5 Things We Learned in Thursday's Preseason Finales

The 2012 preseason schedule is finally complete. All 32 NFL teams have wrapped up their exhibition games, and the four mostly meaningless contests are now directly in the rearview mirror. 

That means it's almost time for some real football, ladies and gentlemen. 

Having said that, before we completely focus on the regular season, there's still time to take a quick look back at last night's preseason finales. 

Here's what we learned from the games played on Thursday night. 

The Lions Look Comfy at Running Back

The Detroit Lions may be without Mikel Leshoure for two games to start the 2012 season, but the backfield upon his return looks in much better shape today than it did just days ago. 

Earlier this week, the Lions were rumored to be interested in potentially acquiring a running back via trade (via Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports).

Leshoure did his best to help quiet GM Martin Mayhew's fears with an impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. 

The second-year back from Illinois ran for 43 yards and a score, while also turning a short reception into a 33-yard gain that set up another Lions touchdown. What's more, he appeared to be over the Achilles injury that cost him the entire 2011 season.

Detroit will need to tread water with the backups until Leshoure is reinstated in Week 3, but the Lions should be able to rest easy at the position once he's back.

Graham Harrell Should Be the Packers' Backup QB

Graham Harrell was handed the backup quarterback job by the Green Bay Packers after Matt Flynn bolted to the Pacific Northwest in free agency, but had mostly been a huge disappointment through three preseason games in 2012. 

The much-maligned quarterback turned that all around on Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Harrell completed 13 of 15 passes for 223 yards and two scores, giving him a perfect 158.3 passer rating on the evening. He played most of the second and third quarters before giving way to rookie B.J. Coleman. 

Simply put, it was the performance Harrell needed to lock down the backup job in Green Bay. He should be a lock to make the Packers' final 53-man roster today.

Trindon Holliday Has Pro Bowl Potential

While Trindon Holliday clearly has Pro Bowl potential in 2012, he remained on Houston's roster bubble until another breathtaking performance against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night. 

The 5'5" return man has world-class speed. He executed a 76-yard punt return in the third quarter that helped give Houston a 21-10 lead, returning what was his third kick for a touchdown in four games.

Holliday also has returns of 87 yards (kick) and 90 (punt) this preseason. He fumbled twice against the New Orleans Saints last week.

Now, however, Texans head coach Gary Kubiak almost has to bring Holliday along on the 53-man roster on Friday after the game-changing plays he's made this preseason. 

Colin Kaepernick Looks Plenty Capable

There's no doubting that Alex Smith is the starting quarterback in San Francisco, especially after his heroics in last year's postseason. However, at some point down the line, Smith is going to feel some serious pressure from a young quarterback that continued to have a solid preseason on Thursday night.

Kaepernick, the 49ers' second-round pick in 2011, completed 12 of 18 passes for 153 yards and two scores during San Francisco's 35-3 rout of the San Diego Chargers. He finished the 2012 exhibition schedule with a 64.1 completion percent and a passer rating of 104.1. 

He may not start any games in 2012, but it appears as if the 49ers have a well-prepared backup for both for this season and the future. On Thursday night, Kaepernick looked like the real deal.

Big Injuries (and Scares Too) Happen

In the final week of the preseason, the only thing NFL coaches want to avoid is key injuries to important players. 

Wouldn't you know it, a couple of those nightmare scenarios unfolded on Thursday night. 

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton gave his team a big scare early on, but the early diagnosis is it's just an arm bruise. 

The Packers lost B.J. Raji to a scary-looking ankle injury on the first play from scrimmage. Early word from that injury is positive, too. 

With that being said, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens may not be as lucky. 

Inside linebacker Sean Spence tore up his knee and will likely miss the rest of the season. He was going to be a key part of the Steelers defense in 2012. In Baltimore, rookie Courtney Upshaw left with an injury to the same shoulder he's had problems with in camp. He'll get a further look from team doctors today, but you could sense worry coming from the Ravens sidelines on Thursday night. 

It's a risky endeavor playing key players in a mostly meaningless game, and it came back to bite at least a few coaches on Thursday.