NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Heading into Preseason Week 4?
You know Week 3 of the preseason as a time when there's a dress rehearsal. It's the regular season in disguise, and anyone on the roster bubble gets one final chance against quality competition before the main objective of "let's get this over with" takes over in Week 4.
But really for you, the viewing audience at home, nothing really changed this week.
The way you watch preseason football stayed the same. You're still largely ignoring the scoreboard and looking for notable progress, either from individuals or an entire unit.
What did change is the sample size. It remained small, with starters typically playing the first half or sometimes playing into the third quarter. But that longer time on the field exposed possible realities that await this season.
For example, we now have a sense of the endless bodies Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston—pictured above during happier times—will have to dodge while attempting any pass ever. The same is true for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and whoever plays quarterback for the Washington Redskins.
We also received a hint of what's to come with the new-look Philadelphia Eagles offense and saw how much the Pittsburgh Steelers will miss wide receiver Martavis Bryant during his suspension.
The shuffling in this week's power rankings was done with that larger sample size in mind. We caught a fleeting glimpse of what each team could look like this season. In some cases you wanted to see more, and in many others your eyes were burned.
32. Washington Redskins
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Last Week: 30
This Week: 32
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A familiar problem has led to familiar dysfunction with the Washington Redskins.
Robert Griffin III is still struggling to progress in head coach Jay Gruden’s pro-style offense. He’s a highly flawed quarterback who needs to get the ball out faster and improve his field vision. But he’s still the only Redskins quarterback with enough talent to even give his team a reaching, praying winning hope each week.
So with that knowledge Gruden exposed him behind a weak offensive line in Week 2 of the preseason when left tackle Trent Williams was sitting out, resulting in a concussion. Then when murky injury information was finally deciphered, Griffin watched Saturday's game against the Baltimore Ravens as he wasn't cleared to play.
That is only where his watching will start. He'll also find a warm bench seat for Week 1 of the regular season when it matters, according to a report from ESPN's Dianna Marie Russini.
Kirk Cousins started against the Ravens, and of course he proceeded to be exactly who he’s always been during a three-year career that’s featured a completion percentage of only 59.0, a passer rating of 77.5 and a woeful TD:INT ratio (18 touchdowns, 19 interceptions).
The most positive outlook possible? He was wildly inconsistent. Cousins made some quality throws against the Ravens and connected primarily on intermediate routes for a completion percentage of 74.1. But those throws were balanced out in the worst way by an all-too common boneheaded decision when he threw an interception on a routine screen pass.
The Redskins don’t truly have a starting quarterback. They’ll have one only by default, and as endlessly aggravating as his lack of development has been, Griffin's natural athleticism may still give them the best chance to win games.
That option has long been tossed aside, though, as according to a report from Russini and her ESPN colleague Adam Schefter, Redskins front-office officials and coaches want to move on from Griffin.
A divorce is probably best for all involved at this point. Griffin can look to salvage his career elsewhere, and the Redskins can still go on with the business of losing because of replacement-level quarterback play.
31. San Francisco 49ers
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Throughout the preseason you hear the standard warnings that also double as public-service announcements. Mostly, you're reminded to ignore the scoreboard and never, ever, reach a state of fevered panic.
But there are moments when, as a fan, it's acceptable to sit in your darkest corner at least briefly. Your starting quarterback playing an entire half of football and logging only 13 passing yards is a fine time to gaze deeply into space.
That was the final total for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during a loss Saturday to the Denver Broncos, though his team's utter lack of offense was largely out of his control.
The offensive line in front of Kaepernick showed just how vulnerable it will be against a premier pass rush, like the one Denver fielded. In a remarkable display of futility, Kaepernick dropped back only nine times and was still sacked twice.
The resulting offensive awfulness for the 49ers was only 121 total yards with starters on the field, and 53 of those yards came from Kaepernick scrambling.
