Week 3 of the preseason continued Friday with two games featuring four playoff teams from last year, including the eventual Super Bowl champions. In the end, the Patriots won a nail-biter over Lions and the Seahawks knocked off the Chiefs.
Read on for everything you need to know from those two games.
Scores and schedule
Eagles 38, Dolphins 31 (GameTracker)
Panthers 24, Jaguars 23 (GameTracker)
Patriots 30, Lions 28 (GameTracker)
Seahawks 26, Chiefs 13 (GameTracker)
Bills at Ravens, Sat., 7 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Jets at Giants, Sat., 7 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Cardinals at Falcons, Sat., 7 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Colts at Steelers, Sat., 7:30 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Browns at Buccaneers, Sat., 7:30 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Chargers at Rams, Sat., 8 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Texans at Saints, Sat., 8 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Raiders at Cowboys, Sat., 8 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Packers at Broncos, Sat., 9 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Bears at Titans, Sun., 1 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Bengals at Redskins, Sun., 4:30 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
49ers at Vikings, Sun., 8 p.m. ET (GameTracker)
Spencer Ware carted off
The Chiefs suffered a potentially devastating blow in the first quarter when running back Spencer Ware went down after catching a pass. He immediately grabbed his right knee. It appeared to be a non-contact injury.
He was carted off the field.
Not what Chiefs fans want to see: Spencer Ware carted off with an apparent leg injury pic.twitter.com/uSUJg6AIsY
— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) August 26, 2017
The Chiefs ruled out Ware with a knee injury. The extent of the injury is unknown, but if Ware is going to miss a portion of the regular season, it will leave a large void in the Chiefs' offense. Last year, Ware rushed for 921 yards and three scores. He added 447 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver.
The Chiefs did draft Kareem Hunt in the third round, so he'd likely receive more playing time if Ware's injury is a serious one. Their roster also features Charcandrick West and C.J. Spiller, both of whom could be in line for more action.
The good news is that Hunt looked great in the first half, rushing for 39 yards on nine carries. For Fantasy analysis of Ware's injury, click right here. Spoiler alert: Hunt could be a quality Fantasy option.
Edelman limps off with feared torn ACL
The Patriots' opening drive featured a heavy dose of Julian Edelman, but their reliable receiver was unable to finish the drive. After catching his third pass and picking up his 52nd yard of the drive, Edelman limped off the field with an apparent leg injury.
He didn't return during that series, and the team announced soon after that he was questionable to return with a knee injury. In the third quarter, he was ruled out. After the game, it was reported that the Patriots fear Edelman tore his ACL.
Losing Edelman would obviously be a huge blow to the Patriots. Last year, he caught 98 passes for 1,106 yards and three touchdowns.
Alex Smith, Patrick Mahomes both shaky
Alex Smith wasn't good on Friday night. Neither was his supporting cast. The good news for Smith is that Patrick Mahomes was shaky, which means there definitely isn't going to be a quarterback controversy before Week 1.
Smith went 7 of 17 for 44 yards, averaging 2.6 yards per attempt. That's awful. But it wasn't entirely his fault:
Alex Smith had nearly as many of his passes dropped (6) as completed (7) in the first half.
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) August 26, 2017
He played the entire first half. In the second half, Mahomes took over. As expected, Mahomes flashed signs of potential ...
Mahomes makes a play on 3rd down to pick up the 1st pic.twitter.com/GjJsOLnEkl
— Ben Baldwin (@guga31bb) August 26, 2017
... but also provided a reminder that he's still a rookie who needs time to develop.
Mahomes what are you doing pic.twitter.com/Ne2lbKIVX1
— Ben Baldwin (@guga31bb) August 26, 2017
In all, Mahomes went 8 of 15 for 70 yards, averaging 4.7 yards per pass. That's not good enough to warrant starting consideration.
It's Alex Smith's job -- for now, at least.
Eddie Lacy outshined again
It's not that Eddie Lacy was bad on Friday night, but once again, when he was given an opportunity to take a firm grasp on the RB1 job, he failed to do so.
Again, Lacy was fine. He was actually better than he had been in previous preseason performances. He rushed for 21 yards on four carries, though 11 of those yards came on his first carry of the game.
But someone else was better. That someone else: Chris Carson, who picked up 46 yards on eight carries. Carson, the Seahawks' seventh-round pick, also shined last week, when he rushed for 27 yards on six carries. In his first preseason game, he scored two touchdowns. Nobody should expect Carson to jump over Lacy on the depth chart, but Carson is making his case to claim a spot on the final roster.
As for Lacy, he simply hasn't done enough to earn the starting job over his competition, Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise, both of whom didn't play on Friday. So, expect some sort of backfield by committee in Seattle.
Michael Bennett sits, Marcus Peters rides bike
Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett continued his protest against racial injustice by remaining seated for the national anthem. Once again, Justin Britt stood next to Bennett and placed his hand on his shoulder.
On the other sideline, Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, who raised his first during the anthem last year, rode a stationary bike:
Marcus Peters rides the stationary bike during the pregame anthem, as shown on CBS pic.twitter.com/ElugqbRaHL
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) August 26, 2017
Russell Wilson is nearly flawless
Russell Wilson appears to be ready for the regular season. In the first half on Friday, Wilson went 10 of 14 for 160 yards, a touchdown, and a 133.0 passer rating. It wasn't the stat line itself that was impressive. It was the way he achieved it.
