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OL: With starting right guard Larry Warford out against the Jaguars with a high ankle sprain, first round rookie Laken Tomlinson got his first career start. Tomlinson had a mixed night, as he appeared to forget the snap count on one play and allowed pressure on another. Tomlinson found success as the game wore on, and showed good mobility on a screen pass to Ameer Abdullah. It is not completely certain that Warford will be ready for the opener, and Tomlinson could get the start again. In a bit of soft news, it’s interesting that undrafted backup center Taylor Boggs plays bare handed, a rare choice in today’s NFL. In general, the Lions’ line grades out as a mid-tier unit, currently 17th in the offensive line rankings. Lions Depth Chart QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore, Garrett Gilbert RB: Joique Bell (SD), Ameer Abdullah (3RB), Theo Riddick (3RB/WR), Zach Zenner, George Winn, Desmond Martin FB: Michael Burton, Emil Igwenagu WR: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate (PR), Corey Fuller, Jeremy Ross (KR/PR), Lance Moore, Greg Salas, TJ Jones, Andrew Peacock, Vernon Johnson, Jarrad Haggins TE: Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria, Tim Wright, Casey Pierce, Jordan Thompson (IR) LT: Riley Reiff, Corey Robinson LG: Manny Ramirez, Laken Tomlinson, Rodney Austin C: Travis Swanson, Braxton Cave RG: Larry Warford, Taylor Boggs RT: LaAdrian Waddle, Cornelius Lucas K: Matt Prater DT: Haloti Ngata (inj), Tyrunn Walker, Caraun Reid (inj), Gabe Wright, Jermelle Cudjo, Jerel Worthy DE: Ezekiel Ansah, Jason Jones, Devin Taylor, Larry Webster, Darryl Tapp, Phillip Hunt, Corey Wootton MLB: Stephen Tulloch OLB: DeAndre Levy (W), Tahir Whitehead (S/M), Travis Lewis (S/M), Kyle Van Noy (S) (inj), Josh Bynes (W), Brandon Copeland, Julian Stanford, Jerrell Harris CB: Darius Slay, Rashean Mathis, Josh Wilson, Quandre Diggs, Alex Carter, Crezdon Butler, R.J. Stanford, Nevin Lawson, Christopher Owens (IR) S: Glover Quin (FS), , James Ihedigbo (SS), Don Carey, Isa Abdul-Quddus (FS), Nate Ness, Isaiah Johnson, Brian Suite, Nathan Lindsey Green Bay Packers QB: Mark Murphy, the Packers' president and CEO, spoke about injuries during the preseason: "We've looked into the injuries in the preseason. It's a concern... [However] There's nothing like game speed. You can practice all you want, but it's not the same." Evidently, the Packers decided to err on the side of caution with Aaron Rodgers after losing Jordy Nelson for the season; he sat out for the third preseason game versus Philadelphia. Given that Randall Cobb suffered a scary-looking shoulder injury during the game on the first series (it turned out to be a minor A/C joint sprain), sitting Rodgers looked pretty smart in retrospect. Rookie Brett Hundley did an outstanding job completing 22-of-31 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns versus one interception Matt Blanchard was accurate, completing 8-of-11 passes for 87 yards, one TD and one interception in late game action. Hundley looked like a high-quality NFL prospect versus Philadelphia, but has been inconsistent throughout the preseason. Scott Tolzien – still the presumptive #2 on the depth chart –was cleared of the concussion protocols earlier in the week, but didn't practice nor appear in the third preseason game. RB: Eddie Lacy had a brief cameo against the Eagles, with four carries for two yards. The Packers decided to play their remaining starters very sparingly in this contest, as the depth chart is already settled for the most part and the loss of Jordy Nelson is fresh in the coaches' minds. James Starks ran three times for five yards and a touchdown, and caught a 25-yard reception. Rajion Neal caught five targets for 5/61/1 receiving, with 4/23/0 rushing. John Crockett posted 6/23/0 rushing on the day. WR: Randall Cobb got hurt on the first series of the game on Saturday, falling awkwardly on his right arm. Fears that he had broken his collarbone proved unfounded. Subsequent tests indicated a sprained A/C joint in his right shoulder. He'll rehab aggressively with an eye to playing in Week One. Myles White led the team with nine receptions for 89 yards (12 targets), while Jeff Janis (three for 3/72/1 receiving) the only wide receiver to score a touchdown. Ty Montgomery (three for 2/71/0 receiving) gained yardage in chunks. Larry Pinkard turned six targets into a disappointing two catches for 20 yards. Janis, Montgomery and White are likely to stick on the 