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RB: Zac Stacy got most of the work against the New York Giants, and was effective if not really impressive. He scored on a pass play where the Giants seemed to be totally confused. It was more about someone missing an assignment than about Stacy’s ability to make defenders miss. He also ran in a two-point conversion. While Stacy hasn’t been great, one imagines Stacy will at least be around until Stevan Ridley is healthy. ESPN’s Rich Cimini feels like that won’t happen soon and Ridley will start the season on the PUP. Chris Ivory had a very good day against the Giants, totaling 38 yards in limited action and abusing the Giants at the line of scrimmage. He continues to be the top back and could see a lot of goal line work as well. Bilal Powell will likely get most of the third down work, and looked sharp in just two carries and a catch against the Giants. WR: It’s starting to look like quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is syncing up with his receivers, with Eric Decker the beneficiary on Saturday. Decker looks good, exemplified by his touchdown reception against the Giants. After a slow first few preseason games, Decker looks like his old self again. So does Brandon Marshall, who wasn’t seeing a ton of action prior to Saturday. He was targeted five times against the Giants, making several catches. The backup depth chart remains murky. Jeremy Kerley continues to be the odd man out and Cimini confirmed that the team has ‘downgraded’ him, with the ESPN reporter speculating that maybe Kerley was coasting after his new contract. Cimini also mentions that Quincy Enunwa has likely emerged as a potential No. 3 while Devin Smith is out because ‘Todd Bowles likes the idea of having a big body (Enunwa) as the No. 3.’ Enunwa also blocks better than Kerley. Enunwa didn’t do much on Saturday but that may not be a big deal, as the Jets only passed the ball 22 times. TE: The only tight end who had anything to do other than block against the New York Giants was Wes Saxton. An undrafted free agent rookie, Saxton has an intriguing set of athletic skills, but is a terrible blocker. If that reminds you of Jace Amaro, it’s worth noting that Amaro is still healing from his shoulder injury and it’s coming along real slowly. “I really can’t lift my arm up all the way very quickly and rapidly the way I want to yet. … It just takes time,” he told the New York Post’s Zach Braziller. Add this all to Jeff Cumberland’s decidedly average abilities and Kellen Davis’ limited skill-set, and we’re left thinking the tight end may not see much use in the Jets’ offense. Defense: If fans were nervous about the New York Jets defense, they can stop. The team handled the New York Giants pretty well, with the highlights including a pick-six by Antonio Cromartie and solid coverage on Odell Beckham Jr. by Darrelle Revis. Cromartie’s interception was especially gratifying as he had struggled in the preseason prior to this game. The first team defense played well as a unit, though not having Sheldon Richardson on the first unit still hurts. Rookie Leonard Williams has played well, but was quiet Saturday, and Richardson’s absence was noticeable when he wasn’t on the field. Mo Wilkerson returned and looked good considering he hasn’t been on the field in quite some time. It’s hard to get too excited by a solid performance against the New Yok Giants, considering how banged up they are. You can also point to a lack of sacks overall as a disappointment, as the offensive line the Giants roll out has been problematic at best. That said, the unit appears to be getting its act together, and should perform well this season. OL: The Jets offensive line looked good against the Giants, getting down field and creating a convoy for running back Zac Stacy on a screen pass touchdown. The team also kept a clean pocket for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as he found wide receiver Eric Decker for a touchdown pass. The team feels good about the starters, and released backup James Brewer during first cuts. The Jets are a top tier unit – 10th overall – in the latest offensive line rankings. Jets Depth Chart QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith (inj), Bryce Petty, Matt Flynn, Jake Heaps, Josh Johnson RB: Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell (3RB) (inj), Zac Stacy, Stevan Ridley (PUP), Daryl