NFL Pre-Season Central...Previews,Injuries,Results,Signings,Pictures,Etc,Etc.

[Greenbacks]

1. The Giants mercifully ended their preseason scoreless streak after 10 quarters, but not while Eli Manning was in the game. A few of the mistakes from the Giants' first-string offense were excusable -- Odell Beckham, for example, short-armed a pass with a defender closing down on him at rapid speed, which led to a Darrelle Revis interception -- but they have not done anything particularly well in the preseason. While this can also be blamed on the milquetoast play-calling, we did see several regular season looks typically deployed by coach Ben McAdoo on offense and they were not executed well. The one bonus? It was nice to see Victor Cruz make his first in-game catch in almost two years.

2. Christian Hackenberg made his preseason debut to mixed results. It was a short stint that, in a way, perfectly encapsulated every boom-or-bust scouting report that has been written about the Penn State product over the last six months. His first drive saw the Jets march down the field for a touchdown. Hackenberg hit on 4 of 6 passes and seemed to get better with each throw on the drive. His next stint? A pick deep in Jets territory on a ball heaved directly into a high traffic area. The Giants ended up scoring and, eventually, winning the coveted Snoopy Bowl trophy. Good grief. At this point, the Jets need to get creative at the quarterback position. It's become exceedingly clear that Geno Smith is their second-best option and that rolling with Bryce Petty would be far too risky. Hackenberg is a year away from inserting himself into the backup conversation.

3. Matt Forte got a heavy workload early on and looked fine. The veteran running back carried the ball 10 times for 28 yards. The Jets clearly wanted to get him stretched out before the regular-season opener. His presence continues to make us believe that he'll be a massive part of the Jets' offense this year, though it also makes us appreciate Bilal Powell. Powell has seriously improved his game over the past two seasons and is a more than capable change-of-pace back.

4. Joe Flacco's preseason debut went well, ending after a pair of drives with an 11 of 16 stat line. While he overshot wide receiver Mike Wallace early, the Ravens will take it. Flacco's knee is not 100 percent but there was no apparent stiffness. He maneuvered the pocket well and didn't appear to be missing any functional strength after a long rehabilitation.

5. The Ravens' tight end situation is a mess. After Benjamin Watson went down with a torn Achilles, they were left with Crockett Gillmore -- a fine tight end, but after being promised a depth chart that included Watson, Dennis Pitta, Maxx Williams and Nick Boyle, we're wondering how Baltimore will approach the position over the coming weeks. Boyle is suspended, while Williams and Pitta are dealing with minor injuries.

6. Ameer Abdullah got his first -- and probably only -- action of the season and was able to lower his injured shoulder during a run. Abdullah finished with four carries and 16 yards, though most came on an 11-yard scamper. Linebacker DeAndre Levy also returned, logging 22 snaps on defense. While the Lions were technically "blown out" by the Ravens, this had to be an encouraging first half for coach Jim Caldwell. Two of his more explosive players are working their way back without any hiccups.

7. The Alex Smith-led Chiefs are far from must-watch TV on offense, but coach Andy Reid must be pleased with Saturday's effort. Smith hit 20 of 30 passes for 181 yards as Kansas City dominated the clock with their starters on the field. Dinking-and-dunking to-and-fro, Smith scrambled for 25 yards and hit eight different targets along the way. Kansas City owned the ball for 21:54 of the first half and outgained Chicago 239 yards to 20 while building a 13-0 lead at the break. Smith led scoring drives of 13, 10 and 11 plays and out-snapped the Bears 45-18 over the first two quarters. In essence, an Andy Reid fever dream.

8. Jay Cutler's first four drives resulted in four punts, a trio of three-and-outs and a sloppy strip sack. Averaging a hideous 1.1 yards per play in the first half, Chicago's offense lacked any semblance of identity. A bad drop by Alshon Jeffery squelched one potentially big gain, but that wasn't the only issue. The ground game was blown up by Kansas City's front seven while Cutler's offense generated just two first downs to 16 for the Chiefs. Cutler returned for one march in the second half, "leading" a 12-play drive capped by a missed field goal. All in all a disaster.

