2016 NFL Preseason Recap and Fantasy Football Notes: Week 4

Cardinals 38, Broncos 17

Before I begin, because this is the last game I’m covering for the preseason, and this will be at the top of the page, I’d like to repeat what I wrote earlier…

Please, NFL owners, and Roger Goodell, if any of you happen to drunkenly stumble upon this page, can you please put an end to this miserable Week 4 of the preseason? It’s so damn pointless, and it’s borderline criminal to charge fans to watch this crap. You can more than make up for it financially by adding two wild-card playoff games, and every single football fan on the planet would enjoy that more.

Let’s talk Paxton Lynch! I watched all of his throws, and I’d say that despite some mistakes, he had a mostly positive evening. However, there are a few misleading things. For instance, his 57-yard touchdown to open the game was actually just a short throw, but Jordan Taylor was able to break two tackles and sprint toward the end zone. Lynch also should’ve had more turnovers than his one interception, but he was able to get away with a simple incompletion on a throw behind his receiver in the red zone.

Lynch ended up going 13-of-22 for 214 yards, two touchdowns and a pick-six, which was a great play by a linebacker, who read Lynch’s eyes. Lynch, however, showed some terrific zip on his passes and was able to scramble three times for 12 rushing yards. On one play, Lynch somehow had enough arm strength to get the ball to Taylor for a long gain despite throwing off his back foot.

It’s quite evident that the potential is there, and Lynch currently looks much more prepared to play than Jared Goff, though that’s not saying much. Lynch still needs work, but he’s at least getting there, and he seems somewhat close.

As for Taylor, he was very impressive. He finished with four catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and he would’ve had an even bigger night had Lynch not overthrown him on a deep pass. Taylor, an undrafted free agent from 2015 who stands at 6-foot-5, deserves an opportunity to be the No. 3 receiver. He broke numerous tackles throughout the evening, as third-round rookie cornerback Brandon Williams, a projected starter, couldn’t cover him.

John Elway said last week that Kapri Bibbs and Ronnie Hillman were competing for a spot. Hillman thrived last week, but it was Bibbs’ turn this contest. Bibbs gained 51 yards on 10 carries, while Hillman managed only nine yards on three tries.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Matt Barkley had a strong performance. He began with a poor pass and then a lost fumble, but was absolutely on fire after that, finishing 20-of-29 for 262 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a pretty back-shoulder fade to J.J. Nelson. With Drew Stanton struggling horribly this preseason, Barkley may have talked himself into the conversation for the No. 2 role.

John Brown played in the preseason finale, which is big news because he endured headaches throughout the entire month of August. Brown was not targeted on two drives, but the fact that he was on the field is great news. Unfortunately, he’s still quite the risk, given that he missed so much time with only one concussion. How long will he be absent if he sustains another?

NFL Preseason Announcers: Ron Wolfley, Arizona’s color analyst, might be the weirdest person on the planet. He is also wonderful. For those of you who are unfamiliar with him, Wolfley says the strangest things of all time during games. Here’s a list of quotes he said during this contest. I won’t even offer any commentary on them. Just sit back and enjoy:

“He’s trying to shove a Twinkie into a toaster. It’s very difficult to get that Twinkie into that toaster.”

“Have you ever been stuffed into a garbage can and tossed off a truck going 60?”

“When you get hit like that, every orifice of your body opens up and you start to leak.”

“He just got kicked in the gut by a donkey. Jim have you ever been kicked by a donkey?”

“He’s like a telephone pole with eyebrows!”

“You could literally fry fish in his belly button!”

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49ers 31, Chargers 21

The prominent story surrounding this game had nothing to do with football. All eyes were on Communist Kaepernick, and whether or not he’d once again sit during the national anthem.

As it turned out, Communist Kaepernick wasn’t the only player who refused to stand when honoring the flag. He recruited a comrade, Eric Reid, to join him in their asinine movement. This was particularly disrespectful, as this game happened to coincide with Military Appreciation Night in San Diego. I won’t spend much time discussing Communist Kaepernick’s anti-American stance here – even though he says it’s not anti-American, which is BS – and I’ll instead save it for my Jerks of the Year entry, which will be released Monday.

I will point out, however, that Communist Kaepernick was booed at every opportunity. This happened when he ran onto the field and whenever he took a snap. Said color analyst Dan Fouts: “The fans want to make a difference by booing Kaepernick, but the truth is there aren’t enough people here.” Did I mention that these Week 4 preseason games suck?

