach Dennis Allen said he isn’t concerned yet. “I think we have to improve. I don’t think it’s where we need it to be yet, but I’m not discouraged about where we’re at defensively. I think we’re going to be just fine defensively. I think we’re going to play good defense. That’s really not a concern of mine.” The team is still battling injuries in the secondary with Tyvon Branch suffering an injury during the game and D.J. Hayden still not close to returning. Another injury, to Chemdi Chewka gave rookie Keith McGill his first chance at first team reps. Khalil Mack struggled against the Lions first team but logged his first sack in the third quarter. Allen continues to see improvement from Mack. “I thought Khalil, this week, was much improved on where he was last week. I think we’re going to see a lot of good things out of Khalil Mack.”

K/P: Kicker Sebastian Janikowski made field goals of 28 and 36 yards and added three extra points against the Lions. He also made a 55-yarder, but it was negated by a Detroit penalty and the drive was extended. Word is that the execution between Janikowski and holder/punter Marquette King looked “smooth”. King averaged 46.0 yards on three punts, placing one of those inside the 20-yard line. Camp leg Kevin Goessling did not play.

OL: Rookie guard Gabe Jackson was among the players specifically called out for doing a good job by Oakland head coach Dennis Allen after the latest preseason game against the Lions. Jackson saw a lot of time with the first team and could be seriously challenging for a starting position (over Khalif Barnes, who would presumably return to a swing tackle role). Kevin Boothe did not help his chances for playing time after being called for a holding penalty while the team was trying to mount a game winning final drive. Backup tackle Matt McCants suffered a concussion during the contest.

Raiders Depth ChartQB: Matt Schaub, Derek Carr (inj), Matt McGloin, Trent EdwardsRB: Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden, Latavius Murray, Jeremy Stewart (KR), Kory Sheets, George

Atkinson IIIFB: Marcel Reece (inj), Jamize Olawale, Karl WilliamsWR: James Jones, Rod Streater, Andre Holmes, Denarius Moore, Juron Criner, Brice Butler, Greg Jenkins, Mike DavisTE: Mychal Rivera, David Ausberry (inj), Nick Kasa (inj), Jake Murphy, Brian Leonhardt, Scott SimonsonLT: Donald PennLG: Gabe Jackson, Khalif Barnes, Lucas NixC: Stefen Wisniewski, Tony BergstromRG: Austin Howard, Kevin Boothe, Lamar MadyRT: Menalik Watson, K: Sebastian JanikowskiDT: Antonio Smith, Pat Sims, Stacy McGee (NT), Justin Ellis, Ricky Lumpkin, Torell TroupDE: LaMarr Woodley, Justin Tuck, Jack Crawford, C.J. Wilson, Shelby Harris, Ryan RobinsonMLB: Nick Roach, Kaluka MaiavaOLB: Kahlil Mack (S), Miles Burris (W), Sio Moore (W), Kaelin Burnett (S), Frank Beltre, Justin Cole, Spencer HadleyCB: Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown, Chimdi Chekwa, Johnny Adams, Taiwan Jones (KR), Keith McGill, Travis Carrie, Chance Casey, Neiko Thorpe, D.J. Hayden (PUP)S: Charles Woodson (FS), Tyvon Branch (SS), Brandian Ross (SS/CB), Usama Young (FS), Jonathan Dowling, Shelton Johnson, Larry Asante

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: All three Eagles quarterbacks finished the preseason tilt against New England with 100+ passer ratings. Nick Foles completed 8-of-10 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown to Zach Ertz. Mark Sanchez took over and was even more precise (11-of-12 for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns against 1 interception) followed by Matt Barkley who ended up leading the team in mop up duty with 132 yards on 9-of-12 passing.

RB: LeSean McCoy ran for 19 yards on six carries (3.2 per rush) and is dealing with a minor toe injury. McCoy termed the injury, “…a small version of turf toe” but head coach Chip Kelly downplayed the significance. “I don’t think he’ll ever play again,” Kelly joked. “He’s fine. It’s not as big of an issue as I think anybody made it out to be.” Chris Polk, considered the likely handcuff to McCoy, is no lock to make the 53-man roster as he continues to miss time with a hamstring injury. "It's a big factor," Kelly said of Polk missing time. "You gotta be able to play. It's tough for us to say, we know what you can do, but you also have to go out on the field and show it.' With Polk sitting out vs. the Patriots, and Matthew Tucker resting, backup Henry Josey got significant playing time and made the most of his opportunity. Josey led the team with 56 yards rushing (7.0 per rush) and caught a 27-yard touchdown. Josey remains a long shot to make the team but not through any fault of his on-field play.

WR: Jordan Matthews needed a big performance to brush off last week’s disaster (3 drops) and rose to the occasion with a

9-catch, 104-yard effort against the Patriots. Matthews looked confident and ran crisp routes, and most importantly attacked the ball in traffic. Riley Cooper missed the Patriots game but returned to practice this week after sitting out two weeks with a foot injury. Jeremy Maclin is dealing with a sore hamstring, a troubling sign for a receiver better known for his injuries than his on-field accomplishments. Rookie Josh Huff injured his shoulder returning a kickoff against New England and continues to miss practice. All of these injuries open the door for Damaris Johnson to make the 53-man roster (he seemed destined to be released a few weeks ago). Johnson ran the ball seven times against the Patriots (for 14 yards) and had three receptions for 30 yards and a TD. Ifeanyi Momah’s chances to stick on the active roster were likely dashed by the pair of lost fumbles this weekend.

TE: Zach Ertz continues to dominate in both practice and preseason game action; exemplified by the 6-yard TD in the 2nd quarter of the New England game. The Patriots defensive starters were effusive in their praise, most notably LB Chandler Jones: “He’s a good player. He’s a great player,” Jones said. “He’s very athletic. He’s faster than I thought. I feel like he’s more of a skill player than anything. He runs his routes very well. I’ve had the opportunity to cover him for these two days of practice, and he’s been a handful.” Brent Celek, not to be forgotten, finished 2nd on the team with 45 yards receiving.

Defense: The Eagles defense started off with a bang, as Cary Williams returned a 77-yard interception for a touchdown. Unfortunately that was the highlight of the night as the Patriots scored six touchdowns on route to a 42-35 victory. New England amassed 495 yards of offense, and all three of the team’s quarterbacks had their way with the Eagles secondary. There’s a LOT of work do to if Philadelphia is going to meet the elevated expectations that come with last year’s divisional crown.

K/P: Kicker Alex Henery made five extra points against New England, but was wide right from 47 yards on his only field goal. Head coach Chip Kelly commented, “You got to make 47-yarders in this league…I’m confident in Alex, but we’ve got to convert in games, too. I've been real excited with him in practice and I think he's worked on some things with Coach Fipp in terms of placing the ball on kickoffs better and hitting things as we've gone through training camp.” Camp leg Carey Spear had a rough week in practice and did not play in the game.

OL: The 2013 version of the Eagles’ offensive line played 98.3% of the total offensive snaps together, which is an amazingly rare feat. With Lane Johnson out four games, there are some concerned that this unit could suffer a fall-off in quality of play, at least for the first quarter of the season. Allen Barbre had a decent night against the Patriots, except for one troubling play when he was beaten handily by Rob Ninkovich for a sack. In depth news, Dennis Kelly and Matt Tobin appear to be their roster spots locked up, backing up the starting guards.