53-man roster with Nelson now on IR (torn ACL). TE: Richard Rodgers (two targets for 1/10/0) and Andrew Quarless (one for 1/6/0) didn't play extensively in the third preseason game, but Kennard Beckman (two for 2/19/1 receiving) played well and scored a touchdown with the reserves. Defense: Sam Bradford shredded the Packers with 10-of-10 passing for 121 yards, three TDs and zero interceptions with zero sacks taken. Adding insult to injury, Mark Sanchez beat the defense up with a 13-of-19 night for 150 yards passing, two TDs and zero interceptions. Even Tim Tebow was a perfect 2-for-2 for 15 yards. All told, the first team defense gave up 39 points and 325 yards in the first half. Local press said Philadelphia "eviscerated" the first team. Defensive linemen B.J. Raji and Mike Daniels were pushed around in the middle of the line several times in the first half; the Eagles' pass offense repeatedly and successfully picked on linebacker Sam Barrington and nickel cornerback Micah Hyde during the course of the game. This was night the way the Packers defense wanted to come out of the all-important ‘dress rehearsal’ game. OL: Starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga left the game against Philadelphia with an ankle injury. Head Coach Mike McCarthy wasn’t concerned about the injury in comments after the game. Still Bulaga has a tendency to get hurt, so this is an issue to watch. Despite missing three of their regular starters, the Green Bay offensive line found success pushing the pile on James Stark’s 1- yard touchdown run. Don Barclay got the start at left tackle as David Bakhtiari missed the game with a minor injury. Barclay had a mixed night but it was his first time ever playing the position at the NFL level. Assuming everyone gets healthy by Week One, the Packers’ line grades out as a top-tier unit in the offensive line rankings. Packers Depth Chart QB: Aaron Rodgers, Scott Tolzien, Brett Hundley, Matt Blanchard RB: , Eddie Lacy, James Starks, Rajion Neal, John Crockett,Malcolm Agnew FB: John Kuhn, Aaron Ripkowski WR: Randall Cobb (inj), Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery (KR), Jeff Janis, Jared Abbrederis, Myles White, Ricky Collins, Jordy Nelson (IR) TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Kennard Backman, Justin Perillo LT: David Bakhtiari, Aaron Adams LG: Josh Sitton, Garth Gerhart C: Corey Linsley, JC Tretter RG: T.J. Lang, Lane Taylor RT: Bryan Bulaga, Don Barclay K: Mason Crosby NT: Letroy Guion, B.J. Raji, Mike Pennel, Christian Ringo DE: Mike Daniels, Datone Jones (susp), Josh Boyd, Khyri Thornton, Bruce Gaston, Lavon Hooks ILB: Clay Matthews (I/O), Sam Barrington, Jake Ryan, Carl Bradford, Nate Palmer, Joe Thomas, Josh Francis OLB: Julius Peppers, Mike Neal, Nick Perry, Jayrone Elliott, Andy Malumba, Adrian Hubbard CB: Sam Shields, Casey Hayward, Demetri Goodson, Damarious Randall (FS), Quinten Rollins, Devonta Glover-Wright, Bernard Blake, Ladarius Gunter S: Morgan Burnett (SS), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (FS), Micah Hyde (FS),Sean Richardson (SS), Chris Banjo (SS), Jean Fenor (FS) Houston Texans QB: Brian Hoyer played well against New Orleans in his first game after being named the Texans starting quarterback. Hoyer was consistently able to get the Texans offense into the right plays and protections at the line of scrimmage. Hoyer led an 80-yard touchdown drive on the first possession of the game. He showed accuracy, especially on two passes to DeAndre Hopkins on the first drive. The first pass was threaded perfectly over the cornerback to allow a big gainer along the sideline. Later on the first drive, Hoyer found Hopkins again on a similar route in the corner of the end zone for what appeared to be an amazing, one-handed touchdown catch. While it was ruled incomplete upon review, the play did draw a defensive pass interference that placed the ball at the one-yard line and setup the touchdown on the only drive for the Texans starting offense. While some starters headed to the bench after the first drive, Hoyer stayed in for two more drives and the offense continued to move the ball well. He ended the day completing 7-of-11 passes for 82 yards. Ryan Mallett reacted poorly to the announcement that Hoyer would be the starting quarterback. While Bill O’Brien said Mallett’s anger was understandable, his sleeping through a practice later in the week drew the coach’s ire. Mallett has always had a reputation of immaturity and missing an NFL practice will do nothing to change those