The Texans also must fix their run defense. Somehow, they allowed the Dolphins to gash them repeatedly. The Texans allowed Salvon Ahmed to average 8.3 yards per carry against them. Then, they let Chris Brooks average 4.3 yards-per-carry and Raheem Mostert hit 5.0 yards-per-carry.

The Texans will continue their strong evaluation of CJ Stroud. Ultimately, they will see how he plays, and the plan is to play a couple of series to determine how he handles NFL action early.

But the Texans need to establish a running game. Unfortunately, all the running backs struggled. The offensive line must do a better job of opening holes and giving the running backs opportunities to run through them. Therefore, they have two weeks to prepare for the Baltimore Ravens, and running the ball and keeping the chains moving will be the best way to keep Lamar Jackson off the field.

The 49ers are planning to play all of their starters in the preseason finale versus the Chargers.

Typically, the third game of the preseason throughout the history of the NFL has always been viewed as the "dress rehearsal" game. It acts as a light warmup to the regular season as opposed to just throwing the starters into the deep end from the jump.

But a team that is as established as the 49ers arguably doesn't need that. Playing all of the starters is a real gamble due to potential injuries, but that is something Kyle Shanahan isn't overthinking. In fact, he views this as a great benefit to his starters to play in the final preseason game.

Still too many points for me

The Tennessee Titans are set to close out their preseason on Friday night against the New England Patriots, but how they’re going to approach the game remains up in the air.

We know we’ll see the usual suspects, meaning the players who are battling for roster spots. But as far as the starters go, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, that remains to be seen.

When asked about Tannehill, head coach Mike Vrabel said the team had yet to make a decision on if he will play.

And he had the same response when asked about quarterback Will Levis, who was unable to suit up in preseason Week 2 due to a lower-body injury.

Friday night’s preseason finale between the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers will be a good example of the difference in coaching philosophies regarding the exhibition season.

The Lions will not play any starters in the game, based on head coach Dan Campbell’s statement prior to Tuesday’s practice. Campbell noted of the final exhibition matchup, “It’s going to look very much like the first two games.”

Detroit sat all the offensive starters and even some key reserves in the first two preseason games. Most defensive starters have also been rested throughout the preseason.

After a lively Joint practice on Friday that ended with a fight between the two teams, Philly and Indy will get to settle things on the scoreboard.

What was supposed to be a nice reunion in the City of Brotherly Love quickly turned chippy. Nonetheless, the opposing sideline will feature new Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who was the Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022. He’s making his return to Philly after helping lead the team to the Super Bowl last season, and he brings with him Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew, who had been with the Eagles for the past two seasons.  

Sirianni will also be facing his former team. He was the Colts’ offensive coordinator from 2018-2020.

Indianapolis Colts rookie Anthony Richardson is expected to start the preseason finale Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.

Following the joint practices Tuesday in Philly, head coach Shane Steichen confirmed that most of the starters, including Richardson, would see the field for the finale.

The Falcons won their first preseason game over the Miami Dolphins before ending their second game in a tie with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The third, and final, exhibition game for both teams should feature more action from traditional “first-stringers” as the Steelers and Falcons make final evaluations ahead of upcoming roster cuts, but don’t discount the snap totals of depth players on both squads in what should be an interesting match.

The Baltimore Ravens play the Washington Commanders on Monday night in the second of their three preseason games. The Ravens have a chance to extend their 24-game winning streak in the preseason dating back to 2016.

After a couple of lively joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday this week, this matchup is highlighted a deeper look at preseason standouts and the offense under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. 

Quarterback Tyler Huntley looks to continue his brilliance in preseason Week 1. The fourth-year quarterback was 8-of-11 for 88 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tylan Wallace in the Ravens' win.

Baltimore first-round receiver Zay Flowers has been tormenting his teammates in training camp and against the Commanders in joint practices. Keep an eye on the rookie on Monday night as he is slated to have a large role in Baltimore's new offense. Flowers' debut in Week 1 did not jump off the page, playing only eight snaps without a catch ... However, he impressed off the ball. 

On Friday in a joint practice with the New Orleans Saints, the Chargers’ ground game looked improved.

This was the positive on a day when Justin Herbert and the passing attack struggled to make any bold statements.

Only two teams — Tampa Bay and Houston — rushed for fewer yards last season than the Chargers. They averaged 89.6 yards per game, which was fewer than Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry.

