If there was ever going to be a meaningful preseason game, it’ll be during the third week.
This is when the majority of the starters get in to the game and play for the most snaps, and when position battles are really going to be decided before the first few weeks of preparation prior to the start of the regular season.
Here’s the rundown of the AFC North teams’ matchups this week and what to watch for.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
For the first two weeks of the preseason, I harped on watching Pittsburgh’s passing game. After Ben Roethlisberger went off in Week 2 of the preseason, it’s time to focus on the rushing game. In Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills — who have a great front seven even without Kiko Alonso — Le’Veon Bell averaged just 2.8 yards per carry on four touches, and Bruce Gradkowski finished the game as the team’s leading rusher with 17 yards on three carries.
There were only 18 carries for the Steelers in the entire game, but they’re a team always known for having a power running game. In Week 1 of the preseason, Bell averaged six yards per carry, but that was against a terrible New York Giants defense. The Eagles have a below-average defense, so it’s important for Bell to put up decent numbers even on limited carries if Pittsburgh wants to be confident with running the ball.
St. Louis Rams at Cleveland Browns, Saturday at 8 p.m.
No surprise here, it’s all about Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer. Although head coach Mike Pettine thought he’d have a starting quarterback by now, the two signal callers have struggled, and neither has asserted themselves as “the” guy. Unless one guy really shines in practice this week, the battle will likely carry over in to this game.
Manziel’s stats are inflated because he’s been on the field more often than Hoyer and has taken more snaps, but both have looked lost on the field. With Manziel on the field, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan needs to call more bootleg plays for the mobile quarterback, while Hoyer needs to look to throw it down the field more, especially while Josh Gordon is still able to be on the field. Pass up the box score at the end of this game, and tune in to see if one quarterback grabs ahold of the job.
Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens, Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
With first-round pick C.J. Mosley showing up so far in a big way, the Ravens seem to be set up front. But in the secondary, not so much. Baltimore allowed Tony Romo in Week 2 of the preseason to go 4-for-5 in his two series for 80 yards and a touchdown. And the outlook isn’t much better going forward.
Cornerback Lardarius Webb will miss the rest of the preseason with a back injury, and Asa Jackson and Jimmy Smith are both dealing with injuries. Webb seems like the most likely candidate to miss the first week of the regular season against the Bengals, but the Ravens can’t afford for any of these guys to miss any time. Chykie Brown will be the No. 1 corner for the Ravens against Washington with all the injuries, which is never good news. But fans might be able to find some hope in any deeper guys on the roster who may step up given the opportunity.
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals, Sunday at 8 p.m.
As boring as it may sound on paper, the Bengals will have to watch their No. 2 wide receiver spot following the injury to Marvin Jones. We all know that A.J. Green brings to the table, but for the second week in a row, Cincinnati has everything up-in-the-air after that. Mohamed Sanu had a huge 43-yard touchdown catch, but he didn't do much else to separate himself from the rest of the pack.
Twelve different Bengals had a catch in Week 2 of the preseason against the New York Jets (a more than capable pass defense). If one guy can discern himself from the rest of the pack (whether it be at wide reciever or tight end) it will be an important step for the Bengals to have success this season and for Andy Dalton to be a more consistent quarterback.