 

[Greenbacks]

9. You've heard this story before: The Colts got pushed around on both sides of the line of scrimmage. To make matters worse, left guard Jack Mewhort is believed to have torn his ACL, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported. General manager Ryan Grigson has drafted nine offensive linemen over the past four years, yet Andrew Luck has taken more hits than any other quarterback. Vick Ballard's 105-yard effort in December of 2012 remains the lone 100-yard rushing performance of the Luck era. After the game, coach Chuck Pagano acknowledged that Luck's first-half punishment had "a lot" to do with the decision not to play him in the third quarter.

10. On a positive note, Luck looked sharp for the second straight week -- in between beatings from the Eagles' defensive line. The sample size is small, but Luck appears to have recaptured his 2014 form after a disappointing, injury-wrecked 2015 campaign.

11. Robert Turbin and Josh Ferguson continue to split backup duties behind Frank Gore. Ferguson finally came through with a nice screen play, but needs open space to operate. He's managed just 14 yards on 17 preseason carries.

12. Good luck figuring out the pecking order at wide receiver in Philadelphia. Nelson Agholor, Chris Givens and Josh Huff played with the first-team offense. Agholor's first-quarter drop resulted in an interception, while Huff helped himself with a 38-yard catch-and-run and a touchdown run on a jet sweep. Meanwhile, the Eagles are using Dorial Green-Beckham as an end-zone specialist, allowing the 6-foot-5 wideout to use his humongous frame on corner fades. In his postgame comments, Sam Bradford confirmed that Green-Beckham is "the receiver that comes to mind when you think of the red zone."

13. Andre Johnson was heavily involved with the Titans' first-team offense, catching three passes for 65 yards in the first quarter. It will be interesting to see if he's the odd man out of the rotation once slot receiver Kendall Wright returns from a hamstring injury. Tajae Sharpe and Rishard Matthews have been locked into the top two spots since training camp opened.

14. DeMarco Murray continues to look rejuvenated in Tennessee. One open-field juke left Raiders cornerback David Amerson grasping for air. Even if Murray channels his 2014 Offensive Player of the Year form, monstrous tackle-breaking rookie Derrick Henry is simply too good to keep under wraps. The Titans could boast the league's most unstoppable backfield tandem this season.

15. Marcus Mariota on an open-field option play is a thing of beauty. This is going to be one of the most fun offenses to watch in 2016.

16. Latavius Murray was an afterthought in the Raiders' backfield, as the coaches wanted to get long looks at rookies DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard. Washington touched the ball five times for 46 yards and a touchdown in the first half, showing an intriguing skill set as a third-down and change-of-pace option. After drawing raves from the coaching staff this week, Richard also saw action with the first-team offense, rushing seven times for 35 yards. It will be interesting to see if both backs eat into Murray's workload.

17. Jared Goff simply needs time to get used to NFL speed. He's still slow to read defenses and throws his receivers into trouble. He also showed a lack of awareness sliding short of the first-down marker on third down and telegraphed a pass that would have gone for a pick-six if not for a Darian Stewart drop.

18. Rookie Devontae Booker continues to operate as Denver's No. 2 running back, which could leave Ronnie Hillman as a trade candidate. Although Hillman saw no action with the first-team offense, he ran with impressive vision and cutting ability while playing with Paxton Lynch in the second half.

19. Siemian has eyes for Virgil Green, who has separated from the competition as the Broncos' No. 1 tight end.

 

[Greenbacks]

Players to avoid in 2016 fantasy football drafts.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots (Round 1)

Is Rob Gronkowski the best tight end in fantasy? Yes, he is. Is he worth a first round draft pick? No, he's not.

For the past several seasons, Gronk has been a fringe first-rounder even in standard 10-team leagues. The guy is an absolute freak, an innovator at the tight end position and if he remains healthy for 14-16 games he offers 1,100-yards and double-digit touchdown upside, which is a definite weekly advantage at the tight end position.