Take a look at some his best highlights, like this big gain to Jermaine Kearse:
👀@DangeRussWilson and @JKearse_15 connect for a big gain! #KCvsSEA pic.twitter.com/CulJ8CX6dS
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2017
And here's Wilson dropping in a dime to Jimmy Graham. Notice how Wilson leads Graham just enough so the trailing defender can't deflect the ball, but not too much so the incoming safety can pick it off. This was perfect:
.@DangeRussWilson out here droppin' dimes. #KCvsSEA pic.twitter.com/0A6XtK56Wt
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2017
He came back in for first series of the second half and led the Seahawks to a field goal. He added another throw to his highlight reel:
Another beautifully thrown ball by @DangeRussWilson!
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2017
This time to @DougBaldwinJr. #KCvsSEA pic.twitter.com/ZKVZb86V0w
Assuming the Seahawks' offensive line can keep Wilson upright, Wilson could be in for a huge season. In all, he went 13 of 19 for 200 yards and a touchdown.
Brady starts perfect
On the bright side, Tom Brady tore apart the Lions' defense on that opening series, completing all four of his passes for 59 yards and a touchdown. Here's the touchdown, a seven-yard pass to Chris Hogan:
Touchdown, @Patriots!
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2017
Tom Brady hits @ChrisHogan_15 for the score on the first drive of the game. #NEvsDET pic.twitter.com/H0ls1ur6eF
Brady got the ball back immediately due to a Lions fumble. On the first play, Brady targeted Hogan again, this time deep down the sideline. His throw was perfect and Hogan came down with the 32-yard touchdown.
Tom Brady.@ChrisHogan_15.
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2017
AGAIN!
The two connect for another @Patriots TD! #NEvsDET pic.twitter.com/KO3OdkJvWM
So, after two series, Brady was 5 of 5 for 91 yards, two touchdowns, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. It might be time to yank him from the game. He looked ready for the regular season, but the Patriots kept on sending him back onto the field.
He led the Patriots to another touchdown drive, which traveled 74 yards on seven plays. That drive included a 31-yard pass to Danny Amendola and was finished by Mike Gillislee, who scored from a yard out.
Brady's fourth drive ended with a field goal. Finally, the Lions forced a stop on Brady's fifth series. Eventually, they even forced an interception.
And the pass is picked off!@GloverQuin27 comes down with the INT.#NEvsDET pic.twitter.com/aZXQxjMg4o
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2017
Despite that ugly pick, Brady's stat line was still impressive. Brady, who got pulled late in the second quarter, completed 12 of 15 passes for 174 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a 126.8 passer rating.
Patriots running backs impress
The Patriots' backfield might be a Fantasy nightmare (it is), but it is also going to be a nightmare for opposing defenses. On Friday against the Lions, the power of the Patriots' backfield was on full display.
Dion Lewis got the start. He rushed for 11 yards on four carries. It was Mike Gillislee, the expected starter, who shined. Carrying the ball eight times, Gillislee picked up 38 yards and a touchdown. And then there's Super Bowl star James White, who totaled 25 yards on just four carries. He also caught one pass for eight yards.
The Patriots' backfield is full of versatile playmakers and it should absolutely terrify the rest of the league.
Seahawks shorthanded on offense
The Seahawks are rolling into Friday's important preseason contest against the Chiefs missing several names on the offensive side of the ball. Running backs Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise won't suit up, giving Eddie Lacy another opportunity to make a positive impression after running for just 30 yards on 10 carries over his first two games. Seventh-round rookie Chris Carson has outplayed Lacy over the first two weeks and could seriously contend for early-season touches if he can keep it going Friday.
What may be more important than how running back carries shake out is who steps up to play left tackle in the wake of George Fant's season-ending knee injury. The team traded for Matt Tobin earlier this week, and while he'll see some action in Friday's game, Rees Odhiambo will start and is likely the favorite to man left tackle in Week 1. Also watch the battle at right guard on Friday, as Mark Glowinski is battling Oday Aboushi for the starting job.
The Seahawks aren't expected to be at full strength at receiver on Friday either, as Tyler Lockett is reportedly unexpected to play.
Previously in Week 3 of the preseason
On Thursday, no one was able to grab hold of the Jaguars starting quarterback reins in an uneven performance for both Chad Henne and Blake Bortles, Jay Cutler's second game with the Dolphins was also filled up and downs and Carson Wentz look great during his work with the first-team offense. You can read about those stories and everything else from Thursday's action in our daily roundup.
More news
- Odell Beckham is reportedly receiving laser treatments on his injured ankle.
- The Patriots have gauged the trade market for DE Kony Ealy, who was acquired earlier this offseason.
- The 49ers released LB Ahmad Brooks on Friday, who led their team in sacks each from from 2013-16.
- Titans WR Eric Decker isn't going to play in Sunday's preseason game, while RB DeMarco Murray could also miss the game.
- Jets DL Leonard Williams has a goal for this season: an average of one sack per game.