Well, Sam... It looks like your stint in Saint Louis is finally over. Sam Bradford tore his ACL Saturday in action against the Browns, and has been lost for the entire season, his 3rd season ending injury in 5 years, 1st in preseason.
The Rams lost former backup Kellen Clemmens to San Diego in free agency, leaving them with Austin Davis, NFL run-around Shaun Hill, and 6th round pick Garrett Gilbert, the #1 ranked quarterback in the nation coming out of high school while Sam Bradford was getting drafted.
Free agency has nothing left in the quarterback department for these guys to pick up that would be better then what they already have. That leaves them with two options- Use what they already have, or trade. And trade is what they're thinking about doing.
News just came from nfl.com last night saying that the Rams would be very interested in trading with the Eagles for backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, who has been impressive in his preseason play this season. Sanchez, the former New York Jet and a 1st round pick from 2009, sat out all of last season when he hurt himself in preseason, and lost his job to Geno Smith. He spent the entire season on the practice squad inactive. His biggest key to fame is not leading his team to the AFC championship his first two years, but for the famous "butt Fumble".
The big question is, are there any other options, or is Sanchez a good fit in the Saint Louis offense?
Other options, pretty much, no. They could probably a acquire Colt McCoy from Washington if they really wanted to, or maybe if they were desperate, Blaine Gabbert from San Francisco. I don't believe the Redskins would be willing to trade Kirk Cousins or any of their quarterbacks to the Rams.
So, I suppose we should probably compare Sanchez to Bradford, with the build types and all, and see where they stand, according to Ourlads.com:
Sam Bradford:
Demonstrates a quick delivery. Snaps the ball out with no wasted motion. A classic drop back quarterback. Stands tall in the pocket. The ball is placed where only the receiver can get at it. Throws several timing routes. Plays on his toes. Throws a catchable ball with good touch. Keeps his eyes scanning down the field. Receivers are generally wide open. Makes good decisions. Will throw the ball away when under pressure. Controls the tempo of the game. Looks at sideline for play or goes no huddle. Timing and rhythm type passer. Accurate even when backing up with pressure up the middle. Flicks ball out quickly to backs. Excels in play action passes and boot legs. Throws a number of horizontal type spread formation routes, jailbreak screens, etc. Can laser in the skinny post. Uses his eyes to move the safeties and will pump fake on the deep routes. Not elusive. Has some vision and feel when scrambling. Knows how to slide. Has better than average arm strength with touch to throw over the linebackers. Good anticipation and feel for the throw. A confident and consistent performer that is a good leader with strong intangibles.
Mark Sanchez:
Right handed and team captain. Demonstrates the physical talent and ability to succeed on the next level. Rhythm type passer that keeps his eyes down the field. Good pocket presence. Throws well on the run. Ball comes out high. Strong and accurate arm. Throws the whole package - slants, crossers, skinny post, swings, check down, and screen passes. Good anticipation and timing in the 3 and 5 step drop pattern. Does a good job of attacking the seams in three deep coverage. The skinny post and seam routes are the only patterns you can observe him throwing the ball through a tight window. Can lay the ball over the linebackers. Accurate throwing to a spot. Can step up and lead his teammates. Best games were against the best opponents. Has a natural feel in the passing game. Good athlete that is a student of the game. Good deceiver. Ball velocity 57 mph.
Pretty much, they are the same type of quarterback. So there's no doubt that Sanchez would be a good fit in this offense. However, the Eagles are very pleased with Sanchez and his performance, and the Rams would have to give a decent draft pick to get this guy. There's no doubt the Rams could afford it, after the RG3 trade and all, and still having a couple of picks available, it just might not be worth paying a high price to win 2 or 3 more games then they would this season.
But now the big question is, does Mark mind getting traded and abandoning his fresh start in Philadelphia? Yes, he does. According to a redzone.com report, Sanchez said that there's "no chance" he would leave Philadelphia. Although he would be working with a coach that got the best football out of him in Saint Louis, the Rams probably won't deal a draft pick for a short term fix that would hate being traded. And the Eagles won't do that to Mark, he is a quality backup in case Nick Foles gets hurt again.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Do the Steelers need a new Running Back?
May 15th, 2014. The 2014 NFL Draft is a few day over. News is spreading around the league after the draft, undrafted players are asking to try-out for teams, asking scouts why they weren't drafted. One of these players was Wake Forest Running Back, Josh Harris. Harris had 4 productive and pretty impressive seasons in North Carolina, and was at one point projected a 4th to 6th round pick. He went 7 rounds without hearing his name called.
A twitter post hit the news stream. It was a note, composed by Josh, with a caption that stated simply "Pray for me."
His own teammates and coaches had badmouthed his name to where teams wouldn't talk about signing him. He was put down for bad work ethics, bad locker room presence, lack of leadership, when in fact, Harris was a clean kid, and just the opposite. He's got no criminal record at all. He grew up in a good Christian home, and had no desire to get on drugs. He's never failed, or come close to failing, a drug test in his life.
And NFL teams won't see that as a sign.
It took Josh 2 months to find a team who would give him a chance. When Mike Tomlin looked impressed with what he did, he signed Harris to the roster on July 31st, 2014.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are about to loose their 2 top running backs to most likely 4 game suspensions. Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount were caught together with a woman with 20 grams of pot in their car. Bell admitted that he had indeed smoked some, but he claimed "It has been a couple of hours." The police noted that they handled themselves very well, gave no problems, and released them the same day they were brought in.
That was Wednesday, August 20th, 2014. Just 3 weeks after Josh had been signed to the team.
The next day, the police filed reports on them making them suspect to a 4 game suspension, thanks to the NFL substance abuse policy. Bell and Blount will probably be out for the next few games.
I spoke with Jesse Kirkendill, one of the Pittsburgh Steeler analysts for cover32.com, a site I highly recommend from their website design to their article content. I asked him about the Steelers Running Back situation, with just Tauren Poole and Dri Archer left on the roster to really do anything, who should they sign?
That's when Mr. Kirkendill pointed out to me that they had Josh Harris, who he described as "impressive in training camp." I looked at this kid, his preseason stats were less then impressive. Just about 35 snaps, 2 carries for 0 yards (a 1 yard gain and a 1 yard loss), and a catch for 4 yards (with a target not caught). I asked him what was in his skill set that his preseason stats didn't show.
Mr. Kirkendill told me that "in his time at Wake Forest, Harris had an average of 4.6 Yards Per Carry (YPC). He is a stout running back that has dangerous speed when he hits the open field and reminds me very much of Willie Parker. His preseason stats may not show it, but given the chance he would be just another diamond in the rough player that the Steelers have found within free agency or trades."
I had to learn more of this kid. I put his name in my google search with "Wake Forest" attached to it, and I found an article from May 15th, 2014, that went on nfl.com. It was about Josh, and his articles. When I saw the headline, Josh Harris Blames Coaches And Teammates For Not Being Drafted, I thought, "Well, great. This kid is immature, and that's why NFL teams passed on him." I remembered the same thing happening to Tyler Bray in the 2013 draft, a great QB prospect who lost his draft stock for his immaturity.
When I read the article, and saw how Josh was handling himself, I saw the maturity in his actions. He has 11,500 twitter followers, he was letting them know why he wasn't drafted. NFL scouts were telling him that some of his teammates and his coaches were complaining about his work ethic, and locker room presence.
I went on to you-tube to find his highlight reel. I saw a terrific bounce back and change of direction that reminded me of LeSean McCoy, not quite because he can't flow a sweep one way and then turn around 180 degrees, and run the other way. No, he makes up to 120 degree switches and hits the holes with speed. He's a patient runner, who trusts his blockers and will let them create the play for him before lunging into a hole. He is, as Mr. Kirkendill described, a "diamond in the rough."
So here is where Pittsburgh stands. Dri Archer is a lightning fast back, with excellent hands and a 4.26 40 yard dash. He showed he has the speed week 1 of preseason when he burned the Giants for a 47 yard catch that started with a little screen pass. He will probably be used for outside runs, end arounds, possibly even for lightning quick slant routes. Ben Roethlisburger likes throwing the ball his way already.
Next, Tauren Poole. Poole was a Tennessee Volunteer runner from 2008-2011, went undrafted to Carolina, and then through Indianapolis before landing in Pittsburgh. He's a north-south type runner, not too much more.
Now, Josh Smith. Smith should be the one out of these 3 to land the feature back role, because of his history and his raw talent.
Should Pittsburgh add to this at all? I believe that they should. Tauren Poole is not going to keep them safe, even as a #3 back for 4 games. It looks to me as if they can sign Michael Bush, the former Oakland Raider and Chicago Bear, they can use him as the feature back and move Smith to the #3 role. Smith should stay around for his special team contributes, and possibly might be able to stay around on the practice squad, and get his chance when injuries knock them low on the roster space.
Will this effect the Steelers at all? Mr. Kirkendell doesn't seem to think so. He told me that "Tomlin and the Steelers have handled adversity well in the past, and I have no doubt they will be able to do so this year. The team was able to handle the loss of Ben Roethlisberger during his 4 game suspension, and with a Super Bowl champion quarterback heading their offense along with a defense that is youthful and dangerous as it has ever been, they will be able to handle what would be a very significant loss on their offense."
Yes, Mr. Kirkendell, I agree with you. Mike Tomlin is a great coach, whether the stats show it or not. He know's how to win, and to know how to win, you cannot let slow starts get to you. And Tomlin can pull talent out of players. Watch the Steelers pull an impressive start and them step a notch up when Blount and Bell return.
A twitter post hit the news stream. It was a note, composed by Josh, with a caption that stated simply "Pray for me."
His own teammates and coaches had badmouthed his name to where teams wouldn't talk about signing him. He was put down for bad work ethics, bad locker room presence, lack of leadership, when in fact, Harris was a clean kid, and just the opposite. He's got no criminal record at all. He grew up in a good Christian home, and had no desire to get on drugs. He's never failed, or come close to failing, a drug test in his life.
And NFL teams won't see that as a sign.
It took Josh 2 months to find a team who would give him a chance. When Mike Tomlin looked impressed with what he did, he signed Harris to the roster on July 31st, 2014.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are about to loose their 2 top running backs to most likely 4 game suspensions. Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount were caught together with a woman with 20 grams of pot in their car. Bell admitted that he had indeed smoked some, but he claimed "It has been a couple of hours." The police noted that they handled themselves very well, gave no problems, and released them the same day they were brought in.
That was Wednesday, August 20th, 2014. Just 3 weeks after Josh had been signed to the team.
The next day, the police filed reports on them making them suspect to a 4 game suspension, thanks to the NFL substance abuse policy. Bell and Blount will probably be out for the next few games.
I spoke with Jesse Kirkendill, one of the Pittsburgh Steeler analysts for cover32.com, a site I highly recommend from their website design to their article content. I asked him about the Steelers Running Back situation, with just Tauren Poole and Dri Archer left on the roster to really do anything, who should they sign?
That's when Mr. Kirkendill pointed out to me that they had Josh Harris, who he described as "impressive in training camp." I looked at this kid, his preseason stats were less then impressive. Just about 35 snaps, 2 carries for 0 yards (a 1 yard gain and a 1 yard loss), and a catch for 4 yards (with a target not caught). I asked him what was in his skill set that his preseason stats didn't show.
Mr. Kirkendill told me that "in his time at Wake Forest, Harris had an average of 4.6 Yards Per Carry (YPC). He is a stout running back that has dangerous speed when he hits the open field and reminds me very much of Willie Parker. His preseason stats may not show it, but given the chance he would be just another diamond in the rough player that the Steelers have found within free agency or trades."
I had to learn more of this kid. I put his name in my google search with "Wake Forest" attached to it, and I found an article from May 15th, 2014, that went on nfl.com. It was about Josh, and his articles. When I saw the headline, Josh Harris Blames Coaches And Teammates For Not Being Drafted, I thought, "Well, great. This kid is immature, and that's why NFL teams passed on him." I remembered the same thing happening to Tyler Bray in the 2013 draft, a great QB prospect who lost his draft stock for his immaturity.
When I read the article, and saw how Josh was handling himself, I saw the maturity in his actions. He has 11,500 twitter followers, he was letting them know why he wasn't drafted. NFL scouts were telling him that some of his teammates and his coaches were complaining about his work ethic, and locker room presence.
I went on to you-tube to find his highlight reel. I saw a terrific bounce back and change of direction that reminded me of LeSean McCoy, not quite because he can't flow a sweep one way and then turn around 180 degrees, and run the other way. No, he makes up to 120 degree switches and hits the holes with speed. He's a patient runner, who trusts his blockers and will let them create the play for him before lunging into a hole. He is, as Mr. Kirkendill described, a "diamond in the rough."
So here is where Pittsburgh stands. Dri Archer is a lightning fast back, with excellent hands and a 4.26 40 yard dash. He showed he has the speed week 1 of preseason when he burned the Giants for a 47 yard catch that started with a little screen pass. He will probably be used for outside runs, end arounds, possibly even for lightning quick slant routes. Ben Roethlisburger likes throwing the ball his way already.
Next, Tauren Poole. Poole was a Tennessee Volunteer runner from 2008-2011, went undrafted to Carolina, and then through Indianapolis before landing in Pittsburgh. He's a north-south type runner, not too much more.
Now, Josh Smith. Smith should be the one out of these 3 to land the feature back role, because of his history and his raw talent.
Should Pittsburgh add to this at all? I believe that they should. Tauren Poole is not going to keep them safe, even as a #3 back for 4 games. It looks to me as if they can sign Michael Bush, the former Oakland Raider and Chicago Bear, they can use him as the feature back and move Smith to the #3 role. Smith should stay around for his special team contributes, and possibly might be able to stay around on the practice squad, and get his chance when injuries knock them low on the roster space.
Will this effect the Steelers at all? Mr. Kirkendell doesn't seem to think so. He told me that "Tomlin and the Steelers have handled adversity well in the past, and I have no doubt they will be able to do so this year. The team was able to handle the loss of Ben Roethlisberger during his 4 game suspension, and with a Super Bowl champion quarterback heading their offense along with a defense that is youthful and dangerous as it has ever been, they will be able to handle what would be a very significant loss on their offense."
Yes, Mr. Kirkendell, I agree with you. Mike Tomlin is a great coach, whether the stats show it or not. He know's how to win, and to know how to win, you cannot let slow starts get to you. And Tomlin can pull talent out of players. Watch the Steelers pull an impressive start and them step a notch up when Blount and Bell return.
5 Things to Watch and Look For in Tonight's Games
Tonight, San Diego visits San Francisco at 4 ET, and Cincinnati visits Arizona at 8 ET to finish up preseason week 3. So here are 5 things to watch when today's action starts.
1. Watch the Chargers offense, who has been on fire most of the preseason, with a much better receiving corp then what Philip Rivers is used to having, and then the 3 running backs of starting caliber, Ryan Matthews, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown. The should be a very good offense to watch this season as they enter their second season in their offensive scheme.
2. The Chargers defense needs to be watched too. It's gotten better, but not good enough to take out Seattle. Seattle scored 41 points against this defense, starting and backup, which clearly shows they don't have the depth to take out bigger offenses. Manti Te'o is still struggling, and the Chargers have some work to do there.
3. The 49ers have scored a grand total of 3 points this entire preseason. The coaching staff is worried about that. Watch them score at least 20 just to get their feet wet and feel better about themselves.
4. Cincinnati has a lot of work to do defensively. Can their starters hold down the Cardinals revamped offense?
5. Arizona's rookie WR John Brown. Watch this guy in action. He made 5 catches for 87 yards 2 weeks ago, and looks like he can be the Cardinals new explosive weapon coming out of the preseason.
1. Watch the Chargers offense, who has been on fire most of the preseason, with a much better receiving corp then what Philip Rivers is used to having, and then the 3 running backs of starting caliber, Ryan Matthews, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown. The should be a very good offense to watch this season as they enter their second season in their offensive scheme.
2. The Chargers defense needs to be watched too. It's gotten better, but not good enough to take out Seattle. Seattle scored 41 points against this defense, starting and backup, which clearly shows they don't have the depth to take out bigger offenses. Manti Te'o is still struggling, and the Chargers have some work to do there.
3. The 49ers have scored a grand total of 3 points this entire preseason. The coaching staff is worried about that. Watch them score at least 20 just to get their feet wet and feel better about themselves.
4. Cincinnati has a lot of work to do defensively. Can their starters hold down the Cardinals revamped offense?
5. Arizona's rookie WR John Brown. Watch this guy in action. He made 5 catches for 87 yards 2 weeks ago, and looks like he can be the Cardinals new explosive weapon coming out of the preseason.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
A Review of Friday's Games...
In this article, I'm going over the 5 games played last night, pointing out stats, and analyzing the games.
Jacksonville Jaguars 12 @ Detroit Lions 13
1. Wait a second... Andre Branch, the Jaguars defensive end, covered Megatron and picked Matthew Stafford off? Is that for real or a joke? Ouch, Stafford got fooled while Calvin Johnson was downfield, and Andre Branch intercepted Johnson's only target that wasn't caught by him.
2. Reggie Bush made a beautiful run in the 1st quarter, 86 yards for a score, with such a speed that Reggie hasn't showed in a long time. If he runs like that all season long, Reggie's looking at his first 1500 yard campaign.
3. Blake Bortles still impresses me like no other. Tonight, he scored his first NFL TD on a nice 13 yard strike to Allen Hurns. He passed for 158 yards, posting a 109.8 passer rating, and he started in a 2 minute situation to end the half with no timeouts and he led his team downfield to score a field goal before the half was out.
4. Speaking of Hurns, this guy is an undrafted rookie from Miami, Florida, and he is moving up the depth chart quickly. How did the scouts miss this guy? He's become one of Bortles favorite targets, and he made 7 catches for 113 yards last night, and showcased some soft hands, and great speed.