Overall this preseason Kaepernick has faced pressure on 55.6 percent of his dropbacks, per PFF. If that sort of bombardment continues during the regular season, wide receiver Torrey Smith will become a wasted free-agent signing.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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This Week: 30
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie quarterback Jameis Winston will often be exposed this season behind a weak offensive line. But the apparently really, really wrong assumption was that veteran guard Logan Mankins could somewhat hold together a unit set to do more flailing than blocking.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins often shoved Mankins deep into the backfield during the Bucs 25-11 win Monday night. As a result we saw exactly how Winston could be shattered this year, both mentally and physically.
He's already faced pressure on 42.4 percent of his preseason dropbacks, per PFF, and was sacked four times by the Bengals. That sort of rapid fire won't be going anywhere soon, meaning Winston will have to grow while navigating a rather uncomfortable pocket.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
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This Week: 29
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After a rookie season when Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles struggled to find consistent accuracy, the preseason is a time to watch how he reacts when the difficulty level increases. Do balls continue to sail? Or can he make that finesse touch pass?
Against the Detroit Lions Friday night, the answer to the latter question was an enthusiastic nod.
Bortles completed passes to all areas of the field with confidence while playing into the third quarter. The highlight may have been a mid-range throw to tight end Marcedes Lewis. In its flight the ball had to clear a trailing linebacker in coverage, but still be high enough so it was in a location only Lewis could reach. That is exactly where Bortles placed it for a 19-yard completion.
Bortles has the physical frame and arm strength to succeed. Now he just needs repetitive accuracy.
28. Houston Texans
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This Week: 28
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Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has already made the best catch of 2015 that wasn't actually a catch.
Although he's the primary source of hope in an offense now led by a placeholder quarterback in Brian Hoyer, there were other reasons for the Texans to feel all warm and cheerful after their Sunday afternoon game against the New Orleans Saints.
First and foremost, the ease with which that offense moved downfield. Hoyer and his first-team unit remained in the game only briefly, playing three series. And the Texans scored points on two of those three drives.
27. Cleveland Browns
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This Week: 27
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Offensively the Cleveland Browns will have to claw through plenty of questions in 2015. Chief among them: Can quarterback Josh McCown be any more than a journeyman warm body? And can a wide receiver depth headlined by plodding Dwayne Bowe get any separation at all?
But defensively an eighth-ranked unit in 2014 is still intimidating and can leave opposing quarterbacks several shades of black and blue.
In their third preseason game, the Browns were buzzing around Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston constantly, sacking him four times and holding the rookie to a putrid completion percentage of 40.0. Even more impressively, the Bucs averaged a miniscule 3.3 yards per play.
It was the sort of effort that reminds McCown of his basic job description to win games: Don't screw up.
26. Oakland Raiders
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Last Week: 26
This Week: 26
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Khalil Mack isn't fair.
You knew that, just as we all did after the Oakland Raiders outside linebacker logged 52 total pressures and 42 run stops during his rookie season, per PFF. But even in the preseason, it's possible to make a statement and perhaps plant the seed for a year when Mack will become an even more imposing monster.
That's what he did over his two quarters of playing time against the Arizona Cardinals.
First Mack ripped the ball loose from Cardinals running back David Johnson, forcing a fumble that resulted in a three-yard loss when recovered by Arizona.
Then he sacked quarterback Carson Palmer twice, and on the second time, he made Cardinals left tackle Bradley Sowell do a fine pylon impersonation by turning him around completely.
He's scary good...and also just scary.
25. Atlanta Falcons
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This Week: 25
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The Atlanta Falcons are on the short list of teams that could see an entire season undone by an offensive line. Another prime year of quarterback Matt Ryan's career could circle the drain, along with the same from wide receiver Julio Jones.
It's a weakness that gets especially glaring whenever the Falcons face a top-tier defensive front. That happened in Week 3 of the preseason when they visited the Miami Dolphins.
Resisting the urge to look away was hard. Ryan was sacked three times on only 10 dropbacks.