In their first preseason game, the Chargers amassed 214 rushing yards against the Rams but that was behind mostly reserves along the offensive line and without Ekeler suiting up.

I think the Chargers will take a step back this week with this being a somewhat dress rehearsal if the game is played at all. 

Both teams are coming off a week one performance that will be enough to push this game over the total. This will be a dress rehearsal for both teams on the back of practicing together for two days this past week. The Chargers still don't appear happy with their passing game, so expect both teams to throw quite a bit. Look for a high-scoring game if the game is played at all. 

Friday night, the Cincinnati Bengals will be traveling to play the Atlanta Falcons at home in the second preseason game for each team in a game that could feature more starters than Week 1 did, and based on head coach Arthur Smith's latest comments.

"Bijan [Robinson] and CP [Cordarrelle Patterson]; they're great all-around football players, and we've got a lot of, especially, a lot of young skill guys with unique skill sets. Kyle [Pitts] and Drake [London], Jonnu [Smith], Mack Hollins. We've got a diverse group of offensive weapons. So we can attack in a lot of different ways," Smith said on the Pat McAfee Show.

As we near the regular season, expect to see some light action from the exciting players Smith mentioned, such as Atlanta's offensive pillars (Pitts, London, Ridder, Robinson), since scoring will rely on whether or not Ridder can move them down the field and score while playing behind one of the leagues best offensive lines.

Last Saturday wasn’t exactly a pretty welcome for the Panthers 2022 third-round pick Matt Corral, who missed the entirety of his rookie campaign with a Lisfranc fracture.

Corral struggled early and often, failing to pick up a first down on his first three possessions. He was also responsible for two turnovers—a fumble and a late pick—in an offense that simply could not move the football.

The rough outing wasn’t too much of a surprise given his absence (and that offensive line). But Corral will need to show the Panthers something to warrant a roster spot.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson has put in two strong performances so far. While no amount of preseason heroics will displace Deshaun Watson, the rookie's trajectory is worth watching on two levels.

First, backup quarterbacks do matter; it's easy to write them off, but you don't want to be without a reliable No. 2 option when the starter goes down. If Thompson-Robinson can continue to prove himself, he might enter the season as the Browns' secondary signal-caller.

Beyond that, preseason can be an opportunity for a player to put himself in the shop window. Even if he doesn't show enough to secure the Browns' backup job, DTR could show enough to earn a job with another organization. You never know who's watching a performance, and when that scout or executive will come calling.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson has put in two strong performances so far. While no amount of preseason heroics will displace Deshaun Watson, the rookie's trajectory is worth watching on two levels.

First, backup quarterbacks do matter; it's easy to write them off, but you don't want to be without a reliable No. 2 option when the starter goes down. If Thompson-Robinson can continue to prove himself, he might enter the season as the Browns' secondary signal-caller.

Beyond that, preseason can be an opportunity for a player to put himself in the shop window. Even if he doesn't show enough to secure the Browns' backup job, DTR could show enough to earn a job with another organization. You never know who's watching a performance, and when that scout or executive will come calling.

He may not be the permanent starter, but Trey Lance will be the 49ers' starting quarterback for San Francisco's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Lance got the nod to start over fellow former first-round pick Sam Darnold, who signed with the 49ers this offseason after spending the past two seasons with the Carolina Panthers. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the plan is for Lance to play most of the first half and Darnold to play in the second half. Veteran Brandon Allen, the fourth quarterback on the 49ers' roster, will also get some playing time Sunday in Las Vegas.  

On offense, the progress of the Chiefs' young wide receivers is far and away the most intriguing element. With Kadarius Toney out, it remains to be seen how much starters such as Skyy Moore and potentially Marquez Valdes-Scantling will play. There's a clear drop-off after that, though, which could lead to the likes of rookie Rashee Rice, second-year wideout Justyn Ross, and veteran Richie James getting plenty of snaps. Kansas City's receiver room is loaded with youth, and the preseason presents an opportunity for everyone to shine. 

On offense, the progress of the Chiefs' young wide receivers is far and away the most intriguing element. With Kadarius Toney out, it remains to be seen how much starters such as Skyy Moore and potentially Marquez Valdes-Scantling will play. There's a clear drop-off after that, though, which could lead to the likes of rookie Rashee Rice, second-year wideout Justyn Ross, and veteran Richie James getting plenty of snaps. Kansas City's receiver room is loaded with youth, and the preseason presents an opportunity for everyone to shine. 

