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

This is the dress rehearsal—Week 3 of the 2016 NFL preseason. On Sunday, six teams hope to get a better feel for how they're looking with the regular season just two weeks away.

In order to get you prepared for the last Sunday of preseason football this summer, here's one note per team in action.

Another Look at Osweiler, Fuller and Miller in Houston

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Brock Osweiler

In an attempt to retool their passing game, the Houston Texans made a huge splash this offseason by signing quarterback Brock Osweiler and then taking wide receivers Will Fuller and Braxton Miller in the first and third rounds, respectively, of the draft.

In the team's first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, Osweiler completed only four of seven passes, hitting Fuller and Miller just once each. Fuller's four-yard grab was his only reception that night.

But in Houston's second preseason game, this time against the New Orleans Saints, Osweiler was able to spread his wings with 12 completions on 19 attempts, hitting Miller and Fuller a combined five times. One of Fuller's grabs was a 19-yard touchdown.

Expectations are growing with Fuller expected to start out wide and Miller once again expected to receive heavy playing time in the slot as the Texans take on the Arizona Cardinals in their third preseason game Sunday.

With head coach Bill O'Brien already saying Osweiler will have an increased workload, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, it's fair to conclude this will represent our best chance to get a feel for this new-look offense.

Is Jeremy Hill Back?

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Jeremy Hill

This is also a huge week for fantasy football participants who are looking for clarity before making draft decisions that could shape the next four months of their lives.

Some of those folks were undoubtedly burned last year by Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill, who enticed fantasy drafters by averaging 5.1 yards per carry and rushing for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns despite starting only eight games as a rookie in 2014.

Hill failed to live up to the hype as a sophomore, rushing for only 794 yards despite starting virtually the entire season. His yards-per-attempt average plummeted to 3.6.

But Hill's been on fire this summer. He looks rejuvenated and is hitting holes with impact. The sample size in the preseason is small—he's rushed for 16 yards on three carries in both of Cincinnati's games—but expect the 23-year-old to get a much larger workload Sunday when the Bengals take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Another strong performance could give Hill an edge over veteran back Giovani Bernard while also boosting his fantasy draft stock.

Will We See Teddy Bridgewater in Minnesota?

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Teddy Bridgewater

Midway through the Minnesota Vikings' preseason schedule, superstar running back Adrian Peterson has yet to carry the ball, and franchise quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has thrown just seven passes.

We got confirmation this week, per ESPN.com's Ben Goessling, that the 31-year-old Peterson will sit out the rest of the preseason, but head coach Mike Zimmer has been coy about Bridgewater's status.

For what it's worth, Goessling reported that Bridgewater, who sat out last week's game against the Seattle Seahawks due to a sore shoulder, expects to get some action Sunday when the Vikings open up their new stadium against the San Diego Chargers.

How much will we see of Bridgewater? Your guess is as good as mine, but it would be nice for him to get some extended action in the team's important third preseason game with first-round rookie receiver Laquon Treadwell.

Will We See Robert Nkemdiche or Tyrann Mathieu for the Cardinals?

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Tyrann Mathieu

The Arizona Cardinals have been without two of their most talented and promising young defenders this month, but rookie first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche (high ankle sprain) and All-Pro defensive back Tyrann Mathieu (torn ACL) are finally practicing with the team.

Nkemdiche was eased back to practice this week, according to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss, who also noted the Cardinals hope to give him 20-25 snaps per game at defensive tackle this season. Meanwhile, Mathieu is back just eight months after tearing his right ACL, but he's preaching patience.

"I wouldn't say I'm ready to play a full game," Mathieu said this week, per Darren Urban of the team's official website. "I still feel like I have a ways to go."

We shouldn't expect to see much from either player Sunday when the Cardinals play the Houston Texans, but even a glimpse would satisfy a lot of excited fans.

A Bigger Test for Jalen Ramsey?

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Jalen Ramsey

Highly touted Jacksonville Jaguars rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey made a heck of a statement in his NFL debut last week, recording three tackles—including one for a six-yard loss on his second play from scrimmage—in only two series against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But the No. 5 overall pick wanted more.

"I wish they would have come at me on the first play," Ramsey said after the game, per ESPN.com's Mike DiRocco. "That's my mindset. If they come at me I'm going to make a play. I'm going to beat the guy in front of me. That's what they brought me here for."

There's no guarantee that'll happen Sunday night when Ramsey and the Jags host the Cincinnati Bengals, but there's a good chance the 21-year-old will see more action, as is customary in the third week of the preseason.

There are plenty of reasons to take a sneak peek at the young and talented Jaguars on Sunday night, but having a chance to see Ramsey for most, if not all, of the first half might top that list.

Darius Philon's Extended Chance in Place of Joey Bosa

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Darius Philon

It doesn't look as though No. 3 overall pick Joey Bosa is going to be joining the San Diego Chargers anytime soon, which is bad news for everybody in San Diego.

Except Darius Philon.

That's because the 2015 sixth-round pick has been starting in the defensive end spot Bosa was supposed to claim, and he's been excelling. Philon started San Diego's preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, earning the highest Pro Football Focus grade on the team. He followed that up with a decent starting effort last week against the Arizona Cardinals.

Now, in San Diego's third preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, he'll likely have another chance to play multiple series with the first-team defense.

The 22-year-old isn't as highly touted as Bosa, but he's easy to cheer for. He missed a large portion of his rookie season and nearly saw his career go up in flames after coming down with a rare infection in his hip area in October. He battled back to play a limited role during the final four weeks of the season, but few thought of him as a potential long-term cog until he started performing so admirably while Bosa held out this spring and summer.

Now, the Arkansas product has a chance to solidify an early-season starting role with a strong performance Sunday in Minnesota. Keep an eye.