Week 3 of the preseason is finally here. This is the game that is considered the dress rehearsal for the regular season. Starters usually play a lot more than they have been and you can tell just from watching that the intensity is a little closer to regular season levels than it has been in the previous weeks. Here is a preview of the NFC West games of Week 3 of the preseason.
Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks, Friday 10PM ET
The Seattle Seahawks’ secondary will be tested in a big way (by preseason standards) this Friday night. After losing Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner this offseason, guys like Byron Maxwell and Tharold Simon will be going up against wide receivers Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and possibly Santonio Holmes. With all the penalties being called this preseason on defensive backs, this will truly be a test for Seattle’s secondary.
Something else to watch is how the Seahawks’ offensive line handles the Bears’ revamped defensive line. Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston will be looking to get to quarterback Russell Wilson early and this defensive line will be a good barometer for the other teams in the Seahawks’ division, who also have very good defensive lines.
St. Louis Rams at Cleveland Browns, Saturday 8PM ET
The Rams have some changes on their offensive line from last season and that unit will be one to be watching. Rookie Greg Robinson has been getting reps at both guard and tackle but hasn’t bee progressing like the coaching staff hoped he would at this point. Left guard Rodger Saffold is back to practice after missing some time due to a stinger. With his history of injury problems, it’ll be something to keep an eye on to see how it holds up.
Also watch the wide receiver corps and how they work with quarterback Sam Bradford early on. All the wide receivers are looking to go out there and prove something. New addition Kenny Britt definitely needs to build chemistry with Bradford and show everyone that he’s left his problems in Tennessee and he’s here to just play football. With Tavon Austin I’ll be looking to see how he’s being incorporated into the offense this season because he was underutilized in 2013 (preseason might not be the best time to get a feel for that). Brian Quick is another one that is going to be looking to show everyone how good he is. He needs to show the coaching staff something good because no one on this unit has a roster spot guaranteed except Austin.
San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday 4PM ET
The most important thing to watch for the 49ers will be their front seven. They’ve been playing without NaVorro Bowman, obviously, Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Ray McDonald, and Ian Williams. The only two starters they’ve had this preseason on their front seven has been Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks. Missing that many guys will obviously make your defense seem worse. Some young guys on the front seven who will be looking to make a big impression are Michael Wilhoite, Chris Borland, Quinton Dial, and Tank Carradine.
It’ll be interesting to see how head coach Jim Harbaugh handles this third preseason game in regards to quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Obviously he isn’t going to turn Kaepernick loose but how long will he allow his starting quarterback to play. Most coaches usually give their starters at least a half to play in the third preseason game but Kaepernick hasn’t gotten more than two series so far.
The wide receivers for the 49ers are another group looking to get some more experience together on the field. In particular, Steve Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, Quinton Patton, and Bruce Ellington. All of these receivers will be fighting for a roster spot except for probably Johnson. Ellington has also been returning kicks and doing well so far. If he continues to impress there’s a good chance he can take the job as their primary return man even when running back LaMichael James comes back from injury.
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals, Sunday 8PM ET
Since the last preseason game the Cardinals have lost starting defensive tackle Darnell Dockett for the year. That’s a huge loss for that defense and they will ask Frostee Rucker to fill that role. Those are some big shoes to fill, both literally and figuratively, and Sunday night will be Rucker’s first opportunity to show everyone what he’s got. Going hand in hand with the loss of Dockett is the entire middle of their defense. They will also be without starting linebacker Daryl Washington for the entire season and will rely on Larry Foote and Kevin Minter in the middle. I expect teams to try exploiting the middle early and often unless the Cardinals can show everyone right away that the middle isn’t a weakness.
The Cardinals have some good running backs, all of which are going to try showing their coaches that they deserve more carries than the other backs. Look for all of them to play with extra intensity on every play. It’s an open competition and the preseason could be the determining factor in which back gets more carries than they others.