In terms of Communist Kaepernick’s actual play, he was quite underwhelming. The numbers may say otherwise, as Communist Kaepernick went 11-of-18 for 103 yards to go along with 38 rushing yards, but that was very misleading. Communist Kaepernick began by running out of bounds short of the first-down marker, displaying poor awareness. He managed to luck out with a very poor spot. He then overshot an open tight end in the end zone and had a pass dropped by a defender that should’ve been an interception. Communist Kaepernick lucked out the same way right before halftime with another dropped pick.

Communist Kaepernick did some nice things with his legs, doing a great job of avoiding sacks and scrambling around. However, it needs to be pointed out that the Chargers played a very vanilla defense, refusing to blitz whatsoever. Communist Kaepernick’s problem has always been reading defenses because of his poor intelligence and horrific work ethic, meaning the preseason is tailor-made for him. Anyone who thinks Communist Kaepernick should start needs to remember that he was so putrid last year that he was benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert. The 49ers would be better off cutting Communist Kaepernick before he infects more players and creates an even greater distraction.

The best quarterback on the field for the 49ers was Christian Ponder, who went 8-of-14 for 101 yards. The worst was Jeff Driskel, who finished 1-of-4 for three yards and two interceptions. The first pick was right to a defender, while the second was a careless pass late into a crowd along the sideline. He was quickly yanked in favor of Ponder. Driskel had some positive moments this preseason, but he has endured two utterly woeful performances, so San Francisco may opt to keep Ponder over him if Communist Kaepernick stays on.

There are two Charger skill-position players worth noting. Gus Johnson ran well, as he did two weeks ago. He gained 28 yards on nine carries. Receiver Isaiah Burse, meanwhile, logged five receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown, which featured a nifty juke move, breaking a defender’s ankles.

NFL Preseason Announcers: After the game, Chip Kelly spoke to the media at his press conference. He lamented the victory, saying, “I wish we scored more points.”

Typical Chip, worrying about stuff that doesn’t matter. He ran up the score in the preseason while in Philadelphia as well, and we all saw what happened. Perhaps he should begin focusing on meaningful games instead of preseason box scores.

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Seahawks 23, Raiders 21

I have no clue why Russell Wilson played in this game. Wilson is a veteran who has been in two Super Bowls. Having him on the field for the fourth preseason contest was insanely risky. Though he threw just three passes, Wilson could’ve gotten injured, especially given that his offensive line sucks. The Seahawks are very lucky that nothing bad happened.

Despite the fact that Wilson was battling the Oakland scrubs, he went just 1-of-3 for 23 yards. It’s a huge concern that the Seahawks couldn’t move the chains, but it’s not that much of a surprise, given how bad the offensive line is. Seattle will have trouble scoring until it fixes its biggest problem.

Here were Wilson’s targets:

Jermaine Kearse: 1
Luke Willson: 2

Thomas Rawls saw his first action of the 2016 season. He was given two carries, picking up seven yards in the process. C.J. Prosise, meanwhile, managed only five yards on four attempts.

Speaking of young running backs, DeAndre Washington, who is high on my Fantasy Football Sleepers list, played the entire game. He disappointingly didn’t do much on the ground, mustering only 14 yards on 11 carries. He made some nifty moves as a pass-catcher, however, hauling in four passes for 39 receiving yards. I still like Washington as an upside pick in the double-digit rounds.

Connor Cook played most of the game, and he had a mixed outing. He was solid in terms of going through his progressions, and some of his throws were solid. He was certainly more impressive than the dink-and-dunk quarterbacks like Cody Kessler. However, Cook tossed a pick-six on a screen, throwing the ball right to a Seattle defender. Cook also should’ve thrown a second interception, as the ball was dropped on an overthrow. Cook went 15-of-30 for 145 yards and the pick.

NFL Preseason Announcers: Matt Millen was the color analyst in this game. I was expecting some weird quotes from him, and he did not disappoint. First, however, he had this exchange with the play-by-play woman:

Matt Millen: Jihad Ward did a great job of getting his hands up!

Play-by-Play Woman: That was Denico Autry.

Matt Millen: Great job by Ward!

As promised, here are three strange quotes Millen made throughout the evening:

1. “It’s great when all the defenders’ backs are all to you.”

All of the defenders? Wow, Millen, how many kielbasas did you bring to your hotel room?

2. “He’s got something to him! It’s easy to see what they like in him! I like him!”

Way to be subtle, Millen. You might want to play hard to get.

3. “They came inside.”

