NFL Preseason Week 1 Recap

   One of two possible thoughts ran through your mind as week 1 of the NFL preseason went by: either you recognize that it is really crappy football on the whole and has zero impact on the regular season OR, like me, you were giddy with joy to see any football that doesn't involve Canada, no pads, or lingerie.  Actually, just Canada or no pads.  Let's keep the lingerie football league around for now....Regardless, a week of games came and went, so there must be some fantasy notes to take from it, right?  I believe so.  Also, there's nothing else to write about, so deal with it.  Check out my thoughts from each game, analyzing ANY (emphasis on any) possible fantasy prospects.



Ravens 44 Buccaneers 16:  While 44 points would be an exciting score any other time of the year, almost all of these points were accumulated by non-starters.  A couple things to notice though: Doug Martin had 2 carries for 0 yards, Bernard Pierce had a 20 yard TD run (Ray Rice didn't do much), and Justin Tucker was 3-3 with a 57 yard field goal.  Advice?  Draft Tucker in round 1.

Bengals 34 Falcons 10:  Great start as two NFC South rivals got hammered.  Otherwise, not too much going on.  Geovani Bernard snagged the one running TD, and Dane Sanzenbacher had a receiving TD and return TD.  I actually remember that name...I think he was on the Bears at some point?  Wikipedia confirms he played for the Bears during the 2011-2012 season.  Why do I remember these things?? Moving on.

Browns 27 Rams 19: Bradford and Weeden both looked solid here, even if nobody was watching.  Chris Givens snagged 3 catches for 82 yards and a TD, raising his sleeper stock.  Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead looked solid, but Greg Zuerlein was the star here.  He nailed both of his field goals, one at 54 yards and one at 55.  Year of the kicker?

Redskins 22 Titans 21:  No RG3 or Alfred Morris sightings, but Kirk Cousins and Jake Locker looked sharp.  More importantly, this improved Titans' offensive line proved its worth.  Chris Johnson only had 2 carries, but they went for 60 yards and a TD.  He has round 1 talent, so keep an eye on him.  Meanwhile, Shonne Green had 5 carries for 32 yards and a TD.  Perhaps CJ2K's biggest downside is having Greene as a TD vulture, but there should be enough to go around.

Broncos 10 49ers 6: 3 field goals and a defensive touchdown between two of the strongest teams in the league.  Snore.  Peyton and Caepernick had 4 passes each, so no fantasy advice here.  Maybe next week.

Seahawks 31 Chargers 10:  Tavaris Jackson was the star here, and that means nothing.  Ryan Matthews had a couple solid runs, but no Lynch sightings and nothing to learn from the Seattle receiving corps unless Stephen Williams is secretly a stud (2 catches for 83 yards and a TD), but I REALLY doubt that.

Panthers 24 Bears 17:  At last! A game I actually watched almost all of!  Unfortunately, the best part of this game was the Panthers' defense.  Actually, that's pretty exciting, just not for fantasy.  Forte had one carry for -1 yards, Cutler was intercepted on his first throw, and Cam was 3/6 for 16 yards and a TD and an interception.  DeAngelo struggled, but he's got time.  At least we got the W....small victories.

Lions 26 Jets 17: Mark Sanchez had a TD, but I think we should focus on his first pass being an interception.  This is just a guess, but if I had to watch myself in the Butt Fumble for over 35 weeks on Fridays, I would be a little nervous too.  I think ESPN retired it, but I'm not sure.  Otherwise we saw Geno Smith suffer a minor ankle injury and Megatron looked like Megatron (all of Stafford's 58 yards went to Johnson).  Must resist....picking him.....in first round....

Patriots 31 Eagles 22:  After shredding the Eagles' secondary in practice all week, Tom Brady continued to do so in this game.  I wouldn't worry too much about him this year.  More importantly, Ridley had 8 carries for 92 yards and a TD.  Have I mentioned that I love him this year?  Have I also mentioned how funny it is to watch Tim Tebow pass? Mike Vick looked solid and will win the starting job barring an injury.  Solid backup if you feel the need.  As for Shane Vereen, he had a receiving TD which I believe he will have quite a few of.  I see him more of a Danny Woodhead than an actual threat to Ridley.  Very solid flex play.

Dolphins 27 Jaguars 3: Ryan Tannehill continues to improve while Blaine Gabbert remains the worst quarterback not named Tim Tebow.  In fact, I'd rather have Tebow because of the whole "performs miracles" thing. Lamar Miller fumbled on his first handoff, so hopefully that gets better.  Unfortunately, no MJD sightings, so keep tuning in to those Jacksonville "highlights".

Cardinals 17 Packers 0: Carson Palmer people!  He looked very solid and that is wonderful news for Larry.  Larry himself had a couple snags for 21 yards.  As for the Packers, the wide receiver carnival continued.  We didn't see Cobb or Nelson, but Jones caught one pass for 50 yards.  Any week of the year one of the three could be the top guy, so maybe look elsewhere for a more reliable number one.

Texans 27 Vikings 13: Nothing too exciting here other than the number one top play submitted by DeAndre Hopkins.  He snagged an incredible catch from TJ Yates, solidifying his spot as a sleeper.  He has huge potential, so look for him to possibly take up your flex spot.  Otherwise we had no Foster or AP sightings, but it's not like we need more proof that they are awesome (although it would be nice if Foster weren't injured...).

Saints 17 Chiefs 13: Alex Smith looked ever-so-efficient going 7-8 for 68 yards, and that is good news for Chiefs fans.  However, the biggest note to take away from this game is about Jamaal Charles.  He had a mediocre 5 carries for 13 yards, but he led the team with 3 receptions.  Andy Reid likes to pass, and Charles is going to catch a lot more than he ever has.  He also grabbed a one yard TD run.

Raiders 19 Cowboys 17: Dez Bryant looked to pick up where he left off, grabbing 3 catches for 55 yards.  Great news for Cowboys' fans, bad news for my wastes column.  Other than that we saw a roulette of horrible to average quarterback play for the Raiders, and DMC getting 5 yards off 3 carries.  Ick.

Giants 18 Steelers 13: This one was a field goal and defense fest, with the exception of one Victor Cruz sighting.  It is nice to know the contract negotiation did not destroy his big play ability (shocking), but this is exactly what we should expect from Cruz.  He is always a threat to hit the home run, but other than that he isn't too special.  You know how I feel about living by the boom or bust players.  That being said, Cruz has significantly more upside than a player like Mike Wallace.  Who used to be on the Steelers.  Who did nothing interesting in this game.

Bills 44 Colts 20: The final game of the week was nothing special.  Except for the fact that the winning score was also 44 points.  But that isn't very interesting.  Aside from a field goal by Vinatieri and a TD pass from T.Y. Hilton, you probably would not recognize a single name from the box score.  However, that could just be me.  But seriously, not many people know who Da'Rick Rogers is.  Even if he does have a top ten hilarious name.  Advice?  Grab Hilton as a sleeper.  I already love him, so this is no surprise.

Preseason can be a bore, but there are tidbits hidden throughout.  Leave the sifting to me, and tune in next week.