Brian Swaw
Preseason game 3 notes
18 teams played their all-important 3rd preseason game this past weekend. Here are a few of our observations of player performances and fantasy impact:
•Chiefs QB Matt Cassel was pulled from last night's game after just 3 plays with a leg injury. He was sacked by Seahawks DT Brandon Mebane and fell awkwardly. X-rays came back negative, but no further updates have been given. Don't expect to hear much about it either. Chiefs GM Scott Pioli comes from the Bill Belichick camp.
•Browns QBs Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson split reps with the 1st-team offense for the first 3 quarters of last night's game against the Titans. Quinn finished 11 of 15 for 128 yards and a TD pass to WR Braylon Edwards. Meanwhile, Anderson completed 7 of 11 passes for 77 yards. Both guys played well, but looked for HC Eric Mangini to name Quinn his starter early this week.
•Lions RB Kevin Smith rushed 8 times for 50 yards and added 3 catches for 33 yards in just 1 quarter of action yesterday afternoon against the Colts. Smith looked powerful, breaking tackles and pushing piles for a few extra yards. It looks like Detroit's offense will revolve around Smith, not Calvin Johnson. Smith continues to be undervalued with an ADP in the late 3rd round
•Giants RB Brandon Jacobs left the game to get an x-ray on his arm but returned shortly after. He finished the night with 6 carries for 24 yards, plus an 8-yard TD reception. Just a little reminder that this guy is injury-prone. But he's got top-5 upside if he can play a full 16-game season.
•Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck's 1st pass of the night was picked off by CB Brandon Flowers and returned for a TD. But Hass proceeded to shred the Chiefs secondary. He finished the night 19 of 25 for 216 yards and 2 TDs in just over 1 half of action. His TDs went to WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and TE John Carlson. Hasselbeck has looked excellent this preseason. And more importantly, he's looked healthy. He's a borderline QB1.
•Colts TE Dallas Clark caught 6 passes for 63 yards and a TD in just over 1 half of action this yesterday. To say Clark and QB Peyton Manning were on the same page would be a serious understatement. Clark is the #2 option in one of the best passing games in the NFL
•Panthers WR Steve Smith appeared in his 1st preseason game of 2009 last night against the Ravens. He finished with 2 catches for 37 yards and looked 100% healthy. Smith was targeted 4 times. He can be safely drafted as a WR1.
•Lions QBs Daunte Culpepper and Matt Stafford played equally well in the team's 3rd preseason game yesterday afternoon. Culpepper got the start and finished 7 of 12 for 67 yards and 1 TD on 2 drives. Stafford played 4 series and completed 13 of 19 attempts for 160 yards and 1 INT. We wouldn't be surprised if the Lions waited until after their final preseason game before naming a starter.
•Ravens RB Ray Rice struggled a bit on the ground last night against the Panthers. He rushed 10 times for just 32 yards. But he also caught 8 balls for 67 yards. Most of the receptions came on check-downs, and Rice did an excellent job picking up chunks of yardage after the catch. Baltimore is definitely gearing up to make Rice the focal point of its offense. However, it's worth noting that RBs LeRon McClain and Willis McGahee combined for 4 carries inside the Panthers' 10, while Rice didn't receive any.
•Raiders RB Darren McFadden had an uneventful afternoon against the Saints. He rushed 3 times for 0 yards and caught 3 balls for 21 yards. The Raiders were smoked 45-7, and the offense never got in rhythm. We're just hoping this performance drops McFaddens's ADP a bit. We still love him as a RB2
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