Eagles Depth ChartQB: Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, GJ KinneRB: LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles (3RB/KR/PR), Chris Polk, Matthew Tucker, Henry Josey, David FluellenWR: Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, Ifeanyi Momah, Brad Smith (KR), Josh Huff (inj), Arrelious Benn, Damaris Johnson (KR/PR), Jeff Maehl, B.J. Cunningham, Quron Pratt, Kadron Boone, Trey Burton, Will MurphyTE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, James Casey, Emil Igwenagu (FB), Blake AnnenLT: Jason Peters, Andrew Gardner, Matt TobinLG: Evan MathisC: Jason Kelce, Julian Vandervelde, David MolkRG: Todd Herremans, Karim BartonRT: Allen Barbre, Lane Johnson (SUSP), Dennis Kelly, Michael BamiroK: Alex Henery, Carey SpearNT: Bennie Logan, Damion Square, Beau AllenDE: Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton (RFA), Vinny Curry, Brandon Bair, Taylor Hart, Joe Kruger, Alejandro VillanuevaILB: Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans, Jason Phillips (RFA), Jake Knott (susp), Emmanuel Acho, Casey Matthews, Najee GoodeOLB: Trent Cole, Connor Barwin, Brandon Graham, Marcus Smith, Bryan Braman, Travis Long, Josh KadduCB: Bradley Fletcher, Cary Williams (inj), Brandon Boykin (KR),Nolan Carroll, Jaylen Watkins, Roc Carmichael, Curtis MarshS: Malcolm Jenkins (FS), Earl Wolff (SS), Nate Allen (SS), Chris Maragos (FS), Keelan Johnson (FS), Ed Reynolds (SS), Daytawion Lowe (FS)

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Mike Tomlin mentioned during his halftime interview that it was the team’s goal to get Roethlisberger going and get the no-huddle offense working. They were very successful as the first-team offense was firing on all cylinders. Just two plays into the game, Roethlisberger fired a strike to Antonio Brown on a slant that Brown took 74 yards for a touchdown. Roethlisberger’s second touchdown pass, despite being only 16 yards, was a prettier pass. He hit Markus Wheaton in the back corner of the end zone on a pass that was dropped into a bucket. Landry Jones entered the game second, prior to Bruce Gradskowski. The coaching staff is trying to give Jones a long look as he is the younger player. Jones, however, struggled. His very first pass attempt was intercepted. On his second dropback, he held the ball too long and was sacked. His third series resulted in a big play, but it was a simple screen pass that Dri Archer took for 40 yards. Later in that drive, Jones held the ball too long again and was sacked, losing a fumble. Bruce Gradkowski is clearly this team’s backup although he didn’t play exceptionally well, either. His interception wasn’t entirely his fault, though. It was a jump ball while trying to press the ball down the field late in the game. The ball was

tipped by Martavis Bryant and intercepted. This team really cannot afford an injury to Roethlisberger.

RB: The talk all week was that LeVeon Bell and LeGarrette Blount were much more of a committee than originally thought. The snaps and usage in Saturday’s preseason game suggest this as well. It’s in the team’s best interest to keep both players fresh throughout the season. An interesting development for both runners was that they were used in the slot in no-huddle spread formations. Bell’s presence in the right slot seemed to cause some confusion in Buffalo’s defense on the long touchdown to Antonio Brown. If the games so far are any indication, this team plans to use Dri Archer for at least a handful of touches each game. He started the very first play in the backfield, motioned wide right, and caught a screen pass. He also had another long gain in the screen game.

WR: The receivers had a very nice showing on Saturday night. Antonio Brown led the way with two big plays, including the biggest play of the whole game – a 76-yard touchdown catch where he ran past all potential tacklers. Second-year Markus Wheaton also caught a touchdown. He ran a fantastic post-corner route on a 3rd down play from the 16-yard line. Wheaton shook Stephon Gilmore and gave Ben Roethlisberger a window to throw a back-pylon over-the-shoulder pass. Lance Moore caught one pass, and he missed an easy block on a bubble screen. Talented rookie Martavis Bryant was relegated to backup duties. He was targeted a few times and had two catches. His best contribution was drawing a pass interference penalty down the right sideline. He had a great catch where he ran a simple route and fought off a defender before jumping to haul in a 13-yard gain.

TE: Heath Miller only had a couple of catches. Miller is clearly the top option; the other tight ends are just for depth and blocking. His snaps were limited as the team went with some extra receivers on multiple occasions.

Defense: Rookie Stephon Tuitt didn’t get the start; free agent acquisition Cam Thomas did. However, Tuitt made a nice hustle play, tackling Buffalo tight end Scott Chandler about 20 yards downfield. The real star on the defensive line is Cam Heyward. He played “nearly every down” when the first-team defense was in the game while Tuitt, Thomas, and nose tackle Steve McLendon rotated based on situation. Most of the buzz leading up to the game was on Ryan Shazier’s debut, and the first-rounder didn’t disappoint. He made a whopping 11 tackles between defense and special teams and intercepted a pass, which he returned 27 yards. His athleticism was on full display. On the outside, Jason Worilds made some athletic plays as well, including beating a block and forcing an intentional grounding penalty. Jarvis Jones sat out, nursing a groin injury. Safety Troy Polamalu saw his first preseason action, and his flowing mane was hard to miss. He made multiple leaping/diving tackles and was typically all around the ball. At the other safety spot, Mike Mitchell made his debut. The first team didn’t allow a touchdown, but Mitchell’s most notable play was a taunting personal foul. He does look to bring a strong, fast, physical presence to a secondary that badly needs it.

K/P: On the down side, kicker Shaun Suisham missed an extra point in the Bills game. On the up side, he hit a game-winning field goal as time expired (albeit from 20 yards). Last week, punter Adam Podlesh was placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list. Against Buffalo, Brad Wing averaged 44.5 yards on six punts, placing two inside the 20-yard line. Long snapper Greg Warren may miss a few games to start the regular season due to a knee injury. In his absence, Bryce Davis and recently signed Luke Ingram will handle the snapping.

OL: At 6’3”, left tackle Kelvin Beachum has always been considered undersized for the position. However Beachum has long arms and plays with outstanding leverage. Beachum has been playing really well lately. His excellent play may prompt NFL scouts to look more closely at similar players. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert has been good in pass protection and the team is excited that he and center Maurkice Pouncey are fully healthy. In terms of depth, tackle Mike Adams continues to struggle in pass protection and spent most of the second half against the Bills being walked back in the pocket. Backup center Cody Wallace is not looking like a fit for the system, and could be removed from the team’s long-term plans.