Richardson FB: Tommy Bohanon WR: Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley, Devin Smith (inj), Chris Owusu, Quincy Enunwa, Shaq Evans, Walt Powell TE: Jeff Cumberland, Kellen Davis, Wes Saxton, Steve Maneri, Arthur Lynch, Jace Amaro (IR), Zach Sudfeld (IR) LT: DBrickashaw Ferguson, Ben Ijalana, Charles Brown LG: James Carpenter, Oday Aboushi C: Nick Mangold , Wesley Johnson, Dakota Dozier RG: Willie Colon, Brian Winters, Jarvis Harrison RT: Breno Giacomini K: Nick Folk DT: Damon Harrison (NT), Leger Douzable, Deon Simon, T.J. Barnes DE: Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson (susp), Leonard Williams, Kevin Vickerson, Ronald Talley, Stephen Bowen ILB: David Harris (M), Demario Davis (W), Jamari Lattimore, Erin Henderson, Joe Mays, Chris Young OLB: Quinton Coples (DE), Calvin Pace, Jason Babin, Lorenzo Mauldin, Trevor Reilly CB: Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Dee Milliner (inj), Dexter McDougle S: Marcus Gilchrist (FS), Calvin Pryor (SS), Jaiquawn Jarrett (FS), Durell Eskridge, Darrin Walls, Rontez Miles, Antonio Allen (IR) Oakland Raiders QB: Derek Carr was under heavy pressure from the Cardinals front and it rattled him at times. He missed some passes and seemed afraid to step into some throws. Overall, he finished 18-for-34 for 213 yards. He struggled in the red zone and has yet to throw a touchdown in the preseason. Carr also seems out-of-sync with his top target Amari Cooper. While the reactions seem to indicate Cooper is primarily at fault, the Raiders need to get the problem fixed or the offense could struggle in the early part of the season. In his quest to win the backup job over Christian Ponder, Matt McGloin had a nice game. He led a late touchdown drive and converted a two-point attempt to tie the game late. RB: Latavius Murray broke off a run of 13-yards on a quick snap play that caught the Cardinals defense off guard. On his other 6 carries, Murray totaled minus-12 yards rushing. He was hit by the first defender two or three yards in the backfield on nearly every handoff. It was impossible to judge Murray based upon the performance, as no running back in the league would have been able to do anything with the terrible blocking Murray received. Murray is a talented runner but his effectiveness will be heavily dependent upon the play of his line. Roy Helu, Jr. saw his first preseason action with 6 touches. It’s clear that if Helu can stay healthy he will have a role in the offense, primarily as a 3rd down specialist but also as a change of pace back behind Murray. Trent Richardson carried 5 times for 19 yards and added 3 receptions for only 5 yards; but that wasn’t enough to keep him on the roster. He was waived on Monday. Michael Dyer could be the beneficiary of Richardson’s struggles. "Michael did what he has been doing," said Head coach Jack Del Rio. "He runs hard and is very determined. He has a little juice to him. He is showing up, making people miss and accelerating through some tackles and doing a pretty good job. He has come an awful long way from when he first came in here in the spring as a late addition.” WR: Amari Cooper and David Carr still have much work to do to get on the same page. As in previous preseason games, there were plays in which it appeared that Cooper incorrectly read the coverage and ran the wrong route, leaving Carr upset and frustrated. On one such play, Carr clearly expected Cooper to run towards the pylon at the corner of the end zone and threw in that direction. But Cooper instead ran a comeback, which left the ball sailing high over his head toward the pylon where Cooper was supposed to be. Cooper also lost the ball in the sun on at least one occasion, which led to incompletions. Despite the rookie mistakes and general growing pains of the new QB-WR relationship, Cooper still put up 4 catches for 62 yards in one half of play. He is lightning quick and is going to be targeted heavily. Even if it isn’t always pretty and there are some rough patches along the way, Cooper should still be able to amass some impressive fantasy numbers as a rookie. Michael Crabtree had a tough day, catching only one of four targets for six yards but has the other starting job locked up. Rod Streater took a big hit that left him on the field seeking medical attention, but he returned to action and was able to pull in only 3 receptions on 7 targets for 20 yards. It was not a good