24. Chicago Bears
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This Week: 24
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Watching the Chicago Bears try to move the ball this season might be about as entertaining as counting ceiling tiles.
Or at least it will be in the early going as quarterback Jay Cutler attempts to learn a new offense with much of his core supporting staff injured. Most notably is wide receiver Kevin White, whose career will begin on the physically unable to perform list.
The result of that difficult process during the third preseason outing can be summed up by two numbers from the first-team offense. The Bears went 1-of-6 on third-down conversion attempts with Cutler on the field and had to punt five times.
23. Tennessee Titans
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Last Week: 27
This Week: 23
Change: +4
The Tennesee Titans are the highest jumpers in this week's power rankings, solely because of quarterback Marcus Mariota's calmness and poise against a tough opponent.
He dealt with a Kansas City Chiefs pass rush that finished with 46 sacks in 2014. Mariota had the vision to repeatedly find space while taking what he was offered. Sometimes that was an open running lane, which he capitalized on for 22 yards on three carries. Other times he had to stand in a crumbling pocket and be patient as a route developed, which resulted in a 30-yard completion to wide receiver Kendall Wright.
Defensively the Titans have holes, and the Chiefs poked away at them. But offensively, they'll go as far as Mariota's development allows.
22. New York Giants
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Before you rejoice because New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. caught his first pass of the preseason, please note another number beside him in the Week 3 boxscore: 6.2.
That's Beckham's per-catch average during a loss to the New York Jets, which isn't the typical production we associate with the whirling one-hand catch wizard, especially during a game when he finished with five receptions.
The Giants' first-team offense hasn't clicked deep at all this preseason. Quarterback Eli Manning has attempted six passes traveling 20-plus yards through the air, per PFF. He's still looking for his first long-distance completion.
21. St. Louis Rams
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The St. Louis Rams have been patient from the very beginning with Todd Gurley, their all-galaxy first-round running back who's in the final stages of recovery from a torn ACL. Still, even the most prudently patient team could be tested if losses start to mount and your rookie savior is waiting on the sideline.
That's why having a healthy Tre Mason was important for the Rams, and now that dream has temporarily died, too.
Mason provided an infusion of speed in 2014 when he finally received his first snaps. He averaged 76.1 yards from scrimmage per game, and early in 2015 he was set to shoulder a large workload, while Gurley is brought along slowly.
That plan may be on hold for at least one week of the regular season and possibly more. Mason suffered a hamstring injury during a loss Saturday night to the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Jeff Fisher said he's now "questionable for the regular-season opener" (via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Who's left to be a football cliche as the next man up? Benny Cunningham, who averaged 3.7 yards per carry in 2014.
If Mason is out any longer than one week, the urge to shove more football's into Gurley's gut will be strong. Disciplined long-term thinking sounds nice in theory. But for coaches, remaining employed sounds even better.
20. New Orleans Saints
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The New Orleans Saints have a veteran quarterback who doesn't need much preseason fine-tuning and is probably pretty bored with this whole August football thing. So they left Drew Brees and the first-team offense out for only one series during the "dress rehearsal" game against the Houston Texans, and that one series could be a microcosm of what we'll see out of the Saints offensively all season.
There was plenty of grounding and/or pounding from running back Mark Ingram, who finished with 13 yards on his four carries. And there was also a steady diet of wide receiver Brandin Cooks in space. Cooks was targeted twice during the 14-play drive, sprinting away for 10 yards after the catch on one of his two receptions.
That combination—Ingram powering ahead and Cooks being elusive in the open field—figures to be the Saints' offensive motor.
19. San Diego Chargers
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A once-woeful San Diego Chargers pass rush is still making great strides forward, while opposing quarterbacks scurry.
Although Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked only once Saturday night, he was faced with a constantly collapsing pocket and forced to the outside where he had to control chaos.