Carolina Panthers 7 @ New England Patriots 30
1. It's not very often that we watch Tom Brady fall at the LOS right after taking a snap, but that he did with 9:17 to go in the 1st quarter, even though he was extremely jacked all game. Oh well. He still looked sharp anyways, throwing 21 passes, completing 17 for 204 yards and 2 TDs.
2. The man who caught the 2 TD passes was Patriots RB Shane Vereen, first burning AJ Klein for a 40 yard TD, and then getting Antoine Cason for a 6 yard strike. Vereen had 5 catches for 57 yards, plus 6 carries for 18.
3. Did you know that the 1st half ended with a 60 yard FG? Sure did. Stephen Gostkowski put it through with no time on the clock, in preseason. I wish we would see an Eagles kicker do that...
4. Jimmy Garapolo has the #2 QB job in New England now. He threw 12 passes for 105 yards on his 9 completions, plus an 11 yard TD strike to Taylor McCuller. Very good game from those 2 men tonight.
5. Kelvin Bejamin was targeted 6 times, making 5 of those catches for 47 yards. Not too much of a deep threat in this game, but he and Cam Newton were hooking up, and that's what matters. The Panthers running game stunk, entirely.
New York Giants 35 @ New York Jets 24
1. It seems to me that the only reason the Giants won tonight was because of the backups playing the Jet's backups... Not a good sign for the Giants starters, who might start loosing some jobs.
2. It looks like the Jets finally have things clicking. The starters looked very impressive, and the Jets jumped to a 10-0 lead before the Giants got on the board. All the Jet's QB's fired TD passes, and Matt Simms was equally as impressive as Geno Smith, who played a great game.
3. The Giants starting offense seems to be struggling still. Tom Coughlin cannot be happy with how his team is faring right now...
4. Eli Manning wasn't too bad tonight, but he did fumble twice and throw an INT that ended up being overturned. Give credit to the running game. It was that which kep't the Giants alive. Rashard Jennings ran 13 times for 67 yards, and Andre Williams continued the trend with his 11 runs for 49 yards.
5. Apparently, the Jet's coaches were angry that Michael Vick wasn't trying to take the job, but they've denied that... Explain, though, why Vick only threw 4 balls all night?
Oakland Raiders 21 @ Green Bay Packers 31
1. Khalil Mack is starting to shine. 5 tackles, 2 of them for losses, a Pass Defended, and an INT returned 13 yards, picked off from Matt Flynn. That's the Khalil Mack we saw in college.
2. Matt Schuab looked terrible. He's the starting QB going into this 2014 season, and the Packers defense, which I have rated very low, made him look terrible. Ouch. Schuab was sacked twice, and posted a 59.2 passer rating. That doesn't even cover his fumble...
3. Aaron Rodgers was much better then the stats show. He went 9 of 20 for 139 yards and 2 TDs. He was right on the money last night hitting receivers in the end zone.
4. Maurice Jones-Drew was a lone bright spot for the Raiders offense, taking a run 40 yards for a score. He looked alright apart from that last night.
Chicago Bears 6 @ Seattle Seahawks 34
1. Russell Wilson is looking very strong again. My prediction that he will be the best player in the NFC West just very well may come true, he looks just that good so far. He ran in his 3rd TD run of the preseason last night, and hit 15 of 20 passes for 202 yards and 2 scores with that. Very impressive night for the 3rd year QB quickly becoming the face of the franchise.
2. The Seahawks just completely dominated this game. That's all there is too it. Percy Harvin was on fire, Marshawn Lynch was in full beast mode, and the defense dialed up the pressure sacking the Bears QB's 3 times, and knocking them to the ground 6 more times.
3. The Bears QB's still completed over 50% of their passes, but they didn't look nearly as impressive as they did in action against the Eagles 2 weeks ago.
Jacksonville Jaguars 12 @ Detroit Lions 13
1. Wait a second... Andre Branch, the Jaguars defensive end, covered Megatron and picked Matthew Stafford off? Is that for real or a joke? Ouch, Stafford got fooled while Calvin Johnson was downfield, and Andre Branch intercepted Johnson's only target that wasn't caught by him.
2. Reggie Bush made a beautiful run in the 1st quarter, 86 yards for a score, with such a speed that Reggie hasn't showed in a long time. If he runs like that all season long, Reggie's looking at his first 1500 yard campaign.
3. Blake Bortles still impresses me like no other. Tonight, he scored his first NFL TD on a nice 13 yard strike to Allen Hurns. He passed for 158 yards, posting a 109.8 passer rating, and he started in a 2 minute situation to end the half with no timeouts and he led his team downfield to score a field goal before the half was out.
4. Speaking of Hurns, this guy is an undrafted rookie from Miami, Florida, and he is moving up the depth chart quickly. How did the scouts miss this guy? He's become one of Bortles favorite targets, and he made 7 catches for 113 yards last night, and showcased some soft hands, and great speed.
Carolina Panthers 7 @ New England Patriots 30
1. It's not very often that we watch Tom Brady fall at the LOS right after taking a snap, but that he did with 9:17 to go in the 1st quarter, even though he was extremely jacked all game. Oh well. He still looked sharp anyways, throwing 21 passes, completing 17 for 204 yards and 2 TDs.
2. The man who caught the 2 TD passes was Patriots RB Shane Vereen, first burning AJ Klein for a 40 yard TD, and then getting Antoine Cason for a 6 yard strike. Vereen had 5 catches for 57 yards, plus 6 carries for 18.
3. Did you know that the 1st half ended with a 60 yard FG? Sure did. Stephen Gostkowski put it through with no time on the clock, in preseason. I wish we would see an Eagles kicker do that...
4. Jimmy Garapolo has the #2 QB job in New England now. He threw 12 passes for 105 yards on his 9 completions, plus an 11 yard TD strike to Taylor McCuller. Very good game from those 2 men tonight.
5. Kelvin Bejamin was targeted 6 times, making 5 of those catches for 47 yards. Not too much of a deep threat in this game, but he and Cam Newton were hooking up, and that's what matters. The Panthers running game stunk, entirely.
New York Giants 35 @ New York Jets 24
1. It seems to me that the only reason the Giants won tonight was because of the backups playing the Jet's backups... Not a good sign for the Giants starters, who might start loosing some jobs.
2. It looks like the Jets finally have things clicking. The starters looked very impressive, and the Jets jumped to a 10-0 lead before the Giants got on the board. All the Jet's QB's fired TD passes, and Matt Simms was equally as impressive as Geno Smith, who played a great game.
3. The Giants starting offense seems to be struggling still. Tom Coughlin cannot be happy with how his team is faring right now...
4. Eli Manning wasn't too bad tonight, but he did fumble twice and throw an INT that ended up being overturned. Give credit to the running game. It was that which kep't the Giants alive. Rashard Jennings ran 13 times for 67 yards, and Andre Williams continued the trend with his 11 runs for 49 yards.
5. Apparently, the Jet's coaches were angry that Michael Vick wasn't trying to take the job, but they've denied that... Explain, though, why Vick only threw 4 balls all night?
Oakland Raiders 21 @ Green Bay Packers 31
1. Khalil Mack is starting to shine. 5 tackles, 2 of them for losses, a Pass Defended, and an INT returned 13 yards, picked off from Matt Flynn. That's the Khalil Mack we saw in college.
2. Matt Schuab looked terrible. He's the starting QB going into this 2014 season, and the Packers defense, which I have rated very low, made him look terrible. Ouch. Schuab was sacked twice, and posted a 59.2 passer rating. That doesn't even cover his fumble...
3. Aaron Rodgers was much better then the stats show. He went 9 of 20 for 139 yards and 2 TDs. He was right on the money last night hitting receivers in the end zone.
4. Maurice Jones-Drew was a lone bright spot for the Raiders offense, taking a run 40 yards for a score. He looked alright apart from that last night.
Chicago Bears 6 @ Seattle Seahawks 34
1. Russell Wilson is looking very strong again. My prediction that he will be the best player in the NFC West just very well may come true, he looks just that good so far. He ran in his 3rd TD run of the preseason last night, and hit 15 of 20 passes for 202 yards and 2 scores with that. Very impressive night for the 3rd year QB quickly becoming the face of the franchise.
2. The Seahawks just completely dominated this game. That's all there is too it. Percy Harvin was on fire, Marshawn Lynch was in full beast mode, and the defense dialed up the pressure sacking the Bears QB's 3 times, and knocking them to the ground 6 more times.
3. The Bears QB's still completed over 50% of their passes, but they didn't look nearly as impressive as they did in action against the Eagles 2 weeks ago.
16 Things To Watch In Saturdays Matchups
We have a fantastic lineup of games this weekend, the perfect dress rehearsals. Let's look at our lineup of games this weekend.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills (4:30 ET)
Tennessee Titans @ Atlanta Falcons (7:00 ET)
Dallas Cowboys @ Miami Dolphins (7:00 ET)
Washington Redskins @ Baltimore Ravens (7:30 ET)
Saint Louis Rams @ Cleveland Browns (8:00 ET)
New Orleans Saints @ Indianapolis Colts (8:00 ET)
Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs (8:00 ET)
Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos (9:00 ET)
So, here we go. 16 things to watch in our Saturday Matchups.
1. Sammy Watkins injured his rib in action against the Steelers last week, and has yet been cleared to play. Assuming that he doesn't play, how will his backup, Marquise Goodwin or Robert Woods, will perform when called into action. And how will the Bill receivers deal with the promising Buccaneers secondary?
2. How will Josh McCown step up today? I expect to see Mike Glennon continue to outplay him, and Glennon continue to make his case about on the starting job. Glennon has a lot of talent, and I believe he is a better QB then McCown. So, watch for a Tampa QB to step up today and shine for Lovie Smith and see if one get's the starting job.
3. The Buccaneers defense is something to watch today. They have built a monster on paper, Michael Johnson from Cincinnati, Gerald McCoy, Adrian Claiborne, LaVonte David, Mason Foster, Alterraun Verner, Mark Barron, Mike Jennings. How will this defense perform tonight against a more then decent receiver group? We will soon see...
4. Jake Matthews has struggled this preseason, can he rebound to play decently this half, or will it be a while?
5. I'm wondering how Ken Whisenhunt will utilize the offense, how it will run, and will it be good? Atlanta is the perfect team to test your team on. Whisenhunt has Jake Locker, Bishop Sankey, and Jason Hunter. Hunter is turning into a very deep threat, and will open the field for Kendall Wright and Nate Washington. So, in otherwords, definitely keep a good eye on the Titans tonight.
6. The Cowboys visit Miami, who has run a decent offense this preseason. Dallas will have a big defensive test trying to manhandle Ryan Tannehill, Knowshon Moreno, and Brian Hartline. Mike Wallace should get some openings, and same goes to Charles Clay. Watch that Dallas defense. If they pass the test, they're going to have a half decent season. If they don't, watch for a long season for Cowboys fans.
7. Miami's secondary is something to keep an eye on. Brent Grimes and now Cortland Finnegan are just a couple starters to watch tonight. If Miami handles Dez Bryant, Miami will be a team you'll have to just simply keep confused.
8. Robert Griffin III is under all sorts of fire, for apparently "alienating" himself from his teammates, for not learning to slide right during the regular season, for the Joe Haden pick he threw last week, for Kirk Cousins overplaying him in training camp and the preseason. This is the game that RG3 has to show that all of that is wrong. He needs to have a strong game tonight, and he knows that. Watch him go out there and just kick-butt.
9. The Ravens have been very strong this preseason, beating Dallas 37-30, and before that manhandling San Francisco 23-3. Watch the young defense that the Ravens have been trying to rebuild since winning the Super Bowl and loosing Ray Lewis, Bernard Pollard and Ed Reed. They now have CJ Mosely, Matt Elam, and Jimmy Smith. Can they hold Washington down tonight?
10. The Rams defensive line. Michael Sam's job hangs on that. Names such as Eugene Sims, and William Hayes are the names that he needs to pass. If those two put up strong numbers, you can call Sam's NFL regular season debut cancelled.
11. Sam Bradford is another Ram to watch. They've put a hell of a receiving core around him, and if he can't utilize it, the Rams are going to start looking for a new QB. Ryan Mallett from New England perhaps?
12. Brian Hoyer must be watched tonight. He's going up against a very strong defense, and now that he's been named the starter, he needs to perform very strong. He has some receivers to work with tonight, and hopefully the running game will work too. Watch the entire offense all night, actually. That would be a good idea.
13. The New Orleans and Indianapolis Super Bowl rematch. Andrew Luck against Drew Brees. Both have some improved receivers, and both should have multiple threat running attacks. It's all on Drew Brees to prove that his missed 2 games is no big deal.
14. Jerick McKinnon is my dark horse Offensive Rookie of the Year player. He's a very good player, and very underrated. He will probably have the VIkings #2 RB job, and that gives us our #14 thing to watch. The entire Viking offense needs to be watched. Who's the better general? Matt Cassel or Teddy Bridgewater. I must say that General Cassel sounds much better then General Teddy.
15. Watch De'Anthony Thomas in action tonight handling special teams, and getting a couple carries, perhaps... Maybe a couple catches too. Keep a good eye on that guy.
16. Jadevion Clowney. JJ Watt. VS Peyton Manning. Anything else I have to say?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Buffalo Bills (4:30 ET)
Tennessee Titans @ Atlanta Falcons (7:00 ET)
Dallas Cowboys @ Miami Dolphins (7:00 ET)
Washington Redskins @ Baltimore Ravens (7:30 ET)
Saint Louis Rams @ Cleveland Browns (8:00 ET)
New Orleans Saints @ Indianapolis Colts (8:00 ET)
Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs (8:00 ET)
Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos (9:00 ET)
So, here we go. 16 things to watch in our Saturday Matchups.
1. Sammy Watkins injured his rib in action against the Steelers last week, and has yet been cleared to play. Assuming that he doesn't play, how will his backup, Marquise Goodwin or Robert Woods, will perform when called into action. And how will the Bill receivers deal with the promising Buccaneers secondary?
2. How will Josh McCown step up today? I expect to see Mike Glennon continue to outplay him, and Glennon continue to make his case about on the starting job. Glennon has a lot of talent, and I believe he is a better QB then McCown. So, watch for a Tampa QB to step up today and shine for Lovie Smith and see if one get's the starting job.
3. The Buccaneers defense is something to watch today. They have built a monster on paper, Michael Johnson from Cincinnati, Gerald McCoy, Adrian Claiborne, LaVonte David, Mason Foster, Alterraun Verner, Mark Barron, Mike Jennings. How will this defense perform tonight against a more then decent receiver group? We will soon see...
4. Jake Matthews has struggled this preseason, can he rebound to play decently this half, or will it be a while?
5. I'm wondering how Ken Whisenhunt will utilize the offense, how it will run, and will it be good? Atlanta is the perfect team to test your team on. Whisenhunt has Jake Locker, Bishop Sankey, and Jason Hunter. Hunter is turning into a very deep threat, and will open the field for Kendall Wright and Nate Washington. So, in otherwords, definitely keep a good eye on the Titans tonight.
6. The Cowboys visit Miami, who has run a decent offense this preseason. Dallas will have a big defensive test trying to manhandle Ryan Tannehill, Knowshon Moreno, and Brian Hartline. Mike Wallace should get some openings, and same goes to Charles Clay. Watch that Dallas defense. If they pass the test, they're going to have a half decent season. If they don't, watch for a long season for Cowboys fans.
7. Miami's secondary is something to keep an eye on. Brent Grimes and now Cortland Finnegan are just a couple starters to watch tonight. If Miami handles Dez Bryant, Miami will be a team you'll have to just simply keep confused.
8. Robert Griffin III is under all sorts of fire, for apparently "alienating" himself from his teammates, for not learning to slide right during the regular season, for the Joe Haden pick he threw last week, for Kirk Cousins overplaying him in training camp and the preseason. This is the game that RG3 has to show that all of that is wrong. He needs to have a strong game tonight, and he knows that. Watch him go out there and just kick-butt.
9. The Ravens have been very strong this preseason, beating Dallas 37-30, and before that manhandling San Francisco 23-3. Watch the young defense that the Ravens have been trying to rebuild since winning the Super Bowl and loosing Ray Lewis, Bernard Pollard and Ed Reed. They now have CJ Mosely, Matt Elam, and Jimmy Smith. Can they hold Washington down tonight?
10. The Rams defensive line. Michael Sam's job hangs on that. Names such as Eugene Sims, and William Hayes are the names that he needs to pass. If those two put up strong numbers, you can call Sam's NFL regular season debut cancelled.
11. Sam Bradford is another Ram to watch. They've put a hell of a receiving core around him, and if he can't utilize it, the Rams are going to start looking for a new QB. Ryan Mallett from New England perhaps?
12. Brian Hoyer must be watched tonight. He's going up against a very strong defense, and now that he's been named the starter, he needs to perform very strong. He has some receivers to work with tonight, and hopefully the running game will work too. Watch the entire offense all night, actually. That would be a good idea.
13. The New Orleans and Indianapolis Super Bowl rematch. Andrew Luck against Drew Brees. Both have some improved receivers, and both should have multiple threat running attacks. It's all on Drew Brees to prove that his missed 2 games is no big deal.
14. Jerick McKinnon is my dark horse Offensive Rookie of the Year player. He's a very good player, and very underrated. He will probably have the VIkings #2 RB job, and that gives us our #14 thing to watch. The entire Viking offense needs to be watched. Who's the better general? Matt Cassel or Teddy Bridgewater. I must say that General Cassel sounds much better then General Teddy.
15. Watch De'Anthony Thomas in action tonight handling special teams, and getting a couple carries, perhaps... Maybe a couple catches too. Keep a good eye on that guy.