Steelers Depth ChartQB: Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry JonesRB: Le′Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Dri Archer (KR/PR), Tauren Poole, Miguel Maysonet, Josh HarrisFB: Will JohnsonWR: Antonio Brown (PR), Markus Wheaton (KR), Lance Moore, Justin Brown, Derek Moye, Martavis Bryant, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Kashif Moore, Lanear Sampson, Jasper Collins, James ShawTE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Michael Palmer, David Paulson, Rob BlanchflowerLT: Kelvin Beachum, Guy WhimperLG: Ramon Foster, Wesley JohnsonC: Maurkice Pouncey, Cody WallaceRG: David Decastro, Nik EmbernateRT: Marcus Gilbert, Mike AdamsK: Shaun SuishamNT: Steve McLendon (inj), Hebron Fangupo, Daniel McCullers, Al LapuahoDE: Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Cam Thomas (NT), Brian Arnfelt, Nick WilliamsILB: Lawrence Timmons (R), Ryan Shazier (L) (inj), Vince Williams (L), Terence Garvin (R), Sean Spence (L), Jordan Zumwalt (R), Daniel MollsOLB: Jason Worilds (R), Jarvis Jones (R), Chris Carter (L), Arthur Moats (R), Vic So′otoCB: Ike Taylor, Cortez Allen, William Gay, Brice McCain, Antwon Blake, Isaiah Green, Shaquille Richardson, Ross Ventrone, Lew TolerS: Troy Polamalu (SS), Michael Mitchell (FS), Shamarko Thomas (SS), Will Allen (FS), Robert Golden (FS), Jordan Dangerfield

St. Louis Rams

QB: Sam Bradford's made his preseason debut against the Green Bay Packers. He showed some rust during his first drive, completely missing Kenny Britt for a big play down the field. He made up for that on his second drive, as he fit passes into multiple tight windows to lead the offense into the end zone. Shaun Hill should be secure as the backup, which explains why he only attempt four passes before giving way to other backups Austin Davis and Garrett Gilbert. Both young quarterbacks struggled against the Packers, so the Week 4 game will likely decide if one can make the roster.

RB: Isaiah Pead's unimpressive career took another hit when he suffered an apparent torn ACL. Pead's injury should solidify Benny Cunningham's claim to the third spot on the depth chart. Cunningham will likely be the third down option because rookie Tre Mason was exposed on numerous occasions in pass protection against the Packers. Zac Stacy remains the primary starter and his chances of being a feature back are seemingly growing.

WR: Concern arose about Kenny Britt's shoulder when he left the field against the Packers, but it turned out to be a minor knock. Britt and Brian Quick are getting the most snaps with the first team, and Quick showed off some of his potential with an impressive catch on a 41-yard play. Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin also saw the field early on, while Chris Givens and Austin Pettis remain towards the bottom of the depth chart. Bailey's suspension to start the season will give both receivers a chance to make the initial roster, but a surprising release appears to be coming for at least one of the team's former starters.

TE: Lance Kendricks showed off some receiving ability with an impressive touchdown reception against the Packers. Kendricks is a well-rounded tight end in the sense that he doesn't have a major weakness, but he has proven to be a limited receiver and blocker to this point in his career. Jared Cook had another relatively quiet game with just one short reception, while Cory Harkey was again involved in the passing game.

Defense: The Rams are expecting their defensive line to be dominant this year. Much like the Carolina Panthers from last season, they also need their defensive line to be dominant. Mike McCarthy's play calling and Aaron Rodgers' ability to get rid of the ball quickly neutralized the Rams first team defensive line. Without that pass rushing ability, the rest of the defense quickly wilted. Against such a dangerous passing attack, the Rams decided to drop safety T.J. McDonald from their base defense and replace him with a cornerback. Defensive linemen Michael Sam and Ethan Westbrooks both stood out against the Packers reserves. With defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, the Rams can expect to run plenty of different looks in the regular season. For that reason, preseason displays won't always be a great measure of the unit as a whole.

K/P: Kicker Greg Zuerlein missed another long field goal attempt, wide right from 55 yards, in the game against the Packers. He was good on his lone extra point attempt and handled both of the kickoffs. Starter Johnny Hekker and camp leg Bobby Cowan again shared the punting work. Hekker averaged 43.3 yards on four punts with one inside the 20-yard line, while Cowan averaged 42.8 yards on four punts with two inside the twenty.

OL: Guard Davin Joseph continues to get reps and should be a viable option behind Rodger Saffold and Greg Robinson. Starting left tackle Jake Long did not play in the team’s second preseason game against the Packers, but he has been taking the first team reps in practice. Long should get the nod in the third preseason game against the Browns. Mike Person played well at several positions and should be in line to be the swing tackle. Travis Bond was impressive as a backup guard and could be ahead of Brandon Washington. Backup tackle Sean Hooey had an awful fourth quarter, giving up three sacks, all against Packers’ rookie linebacker Jayrone Elliot. Hooey is usually a right tackle, playing on the left side. He still has an uphill battle to make the team.

Rams Depth ChartQB: Sam Bradford, Shaun Hill, Austin Davis, Garrett GilbertRB: Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham (KR), Tre Mason, Chase Reynolds, Isaiah Pead (IR)WR: Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin (KR/PR), Stedman Bailey (susp), Chris Givens, Austin Pettis, Emory Blake, T.J. Moe, Justin Veltung, Jordan HarrisTE: Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Corey Harkey, Justice Cunningham, Alex Bayer, Brad Smelley, Mason Brodine (IR)LT: Jake Long, Mike PersonLG: Greg Robinson, Brandon WashingtonC: Scott Wells, Tim Barnes, Demetrius RhaneyRG: Rodger Saffold, Barrett JonesRT: Joe Barksdale, Graham Pocic, Mitchell Van DykK: Greg ZuerleinDT: Kendall Langford, Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Matt ConrathDE: Robert Quinn, Chris Long, William Hayes, Eugene Sims, Michael SamMLB: James LaurinaitisOLB: Alec Ogletree (W), Jo-Lonn Dunbar (S), Ray-Ray Armstrong, Phillip Steward, Daren Bates, Sammy Brown, Etienne Sabino, Kourtnei BrownCB: Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Brandon McGee, Quinton Pointer (FS), E.J. Gaines, Greg Reid, Darren WoodardS: T.J. McDonald (SS), Rodney McLeod (FS), Lamarcus Joyner (FS/CB), Mo Alexander (SS), Christian Bryant, Matthew Daniels (FS), Cody Davis (FS)

San Diego Chargers

QB: Philip Rivers got only one drive against Seattle, completing two of his four pass attempts. When the regular season begins, offensive coordinator Frank Reich has said that the Chargers plan to take advantage of Rivers' intelligence, giving him a lot of leeway to change plays at the line of scrimmage. The team is hoping that the result will be the most exciting Chargers offense since Don Coryell was calling plays. That could make Rivers an enticing fantasy sleeper. Kellen Clemens got the bulk of the work against the Seahawks and looked good, completing 14 of 21 pass attempts for 149 yards and two touchdowns. He has a 146.8 passer rating through a little over four quarters of preseason work. By the time Brad Sorensen entered the game, the contest was well out of hand; but he completed three of his four pass attempts in mop-up duty.

RB: Ryan Mathews was a healthy scratch from the second preseason game. Take it as a sign of confidence that the team has in him despite his fumble the previous week. With Mathews out, Donald Brown started at tailback and rushed for 16 yards on four carries. Danny Woodhead led the Chargers in rushing against the Seahawks with six carries for 24 yards. He has taken to mentoring Branden Oliver, who had a big first game against the Cowboys, but struggled to find running room against the Seahawks. He was limited to 14 yards on nine carries, and was met at the line of scrimmage or in the backfield on many of his carries. Marion Grice fared better, rushing for 17 yards on three carries. Nonetheless, Oliver still remains the favorite to make the final roster, while Grice is likely looking at a place on the practice squad.

