NFL Preseason Week 3: What to Watch for in Sunday's Action

Fourteen of the 16 games in Week 3 of the preseason are now finished. The remaining battles feature the Houston Texans visiting the New Orleans Saints at 4 p.m. ET on Fox and the Arizona Cardinals in Oakland for a matchup with the Raiders at 8 p.m. on NBC.

The third game of the preseason is generally noted as the final significant game before the regular season begins. After Sunday, the vast majority of players who have already competed will be fighting for their NFL lives, not for starting roles that will heavily affect the coming season for their respective franchises.

Despite there only being two games Sunday, there are plenty of individuals to keep an eye on to close out the weekend. For some, immediate starting jobs are on the line, while others are in position to sneak into a more notable role down the road.

Here are five things to watch out for during Sunday's preseason games.

Quintin Demps

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If you've followed HBO's Hard Knocks series at all this summer, you'd know that safety Quintin Demps was the biggest signing the Houston Texans made in camp. He has started 15 games over the past two years with the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Giants, which is a change of pace from when he spent five years as a backup defensive back for the Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles to start his career.

The perception was that Demps was going into Houston's camp as a safety net, but he is now in a battle for the starting gig, as Houston cut Stevie Brown this past week. The Texans signed Brown in May with 19 starts with the Giants on his resume. According to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com, the Giants, who have struggled with health in their defensive back unit this preseason, plan to sign Brown.

Demps isn't being given the starting gig; he still needs to outduel Andre Hal, last season's seventh-round selection who made 21 tackles off the bench during his rookie year. Week 3 will be a big test for Demps. Does the 30-year-old have enough in the tank to take over as a starter once more, or will a late-round gem pass him up for the opportunity?

The Derek Carr to Amari Cooper Connection

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Amari Cooper (No. 89)

Since 2001, only Jerry Rice and Randy Moss have cracked the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the Oakland Raiders. Amari Cooper isn't ready to be crowned as one of the best of all time, like Rice and Moss are, but there's at least a good chance the Alabama rookie is the best wideout the Raiders have seen since Moss left in 2007.

The future of the franchise, and the fate of the front office, rests on the shoulders of Derek Carr, the second-year quarterback from Fresno State. He posted a lowly 5.5 yards per attempt last season through the air, but considering he had little to no help, this will be the first year he faces true judgment.

Against the Minnesota Vikings, the two young talents connected on a 40-yard streak that lifted 2015 exceptions instantly. If they can do that in the preseason, why can't Cooper be this year's version of Odell Beckham Jr.?

If Oakland, which is tied as the third-least-likely team to advance to the Super Bowl based on gambling odds on OddsShark.com, has any shot at coming away with a divisional title over the likes of Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers, it will need to establish a passing game early in the season. Last year, the Raiders finished last in yards per attempt and third-worst in passer rating.

On Sunday, focus on Carr and Cooper setting up the run by succeeding in the passing game. If they can't manage to get it going, Raiders fans may be in for a long 2015.

David Johnson

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As a rookie, Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington netted 5.5 yards per carry as a rotational runner. When he won the starting job as a sophomore in 2014, that average dropped to 3.3 yards per carry. At this point, Ellington looks like the top back in the desert, but there are no certainties in the NFL.

David Johnson, a rookie third-round pick, has some distance to make up before he can become a threat to pass Ellington for the starting role, but it's not as impossible as some would have you believe. Johnson was a Matt Forte clone coming out of Northern Iowa, and he's seen success this preseason. According to Pro Football Focus, he registered nine broken tackles last week against the San Diego Chargers, a preseason record by the site's account.

Chris Johnson, the former 2,000-yard rusher, is also competing with the rookie for the No. 2 role, but since he's battling a hamstring injury, there's a chance he won't see the field Sunday. If the former Panther can contribute in place of CJ2K, he may earn enough touches to make the backfield a committee to kick off the regular season.

Brian Hoyer

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This has been a big week for the Houston Texans. First, the coaching staff named Brian Hoyer, who signed on as a free agent in March, as the starting quarterback over Ryan Mallett, a former third-round pick for the New England Patriots whom head coach Bill O'Brien traded for just prior to the 2014 regular season.

Last year, Mallett, the high-upside passer, started two games for the Texans and posted a 67.6 passer rating. For Hoyer's career, he hits the 76.8 mark. Mallett's variance is as stretched out as his 6'6" frame.

Houston chose to go with the more consistent passer, and considering Mallett is still living off potential he had as a high school recruit and the fact that he's now 27 years old, O'Brien could well have made the right decision.

With the job firmly in the grasp of Hoyer, we'll see if the Hard Knocks star is be able to hold down the job for a full 16 games. Tom Savage, a fourth-round sophomore, is also gunning for the 29-year-old's role. Against an improved New Orleans Saints defense, it will be interesting to note if Hoyer can move the ball without Arian Foster and a strong second receiver next to DeAndre Hopkins.

J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Vince Wilfork and Brian Cushing are going to lead the defense in the regular season. In a recently weak AFC South, Hoyer can guide the offense into a wild-card bid if he can protect the football and manage the game on first and second down.

New Orleans' Running Backs

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C.J. Spiller (No. 28)

There's a good chance C.J. Spiller won't suit up for the New Orleans Saints until Week 3 of the regular season, according to Scott Alexander of ESPN 100.3 FM in New Orleans. That throws a monkey wrench into the Saints' plans, considering the squad gave the 28-year-old running back a four-year, $18 million deal in March and was already playing 2015 with a tight wallet.

In 2014, New Orleans and Drew Brees sorely missed a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. Spiller looked to fill in the role Darren Sproles vacated in 2013, with Mark Ingram, a former first-round pick, being the main tailback of the offense.

The Saints have played without Spiller for the duration of the preseason because of a knee injury. If they are just now realizing he may not be ready for the start of the regular season, the running back rotation could look different against the Houston Texans, considering Week 3 of the preseason is tabbed as the dress rehearsal for the regular season.

Will Ingram stay in more often on third downs? Will Khiry Robinson and Tim Hightower see more touches in an attempt to get them acclimated to what the Saints will need them to accomplish at the start of the year? Don't be surprised if a curveball comes out of the backfield Sunday.