16. Jadevion Clowney. JJ Watt. VS Peyton Manning. Anything else I have to say?
Friday, August 22, 2014
10 Things to watch or look for in Friday's NFL Matchups
5 games go into action Friday night, providing us with more starting talent in the dress rehearsal for week 1. The list of games are here:
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Detroit Lions (7:30 ET)
Carolina Panthers @ New England Patriots (7:30 ET)
New York Jets @ New York Giants (7:30 ET)
Oakland Raiders @ Green Bay Packers (8:00 ET)
Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks (10:00 ET)
So here we go. 10 of things to watch or look for in Friday's NFL action:
1. Blake Bortles is suppose to take half of the first team snaps away from Chad Henne. Blake Bortles has passed for 277 yards on 18 completions this preseason, and posted a 96.9 passer rating. He has showed excellent form, and flashed incredible talent firing balls downfield very accurately. At just under 10 yards per attempt, he is having a powerful preseason. Henne has been impressive too, but Bortles has clearly been in a level above him.
2. Calvin Johnson said on Wednesday that even he was unsure of how he would be used in this offense. Get your act together, Calvin. You have to play in it today. Calvin is an elite threat in the league, and now has Golden Tate from Seattle working opposite of him which may take some of his double coverage away from him. Watch the entire Lions pass attack and see how they fare. It'll be worth it.
3. Carolina has Cam Newton back, and he get's to work with Kelvin Benjamin extensively for the first time in their careers. Benjamin and Newton started hooking up last week, and it's been fun to watch. Definitely watch these two to see how they fare this week.
4. The Carolina Defense is one of the best in the league, and this is nothing more then a rematch of last year's Monday Night game that resulted in an angry Tom Brady storming off with the referee firing f-bombs into his face. Let's hope the first half doesn't result in that again. Luke Kuechly, Greg Hardy, and Charles Johnson lead the newly improved Panthers defense with 2 new safeties. Let's see how New England handles them.
5. Rex Ryan and Andre Williams have been throwing insults at each other all week long. Come on, guys, just play the game and shut up!
6. Jimmy Garapolo is the guy I'm watching on Friday. I love this kid as a prospect, and he's really throwing the whole Ryan Mallett taking over Tom Brady in a few years thing out the window. He's a better passer with a higher upside. I can't wait until Tom Brady get;s his tail off the field so I can watch this guy play.
7. Oakland will be missing Derek Carr due to a concussion, so here goes Matt Schuab, Matt McGloin, and... Trent Edwards? This will be an interesting trio to watch, considering how poorly Schuab has played this preseason (49.6 passer rating). And I'm suppose to believe that preseason doesn't matter! Matt McGloin has looked more impressive then both Schuab and Carr combined, but he's played against 3rd string players...
8. Green Bay's defense has really sunk to almost nothing. Julius Peppers is an overrated add. The LB's and the entire secondary is crumbling. I think Green Bay is on a long sink, and it's not going to be very good for the Packers offense, who will have to score more points then the other team. With Green Bay's schedule this year, that could very well be a problem. Watch them tonight to see if I am not correct on that point.
9. Chicago's run game has been very unimpressive, Matt Forte has one run that went past the line of scrimmage all preseason. Can they bounce back and get back into the flow of things?
10. Seattle had an impressive showing last week against San Diego. Are they going to destroy the Bears defense, or will they struggle? It's an ultimate test to both defenses tonight, making it a matchup to watch.
2. Calvin Johnson said on Wednesday that even he was unsure of how he would be used in this offense. Get your act together, Calvin. You have to play in it today. Calvin is an elite threat in the league, and now has Golden Tate from Seattle working opposite of him which may take some of his double coverage away from him. Watch the entire Lions pass attack and see how they fare. It'll be worth it.
3. Carolina has Cam Newton back, and he get's to work with Kelvin Benjamin extensively for the first time in their careers. Benjamin and Newton started hooking up last week, and it's been fun to watch. Definitely watch these two to see how they fare this week.
4. The Carolina Defense is one of the best in the league, and this is nothing more then a rematch of last year's Monday Night game that resulted in an angry Tom Brady storming off with the referee firing f-bombs into his face. Let's hope the first half doesn't result in that again. Luke Kuechly, Greg Hardy, and Charles Johnson lead the newly improved Panthers defense with 2 new safeties. Let's see how New England handles them.
5. Rex Ryan and Andre Williams have been throwing insults at each other all week long. Come on, guys, just play the game and shut up!
6. Jimmy Garapolo is the guy I'm watching on Friday. I love this kid as a prospect, and he's really throwing the whole Ryan Mallett taking over Tom Brady in a few years thing out the window. He's a better passer with a higher upside. I can't wait until Tom Brady get;s his tail off the field so I can watch this guy play.
7. Oakland will be missing Derek Carr due to a concussion, so here goes Matt Schuab, Matt McGloin, and... Trent Edwards? This will be an interesting trio to watch, considering how poorly Schuab has played this preseason (49.6 passer rating). And I'm suppose to believe that preseason doesn't matter! Matt McGloin has looked more impressive then both Schuab and Carr combined, but he's played against 3rd string players...
8. Green Bay's defense has really sunk to almost nothing. Julius Peppers is an overrated add. The LB's and the entire secondary is crumbling. I think Green Bay is on a long sink, and it's not going to be very good for the Packers offense, who will have to score more points then the other team. With Green Bay's schedule this year, that could very well be a problem. Watch them tonight to see if I am not correct on that point.
9. Chicago's run game has been very unimpressive, Matt Forte has one run that went past the line of scrimmage all preseason. Can they bounce back and get back into the flow of things?
10. Seattle had an impressive showing last week against San Diego. Are they going to destroy the Bears defense, or will they struggle? It's an ultimate test to both defenses tonight, making it a matchup to watch.
4 Running Backs who Could help the Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are already moving into 2014 with a lot of uncertainty with who will take over for the top to RB's, Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, who will most likely be charged by the NFL for abusing their substance policy. Bell and Blount were arrested on Wednesday for possession of pot, and were released shortly their after, with 20g recovered out of their car. Thursday, they were charged with pot possession, and will face court time for it, possibly jail time.
Behind those two in the depth chart on unaccomplished and simply non-fits. Dri Archer cannot handle a 20 carry per game load due to his size. Tauren Poole is a 2012 college free agent from Tennessee who is on his 3rd team roster. He has yet to make it.
So, the Steelers need to sign someone out of free agency, of course. But who should they choose? We have narrowed it down to 4 players, and here they are, pros and cons.
1. Willis McGahee
Willis spent most of last season with Cleveland after unexpectedly being cut by Denver. He enters his 10th NFL season, and is now the ripe old age of 32.
How He Can Help- McGahee isn't a 20 carry per game back at this point of his career either. He is a guy who can take some of the load off of Dri Archer, help Ben Roethlisburger on screens, and offer some between the tackle support.
2. Tashard Choice
The former Dallas Cowboy who has spent time on the Buffalo Bills roster as the #3 back, and also with the Indianapolis Colts, was a #2 back in Dallas before falling to #3 with the arrival of Demarco Murray combining with Felix Jones, can probably handle an extensive #2 back load. He's played in 17 games the past 3 years, as he's passed through 3 teams.
How He Can Help- Choice isn't a feature back, but he can get a rotation going with Archer and Poole, or another back they may add instead of Poole. A rotation is probably Pittsburgh's best bet. Choice can go between the tackles and cause some trouble.
3. Delone Carter
Formerly a hot shot and budding star in Indianapolis, Carter lost his roster spot due to sheer depth, and then got picked up by Jacksonville, and was used sparingly. He can take a load for a few games, and still swing nicely into a rotation.
How He Can Help- Carter has injury and durability issues, but he can still play well and fit into Pittsburghs 10-15 carry per game guy. He has a lot of talent, and would fit well with Todd Haley.
4. Andre Brown
Brown was a growing star in New York for the Giants before crazy roster numbers at the Rb position made them cut him. Signed by Houston during the offseason, and then cut again, Brown would be a logical fit in Pittsburgh for his smashing style of play.
How He Can Help- Brown is a crusher between the tackles, and strong. He can offer the Steelers the help they need to run a rotation, but as the other 3 backs, he cannot take on more then 15 carries per game. He has health issues too, and they might bug him all season.
OUR LOGIC SAYS: Pittsburgh's best shot would be to sign 2 guys to rotate with Archer, and then cut Poole. We think the best fit would be to sign Delone Carter as the #1-2 back, and Andre Brown as a #2-3 back. Archer would rotate more with Brown, and Carter would get the majority of the carries until Bell and/or Blount can come back. Bell and Blount might cost the Steelers 3 or 4 wins this season, something that they cannot afford. But it's Pittsburgh we're talking about. Mike Tomlin. Tomlin will find a way to win. He always does.
Behind those two in the depth chart on unaccomplished and simply non-fits. Dri Archer cannot handle a 20 carry per game load due to his size. Tauren Poole is a 2012 college free agent from Tennessee who is on his 3rd team roster. He has yet to make it.
So, the Steelers need to sign someone out of free agency, of course. But who should they choose? We have narrowed it down to 4 players, and here they are, pros and cons.
1. Willis McGahee
Willis spent most of last season with Cleveland after unexpectedly being cut by Denver. He enters his 10th NFL season, and is now the ripe old age of 32.
How He Can Help- McGahee isn't a 20 carry per game back at this point of his career either. He is a guy who can take some of the load off of Dri Archer, help Ben Roethlisburger on screens, and offer some between the tackle support.
2. Tashard Choice
The former Dallas Cowboy who has spent time on the Buffalo Bills roster as the #3 back, and also with the Indianapolis Colts, was a #2 back in Dallas before falling to #3 with the arrival of Demarco Murray combining with Felix Jones, can probably handle an extensive #2 back load. He's played in 17 games the past 3 years, as he's passed through 3 teams.
How He Can Help- Choice isn't a feature back, but he can get a rotation going with Archer and Poole, or another back they may add instead of Poole. A rotation is probably Pittsburgh's best bet. Choice can go between the tackles and cause some trouble.
3. Delone Carter
Formerly a hot shot and budding star in Indianapolis, Carter lost his roster spot due to sheer depth, and then got picked up by Jacksonville, and was used sparingly. He can take a load for a few games, and still swing nicely into a rotation.
How He Can Help- Carter has injury and durability issues, but he can still play well and fit into Pittsburghs 10-15 carry per game guy. He has a lot of talent, and would fit well with Todd Haley.
4. Andre Brown
Brown was a growing star in New York for the Giants before crazy roster numbers at the Rb position made them cut him. Signed by Houston during the offseason, and then cut again, Brown would be a logical fit in Pittsburgh for his smashing style of play.
How He Can Help- Brown is a crusher between the tackles, and strong. He can offer the Steelers the help they need to run a rotation, but as the other 3 backs, he cannot take on more then 15 carries per game. He has health issues too, and they might bug him all season.
OUR LOGIC SAYS: Pittsburgh's best shot would be to sign 2 guys to rotate with Archer, and then cut Poole. We think the best fit would be to sign Delone Carter as the #1-2 back, and Andre Brown as a #2-3 back. Archer would rotate more with Brown, and Carter would get the majority of the carries until Bell and/or Blount can come back. Bell and Blount might cost the Steelers 3 or 4 wins this season, something that they cannot afford. But it's Pittsburgh we're talking about. Mike Tomlin. Tomlin will find a way to win. He always does.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
6 things to watch and look for in Thursday's week 3 of preseason game
Tonight, week 3 of preseason begins. The Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Philadelphia Eagles, both teams with things that need to be proven. So, here we go. 6 things to watch and to look for in tonight's matchup.
1. Watch Nick Foles tonight. Last years NFL leading passer-rating QB opened his 2014 preseason with 2 picks in Chicago, but still has completed over 70% of his passes so far. Watch him tonight, as it's pretty important that he continues to play well after last week.
2. Watch the Steelers Running Backs. With LeGarrette Blount and Le'Veon Bell officially charged with pot possession, this might be their last game in Pittsburgh for a little while. Watch the backups, especially Dri Archer and Tauren Poole, to see how they do handling the job.
3. Watch Markus Wheaton tonight. Ben Roethlisburger this week said Wheaton was going to surprise a lot of people this year, and the second year man has the job now to do it. Tonight, we need to see him in action to see if he does impress.
4. Ryan Shazier must be watched, this guy looks like he's going to be around the NFL for a while.
5. Jordan Matthews brought in 104 receiving yards last week against New England. Matthews is a 2nd round rookie out of Vanderbilt, and has a lot of potential simply because of his hands. Look for him to do it all over again, tearing the defense apart with short screens and slant routes especially when Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley take the field.
6. We have to watch the Eagles kicking competition. Alex Henery had the job before he spooked the coaching staff last week with a missed 47 yard field goal. Now, there are 2 kickers behind him. Carey Spear of Vanderbilt, and former Auburn kicker Cody Parker. Parker led the nation last season with his 69 touchbacks, and seems like the most logical fit to the Eagles out of the 3 players.
It's hard to predict scores in a preseason game, so we'll just call a who will win on this one. I think Philadelphia will win because of the depth of talent the team boasts, and the Steelers don't have that to match them.
1. Watch Nick Foles tonight. Last years NFL leading passer-rating QB opened his 2014 preseason with 2 picks in Chicago, but still has completed over 70% of his passes so far. Watch him tonight, as it's pretty important that he continues to play well after last week.
2. Watch the Steelers Running Backs. With LeGarrette Blount and Le'Veon Bell officially charged with pot possession, this might be their last game in Pittsburgh for a little while. Watch the backups, especially Dri Archer and Tauren Poole, to see how they do handling the job.
3. Watch Markus Wheaton tonight. Ben Roethlisburger this week said Wheaton was going to surprise a lot of people this year, and the second year man has the job now to do it. Tonight, we need to see him in action to see if he does impress.
4. Ryan Shazier must be watched, this guy looks like he's going to be around the NFL for a while.
5. Jordan Matthews brought in 104 receiving yards last week against New England. Matthews is a 2nd round rookie out of Vanderbilt, and has a lot of potential simply because of his hands. Look for him to do it all over again, tearing the defense apart with short screens and slant routes especially when Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley take the field.
6. We have to watch the Eagles kicking competition. Alex Henery had the job before he spooked the coaching staff last week with a missed 47 yard field goal. Now, there are 2 kickers behind him. Carey Spear of Vanderbilt, and former Auburn kicker Cody Parker. Parker led the nation last season with his 69 touchbacks, and seems like the most logical fit to the Eagles out of the 3 players.
It's hard to predict scores in a preseason game, so we'll just call a who will win on this one. I think Philadelphia will win because of the depth of talent the team boasts, and the Steelers don't have that to match them.
Cowboys linebacker DeVonta Holloman Forced To Retire.
The Cowboys 2014 season continues to crumble before their eyes.
A 2013 6th round LB, DeVonta Holloman, was a key contender for the SLB spot, and looked as if he might get the starting job. Then, in action last week against the Ravens, Holloman went down with a neck injury.
Holloman, a former South Carolina Gamecock, was known for his quickness and hitting ability, his knack for getting to the ball carrier. The quick LB missed 7 games last season with a spinal contusion suffered in practice, so to see him go down in preseason was a disturbing factor for the Cowboys.
Holloman had shown his nasty playing style when he played against the Eagles in week 17, when he made 11 tackles and sacked Nick Foles twice in the nail-biting loss that cost Dallas the playoffs. He had a lot of promise, and will be missed by this defense.
No further news concerning the specifics on the neck injury is available at present time.
So, the next question is what will this loss do to a defense who is already missing Sean Lee, Anthony Spencer, and talked Rolando McClain into coming out of retirement to play for them? That is an very deep question.
The Cowboys linebacking group was already thin. At Holloman's position, they have 3rd year man Kyle Wilbur, a 2012 4th round pick out of Wake Forest, and a 2013 college free agent Cameron Lawrence, who's undersized frame cost him hearing his name picked in the draft. They will probably look to grab someone later this week.
It is a blow that may cost them another win or two, putting them into the 5-11, 4-12 range. Good luck, Jason Garrett. If you get 7 wins out of this team, I will personally be the first to offer any congratulations to you.
A 2013 6th round LB, DeVonta Holloman, was a key contender for the SLB spot, and looked as if he might get the starting job. Then, in action last week against the Ravens, Holloman went down with a neck injury.
Holloman, a former South Carolina Gamecock, was known for his quickness and hitting ability, his knack for getting to the ball carrier. The quick LB missed 7 games last season with a spinal contusion suffered in practice, so to see him go down in preseason was a disturbing factor for the Cowboys.
Holloman had shown his nasty playing style when he played against the Eagles in week 17, when he made 11 tackles and sacked Nick Foles twice in the nail-biting loss that cost Dallas the playoffs. He had a lot of promise, and will be missed by this defense.
No further news concerning the specifics on the neck injury is available at present time.
So, the next question is what will this loss do to a defense who is already missing Sean Lee, Anthony Spencer, and talked Rolando McClain into coming out of retirement to play for them? That is an very deep question.
The Cowboys linebacking group was already thin. At Holloman's position, they have 3rd year man Kyle Wilbur, a 2012 4th round pick out of Wake Forest, and a 2013 college free agent Cameron Lawrence, who's undersized frame cost him hearing his name picked in the draft. They will probably look to grab someone later this week.
It is a blow that may cost them another win or two, putting them into the 5-11, 4-12 range. Good luck, Jason Garrett. If you get 7 wins out of this team, I will personally be the first to offer any congratulations to you.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Does Arizona still have a top 10 defense?
Arizona lost Karlos Dansby, the all-pro linebacker who put on quite the stats last season and provided the leadership, to free agency. Signed by Cleveland to a 4 year, 24 million dollar contract, Dansby was to be replaced by 2nd year man Kevin Minter from LSU, who played a total of 2 defensive snaps in 2013 due to the sheer depth on the roster.