Wilson is pretty good at that, as he's in his natural habitat when flushed from the pocket. So holding Seattle's first-team offense to only six points over six drives made for an impressive night from the Chargers defense. That's especially true when that effort was rooted in pressure from a unit that recorded only 26 sacks in 2014.
18. New York Jets
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If you're reading this in New York and heard a whizzing sound Saturday, don't worry. That high-speed projectile didn't do any damage to the New York Jets.
The business of bullet-dodging isn't typically an area where the Jets excel. We know this because quarterback Geno Smith had his face rearranged by a teammate.
But it seems as though they dodged another potentially catastrophic preseason injury after defensive end Leonard Williams went down Saturday against the rival New York Giants. Williams is now a critical cog in the Jets' defensive front as fellow defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson prepares to sit out four games because of a suspension.
So a lot of breath was held when Williams left early during the Jets' second preseason win because of a knee injury. Further testing revealed he avoided a serious problem and "only has a muscle strain behind his right knee," according to Seth Walder of the New York Daily News.
Williams is part of a defense set to win with the standard suffocate and swat approach. Getting pass attempts off will be less than fun for opposing offenses, and when a football is in the air, it will face a dangerous journey. Saturday became a fine example: Giants quarterback Eli Manning averaged only 5.7 yards per attempt while being sacked twice and picked off once.
17. Carolina Panthers
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This Week: 17
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After losing wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a torn ACL, the Carolina Panthers are left grasping for anyone to be a deep option on the outside. Sadly, that search might not reach a successful conclusion this season.
Brenton Bersin had the longest reception of any Panthers receiver who caught a ball from quarterback Cam Newton Friday during a win over the New England Patriots. But he defines dreaming as a 2012 undrafted free agent with only 15 career regular-season catches.
Jerricho Cotchery finished that game with four receptions for 38 yards. He brings little more than veteran, um, leadership? Sure, and although Ted Ginn has speed in buckets, he's best used purely as a situational deep threat. Ginn is long past the point in his career where he deserves regular snaps.
The Panthers will lean heavily on rookie Devin Funchess. But their search for a reliable Benjamin replacement will likely end with looking to another position entirely and feeding tight end Greg Olsen even more.
16. Miami Dolphins
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This Week: 16
Change: -3
Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill had a sparkling showing once again, this time against the Atlanta Falcons when he completed 78.9 percent of his passes. Overall this preseason 80.5 percent of Tannehill's 41 attempts have successfully found the desired destination.
But there's still concern ahead that emerged for Tannehill, and it's coming from Branden Albert's knee. One of the NFL's steadiest left tackles over a seven-year career tore his ACL in 2014. Initially he was progressing well in his recovery, and there was optimism the 30-year-old would be ready for Week 1.
That hope has been given a gut punch, as now Albert likely won't be ready until at least Week 3, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Caplan.
Tannehill has endured significant punishment behind weak offensive lines. He's been sacked 139 times over only three years, and he'll start 2015 without his primary protector.
15. Minnesota Vikings
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The Teddy Bridgewater-Mike Wallace connection in Norv Turner’s vertical offense is already a wonderful sight to behold.
The Minnesota Vikings quarterback and his newest receiver hooked up for a 39-yard completion against the Dallas Cowboys Saturday. Bridgewater's perfect rainbow toss floated into a tight hole deep down the sideline.
Wallace is the antidote for what ailed the Vikings in 2014 and is ideally the addition who will help push Bridgewater to another plateau. The last time he was properly utilized like the secondary stretching threat he is came with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over four seasons in Pittsburgh the now-29-year-old averaged 17.2 yards per catch.
14. Baltimore Ravens
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This Week: 14
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It's not time to worry about Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett yet, mostly because it's not time to worry about anyone yet. But you're free to at least widen your eyes just a touch.
Through three weeks of the preseason, Forsett is averaging 3.4 yards per carry. Of course, that comes on a tiny sample size of 15 carries. But in 2014 when Forsett was the NFL's fifth-best rusher, he was given 14.7 carries per game and averaged 5.4 yards.