Oh man. This might have been the first NFL game to ever be rated NC-17.

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Texans 28, Cowboys 17

There isn’t really much to say about this game, as the three quarterbacks were Tom Savage, Brandon Weeden and Jameill Showers. This was a typical wasteful Week 4 preseason contest that served no purpose.

Savage was the best quarterback on the field. That was nice to see, as he has some major potential, thanks to his big arm. Savage went 12-of-18 for 119 yards and a touchdown. Bill O’Brien wasn’t completely happy about the performance, however, as Savage was rocked by a huge hit in the third quarter. Savage should’ve slid on the play, but I guess he was just trying to make a play in a meaningless contest.

Jaelen Strong caught one pass for 12 yards. He saw two targets. Once upon a time, Strong was ahead of Will Fuller on the depth chart, thanks to a strong showing at OTAs, but that’s clearly not the case anymore.

I’ve always been a fan of Rod Smith, who served as Seattle’s backup running back last preseason. Smith looked good once again for the Cowboys, tallying 42 yards on seven carries. Unfortunately for Smith, it’ll be impossible to make the team, thanks to Dallas’ crowded backfield.

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Bears 21, Browns 7

There were only a handful of starting quarterbacks to play in this miserable Week 4, and Robert Griffin was one of them. While having Tom Brady and Drew Brees on the field made little sense, it was logical of Hue Jackson to give Robert Griffin some reps in this new offense, even if he was battling Chicago scrubs.

Griffin didn’t struggle in this contest, but he didn’t exactly shine either, which is bad news considering the caliber of the opponent. Griffin finished 4-of-8 for just 31 yards. He overthrew Corey Coleman on a third down, though he was robbed of a touchdown on a pass to Josh Gordon. There was obvious pass interference on the play, but no flag was thrown. If you’re wondering why, Walt Coleman was the official. Coleman is the worst official in the NFL, and it’s not even close. The fact that he’s still working is an embarrassment.

Here were Griffin’s targets:

Corey Coleman: 1
Isaiah Crowell: 1
Josh Gordon: 2 (1 end zone)
Malcolm Johnson: 1
Terrelle Pryor: 1 (1 end zone)

Josh Gordon played beyond Griffin being on the field, as he caught some passes from Josh McCown. He hauled in three of his six targets for 29 yards. Meanwhile, Corey Coleman snatched only one of his four targets for 10 yards. As mentioned, Griffin overthrew him on one instance.

Both Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson were on the field. Crowell out-carried Johnson, six to two, which is a ratio everyone should expect in 2016. Crowell mustered 11 yards and a touchdown, while Johnson gained eight yards on the ground. Johnson also hauled in an 8-yard pass.

Let’s discuss Cody Kessler, who hasn’t been very impressive this preseason. Kessler struggled in this contest, going 10-of-17 for only 40 yards. He dinked and dunked most of the time, and when he wasn’t doing so, he was taking sacks because he held on to the ball too long. This happened three times! Kessler was nearly picked twice as well. He stared down a receiver on the first occasion, while the second near-interception was the result of a drop by the defender on a high throw. Kessler was seen as a seventh-round prospect by some teams, and it’s still very puzzling as to why Cleveland selected him in the third frame.

There isn’t much to say about Chicago, save for Jordan Howard. The fifth-round rookie was very impressive in the preseason finale, gaining 107 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He was terrific in every regard. He moved piles, dragged defenders, displayed balanced and showcased his athleticism and power. The Cleveland announcers were very impressed, citing that John Fox “may have found his new running back.” Howard is worth a late-round flier if you’re drafting this weekend.

NFL Preseason Announcers: I found it funny when the Cleveland play-by-play guy said the following:

“I’m surprised John Fox isn’t using his starters, given the problems they’ve had. There’s Kevin White catching a pass.”

So much for not using his starters! White, by the way, caught all four of his targets for 57 yards, doing so from Brian Hoyer.

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Vikings 27, Rams 25

This recap will mostly be about Jared Goff, though I’m sure you’ve heard by now that he has fallen to No. 3 on the depth chart. He went 6-of-16 for 67 yards, one touchdown and an interception. But was he as bad as those numbers indicate? In a word, yes. In several paragraphs…?

Goff simply doesn’t look prepared to play in the NFL. I’ve said this before, but I’ll repeat it: Every team we spoke to prior to the draft had Carson Wentz over Goff, and they were all bewildered that the Rams preferred him. In fact, there are prominent members of the Rams organization who wanted Wentz. Goff’s awareness level is a disaster, as he just doesn’t seem to know what’s going on around him. On one instance, he threw two yards over the line of scrimmage. On another, he dropped a shotgun snap, losing a fumble. His pick, meanwhile, was thrown right at a defensive lineman, who tipped the ball into the air.