Then, Pro-Bowl linebacker Daryl Washington was lost to the season to a suspension against the leagues Substance abuse policy. Washington, the guy who was suppose to teach Minter, is out. The Cardinals signed Larry Foote from Pittsburgh to hopefully close that gap.
Now, Darnell Dockett is out from a Monday practice with torn ACL and MCL's. Frostee Rucker is expected to play for him effectively. The Cardinals are in a little bit of trouble, missing 3 key defenders from last season.
I talked on twitter with the guys at NFL Fantasy Talk (@NFLFantasyTalk), and asked them what they thought of the Cardinals defense from a fantasy standpoint. "They lost the King of Nasty on their line for sure," they stated. "(A) huge blow. (They are) still a top 10 defense." They went on to say that Dockett is "a big part of that line, (the Cardinals) can't replace (him)."
Let's think about that for a moment. Is Arizona still a top 10 defense with the loss of key players opening up the middle of the field? Well, we can start be looking at their defensive line.
They haven't lost Calais Campbell... Not yet, at least. This big 6-8 man is the stronghold of the Cardinals defensive line and pass rush. He's a demon, collecting 23.5 sacks in the past 3 years. He's missed 3 games in that span, in 2012, and the Cardinals felt it. Next to him is Dan Williams. The 6-2, 314 pound man who's not too much of a pass rusher, but an efficient run stopper. He guards the dead middle of the line, and is a physical player, but health is an issue. He's missed 9 games in the last 3 years.
Then, there's the secondary. Patrick Peterson is now playing opposite Antonio Cromartie. Whoa... Think about that for a moment. 2 shutdown cornerbacks, playing on the same defense. That rivals Seattle. The safeties, starting with Tyrann Mathieu and Tony Jefferson rotating with Deone Buccannon at the Strong Safety spot. That is one hell of a secondary.
The outside linebackers are strong in depth too. Alex Okafor plays behind the aging John Abraham, who is most likely on his last stand. Matt Shaughnessy, the former Patriot, plays on the left side, with Sam Acho backing him up. Acho played a lot in 2011, and was extremely impressive.
Yes, the Cardinals do have a top 10 defense. Who would you put in front of them besides Seattle and San Francisco? Carolina, yes... Perhaps Saint Louis. Anyone else? That really still puts them at a top 5 defense.
The other question, how big is Dockett to that defensive line?
Well, as Calais Campbell, the teams starting DE put it, "We lost a general..." He's missed a total of 2 games in his career, that goes back to 2004. He's a pass rusher and a run stopper, and he's good at both. He is a demon on that line, and the NFL knows it... Now, he's sitting and watching. He's a leader, and the coaching staff decided they'll use him to inspire from the sideline.
It's incredible. Arizona is still a top 5 defense, missing 3 key players. Yes, it'll be tough and noticeable, if you get the chance to draft this defense, jump on it. Don't count them out yet!
Then, Pro-Bowl linebacker Daryl Washington was lost to the season to a suspension against the leagues Substance abuse policy. Washington, the guy who was suppose to teach Minter, is out. The Cardinals signed Larry Foote from Pittsburgh to hopefully close that gap.
Now, Darnell Dockett is out from a Monday practice with torn ACL and MCL's. Frostee Rucker is expected to play for him effectively. The Cardinals are in a little bit of trouble, missing 3 key defenders from last season.
I talked on twitter with the guys at NFL Fantasy Talk (@NFLFantasyTalk), and asked them what they thought of the Cardinals defense from a fantasy standpoint. "They lost the King of Nasty on their line for sure," they stated. "(A) huge blow. (They are) still a top 10 defense." They went on to say that Dockett is "a big part of that line, (the Cardinals) can't replace (him)."
Let's think about that for a moment. Is Arizona still a top 10 defense with the loss of key players opening up the middle of the field? Well, we can start be looking at their defensive line.
They haven't lost Calais Campbell... Not yet, at least. This big 6-8 man is the stronghold of the Cardinals defensive line and pass rush. He's a demon, collecting 23.5 sacks in the past 3 years. He's missed 3 games in that span, in 2012, and the Cardinals felt it. Next to him is Dan Williams. The 6-2, 314 pound man who's not too much of a pass rusher, but an efficient run stopper. He guards the dead middle of the line, and is a physical player, but health is an issue. He's missed 9 games in the last 3 years.
Then, there's the secondary. Patrick Peterson is now playing opposite Antonio Cromartie. Whoa... Think about that for a moment. 2 shutdown cornerbacks, playing on the same defense. That rivals Seattle. The safeties, starting with Tyrann Mathieu and Tony Jefferson rotating with Deone Buccannon at the Strong Safety spot. That is one hell of a secondary.
The outside linebackers are strong in depth too. Alex Okafor plays behind the aging John Abraham, who is most likely on his last stand. Matt Shaughnessy, the former Patriot, plays on the left side, with Sam Acho backing him up. Acho played a lot in 2011, and was extremely impressive.
Yes, the Cardinals do have a top 10 defense. Who would you put in front of them besides Seattle and San Francisco? Carolina, yes... Perhaps Saint Louis. Anyone else? That really still puts them at a top 5 defense.
The other question, how big is Dockett to that defensive line?
Well, as Calais Campbell, the teams starting DE put it, "We lost a general..." He's missed a total of 2 games in his career, that goes back to 2004. He's a pass rusher and a run stopper, and he's good at both. He is a demon on that line, and the NFL knows it... Now, he's sitting and watching. He's a leader, and the coaching staff decided they'll use him to inspire from the sideline.
It's incredible. Arizona is still a top 5 defense, missing 3 key players. Yes, it'll be tough and noticeable, if you get the chance to draft this defense, jump on it. Don't count them out yet!
Colts Trade With Eagles For Running Back David Fluellen
The Colts have made a trade with the Eagles, sending former Auburn rookie kicker Cody Parker to Philadelphia for Running Back David Fluellen.
Fluellen is a rookie FA add-on from Toledo, Fluellen was on his way to a big season last year when a ankle injury took him out for the rest of the season, missing a 3 of the teams last 4 games. Fluellen was a 1500 yard rusher in 2012, and a talented receiver out of the backfield. David's biggest reason for not being drafted was injury concerns. David missed 9 games over his 3 years as Toledo's starter, and his ankle had just been hurt.
Cody Parker is rookie out of Auburn, who led the nation last season with his 69 touchbacks on kickoffs.
It is believed that the Colts want Fluellen to take on the #3 RB role, with Ahmad Bradshaw out for a while, and Vick Ballard out for the season. The Eagles aren't happy that Alex Henery missed a 47 yard FGA against New England last Friday, and they stated that "all options are open" for the kicker role, according to philly.com. Cody Parker will definitely challenge Alex Henery, alongside Casey Spears, the Eagles other kicker in camp right now, a rookie out of Vanderbilt who got national attention for his high hit rating on Madden.
The trade is overall a good one, a plus and an improvement for both teams.
Fluellen is a rookie FA add-on from Toledo, Fluellen was on his way to a big season last year when a ankle injury took him out for the rest of the season, missing a 3 of the teams last 4 games. Fluellen was a 1500 yard rusher in 2012, and a talented receiver out of the backfield. David's biggest reason for not being drafted was injury concerns. David missed 9 games over his 3 years as Toledo's starter, and his ankle had just been hurt.
Cody Parker is rookie out of Auburn, who led the nation last season with his 69 touchbacks on kickoffs.
It is believed that the Colts want Fluellen to take on the #3 RB role, with Ahmad Bradshaw out for a while, and Vick Ballard out for the season. The Eagles aren't happy that Alex Henery missed a 47 yard FGA against New England last Friday, and they stated that "all options are open" for the kicker role, according to philly.com. Cody Parker will definitely challenge Alex Henery, alongside Casey Spears, the Eagles other kicker in camp right now, a rookie out of Vanderbilt who got national attention for his high hit rating on Madden.
The trade is overall a good one, a plus and an improvement for both teams.
Cleveland Names Starting Quarterback
The Cleveland Browns, following a pitiful preseason week 2 loss to the Washington Redskins, have name their starting Quarterback for week one of the 2014 season, if not the entire season.
Don't be surprised, that name is not Johnny Manziel.
Brian Hoyer was named the team starter by Mike Pettine today in a press conference. Chris Simms claims that Pettine never gave Manziel a legit chance to win the starting job, but speculation is going to spin around anyways. That's just the Manziel bandwaggon.
Manziel sitting is a good move for his career. More time to learn and more time to adapt to the NFL. He's going to probably come off the bench at some point this season, but, only time will tell.
Don't be surprised, that name is not Johnny Manziel.
Brian Hoyer was named the team starter by Mike Pettine today in a press conference. Chris Simms claims that Pettine never gave Manziel a legit chance to win the starting job, but speculation is going to spin around anyways. That's just the Manziel bandwaggon.
Manziel sitting is a good move for his career. More time to learn and more time to adapt to the NFL. He's going to probably come off the bench at some point this season, but, only time will tell.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
TOTAL 32 REPORT- Starting 9-01-2014
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Sign up by e-mailing total32report@gmx.com with the subject line: NFL Newsletter and you will receive a free sample newsletter directly in your inbox. Check us out today, and subscribe to our newsletter!
Starting September 1st, 2014. Subscribe now!
****UPDATE****
We have decided that you can follow your favorite team(s) for $3 a month per team. Check us out, subscribe today!
Saturday, August 16, 2014
The Key To Success
With a plain white polo tucked into his tan khakis, a deeply tanned face rich with wisdom, traces of a unforgettable smile, and black square glasses on his face, he wondered ahead to a group of men wearing the green and yellow of Green Bay. In his hands was a brand new football, straight from the package. He simply moseyed to the the men who watched him intently. The veterans were smiling, they knew what was coming. They had heard this before, many times before. The rookies watched in awe, knowing a historic moment was approaching. He smiled, flashing his unforgettable smile. "Gentlemen," he announced, holding the football up before them, "this is a football."
Vince Lombardi started every training camp he coached with those words. How absurd of him! Telling men who have dedicated their lives to the sport and are now in the NFL- the National Football League- where only the best players play, and he's showing them a football.
No, think about that statement for a moment. Do you happen to know off the top of your head what the average sized playbook for any offense was in 1965? 150 pages. All of it typewritten, with diagrams hand-traced into the paper. Yeah, imagine being the one who typed that 50 times. Do you know how big Lombardi's playbook was in 1965? It was actually 81 pages.
Sonny Jergueson, the legendary Redskin quarterback who got the opportunity to play for the legendary coach for a year in Washington, said it well. "Vince knew how to make the game simple." Vince wasn't being a smart mouth, just being annoying and showing him how he was going to hound his players tails for the next 6 months of their lives. He was starting at the very basics, and he intended to lead them through the playbook and the offense from the very start, the very basics, and then just add to that a little bit at a time. What a genius.
Back then, Green Bay was the team to beat. Now, the Seattle Seahawks are the team to beat in the NFL. Imagine, just 5 years ago, anyone who would have suggested something so stupid, so randomly predicted it, would have been slapped in the face- in or outside of a bar.
Last year, before the season started, ESPN ran an article on the coaching methods of Pete Carroll. Pete was a successful coach in USC after an failed attempt at trying to run the New England Patriots. No loosing seasons, but New England let him go after his 3 years, simply due to the loss of a game in the win column each year, and lack of support from his players.
At USC, he bred 3 Heisman winners, and led the team to a couple championships, one of the biggest and most productive dynasties USC has ever run, one of his later projects being AB Matt Leinart, a 2006 first round draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals. When Leinart came back to USC, after his first season, he and Pete had a discussion. Leinart said he felt out of place, and that he had nobody to go to. Nobody to help him with what he felt he needed. That's what made him feel so out of place in the NFL. After a decent and promising rookie season, Leinart lost his starting job to Kurt Warner, and pent the rest of his career bench warming. That's what happens to a lot of high profile rookies coming out of college, and that's why coaches get fired. Players aren't comfortable, and it effects their performance. Coaches get the blame.
Pete hadn't realized that until he talked with Matt, and others like the 1st round QB. Maybe coaches _were_ the people to blame. That started Pete's search for a new revolutionary method of coaching.
Pete's concern first was run something so simple, it's complicated to defend. He worked on building a defense. An offense that can work with a defense. He built the Legion of Boom, and the vamped offence ran by Russell Wilson. But how did he make such an elite group?
First- Dietary concerns. Pete understands that the body needs the proper foods to perform at it's elite level. Dietary balance can make the average player move up in good. So Carroll made it simple. His team chiefs make foods, and players simply eat buffet style. They need to pick things like, so many items with some green vegetable in it a day, so many bread items a day, so many meat items a day, etc.
Second- Personality concerns. Matt Leinart came back really upset. Pete hires coaches for more then just their superior football knowledge. He doesn't want his coaches to be ass-hounders. He wants his coaches to be mentors to the players- on and off the field. Pete understands that to build a team, they need to be a family. And to be a family, they share their personal lives, and offer each other support. He gives players the opportunity to do so with coaches and anyone else they choose.
Third- Balance. Pete requires that his players take yoga at least 15 minutes a day. Yoga not for the spiritual mentality, but for the relaxing and soothing sensations and attitude it brings. Have you noticed how Seattle plays with a calm nature, even when they're running a 2 minute drill? There you have it, that's why.
Four- Simplify. Only true geniuses can simplify things to where other people understand it, and make it come across as simple. Pete is one of those, very much like Lombardi. The playbook is simple, the plays are simple, yet they're so hard to stop. Pete doesn't even need talent all over the board, he simply makes it easy to understand so that his players understand it.
Five- Fun. Football is a sport, for people to enjoy it, it needs to be fun.
Pete is the next Lombardi. All he needs now is a decade of destiny, and everyone else in the world will agree with me. But only people who simplify the sport can be compared to Lombardi. Winning meant everything to Lombardi, but he understood that it takes more then just the determination to win. It requires an understanding of what you're doing. And Pete is like that. Pete knows that it's easy to make things more complicated, just like Lombardi. And Pete knows how to make it easy, just like Lombardi. Only a true genius can do that.
Vince Lombardi started every training camp he coached with those words. How absurd of him! Telling men who have dedicated their lives to the sport and are now in the NFL- the National Football League- where only the best players play, and he's showing them a football.
No, think about that statement for a moment. Do you happen to know off the top of your head what the average sized playbook for any offense was in 1965? 150 pages. All of it typewritten, with diagrams hand-traced into the paper. Yeah, imagine being the one who typed that 50 times. Do you know how big Lombardi's playbook was in 1965? It was actually 81 pages.
Sonny Jergueson, the legendary Redskin quarterback who got the opportunity to play for the legendary coach for a year in Washington, said it well. "Vince knew how to make the game simple." Vince wasn't being a smart mouth, just being annoying and showing him how he was going to hound his players tails for the next 6 months of their lives. He was starting at the very basics, and he intended to lead them through the playbook and the offense from the very start, the very basics, and then just add to that a little bit at a time. What a genius.
Back then, Green Bay was the team to beat. Now, the Seattle Seahawks are the team to beat in the NFL. Imagine, just 5 years ago, anyone who would have suggested something so stupid, so randomly predicted it, would have been slapped in the face- in or outside of a bar.
Last year, before the season started, ESPN ran an article on the coaching methods of Pete Carroll. Pete was a successful coach in USC after an failed attempt at trying to run the New England Patriots. No loosing seasons, but New England let him go after his 3 years, simply due to the loss of a game in the win column each year, and lack of support from his players.
At USC, he bred 3 Heisman winners, and led the team to a couple championships, one of the biggest and most productive dynasties USC has ever run, one of his later projects being AB Matt Leinart, a 2006 first round draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals. When Leinart came back to USC, after his first season, he and Pete had a discussion. Leinart said he felt out of place, and that he had nobody to go to. Nobody to help him with what he felt he needed. That's what made him feel so out of place in the NFL. After a decent and promising rookie season, Leinart lost his starting job to Kurt Warner, and pent the rest of his career bench warming. That's what happens to a lot of high profile rookies coming out of college, and that's why coaches get fired. Players aren't comfortable, and it effects their performance. Coaches get the blame.
Pete hadn't realized that until he talked with Matt, and others like the 1st round QB. Maybe coaches _were_ the people to blame. That started Pete's search for a new revolutionary method of coaching.
Pete's concern first was run something so simple, it's complicated to defend. He worked on building a defense. An offense that can work with a defense. He built the Legion of Boom, and the vamped offence ran by Russell Wilson. But how did he make such an elite group?
First- Dietary concerns. Pete understands that the body needs the proper foods to perform at it's elite level. Dietary balance can make the average player move up in good. So Carroll made it simple. His team chiefs make foods, and players simply eat buffet style. They need to pick things like, so many items with some green vegetable in it a day, so many bread items a day, so many meat items a day, etc.
Second- Personality concerns. Matt Leinart came back really upset. Pete hires coaches for more then just their superior football knowledge. He doesn't want his coaches to be ass-hounders. He wants his coaches to be mentors to the players- on and off the field. Pete understands that to build a team, they need to be a family. And to be a family, they share their personal lives, and offer each other support. He gives players the opportunity to do so with coaches and anyone else they choose.
Third- Balance. Pete requires that his players take yoga at least 15 minutes a day. Yoga not for the spiritual mentality, but for the relaxing and soothing sensations and attitude it brings. Have you noticed how Seattle plays with a calm nature, even when they're running a 2 minute drill? There you have it, that's why.
Four- Simplify. Only true geniuses can simplify things to where other people understand it, and make it come across as simple. Pete is one of those, very much like Lombardi. The playbook is simple, the plays are simple, yet they're so hard to stop. Pete doesn't even need talent all over the board, he simply makes it easy to understand so that his players understand it.