So why is he on this list?

It's simple: He's going to cost you too much. With the abundance of elite wideouts and top-tier running backs to choose from in the first and early-second round this year, it doesn't really make sense to pay a first round price to get Gronk to anchor your squad. And if you're drafting at the end of the first round, you have an opportunity to either lock up two elite receivers or balance your roster with one each of a top-tier back and wideout. If you sacrifice one of those picks for Gronkowski, you're exposing your roster to a gaping weakness at the other positions.

Plus, as great as Gronk is, he finished 39th overall in total fantasy points last year, 15th overall among non-quarterbacks and 18th overall in fantasy points per game (12.2) among non-quarterbacks. None of those numbers demand his first-round asking price.
The Patriots will be sans Tom Brady (Gronk's BFF) for four games and the team added another talented tight end Martellus Bennett to the mix.

This may spell fewer looks for Gronk in the red zone-where he really makes his hay (led the Patirots in red zone targets, receptions and touchdowns in 2015).
Someone in your league is definitely going draft him in the first round, just don't let it be you. For further proof, check out how Michael Fabiano fared in one of our mock drafts when he took Gronk at No. 10 overall (Spoiler alert: not great, Bob).


Thomas Rawls, RB, Seahawks (Round 3)

The only clear-cut thing about the Seattle backfield this year is that it's going to be a full-blown committee.
Rookie back C.J. Prosise projects as the third-down pass catching guy. Christine Michael has made waves in both camp and preseason action, earning himself the right to siphon at least 8-10 touches per game. Yet, Thomas Rawls is still being drafted as a third-round selection in the majority of leagues.

Fantasy owners need to come to terms with the fact that, until he's 100 percent healthy and fully integrated back into the Seattle offense, Rawls isn't going to be the beast you're drafting him to be early on. If he does indeed miss the entire preseason, it's highly unlikely that the Seahawks will feel comfortable giving him the ball 15-20 times per game right off the bat.

As is the case with Gronk, I'm not saying to ignore Rawls completely. If he falls in your draft there is a chance he becomes a bargain somewhere around Round 5. But if you're selecting him in Round 3 to plug in Week 1 as your RB2, you're bound to be very disappointed.

 

[Greenbacks]

Brandin Cooks, WR, Saints (Round 3)

In his second pro season, Cooks led the Saints in targets (129), receptions (84), receiving yards (1,138) and receiving touchdowns. He's just another example that wideouts do not need to be giants in order to put up huge numbers in the NFL (see: Antonio Brown, T.Y. Hilton, Jarvis Landry). The thing is, New Orleans didn't have as many options in the passing game last year as they do heading into 2016.
There's a real possibility that Drew Brees' targets are not as concentrated as they were last year with the likes of Coby Fleener, Willie Snead and rookie Michael Thomas all in the mix now. Not to mention Mark Ingram's heavier involvement in the passing game (and yes, sadly C.J. Spiller is lingering too).

Cooks isn't frequented in the red zone either. Just two of his nine receiving touchdowns came inside the red area last season. The Saints have a handful of other options when they're inside the 20-yard line which would limit Cooks' opportunities there. The fact that Cooks is being drafted ahead of guys like Keenan Allen, Sammy Watkins and Demaryius Thomas is criminal. It creates value for those other guys, but at his current cost, I'll be drafting around Cooks in all drafts unless he falls a round or two.

Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots (Round 5)

Okay, okay, this is a sensitive subject. I get it, Edelman has, in the past, been a monster in PPR formats. In 2013 (the only season in his career that he played 16 games) he racked up 105 catches and followed up with 92 receptions in 2014. But he has also missed seven games over the last two seasons due to injury. His career high in touchdowns is seven and he's posted a 1,000-yard receiving season only once.
Heading into 2016, there are more than a few reasons to avoid him at his current cost.