perceptions. Mallett may be sabotaging his chances of ever getting a real chance of earning a starting job in the future and the missed practice certainly will provide Hoyer an even longer leash should he struggle at any point this season. After a rough start against the Saints, Mallett led a long touchdown drive to start the 3rd quarter before giving way to Tom Savage. Savage had another solid performance and looks to have earned another season on the roster and more time to develop. RB: The big news in Houston is that Arian Foster is now expected to return in some capacity within the first 2-4 weeks of the season. While he may be eased back into action over the course of a game or two to avoid another muscle injury, it appears Foster will be back as the lead back at some point in the first month of the season. Despite being projected to miss some time and being at an increased risk of re-injury, Foster is an intriguing draft option as early as the 4th-round based upon the latest news. Alfred Blue played only the first series of the game before heading to the bench with DeAndre Hopkins and some of the other key offensive starters. He rushed for 12 yards on 4 carries and capped off his only series by twisting into the end zone for a touchdown after powering through initial contact. Blue’s early exit is further proof that he has shown everything the coaches needed to see in order to earn the starting job in Arian Foster’s absence. With Foster’s extensive injury history, Blue could easily end up getting another opportunity as the lead back later in the season if Foster goes down with another injury after he returns. Jonathan Grimes was the 2nd back in the rotation and was solid, playing only the second drive of the game against the Saints. With Blue and Grimes heading to the bench early, Chris Polk got an extended look and didn’t do much with 11 carries for 22 yards. WR: DeAndre Hopkins has been making acrobatic catches against tight coverage throughout camp and has quickly developed a rapport with Brian Hoyer. Hopkins was the target of two deep passes from Hoyer on the first drive before leaving the game early. He was able to make an impressive fingertips grab on the first opportunity and drew a long pass interference penalty in the end zone on the second pass, which was called incomplete but looked like it might have been a touchdown. "I was robbed," Hopkins said. "There is no way that wasn't a catch." Hopkins is far and away the top target on the Texans offense and appears poised to be amongst the league leaders in targets. If training camp and the preseason are any indication, he should be able to make the most of his opportunities. Cecil Shorts III and Nate Washington are the next two guys on the depth chart. Both should continue to be involved in the offense, but neither excites as a fantasy option. Rookie Jaelen Strong has come on in the final two weeks of camp and had another strong preseason performance, leading the team with 5 receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown. Strong got some time with Hoyer early in the game and stayed in with Ryan Mallett, finishing off the first drive of the second half with a 6-yard touchdown reception. Strong is the #4 receiver for now, but should have an opportunity to ascend the depth chart. TE: Garrett Graham has had a solid camp, but the preseason play-calling has not provided any evidence that the Texans are planning to feature the tight end position in their offense any more than the limited amount they did last season. The Texans tight ends do not appear likely to be much of a fantasy factor this season. Defense: Rookie cornerback Kevin Johnson continues to impress and should make an immediate impact. Andre Hal has had a strong camp and looks to be in line for a starting job. Jadeveon Clowney has yet to make his debut, but he is expected to see action in Week 1 of the regular season. “Yes, I would say that he’s on track to play Week One, but again it’s somewhat of a day-to-day (situation),” O’Brien said. “He’s coming off an injury, but we feel good about where he is right now. He won’t play in the preseason, in the games. He’s gotten better every single day going out there…he’s really doing a good job.” OL: Against the Saints on Sunday, the Texans’ offensive line hit pay dirt, opening a hole for Alfred Blue on the goal-line. Left tackle Duane Brown’s injured finger doesn’t need surgery and he remains on track for the season opener. In an effort to establish depth at the position, the Texans traded a future 