Five- Fun. Football is a sport, for people to enjoy it, it needs to be fun.
Pete is the next Lombardi. All he needs now is a decade of destiny, and everyone else in the world will agree with me. But only people who simplify the sport can be compared to Lombardi. Winning meant everything to Lombardi, but he understood that it takes more then just the determination to win. It requires an understanding of what you're doing. And Pete is like that. Pete knows that it's easy to make things more complicated, just like Lombardi. And Pete knows how to make it easy, just like Lombardi. Only a true genius can do that.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Tonight's Matchup- What To Look For
The Chicago Bears host the Jacksonville Jaguars tonight, the lone game of the evening. Both teams are coming off of preseason wins, and still with a lot to prove. Here are several things to watch for tonight.
Chicago's Quarterbacks
Last week, while hosting Philadelphia, Chicago played 4 different QB's, each 3 of them putting together solid performances. Jay Cutler, of course, started, going 9 of 13 for 85 yards and a TD. Jordan Palmer played the second quarter, completing 8 of 11 passes for 104 yards, and a TD. Jimmy Clausen started the 2nd half, throwing 7 of 13 for 150 yards and 2 TDs. David Fales, the rookie out of San Jose State, finished he game going 5 of 7 for 68 yards and an INT. Watch Chicago's QB's tonight, and see if they can repeat another strong performance against the weaker Jaguars defense.
Chicago's Running Backs
Yes folks, moving right down the line to Chicago's RB's. They simply sucked last Friday, combining 30 carries for 74 yards... Almost 2 and a half yards per carry. Matt Forte failed to get past the LOS, and highly praised RB Ka'Deem Carey took a team high 10 runs for just 23 yards. Yes, they struggled a lot, and here they go. They need to improve a lot. Can they show better skills against the Jaguars?
*TE Zach Miller*
Chicago hit high with the Former Jaguar TE Zach Miller moving to the number 2 TE spot, playing with the first and second teams last Friday, and picking up 6 catches for 68 yards and 2 TD's. He was simply excelling in the TE spot, after being an H-Back type in Jacksonville, and looks like a huge steal for the Bears in Free Agency. The question is will he keep up those numbers?
*QB Blake Bortles*
Bortles looked simply impressive in his first action hosting the Buccaneers in Jacksonville. He was 7 of 11 for 117 yards, plus a designed run play that gained 7 yards. He fired passes accurately downfield in between defenders and looked overall very impressive. Gus Bradley promised that the 3rd overall pick will get some first team snaps over the course of the summer, so will this be one? Will he continue to look impressive and make a run to beat Chad Henne out for the starting job?
*RB Toby Gerheart*
Toby is expected to play tonight for the first time in a Jaguar uniform. He returned to practice on Tuesday after rehabbing from a hip injury. He is an explosive RB, with power and talent. Will this injury tie him down, or can he start on an impressive note?
Jaguars Defense
Jacksonville's defense looks much better then they did last season, and now they're generating pressure. 3 players, including newly acquired Chris Clemens, recorded sacks in action against the Buccaneers. Winston Guy, the former Seattle Seahawk, intercepted Josh McCown, and SLB rookie and expected starter Chris Smith strip sacked McCown. They look much better, and are a sure-fire must watch tonight.
Overall
The overall message is that this is the start of week 2, and we have some great players to keep an eye on. This is another good game, another good match-up. One team will come out of here 1-1, and don't be surprised if it is the Bears and not the Jaguars. Jacksonville is the team to beat this preseason.
Chicago's Quarterbacks
Last week, while hosting Philadelphia, Chicago played 4 different QB's, each 3 of them putting together solid performances. Jay Cutler, of course, started, going 9 of 13 for 85 yards and a TD. Jordan Palmer played the second quarter, completing 8 of 11 passes for 104 yards, and a TD. Jimmy Clausen started the 2nd half, throwing 7 of 13 for 150 yards and 2 TDs. David Fales, the rookie out of San Jose State, finished he game going 5 of 7 for 68 yards and an INT. Watch Chicago's QB's tonight, and see if they can repeat another strong performance against the weaker Jaguars defense.
Chicago's Running Backs
Yes folks, moving right down the line to Chicago's RB's. They simply sucked last Friday, combining 30 carries for 74 yards... Almost 2 and a half yards per carry. Matt Forte failed to get past the LOS, and highly praised RB Ka'Deem Carey took a team high 10 runs for just 23 yards. Yes, they struggled a lot, and here they go. They need to improve a lot. Can they show better skills against the Jaguars?
*TE Zach Miller*
Chicago hit high with the Former Jaguar TE Zach Miller moving to the number 2 TE spot, playing with the first and second teams last Friday, and picking up 6 catches for 68 yards and 2 TD's. He was simply excelling in the TE spot, after being an H-Back type in Jacksonville, and looks like a huge steal for the Bears in Free Agency. The question is will he keep up those numbers?
*QB Blake Bortles*
Bortles looked simply impressive in his first action hosting the Buccaneers in Jacksonville. He was 7 of 11 for 117 yards, plus a designed run play that gained 7 yards. He fired passes accurately downfield in between defenders and looked overall very impressive. Gus Bradley promised that the 3rd overall pick will get some first team snaps over the course of the summer, so will this be one? Will he continue to look impressive and make a run to beat Chad Henne out for the starting job?
*RB Toby Gerheart*
Toby is expected to play tonight for the first time in a Jaguar uniform. He returned to practice on Tuesday after rehabbing from a hip injury. He is an explosive RB, with power and talent. Will this injury tie him down, or can he start on an impressive note?
Jaguars Defense
Jacksonville's defense looks much better then they did last season, and now they're generating pressure. 3 players, including newly acquired Chris Clemens, recorded sacks in action against the Buccaneers. Winston Guy, the former Seattle Seahawk, intercepted Josh McCown, and SLB rookie and expected starter Chris Smith strip sacked McCown. They look much better, and are a sure-fire must watch tonight.
Overall
The overall message is that this is the start of week 2, and we have some great players to keep an eye on. This is another good game, another good match-up. One team will come out of here 1-1, and don't be surprised if it is the Bears and not the Jaguars. Jacksonville is the team to beat this preseason.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Defensive Players impress in week one of preseason
Many rookies looked wonderful in their first bit of action since college football ended last January, impressing with speed, dynamics, explosiveness, and pure raw talent. We're going to go pick by pick through the draft in this article, give you the stats, and analize each player. This will be a truly informative article, not one of politics or opinion.
Defensive Linemen
1. Texans Jadevion Clowney
Clowney played first team alongside JJ Watt and the two of them were the lone bright spot Houston had in the 32-0 shutout loss in Arizona. Clowney recorded one tackle, a 5 yard loss on a bone crushing tackle delivered to Stepfan Taylor where Clowney simply bull rushed Darren Fells. He was all over the field, however, he can't run with TE's. He got burned for a TD catch and run by John Carlson that ended up being called back for Offensive holding. Overall, he only played 2 drives, but generated pressure and made crushing tackles giving us a glimpse of what he can become.
23. Chiefs Dee Ford
Collected 2 tackles and generated some pressure while playing with the second team defense. Jason Campbell fired 2 INT's while he was on the field, putting pressure in his face.
37. Falcons Ra'Shede Hageman
Collected 2 tackles with the second team on Friday night. Looks like he's getting better with each day.
46. Steelers Stephon Tuitt
Made 1 tackle, and looked a little confused in action against the Giants.
51. Bears Ego Ferguson
Made 2 tackles in limited action, looked alright in his action against the Eagles Friday evening.
60. Panthers Kony Ealy
Made 3 tackles with the 2nd team defense on Friday night hosting Miami. Ealy looks strong off the edge, and will be a demon to stop this season.
Linebackers
5. Raiders Khalil Mack
Mack played with the 1st team, and made 2 tackles, playing very much as he did in college. Looks impressive and strong.
9. Vikings Anthony Barr
Barr made a tackle and shared a strip sack on Teddy Bridgewater with DT Tom Johnson. He looked fast off the edge and played like a fanatic. Looks like he's the perfect energy Minnesota needs.
15. Steelers Ryan Shazier
Didn't see action against the Giants Saturday evening.
17. Ravens CJ Mosely
Very impressive debut for the former Alabama linebacker. Made a team high 5 tackles and sacked Tyrod Taylor, very strong performance and an impressive evening.
26. Eagles Marcus Smith
2 tackles with the 2nd team Friday evening in Chicago.
40. Lions Kyle Van Noy
Didn't see action against the Browns on Saturday.
47. Redskins Trent Murphy
2 assist tackles in limited action against the Patriots.
50. Chargers Jeremiah Attaouchu
1 tackle in limited action against the Cowboys Thursday night.
Defensive Backs
8. Browns Justin Gilbert
Didn't see action against the Lions Saturday evening.
14. Bears Kyle Fuller
3 tackles in coverage against the Eagles. Impressive night.
18. Jets Calvin Pryor
No action Thursday against the Colts.
21. Packers HaHa Clinton-Dix
3 tackles with the 1st team Saturday night, impressive tackler in the open field.
24. Bengals Darqueeze Dennard
3 tackles and a sack in his extensive action against the Chiefs Thursday night. Looked good in coverage and open field tackling.
25. Chargers Jason Verrett
Didn't see action against Dallas.
27. Cardinals Deone Buccannon
3 tackles in limited action against the Texans Saturday.
30. 49ers Jimmy Ward
2 tackles in limited action against the Ravens.
31. Broncos Bradley Roby
4 tackles and a forced fumble in coverage against the Ravens. Looks extremely impressive.
41. Rams Lamarcus Joyner
2 tackles in action against the Saints.
58. Saints Stanley Jean-Baptiste
1 tackle in limited action against the Rams Friday night.
This has my series of articles on how our rookies played this week. Tune in Tuesday next week to start the next and more in depth assessment!
Defensive Linemen
1. Texans Jadevion Clowney
Clowney played first team alongside JJ Watt and the two of them were the lone bright spot Houston had in the 32-0 shutout loss in Arizona. Clowney recorded one tackle, a 5 yard loss on a bone crushing tackle delivered to Stepfan Taylor where Clowney simply bull rushed Darren Fells. He was all over the field, however, he can't run with TE's. He got burned for a TD catch and run by John Carlson that ended up being called back for Offensive holding. Overall, he only played 2 drives, but generated pressure and made crushing tackles giving us a glimpse of what he can become.
23. Chiefs Dee Ford
Collected 2 tackles and generated some pressure while playing with the second team defense. Jason Campbell fired 2 INT's while he was on the field, putting pressure in his face.
37. Falcons Ra'Shede Hageman
Collected 2 tackles with the second team on Friday night. Looks like he's getting better with each day.
46. Steelers Stephon Tuitt
Made 1 tackle, and looked a little confused in action against the Giants.
51. Bears Ego Ferguson
Made 2 tackles in limited action, looked alright in his action against the Eagles Friday evening.
60. Panthers Kony Ealy
Made 3 tackles with the 2nd team defense on Friday night hosting Miami. Ealy looks strong off the edge, and will be a demon to stop this season.
Linebackers
5. Raiders Khalil Mack
Mack played with the 1st team, and made 2 tackles, playing very much as he did in college. Looks impressive and strong.
9. Vikings Anthony Barr
Barr made a tackle and shared a strip sack on Teddy Bridgewater with DT Tom Johnson. He looked fast off the edge and played like a fanatic. Looks like he's the perfect energy Minnesota needs.
15. Steelers Ryan Shazier
Didn't see action against the Giants Saturday evening.
17. Ravens CJ Mosely
Very impressive debut for the former Alabama linebacker. Made a team high 5 tackles and sacked Tyrod Taylor, very strong performance and an impressive evening.
26. Eagles Marcus Smith
2 tackles with the 2nd team Friday evening in Chicago.
40. Lions Kyle Van Noy
Didn't see action against the Browns on Saturday.
47. Redskins Trent Murphy
2 assist tackles in limited action against the Patriots.
50. Chargers Jeremiah Attaouchu
1 tackle in limited action against the Cowboys Thursday night.
Defensive Backs
8. Browns Justin Gilbert
Didn't see action against the Lions Saturday evening.
14. Bears Kyle Fuller
3 tackles in coverage against the Eagles. Impressive night.
18. Jets Calvin Pryor
No action Thursday against the Colts.
21. Packers HaHa Clinton-Dix
3 tackles with the 1st team Saturday night, impressive tackler in the open field.
24. Bengals Darqueeze Dennard
3 tackles and a sack in his extensive action against the Chiefs Thursday night. Looked good in coverage and open field tackling.
25. Chargers Jason Verrett
Didn't see action against Dallas.
27. Cardinals Deone Buccannon
3 tackles in limited action against the Texans Saturday.
30. 49ers Jimmy Ward
2 tackles in limited action against the Ravens.
31. Broncos Bradley Roby
4 tackles and a forced fumble in coverage against the Ravens. Looks extremely impressive.
41. Rams Lamarcus Joyner
2 tackles in action against the Saints.
58. Saints Stanley Jean-Baptiste
1 tackle in limited action against the Rams Friday night.
This has my series of articles on how our rookies played this week. Tune in Tuesday next week to start the next and more in depth assessment!
Quarterback Cases Around The League
Cleveland, Washington, Green Bay, Oakland, Minnesota, Houston, Jacksonville, New York, Tampa Bay and New England. Every one of these teams has some sort of Quarterback race going on to where someones job is on the line. To where someone might have an upper hand. In this article, we are going over all of these teams, the options, and what preseason week one has done to effect these races. With all the action, we'll narrow down to the latest reports from training camp.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
The case- Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Anymore that can be said? Hoyer, the incumbent battling the media frenzy rookie, has the job to loose. He went 2-0 in both games he played all the way through, one of them a decisive victory in Cincinnati. Since when does Cleveland beat Cincinnati? He was taken out of the season with an ACL in his 3rd start against Buffalo on a scramble that picked up 6 yards and a first down. Went down fighting.
Then, you have Johnny Manziel. "Johnny Cleveland" as they call the media hyped rookie in the city of industry (Cleveland), previously named, by this same media, "Johnny Football". He's a small guy with an explosive and exciting style. Exciting sells tickets. Just in drafting the QB with the number 22 pick of the NFL draft, Cleveland sold 2000 season ticket packages. He's a celebrity on a field of battle.
What week 1 changed- Brian Hoyer led the team in passing yards, but he was consistently off target with his throws. Attempting 14 passes in Saturdays action against the Lions, he completed 6 for 92 yards. The run game was no support, therefore, Hoyer spent the day under pressure. Johnny Manziel completed 7 of 11 passes, gaining only 68 yards, but he turned a 3rd and 1- 2 yard gain play into a memorable play because of it's excitement. He led the team downfield to score 2 of the 4 field goals while he played. 6 runs for 27 yards, with a 16 yard dash keeping the drive alive. So exciting. So much fun. Manziel is expected to start Monday Nights matchup against the RG3 led Redskins. Keep pacing the floor, Mike Pettine swears that nothing has changed in the QB race. What idiot will really believe that?
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
The case- Okay, maybe there's not too much going on here, but rumors came out of Washington that Kirk Cousins was outplaying Robert Griffin III in training camp. Of course, Jay Gruden denied that claim, but it is a legitimate rumor, just looking at preseason week 1. Washington has so much going for them with the quarterback crew right now. Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy are battling each other for the 2nd string job, and Kirk is trying to take RG3's starting job. It's a complicated plot, and that puts Colt McCoy as a low-chance starter prospect as well. Both Cousins and McCoy were extremely impressive in the scrimmage against the Patriots, managing the clock and the team very well, as well as putting throws on target and accurately.
What week 1 changed- McCoy and Cousins combined 5 incomplete passes in 22 throws. Both fired TD's and didn't throw INT's. Both QB's threw for over 100 yards, combining for 205. Griffin played one drive, the opening drive, and went 2 of 4 for 9 yards. See the difference? RG3 led the team 11 plays, 35 yards resulting in a Kai Forbath FG from 39 yards out. McCoy and Cousins led the team to 10 points each. It hasn't changed the depth chart, but it's certainly a concern, a legit one too.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
The case- Matt Flynn, once considered the best backup QB in the NFL, has started to fade. The 2008 7th round draft pick played well for an injured Aaron Rodgers last season, but now, he doesn't look so good. He's being challenged by a young fresh face from the college football free agent ranks of 2013 names Scott Tolzien. Tolzien took over for an injured Seneca Wallace last season, and looked mostly unimpressive in action, playing until he was relieved by free agent Matt Flynn. Now, it appears that it's Flynn who's struggling in camp, and Tolzien who's excelling.
What week 1 changed- Flynn went 5 of 10 in action against the Titans, getting the start over Aaron Rodgers, who the team decided to sit. Flynn looked flustered the entire game, took a lot of pressure and didn't deliver the ball accurately. Tolzien stepped into action and completed 8 of 12 passes for 124 yards, 85 more then Flynn had. He spent the day strong, tall and defiant in the pocket, and whipped his throws downfield with accuracy and overall perfect placement. Flynn played 5 drives- Tolzien played 3. Mike McCarthy commented on Scott's huddle presence, in a good way. His first play was a 13 yard scramble resulting in a first down. Tolzien looked like the better QB, but he has a lot to prove. And he has 3 more weeks to fight the battle out.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
The case- The Raiders picked up Matt Schuab to guide and mentor the QB of the future during his stay. The original idea was that he will start this season while this new member learns from him. All was still going to plan when the Raiders drafted Derek Carr in the 2nd round to be that QB of the future. Camp went well, both QB's looking well. That's when rumors started coming out that Carr might have a chance at beating Schaub for the starting nod. These rumors were believable too. Schuab was benched by the Texans last season for his poor play, and at 35, he's not getting any younger. Carr threw for over 5000 yards last season at Boise State along with 50 TD's. Why couldn't he be beating Schuab?