The game seems to be moving too quickly for Goff. His passes were inaccurate as well. He made an overthrow of Tyler Higbee on a third-and-9. He then sailed a ball way over the head of Bradley Marquez. I’ll praise him for his touchdown, which was a back-shoulder frozen rope, as his target beat Mackensie Alexander, but that was pretty much the only positive thing Goff did in this contest.

Goff isn’t guaranteed to be a bust just yet. It’s still way too early to determine that. But the fact that he couldn’t even beat out Sean Mannion for the No. 2 quarterback job has to make the Rams feel incredibly stupid for not listening to other teams and prominent personnel within their own organization.

Kenny Britt was on the field to support Goff, so it’s not like Goff was playing with scrubs… unless you consider Britt to be a scrub… anyway, Britt caught Goff’s touchdown. It was one of his two receptions, and he tallied nine yards in the process.

Laquon Treadwell saw five targets, but was only able to come up with one catch for five yards. It was a disappointing evening, but Joel Stave (9-of-18, 76 yards) was inaccurate, and he left the game early because he got dinged and appeared to suffer a concussion.

NFL Preseason Announcers: Teddy Bridgewater just tore up his knee, right? He didn’t die, correct? If so, someone needs to tell that to the Vikings’ sideline reporter, who said the following prior to kickoff:

“I feel invigorated by the spirit to discuss the loss of Teddy Bridgewater.”

The loss of Bridgewater? Was this his wake, or something?

Meanwhile, one of the Vikings’ announcers said the Rams are the “class of the NFC.” Uhh… What class? Gym class?

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Chiefs 17, Packers 7

No starters played in this game, as the three primary quarterbacks were Joe Callahan, Aaron Murray and Tyler Bray. Kevin Hogan also saw some brief action.

Callahan was the best of the bunch. I joked about him being a Packer fan who won a sweepstakes to start the Hall of Fame Game, but he has been a huge surprise. Callahan, who went 13-of-24 for 143 yards and a touchdown to Jared Cook, threw some accurate deep balls and showed nice touch on several of his passes. I wrote this last week, but the Packer announcers said that Green Bay is confident enough in Callahan to have him as the primary backup behind Aaron Rodgers if Brett Hundley can’t get healthy.

Davante Adams played, which is not a good sign for his fantasy outlook. Adams caught two nondescript passes for 20 yards.

As for the Chiefs, Bray was the better of the three Kansas City signal-callers who played, as he went 10-of-17 for 104 yards. Murray (10-18, 108 yards, 2 INTs) has been discussed as a trade possibility. If Murray isn’t dealt, I don’t see how Hogan makes the team. Hogan was woefully pedestrian again, going just 3-of-7 for 11 yards. He has shown no signs that he can play in this league, which is what most expected.

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Ravens 23, Saints 14

New Orleans’ offense struggled in the preseason, so Sean Payton decided to have Drew Brees and the other first-stringers take the field for a single drive in the preseason finale. Despite the mismatch on paper, the result wasn’t pretty.

Drew Brees went 3-of-6 for 40 yards against the Ravens. This occurred on just a single drive, but it was discouraging because his offensive line had trouble pass protecting against the Baltimore practice squad fodder; Brees had to throw two passes away because he was under duress. Left tackle Terron Armstead is not healthy, and it’s definitely going to impact Brees’ season. Brees is now 37, so it shouldn’t completely surprise anyone if he didn’t make it through all 16 games this year. At his ADP (5.08), I’d recommend staying away.

Here were Brees’ targets:

Mark Ingram: 2
John Kuhn: 1
Willie Snead: 1

Mark Ingram, like Brees, played one drive. He gained 21 yards on three carries, but it’s hard to take those numbers seriously because he was battling Baltimore’s second- and third-stringers. Ingram also caught a 7-yard reception.

Second-year quarterback Garrett Grayson went 11-of-16 for 98 yards and a touchdown. He nearly tossed a second score, but a receiver was tackled at the 1-yard line. Unfortunately, Grayson took a beating, which said a lot about how poor the Saints’ backup offensive line is. It might be a very long year for New Orleans.

