NFL Preseason Week 3: Injuries and More Work for Starters
While Michael Vick is more likely to face a jury box than screaming NFL fans these days, what happened to Vick exactly four years ago is worth mentioning. It was in the 2003 preseason that Vick broke an ankle, pretty much ending his season and the Falcons.
It is a coach's worst nightmare to see any key player go down, but it's even worse if it happens in a meaningless exhibition game. That's one reason coaches keep preseason game plans simple and limit the work of starters. In Week 1, the Ravens blitzed the heck out of the Eagles, prompting Andy Reid to basically pack it in, pulling out his key players, absorbing a 29-3 shellacking and getting out of town.
Reid is no dummy. Staying healthy was more important and the Philly coaching staff was more than a little miffed at the Ravens for being so aggressive on defense. That aggressiveness may have caught up with the Ravens this past weekend. Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle and wide receiver Mark Clayton sprained ankles in the 13-12 loss to the Giants in what was a physical game.
It was worse for the Giants. Two members of the Giants' starting defense left in the second quarter. Safety Will Demps, who started all 16 games last season, dislocated an elbow and cornerback Sam Madison pulled a hamstring. New York also lost two offensive players. Wide receiver Michael Jennings had three catches for 31 yards before rupturing his Achilles tendon, and Steve Smith left with a concussion.
The Broncos also had a tough weekend, not only losing in Dallas but getting banged up. RB Travis Henry got a sprained left knee and backup RB Mike Bell strained his left hip. Henry was able to walk without help to the locker room, and the MRI revealed he should return before Bell. Tests on Bell's hip delivered news he will be out two weeks, the rest of the preseason.
All of which brings up Weeks 3 and 4 or the preseason. Week 3 is when, historically, teams will play their starters the most, usually about 3 quarters. It depends on how much work the coach thinks the team needs, plus injuries and other factors. The Saints and Steelers, for instance, are playing an extra preseason tilt because they opened the year with the Hall of Fame game. So this is their Week 4 while everyone else is in Week 3.
The Broncos' starters usually don't play in the fourth preseason game, so RB Henry may have taken his last exhibition carry this year. It's important to keep in mind other factors, too. Two of the most interesting this week will be the Jets and Seahawks. Both teams are off embarrassing losses and coaches Eric Mangini and Mike Holmgren were furious in press conferences. Mangini threatened an extra-hard week of practice. No doubt he is going to push the starters for a regular-season type effort.
The Jaguars have had a fascinating preseason because of a total change in offensive philosophy. Jack Del Rio has long been known as a conservative, run-first coach, but he's brought in OC Dirk Koetter, the former pass-happy coach at Boise State and Arizona State. Del Rio admitted they were going to be working on the passing game and both Jacksonville games have gone over the total.
The starting unit struggled this past weekend against Tampa Bay and they also picked up a few injuries. In what Del Rio called the "negative point" of the game, three Jaguars players left with injuries, in guard Chris Naeole (sprained a knee), safety Reggie Nelson, their top pick this year, sprained an ankle, and defensive lineman Tony McDaniel sprained a knee. The latter two will miss Thursday's game in Green Bay. Injuries, fired up coaches, and how much the starters play are all key factors to examine carefully in Week 3 of the NFL preseason.
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