NFL Preseason Week 4: Crucial Matchups in the Final Week

The scores don't matter. Most starters won't even take a snap; they'll just stand idly by on the sidelines wearing a t-shirt with their team logo embroidered on the chest. 

For most fans, Week 4 of the preseason is a total waste. Unless you are interested in position battles to see who will shine enough to avoid being a last-second cut, you probably won't even tune in.

With that being said, Week 4 of the preseason means everything for some players.

Veterans who signed with new teams, players battling for playing time and others who are coming off injuries need to perform well in order to stay with their respective teams. For some, such as Tim Tebow or Terrelle Pryor, Week 4 of preseason could very well determine the rest of their careers.

Running back Trent Richardson was recently released by the Oakland Raiders. His future in the NFL is unclear, which goes to show just how much preseason performance could mean for a certain player. 

The games on this list are crucial mainly because some of its participants are fighting for jobs. As usual, if you feel as if I've missed a game, be sure to chime in the comments and let me hear your case. 

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Washington Redskins

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

McCoy can further damage RGIII's standing in the Redskins' organization.

The Washington Redskins, as usual, have been nothing more than a nonstop symbol of chaos, uncertainty and turmoil.

That trend continued this week when Kirk Cousins was named the starting quarterback for the entire season, placing Robert Griffin III's future with the club very much in doubt.

With Griffin currently sidelined due to a concussion and with no hope of being anything more than a backup, Colt McCoy has an opportunity to shine.

McCoy will be playing the whole game on Thursday against the Jaguars, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

If McCoy impresses, he could make the Redskins’ inevitable decision to part ways with Griffin come sooner. Perhaps coach Jay Gruden will feel comfortable enough with McCoy as a backup to waive Griffin and save cap space moving forward.

Shifting gears to the Jaguars, running back T.J. Yeldon needs to showcase his abilities a bit more in the final week.

In his first preseason action, he had eight rushes for 10 yards and scored a touchdown during which he was lit up at the goal line and fumbled just after he broke the plane. He added one catch for 12 yards. Volume doesn’t equal production, as we’ve seen in the past with running backs. It's a common fantasy misconception to overvalue someone just because they are a starter.

The truth of the matter is that if the passing game can't get going, running lanes for the rookie are going to be hard to come by. 

One writer doesn't think that Yeldon's debut was all that bad, however:

“The numbers at face value don't impress, but Yeldon showed burst on his short catch and displayed some 'huevos' on his unfortunate leap,” wrote Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com.

Still, it wouldn't hurt Yeldon to make more of an impression than just 1.3 yards per carry.

New England Patriots vs. New York Giants

Wide receiver Reggie Wayne was held without a catch in his preseason debut. After the Colts elected not to re-sign the future Hall of Famer, he joins the Patriots, which looks fantastic on paper but comes with question marks.

Nick Canelas of SportingNews.com notes that history isn't on Wayne's side:

“Since 1999, only three players—Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice and Tim Brown—have made 50 or more receptions in their age 37 season. And only 10 seasons in NFL history have seen a player 37 or older reach the 50-catch mark. Half of those seasons belong to Rice.”

Wayne has been incredibly fortunate to be able to catch passes from Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and now Tom Brady during his career. With the Patriots depth at wide receiver thinning, Wayne should see plenty of targets in the early going and could have a large impact this season.

If he can get accustomed to the playbook and become comfortable in the offense, he could be poised to show that he can defy the odds given his age.

For the Giants, running back Andre Williams has just seven rushes through three preseason games and was held without a yard in Week 3 against the Jets. He led the team with 721 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns last season as a rookie and was expected to take the next step this season.

The addition of Shane Vereen in the offseason makes the backfield a little murkier, as Vereen can steal carries from both Williams and Rashad Jennings. Vereen is also expected to be heavily involved in the passing game.

If Williams wants to solidify any type of significant role in the offense, he better show up this week.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos

Matt York/Associated Press

Can Chris Johnson revive his career?

Running back Chris Johnson is making preseason debut on Thursday against the Broncos and has a lot to prove. The veteran is far removed from being CJ2K, but he hopes that he can prove he still belongs in the league. 

“Just go out there and try to get in the groove, get some carries in,” Johnson said of what he’s hoping to accomplish Thursday, according to Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com. “I haven’t been tackled since last year. I haven’t played a full-speed game or anything.“

“I always have something, have a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I’m just happy to be playing football right now. Just going to go out there and make the most of my opportunity.”