WR: Keenan Allen got open in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown against the Seahawks. He looks ready for the regular season to start. Allen says that he has a better understanding of the game than he did last season, and he is looking to take on more of a leadership role. Malcom Floyd led all Charger receivers with two catches for 30 yards, and showed no signs of being hindered by the neck injury that prematurely ended his 2013 season. By some observations, Floyd has been the most impressive player in training camp at any position. Eddie Royal has been quiet, and Vincent Brown has yet to practice since he injured his calf on the second day of training camp. Dontrelle Inman followed up his breakout game against the Cowboys with a disappointing game against the Seahawks. He had only one catch for 15 yards, and dropped a ball that hit him in the hands. Seyi Ajirotutu, who had a 26-yard reception in the third quarter, appears to be the favorite to land the sixth WR spot on the final roster. Javontee Herndon, Tevin Reese, and Torrence Allen are in that competition, but seem more likely to land on the practice squad. Herndon has moved ahead of Tevin Reese on depth chart based on camp practices, and had a pair of athletic catches for 22 yards against the Seahawks. Tevin Reese converted a third-down play in the red zone with a nine-yard catch and run, but has cooled off after his fast start in training camp. He is having trouble making the transition from the spread offense he played in in college, and needs strong showings in the next two preseason games to have a shot at making the final roster.

TE: Antonio Gates made a brief appearance in the Seahawks game, but was not targeted. In practice, however, he has made some impressive catches and his chemistry with Philip Rivers has been obvious. He remains the starter, though the Chargers will get Ladarius Green on the field plenty as well. Green had two catches for 20 yards against the Seahawks, and continues to make plays down the field in practice. David Johnson and John Phillips are better blockers than receivers. Philips is recovering well from knee surgery and should make the final roster as the fourth tight end. Jake Byrne is a likely practice squad candidate.

Defense: The Chargers defense had a poor showing against the Seahawks. The defensive line got pushed around, the linebackers missed tackles, and the secondary let receivers get open. The run defense was particularly poor, as the Seahawks ran for 243 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry. DE Corey Liuget, in his first preseason action, got some pressure on Russell Wilson. DT Sean Lissemore injured his ankle and will miss the next preseason game. OLBs Jarret Johnson and Dwight Freeney did not play against the Seahawks. Freeney was a healthy scratch; he believes he does not need the preseason to get ready for the regular season at this stage in his career. Tourek Williams is the favorite to win the fifth OLB spot, but his game against the Seahawks was a mixed bag. He had five tackles and a sack, and the Chargers like his potential. But he also missed some tackles against Robert Turbin, and failed to keep outside contain on Turbin's 46-yard run. ILB Manti Te'o also missed a tackle on Turbin when he got stiff-armed. He did lead the team with six tackles, but sprained his foot and will miss the next week. In the secondary, there is talk that CB Brandon Flowers will start on the outside, but may move into the slot in nickel packages while Jason Verrett lines up outside. Verrett is still wearing a red jersey in practice, but is on track to play in a preseason game and be full-go in week one of the regular season. Safety Jahleel Addae was having a solid camp, but injured his hamstring against the Seahawks and will miss next week. That may cement Marcus Gilchrist at the starting strong safety spot. Darrell Stuckey is known mostly for his special teams play, but had some big plays on defense against the Seahawks and could be in the mix for some playing time at safety as well.

K/P: Last week, kicker Nick Novak said of the 33-yard extra point experiment, "I think it’s good field goal practice for the season. In years past [during the preseason] I’ve maybe only gotten four or five attempts. And this allows me to get more work with my guys. So I think it’s a great thing." Prophetically against the Seahawks he had no field goal attempts but did kick two extra points. Starting punter Mike Scifres and camp leg Chase Tenpenny each punted three times and each averaged 38.0 yards.

OL: Rookie guard/center Chris Watt was one of the lone bright spots in the contest against the Seahawks. Watt was dominant in run blocking and appears to have the lead over Johnnie Troutman. Right tackle D.J. Fluker had a tough time blocking defensive end Cliff Avril. Luckily for Fluker, Mike Harris was even worse with the second team and Fluker is in no danger of losing his starting job. The teams meet again in

Week Two of the regular season and Fluker “can’t wait” to play the Seahawks again.

Chargers Depth ChartQB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens, Brad SorensenRB: Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead (3RB), , Donald Brown, Branden Oliver, Marion Grice, Kerwynn WilliamsFB: David Johnson (TE), Zach BorenWR: Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, Eddie Royal (PR), Vincent Brown (inj), Tevin Reese, Seyi Ajirotutu, Tobias Palmer, Dontrelle Inman, Javontee HerndonTE: Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, John Phillips, Jake Byrne, Ryan Otten, Michael FlaccoLT: King Dunlap, Kenny WigginsLG: Chad Rinehart, Willie SmithC: Nick HardwickRG: Chris Watt, Johnnie Troutman, Jeromey Clary (PUP)RT: D.J. Fluker, Michael HarrisK: Nick NovakNT: Sean Lissemore, Ryan CarrethersDE: Corey Liuget, Kendall Reyes, Kwame Geathers, Lawrence Guy, Cordarro Law, Tenny PalepoiILB: Manti Te′o (inj), Donald Butler, Bront Bird, Reggie Walker, Andrew Gachkar, Kavell ConnerOLB: Jarret Johnson, Dwight Freeney, Melvin Ingram, Jeremiah Attaochu, Tourek Williams, Thomas KeiserCB: Shareece Wright, Brandon Flowers, Steve Williams, Richard Marshall, Jason Verrett, Marcus Cromartie, Crezdon Butler, Brandon Ghee, Chris DavisS: Eric Weddle (FS), Marcus Gilchrist (SS), Darrell Stuckey (FS), Jahleel Addae (FS), Adrian Phillips

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Blaine Gabbert remained the first quarterback off the bench Sunday when the 49ers hosted the Broncos in the first game at Levi's Stadium. However, neither Gabbert (8/14 for 40 yards passing, zero TDs and one interception thrown) nor Josh Johnson (2/3 for nine yards passing, zero TDs or interceptions, with a sack taken that resulted in a lost fumble - his second fumble over two preseason games played) did much against Denver’s defense, which shut out the 49ers 0-34. In fact, Gabbert (whose $2 million salary this year is fully guaranteed) had only two of his eight completions gain more than six yards on Saturday. So far this preseason, Gabbert has completed 44 percent of his passes (11-of-25), averaged 2.5 yards an attempt and posted a 17.9 passer rating. Colin Kaepernick played competently during his limited appearance (5/9 for 39 yards passing, zero TDs, interceptions, or sacks taken). The 49ers have been torched by a margin of 57-3 through two preseason games. "It's the preseason, but it all means something," left tackle Joe Staley said. "Scoring points is the name of the game, and we haven't done it... It will be a real test this week to see how we rebound from this."

RB: Frank Gore averaged six yards per carry during a brief appearance in Week Two of the preseason, posting 2/12/0 rushing. Carlos Hyde (4/11/0 rushing with 1/9/0 receiving), Jewel Hampton (9/22/0 rushing with 4/18/0 receiving) and Alfonso Smith (4/14/0 rushing with 1/1/0 receiving) all struggled to run the football against the Broncos. In other news, the holdout of RG Alex Boone continues... LaMichael James, who wore a non-contact jersey, went through a full practice on August 13 for the first time since dislocating his left elbow in late July. He hoped to be ready for the regular season.