If Brees hadn’t played in this game, the primary story would be Breshad Perriman seeing action for the first time. The 2015 first-rounder was on the field for a half. He saw four targets, catching two of them for 25 yards. One reception was impressive, as Perriman made a great adjustment on a ball thrown behind him. With Steve Smith ailing, it would be a big boost for Baltimore’s offense if Perriman were able to contribute.

The only running back of note for the Ravens was Buck Allen, who gained eight yards on three carries. It’s not good news for his 2016 outlook, given that he played in this contest, while Terrance West sat out.

NFL Preseason Announcers: The Saints’ broadcasters agreed with Payton’s decision to play Brees…

“You want to build some momentum!” one of the announcers exclaimed.

Right. Because momentum is worth the injury risk in a completely meaningless game that shouldn’t have existed in the first place.

Speaking of the announcers, one of them annoyingly continued to refer to John Kuhn as “John Kyoon.” I wanted to throw my remote at the TV every time I heard “John Kyoon!”

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Panthers 18, Steelers 6

In game in which the three quarterbacks were Bryn Renner, Landry Jones and Joe Webb, there’s not much to discuss. I do have a couple of notes, however…

R.I.P. Sammie Coates’ fantasy stock. I loved Coates as a sleeper back in July, but he disappointed in every preseason game. That includes this one, where he didn’t catch a single pass. Coates’ fantasy outlook was on life support, but it has officially been pronounced dead.

Eli Rogers, on the other hand, could be a PPR factor. Rogers finished his solid preseason by catching all three of his targets in this contest for 20 yards. He’ll open as Pittsburg’s starting slot receiver.

Both primary running backs had nice showings. Cameron Artis-Payne gained 77 yards on 18 carries, looking as impressive as those numbers indicate. Meanwhile, Daryl Richardson tallied 45 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts. I continue to like Richardson more than Fitzgerald Toussaint for Pittsburgh’s No. 3 running back job.

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Lions 31, Bills 0

I have to say this… if you’re an NFL official, and you happen to be reading this, please, for the love of God, don’t call lots of penalties in the fourth preseason game. It seemed like there were a billion infractions in this contest, and they were called every other play. I don’t understand. Did these guys not want to go home? Were they being paid by the flag? Why did they torture us so much!?

The main talking point for this recap is Cardale Jones. I watched all of his throws, and while he failed to complete half of his passes – 12-of-26, 117 yards, one interception – he performed somewhat well. He endured some drops, including one by former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, which was a shame because the attempt was a perfect, deep pass thrown with great touch. Jones also had a 30-yard reception to Nick O’Leary wiped out by offensive pass interference. Jones’ pick, meanwhile, was tipped at the line of scrimmage, so it wasn’t completely his fault.

Jones made some impressive completions, but some of his passes were off the mark; he had a couple of high throws along the sideline. Still, Jones had a decent showing, and the Bills shouldn’t be discouraged by what they saw from him.

Speaking of O’Leary, if I had a nickel for every time the Lions announcers said, “Nick O’Leary is a good football player,” I’d have a crap ton of nickels. O’Leary did play well though, as he caught six passes for 63 yards, and he had a 30-yard reception wiped out by offensive pass interference. O’Leary is a good football player – ack! – and I’d like to see him get a shot to contribute with the starters at some point down the road.

The Lions, meanwhile, featured Jake Rudock for the most part, who had a solid performance, going 14-of-23 for 171 yards and three touchdowns. His primary target was some guy named Jace Beleren, I mean, Jace Billingsley, who snatched seven balls for 80 yards and a touchdown. The Detroit broadcasters were very excited about Billingsley, calling him “our own Wes Welker.” We’ll see.

NFL Preseason Announcers: One of the broadcasters said:

“There’s 10 days until the regular season begins!”

Actually, it’s seven, bro. Learn to math.

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Colts 13, Bengals 10

No starters took the field in this game, which really didn’t have anything to talk about. My notes were very minimal, so this is going to be a short recap.

A.J. McCarron played for several drives, going 7-of-12 for 95 yards. For the Colts, Scott Tolzien made some impressive passes, going 11-of-12 for 88 yards.

Josh Ferguson, who now suddenly may not make the team, didn’t see much work. He gained two yards on one carry, though he did catch five passes for 33 receiving yards. Ferguson looks quite comfortable there, but he has struggled as a runner. Robert Turbin, who appears to be Frank Gore’s direct backup, tallied 16 yards on three attempts.