Some early plodding from a running back who skyrocketed out of nowhere in 2014 is worth monitoring, as prior to that year his single-season high was 619 rushing yards.
13. Kansas City Chiefs
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Last Week: 15
This Week: 13
Change: +2
The preseason can become a process of slowly erasing doubts, which in a way is what Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is doing as he consistently targets his new receiver Jeremy Maclin.
Or maybe instead he's validating doubts? In the end it doesn't really matter as long as the two are jelling quickly, and Kansas City has something that resembles a deep threat.
The concern, of course, is always that Maclin—who had a career single-season high 1,318 receiving yards in 2014—won't be utilized properly in an offense that emphasizes short-to-intermediate looks. But although his downfield targets will take a dip in Kansas City, Maclin still brings that vertical presence when needed.
What's ahead then is Maclin likely becoming a hybrid option and able to compile production based on sheer volume. He'll be targeted on quick, short routes and given opportunities for yards after the catch, but he will also sent deep frequently enough.
We saw that mix Friday during a win over the Tennessee Titans. Maclin was on the receiving end of a 29-yard touchdown pass (his second this preseason) and was targeted on seven of Smith's 18 first-half throws. Overall, though, he averaged only 9.3 yards per catch.
12. Buffalo Bills
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Last Week: 14
This Week: 12
Change: +2
Repeatedly I've written here and elsewhere that despite the overflowing wealth of offensive talent the Buffalo Bills added this offseason, it's still hard to peg them as a playoff contender.
Doubt tends to creep over you when the Bills quarterback depth chart consists of one inexperienced arm as a starter (Tyrod Taylor), and two other passers who are either mediocre or awful depending on the day (Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel). But suddenly there's hope for an offense that will only need a caretaker to survive.
Taylor and Manuel combined to throw only two incompletions on their 21 attempts during a 43-19 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor was especially impressive and continued to show what his versatility can bring to an offense. He's now completed 77.4 percent of his pass attempts this preseason and has 108 rushing yards over the three games. That includes a 20-yard touchdown scramble against Pittsburgh.
Overall the four Bills quarterbacks posted a combined passer rating of 146.8 Saturday. In the only preseason game that kind of, sort of, matters just a tiny bit, Buffalo's weakness suddenly became a strength.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
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This Week: 11
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The Pittsbrugh Steelers defense took a 542-yard pummeling. When the last haymaker landed, that was the Buffalo Bills' offensive-yardage total, which is pretty gross even if the calendar still says August.
But maybe you're the optimistic type who can shrug and push that aside, knowing there will be some growing pains as a rebuilt defense matures. Fair enough, though personally I struggle to embrace delusion quite so easily.
However, there's no denying this fact: The Steelers are going to really, sorely miss wide receiver Martavis Bryant.
The 6'4" wideout with Inspector Gadget hands scored eight touchdowns in 2014, even while being inactive until Week 7. Now he'll also miss a sizable chunk of 2015 after being suspended four games following a substance-abuse violation.
He's a matchup nightmare due to his speed and leaping ability, both of which were showcased against the Bills. Bryant needed only three receptions to collect 138 yards through the air, which included a 63-yard heave from Steelers backup quarterback Michael Vick.
Overall this preseason he's averaging an absurd 29.3 yards per catch.
10. Detroit Lions
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This Week: 10
Change: None
Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate is a slippery yardage compiler after the catch. He gets great enjoyment out of giving defenders a comfy grass seat as they whiff on tackles. Oh, and he also enjoys textbook form on a marching band dive.
In three preseason games Tate has forced three missed tackles, per PFF, even while playing a meager 41 snaps. He's also accumulated 74 yards after the catch, most of which came on his 62-yard touchdown Saturday during a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He's still among the most elusive receivers after the catch, and he's still the ideal complement across from Calvin Johnson.
9. Arizona Cardinals
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This Week: 9
Change: -2
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson often didn't play like his normal, supremely gifted self in 2014.