WR: Michael Crabtree practiced fully on Friday on the last day of training camp. After practice Crabtree commented: "All I can do is do all I can do to get this receiver-quarterback connection the best it can be. I'm trying to go to the top. I'm trying to be one of the best out here." Crabtree garnered one target for zero receptions during the Levi's Stadium premiere. Anquan Boldin managed 1/10/0 receiving on one target. Colin Kaepernick barely overthrew Brandon Lloyd (two targets for 1/7/0 receiving) in the end zone on 3rd-and-4 from the 37-yard line, according to ESPN.com. Rookie Bruce Ellington was the top wide receiver on Sunday, with seven targets for 4/24/0 receiving. Reserve Devon Wylie saw two targets for 1/11/0 receiving.

TE: Backups Vance McDonald (one target for 1/9/0 receiving) and Derek Carrier (one for 1/4/0) were quiet on Sunday, while reserve tight end Kevin Greene led the 49ers in receiving with a 48-yard reception. The 49ers offense didn't produce much of anything vs. Denver, so we didn't learn much about the tight end depth chart. McDonald had missed the joint practices with Baltimore last week due to an undisclosed injury but rejoined team sessions on August 13.

Defense: The 49ers vaunted defense didn't do well in the Levi's Stadium debut, allowing 34 points to the Denver offense. Actually, the San Francisco pass defense flat out stunk. Peyton Manning completed 12 of 14 passes for 102 yards and a 120.8 rating. He was eight for eight on Denver's second drive that ended in a TD pass to tight end Julius Thomas. Each of the Denver quarterbacks threw a TD, none were intercepted, and each had a QB rating of 116.9 or higher. All told, the Denver QBs threw 30/38 for 270 yards, three TDs and zero interceptions.

"We have to tighten this down fast," head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "We have work to do, there's no doubt about it." The 49ers lost S Antoine Bethea to a concussion early in the second quarter. He walked off on his own, but later left for the locker room. Bethea will be in the league's concussion protocol as a result of the injury. DTs Justin Smith and Ray McDonald, NT Ian Williams, CB Tramaine Brock and LB Patrick Willis were all held out of the second preseason game. Smith (offseason shoulder surgery) and McDonald (leg injury) rejoined practices on August 13, and fully participated in the practice. They should be good to go for regular season.

K/P: Kicker Phil Dawson’s first game in Levi Stadium didn’t go as he hoped. He missed his only two kicking attempts, wide right from 55 yards against the wind and 44 yards with the

wind. With the team being shutout, they had only one kickoff which was sent for a touchback by camp leg Colton Schmidt. He also punted once for 55 yards. Starting punter Andy Lee averaged 50.5 yards on two punts.

OL: The Alex Boone hold-out continues, and things have grown acrimonious between the two sides. Boone has incurred fines approaching his entire yearly salary ($900,000 and counting) and the team reportedly has a deal on the table that would make him among the top fifteen guards in the league. Still, a deal appears to be far away. In replacement of Boone, Joe Looney has looked better in practice than he has in the preseason games, and the team also misses Boone’s abilities as a swing tackle, backing up both Joe Staley and Anthony Davis. While teams are calling the 49ers regarding a possible trade, this appears to be unlikely to occur.

49ers Depth ChartQB: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Josh Johnson, McLeod Bethel-ThompsonRB: Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde, LaMichael James (KR/PR) (inj), Marcus Lattimore (inj), Jewel Hampton, Alfonso Smith, Kendall Hunter (IR)FB: Bruce Miller (inj), Trey Millard, Will Tukuafu, Alex DebniakWR: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Steve Johnson, Quinton Patton, Brandon Lloyd, Bruce Ellington, Devon Wylie, David Reed, Kassim Osgood, DeMarco Sampson, L’Damian Washington, Lance Lewis, Chuck Jacobs (IR)TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, Derek CarrierLT: Joe Staley, Jonathan Martin, Carter BykowskiLG: Mike Iupati, Joe Looney, Brandon ThomasC: Daniel Kilgore, Marcus MartinRG: Alex Boone, Adam Snyder, Ryan Seymour RT: Anthony Davis, Al Netter, Luke MarquardtK: Phil DawsonNT: Ian Williams, Quinton Dial, Glenn Dorsey (inj), DE: Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, Tony Jerod-Eddie, DeMarcus Dobbs (TE), Kaleb Ramsey, Cornellius Carradine, Aaron Lynch, Lawrence Okoye, Mike PurcellILB: Patrick Willis (M), Navorro Bowman (inj), Michael Wilhoite, Chris Borland, Nick Moody, Shayne Skov, Kion Wilson, Blake Costanzo(IR)OLB: Ahmad Brooks (S), Aldon Smith, Corey Lemonier, Dan Skuta, Darius Fleming, Morgan BreslinCB: Chris Culliver, Chris Cook, Tramaine Brock, Kenneth Acker, Perrish Cox, Keith Reaser, Dax Swanson, Darryl MorrisS: Antoine Bethea (SS), Eric Reid (FS), C.J. Spillman (FS), Jimmie Ward (FS), Craig Dahl (SS), Dontae Johnson, Ray Ventrone, D.J. Campbell

Seattle Seahawks

QB: In his first home appearance since last year's Super Bowl victory, Russell Wilson was sharp against the San Diego

Chargers. The Chargers defense appeared to be overwhelmed by the Seahawks offense as a whole, but that shouldn't take away from Wilson's precision. The Seahawks gave Tarvaris Jackson the night off. They understand that he is their primary backup and needed snaps to evaluate Terrelle Pryor and B.J. Daniels. Both quarterbacks only combined for six pass attempts though. Pryor did his best work with his feet as he showed off why some consider him the most athletic player in the NFL.

RB: Marshawn Lynch played in the second preseason game...but not for long. He didn't even register a rushing attempt. Once he left the field, Robert Turbin set about solidifying his spot as the team's primary backup. Turbin is overlooked because of Christine Michael's physical talent and where he was selected in the draft, but he is more consistent than his teammate and Michael brings too much uncertainty at this point. Michael fumbled for the second week in a row. Even though he recovered the fumble, it’s hard to imagine this won’t weigh heavily in the coaches’ perception of the young runner.

WR: Percy Harvin had an injury scare in practice, but it turned out to be just a cleat to the foot. He made a couple of plays against the Chargers that suggested he was at full strength. Doug Baldwin also took a heavy hit this week, against the Chargers, but he also escaped unscathed. The Seahawks didn't throw to their other receivers enough to gauge their play against the Chargers. Jermaine Kearse remains on track to be the team's third option, while Ricardo Lockette featured some with the first team offense against the Chargers. Kevin Norwood appears to be recovering well from surgery.

TE: Zach Miller and Luke Willson both had receptions against the Chargers. Miller had one big play for 37 yards, but he failed to score a touchdown when put in open space. His lack of speed drew laughter rather than ire from the sideline. Willson made receptions underneath and was able to turn one upfield for 18 yards. The other Seahawks tight ends are essentially auditioning for other teams at this stage and nobody is standing out.

Defense: Veteran free agent addition Kevin Williams started for the Seahawks against the Chargers. Williams didn't do much to stand out, but he looked comfortable with his new teammates and in his new role. The Seahawks are still waiting on Bobby Wagner and Malcolm Smith to get back on the field. Both players are expected to return to practice ahead of the Week 3 game. Safety Kam Chancellor is practicing, but he was held out of the Week 2 game. O'Brien Schofield is a player that has excited in spurts over the years, but injuries have slowed his development into a well-rounded defensive end. Schofield has looked good, and healthy, in camp and during the preseason.