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Giants 17, Patriots 9

Tom Brady was slated to start this game, but I never imagined that he would be on the field the entire opening half! But that’s exactly what happened. Despite Brady seeing action for two entire quarters, including the kneel-down prior to intermission, the Patriots still lost. Those who didn’t watch the game may assume that the backups let Brady down in the second half, but that’s hardly the case. What really happened was that Brady and the first-string offense didn’t perform all that well.

I think the biggest take-away is that Brady wasn’t protected very well. He was constantly under pressure. The Giants’ defensive starters were on the field at first, but even when Ben McAdoo inserted the backups, Brady was constantly harassed. Making matters worse, left tackle Nate Solder left the game early with a hamstring injury. He spent some time with the trainers, but he was eventually cleared.

Brady, meanwhile, missed on some throws on the rare occasions in which he had a clean pocket. He threw an interception – though Aaron Dobson was to blame for stopping the route – and nearly had a second pick when Brady didn’t see Landon Collins in coverage. Collins dropped the easy interception.

Tom Brady finished 16-of-26 for 166 yards, one touchdown and the pick in the preseason finale. The numbers aren’t horrible until you factor in that more than half of Brady’s snaps came against practice squad-caliber scrubs. If there’s any sort of silver lining, it’s that Brady was woeful last August as well and then went on to have a terrific season. I speculate that some sort of help was involved, but I have no proof of this. Still, Brady is now 39, so expecting him to repeat what he did in 2015 is being very optimistic.

Here were Brady’s targets:

Martellus Bennett: 3
LeGarrette Blount: 1
DeAndre Carter: 1
Aaron Dobson: 5
Julian Edelman: 5
D.J. Foster: 3
Chris Hogan: 4
Keshawn Martin: 2 (1 end zone)

Julian Edelman led the Patriots with five targets from Brady, catching three of them for 28 yards. I’m not sure why he played in the finale, given that he’s made out of glass. Chris Hogan (3-22) was also involved, seeing four targets.

Martellus Bennett had a disappointing night. He caught two of his three targets for three yards. He also lost a fumble.

Jacoby Brissett wasn’t as good as he was last week, but still had a solid showing, going 13-of-21 for 152 yards. One of his incompletions was dropped.

Though Eli Manning didn’t play, New York’s starting offensive line was on the field. It did not have a good showing. Ereck Flowers was effectively sacked by Dont’a Hightower and took Ryan Nassib along for a ride. Nassib was then destroyed by Jamie Collins; Nassib lost a fumble out of bounds for a loss of 10 yards. Barkevious Mingo then got in on the action, bringing Nassib down because the quarterback held on to the ball for what seemed like forever.

Sterling Shepard saw some action, catching one of his two targets for 13 yards. He had no chance to do anything with Nassib throwing the ball to him. Victor Cruz also played. While he didn’t log any receptions, he still ran around pretty well, which is good, I guess.

Giants rookie running back Paul Perkins had a rough preseason finale. If his meager stat line wasn’t bad enough (2 carries, 1 yard), he also lost a fumble and dropped a pass.

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Falcons 17, Jaguars 15

Matt Ryan played in this game. He took the first snap, handed the ball off to Devonta Freeman for a 3-yard gain, and then was pulled in favor of Matt Schaub. Nice decision by head coach Dan Quinn, who has undoubtedly given his team some momentum for Week 1 by allowing Ryan to play!

This game was all about the rookies. Tight end Austin Hooper had a miserable preseason finale. He caught just one of his four targets for eight yards. Two of the balls thrown to him were drops that popped into the air for interceptions. It’s bad enough when this happens once, but twice in a single half!? It’s going to be difficult for Hooper to see playing time anytime soon.

Jaguars’ rookie Myles Jack had a big night. He made some great plays, including a tackle short of the line of scrimmage on a third down.

A couple of receivers of note: Jaguars’ undrafted rookie Shaq Evans caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, while Atlanta’s Aldrick Robinson made an amazing one-handed grab on a ball thrown behind him. It’s worth looking up if you haven’t seen it yet.

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Titans 21, Dolphins 10

The Dolphins didn’t play their starters in the preseason finale, yet Jay Ajayi was on the field. That’s very telling for what Miami plans on doing, as it basically cements Arian Foster’s role as the starter until he sustains an injury, likely in late September or early October. Ajayi performed poorly, fumbling on the first carry of the game. Ajayi then ripped off a 16-yard run, but was stuffed on his other two opportunities, finishing with 13 yards on three attempts. He also dropped a pass. I’m not convinced that Ajayi will be Miami’s starter when Foster gets hurt. It could definitely be Isaiah Pead.

