NFL Preseason Schedule Nearing Conclusion After 15 Games Thursday Night

The 2011 NFL preseason schedule is almost over. We had 15 games on Thursday night and one game still to come on Friday night.

The final preseason game is usually one in which the starters play for a series or two, at most, and the backups come in trying to win a job. Cut down day is on Sept. 3 as teams go from 80 to 53 players on the roster so that game tape will decide plenty of players’ future.

Although, other than Moeaki, this may not come back to be too much of an issue, since Charles clearly is healthy enough to play, and the Chiefs are reporting that Cassel wasn’t injured, but just got the wind knocked out of him.

CBSSports.com journalist Dave Richard reports that Moeaki remained in the locker room after the conclusion halftime, presumably getting checked out by team doctors.

After capping a surprising rookie season with 47 catches, 556 yards, and three touchdowns, the Chiefs’ headed into the 2011 campaign with grand expectations for their young emerging threat. At six-foot-three, 252 pounds, Moeaki was primed to deliver with a featured role in the offense until Thursday’s setback. One would think that Kansas City head coach Todd Haley would have learned his lesson after continually making this exact same mistake in the past.

If the damage is as tame as is being reported, then it is likely that Charles’ night is done for precautionary reasons.

Needless to say, the decision to have a star running back on the field at all during the second quarter of the fourth preseason game is somewhat dubious. Both fantasy owners and the entire city of Kansas City may have spontaneously combusted had Charles felt the brunt of a serious injury in an utterly meaningless game.

Young pulled up lame on a bootleg with no one around him, prompting the Eagles’ training staff to take action. Third-string quarterback Mike Kafka entered the game and will likely finish it out.

Kafka, for what it’s worth, has far outperformed Young thus far in the preseason, but Young is a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback who can create with his legs and his arm, and well, is just an entertaining football player in every regard.

Luckily, as the entire Panthers franchise held their collective breath, Newton popped back up and proceeded to scamper for 19-yards on the very next play. According to Bob Pompeani -- Pittsburgh’s primary broadcaster -- the brief excursion was longer than any regular-season run by a Panthers’ quarterback in team history.

For more on the Panthers head over to Cat Scratch Reader. For more on the Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain. Follow the rest of preseason week four at SB Nation NFL.

Now? It’s worry time. Quarterbacks can play through thumb injuries, but, according to the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, this injury’s just a little grosser:

He was taken immediately to the locker room, which isn’t a good sign for the Ravens. Head coach John Harbaugh and Co. were counting on him being the team’s second stringer, and his mobility and surprising accuracy have been on display for three-plus weeks during the preseason.

Now, presumed third-string QB Hunter Cantwell will play almost a full game here, and in doing so, can maybe pass Taylor on the depth chart with a strong performance.

”I can’t wait to go out there in a live period to see what it’s like and take a couple of hits, get tackled hopefully and get ready for Week 1,” Jones-Drew said this week via the Florida Times-Union.

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1, 7:30pm ET

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1, 7:30pm ET

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1, 7:30pm ET

Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Jefferson, who was undrafted, actually was already in the mix for starting spots after appearing in two games his rookie season. Peterson was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and has already impressed coaches with his raw talent.

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1; 10pm ET

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1; 10:00pm ET

TV Schedule

49ers: CBS 5

Chargers: CBS 8

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1, 8:00 P.M. ET (7:00 P.M. local)

Location: Mall Of America Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Cutler and McCoy both look like roller coasters at this point, while Hillis and Forte will both be key to their teams this season. It couldn’t hurt for any of these four guys to get a few extra snaps, provided they avoid injury. Otherwise, it’s all about the position battles on Thursday night, with final roster cuts coming up shortly.

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1, 8:00 P.M. ET (7:00 P.M. local)

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1, 8:00 P.M. ET (7:00 P.M. local)

Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Neither of them have played particularly well during the preseason, but they’ve also been paired mostly with third and fourth stringers. Dixon has completed just 10 of 24 passes for 132 yards with an interception. Batch has gone just 2 of 4 for 16 yards, but does have the benefit of 12 NFL seasons.

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1; 8pm ET

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1; 8:00pm ET

Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA

This game will also help the Dolphins decide who should make the final 53-man roster when it is due on Sept. 3. the Phinsider takes an early stab at who will make the cut. However, the offensive line turns out, the Phinsider isn’t feeling very confident about it.

Game Date/Time: Thursday, Sept. 1; 7:30 p.m. ET

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1; 7:00pm ET

Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 1; 6:30pm ET

Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

The 2011 NFL preseason schedule rolls into its final week as we’ve got 15 games on tap Thursday night and one final game on Friday night which will complete all the preseason games this year. The NFL likes to give teams enough time to prepare for the season opener on Sept. 11 so 30 of the league’s 32 teams will be playing Thursday night giving them 10 days before the season opener.

SB Nation will have previews of every game coming throughout the day but, for now, here’s a look at what I consider the top three games this week.