Although it’s only preseason, NFL fans will rejoice as they will be able to see their favorite teams in action this week. Football season is officially back and the preseason is an important time to decide final roster cuts as well as see how the training camp competition plays out in a real game environment. Here’s a look at how the AFC West teams match up this week.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will host the Bengals on Thursday night in their first game of 2014.
Head coach Andy Reid said that each quarterback will play one quarter in Thursday’s game against the Bengals. Currently the Chiefs depth chart at the quarterback position is set as Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray, and 2014 draft pick Aaron Murray. Smith’s backup has yet to be determined, and their preseason play will be a huge factor.
With the Chiefs losing several players due to free agency, their offensive line took a hit. Smith struggles when under pressure, and the preseason will be a good test to see how they matchup against some good defenses.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos
This game won’t be nearly as exciting as the one on September 21st in a true Super Bowl rematch where the Broncos will be looking for some revenge.
Denver has created an interesting competition at the running back position, especially with Montee Ball missing time due to an appendectomy. With Ball out, Ronnie Hillman will be the starter this week, with seven running backs total listed on the depth chart. The third spot is open and C.J. Anderson, Juwan Thompson, Kapri Bibbs, Brennan Clay, and Jerodis Williams will battle it out.
With it being the first preseason game, the Broncos starters will only make a cameo appearance on Thursday night, but it is against the Seahawks and they are going to give it their all against the team who beat them 43-8 in the big game.
Dallas Cowboys vs. San Diego Chargers
The Chargers didn’t make any big moves this offseason, but they didn’t really have to. Following one of the best seasons of his career, Philip Rivers will look to lead this San Diego team to something special. They made the playoffs with a 9-7 record, but advanced before being eliminated by the Broncos.
They will host the Cowboys in their first game of 2014 on Thursday, but won’t face Tony Romo as Dallas has decided to take it slow with his recovery process from back surgery in December.
All eyes will be on the Chargers defense and Brandon Flowers as he makes his Chargers debut. Also the return of Dwight Freeney is highly anticipated. Defense and turnovers have been a priority for the Chargers this offseason, and this is their first opportunity to show how they’ve improved.
Oakland Raiders vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Raiders will travel to Minnesota to face the Vikings on Friday night.
Matt Schaub will make his debut in the silver and black on Friday night along with many other offensive and defensive newcomers. The Raiders are counting on Schaub to be the guy, and this is his first opportunity to show that last year’s performance was just a fluke.
Oakland has a lot of competition that will be played out through preseason including the wide receiver position. Currently they have Rod Streater and Andre Holmes listed as first string with James Jones and Greg Little second. That means Denarius Moore has fallen to third. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Holmes, and he has been impressive in camp. The Raiders need as many offensive weapons as they can get, and the competition is tight.
The defense is also highly anticipated, especially Khalil Mack and their much improved defensive line.
It may only be preseason, and the majority of starters will only get a little bit of playing time, but football is officially back.