Risers and Fallers after Week 1 of NFL Preseason

We mentioned before that you can learn which NFL Teams are ready for the start of the NFL season and which ones truly aren’t by paying attention to the NFL Preseason games.

The NFL Preseason is not something to overreact to in Game 1 as many NFL starters are sitting out or playing limited time. What you want to start to look for is positive and negative trends.

Faller: San Francisco 49ers

This offseason we have heard nothing but negativity surrounding the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners have a new head coach and coordinators on both sides of the ball, and they lost multiple starters on both the offensive and defensive units. This has rightfully raised a lot of red flags surrounding the success of the team this season.

San Francisco didn’t do anything in their first preseason game versus the Houston Texans to change the negative opinion of their football team. Offensively, Colin Kaepernick attempted only three passes and was inaccurate when he did throw. This area is not to be overlooked as San Francisco figures to be playing from behind with all the changes on the defensive side of the football.

Speaking of the San Francisco 49ers defense, they allowed perennial backup Brian Hoyer to lead the Arian Foster-less Houston Texans first-team offense to a touchdown drive on their first possession of the game with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Cecil Shorts III. Things didn’t get much better for the 49ers defense as backup quarterback Ryan Mallett came in and completed 10 of 11 passes for 90 yards in his four possessions. The San Francisco 49ers defense also gave up 59 yards on nine carries for Arian Foster’s replacement, Alfred Blue. Keep an eye on the San Francisco 49ers throughout the rest of the preseason as they are a faller after their first NFL Preseason game.

Riser: Minnesota Vikings

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Minnesota Vikings have played in two NFL Preseason games, and both their offensive and defensive units look sharp. Second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been getting a lot of hype from the fantasy football world, and the fantasy experts might be onto to something. He is playing without the help of future Hall of Fame Running Back Adrian Petersen but has completed 12 of his 14 pass attempts for 130 yards in limited time versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Buccaneers. The future return of Adrian Petersen in the NFL regular season will only make things easier for Bridgewater and the Vikings offense.

The Minnesota Vikings head coach is the defensive-minded Mike Zimmer. As a defensive coordinator Zimmer coached the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengalis into top-ranked units. The Minnesota Vikings defense allowed only three points versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and made Heisman Trophy and NCAA National Champion-winning Quarterback Jameis Winston look like a rookie verses the Vikings first-team defense. Look for more continued success from the Vikings in the preseason as they are a riser so far in their two NFL Preseason games.

Faller: Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts were alleged Super Bowl Contenders with the offseason additions of WR Andre Johnson and RB Frank Gore. The Colts offense looked good with Andrew Luck playing pass and catch with rookie wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. It was the glaring lack of defense played by the Colts that has raised eyebrows. They better find a defense in the NFL preseason or their Super Bowl Hype will come crashing down. The Colts are a faller after their first preseason game.

Riser: Cincinnati Bengals

A legitimate threat to the Indianapolis Colts may just be the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cincinnati Bengals dominated the punchless New York Giants on both sides of the ball in their opening NFL Preseason action. All of the Bengals offensive stars got into the action, with QB Andy Dalton completing all three of his pass attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown. Last year’s rookie sensation at running back, Jeremy Hill, made it look easy, rushing twice for 15 yards. The Bengals offense looked so sharp it was easy to forget that All-Pro WR A.J. Green, WR Marvin Jones and TE Tyler Eifert returned from injury, combining for four catches for 63 yards. The Bengals defense also returned injured starters Carlos Dunlap and smothered the New York Giants first-team offense, allowing only one first down and 38 yards of total offense. The New York Giants have to go back to the drawing board, and the Cincinnati Bengals hope to continue their solid performance the rest of the NFL Preseason. The Cincinnati Bengals are risers after their first NFL Preseason game.

There is a lot to see in the NFL Preseason, and we will continue to watch for more positive and negative trends through the rest of the exhibition season, so you don’t have to and keep you ready for Week 1 of the NFL Regular Season.