Week 3 of the NFL preseason comes to a close on Sunday night with a pair of games, including three playoff teams from 2013.
2014 NFL preseason: Sunday’s schedule, Philip Rivers faces Colin Kaepernick
Two of the most dynamic quarterbacks in football square off on Sunday in California.
Ezra Shaw
The Arizona Cardinals host the Cincinnati Bengals in the nightcap after the San Diego Chargers visit the San Francisco 49ers. As has been traditionally the case, this week will give us the best look at the starters. After playing in only the first half over the first two weeks, starters are likely to participate well into the third quarter with an enhanced grasp of the gameplan.
San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers
4 p.m. ET (National: FOX)
If any team needs to play well, it's the 49ers. After losing decisively in Week 1 to the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco returned home for the opener at Levi's Stadium against the Denver Broncos. However, things went bad from the start, with the 49ers getting shelled 34-0. San Francisco struggled in all phases, turning the ball over four times while allowing points in every quarter.
San Diego is also trying to erase last week's performance from the memory bank. The Chargers were soundly beaten 41-14 by the Seattle Seahawks, including a 24-0 deficit in the second quarter. One area to watch is the secondary, with two new corners in Brandon Flowers and rookie Jason Verrett.
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals
8 p.m. ET (National: NBC)
The Cardinals are expected to make a run at the playoffs, but will have to overcome some early adversity. Defensive lineman Darnell Dockett tore his ACL in practice earlier this week, which further hampers the Cardinals depth when accounting for the loss of inside linebackers Daryl Washington and Karlos Dansby. Dansby left for the Browns via free agency while Washington will be suspended for the year due to a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Kevin Minter and Larry Foote are expected to step in and take their spots.
Cincinnati is coming off an AFC North championship and hoping to repeat with a newly extended Andy Dalton. Dalton is locked in for the long haul in the Queen City and has plenty to work with, surrounded by A.J. Green, Giovani Bernard, Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham. One of the main battles to watch is at corner, where third-year corner Dre Kirkpatrick is trying to earn playing time alongside Terence Newman and Leon Hall.
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