We always hear the preseason doesn't matter. Tell that to a player trying to keep his career alive.
Terrell Owens will go down as one of the three most productive wide receivers in NFL history, but he's just a guy on the bubble right now. His career is on the brink, and he can't afford to suffer another game like the one he had Saturday night in Denver.
Matt Flynn threw five passes his way. None were caught. On at least two plays, there was a miscommunication between Owens and Flynn. On another, T.O. got behind the defense and dropped a would-be 46-yard touchdown.
Yes, it's only the preseason. But there's no guarantee for Owens that he's going to get anything more than the preseason, so he has to make each game count. Here are the rest of our takeaways from Saturday's six games:
» We're not sure what was worse for the Jets: Their pass blocking or run blocking. Wayne Hunter gave up four sacks in one half and became a worldwide trending topic. Rex Ryan was even more disappointed the team repeatedly got stuffed in short-yardage situations. There's so little to like about this offense.
» Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw left the game and but an X-ray on his hand was negative. Impressive rookie cornerback Jayron Hosley had a boot on his right foot after the game. The Giants can't afford to lose another cornerback, and they don't seem to trust rookie running back David Wilson in pass protection.
» Marc Sessler took a big picture look at Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. To boil it down: The two are only part of the Jets' problem, and Tebow prevented any cries of a quarterback controversy with some embarrassing throws and slow decision-making.
» The 49erslost running backs Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James to injury. Both were carted off the field. Jacobs does not have a season-ending injury, a source told NFL Network and NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. San Francisco can handle the blow to its backfield. Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter still form one of the best 1-2 punches in the league.
» Andre Johnson had a 43-yard gain. Yep, he's healthy. Now the Texans should cover him in bubble wrap the next two weeks.
» Randy Moss didn't start, but he caught three passes for 24 yards while getting plenty of snaps with the first team. He also had a drop. His usage supports the buzz that his snaps might be somewhat limited in San Francisco.
» Sam Bradford already has made more plays under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer than he ever did under Josh McDaniels.
» Jamaal Charles quietly looks all the way back from his torn anterior cruciate ligament. Peyton Hillis continues to look spry. This should be a dangerous Chiefs backfield.
» Brady Quinn appears to be winning the battle for the Chiefs' backup quarterback job over Ricky Stanzi, if you are into that sort of thing.
» Kansas City's underrated starting safety Kendrick Lewis left the locker room in a sling after hurting his shoulder, according to the Kansas City Star. Rams receiver Brian Quick had an X-ray on his back.
» Robert Griffin III was due for a day like this. He lost a fumble, had a few inaccurate throws, and wasn't that patient in the pocket. It wasn't all bad, but the Redskins only scored three points in six drives with RG3 running the show.
» Alfred Morris started at running back for the Redskins, and ran some defenders over. Evan Royster was Washington's third-down back. Expect a different rotation next week.
» Jay Cutler finally has some weapons. Brandon Marshall had two catches for 61 yards in his second game with the Bears. Rookie Alshon Jeffery played a lot with the starting unit. He displayed great hands and ran away from defenders on a 34-yard grab. He finished with three catches for 62 yards. Chicago now goes four-deep with quality receivers. Cutler was very sharp.
» It was an ugly night for the Redskins' defense. The unit couldn't stop Cutler, and linebacker Brian Orakpo (shoulder) and safety Brandon Meriweather (knee) both left with injuries.
» Rookie quarterback Kirk Cousins was sensational playing with the Redskins' backups. Cue the quarterback controversy jokes! (Seriously, Cousins could pass Rex Grossman on the depth chart.)
» Rough news for the Chargers: Promising second-year pro receiver Vincent Brownbroke his ankle. The Chargers have wide receiver depth on paper. But we don't really trust the trio of Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, and Malcom Floyd to stay healthy. At all.
» Philip Rivers was picked off twice by Brandon Carr, and the Chargers' first-team offense didn't score a point. This is going to get way too much attention in San Diego this week.
» The score here is misleading. After blanking the Oakland Raiders last week, the Cowboys' starters pitched a shutout again.
» Undrafted Cowboys rookie Cole Beasley did everything he could to earn the No. 3 receiver job with 104 yards on seven catches.
» Matt Flynn didn't have a strong game, although his numbers would look much different if T.O. had caught a perfect would-be 46-yard touchdown. Russell Wilson had a lot of fun moments playing with the backups, but we'd be stunned if this "competition" is still going next week. It looks like it's Flynn's job.
» If nothing else, Wilson's excellent preseason helps support all of Pete Carroll's hype. Flynn might not have a long leash during the regular season with Wilson sitting on the bench.
» Peyton Manninglooked a lot better than his numbers indicated, although his attempts at vertical passes went awry.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