What week 1 changed- Friday nights game in Minnesota was filled with poor QB play on both sides of the ball- especially on Oakland's. Schuab didn't start the season as he hoped to, starting 3 of 7 for 21 yards, rookie Anthony Barr and Tom Johnson getting through to sack him at one point. Carr's stats looked better, in fact, much better then his actual play. 10 of 16 for 74 yards, and an INT. He delivered throws late, accuracy was off, and Carr struggled as much as Schuab did. Keep Matt McGloin in the starting lineup picture.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The case- Teddy Bridgewater was drafted by the Vikings 32nd overall, a tradeup to get this guy, in hopes that he could be the QB of the future for Minnesota, who desperately needs one. Matt Cassel was resigned because of all the question marks on Bridgewater and Christian Ponder, who was sinking to 3rd on the depth chart. Cassel entered camp as the expected starter, when good things started coming out about this rookie Bridgewater, who might wrestle the job out of Cassel's hands.
What week 1 changed- Cassel started, completing 5 of 6 for 62 yards, hitting Cordarrelle Patterson twice, and setting up Matt Asiata's 1 yard plunge for a TD. Effective 10 play drive that took over 5 minutes off the clock. Bridgewater entered play after that, completing 6 of 13, struggling all over, fumbling in the red zone while under pressure that ended with a field goal, and looking restless. Very unimpressive, Ponder wasn't any better then Teddy was, so Mike Zimmer names Cassel starter for this Saturdays hosting of the Cardinals.
HOUSTON TEXANS
The case- Bill O'Brian left the announcement to who would start the 2014 season open, leaving a lot to wonder if it would be Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, or rookie 4th rounder Tom Savage. Fitzpatrick was favored, being the free agent add-on that had the experience, Keenum who started half the season in 2013 and looked mostly unimpressive, failing to win a game. Savage gained a lot of draft stock and popularity with a good pro day and NFL combine, and reports were that he looked good in camp.
What week 1 changed- Fitzpatrick complete 6 of 14 and flung 2 INTs. Keenum and Savage weren't any more impressive. Fitzpatrick's lone plus was his 23 yard run, proving he still has his scrambling ability. O'Brian, in his post game conference, named Fitzpatrick the starter. Yeah, sure. Who really believes a load of crap like that?
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
The case- Blake Bortles was drafted 3rd overall to sit the 2014 season mostly and take mentoring from Chad Henne and Frank Scelfo, learn the offense and then take over in 2015. Reports started coming, raving of Bortles' talent level being so high. People started suggesting a simularity to Andrew Luck.
What week 1 changed- Henne struggled in the first 2 drives of the game, going 4 of 7 for 30 yards, netting pretty much 0 points for Jacksonville. Bortles came into action, his first dropback looking atrocious when he slipped at the end of it, but he fired a strike accurately downfield to the arms of his waiting WR. He spent his entire afternoon firing perfect balls in between defenders, ran a draw option play which he got 7 yards out of, and just looked too impressive to resist. If he keeps up that play through preseason, it'll be Henne learning from Bortles.
NEW YORK JETS
The case- Rex Ryan is trying to make Geno Smith the future of the program. The 2nd round pick out of West Virginia has the college credentials, but not the pro ones. Last season, he became the first starting QB since the merger to throw less then 100 yards in 4 consecutive games. He was inconsistent, and at times simply atrocious. So Rex Ryan decided to put pressure on him and sign Michael Vick to the team. Vick is a great dual threat when healthy, and he's a great 1 year solution to a program.
What week 1 changed- Vick told the press that the Jet's QB competition is "rigged". He's right, but he certainly showed he still has speed when he took off running on a 15 yard gain around the edge in Thursday's scrimmage against the Colts. Geno was good, but not spectacular. Vick wants to play, and he's putting a lot of pressure on Geno to perform. As of now, Geno is the starter. But, 2 weeks from now? Who knows!
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The case- Lovie Smith added through free agency a player coming off an incredible season. Luke McCown replaced Jay Cutler and fired 13 TDs to his 1 INT, pulling an 109.3 passer rating together. Mike Glennon, a 3rd round draft pick from North Carolina State last year, is the incumbent starter, playing impressively through 13 games. However, Lovie want's someone to pressure Glennon, so when McCown came to town, Smith named him the starter.
What week 1 changed- Luke McCown struggled on his 2 drives against the Jaguars to start the game, going 2 of 4 for 20 yards before flinging an INT to Winston Guy. Mike Glennon took the majority of the snaps, finishing 11 or 19 for 140 yards, with a 6 yard TD to Tommy Streeter as his final throw. He held the offense together much better, looked much better under pressure, and performed overall better. McCown is still the starter, but we'll see what week 2 brings.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The case- Ryan Mallett was expected to be Tom Brady's replacement in a few years, except one thing has happened... He's still struggling after 3 full years on his belt. He looks flustered in the pocket, try's to get outside of it, and went 5 of 12, proving his lack of accuracy. Now, 2nd round pick Jimmy Garropolo is threatening Malletts position as Brady backup, and that looks bad for the former 3rd round pick. Funny, because discussions were just flying that this guy was too valuable to trade away...
What week 1 changed- Malletts flustered-ness, and Garropolo's calmness may solve the QB dispute in New England on chief backup and to be replacer for when Brady finally does leave. Garropolo completed 9 of 13 passes for about 140 yards, and led the team to their only score of the game, a nice little TD toss from 26 yards out to Brian Tyms. Watch the next few weeks closely.
There you have it, this years important QB battles, and you'll get the updates week after week. Watch closely, there's a lot more football to be played the next few weeks and a lot more to prove.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
The case- Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel. Anymore that can be said? Hoyer, the incumbent battling the media frenzy rookie, has the job to loose. He went 2-0 in both games he played all the way through, one of them a decisive victory in Cincinnati. Since when does Cleveland beat Cincinnati? He was taken out of the season with an ACL in his 3rd start against Buffalo on a scramble that picked up 6 yards and a first down. Went down fighting.
Then, you have Johnny Manziel. "Johnny Cleveland" as they call the media hyped rookie in the city of industry (Cleveland), previously named, by this same media, "Johnny Football". He's a small guy with an explosive and exciting style. Exciting sells tickets. Just in drafting the QB with the number 22 pick of the NFL draft, Cleveland sold 2000 season ticket packages. He's a celebrity on a field of battle.
What week 1 changed- Brian Hoyer led the team in passing yards, but he was consistently off target with his throws. Attempting 14 passes in Saturdays action against the Lions, he completed 6 for 92 yards. The run game was no support, therefore, Hoyer spent the day under pressure. Johnny Manziel completed 7 of 11 passes, gaining only 68 yards, but he turned a 3rd and 1- 2 yard gain play into a memorable play because of it's excitement. He led the team downfield to score 2 of the 4 field goals while he played. 6 runs for 27 yards, with a 16 yard dash keeping the drive alive. So exciting. So much fun. Manziel is expected to start Monday Nights matchup against the RG3 led Redskins. Keep pacing the floor, Mike Pettine swears that nothing has changed in the QB race. What idiot will really believe that?
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
The case- Okay, maybe there's not too much going on here, but rumors came out of Washington that Kirk Cousins was outplaying Robert Griffin III in training camp. Of course, Jay Gruden denied that claim, but it is a legitimate rumor, just looking at preseason week 1. Washington has so much going for them with the quarterback crew right now. Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy are battling each other for the 2nd string job, and Kirk is trying to take RG3's starting job. It's a complicated plot, and that puts Colt McCoy as a low-chance starter prospect as well. Both Cousins and McCoy were extremely impressive in the scrimmage against the Patriots, managing the clock and the team very well, as well as putting throws on target and accurately.
What week 1 changed- McCoy and Cousins combined 5 incomplete passes in 22 throws. Both fired TD's and didn't throw INT's. Both QB's threw for over 100 yards, combining for 205. Griffin played one drive, the opening drive, and went 2 of 4 for 9 yards. See the difference? RG3 led the team 11 plays, 35 yards resulting in a Kai Forbath FG from 39 yards out. McCoy and Cousins led the team to 10 points each. It hasn't changed the depth chart, but it's certainly a concern, a legit one too.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
The case- Matt Flynn, once considered the best backup QB in the NFL, has started to fade. The 2008 7th round draft pick played well for an injured Aaron Rodgers last season, but now, he doesn't look so good. He's being challenged by a young fresh face from the college football free agent ranks of 2013 names Scott Tolzien. Tolzien took over for an injured Seneca Wallace last season, and looked mostly unimpressive in action, playing until he was relieved by free agent Matt Flynn. Now, it appears that it's Flynn who's struggling in camp, and Tolzien who's excelling.
What week 1 changed- Flynn went 5 of 10 in action against the Titans, getting the start over Aaron Rodgers, who the team decided to sit. Flynn looked flustered the entire game, took a lot of pressure and didn't deliver the ball accurately. Tolzien stepped into action and completed 8 of 12 passes for 124 yards, 85 more then Flynn had. He spent the day strong, tall and defiant in the pocket, and whipped his throws downfield with accuracy and overall perfect placement. Flynn played 5 drives- Tolzien played 3. Mike McCarthy commented on Scott's huddle presence, in a good way. His first play was a 13 yard scramble resulting in a first down. Tolzien looked like the better QB, but he has a lot to prove. And he has 3 more weeks to fight the battle out.
OAKLAND RAIDERS
The case- The Raiders picked up Matt Schuab to guide and mentor the QB of the future during his stay. The original idea was that he will start this season while this new member learns from him. All was still going to plan when the Raiders drafted Derek Carr in the 2nd round to be that QB of the future. Camp went well, both QB's looking well. That's when rumors started coming out that Carr might have a chance at beating Schaub for the starting nod. These rumors were believable too. Schuab was benched by the Texans last season for his poor play, and at 35, he's not getting any younger. Carr threw for over 5000 yards last season at Boise State along with 50 TD's. Why couldn't he be beating Schuab?
What week 1 changed- Friday nights game in Minnesota was filled with poor QB play on both sides of the ball- especially on Oakland's. Schuab didn't start the season as he hoped to, starting 3 of 7 for 21 yards, rookie Anthony Barr and Tom Johnson getting through to sack him at one point. Carr's stats looked better, in fact, much better then his actual play. 10 of 16 for 74 yards, and an INT. He delivered throws late, accuracy was off, and Carr struggled as much as Schuab did. Keep Matt McGloin in the starting lineup picture.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The case- Teddy Bridgewater was drafted by the Vikings 32nd overall, a tradeup to get this guy, in hopes that he could be the QB of the future for Minnesota, who desperately needs one. Matt Cassel was resigned because of all the question marks on Bridgewater and Christian Ponder, who was sinking to 3rd on the depth chart. Cassel entered camp as the expected starter, when good things started coming out about this rookie Bridgewater, who might wrestle the job out of Cassel's hands.
What week 1 changed- Cassel started, completing 5 of 6 for 62 yards, hitting Cordarrelle Patterson twice, and setting up Matt Asiata's 1 yard plunge for a TD. Effective 10 play drive that took over 5 minutes off the clock. Bridgewater entered play after that, completing 6 of 13, struggling all over, fumbling in the red zone while under pressure that ended with a field goal, and looking restless. Very unimpressive, Ponder wasn't any better then Teddy was, so Mike Zimmer names Cassel starter for this Saturdays hosting of the Cardinals.
HOUSTON TEXANS
The case- Bill O'Brian left the announcement to who would start the 2014 season open, leaving a lot to wonder if it would be Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, or rookie 4th rounder Tom Savage. Fitzpatrick was favored, being the free agent add-on that had the experience, Keenum who started half the season in 2013 and looked mostly unimpressive, failing to win a game. Savage gained a lot of draft stock and popularity with a good pro day and NFL combine, and reports were that he looked good in camp.
What week 1 changed- Fitzpatrick complete 6 of 14 and flung 2 INTs. Keenum and Savage weren't any more impressive. Fitzpatrick's lone plus was his 23 yard run, proving he still has his scrambling ability. O'Brian, in his post game conference, named Fitzpatrick the starter. Yeah, sure. Who really believes a load of crap like that?
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
The case- Blake Bortles was drafted 3rd overall to sit the 2014 season mostly and take mentoring from Chad Henne and Frank Scelfo, learn the offense and then take over in 2015. Reports started coming, raving of Bortles' talent level being so high. People started suggesting a simularity to Andrew Luck.
What week 1 changed- Henne struggled in the first 2 drives of the game, going 4 of 7 for 30 yards, netting pretty much 0 points for Jacksonville. Bortles came into action, his first dropback looking atrocious when he slipped at the end of it, but he fired a strike accurately downfield to the arms of his waiting WR. He spent his entire afternoon firing perfect balls in between defenders, ran a draw option play which he got 7 yards out of, and just looked too impressive to resist. If he keeps up that play through preseason, it'll be Henne learning from Bortles.
NEW YORK JETS
The case- Rex Ryan is trying to make Geno Smith the future of the program. The 2nd round pick out of West Virginia has the college credentials, but not the pro ones. Last season, he became the first starting QB since the merger to throw less then 100 yards in 4 consecutive games. He was inconsistent, and at times simply atrocious. So Rex Ryan decided to put pressure on him and sign Michael Vick to the team. Vick is a great dual threat when healthy, and he's a great 1 year solution to a program.
What week 1 changed- Vick told the press that the Jet's QB competition is "rigged". He's right, but he certainly showed he still has speed when he took off running on a 15 yard gain around the edge in Thursday's scrimmage against the Colts. Geno was good, but not spectacular. Vick wants to play, and he's putting a lot of pressure on Geno to perform. As of now, Geno is the starter. But, 2 weeks from now? Who knows!
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The case- Lovie Smith added through free agency a player coming off an incredible season. Luke McCown replaced Jay Cutler and fired 13 TDs to his 1 INT, pulling an 109.3 passer rating together. Mike Glennon, a 3rd round draft pick from North Carolina State last year, is the incumbent starter, playing impressively through 13 games. However, Lovie want's someone to pressure Glennon, so when McCown came to town, Smith named him the starter.
What week 1 changed- Luke McCown struggled on his 2 drives against the Jaguars to start the game, going 2 of 4 for 20 yards before flinging an INT to Winston Guy. Mike Glennon took the majority of the snaps, finishing 11 or 19 for 140 yards, with a 6 yard TD to Tommy Streeter as his final throw. He held the offense together much better, looked much better under pressure, and performed overall better. McCown is still the starter, but we'll see what week 2 brings.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The case- Ryan Mallett was expected to be Tom Brady's replacement in a few years, except one thing has happened... He's still struggling after 3 full years on his belt. He looks flustered in the pocket, try's to get outside of it, and went 5 of 12, proving his lack of accuracy. Now, 2nd round pick Jimmy Garropolo is threatening Malletts position as Brady backup, and that looks bad for the former 3rd round pick. Funny, because discussions were just flying that this guy was too valuable to trade away...
What week 1 changed- Malletts flustered-ness, and Garropolo's calmness may solve the QB dispute in New England on chief backup and to be replacer for when Brady finally does leave. Garropolo completed 9 of 13 passes for about 140 yards, and led the team to their only score of the game, a nice little TD toss from 26 yards out to Brian Tyms. Watch the next few weeks closely.
There you have it, this years important QB battles, and you'll get the updates week after week. Watch closely, there's a lot more football to be played the next few weeks and a lot more to prove.
Preseason Week 1 Team By Team Review Part 1
In this series of articles, we are analyzing each team from week one, going into stats and looking to find out what each team holds for 2014.
Arizona Cardinals
~Result- W VS Houston Texans 32-0
~MVP- WR John Brown
~Best Rookie Performance- WR John Brown
~Breakout Defensive Player- ILB Lorenzo Alexander
The Cardinal QB play was incredible, Carson Palmer starting the game 5-5 for 84 yards, capping the drive with a lightning strike to Larry Fitzgerald from 7 yards out. Drew Stanton followed, throwing for a game high 152 yards, and a 5 yard strike to Jaron Brown. Logan Thomas took the number 3 QB spot, going 11 of 12 for 113 yards, and his 12 yard TD throw to Dan Buckner. Thomas added 5 runs for 8 yards on the ground.
The running backs were largely unimpressive, rookie Zach Bauman leading the team with his 7 runs for 29 yards, barely over 4 yards per carry. Andre Ellington, the expected starter, was given 2 runs for 7 yards. Stepfan Taylor and Johnathan Dwyer, the two backs expected to rotate to back Ellington, combined 13 runs for 16 yards.
John Brown was stunning, catching 5 passes for 87 yards, and flashing his speed and explosiveness every play. Rob Housler stepped up and took a 38 yard dart from Carson Palmer upfield. Larry Fitzgerald made the 7 yard TD catch and a 4 yard screen pass catch, and Stepfan Taylor showed he does have hands with a nice screen pass-turned-upfield 11 yard pickup.
The offensive line was great in pass protection, and the Cardinals are starting to look better. Antonio Cromartie took one of Ryan Fitzpatricks 2 INTs, the other one going to Marcus Bernard, who had blown coverage on the intended target, but the pass came to short, and right to Bernard.
Atlanta Falcons
~Result- W VS Miami 16-10
~MVP- RB DeVonta Freeman
~Best Rookie Performance- RB DeVonta Freeman
~Breakout Defensive Player- OLB Prince Shembo
The Falcons QB play was great, Matt Ryan starting the game 7 of 7 for 53 yards, taking the team downfield to set up Jacquizz Rodgers 2 yard run. TJ Yates and Sean Renfree both passed for 100 yards, but neither of them made it to a 50% completion percentage. No INTs were thrown by the Falcons.