Johnson had an underwhelming season last year with the Jets, scoring just one touchdown in a reserve role.

Another player to watch is linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who missed last year with an Achilles injury and all of preseason with hamstring injury. The Arizona Cardinals took a flier on him, and he has to prove to them that he can stay healthy and produce.

“It stinks, man, because a new free agent signing, you want to show people what you can do,” he told Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com on having to sit out. “When you’re banged up you don’t get a chance to do that.”

Weatherspoon has a lot on the line in Week 4 and needs reps to contribute in the early going of the regular season.

Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears

His career as a quarterback didn't pan out, but Terrell Pryor is trying to stick in the league by any means possible. Even playing wide receiver.

“Cleveland’s Terrelle Pryor and his achy hamstring sat again [in Week 3]. He probably needs to play Thursday against the Bears to have a chance to make the team as a wideout,” wrote Peter King of Sports Illustrated.

Pryor has said that he may only be 70-80 percent healthy for the final week of the preseason, where he needs to showcase his abilities to earn a roster spot, per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. 

For the Bears, another wide receiver needs to get going as well.

Eddie Royal has just three catches for 24 yards thus far in the preseason. He missed Week 3 with a hip injury and hasn’t capitalized on injuries to fellow wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White.

Royal still projects to have a big year given the volume of targets he will see. His best season was his 2008 rookie year with Jay Cutler as his quarterback. Royal set career-highs with 91 catches and 980 yards with the Denver Broncos that season.

Preseason performance isn't the best barometer to judge a player's upcoming campaign, but a few nice catches in Week 4 would ease the minds of all the fantasy owners who took a flier on Royal this season. 

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Jets

I wouldn't exactly call myself Skip Bayless, but I'm of the mindset that Tim Tebow never got a fair shot in the NFL. Week 4 of the preseason might be his last chance to prove he belongs.

After winning a home playoff game against the Steelers in 2011, Tebow was shipped to the Jets, where quarterback careers go to die.

Rex Ryan, clueless as usual on the offensive side of the ball, used Tebow as a wildcat running back and saw him run straight ahead more often than not. It was the most predictable and embarrassing scheme you'll ever see in the NFL. 

Since then, Tebow has bounced around a bit, but he has never earned another real shot. According to Jimmy Johnson, Eagles coach Chip Kelly is doing all he can to give Tebow just that.

"I've talked to Chip Kelly a few times and Chip is trying to make it work," Johnson said on Open Mic radio show, per Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.

"Tim Tebow brings so much to the table and so much to the team that if you were very good in all the different areas—offensive line, running the football, defense—I think you could be successful with Tim Tebow as your quarterback," Johnson said.

Tebow is 10-of-19 with 97 yards in the preseason. He has been impressive with his legs, adding 10 rushes for 50 yards and a TD.

Kelly has been impressed by Tebow's progress thus far.

"I’ve seen Tim improve since he got here,” Kelly said, according to Martin Frank of USA Today. “I’ve seen him improve his throwing motion. … I think he’s really worked very hard at that, sequencing his throwing motion. I think he’s been a lot more accurate with his passes. He’s had a good camp.”

Can Tebow be a good quarterback in the NFL? Well, we don't really know. What we do know is that he's unconventional and requires a different playbook than most others. That doesn't mean he can't be successful, however.

Also, the days of the "Tebow circus" seem to be done, so that's another reason the Eagles should take a flier on him. In Kelly's versatile offense, I'm sure there are several ways that Tebow's skills can be utilized for the greater good of the Eagles.

Tebow knows the magnitude of this preseason game for the rest of his career but attempted to downplay it. 

“I wouldn’t say [I’m] more nervous,” Tebow told Frank. “I always get excited, nervous for every time I step foot on the field for practice or a game.”

Another journeyman quarterback will look to use this game to earn a roster spot.

Matt Flynn, who is running out of places to cash in on his 2011 Week 17 explosion, is on the verge of being cut if he can't prove his worth against the Eagles. Flynn hasn't played since the Jets signed him on Aug. 18. 

Even with Geno Smith out, the Jets still have Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty and Josh Johnson along with Flynn competing to make the roster. It'll come down to Flynn vs. Johnson when all is said and done, and Week 4 will be a large indicator of who makes the cut.