Now that Week 3 of the preseason, the most meaningful week prior to the start of the regular season, is over, teams are starting to narrow down their final rosters.
Final roster cuts need to be made before 4 p.m. on Saturday, so Week 4 of the preseason is all about players fighting for roster spots or even on the practice squad.
Let’s look at the four teams in the AFC North, and how their preseason games on Thursday could have an impact on what fans see come Week 1 of the regular season.
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns, Thursday at 8 p.m.
Although Edwin Baker was part of the initial round of roster cuts for the Browns, this game could go a long way in deciding who Cleveland keeps in the backfield.
Ben Tate and Terrance West are the two clear favorites for rushing touches in the regular season, but after that it’s still crowded, even with Baker being cut. Chris Ogbonnaya finally saw his first snap of the preseason against the St. Louis Rams, only rushing once for a loss of five yards.
There’s also Dion Lewis, who caught a touchdown pass from Johnny Manziel in Week 2 of the preseason and Isaiah Crowell, who is a high upside player after showing splashes of greatness at Georgia in 2011 before running in to some trouble and having to transfer to Alabama State.
Someone between Lewis, Crowell and Ogbonnaya will likely lose his job or be sent to the practice squad, and the distribution of touches in this one could show which way the Browns are leaning.
Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers, Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Although it may be too speculative, the Steelers will want to start looking for a solution to possibly losing Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount. Although the NFL has had a recent history of taking a very long time to suspend players, but the Steelers also have a history of suspending players on their own before the league makes any moves.
In Week 3, Blount and Bell were the only two running backs to get carries, and the apparent starter for any games that Bell and Blount would miss is Dri Archer, who is more of a hybrid running back/wide receiver. He is a very speedy guy, and he caught three passes last week, but he’s not a traditional back.
They could go out and sign someone, but seeing if coach Mike Tomlin starts giving carries to other players could be a sign of things to come, or will give fans an idea of what to expect if Bell and/or Blount have to miss time.
Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday at 7 p.m.
There’s a common theme in these previews, and that’s the running game. Just like the Steelers and Browns, the Bengals have some unanswered questions in the backfield. Giovani Bernard is clearly the starter here, but the backups to Bernard are still in question, especially with cuts looming.
Cedric Peerman was the team’s leading rusher in Week 3, carrying the ball six times for 54 yards, and rookie Jeremy Hill averaged 4.0 yards per carry on 12 touches. Veteran BenJarvus Green-Ellis could be expendable here, given his declining production over the year and the young talent in Cincinnati. Green-Ellis was unavailable for the Week 3 game with a stomach virus.
Rex Burkhead also didn’t play, but he’s a darkhorse candidate to sneak in to a roster spot. There’s no way Cincinnati keeps Peerman, Hill, Green-Ellis and Burkhead, so if Peerman steps up again in Week 4, Green-Ellis might be looking for another team by the end of the week.
Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints, Thursday at 8 p.m.
Week 4 of the preseason usually means significantly reduced time for the starters to begin with (while some won’t play at all) but the Ravens’ secondary could use the practice against New Orleans’ strong passing offense. Baltimore played against Washington without Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith and Asa Jackson, and they could still use some depth at corner.
Chykie Brown and Dominique Franks held their own against Washington’s starting offense, but Kirk Cousins came in and threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Baltimore will face A.J. Green and the Bengals in Week 1 of the regular season, and Antonio Brown and the Steelers in Week 2, so they’ll need to find at least one truly reliable corner if they want to be competitive this season, and they could certainly use some depth seeing how Jackson, Smith and Webb have already struggled to stay healthy this year.