Terrell Owens came into Friday night's game needing to make some noise. Braylon Edwards reportedly has outplayed Owens in practice, without all the histrionics when things don't go his way. T.O. probably didn't change anyone's mind with his performance.
On paper, it looks like a draw. Owens caught two passes for 41 yards in the Seattle Seahawks' 44-14 preseason romp against the Kansas City Chiefs, including a 40-yarder over his shoulder. Edwards caught a 32-yard pass.
Despite the numbers, we believe Owens took another step backward after last week's disastrous preseason outing. T.O. didn't fight for one ball thrown to him deep down the sideline. He dropped another pass on a play that was erased by an unrelated penalty.
It's unlikely there is room for both Edwards and Owens on the Seahawks' roster, and T.O. just hasn't shown enough to make us believe he'll make the team. Here's what else we learned during Friday's six-pack of games.
» Russell Wilson's performance should lock up Seattle's starting job. He hit four plays for more than 20 yards, only threw six incomplete passes and rushed twice for 58 yards. He led the Seahawks to 37 points in two and a half quarters!
Aside from occasionally holding the ball too long, Wilson looks like a veteran ... an electric veteran. Matt Flynn didn't even play because of an elbow injury.
» Wilson's preseason stats through three games: 35-of-52 (67.3 percent) for 464 yards (8.9 YPA), five touchdowns and one interception. He has rushed 10 times for 150 yards and a score. Wow.
» The Chiefs' offense didn't look quite as bad as the score suggests overall, but Matt Cassel had just 8 yards passing on the team's first four drives. Seattle's defense has the potential to be a top-five unit.
» Seahawks running back Robert Turbin is going to be a powerful second option behind Marshawn Lynch. He runs with purpose and did not go down easily while gaining 93 yards on 14 carries.
» Dwayne Bowe returned to the field for the Chiefs and failed to come up with a few makeable catches.
» Ryan Tannehill looked better than his woeful numbers would indicate, but this outing was a reminder of how difficult his task will be as a rookie quarterback. His receivers can't catch or get open. It is an offense without any difference-makers.
» The two Dolphins quarterbacks combined to complete 15 of 39 passes. That says it all.
» Julio Jones continues to play at a different level than everyone around him this preseason. He could lead the league in receiving yards. Matt Ryan has looked extremely comfortable in Atlanta's new up-tempo offense three weeks running. This team is not going to run nearly as much as in the past.
» It's not a good sign that Philadelphia's second team easily beat Cleveland's starters. The two teams will face off again in Week 1 because of a scheduling quirk.
» Brandon Weedenwasn't that accurate, leading the Browns to just three points. He appears to have one speed with his throws, and it's often too fast for touch passes. He struggled when the Eagles brought pressure and couldn't come up with a Plan B before the snap.
» Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, a third-round draft pick, continues to play extremely well. He has a great arm and has shown surprising accuracy. He easily outplayed Weeden despite an early interception. Foles has completed a lot of difficult throws. Don't be surprised if he passes Mike Kafka on the depth chart and becomes a favorite of Eagles fans.
» If the Browns were showcasing Colt McCoy for a trade, it worked. He was very sharp with 74 yards and a score on 9 attempts.
» Damaris Johnson has enjoyed a Victor Cruz-like coming out party during the preseason. He will be a useful reserve for the Eagles. He caught two 29-yard passes and almost came down with another terrific touchdown.
» The Buccaneers' starters played well overall, but this will still go down as a terrible night in Tampa. Pro Bowl guard Davin Josephwill miss the season with a knee injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Defensive linemen Adrian Clayborne and Gerald McCoyalso went to the locker room with injuries. This is not a roster that can afford many injuries to quality starters.
» Tom Brady continues to get hit ... a lot. Bill Belichick was fuming about his team's offensive performance after the game. "We didn't do anything offensively except lose yards and turn the ball over ... we were in 3rd-and-long all day," he said.
» The offensive line has been a major issue for the Patriots all camp. Brady played deep into the third quarter to get something positive going.
» Running back Shane Vereen exited early with an injury, while Stevan Ridley rushed for 87 yards and a score on 16 carries. Ridley looks like the favorite to start Week 1.
» Josh Freeman has looked very rough around the edges in a new offense all preseason. That continued Friday night with 102 yards on 19 attempts.
» With three starting offensive linemen injured, the Chargers rested quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates, among others. There wasn't much to draw from their offense on this one.
» Impressive Chargers rookie Melvin Ingram left the game with a thigh injury. He was seen on the bench with his leg wrapped. It didn't look too serious.
» Christian Ponder and Minnesota's first-team offense really struggled. The three points it scored came on a short field. The Vikings had four three-and-outs and turned the ball over twice.
» Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara capped a tumultuous week with a high ankle sprain. The Giants are extremely thin at cornerback. It reminds us a lot of last year at this time. That worked out pretty well.
» After a flawless, explosive performance last week, Jay Cutler came crashing down to earth with only nine completions and 96 yards on 21 attempts. You might not believe this, but his pass protection wasn't very good.
» Eli Manning could not have looked much more ready for the season than he did in this game. Beware, Cowboys secondary.
» We don't know if the kid can pass protect, but David Wilson, the Giants' first-round draft pick, sure can run. He started Friday night and played at a different speed than the rest of the game. He finished with seven touches for 75 yards.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