The guy has now undergone two foot surgeries to repair an injury that nagged him last year. Tom Brady is suspended for four games and Edelman has had no preseason reps with Jimmy Garapolo under center. Plus, when you're drafting a wideout in the fifth round, you want a consistent producer. Edelman has had a couple of nice seasons but has not been what I would consider consistent. His injury history is mounting, Edelman is aging and there are other threats in the New England passing attack to soak up targets: Martellus Bennett, Malcolm Mitchell, Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan and James White all project to have roles as pass-catchers not to mention Dion Lewis when he gets back healthy. Edelman's price is simply too high for a guy who cannot be utilized as a WR2.

 

[Greenbacks]

Golden Tate, WR, Lions (Round 6)

Golden Tate will probably be just fine as a flex option in PPR formats this year, but even still, his Round 6 ADP is way too rich for my liking.
The Marvin Jones hype train has left the station, the Lions added Anquan Boldin and tight end Eric Ebron looks to be on track to get back from an ankle injury for the season opener. Add to it that Theo Riddick is an elite pass-catching back and you can see why you might want to draft around Tate in Round 6.
In two seasons in Detroit, Tate has averaged 94 receptions, over 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

But his 20 percent target share (128 of 622 team targets was inflated last year due to the lack of other options in the passing game. He also caught nine fewer passes in 2015 (90) than in 2014 (99) yet finished the year with 518 fewer yards and averaged 4.4 fewer yards per catch for a career-low average of 9.0 yards per reception.
In the middle rounds of a standard draft, you're better off targeting an upside running back or sleeper-type wideout. Players going around the same time include Jeremy Hill, Michael Floyd and Eric Decker, all of whom I'd feel more confident starting on a weekly basis. You know what you're getting with Tate. His floor will sustain decent fantasy production but his ceiling is limited due to the role he plays and abundance of other options in Detroit. I'm drafting around him this season.

Jordan Matthews, WR, Eagles (Round 7)

The outlook for Philadelphia's skill players is basically one big shrug emoji heading into the season. New head coach Doug Pederson will take the play-calling reigns for the Eagles. And while Jordan Matthews figures to be the team's No. 1 option in the passing game, it's hard to be excited about his outlook in fantasy. Even in a Chip Kelly offense that ranked second in the NFL with 68.9 offensive plays per game, Matthews' ceiling was sub-1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. With Matthews' transitioning into more of a slot receiver, those numbers will likely dip this year.

Formerly the offensive coordinator in Kansas City, Pederson's offense for the Chiefs has notoriously neglected wide receivers. The quarterback situation in Philadelphia isn't helping matters with Sam Bradford slotted to start. In his last seven games of 2015, Bradford threw just 10 touchdowns ranking him 21st among quarterbacks during that second-half stretch and ironically tied Alex Smith during that span with 7.6 yards per completion. Since Bradford's mediocre play is likely to continue, Matthews being relegated to slot duties, and the Eagles in line to run a lower-volume offense, it makes sense to avoid this Philadelphia receiver on draft day.

 

[Greenbacks]

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Lions (Round 9)

Maybe Round 9 you're not risking too much if you're considering Ameer Abdullah in drafts because at that point he'd be your RB4 or maybe RB5. But you won't see him on any of my fantasy squads.
Of what I'll call the six "relevant" fantasy running backs who logged between 407-460 snaps last season (Todd Gurley, Jeremy Hill, Charles Sims, Javorius Allen, Bilal Powell), Abdullah ranked fifth, or second to last, in fantasy points per snap (21) per FantasyData.com. The reason for that was his lack of touchdown scoring-he only scored three times all season: Week 1, Week 3 and Week 15. In standard scoring, he only logged two double-digit fantasy point games and despite his abilities as a pass-catcher, he averaged just 2.25 targets per game and 1.56 receptions per game. And despite leading the Lions in both rush attempts and rushing yards, he still averaged fewer than nine rushing attempts per game.