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made his stance on playing starters in preseason known right away when he didn’t let guys like Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson see a single snap of action last year. The same should be expected when the Vikings head to Seattle for their first preseason matchup of 2023. That should give rookies and young guys on the bubble plenty of opportunity to showcase their talents. Even without starters playing, there should still be plenty of storylines to pay attention to in the Vikings' preseason opener, including an intriguing rookie quarterback Jaren Hall's debut.

Minnesota’s defensive deficiencies last year were no secret to anyone watching. They made bad quarterbacks like Mac Jones, Mike White and Daniel Jones (twice) look like All-Pros. It was absolutely maddening watching their corners line up 15 yards off the ball and drop into shell coverage snap after every snap. Former defensive coordinator Ed Donatell may have been a Vic Fangio disciple, but he certainly couldn’t convey the same message.

Enter Brian Flores, who has proven to be one of the better defensive minds in the game over the past decade. He should instantly transform a unit that was the most conservative in football into an ultra-aggressive group. It will be interesting to see how Flores decides to set the tone in Preseason Week 1. Defenses tend to get a little more vanilla as those games progress, but a few early blitzes would be a welcome sight. 

Resting starters entirely during the preseason, leaving the relatively dirty work to joint practices, has become a growing trend in the modern NFL. But if the preseason still has a purpose, it's made for teams like the Patriots, who are searching for a sense of offensive identity and consistency, especially after Jones' tumultuous winter and spring. New England is also looking for places where their plethora of picks can make an impact either in the short or long term.

Like the Jets, the Browns went 7-10 last year and are hoping to be a player in the AFC playoff race this season. This will be the first full season in Cleveland for Deshaun Watson, who split his six starts last season while completing just 58.2 percent of his throws in those games. Watson will again lean on the running of Nick Chubb, a Pro Bowler each of the last four years. Last year, Chubb ran for a career-high 1,525 yards that included 12 touchdown runs and a 5 yards-per-carry average. 

Thursday night will be Browns fans' first look at rookie Cedric Tillman, a third-round pick who caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season at Tennessee. Also making his NFL debut for Cleveland is quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick who threw for 3,154 yards and 27 touchdowns last fall while guiding UCLA to a 9-4 record. 

Like the Jets, the Browns went 7-10 last year and are hoping to be a player in the AFC playoff race this season. This will be the first full season in Cleveland for Deshaun Watson, who split his six starts last season while completing just 58.2 percent of his throws in those games. Watson will again lean on the running of Nick Chubb, a Pro Bowler each of the last four years. Last year, Chubb ran for a career-high 1,525 yards that included 12 touchdown runs and a 5 yards-per-carry average. 

Thursday night will be Browns fans' first look at rookie Cedric Tillman, a third-round pick who caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season at Tennessee. Also making his NFL debut for Cleveland is quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick who threw for 3,154 yards and 27 touchdowns last fall while guiding UCLA to a 9-4 record. 

We may see a lot of Carson Wentz today but with all the injuries the Commanders had this week on their OL and the fact they have just two TE's for this game, I think the number is too high. 

We won't see Russell Wilson but there are many regular Broncos that will see significant time, like Montrell Washington. In their joint practice Thursday, the Broncos' offense held a major advantage throughout. 

Many are talking about this Niners defense as the best they've had since their last Super Bowl appearance.  I suspect we'll see Packers money but the Niners are the side here. 

Kansas City's offense will be led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes who looked okay in the second preseason game. In that game, he completed 10 of his 18 pass attempts for 78 passing yards and zero touchdowns. However, he also threw one interception and this number smells like a trap. 

The reports are that quarterback Carson Wentz could be ready for Week 1 but quarterback Jacob Eason has been killing it throughout the preseason. He has been named the starting quarterback for this game as he is coming off a good performance against the Steelers as he went 16-of-27 for 132 yards. He has played well while rookie Sam Ehlinger has tossed three interceptions in the first two preseason games. If Wentz remains out for Week 1 then Eason will be under center but it could be a quarterback battle as Eason was one of the best quarterbacks throughout the entire preseason.