Week 4 of the preseason is here. What does this mean? It means a final showcase of all the players who are still on the roster bubble before the final cuts are made. The starters barely play if they even play at all. It’s not the most exciting game to watch but there are some very important roster battles happening in every game. Here are the previews for the NFC West.
St. Louis Rams at Miami Dolphins, Thursday 7PM ET
Heading into Week 4 of the preseason, the St. Louis Rams’ most pressing issue is their quarterback situation. Sam Bradford is done for the year with a torn ACL and the Rams need to decide who their starter is quickly. This last preseason game is going to be an audition for Shaun Hill.
The running back position is another position in flux for the Rams. Zac Stacy will need to use what little playing time he’ll likely get in this game to win the starting job over Benny Cunningham. Rookie Tre Mason will also be trying to win the third running back spot from Trey Watts.
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans, Thursday 8PM ET
The obvious questions that need answering for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4 are on offense. In this week where starters don’t play much, a lot of the focus will be on which backup quarterback takes the number two spot. Right now Blaine Gabbert is ahead but hasn’t played well at all. Another focus on offense will be on the wide receivers, particularly Quinton Patton, Steve Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, and Bruce Ellington.
Ellington will also be trying to win the starting spot as the 49ers’ return specialist. He’ll be competing with LaMichael James, who played in his first preseason game last week against the San Diego Chargers.
On defense the 49ers will be looking at pretty much every position. They’ll be looking to see which cornerbacks will make the roster between Perrish Cox, Dontae Johnson, Chris Cook, Kenneth Acker, and Darryl Morris. They’ll also be looking at the inside linebacker position to make a final decision on whether Chris Borland or Michael Wilhoite will start in place of injured NaVorro Bowman. As of right now, Wilhoite has a decided advantage.
Arizona Cardinals at San Diego Chargers, Thursday 10PM ET
The Arizona Cardinals will be paying close attention to their wide receivers on Thursdays. Rookie John Brown has been particularly impressive so far and will be making one last case for increased playing time in the regular season.
On the other side of the ball the Cardinals will be paying attention to the defensive line. Losing Darnell Dockett for the entire season means Arizona will need to find production from guys like Frostee Rucker.
Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders, Thursday 10PM ET
With starters getting very little playing time in Week 4, backup quarterback Terrelle Pryor will be trying to make the best out of every snap he gets Thursday night to try stealing the backup spot from Tarvaris Jackson.
The guys Pryor will be handing the ball off to will also be key. Marshawn Lynch is obviously going to be the starting running back but Robert Turbin and Christine Michael will be competing for more carries. Both are very promising but there probably won’t be enough balls to split three ways between them.
On the other side of the ball it will be the cornerbacks being focused on. With the loss of Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond, the Seahawks are looking to replace that depth at cornerback. Guys like Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon will need to step up.