Pead, by the way, sat out this game, which is good news for him. Rookie Kenyan Drake was able to suit up for the first time though. He managed just six yards on four carries. Drake also caught a 33-yard pass. He may have scored on the play, but Brandon Doughty underthrew him, and Drake had to adjust to make the reception.

Rookie receiver Leontee Carroo caught two passes for 17 yards. Pretty nondescript.

As for the Titans, they also sat their first-stringers. This does not include Derrick Henry, who has barely played with the starters this preseason. Henry looked great, trampling the Dolphins’ defense for 62 yards and a touchdown on seven attempts. He ripped off gains of 26 and 23 on back-to-back runs.

The good news for Justin Hunter is he actually caught some passes, logging three receptions for 27 yards. The bad news is that he may not make the final roster. Tre McBride, a seventh-rounder from 2015, out-performed him, as he caught five balls for 67 yards.

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Eagles 14, Jets 6

The big announcement prior to this contest was that Lane Johnson would sit out. Johnson was slated to take the field tonight because he was suspended for 10 games, but now it sounds like, according to the Eagles’ broadcasters, that Johnson will be available Week 1. No announcement has been made from the league yet for some reason.

None of the starters played in what was yet another miserable, meaningless preseason Week 4 contest. There was a reason to watch this though, as Christian Hackenberg played for three quarters. Hackenberg was scheduled to just take the field in the second half, but Bryce Petty left early with a shoulder injury.

Hackenberg, in short, was absolutely horrible. He had a solid showing in his debut last week despite the 6-of-16 stat line, but he took a major step backward. He began by making a poor throw on his first drive, and this continued throughout the evening, as he fired behind receivers and lofted inaccurate passes out of bounds. Hackenberg was also very indecisive. His worst throw was an abysmal pick-six in which he heaved the ball recklessly while getting sacked.

Hackenberg went 11-of-31 for 54 yards and an interception. He doesn’t appear to be remotely ready to play in this league. I said prior to the 2016 NFL Draft that I wouldn’t touch Hackenberg in the first four rounds, and I have a feeling that the Jets will regret selecting him over Dak Prescott.

The Jets’ primary back in the first half was Khiry Robinson, who was only able to muster 25 yards on 13 carries. The primary receiving target was tight end Jace Amaro, who logged three catches for 24 yards. It’s not a good sign for Amaro that he was playing in this game, while none of the starters were.

It sounded like there was a chance Carson Wentz would play, but it was nothing but Chase Daniel and McLeod Bethel-Thompson for the Eagles, unfortunately. Daniel looked shaky, going 14-of-22 for 131 yards and two interceptions.

Dorial Green-Beckham caught both of his targets for 31 yards. He was second on the Eagles’ receiving chart, trailing only Paul Turner (6-66), who has enjoyed a big preseason. Turner should make the team, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he contributes at some point this year. He’s someone to monitor on the waiver wire if he ends up making the roster. I don’t see why he wouldn’t at this point, especially considering that he scored on a punt return in this contest.

Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

Redskins 20, Buccaneers 13

Just a heads up, these Week 4 preseason recaps won’t be as detailed as the other ones, since most of the starters won’t be playing at all. Week 4 of the preseason is a blight on the NFL and should be cancelled in favor of two more wild-card weekend playoff games. The fact that the NFL is making people pay good money to see this crap is a freaking joke.

Neither Kirk Cousins nor Jameis Winston played this game. In fact, Cousins wasn’t even at the stadium! Cousins and the rest of the Redskins starters were at some luncheon back in Washington. That’s how pathetic these Week 4 preseason games are!

The player everyone was talking about on Twitter was running back Mack Brown. The undrafted Florida player dazzled with some thrilling runs, including a 60-yarder in which he made numerous defenders miss, making some great sudden cuts. I even shouted, “Who is this guy!?” upon seeing the run. Mack gained a whopping 149 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He’ll definitely be on some team’s 53-man roster.

Of course, Robert Kelley is the non-Matt Jones Washington running back you want on your fantasy roster. I was worried that Kelley was even on the field, as I didn’t want him to sustain an injury. Kelley looked good, showcasing some nifty cuts on numerous runs. Kelly tallied 99 yards on 16 attempts. I love him as a late-round Fantasy Football Sleeper.

Another Redskin of note was Kendall Fuller, who made some terrific pass break-ups. The 2016 third-rounder, who ended up not being too short for Washington’s defense, would’ve been a first-round prospect if it weren’t for an injury. Fuller is yet another skilled player in what is shaping up to be a talented secondary.