That's not nearly enough volume to sustain a viable floor as a fantasy option.
Detroit used Joique Bell as their main short-yardage and goal-line back in red zone situations last year, and with a healthy Zach Zenner back in the mix as the team's power back, Abdullah will probably be sapped of those valuable goal-line opportunities yet again. And don't forget that they still have an elite pass-catching back in Theo Riddick to rotate in on third-down passing situations further limiting Abdullah's opportunities. When you factor in that the second-year runner has been absent for the majority of the preseason as he makes his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, you can see why he made this list of players to avoid. Plus, the Lions have ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in terms of pass attempts per game dating back to 2009, it's evident that this is a pass-first offense.

Josh Gordon, WR, Browns (Round 11)

Let's consider all of the factors here. Josh Gordon hasn't played in an NFL game since December of 2014. There is absolutely no way he's in football shape and has been dealing with a quad injury, so his preseason reps have been limited as it is. Plus, he's learning an entirely new playbook. Gordon is already going to miss a third of the fantasy regular season serving his four-game suspension and is one mistake away from his NFL career being completely over due to his off-field volatility. Is that a guy you want to draft on your fantasy squad? NEXT!

Jimmy Graham, TE, Seahawks (Round 11)

I can't help but wonder why anyone would draft Jimmy Graham this season, no matter how many rounds he is slipping. It's basically a wasted pick. Graham tore his patellar tendon (knee) in Week 12 last season. It's an injury that few, if any, high-end players have returned from to play at a high level. Yes, players have recovered from the injury but they haven't been the same. Remember when Victor Cruz went down with a similar injury in 2015? He hasn't played a single snap of live game action since.

The devastating injury is one that saps a players' speed, quickness and explosiveness--attributes that are absolutely essential for a big-play tight end like Graham. Sure, he might get back on the field at some point this season (although he's no sure thing to be back by Seattle's season opener), but he won't be the essential for a big tight end like Jimmy Graham to be productive.
It's common knowledge that there is a plethora of other great tight ends to target in the later rounds, so don't throw away a draft pick on a hope and a dream in Graham.

 

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Fantasy impact of Tony Romo's injury on the Cowboys.

Heads are undoubtedly hanging in Dallas with news that Tony Romo suffered a compression fracture in his vertebrae during the Cowboys' Week 3 preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. The current timetable is midseason at best, which makes Romo a likely candidate for the IR designated-to-return list, or the IR boomerang as the Around The NFL heroes call it. The good news, if you can call it that when referring to a player with back injuries, is that this is a different bone than the one Romo injured in 2014. Per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the best-case scenario is that Romo returns midseason.
This not only has a massive impact on the Cowboys team and organization, but on the fantasy outlook for a Cowboys roster loaded with fantasy superstars, including Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott and Jason Witten. Preseason hero Dak Prescott looks to be the likely starter for Week 1, but it stands to reason that the Cowboys will seek a trade for or look to sign a veteran signal-caller, perhaps Josh McCown from Cleveland.

Dez Bryant's stock takes the biggest hit here. Using the RotoViz Game Splits app, in 70 games with Tony Romo under center Bryant averages 5.14 receptions, .74 touchdowns, and 73.24 receiving yards per game. In his 14 games without Romo, those numbers drop to 3.79 receptions, .5 touchdowns, and 49.43 receiving yards per game. Extrapolate those numbers out to a full season, and Bryant loses roughly 60 fantasy points without Romo. Now, this is a small sample size, and I doubt Dez's drop will be that precipitous in 2016 if he plays the full year, but it speaks to what type of fantasy receiver Dez is. As Matt Harmon explained on the most recent NFL Fantasy LIVE podcast, Bryant never approaches the target volume of the Antonio Brown's and Julio Jones' of the world, but remains a WR1 in fantasy because he is a truly elite red-zone threat. The lack of Romo likely means fewer trips to the red zone for Bryant, and thus, fewer fantasy points.

