Competition in the NFL is a good thing…
except maybe some teams should’ve wrapped up training camp battles by now?
Preseason Worries
What Happened: Over the last few seasons, it’s become the norm for NFL teams to heavily rest, if not outright sit, established starters during the preseason. Certainly by the last week of preseason action, you could expect to see players with any name recognition whatsoever dressed in shorts and t-shirts on the sideline as rookies and third-stringers fought for those precious few roster spots still up for grabs.
Which is why, if you are a fan of the 49ers, Patriots, Steelers, or Raiders, this weekend’s preseason action might elicit some worries ahead of Week 1.
Why It Matters: San Francisco is firmly in “Super Bowl-or-bust” territory, which makes it even stranger that Kyle Shanahan is likely to play his starters, and not just for a quick cameo. Injuries have ruined the Niners’ build-up to the season; now, they have to use this weekend to try and build some rhythm before welcoming Aaron Rodgers and the Jets to town for the season’s first Monday Night Football matchup.
The Patriots and Steelers are both trying to sort out the small matter of “who is our quarterback?” In Pittsburgh, neither Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields has seized the job, and Mike Tomlin has been non-committal to his Week 1 starter. No rush coach!
Jerod Mayo is choosing between steady veteran Jacoby Brissett and no. 3 pick Drake Maye in New England. It’s probably a safe bet that Brissett at least begins the season as the starter, but Maye pushing the old-timer is at least an encouraging sign of his development in camp.
Finally, the Raiders. It’s Gardner Minshew’s job, but for how long? Las Vegas fans may want to tune in tonight to see how Aidan O’Connell performs, because it’ll probably his gig before long anyway.
What We’re Watching Today
Phillies at Royals (8:10 PM ET) – Two of the highest scoring teams in Major League Baseball, both battling for playoff positions,in an extreme hitter’s park? Oh yeah, sign us up for this one.
49ers at Raiders (10:00 PM ET) – Watch Brock Purdy slice and dice a Vegas defense for a few quarters! Seriously though, if this doesn’t go smoothly for San Francisco, questions will start to pop up. Training camp injuries, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams contract disputes, and a primetime game against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets to kick off the season? The road back to the Super Bowl looks daunting already.
The Look Ahead
Carlos Rodon STRIKEOUTS – Make no mistake, the Rockies strike out a TON, and Rodon ranks in MLB’s top-20 for Ks this season. Still, a line of 8.5 is a big ask, especially considering Rodon has failed to top that mark in 11 of his last 12 starts. It might be close, but we’d lean under here.
