Week three of the 2013 NFL preseason has now concluded, and we were able to enjoy the best representation of NFL action so far this season. How did everyone perform? Keep reading to find out who won and lost.
Winners:
Linebacker Luke Kuechly (Carolina Panthers) – The second year linebacker showed why he was the 2012 Rookie Defensive Player of the Year.
In one half, Kuechly made seven tackles, an interception and a forced fumble on Bernard Pierce – the interception coming against the most recent Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.
Running backs (Chicago Bears) – After a poor offensive showing last week, Chicago rebounded with a good performance and a win against Oakland. Starter Matt Forte gained 76 yards on only six carries, and caught a 32-yard touchdown from Jay Cutler.
Backups Michael Bush and Michael Ford split three touchdowns on the ground between them, as the Bears piled up 164 yards rushing for a 5.5 yard average.
Quarterback Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles) – Coach Chip Kelly named Vick the starter for the season during the week, and Vick repaid his faith in a solid performance against the Jaguars.
Vick threw for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and especially displayed his skills scrambling around the pocket, keeping plays alive and picking up 53 yards on the ground. He did fumble once, but it was recovered by the Eagles.
Quarterback Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) – The Cowboys starting offence had only managed a field goal in preseason action before lighting it up against the Bengals, who are one of the top ranked defensive units.
Romo threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns, both red zone passes to Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.
Linebacker Alec Ogletree (St Louis Rams) – Week three was the breakout party for second-round selection Alec Ogletree against Peyton Manning’s Broncos.
Ogletree stripped Ronnie Hillman and returned it for a 13-yard score, picked off Peyton Manning once, and had two pass breakups in coverage. Ogletree also had six tackles (second highest on the team).
Losers:
Quarterback Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) – Wilson has looked good in pre-season up to this point, but struggled against Green Bay this week, completing 11-of-17 with two interceptions.
Wilson only led one scoring (field-goal) drive in his half of action, and added one run of 13 yards.
Head Coach Doug Marrone (Buffalo Bills) – Through no fault of his own, Marrone ‘lost’ this weekend as he watched potential starter Kevin Kolb sustain a head injury and leave the game.
Buffalo’s first round pick E.J. Manuel was already out of the game due to a minor knee surgery during the week, and now Marrone is forced to turn to undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel to run his offence.
Quarterback Geno Smith (New York Jets) – Given a chance to start and win the quarterback job in New York, Smith let the opportunity go to waste. Smith had a completion rate just over 50%, and threw three interceptions against the Giants.
Smith did throw one touchdown to Ben Obomanu, but a quarterback with low completion rate and a higher turnover rate is not what Jets fans are looking for.
Offensive Line (Atlanta Falcons) – The starting offensive line for the Falcons had a horrible night against the Titans, giving up a total of six sacks (five on Matt Ryan), including three on third down.
The Falcons had many questions along the line entering the season, and it may well prove to be their weak link if improvements can’t be made.
Special Teams (Arizona Cardinals) – The Cards’ few highlights last season came on special teams, with dynamic returner Patrick Peterson producing big plays for them. Not so in their third pre-season game against the Chargers, when Arizona had both a punt and field goal blocked.
Apart from one highlight 24-yard punt return from Peterson, the Cards’ return game also languished in the loss to the Chargers.
The final week of preseason will have all 32 teams playing on Thursday night, giving the teams a good rest before the season opener.
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