As it stands right now, Bryant looks more like a WR2 sans Romo, and should be targeted in Round 3 or 4 instead of Round 1 or 2 as he'd been going all offseason.
Jason Witten falls farther down the tight end rankings for me. His appeal was as a PPR stud thanks to Romo trusting Witten more than his own family. However, with Romo down, Witten's appeal as a 34-year-old tight end in an offense with a new quarterback is minimal. Drafters waiting on the position should look towards Jared Cook, Zach Miller, or Dwayne Allen in the later rounds instead of Witten.
Lastly, this news has an interesting impact on Ezekiel Elliott. On the one hand, the lack of a dynamic passing attack will lead to defenses stacking the box more against Elliott, but on the other hand, the team will undoubtedly need to rely on him to shoulder the offensive load during Romo's absence.

Last year without Romo, Darren McFadden still averaged 10.88 fantasy points per game in the Dallas offense. Elliott is a far better player than McFadden, and if Prescott (or whomever) provides some semblance of a spark under center, Elliott should be able to thrive with the expanded workload. If anything, the news of Romo's injury further cements Elliott as a first-round fantasy pick.
This story is still developing, so stay tuned to NFL Network and NFL.com/fantasy for all of the latest updates on Tony Romo's injury and the impact on the Cowboys.

 

[Greenbacks]

Jets QB snap counts from last night: Ryan Fitzpatrick 29, Christian Hackenberg 23, Bryce Petty 17, Geno Smith 11. Leaders among skill positions: Robby Anderson 68, Charone Peake 49, Zach Sudfeld 40. Matt Forte played 20 snaps in his debut. Rookie CB Juston Burris (42) led defensive players. Todd Bowles said he wanted to see Burris against top competition. TE Jace Amaro was dressed, but he didn't get into the game. He missed practice time with a groin injury.

 

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With Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch slotted as the top two QBs, Broncos might look to cut ties with Mark Sanchez.

 

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The Vikings won't dress left tackle Matt Kalil, cornerback Xavier Rhodes, safety Anthony Harris, tight end Rhett Ellison or defensive tackle Scott Crichton for Sunday's game against the Chargers. Running back Adrian Peterson also said Thursday he won't play in the preseason.

 

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The Colts have started trimming their roster.
Here's the list of players who were released Sunday:

Receiver Justin Berger
Safety Alden Darby
Guard Eric Herman
Defensive lineman Ricky Lumpkin
Tight end Mike Miller
Running back Chase Price
Cornerback Winston Rose
Defensive lineman Delvon Simmons
Receiver Josh Stangby
Linebacker Junior Sylvestre

 

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I`ll do some news and fantasy stuff tomorrow.

 

[Greenbacks]

JAGUARS 26, BENGALS 21 (Final): The Bengals starting units looked in sync and rookie Alex Erickson continued to impress as a kick returner. That was the good part. The bad? Cedric Peerman broke his forearm, and Adam Jones and A.J Green both suffered what appeared to be minor injuries. At this point, they're probably ready to get back to Cincinnati and out of the preseason.

 

[Greenbacks]

11 takeaways from Sunday's games.

Carson Palmer played three drives on Sunday in Houston and two of them ended with interceptions. The team's starting offense has looked disjointed throughout the preseason. And it will all be completely forgotten in two weeks. The preseason matters more to some teams than others. Through their actions and words this week, the loaded Cardinals made it clear this week they aren't worried. When you look at Sunday's effort closer, they shouldn't be.
Palmer had two passes picked off on fluky tip plays. Texans linebacker John Simon deserves credit for a one-in-a-million pick-six he pulled off against Palmer, but there's not a lot to learn from that play. The Cardinals marched 75 yards for a touchdown in between Palmer's interceptions and ran the ball well all night.

They won the battle up front on offense and had over 200 yards in the first quarter and a half. Palmer took a few big hits -- the team's offensive line certainly has questions -- so Arians removed his quarterback early in the second quarter. Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson didn't even play.
"I'm not interested in seeing them play 30 plays," Arians said earlier this week. "I know what they can do."
We'll see what they can do in two weeks against New England. Save the judgment for then.

Here's what we did manage to learn during three games Sunday as Preseason Week 3 wrapped up:

1. Arians might be more worried about his defense. After two sluggish preseason outings, Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler looked terrific against Arizona against little pressure. He had only two incompletions in 13 attempts while pushing the ball down the field, especially in three beautiful throws to rookie Will Fuller.

