#ProTops Primer: NFL Preseason Week Three
Last week was kind of a bummer, as we lost yet another ProTopper to an ACL injury with George Fant being carted off the field in the…
Last week was kind of a bummer, as we lost yet another ProTopper to an ACL injury with George Fant being carted off the field in the Seahawks’ second contest of the preseason.
Here’s to solid numbers for our guys, but also that everyone stays healthy. Please.
Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts (at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sat. at 6:30 p.m.)
Doyle hauled in all three of his targets for 12 yards in the Colts preseason Week 2 loss at Dallas. Doyle is the undisputed starter for the Colts and is rated among the top 10–15 range of starting tight ends in the league. Week 3 in the NFL preseason is the dress rehearsal, and Doyle should play close to three full quarters against the Steelers. Ultimately, he’ll be one of the few ProTops to be a starter this season. However, his productivity in that role could hinge on on Andrew Luck’s health moving forward.
Tyler Higbee and Omarius Bryant, Los Angeles Rams (vs. LA Chargers, Sat. at 7 p.m.)
Higbee caught just one catch for 12 yards on two targets in the Rams Week 2 win over the Raiders. ESPN’s fantasy profile had the following spin about Higbee:
Higbee started and appeared to play all the snaps with Jared Goff, while rookie second-round pick Gerald Everett mostly worked with the second unit. Given the slow learning curve for young tight ends, Higbee should be able to lock down the starting role heading into Week 1, though any struggles during the season could open up an opportunity for Everett. Both players face a difficult path to earning significant target volume in an offense that appears fully stocked with skill-position weapons in the wake of the Sammy Watkins trade. That said, Watkins’ presence should help open up the middle of the field for the team’s tight ends, running backs and slot receivers.
Higbee is tight with Jared Goff and should be the early starter with the Rams. We should keep an eye on his production against the Chargers Saturday night; a good performance could lock in the starting job, another indistinguishable effort could tighten the competition even further.
Bryant faces a long odds to make the Rams active roster. He hasn’t registered any tackles or stats during either of the Rams preseason games. I did find the following tidbit about Bryant on Twitter from the Rams game against the Raiders:
Defensive tackles have a hard time accumulating stats since they’re called upon to clog running lanes and take on offensive lineman to clear a path for linebackers to clean up the mess. Bryant might see a little action during the fourth quarter of this weeks game against the Chargers. If he survives the upcoming round of cuts, a practice squad spot might be an attainable goal for him.
Steve Donatell, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Fri. at 7 p.m.)
Donatell hasn’t made too much of an impact on the Seahawks in the preseason so far. Being behind players such as Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson at the tight end position doesn’t help him too much but he did log one reception for ten yards versus the Vikings. Hopefully he will see more playing time in the Seahawks final two preseason games.
Brandon Doughty, Miami Dolphins (at Philadelphia Eagles, Thur. at 6 p.m.)
The Dolphins signing Jay Cutler after losing Ryan Tannehill for the year hasn’t helped Doughty move up on the Dolphins depth chart any. While Cutler didn’t play too much in his debut with Miami against the Ravens, Doughty didn’t play too much either. He had a pretty decent game in his first preseason game against Atlanta, but last week against the Ravens he only threw 2-for-5 for 40 yards and was sacked twice while the other backup he is competing against, David Fales, saw more snaps (but didn’t do that much better ). The Dolphins QB situation has been quite an interesting one for sure but Doughty seems to be making strides upward and we’re hoping he plays more against the Eagles on Thursday night. That game will be nationally televised on the NFL Network, with kickoff coming at 6.
Bobby Rainey, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Buffalo Bills, Sat. at 6 p.m.)
Despite the Ravens crushing the Dolphins 31–7, Rainey got two touches, one for 12 yards (he finished with 13 total) in the Baltimore victory. He also returned one punt for nine yards. I’m not sure if the Ravens are saving him for heavy use in the regular season but this preseason hasn’t been friendly. I think we’ll have a better idea of how Baltimore really wants to use him this week, with it being the dress rehearsal around the league.
Darrell Williams, Jr. and Prince Charles Iworah, San Francisco 49ers (at Minnesota Vikings, Sun. at 7 p.m.)
The 9ers dropped last week’s game to Denver, 33–14, and Prince Charles Iworah sat out after surrering a late-week injury.
Williams was a part of an O-Line that allowed just one sack, but also allowed for just 37 rushing yards out of the San Fran backfield (the 49ers only rushed the ball 19 times as well). The two former Tops will share a national stage as this Sunday affair will take place on NBC.
Taywan Taylor and Tyler Ferguson, Tennessee Titans (vs. Chicago Bears, Sun. at 12 p.m.)
Tennessee topped the Carolina Panthers last week and Taywan enjoyed himself a day, hauling in three catches for 41 yards, including a 20-yard reception. Unfortunately, Ferguson didn’t see any playing time, but still remains a Titan heading into preseason week three.
What game will you have your eye on this weekend? Who would you like to see have an explosive game? Do you have roster thoughts on who might make a 53-man squad? Let us know in a comment below, via Twitter at @TheTowelRackWKU or on our Facebook page.