He finished the season with a 97.0 passer rating allowed in coverage, per PFF, and looked beyond ordinary in a handful of games. Instead he seemed overmatched, especially against the Falcons' Julio Jones in Week 13 (174 yards allowed).
The hope and assumption is that 2014 was an abberation and an odd outlier for the shutdown corner. Then Amari Cooper happened.
Peterson often found himself across from the Oakland Raiders rookie wide receiver Sunday night, and that usually ended in tears. Peterson allowed three completions for 90 yards in just the first half, which included getting roasted by Cooper's quick movement for a 36-yard catch and run.
Antonio Cromartie departed as a free agent this offseason, and now Peterson will be leaned on to shut down half the field when the Cardinals' pass rush inevitably struggles again. Getting stuck in chase mode during the preseason isn't exactly a good look.
8. Philadelphia Eagles
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Last Week: 11
This Week: 8
Change: +3
If you're a quarterback who excels in an environment that demands accuracy on quick throws, and feels at home with high-volume play action, then you might be a Chip Kelly sort of guy.
That describes Sam Bradford, the Philadelphia Eagles new quarterback who's finally in a system that highlights his strengths, and it's showing immediately.
Bradford was perfect during his Eagles debut in a win over the Green Bay Packers, completing all 10 of his pass attempts for 121 yards and three touchdowns. His 156.7 passer rating was largely a product of precision on intricately timed short routes. But he also aired it out twice to wide receiver Jordan Mathews for 17- and 27-yard completions.
The success of Kelly's whirlwind offseason rests with Bradford being the right fit for his offense. Early indications are Bradford will have no problem keeping the Eagles' offensive carnival rolling.
7. Cincinnati Bengals
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This Week: 7
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton stays true to his form, even in the preseason. A week after needing only 17 dropbacks to get sacked three times and throw two interceptions, the curse of prime-time football was lifted.
Dalton led a methodical, dinking, dunking and weaving 16-play drive that covered 77 yards against the Chicago Bears Saturday. It featured a little bit of everything from a quarterback capable of doing it all when he's not suffering form jittery knees under the bright lights of national television.
Dalton ran for 16 yards, completed two short throws for third-down conversions and hooked up with running back Rex Burkhead for 25 yards.
He then exited early with a neck injury, but only as a precaution. The 27-year-old stayed in the game long enough to offer a quick reminder of what the confident Andy Dalton looks like.
His next trick? Keeping the mentally shattered Andy Dalton from appearing during the playoffs.
6. Denver Broncos
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This Week: 6
Change: -1
Peyton Manning still isn’t looking like, well, Peyton Manning.
The Denver Broncos quarterback left multiple throws short during his first-half appearance against the San Francisco 49ers. The most glaring was an end-zone interception on a ball intended for wide receiver Demaryius Thomas that would have been six points had Manning lobbed it to the back corner.
We’ve seen him nail that throw with ease while blindfolded and spinning. But this aging, fading version of Manning can sometimes struggle with tasks that once felt routine.
Manning didn’t do much to quiet concerns about his inability to connect deep consistently. That’s why as the 2015 season moves along, an offensive shift will likely continue, with a larger load placed on the legs and ample shoulders of Broncos running back C.J. Anderson.
5. Green Bay Packers
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Last Week: 4
This Week: 5
Change: -1
Bubble soccer is a real thing that actually exists. Mostly, it's just an excuse to send your friends bouncing across a gym floor, because you're invincible while encased in an inflatable bubble shield.
The Green Bay Packers would be wise to start using that bouncey device on all players during preseason games. It's the only way they'll survive.
Luckily none of the injuries suffered in Week 3 of preseason nothingness sound serious. But still, seeing wide receiver Randall Cobb, right tackle Bryan Bulaga and cornerback Micah Hyde all leave early Saturday during a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was jarring.