2. While Fuller dropped one of those deep throws, the first-round pick has quickly looked the part of a No. 2 wide receiver across from DeAndre Hopkins. Fuller and fellow rookie Braxton Miller combined for six catches and 96 yards, including Fuller's 26-yard score. Miller has seamlessly jumped right into the Texans offense as the starting slot receiver. Offseason hype candidate Jaelen Strong is stuck at No. 4 in a suddenly deep receiver group.

3. It was also telling that Texans rookie running back Tyler Ervin got so many snaps with the first team. He's going to be the primary backup and third down back behind Lamar Miller. He's shown impressive niftiness and burst in the preseason.

4. Cardinals cornerback Mike Jenkins was carted off the field after a non-contact knee injury. Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said last week Jenkins had a chance to start opposite Patrick Peterson. It's a thin position for the Cardinals, who will rely on rookie Brandon Williams and veteran Justin Bethel, who had a rough night in his return from foot surgery.

5. The most notable part of Sunday night's Bengals-Jaguars game could prove to be a non-story. Bengals receiver A.J. Green left the game in the first quarter with a right knee injury after limping off the field. He stayed on the sideline standing throughout the game and the team said it was not serious. (Then again, that's what the Cowboys said about Tony Romo's injury.)

6. The Bengals' starters look regular-season ready, especially Andy Dalton. Cincinnati out-gained Jacksonville 122-14 in the first quarter while Jeremy Hill and Gionvani Bernard continued to look exceedingly sharp heading into the regular season.

7. Jacksonville's offense was a mess with a lost fumble and a trio of three-and-outs in the first half (along with a field goal), but at least they saw projected starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum back on the field. The team moved former No. 2 overall pick Luke Joeckel to guard and there will be a learning curve there.

8. After missing last week's contest with rumors swirling about the health of his shoulder, Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looked sharp and poised in the pocket Sunday. Bridgewater navigated the Chargers' pass rush, standing tall in the pocket to find receivers down field. He finished 12-of-16 passing for 161 yards and a touchdown while taking three sacks. The Vikings moved the ball at will sans Adrian Peterson, but the red zone offense still needs work -- settled for chip-shot field goals after getting first-and-goal situations on the opening two drives of the game. Right before the half, Bridgewater made a trio of beautiful passes: A 19 yarder to Charles Johnson, a 22-yard dime on the sideline to Stefon Diggs and a 27-yard laser to Kyle Rudolph for the touchdown. Teddy is primed for the regular season.

9. It's notable that Vikings first-round receiver Laquan Treadwell got reps with the first-team offense on the third drive of the game and into the second quarter. Bridgewater didn't look the rookie's way and he had no targets in the first half, but it's clear the coaching staff would like Treadwell to push for playing time. The 6-foot-2 receiver didn't have a target until he caught a two-point conversion from backup quarterback Shaun Hill. Treadwell boxed out the cornerback and snatched the ball out of the air in the end zone. It's the type of play the Vikings need from the rookie this season, but he'll have to prove he can do it against starting-caliber corners, not just undrafted backups.

10. Melvin Gordon continues to impress this preseason. The running back looks decisive and explosive through the hole. The rookie tiptoeing that characterized his play last season is gone, at least for the preseason. Gordon scampered untouched on a 39-yard score -- after a brilliant audible by Philip Rivers. It was the type of play that showed when the Chargers offensive line is healthy and opening holes, Gordon has the speed to take advantage and run to daylight. Now the Chargers need to keep that offensive line healthy.

11. The injury bug continues to haunt San Diego. A week after losing tight end Jeff Cumberland to an Achilles injury, the Bolts got struck again. Running back Branden Oliver went down with a torn Achilles tendon late in the first half. The injury will likely take away the utility backup who was set to play a relief role both between the tackles and in passing game. The offensive line also suffered a scare with right tackle Joe Barksdale going down with an ankle injury (this offensive line is cursed!). The team held Barksdale out out of precaution. He likely would have returned if it were a regular season game.