Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

In the game of attrition that all NFL head coaches try to avoid, the closest thing to a meaningful preseason game for most teams is played in Week 3.

It is often considered a dress rehearsal, as starters may play into the second half because coaches want to see their best players get significant game action.

However, there is always trepidation involved, because no head coach can afford to see a star get injured, particularly if that star plays quarterback.

The NFL preseason is a far cry from what it was generations ago when teams regularly had two-a-day practices with no water breaks, and they would also play six preseason games.

So, this third game of the preseason is a legitimate test for most teams. Let's take a look at three of the games and make predictions on all of them.

NFL Week Three Preseason Games Date Game Time (ET) Prediction Aug. 25 Atlanta at Miami 8 p.m. Atlanta Aug. 25 Dallas at Seattle 10 p.m. Seattle Aug. 26 New England at Carolina 7:30 p.m. Carolina Aug. 26 Buffalo at Washington 7:30 p.m. Buffalo Aug. 26 Pittsburgh at New Orleans 8 p.m. New Orleans Aug. 26 Cleveland at Tampa Bay 8 p.m. Tampa Bay Aug. 26 Green Bay at San Francisco 10 p.m. San Francisco Aug. 27 Kansas City at Chicago 1 p.m. Kansas City Aug. 27 Philadelphia at Indianapolis 7 p.m. Indianapolis Aug. 27 Detroit at Baltimore 7 p.m. Detroit Aug. 27 New York Giants at New York Jets 7:30 p.m. New York Jets Aug. 27 Tennessee at Oakland 8 p.m. Oakland Aug. 27 Los Angeles Rams at Denver 9 p.m. Los Angeles Aug. 28 San Diego at Minnesota 1 p.m. Minnesota Aug. 28 Arizona at Houston 4 p.m. Houston Aug. 28 Cincinnati at Jacksonville 8 p.m. Jacksonville NFL.com; Silverman picks

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Dallas at Seattle

The Dallas Cowboys will look to see if their offense can sustain an attack while playing against a Seattle Seahawks defense that still considers itself among the best in the league.

Tony Romo could see some significant action in this game. He completed 4-of-5 passes in the Cowboys' 41-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins in their most recent preseason game, but he should play through the second quarter here.

The Cowboys also expect to give running back Ezekiel Elliott serious playing time as well. Elliott, the team's first-round draft choice, is expected to give the Cowboys a powerful running game to go with Romo's accurate passing.

If Romo can stay healthy this year, and the rookie running back from Ohio State lives up to his promise, the Cowboys could be very difficult to stop this season.

The Seahawks defense slipped a bit last year, and head coach Pete Carroll would like to see his unit play back to past successful levels.

While defensive backs Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor remain key players in the secondary, Seattle is dependent on defensive end Michael Bennett's ability to get to the passer, and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner's superb all-around play.

New England at Carolina

The New England Patriots were hoping that Tom Brady would play in their preseason game against the Chicago Bears last Thursday, but he reportedly cut his thumb with a pair of scissors, and that prevented him from lining up against Chicago.

Brady will be out the first four games of the season as he serves his Deflategate suspension, and he may not play in this game or the final preseason game, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

While head coach Bill Belichick could decide to give Brady some preseason playing time, it appears that Jimmy Garoppolo will get the call in this game once again.

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The Patriots appear to have made some improvements on their offensive line, and that's vital since that unit struggled in crucial games last season. The offensive line should get a test against the powerful Carolina Panthers defense.

Cam Newton could play into the third quarter for the Panthers, and head coach Ron Rivera would like to see the Carolina offense prepare for the season opener by playing consistently. The Patriots may oblige Newton, because their defensive line took a big hit when Chandler Jones was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason.

If Newton gets time, he will try to get the ball to Kelvin Benjamin. The wide receiver was injured last year, but his return should give the Panthers offense much more big-play capability.

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Kansas City at Chicago

The Kansas City Chiefs go into the 2016 season as the favorite to win the AFC West crown, because the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos look like they will struggle on offense.

Head coach Andy Reid would like to see quarterback Alex Smith show off his ability to find weaknesses in the defense and lead the Chiefs to at least three scoring drives in the first half. Kansas City does not have a big-play offense, but the Chiefs would like to show off their ability to move up and down the field with a dependable offense.

The Chicago defense figures to show improvement this year in the second year of the John Fox-Vic Fangio era. Fox's teams have a history of improving in the second year of his regime, while Fangio is one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. First-round draft pick Leonard Floyd is expected to give the Bears an improved pass rush this year from his outside linebacker position.

The Bears lost to the Patriots last Thursday, but after getting blanked by Denver in their first preseason game, they put up 22 points against New England. Quarterback Jay Cutler was effective in completing 8-of-12 passes for 83 yards, and Fox would like to see the quarterback play just as well against the Chiefs.

Tickets for all preseason games are available at Tickets: ScoreBig.com