DeVonta Freeman ran 10 times for 50 yards, including a nice 14 yard outbreak as his longest run. However, he turned a screen pass into a 57 yard gain. He's explosive, and he's just what the Falcons need this season. Jacquizz Rodgers took 7 runs for 20 yards, along with his TD, and Steven Jackson watched from the sidelines, giving the start to Rodgers. Antoine Smith has 3 runs for 5 yards officially, although he took a run 60+ yards for a TD, it was erased to a Jake Matthews holding penalty.
Bernard Reedy is a must watch player. He is a truly underrated prospect from Toldeo, very explosive WR. He led the Falcons team in receiving yards, with catches of 35 and 26 yards to put a grand total of 61. Roddy White caught 4 of Ryans 5 passes for 27 yards, no Julio Jones on the field. Levine Toilolo is currently in the lead for the starting TE position replacing the retired to be hall of fame player Tony Gonzalez.
Jake Matthews truly struggled, but he has 3 games or so to pull it together. Expect him to improve a lot in the next few games.
Prince Shembo looked extremely impressive, collecting 3 tackles and a sack, the lone Falcon sack of the day. He is currently 3rd on the depth chart as strongside LB.
Baltimore Ravens
~Result- W VS San Fransisco 49ers 23-3
~MVP- K Justin Tucker
~Best Rookie Performance- RB Lorenzo Taliaferro
~Breakout Defensive Player- ILB CJ Mosely
Tyrod Taylor played most of the game, putting together an average game, Joe Flacco passing 4 of 5 of his throws for completions, for 52 yards. He led the team to Bernard Pierces' 2 yard run.
Ray Rice is going to be more explosive this season, and he started showing it in the Harbaugh Bowl. 3 runs for 17 yards, while sharing time with Pierce. Lorenzo Taliaferro took 13 runs for 71 yards, putting the most impressive offensive performance of the day.
Steve Smith and Owen Daniels have caught their first passes in Raven uniforms, and Jacoby Jones had 2 catches for 16 yards. Apart from that, the receivers may be the ones who made the QB's look bad, due to lack of depth and talent on the team at those positions.
CJ Mosely pulled off an incredible 5 tackles and a sack from the ILB position with limited snaps. He was all over the field, and played over-all well.
Buffalo Bills
~Result- W @ Carolina Panthers 20-18
~MVP- RB Bryce Brown
~Best Rookie Performance- WR Sammy Watkins
~Breakout Defensive Player- ILB Jimmy Gaines
EJ Manuel showed the same pocket presence I saw in him last week. Standing tall in the face of danger and injury. The different thing about this week was the quick passes to Sammy Watkins, and his 69.2% completion rate. Thad Lewis got more playing time this week, and looked average, and Jeff Tuel fired in a 1 yard TD pass to Chris Summers, the FB, and a INT to Josh Norman.
Bryce Brown, the former Philadelphia Eagle, looked in good form, taking the ball a total of 11 times for 82 yards. 2 of those were catches put in for 18 yards. Andre Dixon took in the TD, but he failed to make the 3.2 AVG mark. CJ Spiller flashed explosions from last season, but Fred Jackson averaged 2 yards per carry with 5 runs.
Sammy Watkins finally bloomed, catching a couple quick screen passes and a 14 yard bullet from EJ Manuel. His catching ability looks unblemished. Robert Woods looked impressive for the second straight week, bringing in another 4 catches this time for 31 yards. His longest catch went 10 yards. Mike Williams, expected to start opposite Watkins, made 1 catch for 28 yards.
Jimmy Gaines led the team with 6 tackles, and led the Bills to a 3 sack 2 INT game. The defense regestered 2 takeaways while he was in the game.
Carolina Panthers
~Result- L VS Buffalo Bills 18-20
~MVP- QB Joe Webb
~Best Rookie Performance- WR Kelvin Benjamin
~Breakout Defensive Player- CB Josh Norman
Cam Newton sat out the game to recuperate from his offseason surgery, and Derek Anderson got the nod to start the game. He didn't play too much, completing 5 of 7 passes for 65 yards and a 29 yard strike to Kelvin Benjamin. Matt Blanchard looked extremely unimpressive, I'll be surprised if he makes it to the next game on the roster. Joe Webb was impressive, throwing 28 times, completing 16 passes for 180 yards, plus a TD and INT each. Webb led the team in rushing with his 4 runs for 30 yards. Very exciting and dynamic player still unproven on winning games.
Darren Reaves, a college football free agent add on, will most likely spend the season on the practice squad. He took 8 runs for 19 yards, his longest run being his 6 yard TD. Unimpressive performance overall. Kenjon Barner took 8 runs for 8 yards, very much like his rookie regular season performance. Most unimpressive.
It's hard to give a best rookie performance based on one play, but Kelvin Benjamin did that. He made a 29 yard TD catch underthrown, yet a most beautiful play. He made a great catch, putting his hands under the ball to make sure it didn't hit the ground, and that's what determined his place. Tavarress King, former Bronco draftee, caught a team high 4 catches for 50 yards, playing with Joe Webb. The Panthers are trusting on players like King to give them the depth at the WR position.
Josh Norman tied the team lead with 6 tackles, and made the only INT of the game picking Jeff Tuel off. Norman looked much better then the average corner, and might just get some first team snaps next week when Carolina meets Kansas City Sunday Night.
Chicago Bears
~Result- W VS Philadelphia Eagles 34-28
~MVP- TE Zach Miller
~Best Rookie Performance- QB David Fales
~Breakout Defensive Player- CB Demontre Hurst
Jay Cutler started the game 9 of 13 for 85 yards and his TD strike to Zach Miller in the 1st Q. Jordan Palmer threw a TD and a INT, but Jimmy Clausen, former Panther 2nd round pick, tossed 2 TDs and led all game QBs with his 150 yards passing. David Fales went 5 of 7 for 68 yards, and an INT, but was clearly, hands down, the best rookie on the field for Chicago.
The RB's were entirely unimpressive. Jordan Lynch, former QB in Northern Illinois, led the team in rushing with a total of 7 carries for 24 yards. Kadeem Carey took 10 for 22 yards. They couldn't bring a consistent run game without Matt Forte to the table against the Eagles 2nd and 3rd team players, giving Matt Forte a need to be healthy this entire season due to lack of depth.
TE Zach Miller bloomed in action, catching 6 passes for 68 yards and 2 TD's. Miller is currently second on the depth chart, but should see a lot of playing time anyways. Brandon Marshall made 5 catches for 31 yards, he still has the hands. Alshon Jeffery made a catch for 16, and Michael Spurlock looked most impressive with his 4 catches for 56 yards and a 22 yard strike from Jimmy Clausen.
Demontre Hurst didn't impress me with his coverage skills, he impressed me with his tackling skills. This guy could probably be made a Strong Safety, as the 2nd year player led the team with 8 tackles, all solo. Jared Allen saw no action, but new add-on Ryan Mundy looks solid, already with an INT.
Cincinnati Bengals
~Result- L @ Kansas City 39-41
~MVP- QB Matt Scott
~Best Rookie Performance- RB Jeremy Hill
~Breakout Defensive Player- CB Dre Kirkpatrick
Andy Dalton started Thursdays first game of the preseason, hitting 3 of 5 passes for 71 yards, including a 53 yard bomb thrown perfectly into the hands of AJ Green. His deep ball looks much better already this season, and with a large contract on his belt now, he looks to be the long term starter in Cincinnati. Jason Campbell threw 4 TD passes... Unfortunately, 2 of them were to Kansas City. He went an unimpressive 6 of 15 for 72 yards. Matt Scott was the most impressive on the field, going 7 of 11 for 66 yards and 2 TDs, plus his 6 runs for a game high 68 yards. One of his TD passes followed a puke on the field. AJ McCarron missed the action due to tightness in his shoulder.
The Bengals have a problem on their hands with their running backs- a good problem. They have so much talent going back to RB 6, and they can't possibly keep it all on the roster when the 53 man cut gets in. Rookie Jeremy Hill led the Running backs with 6 runs for 36 yards, Rex Burkhead picking up 21 on 5 carries, and Cedric Peerman picking up 20 on 5 carries. That's not mentioning BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Giovani Bernard, or James Wilder Jr, who combined 9 carries for 26 yards. They have so much skill and talent, the Bengals will be scary.
AJ Green led the team in receiving yards. Unfortunately, reports are arriving that Marvin Jones will probably miss the next 5 weeks with a foot injury- giving people such as Mohumad Sanu a chance. The starting TE's made no catches, but looked good with their route running and blocking.
Dre Kirkpatrick was my selection for his pick-six. He made the catch and ran past everyone to score the TD on Chase Daniels INT. If he stays healthy, Kirkpatrick might just validate the 1st round pick the Bengals used to get him in 2012, making him a breakout canadite. Darqueeze Dennard made 3 tackles plus a sack in his limited action.
Cleveland Browns
~Result- L @Detroit Lions 12-13
~MVP- K Billy Cundiff
~Best Rookie Performance- QB Johnny Manziel
~Breakout Defensive Player- LB Zac Diles
Brian Hoyer still has the job for the regular season, Johnny Manziel is still trying to get that job. There's no doubt that Hoyer did struggle, and Manziel looked much more exciting and overall more talented. Hoyer went 6 of 14, but on those 6 completions, he got 92 yards. He played well when he had to and that's what matters. Manziel, however, came off the bench and led his team doenfield to score 2 FG's, and turned 2 yard runs on 3rd down into memorable plays. That's Manziel's nature. Tyler Thigpen was so unimpressive, Cleveland waived him on Tuesday, and signed former Bear and Redskin Rex Grossman.
Ben Tate looked much better then Terrence West, Tate gaining 25 yards on 6 carries, West gaining 22 yards on 10 carries. West was inconsistent, running for 10 yards on one play, and without that play, he averaged 1.3 yards per carry. Edwin Baker got some playing time and took 3 runs for 9 yards. Dion Lewis was most unimpressive, running 3 times for 6 yards. As receiving threats, Dion Lewis is a nice screen threat, and West got a nice 13 yard pass that he turned upfield.
Andrew Hawkins looked good working with Brian Hoyer, catching 3 balls for 30 yards. Josh Gordon got 2 catches for 32 yards, he may face an 8 game suspension due to illegal drug use. Marvin Austin wasn't too active, catching a pass for 15 yards, and Jordan Cameron missed the game due to injury. The Browns will struggle without Cameron or Gordon, no matter who is QB.
Zac Diles is the backup RILB for the Browns, and he tied for the team lead with 4 tackles. He looks good and strong, and should play pretty well this season in his limited duty. The Browns need some help with tackling, Jordan Poyer missed an open field tackle on Joique Bell that resulted in an 11 yard gain.
Arizona Cardinals
~Result- W VS Houston Texans 32-0
~MVP- WR John Brown
~Best Rookie Performance- WR John Brown
~Breakout Defensive Player- ILB Lorenzo Alexander
The Cardinal QB play was incredible, Carson Palmer starting the game 5-5 for 84 yards, capping the drive with a lightning strike to Larry Fitzgerald from 7 yards out. Drew Stanton followed, throwing for a game high 152 yards, and a 5 yard strike to Jaron Brown. Logan Thomas took the number 3 QB spot, going 11 of 12 for 113 yards, and his 12 yard TD throw to Dan Buckner. Thomas added 5 runs for 8 yards on the ground.
The running backs were largely unimpressive, rookie Zach Bauman leading the team with his 7 runs for 29 yards, barely over 4 yards per carry. Andre Ellington, the expected starter, was given 2 runs for 7 yards. Stepfan Taylor and Johnathan Dwyer, the two backs expected to rotate to back Ellington, combined 13 runs for 16 yards.
John Brown was stunning, catching 5 passes for 87 yards, and flashing his speed and explosiveness every play. Rob Housler stepped up and took a 38 yard dart from Carson Palmer upfield. Larry Fitzgerald made the 7 yard TD catch and a 4 yard screen pass catch, and Stepfan Taylor showed he does have hands with a nice screen pass-turned-upfield 11 yard pickup.
The offensive line was great in pass protection, and the Cardinals are starting to look better. Antonio Cromartie took one of Ryan Fitzpatricks 2 INTs, the other one going to Marcus Bernard, who had blown coverage on the intended target, but the pass came to short, and right to Bernard.
Atlanta Falcons
~Result- W VS Miami 16-10
~MVP- RB DeVonta Freeman
~Best Rookie Performance- RB DeVonta Freeman
~Breakout Defensive Player- OLB Prince Shembo
The Falcons QB play was great, Matt Ryan starting the game 7 of 7 for 53 yards, taking the team downfield to set up Jacquizz Rodgers 2 yard run. TJ Yates and Sean Renfree both passed for 100 yards, but neither of them made it to a 50% completion percentage. No INTs were thrown by the Falcons.
DeVonta Freeman ran 10 times for 50 yards, including a nice 14 yard outbreak as his longest run. However, he turned a screen pass into a 57 yard gain. He's explosive, and he's just what the Falcons need this season. Jacquizz Rodgers took 7 runs for 20 yards, along with his TD, and Steven Jackson watched from the sidelines, giving the start to Rodgers. Antoine Smith has 3 runs for 5 yards officially, although he took a run 60+ yards for a TD, it was erased to a Jake Matthews holding penalty.
Bernard Reedy is a must watch player. He is a truly underrated prospect from Toldeo, very explosive WR. He led the Falcons team in receiving yards, with catches of 35 and 26 yards to put a grand total of 61. Roddy White caught 4 of Ryans 5 passes for 27 yards, no Julio Jones on the field. Levine Toilolo is currently in the lead for the starting TE position replacing the retired to be hall of fame player Tony Gonzalez.
Jake Matthews truly struggled, but he has 3 games or so to pull it together. Expect him to improve a lot in the next few games.
Prince Shembo looked extremely impressive, collecting 3 tackles and a sack, the lone Falcon sack of the day. He is currently 3rd on the depth chart as strongside LB.
Baltimore Ravens
~Result- W VS San Fransisco 49ers 23-3
~MVP- K Justin Tucker
~Best Rookie Performance- RB Lorenzo Taliaferro
~Breakout Defensive Player- ILB CJ Mosely
Tyrod Taylor played most of the game, putting together an average game, Joe Flacco passing 4 of 5 of his throws for completions, for 52 yards. He led the team to Bernard Pierces' 2 yard run.
Ray Rice is going to be more explosive this season, and he started showing it in the Harbaugh Bowl. 3 runs for 17 yards, while sharing time with Pierce. Lorenzo Taliaferro took 13 runs for 71 yards, putting the most impressive offensive performance of the day.
Steve Smith and Owen Daniels have caught their first passes in Raven uniforms, and Jacoby Jones had 2 catches for 16 yards. Apart from that, the receivers may be the ones who made the QB's look bad, due to lack of depth and talent on the team at those positions.
CJ Mosely pulled off an incredible 5 tackles and a sack from the ILB position with limited snaps. He was all over the field, and played over-all well.
Buffalo Bills
~Result- W @ Carolina Panthers 20-18
~MVP- RB Bryce Brown
~Best Rookie Performance- WR Sammy Watkins
~Breakout Defensive Player- ILB Jimmy Gaines
EJ Manuel showed the same pocket presence I saw in him last week. Standing tall in the face of danger and injury. The different thing about this week was the quick passes to Sammy Watkins, and his 69.2% completion rate. Thad Lewis got more playing time this week, and looked average, and Jeff Tuel fired in a 1 yard TD pass to Chris Summers, the FB, and a INT to Josh Norman.
Bryce Brown, the former Philadelphia Eagle, looked in good form, taking the ball a total of 11 times for 82 yards. 2 of those were catches put in for 18 yards. Andre Dixon took in the TD, but he failed to make the 3.2 AVG mark. CJ Spiller flashed explosions from last season, but Fred Jackson averaged 2 yards per carry with 5 runs.
Sammy Watkins finally bloomed, catching a couple quick screen passes and a 14 yard bullet from EJ Manuel. His catching ability looks unblemished. Robert Woods looked impressive for the second straight week, bringing in another 4 catches this time for 31 yards. His longest catch went 10 yards. Mike Williams, expected to start opposite Watkins, made 1 catch for 28 yards.
Jimmy Gaines led the team with 6 tackles, and led the Bills to a 3 sack 2 INT game. The defense regestered 2 takeaways while he was in the game.
Carolina Panthers
~Result- L VS Buffalo Bills 18-20
~MVP- QB Joe Webb
~Best Rookie Performance- WR Kelvin Benjamin
~Breakout Defensive Player- CB Josh Norman
Cam Newton sat out the game to recuperate from his offseason surgery, and Derek Anderson got the nod to start the game. He didn't play too much, completing 5 of 7 passes for 65 yards and a 29 yard strike to Kelvin Benjamin. Matt Blanchard looked extremely unimpressive, I'll be surprised if he makes it to the next game on the roster. Joe Webb was impressive, throwing 28 times, completing 16 passes for 180 yards, plus a TD and INT each. Webb led the team in rushing with his 4 runs for 30 yards. Very exciting and dynamic player still unproven on winning games.
Darren Reaves, a college football free agent add on, will most likely spend the season on the practice squad. He took 8 runs for 19 yards, his longest run being his 6 yard TD. Unimpressive performance overall. Kenjon Barner took 8 runs for 8 yards, very much like his rookie regular season performance. Most unimpressive.
It's hard to give a best rookie performance based on one play, but Kelvin Benjamin did that. He made a 29 yard TD catch underthrown, yet a most beautiful play. He made a great catch, putting his hands under the ball to make sure it didn't hit the ground, and that's what determined his place. Tavarress King, former Bronco draftee, caught a team high 4 catches for 50 yards, playing with Joe Webb. The Panthers are trusting on players like King to give them the depth at the WR position.