K/P: Kicker Steven Hauschka hit field goals of 38 and 55 yards, and added five extra points in the game against San Diego. The frequent scoring also meant that he was busy kicking off. Hauschka had three touchbacks on his eight kickoffs. It also meant that Jon Ryan was able to focus solely

on holding, as he didn’t have to punt once. Snapping was provided by Clint Gresham.

OL: Left guard James Carpenter returned to the lineup in the team’s second preseason game against the Chargers. The line looked effective throughout the contest. Rookie right tackle Justin Britt had an up and down night. Britt was beaten by Melvin Ingram in pass protection but also threw a great block to spring Robert Turbin for a 47-yard gain. Britt appears to have solidified his lead in the competition for this right tackle job over Eric Winston. A former defensive lineman in college, right guard J.R. Sweezy has impressed coaches with his maturity and rapid improvement. Although Max Unger and Russell Okung were inactive for the contest, both players worked normally in pre-game warm-ups and should be ready to go for the real games. In terms of depth, Alvin Bailey and Lemuel Jeanpierre played well in their place.

Seahawks Depth ChartQB: Russell Wilson, Tavaris Jackson, Terrelle Pryor, B.J. DanielsRB: Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, Christine MichaelFB: Derrick Coleman, Spencer Ware, Kiero SmallWR: Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse (KR), Paul Richardson, Ricardo Lockette, Kevin Norwood (inj), Chris Matthews, Arceto Clark, Bryan Walters, Phil Bates, David Gilreath, Morrell PresleyTE: Zach Miller, Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet, Rashaun Allen, Anthony McCoy (IR)LT: Russell Okung, Alvin BaileyLG: James Carpenter, Greg VanRotenC: Max Unger, Lemuel JeanpierreRG: J.R. Sweezy, Jared Smith, Steve SchillingRT: Eric Winston, Wade Smith, Justin Britt, Garrett ScottK: Steven HauschkaDT: Brandon Mebane, Tony McDaniel, Jordan Hill, Kevin Williams, Jimmy Staten, D′Anthony Smith, Michael Brooks, Andre Pulu, Jesse Williams (IR)DE: Michael Bennett (DT), Cliff Avril, Greg Scruggs, Cassius Marsh,Benson Mayowa, Jackson JeffcoatMLB: Bobby Wagner, Heath FarwellOLB: Bruce Irvin (S/DE) (inj), K.J. Wright (W/M/S), Malcolm Smith (W), Mike Morgan (W)(RFA), Korey Toomer (S), Kevin Pierre-Louis, Mike Taylor (S)CB: Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, Therald Simon, Jeremy Lane, Phillip Adams, Terrell Thomas, DeShawn Shead, Akeem Auguste, Trey WolfeS: Kam Chancellor (SS), Earl Thomas (FS), Jeron Johnson (SS)(RFA), Eric Pinkins, Terrance Parks (SS), Steven Terrell

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Josh McCown enjoyed a solid outing vs. Miami, with 5/7 for 46 yards passing, one TD with zero interceptions, and one rush for four yards (he was sacked once for 0 yards lost). McCown almost threw another TD pass to Mike Evans, but a Miami defender punched out the ball at the goal line (see

below). Overall, the Tampa offensive line did a good job protecting McCown in this second preseason game, which helped improve McCown's performance. McCown commented: "It was more of what we need to start looking like. We're still not there yet, obviously, but it's a good feeling to finish with a touchdown. It was Buc football. I mean, that's how we want it to be. Coach Smith and I were talking about that — takeaways and touchdowns. That’s what we have to do. The defense got (the ball) for us, gave us some field position and we were able to punch it in." Mike Glennon had a rough outing, with 6/12 for 77 yards passing, zero TDs or interceptions - he was sacked twice for -13 yards and lost a fumble. Mike Kafka only managed four completions on 11 attempts (for 55 yards and one TD), while being sacked twice for -6 yards. As you can see, McCown's status as #1 quarterback is not in danger. In all, 19 players were targeted by Tampa quarterbacks on Saturday night.

RB: Charles Sims' significant ankle injury, suffered in practice on Tuesday, (out 12-14 weeks after surgical repair on right ankle) has thinned the Tampa Bay rushing corps and removed the biggest threat to Doug Martin's playing time on third downs/passing downs. Bobby Rainey is now seen as the favorite for change-of-pace duties during Sims' absence, with Mike James also in the mix (and off the roster bubble with Sims likely headed to IR/designated to return). James and Rainey would likely be in a 1A/1B situation if Martin were also to go down, with a near 50-50 split or perhaps 60-40 in favor of one or the other from week to week. Martin posted 6/24/0 rushing and 1/4/0 receiving vs. Miami. "He's a key guy," head coach Lovie Smith said after the game. "Doug is our bell cow. He likes that role." Martin added: "I was warm, and I was getting my groove on. I feel very good where I am right now. Very good." Reserve running back Jeff Demps led the team in rushing (8/31/0) but didn't reel in either pass he saw (0/2). James (3/18/0 rushing with a fumble recovered by Tampa Bay) and Rainey (8/15/0 rushing with 1/2/0 receiving) didn't do anything to move the needle in their duel for #2 running back. James banged up a shoulder during the contest - the extent of the injury is unclear at press time. After the game, the team indicated that Sims underwent successful surgery to repair a sheath around a tendon in his right ankle.

WR: Vincent Jackson scored on a seven-yard pass from McCown vs. Miami. "Josh did a great job sitting in the pocket, holding on to the ball as long as he could and letting me work in the back of the end zone," Jackson said. "He delivered a great ball." Meanwhile Mike Evans nearly had a TD; he ran down a 42-yard reception (breaking a tackle on the way) but had the ball punched out of his arms on the goal line for a Miami touchback. "I know Mike fumbled the ball, but it was a great play to get it down to there," Coach Smith said. "He'll learn from his mistakes. My rookies are doing too many great things for me to harp on that." McCown added: "If it's a game that matters, then (Evans) scores because he's learned from it. But yeah, he was pretty ticked off at himself." Lavelle Hawkins (two targets for 2/25/1) caught the final TD of the game from Kafka with 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

TE: Each of the top three tight ends caught one pass vs. Miami: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins saw one target for 1/14/0;

Brandon Myers had one target for 1/10/0; while Tim Wright saw two chances with 1/5/0 to his credit. Myers caught his pass from McCown, while Sefarian-Jenkins and Wright handled their passes from Glennon when he was in with the second/third teams. Sefarian-Jenkins was praised by Coach Smith on Thursday, August 14: “He's got great size…He can still work on his blocking, but he actually has hands. He's in our plans. You don't have to look real hard to like something the guy has done.”

Defense: CBs Alterraun Verner and Mike Jenkins were inactive for the Bucs on Saturday night, along with DL Da’Quan Bowers and Steven Means. Tampa's D was stout against the run vs. Miami - the Dolphins attempted only nine carries over 38 first-half snaps, losing 5 yards. McCown's TD pass to Jackson was set up by a sack/fumble recovery engineered by DT Gerald McCoy's strip-sack: "That's exactly how you want to draw it (up)," Lovie Smith said. "It's about taking the ball away. And after you take it away, it's about getting a touchdown, and we were able to do that there." McCoy added: "...that’s our job: Get the ball out. It just makes it so much easier on the offense. You put them on a short field." On Friday, Tampa signed DE Larry English and waived injured DT Jibreel Black. English (6'2", 255 pounds) entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick of the Chargers (2009). In five+ seasons with San Diego, English played in 52 games with nine starts, recording 80 tackles, 11 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.

