The third week of the preseason is considered the “dress rehearsal” for expected starters and is the closest thing we get to a real game during August. Though the final scores hold no power, really, it’s imperative for players to avoid injury and to fend off the young players looking to do whatever it takes to win a job.
NFL preseason scores and results: Sam Bradford hurt, EJ Manuel shaky in Bills loss
With eight games on Saturday, there’s a lot of action to keep track of for NFL fans.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Saturday features the heaviest slate of preseason week three, with eight games taking place for fans looking for the closest thing to “real football” they can get right now.
Injuries
Buffalo Bills receiver Marquise Goodwin left the game with a neck injury. The star track athlete had 17 catches for 283 yards last year as a rookie and fans have been hopeful for a breakout this season, but he's already been hampered by a hamstring injury this month.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Bradley McDougald exited with a knee injury. The second-year pro has been receiving praise for his training camp performance this year and preseason play and has had many people expecting him to make the final 53-man roster.
St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford left the game with an injury to his left knee. He took a couple of hits and walked off the field. The training staff looked at his left knee on the sideline before he went back into the locker room. That is the same knee he tore the ACL in last season. Bradford was the only Ram to get injured on Saturday. Trumaine Johnson was carted off with a knee injury while Rodger Saffold left with an ankle injury.
Wes Welker suffered a concussion against Houston when he took a helmet-to-helmet hit from D.J. Swearinger. Welker suffered two concussions last season, potentially making the latest problematic. He will have to clear NFL protocol before returning to the field.
Baltimore's Bernard Pierce also suffered a concussion. Piece was in line to start the first two games of the season with Ray Rice suspended. If he's unable to gain concussion clearance by then, Justin Forsett could open the season as the starting running back.
Buccaneers 27, Bills 14
The game started off with sloppy play on both sides before eventually melting into a slow lull of predictable preseason action. The ball changed hands several times near the start of the first quarter, with Bills starter E.J. Manuel throwing an interception and losing a fumble, running back C.J. Spiller losing a fumble to Mason Foster, and Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown adding a pick of his own.
Tampa Bay was able to pull away for a 24-0 lead at halftime before Manuel led two scoring drives in the third quarter to close the gap to 24-14. Playing without rookie Sammy Watkins, who suffered a rib injury last week, receiver Mike Williams led Buffalo with three catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. Nonetheless, the Bills offense couldn't do enough to catch up with their own mistakes.
Bucs running back Doug Martin, looking for redemption after he played poorly to open 2013 before hitting injured reserve after just six games, finished with 38 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Wideout Mike Evans, the second receiver taken in the 2014 draft after Watkins, had three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Tampa Bay wraps up the preseason next week at home against Washington, while Buffalo faces the Detroit Lions at home.
Saturday's preseason game between the Cowboys and Dolphins was the type of barn burner that gets everyone excited for the regular season. Of course, that's because the regular season at least implies that fans will not have to sit through games where Brandon Weeden and Matt Moore see significant time on the field.
While Tony Romo and Ryan Tannehill were in the game, the action moved a little more briskly even if they didn't quite light up the scoreboard, managing just nine points between the two teams. Dolphins wide receiver Mike Williams was one of the few bright spots, grabbing six passes for 64 yards. But like the rest of Miami's offense in the first half, he was unable to make it across the goal line.
Dallas will be hosting the defending AFC champion Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium to close out the preseason at 8 p.m. on Thursday, while Miami will challenge the Rams in Sun Life Stadium an hour earlier.
It looks like Jake Locker may be finally coming to his own after several seasons left onlookers questioning whether he'd ever justify his selection at eighth overall in 2011. Locker, who went 12-for-17 for 188 yards and a touchdown, was matched pass-for-pass by Atlanta's Matt Ryan who put up 224 yards and two touchdowns in one half of play.
Julio Jones and Nate Washington caught a majority of the passes from the pair, with Jones grabbing one of Ryan's TD passes and Washington putting up nearly 100 yards on just three receptions.
Ravens 23, Washington 17
Joe Flacco threw for 180 yards and one touchdown in his one half of play on Saturday night in the Ravens' win over Washington.
Flacco completed 16-of-23 passes and found a groove with new target Steve Smith. The duo connected six times for 80 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown strike in the second quarter.
For Washington, Robert Griffin III was largely ineffective, completing 5-of-8 passes for only 20 yards, and running for three yards on three carries. Griffin threw one interception and had another pick called back because of pass interference. Griffin played the first half and then the first drive of the third quarter. Kirk Cousins then took over and threw for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
Vikings 30, Chiefs 12
Matt Cassel threw for 152 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's easy win in Kansas City.
Cassel completed a 53-yard bomb to second-year wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the first quarter to open the scoring in an otherwise boring first half. Cassel played two series into the third quarter and led two more field goal drives, but also fumbled the ball out of the endzone for a safety.
Alex Smith threw for 140 yards for the Chiefs but threw two interceptions and was kept out of the endzone. Smith played one series in the third quarter for Kansas City.
Rams 33, Browns 14
Sam Bradford suffered a left knee injury in the first quarter, but Austin Davis threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Rams to a win.
Browns starting quarterback Brian Hoyer threw for 84 yards, a touchdown and an interception in defeat, while backup Johnny Manziel ran one in from seven yards out for his first (preseason) NFL rushing touchdown.
Drew Brees threw for 128 yards and a pair of first-quarter touchdowns, besting Andrew Luck in a battle of two of the league's top quarterbacks.
Luck threw for a touchdown of his own in the first quarter and 103 yards on the night, including a 21-yard strike to former college teammate Coby Fleener.
New Orleans finishes off its preseason against the Ravens at home on Thursday, while the Colts head to Cincinnati in five days to play the Bengals.
Texans 18, Broncos 17
Rookie quarterback Tom Savage led the Texans on a late scoring drive and Houston converted the two-point conversion to come away with the win.
Savage entered the game on Houston's final drive and promptly led the Texans on a nine-play, 74-yard touchdown drive. He completed 5-of-6 passes on the drive, including a 31-yard touchdown to Ryan Griffin. The Texans opted to go for the two-point conversion, and Savage connected with Travis Labhart for the game-winning score.
Peyton Manning led the Broncos on three first-half scoring drives, including a pair of touchdowns. He completed 21-of-27 passes for 243 yards.
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