7th round pick for Denver tackle Chris Clark. Clark is a finesse player but has considerable starting experience. Jeff Adams, who had been filling in for Brown, can move back to guard, where he might be asked to fill in for Xavier S’ua Filo, who has missed most of preseason with a foot/ankle injury. S’ua-Filo is also expected to be ready for the opener, but the team has to be growing nervous at his rate of healing, especially as this player is a new starter. Assuming everyone gets healthy by the opener, the Texans’ line currently grades out as a top tier unit, at 7th overall in the rankings. Texans Depth Chart QB: Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage RB: Arian Foster (inj), Alfred Blue, Chris Polk (3RB), Jonathan Grimes, Kenny Hilliard FB: Jay Prosch WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Nate Washington, Cecil Shorts, Jaelen Strong, Damaris Johnson (KR), Keshawn Martin (KR/PR), Keith Mumphery, Uzoma Nwachukwu, Chandler Worthy TE: Garrett Graham, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin, Anthony Denham, Khari Lee, Mike McFarland LT: Duane Brown, Jeff Adams LG: Xavier Sua-Filo C: Ben Jones, Cody White, James Ferentz RG: Brandon Brooks, David Quessenberry RT: Derek Newton, Chris Clark K: Randy Bullock NT: Vince Wilfork, Louis Nix DE: J.J. Watt, Jared Crick, Jeoffrey Pagan, Keith Browner, Brandon Deaderick, Tevina Finau, Christian Covington, Dan Pettinato, Jasper Coleman ILB: Brian Cushing, Mike Mohamed, Benardrick McKinney (inj),Akeem Dent (inj), Justin Tuggle, Jeff Tarpinian, Max Bullough OLB: Whitney Mercilus (S), Jadeveon Clowney (J), John Simon (S), Kourtnei Brown, Tony Washington, Lynden Trail, Carlos Thompson, Reshard Cliett (IR) CB: Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, A.J. Bouye, Kevin Johnson, Darryl Morris, Jumal Rolle, Charles James II S: Rahim Moore (FS), Eddie Pleasant (SS), Andre Hal (SS), Lonnie Ballentine (FS), Terrance Parks (FS), Quintin Demps, Kurtis Drummond, Corey Moore Indianapolis Colts QB: Andrew Luck completed 12-of-21 passes for 161 yards, and threw his first touchdown of the preseason against the Rams. Despite a decent offensive showing from the Colts’ offense, Luck acknowledged after the game things could have gone better. “We have some stuff to clean up,” Luck said. “I have some stuff to clean up. We’ve got to make sure we’re a well-oiled machine when we get up to Buffalo. We’ve got time to keep grinding.” Matt Hasselbeck bounced back from consecutive dismal performances to open the preseason, going 10 out of 14 for 62 yards. Earlier in the week offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton expressed confidence in the 39-year old veteran. “You don’t survive in this league for as long as he has without having a good understanding of what it takes to be successful at that position,” said Hamilton when asked if he was worried. “And physically, he’s probably as strong as he’s ever been.” Third stringer Bryan Bennett had only one pass attempt against the Rams. RB: Frank Gore didn’t play Saturday, as Indianapolis looks to preserve him for the regular season. Earlier in the week Gore expressed his desire to get hit, and was effusive in his praise of Andrew Luck. "He runs meetings like a coach," Gore said on The Jim Rome Show. "Basically, I'm playing with a coordinator on the field. He's a football god. He sees everything. He sees the big picture of everything ... He lets me know when (there is) something I don't see. He's just different. How he's in the huddle, off the field, in the meetings, he runs it. He runs the show, even in the offseason, he ran it. One day he had running backs, the next day he has receivers. He's just different. He's a football god." Daniel Herron started in Gore’s absence, rushing for 25 yards on nine carries, and catching a 10-yard pass. Herron had a couple of nice runs despite the interior of the offensive line struggling to get much push in the running game. He’s locked in as Gore’s primary backup. Josh Robinson is the favorite for No. 3 duties, but his impressive preseason came to a screeching halt Saturday night. The rookie finished with just four yards on five carries, fumbled a routine handoff from Luck (which led to a St. Louis touchdown), and had to leave the game with a concussion. Zurlon Tipton rushed three times for 15 yards, playing strictly with the Colts’ backups. He should make the roster as Indianapolis’ fourth string back by default, after Vick Ballard injured his hamstring again, and was forced to sit out Saturday night. |