K/P: Camp leg Patrick Murray was the least busy specialist in the Miami game, kicking an extra point. Staring kicker Connor Barth, was next, kicking an extra point, a regular kickoff and an onside kickoff (which the Dolphins recovered). Michael Koenen was busy. He averaged 43.5 yards on eight punts, placing two inside the twenty. He kicked off once, garnering a touchback. He also served as holder on the placekicks.

OL: In the wake of Jamon Meredith’s demotion, the team has tried several different combinations of guards in the past week of practice. The team started Oniel Cousins at left guard and Patrick Omameh at right guard, in the preseason contest against the Dolphins. A former practice squad player with the 49ers, Omameh has been impressing coaches with his professionalism. Despite the uncertainty at the guard positions, head coach Lovie Smith assures the press that free agent Richie Incognito will not be in the team’s future plans. In the preseason game, right tackle Demar Dotson had a very good night going against Cameron Wake.

Buccaneers Depth ChartQB: Josh McCown, Mike Glennon, Mike KafkaRB: Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey, Mike James, Jeff Demps (KR), Charles Sims (inj)FB: Lonnie Pryor, Javorskie LaneWR: Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Louis Murphy, Robert Herron, Eric Page (KR/PR), Tommy Streeter, Chris Owusu, Skye Dawson, Russell Shepard, Lavelle Hawkins, Solomon Patton, Aaron BurksTE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Brandon Myers, Tim Wright, Luke Stocker, Kyle Adams, Cameron Brate, Ian Thompson

LT: Anthony Collins, Kevin Pamphile, Matt PatchanLG: Kadeem Edwards, Jason FosterC: Evan Dietrich-SmithRG: Jamon Meredith, Oneil Cousins, Patrick OmamehRT: Demar Dotson, Emmett ClearyK: Connor Barth, Patrick MurrayDT: Gerald McCoy, Akeem Spence (NT), Clinton McDonald, Everett Dawkins, Jibreel BlackDE: Michael Johnson, Adrian Clayborn, William Gholston, Da′Quan Bowers, Steven Means, Mathew Masifilo, Scott Solomon, James Ruffin, Ryne GiddinsMLB: Mason Foster, Dane Fletcher, Damaso MunozOLB: Lavonte David (W), Jonathan Casillas (S), Marvin Booker (S),Danny Lansanah, Ka′lial Glaud, Brandon MageeCB: Alterraun Verner, Johnthan Banks, Leonard Johnson, Mike Jenkins, Danny Gorrer, Deveron Carr, Rashaan Melvin, Bobby Felder, Anthony GaitorS: Mark Barron (SS), Dashon Goldson (FS), Major Wright (FS), Keith Tandy (SS), Kelcie McCray (FS), Bradley McDougald (FS)

Tennessee Titans

QB: Jake Locker looked strong in his first real action of the preseason and makes for a very intriguing low end QB2 with high upside due to his rushing ability. Monsoon conditions during the first preseason game delayed the true unveiling of the new and improved Locker. Locker’s performance against the Saints (8/11 for 75 yards, 1 TD and zero turnovers) continued his positive trend in camp. Locker orchestrated just two drives under center, but those two drives consumed 11:32 of game time and resulted in 10 points. “It was great to see the way we came out and started the game,” said Locker. “We had two long drives and overcame some tough down distances. Overall it was something we can definitely build off of.” Ken Whisenhunt was pleased, “It was a good opportunity to see Jake operate the offense...It wasn’t perfect, but there were a lot of good things about it. The offense, in general, responded with the first series, going down and scoring a touchdown. That’s what you have to do, especially on the road in a hostile environment. I think that we just have to keep progressing with Jake…Obviously, it is very encouraging tonight to see him operate the way that he did.”

With backup Charlie Whitehurst suffering a hand injury after being sacked on his first drop back of the game, rookie 3rd stringer Zach Mettenberger had an opportunity for extended playing time. The results were mixed, as two of the primary elements of his pre-draft scouting report have been evident: huge arm talent combined with poor decision-making. Mettenberger’s huge night (269 yards and 2 TDs in completing 20-of-25 attempts) was again offset by multiple turnovers (INT and fumble). “You can tell that we have a chance with Zach,” said Whisenhunt. “He did a lot of good things. There are a couple of things that we’ve got to get cleaned up. The one interception is the only one that he wishes that he would have back.” With Locker in the final year of his

contract, Mettenberger is a player dynasty owners should keep a close eye on.

RB: The running game again looked strong with the RBs combining for 88 yards on 21 carries. Shonn Greene led the way with 46 yards on nine carries before checking out with a minor knee injury. While the hyperextended knee injury does not appear serious and Greene is listed as day-to-day, it is clearly something to keep an eye on. The injury is to the same knee that Greene has had multiple surgeries on in the past year and if it continues to be an issue, it could open the door in a big way for rookie Bishop Sankey. Sankey again looked impressive with 31 yards on only 6 carries. He did lose a fumble though and will have to show improvement in that area. With Greene likely to miss some practices, Sankey is going to get a big workload with the first team and that may speed up his development even further.

WR: The biggest story of the week was again Justin Hunter who came through with a monster game on Friday, serving as a complete showcase of his potential. Hunter made the most of his 4 catches, with 111 yards and 2 TDs. His early 4-yard TD reception in the back of the end zone showed off his leaping ability and body control. Hunter’s biggest play came later on a 64-yard TD pass from Mettenberger ; exemplifying his elite speed. He caught the ball about just past midfield before turning on the jets and sprinting past Saints defenders to the end zone. The big performance came a week after Hunter was in the dog house for misrunning routes; causing the coaches to make Hunter wear a jersey reading “JAG” (short for “just another guy”). Going off the board as WR52, Hunter could massively outperform his ADP and is an obvious breakout candidate. Preseason hype is undoubtedly going to push him up draft boards however and owners will face a tough decision in determining how early is too early to gamble on the inconsistent 2nd year WR with major talent.

TE: Taylor Thompson seems to be taking firm hold of the backup TE position behind Delanie Walker as he continues a strong August with five catches for 56 yards against the Saints.

Defense: The Titans again got off to a slow start defensively, allowing an opening drive touchdown. The defense has struggled to generate a pass rush and get off the field on 3rd downs. On the opening drive New Orleans converted four-of-four third-down attempts, including a third-and-goal at the Tennessee six-yard line, when Jimmy Graham caught the first of two touchdown passes. “We have to play our scheme better,” Whisenhunt said. “It was not what we were shooting for. They did a better job after that first drive, but we have to continue to work.” The Titans badly need for players like Jurrell Casey and Derrick Morgan to generate more pressure or the secondary will continue to get exposed.

K/P: Rookie kicker Travis Coons made two extra points and a 50-yard field goal against the Saints. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt noted, “Not only was it a 50-yard, but he had already made a 45-yarder. To have to come back and re-kick it and make it speaks a whole lot about what you are looking for in that position.” On kickoffs, Coons had a 65-yard touchback

and a 70-yarder. Fellow kicker Maikon Bonani made one extra point, had a pair of 65-yard kickoffs for touchbacks, and tried an onside kick which New Orleans recovered.