It’s difficult to say anything good about the quarterbacks in this game, since there was a heavy downpour throughout the entire evening. Mike Glennon, who might be one of the most overrated bench players in the NFL, went just 1-of-5 for minus-1 yards, as he spent his brief time lofting passes over his teammates’ heads. Redskins’ third-stringer Nate Sudfeld, a sixth-round rookie, went 8-of-18 for 72 yards and a touchdown, looking as pedestrian as those numbers make him sound.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins may not make the final roster. It’s hard to believe, but he was on the field in the fourth quarter of the final preseason game. He managed to bang up his shoulder a bit and then barked at some coaches on the sideline. His drop-off is truly remarkable.

NFL Preseason Announcers: Even the broadcasters knew how useless this game was. The two announcers repeatedly complained about penalties holding the game up, and then they spent time in the second quarter discussing what pizza toppings they like the most. I’m not kidding. I now am aware that Joe Theismann likes extra cheese.

Speaking of Theismann, he offered up this gem:

“He would start for a lot of teams in this league. He’s been on six Arena teams!”

Yes, because Arena League experience and travel are great barometers for potential success in the NFL.

Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

2016 Preseason Notes: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
2016 Fantasy Football Stock Pages: Preseason Stock Week 1 | Preseason Stock Week 2 | Preseason Stock Week 3 | Preseason Stock Week 4 | Training Camp Stock

More 2016 Fantasy Football Articles:
Fantasy Football Rankings

2016 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 9/7 (Walt)
Chet Gresham's Fantasy Football Tight End Rankings - 8/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/15 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/15 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings - 5/13 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/13 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Dynasty - 5/27 (Chet)

2016 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 9/1 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/31 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Real Draft - 8/29 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/25 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 2-QB - 8/25 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/24 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/18 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/13 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/11 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Standard - 8/4 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Video - 8/4 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 8/2 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR - 7/28 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft - 7/21 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 Draft - 5/13 (Chet)

2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 PPR - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 2-QB - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 250 Touchdown League - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Custom - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: Dynasty Rankings - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings - 8/26 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Spreadsheets - 9/7 (Walt)

2016 Fantasy Football Articles:
2016 Fantasy Football Stock Report: Training Camp - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator - 9/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Sleepers - 9/4 (Walt)
2016 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 9/2 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 9/2 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Preseason Quarterback Targets - 9/2 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Targets - 8/31 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Busts - 8/31 (Walt)
Fantasy Football Auction Advice - 8/24 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Round-by-Round Strategy Guide - 8/18 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Daily Fantasy Preseason Week 2 Streaming Options - 8/18 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Draft Queue: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends - 8/17 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Draft Queue: Quarterbacks and Running Backs - 8/16 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Training Camp Notes - 8/10 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers to Avoid - 8/6 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Running Backs to Avoid - 8/5 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football Notes - 7/26 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Late-Round Wide Receiver Targets - 7/21 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Late-Round Running Back Targets - 7/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football ADP Values - 7/14 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: C.J. Anderson Profile - 7/7 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Favorite MFL Players - 6/29 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: 2016 NFL Draft Fallout: Chip Kelly - 6/23 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Marvin Jones Profile - 6/22 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Devin Funchess Profile - 6/15 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football 2-QB Draft - 6/9 (Chet)
Fantasy Football Beginner's Guide - 6/7 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: Running Back Drafting and ADP - 6/3 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Quarterback Drafting and ADP - 6/1 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Eli Manning Profile - 5/25 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Jordan Matthews Profile - 5/24 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Rookie Dynasty Draft Wrap-up - 5/18 (Walt)
2016 Fantasy Football: 2016 NFL Draft Fallout - 5/11 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 Quarterback Values - 4/30 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 Wide Receiver Values - 4/28 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Tight End Strength of Schedule - 4/25 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Wide Receiver Strength of Schedule - 4/21 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Running Back Strength of Schedule - 4/20 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Quarterback Strength of Schedule - 4/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: MFL 10 - 2/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Philip Rivers - 2/16 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football: Quarterback ADP vs. Reality - 2/12 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Fallout: Marshawn Lynch Retires - 2/11 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Fallout: Calvin Johnson Retires - 2/9 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Dynasty - 1/21 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Tight Ends - 1/19 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Wide Receivers - 1/14 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Running Backs - 1/13 (Chet)
2016 Fantasy Football Forecast: Quarterbacks - 1/12 (Chet)

NFL Picks - Dec. 11

2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11

NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9

2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29

Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4