week for Streater. Seth Roberts was again impressive and was second to Cooper with 3 catches for 52 yards. His speed makes him a real big-play threat. TE: Mychal Rivera made a couple of grabs in traffic (including an 18-yarder on 3rd-and long) playing with the starters and showed he still has a connection with Carr. Defense: Khalil Mack put on a show against the Cardinals. It’s no secret that Mack is an emerging superstar entering his second season. He has had a strong camp and is becoming the leader of the Raiders defense and may even make a run at defensive POY honors. In addition to Mack, Denico Autry looked fantastic rushing the passer and Mario Edwards, Jr. flashed again. The Raiders front seven looks much improved and for the first time in years may have some legitimate depth. Safety Nate Allen pulled down a pair of INTs and the beleaguered secondary played much better with D.J. Hayden having his best performance of the preseason. Former starter Sio Moore saw his first preseason action but does not look to be in the mix for much playing time and may be in danger of not making the roster. OL: The Raiders received some bad news as starting right tackle Menelik Watson tore his Achilles tendon in the game against Arizona and has been placed on injured reserve. Watson is a high upside player but the team is lucky to have Austin Howard (a player who they are paying like a starter) on the bench. Howard and the rest of the first team looked impressive opening up holes for backup (and since waived) running back Trent Richardson. Howard doesn’t have the upside of Watson but he does have considerable experience, so there is no downgrade to the Raiders’ offensive line ranking at this time. Raiders Depth Chart QB: Derek Carr, Matt McGloin, Christian Ponder RB: Latavius Murray, Roy Helu (3RB), Michael Dyer, Taiwan Jones (CB/KR), George Atkinson III FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale WR: Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Rod Streater (inj), Andre Holmes (inj), Brice Butler, Seth Roberts, Kris Durham, Andre Debose (IR) TE: Mychal Rivera, Clive Walford (inj), Lee Smith, Brian Leonhardt, Gabe Holmes LT: Donald Penn, Matt McCants LG: Gabe Jackson, Jon Feliciano C: Rodney Hudson, Tony Bergstrom, Lamar Mady RG: JMarcus Webb, Khalif Barnes RT: Austin Howard, Anthony Morris, Menalik Watson (IR) K: Sebastian Janikowski, Giorgio Tavecchio DT: Dan Williams (NT), Justin Ellis (DE), C.J. Wilson, Stacy McGee (NT), Ricky Lumpkin, Leon Orr (NT) DE: Kahlil Mack (S), Justin Tuck (DT), Mario Edwards Jr. (DT), Benson Mayowa, Shelby Harris, Max Valles, Denico Autry MLB: Curtis Lofton, Ben Heeney, Spencer Hadley, Chase Williams OLB: Malcolm Smith (S), Ray-Ray Armstrong (W), Sio Moore (W), Neiron Ball (S), Horace Miller, Gary Wilkins, Josh Shirley CB: D.J. Hayden, TJ Carrie, Keith McGill, Neiko Thorpe, Dexter McDonald, Chimdi Chekwa, SaQwan Edwards S: Charles Woodson (SS), Nate Allen (FS), Brandian Ross (FS), Larry Asante (SS), Taylor Mays, Tevin McDonald (FS) Philadelphia Eagles QB: If the preseason was an accurate harbinger of the regular season, the Eagles would be prohibitive Super Bowl favorites. Although the final score (39-26) against the Packers may suggest a shootout, the reality is Philadelphia held a 25-0 lead in the first quarter before the backups took over. Sam Bradford has been as good as advertised since making his preseason debut two weeks ago. He completed a perfect 10-of-10 for121 yards (12.1 per attempt) and three touchdowns against the Packers first team defense. If he stays healthy, it’s hard to argue against Bradford putting up fantasy QB1 numbers. Not to be outdone, Mark Sanchez was also sharp against the Packers. Sanchez completed 13-of-19 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns before taking a seat. Matt Barkley is going to get the start in Week Four, in a last ditch effort to keep Tim Tebow from taking his roster spot. Barkley was 5-of-9 for 28 yards against the Packers. Tebow played sparingly and completed two passes for 15 yards. RB: DeMarco Murray ran 6 times for 28 yards (4.7 per rush) and caught two passes in limited work. He’s set to be the top runner in a 3-back committee. Ryan Mathews had a bit less running room (3.3 per rush) but still got regular snaps with the starters. Darren Sproles didn’t have a carry but did catch two passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. Kenjon