OL: Right guard Chance Warmack reportedly looks much better this season, both in technique and in physical condition. Right tackle Michael Oher is irritated by people who speculated that he would lose his job to rookie first round draft pick Taylor Lewan. Lewan did eventually get right tackle action in the third quarter of the preseason game against the Saints, but was flagged for an ugly personal foul penalty. With backup center Chris Spencer still in a walking boot, the team signed journeyman Steve Vallos to help with depth duties.

Titans Depth ChartQB: Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst (inj), Zach MettenbergerRB: Shonn Greene (inj), Bishop Sankey, Dexter McCluster (WR), Jackie Battle, Leon Washington (KR), Antonio Andrews, Waymon JamesFB: Collin Mooney, Quinn JohnsonWR: Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, Justin Hunter, Michael Preston, Marc Mariani, Derek Hagan, Derel Walker, Isaiah Williams, Lamont Bryant, Rico RichardsonTE: Delanie Walker, Craig Stevens (FB), Taylor Thompson, Chase Coffman, Dorin Dickerson (IR)LT: Michael Roos, Taylor LewanLG: Andy Levitre, Chris SpencerC: Brian Schwenke, Steve Vallos, Tyler HornRG: Chance Warmack, Eric OlsenRT: Michael Oher, Byron StingilyK: Travis Coons, Maikon Bonani, Brett KernNT: Sammie Lee Hill, DaQuan Jones, Chigbo AnunobyDE: Jurell Casey, Al Woods, Mike Martin, Ropati Pitoitua, Karl Klug, Lavar Edwards, Lanier ColemanILB: Wesley Woodyard, Zach Brown, Zaviar Gooden, Moise Fokou, Avery Williamson, Brandon Copeland, David Hinds, Colin McCarthy (inj)OLB: Akeem Ayers (S), Derrick Morgan, Shaun Phillips, Kamerion Wimbley, Patrick Bailey, Jonathan WillardCB: Jason McCourty, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Tommie Campbell, Coty Sensabaugh, Micah Pellerin, George Baker, Khalid WootenS: Bernard Pollard (SS), Michael Griffin (FS) (susp), George Wilson (SS/FS), Daimion Stafford (SS), Marqueston Huff, Hakeem Smith, Marc Anthony

Washington Redskins

QB: Robert Griffin hasn’t been bad this preseason, but he hasn’t been electric, either. Against the Browns on Monday night Griffin completed 6-of-8 passes for 112 yards but threw an interception and gave everyone an injury scare when he was hit on a scramble. Although Griffin ended up with just a thigh bruise, it’s apparent to his new head coach that Griffin has to make smarter decisions. “Something we have to

continue to talk to him about,” Jay Gruden said. “How important he is to this team and the franchise and when he gets out of the pocket, he needs to protect himself. He’s had a habit in his career of being able to get himself out of those predicaments with his speed and athleticism, but here, it being a 16-game season with the great talent across the league in the NFL, he’s got to pick his shots and learn how to get down a little bit better.” Backups Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy both found the end zone (something Griffin couldn’t) but certainly didn’t dominate. Cousins completed 12-of-25 for 145 yards, the aforementioned TD and an interception. McCoy – who has played well this preseason – was just 2-of-6 for 16 yards against the Browns.

RB: Alfred Morris got a heavy workload in the first half, but only mustered 29 yards on 11 carries (2.6 per rush). Morris was stuffed on four consecutive goal-line carries. Evan Royster – considered a long-shot for the 53-man roster – scored a 2-yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter on his lone carry. Whether this means he’s being auditioned for a goal-line role remains unclear. Roy Helu’s position as the 3rd down back is secure, and he was used sparingly against the Browns as Washington evaluated younger runners.

WR: DeSean Jackson made his debut against the Browns after missing much of the preseason with an ankle injury. Jackson looked fine, catching two passes for 34 yards. Pierre Garcon didn’t register a catch but that was due to a penalty calling back his lone reception. Andre Roberts looks comfortable in his role as the primary slot receiver, and led the team with 54 yards on two receptions. Ryan Grant is fighting for a roster spot and led the team with four receptions (for 40 yards and a touchdown). It’s unclear whether Santana Moss is going to make the final roster but he caught the one pass thrown his way (a 24-yarder).

TE: Jordan Reed was targeted twice and made 5- and 15-yard grabs. Niles Paul – fighting for a roster spot – also had two receptions (for 22 yards).

Defense: Washington’s starting defense played well against both Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, but the backups were less successful. Over two preseason games, the starting defense has allowed only four first downs against three sacks. Ryan Kerrigan continues his strong preseason with two sacks. "I've seen a lot of three-and-outs from the ones and that's always encouraging," Kerrigan said. "That's what you want to do. You want to keep an opposing team's defense on the field as long as possible."

K/P: Both kickers made both of their placekicks against the Browns. Kai Forbath hit a 26-yard field goal and added an extra point. Rookie Zach Hocker made two extra points. On kickoffs, Forbath averaged 66.0 yards on a pair. Hocker averaged 67.7 yards on three kickoffs and had one touchback. In the punting/holding competition, both candidates got only one punt in the game – Robert Malone had a 42-yarder and Blake Clingan a 34-yarder.

OL: Left tackle Trent Williams left the game against Cleveland with a shoulder injury. Coaches believe he will be

fine for Week One of the regular season. Left guard Shawn Lauvao has been called the most improved player in camp by head coach Jay Gruden. Lauvao should form a solid left side with the Pro Bowler Williams. The right side of Chris Chester and Tyler Polumbus is somewhat more concerning. Chester had an extremely rough outing against the Browns and his night had several blown assignments. Rookie Spencer Long looked good subbing in at guard and he could end up starting for Chester sooner rather than later.

Redskins Depth ChartQB: Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoyRB: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu (3RB), Chris Thompson (3RB), Lache Seastrunk, Evan Royster, Silas ReddFB: Darrel YoungWR: Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts (PR/KR), Leonard Hankerson, Ryan Grant, Aldrick Robinson, Santana Moss, Nick Williams, Cody Hoffman, Rashad Lawrence, Jerry Rice Jr. (inj)TE: Jordan Reed, Logan Paulsen, Niles Paul (KR), Ted Bolser, Gabe Miller, Mike CaussinLT: Trent Williams, Tom ComptonLG: Shawn Lauvao, Maurice Hurt, Spencer LongC: Kory Lichtensteiger, Mike McGlynnRG: Chris Chester, Josh LeRibeus, Adam GettisRT: Tyler Polumbus, Morgan MosesK: Kai Forbath, Zach HockerNT: Barry Cofield, Chris Neild, Robert ThomasDE: Jason Hatcher (inj), Jarvis Jenkins, Chris Baker (NT), Kedric Golston, Doug Worthington (RFA), Stephen Bowen, Clifton Geathers, Frank KearseILB: Perry Riley, Keenan Robinson, Akeem Jordan, Darryl Sharpton, Will Compton, Jeremy KimbroughOLB: Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan (inj), Adam Hayward, Trent Murphy, Rob Jackson, Adrian RobinsonCB: DeAngelo Hall, David Amerson, Tracy Porter, E.J. Biggers, Chase Minnifield, Bashaud Breeland, Richard Crawford (inj), Peyton ThompsonS: Brandon Meriweather (SS), Ryan Clark (FS), Phillip Thomas (FS), Bacarri Rambo (FS), Jose Gumbs (SS), Trent Robinson (FS), Akeem Davis, Da′Mon Cromartie-Smith, Tanard Jackson (susp)