The NFL’s preseason schedule concludes this week with Week 3. The Packers, Chiefs, Texans, and 49ers kicked off the festivities on Thursday, with four more games occurring Friday. What does today’s slate of Saturday football have in store?
Is there Saturday football today?
There are several games on the schedule on Saturday. Let’s take a look at each of them.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV channel: NFL Network
Live Stream: Paramount+, Vidgo, fuboTV, NFL+
The first bout of Saturday football action sees the Jacksonville Jaguars heading to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. The Falcons retooled this offseason after severing ties with some contracts limiting their salary cap space. Most notably, the Falcons traded franchise QB Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts.
The Falcons are in rebuild mode with a look at the depth chart. They currently have rookie WR Drake London penned as WR1, while A.J. Terrell will do his best to stop the bleeding for the defense. If the offseason transactions and preseason performance weren’t an indicator, 2022 will be a long season in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars are waiting for the return of RB James Robinson as the last piece of the offense. Robinson participated in team drills this week while wearing a non-contact jersey as the running back continues to recover from his torn Achilles. Doug Pederson’s Week 1 estimate for Robinson’s return seems highly likely. In the meantime, expect a heavy dose of Snoop Conner as Travis Etienne Jr.’s backup.
Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Bengals
Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV channel: NFL Network
Live Stream: Paramount+, Vidgo, fuboTV, NFL+
The fireworks came out on Thursday in the final session of a three-day joint practice between the Rams and Bengals. During a drill between the Bengals’ first-team offense and the Rams’ first-team defense, Cincinnati LT La’el Collins took exception to prolonged contact after a drill ended and swung punches at a Rams player once free. This instance catalyzed a massive brawl which featured Rams DT Aaron Donald having Bengals helmets in both hands and swinging them.
Once the fight was broken up, both teams decided to pack it up and cancel practice as they both were off on Friday. Both coaches seem intent on moving past the incident without making it any more significant and are not worried about this spilling onto the field Saturday night. With both teams intent on sitting their starters, the parties involved will be on their respective sidelines, minimizing the chances of a brawl in this Saturday football game.
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: Local
Live Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
While the Rams and Bengals are content with sitting their starters, the Browns and Bears still have quite a bit to figure out ahead of the 2022 regular season. Most notably, the construction of Cleveland’s offense has changed with Deshaun Watson’s suspension lengthening. Before the NFL lengthened Watson’s suspension from six to 11 games, the QB was getting some time playing to prepare for the season.
Now, because he will miss almost 75% of the season, the Browns need to get Jacoby Brissett some substantial snaps with the starters in the closest thing to a regular-season environment. Expect to see Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski play his starters for at least three drives.
Meanwhile, the Bears still struggle to scheme protection for second-year QB Justin Fields. If these issues are notable in the preseason, they will only worsen as the regular season progresses. It looks like Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is using Fields’ mobility to his benefit, though, as the young QB has made some positive plays this preseason. While protection is an issue, someone has to catch Fields’ passes, and that picture is not too clear right now, either. The season might start a bit rough for Chicago as they continue to iron out the plan.
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: Local
Live Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
One player of note to watch in this game is second-year cornerback Caleb Farley. Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, Farley was a risky pick due to concerns over his back injuries. The Titans selected him with the 22nd overall pick, and he did not practice until Aug. 2 following his recovery from a microdiscectomy just before Virginia Tech’s Pro Day. His season would then end in Week 6 after tearing his ACL.
Now fully recovered and healthy, Farley is expected to get more playing time and could be a beneficial addition to the defense this season. Additionally, recently acquired safety Ugo Amadi will make his Tennessee debut Saturday night as he suits up for his third team this preseason.
Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: Local
Live Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Another joint practice sent waves through the news, but for a different reason. Just before 8 a.m. ET on Thursday morning, the Dolphins and Eagles announced that they would cancel their joint practice out of an abundance of caution due to a non-COVID illness. The team seemed to be fine the following day, and the game will continue as planned.
With all this in mind, this game might be a bit more substantial to the Dolphins as the Eagles were able to practice on Thursday. Rosters must be trimmed to 53 by Aug. 30, and losing a day of practice means less time for players to make their impact. Performances in this final preseason game against the Eagles may be some of the last chances for players on Miami’s roster bubble.
Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: Local
Live Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
This Saturday football game sees the Washington Commanders head an hour up Interstate 95 to take on the Baltimore Ravens. The story in Washington all training camp has been the performance of rookie RB Brian Robinson. After early struggles from Antonio Gibson, Robinson has seized his opportunity at the bell-cow position for Washington. Gibson will need a solid performance to keep Robinson off his case, but this will be a battle that rages all season.
As for the Ravens, the team continues to watch as the roster’s health improves. Injuries derailed the franchise in 2021, and while RB Gus Edwards does remain on the injured reserve, the rest of the offense is looking healthier. The Ravens have a 10-3 record over Washington in the preseason and hope to extend their preseason winning streak to 23 games.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: Local
Live Stream: fuboTV, NFL+
Playing starters in the preseason is situational and can vary highly from team to team. The Colts intend to play their starters for a few drives, including QB Matt Ryan. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will start longtime Ryan and Indy nemesis Tom Brady. Brady missed some time in training camp for personal reasons, and Tampa needs to get him a few snaps to prepare for the season following his return.
Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV channel: NFL Network
Live Stream: Paramount+, Vidgo, fuboTV, NFL+
The final Saturday football game until Christmas Eve sees the Minnesota Vikings taking on the Denver Broncos. The Vikings and Broncos are unlikely to play many starters in their preseason finale. Denver’s eyes continue to fixate on the backup QB battle between Brett Rypien and Josh Johnson. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett announced Rypien would get the start this week over Johnson. The Broncos also expect WR KJ Hamler to see his first action on the field after suffering season-ending ACL and hip injuries in Week 3 of the 2021 season.
Minnesota plans to sideline Kirk Cousins and continue to sift through their backup options. They started Sean Mannion in Week 1 of the preseason, followed by Kellen Mond last week at home. While Mond outplayed Mannion against the Raiders, both were miserable against the 49ers. This led the Vikings to make a move for QB Nick Mullens earlier in the week, and he should see some snaps. Mond and Mannion better move the needle in their direction soon as GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is actively making moves to find a replacement.
2022 NFL preseason Week 3 schedule
What does the rest of the preseason Week 3 schedule look like following the Saturday football slate?
Sunday, August 28
New York Giants at New York Jets
1 p.m. | NFL Network
Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers
4:30 p.m. | CBS
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