NFL Preseason Games 2012: Studs and Duds from Wednesday's Action

With each night of preseason games comes a handful of standout performances, whether they are good or bad.

There were only three preseason tilts on Wednesday night, but each one held its own value.

The Redskins showed the power of their run game in their 30-3 beating of the Buccaneers. The Giants and Patriots both showcased their defenses (or was it bad offenses?), and the Cowboys ran Phillip Tanner and Lance Dunbar all the way to a win over Miami.

Let's get inside the game and pick out Wednesday night's studs and duds.

Stud: Roy Helu, RB

Roy Helu was instrumental in the Redskins' blowout win over Tampa Bay.

He ran the ball 15 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 34 yards. Every time he touched the ball, it felt like something positive was going to happen, and for the most part, it did.

Helu isn't the fastest running back, but he knows how to set up his cuts in the open field. He forms a solid tandem with Evan Royster in the backfield, and he shone through with this latest performance.

Look for Helu and Royster to handle duties as a team this year, but Helu was the star in this one.

Dud: Brett Ratliff, QB

Nothing would have helped Tampa Bay avoid the 30-3 thrashing put on its team by Washington, but Brett Ratliff certainly didn't help.

He went 14-of-30 for 164 yards and three interceptions. He was also sacked five times, and you could tell that each one impacted him more than the last.

His 24.2 quarterback rating was nothing to write home about either.

Ratliff would probably like to forget this game ever happened. Not only did he make a habit of throwing the ball to the other team, but he was punished by countless Washington defenders.

Stud: Lance Dunbar, RB

This was going to be Phillip Tanner until Dunbar broke his 58-yard touchdown run in the third quarter versus Miami.

Dunbar is undersized at 5'8'', and he hasn't done anything in prior preseason games, but he really broke out. Though still behind Tanner, Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray on the Dallas depth chart with one run, he became Dallas' best offensive player on the field for one evening.

Dunbar finished with 15 carries for 105 yards and one touchdown on the night.

Dud: Matt Moore, QB

If Matt Moore wants his starting job back, you can hardly tell so far this preseason.

He backed that up once again by going 4-of-12 for 49 yards and an interception Wednesday night. His quarterback rating was a grand 12.2.

That's just bad, and it hasn't been good for weeks now. He's yet to throw a touchdown this preseason and he doesn't have any confidence in the pocket. He now has two interceptions, and he's also fumbled the ball twice.

The Dolphins' loss wasn't all his fault, but he certainly didn't help matters.

Stud: Tiquan Underwood, WR

Tiquan Underwood caught six passes for 82 yards for Tampa Bay despite his team getting thrashed 30-3. He was targeted 11 times.

Underwood caught three balls for 76 yards in Week 1 of the preseason, but followed that up with a forgettable Week 2. On Wednesday, he was the only bright spot on Tampa's offense.

He's currently buried in the Buccaneers' depth chart, but his quickness makes him an interesting candidate to play in the slot. The Bucs have big, vertical threats already.

You would have liked to see Underwood with a few more catches, given the number of balls thrown his way, but his latest effort stood out from an otherwise dismal team performance.

Dud: Jonathan Crompton, QB

There aren't any misgivings that Jonathan Crompton will see the field this season, barring a dire emergency, but he did nothing to help himself on Wednesday.

I hate to pick on a guy who only threw two passes, but everything went wrong for Crompton in the limited time that he had.

He was 1-of-2 passing and also managed to throw an interception and lose a fumble. You almost have to feel bad for the guy. Turning the ball over twice in a short period of time can't feel good.

He finished the game with a 22.9 quarterback rating and a lot of damaged pride.