Barner didn’t have any heroic kick returns this week, but he’s done enough in the preseason to earn that role. Kevin Monongai led the team with 28 yards on five carries, but remains a roster longshot. WR: Jordan Matthews is unquestionably the Eagles top receiver at this point, and put in another sharp performance against the Packers (3 catches for 51 yards). Nelson Agholor has worked his way into the starting lineup – as expected. Although he didn’t make a mark in the Eagles blowout win, it’s clear he’s already an integral part of Chip Kelly’s offense. Jeff Maehl has been quite this preseason, but came alive with three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown versus Green Bay. Josh Huff missed the game due to ‘personal reasons’ but is back at practice and set to play in Week Four. Has Miles Austin done enough to secure a 53-man roster spot? It’s unclear; but his lack of special teams prowess may ultimately be the tiebreaker that leads to his release. TE: Zach Ertz may be rehabbing, but the tight ends made their presence felt in Ertz’ absence. Long-time starter Brent Celek only caught one pass, but made it count for a 7-yard score. 3rd stringer Trey Burton caught four passes for 21 yards and two touchdowns. Burton will be a non-factor on most Sundays, but this was an impressive showing on a team that suddenly has depth up and down the offensive roster. Defense: The Eagles defense made a ton of upgrades this offseason, and the first team has played well in limited snaps in the preseason. Given the nature of the preseason, it’s hard to know whether the unit is significantly better or just full of higher-priced names. Depth is a concern. Although the Eagles first team played well against Green Bay, the Packers 2nd and 3rd string quarterbacks torched the Eagles backups (30-for-42 for 399 yards and 3 touchdowns). Walter Thurmond remains a bright spot; he took an interception back for a 28-yard touchdown. Kiko Alonso continues to miss time, but promises to be ready for Week One. Coach Kelly wants to see the defense cut down on the penalties, but remains confident in the unit. When asked about his standout players this preseason, Kelly quickly offered up nose tackle Bennie Logan. "Bennie has really been a disruptive force in the run game for us," Kelly said, per Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I think he's been difficult to block in all three of these preseason games. He's causing a lot of havoc, getting penetration into the backfield and disrupting the timing of plays. PK: Cody Parkey missed the third preseason game with a groin injury. Kip Smith handled the kicking duties. Parkey did not seem concerned about the injury and it is believed that he would have been able to play if it was a regular season game, but it might be enough to discourage you from taking Parkey as one of the early kicker picks. File it away in case we see him limp off or the Eagles keep a second kicker on the 53- man roster. OL: Starting right tackle Lane Johnson sprained his knee (MCL) against Green Bay. Head Coach Chip Kelly indicated that, had it been a regular season game, Johnson could have returned. The team has settled on Andrew Gardner as the starting right guard, beating out Matt Tobin. Tobin, who has played his entire career on the left side, just couldn’t get comfortable on the right side. The team continues to give reps to John Moffitt, in the hopes that he will recapture his early career form. The Eagles’ line currently grades out as a top-tier unit, ranking 4th overall. Eagles Depth Chart QB: Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, Tim Tebow RB: DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Kenjon Barner (PR), Raheem Mostert, Kevin Monangai WR: Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper, Nelson Agholor, Josh Huff (KR), Miles Austin, Seyi Ajirotutu, Jeff Maehl, Rasheed Bailey, Freddie Martino, Quron Pratt TE: Brent Celek, Zach Ertz (inj), Trey Burton, Eric Tomlinson, Andrew Gleichert LT: Jason Peters LG: Allen Barbre, Josh Andrews C: Jason Kelce, Julian Vandervelde, David Molk RG: Andrew Gardner, Matt Tobin, John Moffitt RT: Lane Johnson, Dennis Kelly K: Cody Parkey NT: Bennie Logan, Beau Allen, Wade Keliikipi DE: Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton, Vinny Curry, Brandon Bair, Brian Mihalik, Taylor Hart, Travis Raciti ILB: Kiko Alonso (inj), Mychal Kendricks, DeMeco Ryans, Jordan Hicks |