Cobb's shoulder injury caused a lot of hair to be removed from heads around Wisconsin. Fellow wide receiver Jordy Nelson is already lost for the season, and no amount of depth at the position would make up for Cobb missing major time too, even if the Packers have plenty. Nelson and Cobb combined to be on the receiving end for 63.1 percent of Green Bay's passing yards in 2014, which doesn't shock you even a little bit.
There's optimism Cobb will be ready for Week 1 after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported he suffered an AC joint sprain, instead of a collarbone injury as first feared. Which is good, because soggy cheeseheads are pretty depressing after they've been exposed to human tears for too long.
4. Dallas Cowboys
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Last Week: 6
This Week: 4
Change: +2
How do you replace your best defender? The Dallas Cowboys now have to wrestle with that question, and the answer might not be pretty, at least in the short term.
Cornerback Orlando Scandrick suffered a torn ACL during practice Tuesday. He's a physical, grappling corner who allowed a passer rating in coverage of only 87.1 in 2014, per PFF. In his absence Brandon Carr now becomes the Cowboys' top cornerback, and using that same metric he's been simply dreadful.
There were 73 cornerbacks who played at least 50 percent of their team's snaps in 2014. Carr posted a passer rating in coverage of 116.6, which ranked 70th, again per PFF. Then there's first-round bust Morris Claiborne, who's recovering from a torn patellar tendon, and first-round pick Byron Jones is still developing while also getting past a shoulder issue.
So the answer to our original question then will probably have little connection to the secondary. The Cowboys will likely look to cruise and favor bending over breaking for a few weeks. Then when defensive end Greg Hardy returns from his suspension, they'll hope his pressure is enough to compensate for leaks elsewhere.
3. New England Patriots
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Last Week: 2
This Week: 3
Change: -1
Slowly we're learning what the Jimmy Garoppolo-led New England Patriots offense will look like for potentially four games if Tom Brady's suspension stands. It will be effective at times and will ride along with white-knuckled reckless abandon at others.
In Week 2 of the preseason, Garoppolo tore apart the New Orleans Saints while completing 84.8 percent of his passes for 269 yards. Then in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers, two of his first three passes should have been interceptions. An evidently buttery ball kept Panthers cornerbacks from finishing routine plays. But Garoppolo still made poor decisions and didn't get nearly enough velocity on a sideline throw.
Then he rebounded nicely, finishing with a passer rating of 116.3. Inconsistency comes with inexperience, and that's a reality the Patriots may have to cope with.
2. Seattle Seahawks
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This Week: 2
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Let's begin with the pleasant news here, as I consider myself to be a generally cheerful person who seeks the brightest football sunshine.
The Seattle Seahawks getting better in another facet of the game is really scary, especially after they did that offensively with the addition of tight end Jimmy Graham.
But now Tyler Lockett is starting to transform the Seahawks' return game this preseason after they finished 2014 ranked 30th in kick-return average and 25th in punt-return average. He’s returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown, and then in a loss Saturday to the San Diego Chargers, he returned a punt 67 yards for another touchdown.
Lockett has attempted 11 combined punt and kickoff returns and has bolted for 367 yards (33.4 yards per return).
The Seahawks' bad news from Week 3 of the preseason is also familiar news: Quarterback Russell Wilson still finds himself in a state of chaos when trying to look downfield for any brief length of time. Wilson has faced pressure on 41 percent of his dropbacks this preseason while playing behind a struggling offensive line, per PFF.
1. Indianapolis Colts
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Last Week: 3
This Week: 1
Change: +2
There's still some uncertainty around the Indianapolis Colts offense, even following an offseason of gathering talent.
Will running back Frank Gore finally resemble a human and slow down after 2,942 career touches, including playoffs? And at 34 years old can wide receiver Andre Johnson return to his 1,400-yard-plus form?
When there's some age-based gambling going on, having a young consistent producer with nearly unmatched speed is a pretty nice safety net. For the Colts that's wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who now has 96 receiving yards on five receptions during his limited preseason playing time.
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