Josh Norman tied the team lead with 6 tackles, and made the only INT of the game picking Jeff Tuel off. Norman looked much better then the average corner, and might just get some first team snaps next week when Carolina meets Kansas City Sunday Night.
Chicago Bears
~Result- W VS Philadelphia Eagles 34-28
~MVP- TE Zach Miller
~Best Rookie Performance- QB David Fales
~Breakout Defensive Player- CB Demontre Hurst
Jay Cutler started the game 9 of 13 for 85 yards and his TD strike to Zach Miller in the 1st Q. Jordan Palmer threw a TD and a INT, but Jimmy Clausen, former Panther 2nd round pick, tossed 2 TDs and led all game QBs with his 150 yards passing. David Fales went 5 of 7 for 68 yards, and an INT, but was clearly, hands down, the best rookie on the field for Chicago.
The RB's were entirely unimpressive. Jordan Lynch, former QB in Northern Illinois, led the team in rushing with a total of 7 carries for 24 yards. Kadeem Carey took 10 for 22 yards. They couldn't bring a consistent run game without Matt Forte to the table against the Eagles 2nd and 3rd team players, giving Matt Forte a need to be healthy this entire season due to lack of depth.
TE Zach Miller bloomed in action, catching 6 passes for 68 yards and 2 TD's. Miller is currently second on the depth chart, but should see a lot of playing time anyways. Brandon Marshall made 5 catches for 31 yards, he still has the hands. Alshon Jeffery made a catch for 16, and Michael Spurlock looked most impressive with his 4 catches for 56 yards and a 22 yard strike from Jimmy Clausen.
Demontre Hurst didn't impress me with his coverage skills, he impressed me with his tackling skills. This guy could probably be made a Strong Safety, as the 2nd year player led the team with 8 tackles, all solo. Jared Allen saw no action, but new add-on Ryan Mundy looks solid, already with an INT.
Cincinnati Bengals
~Result- L @ Kansas City 39-41
~MVP- QB Matt Scott
~Best Rookie Performance- RB Jeremy Hill
~Breakout Defensive Player- CB Dre Kirkpatrick
Andy Dalton started Thursdays first game of the preseason, hitting 3 of 5 passes for 71 yards, including a 53 yard bomb thrown perfectly into the hands of AJ Green. His deep ball looks much better already this season, and with a large contract on his belt now, he looks to be the long term starter in Cincinnati. Jason Campbell threw 4 TD passes... Unfortunately, 2 of them were to Kansas City. He went an unimpressive 6 of 15 for 72 yards. Matt Scott was the most impressive on the field, going 7 of 11 for 66 yards and 2 TDs, plus his 6 runs for a game high 68 yards. One of his TD passes followed a puke on the field. AJ McCarron missed the action due to tightness in his shoulder.
The Bengals have a problem on their hands with their running backs- a good problem. They have so much talent going back to RB 6, and they can't possibly keep it all on the roster when the 53 man cut gets in. Rookie Jeremy Hill led the Running backs with 6 runs for 36 yards, Rex Burkhead picking up 21 on 5 carries, and Cedric Peerman picking up 20 on 5 carries. That's not mentioning BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Giovani Bernard, or James Wilder Jr, who combined 9 carries for 26 yards. They have so much skill and talent, the Bengals will be scary.
AJ Green led the team in receiving yards. Unfortunately, reports are arriving that Marvin Jones will probably miss the next 5 weeks with a foot injury- giving people such as Mohumad Sanu a chance. The starting TE's made no catches, but looked good with their route running and blocking.
Dre Kirkpatrick was my selection for his pick-six. He made the catch and ran past everyone to score the TD on Chase Daniels INT. If he stays healthy, Kirkpatrick might just validate the 1st round pick the Bengals used to get him in 2012, making him a breakout canadite. Darqueeze Dennard made 3 tackles plus a sack in his limited action.
Cleveland Browns
~Result- L @Detroit Lions 12-13
~MVP- K Billy Cundiff
~Best Rookie Performance- QB Johnny Manziel
~Breakout Defensive Player- LB Zac Diles
Brian Hoyer still has the job for the regular season, Johnny Manziel is still trying to get that job. There's no doubt that Hoyer did struggle, and Manziel looked much more exciting and overall more talented. Hoyer went 6 of 14, but on those 6 completions, he got 92 yards. He played well when he had to and that's what matters. Manziel, however, came off the bench and led his team doenfield to score 2 FG's, and turned 2 yard runs on 3rd down into memorable plays. That's Manziel's nature. Tyler Thigpen was so unimpressive, Cleveland waived him on Tuesday, and signed former Bear and Redskin Rex Grossman.
Ben Tate looked much better then Terrence West, Tate gaining 25 yards on 6 carries, West gaining 22 yards on 10 carries. West was inconsistent, running for 10 yards on one play, and without that play, he averaged 1.3 yards per carry. Edwin Baker got some playing time and took 3 runs for 9 yards. Dion Lewis was most unimpressive, running 3 times for 6 yards. As receiving threats, Dion Lewis is a nice screen threat, and West got a nice 13 yard pass that he turned upfield.
Andrew Hawkins looked good working with Brian Hoyer, catching 3 balls for 30 yards. Josh Gordon got 2 catches for 32 yards, he may face an 8 game suspension due to illegal drug use. Marvin Austin wasn't too active, catching a pass for 15 yards, and Jordan Cameron missed the game due to injury. The Browns will struggle without Cameron or Gordon, no matter who is QB.
Zac Diles is the backup RILB for the Browns, and he tied for the team lead with 4 tackles. He looks good and strong, and should play pretty well this season in his limited duty. The Browns need some help with tackling, Jordan Poyer missed an open field tackle on Joique Bell that resulted in an 11 yard gain.
Receivers and Tight Ends impress in first preseason action
Many rookies looked wonderful in their first bit of action since college football ended last January, impressing with speed, dynamics, explosiveness, and pure raw talent. We're going to go pick by pick through the draft in this article, give you the stats, and analize each player. This will be a truly informative article, not one of politics or opinion. Part 3 in a series.
Wide Receivers
4. Bills Sammy Watkins
Sammy looked impressive, catching 3 balls for 21 yards. The Bills implemented his old screen habits, giving him 2 screen passes that would gain 7 yards. His 3rd catch was a beautiful slant pattern where Sammy dove between 2 defenders to secure a catch for 14 yards. Looks good, appears to be ready to play a big part in the Bills offense this season.
7. Buccaneers Mike Evans
Didn't see action against the Jaguars on Friday night.
12. Giants Odell Beckham Jr
Still recovering from Hamstring tweak from day one of training camp.
20. Saints Brandin Cooks
Extremely explosive player. Brought in game high 5 catches for 55 yards, including a 23 yard TD that featured his ability to stop and go as he took a screen pass and sidestepped players into the end zone. Also handled punt returns, needs more reps in games before getting rated for his service there.
28. Panthers Kelvin Benjamin
1 catch. 29 yards. 1 Touchdown. Anderson went for it all and connected with an underthrown pass that Kelvin fell down to secure and catch. His form looked impressive, and his instincts were what made that play. Looks like he will be a vital part of the Panthers offense.
39. Jaguars Marquise Lee
Didn't see the field in game 1 Friday night against the Buccaneers.
42. Eagles Jordan Matthews
Screen receiver. Caught 4 passes for 14 yards, his longest catch picking up 5. Hands looked great, but as soon as he picks up the offense better, he'll pick up 10-15 yards per play. Looks promising simply because of his hands.
45. Seahawks Paul Richardson
Led team Thursday night with his 4 catches, gaining 37 yards. Looks good on his short passes, longest gain picking up 12 yards. Hands and route running looks great, not too much to worry about. He's gaining prestige on the depth chart quickly.
53. Packers Davante Adams
Davante got some good playing time in, catching 2 balls for 22 yards, used mainly on slant patterns very much like he did in college. He's being used on the field great, and his raw talent will get him more action. However, 2 fumbles (one lost) will be a set back for playing time. Probably will share time at the #3 receiver spot with Jarrett Boykin.
56. Broncos Cody Latimer
Didn't register any stats in the Super Bowl rematch hosting the Seahawks Thursday night.
61. Jaguars Allen Robinson
Played limited time, and was targeted a few times. No catches.
63. Dolphins Jarvis Landry
1 catch on a screen pass that lost a yard. Not an impressive debut for the #14. We'll give him credit for catching the ball.
86. Eagles Josh Huff
Caught 1 pass for 8 yards in Fridays scrimmage against the Bears. Looks extremely explosive, more for his 102 yard kick return that highlighted his pure speed. Took back 4 kickoffs, averaged 35 yards a return. Next third round WR steal?
90. Colts Donte Moncrief
1 catch for 16 yards, plus a kick return for 27. Not a bad start, could be better with his hands.
91. Cardinals John Brown
5 catches for 87 yards in the destruction of Houston's defense Saturday night. He Targeted 10 times, so his stats could be better, but the fact is that the guy was open just about every play. His 25 yard catch and run showed more of his explosive playmaking ability.
104. Jets Jalen Saunders
Saw limited action on the field, no stats. Did take 2 punt returns for 10 yards. Nothing impressive.
106. 49ers Bruce Ellington
3 catches for a team high 35 yards in the 23-3 loss to Baltimore Thursday night. Looked explosive off the line and unstoppable in the middle of the field, exactly what San Francisco needs. Handled kick and punt returns as well, combined for 97 all-purpose yards. Looks explosive.
115. Jets Shaquelle Evans
Saw limited action, no stats to show for it.
118. Steelers Martavis Bryant
1 catch for 19 yards in the loss to Green Bay Saturday evening. shared punt return duties with Dri Archer, looked mostly unimpressive overall. Little flash of explosiveness with his 19 yard catch.
123. Seahawks Kevin Norwood
Saw no action against the Broncos.
142. Redskins Ryan Grant
3 catches for 37 yards in his extensive action against the Patriots. Looks strong and hard to stop, exactly what the Redskins need. Should get limited playing time this regular season.
146. Cowboys Devin Street
4 catches for a team high 43 yards. Good hands and presence, and flashes of explosiveness. Devin has a shot at being the #3 receiver for Dallas this season.
176. Packers Jared Abbrederis
Didn't see action against the Titans Saturday night.
185. Buccaneers Robert Herron
1 catch for 10 yards in his limited playing time. Targeted a few other times, but couldn't come up with catches. Won't see the field too much this season.
189. Lions TJ Jones
Registered no stats in Saturday evenings action against the Browns.
190. Dolphins Matt Hazel
Made no catches in the scrimmage against the Falcons Friday night.
196. Cardinals Walt Powell
3 catches for 74 yards against the Texans, including a team long 47 yard catch. Impressive start to his season, even if it was preseason. Looks explosive.
209. Jets Quincy Enunwa
No stats against the Colts.
218. Ravens Michael Campanaro
Took a punt 0 yards. Too early to tell on this guy.
236. Packers Jeff Janis
No stats in Tennessee Saturday night.
239. Bengals James Wright
2 catches for 20 yards plus a TD pass from Matt Scott. Wright looked alright with route running, but played 3rd team for lack of development.
240. Chargers Tevin Reese
1 catch for 17 yards, Reese looks like he can bloom into a steal. Only time will tell on that one.
244. Patriots Jeremy Gallon
Not on roster.
Tight Ends
10. Lions Eric Ebron
Played limited 1st team snaps, took a 2 yard screen pass from Stafford. Not a blocking TE, he was used mainly in passing downs, and spent his time running routes.
38. Buccaneers Austin Seferian-Jenkins
2 catches for 29 yards. Spent time on both 1st and 2nd team units, and can be a good target in traffic over the middle. Still needs some polishing done, but that can be done over time.
49. Jets Jace Amaro
2 catches for 18 yards. Good hands, and great field awareness. Ran short routes, not used as a blocker. Jace is the next TE for New York.
52. Cardinals Troy Niklas
Saw limited time, took no stats with him out.
65. Texans CJ Feidorowicz
Limited snaps, no stats.
98. Packers Richard Rodgers
1 catch for 10 yards. Played on the 3rd team offense. Not bad hands, needs to improve blocking.
99. Ravens Crockett Gilmore
No action verses the 49ers Thursday evening.
155. Dolphins Arthur Lynch
No stats in the Georgia Dome Friday.
217. Redskins Ted Bolster
Caught a 7 yard TD from Colt McCoy, playing on the 3rd team. Blocked and helped Lache Seastrunk gain his 63 yards against the Patriots.
230. Steelers Robert Blanchflower
No action against the Giants Saturday night.
Wide Receivers
4. Bills Sammy Watkins
Sammy looked impressive, catching 3 balls for 21 yards. The Bills implemented his old screen habits, giving him 2 screen passes that would gain 7 yards. His 3rd catch was a beautiful slant pattern where Sammy dove between 2 defenders to secure a catch for 14 yards. Looks good, appears to be ready to play a big part in the Bills offense this season.
7. Buccaneers Mike Evans
Didn't see action against the Jaguars on Friday night.
12. Giants Odell Beckham Jr
Still recovering from Hamstring tweak from day one of training camp.
20. Saints Brandin Cooks
Extremely explosive player. Brought in game high 5 catches for 55 yards, including a 23 yard TD that featured his ability to stop and go as he took a screen pass and sidestepped players into the end zone. Also handled punt returns, needs more reps in games before getting rated for his service there.
28. Panthers Kelvin Benjamin
1 catch. 29 yards. 1 Touchdown. Anderson went for it all and connected with an underthrown pass that Kelvin fell down to secure and catch. His form looked impressive, and his instincts were what made that play. Looks like he will be a vital part of the Panthers offense.
39. Jaguars Marquise Lee
Didn't see the field in game 1 Friday night against the Buccaneers.
42. Eagles Jordan Matthews
Screen receiver. Caught 4 passes for 14 yards, his longest catch picking up 5. Hands looked great, but as soon as he picks up the offense better, he'll pick up 10-15 yards per play. Looks promising simply because of his hands.
45. Seahawks Paul Richardson
Led team Thursday night with his 4 catches, gaining 37 yards. Looks good on his short passes, longest gain picking up 12 yards. Hands and route running looks great, not too much to worry about. He's gaining prestige on the depth chart quickly.
53. Packers Davante Adams
Davante got some good playing time in, catching 2 balls for 22 yards, used mainly on slant patterns very much like he did in college. He's being used on the field great, and his raw talent will get him more action. However, 2 fumbles (one lost) will be a set back for playing time. Probably will share time at the #3 receiver spot with Jarrett Boykin.
56. Broncos Cody Latimer
Didn't register any stats in the Super Bowl rematch hosting the Seahawks Thursday night.
61. Jaguars Allen Robinson
Played limited time, and was targeted a few times. No catches.
63. Dolphins Jarvis Landry
1 catch on a screen pass that lost a yard. Not an impressive debut for the #14. We'll give him credit for catching the ball.
86. Eagles Josh Huff
Caught 1 pass for 8 yards in Fridays scrimmage against the Bears. Looks extremely explosive, more for his 102 yard kick return that highlighted his pure speed. Took back 4 kickoffs, averaged 35 yards a return. Next third round WR steal?
90. Colts Donte Moncrief
1 catch for 16 yards, plus a kick return for 27. Not a bad start, could be better with his hands.
91. Cardinals John Brown
5 catches for 87 yards in the destruction of Houston's defense Saturday night. He Targeted 10 times, so his stats could be better, but the fact is that the guy was open just about every play. His 25 yard catch and run showed more of his explosive playmaking ability.
104. Jets Jalen Saunders
Saw limited action on the field, no stats. Did take 2 punt returns for 10 yards. Nothing impressive.
106. 49ers Bruce Ellington
3 catches for a team high 35 yards in the 23-3 loss to Baltimore Thursday night. Looked explosive off the line and unstoppable in the middle of the field, exactly what San Francisco needs. Handled kick and punt returns as well, combined for 97 all-purpose yards. Looks explosive.
115. Jets Shaquelle Evans
Saw limited action, no stats to show for it.
118. Steelers Martavis Bryant
1 catch for 19 yards in the loss to Green Bay Saturday evening. shared punt return duties with Dri Archer, looked mostly unimpressive overall. Little flash of explosiveness with his 19 yard catch.
123. Seahawks Kevin Norwood
Saw no action against the Broncos.
142. Redskins Ryan Grant
3 catches for 37 yards in his extensive action against the Patriots. Looks strong and hard to stop, exactly what the Redskins need. Should get limited playing time this regular season.
146. Cowboys Devin Street
4 catches for a team high 43 yards. Good hands and presence, and flashes of explosiveness. Devin has a shot at being the #3 receiver for Dallas this season.
176. Packers Jared Abbrederis
Didn't see action against the Titans Saturday night.
185. Buccaneers Robert Herron
1 catch for 10 yards in his limited playing time. Targeted a few other times, but couldn't come up with catches. Won't see the field too much this season.
189. Lions TJ Jones
Registered no stats in Saturday evenings action against the Browns.
190. Dolphins Matt Hazel
Made no catches in the scrimmage against the Falcons Friday night.
196. Cardinals Walt Powell
3 catches for 74 yards against the Texans, including a team long 47 yard catch. Impressive start to his season, even if it was preseason. Looks explosive.
209. Jets Quincy Enunwa
No stats against the Colts.
218. Ravens Michael Campanaro
Took a punt 0 yards. Too early to tell on this guy.
236. Packers Jeff Janis
No stats in Tennessee Saturday night.
239. Bengals James Wright
2 catches for 20 yards plus a TD pass from Matt Scott. Wright looked alright with route running, but played 3rd team for lack of development.
240. Chargers Tevin Reese
1 catch for 17 yards, Reese looks like he can bloom into a steal. Only time will tell on that one.
244. Patriots Jeremy Gallon
Not on roster.
Tight Ends
10. Lions Eric Ebron
Played limited 1st team snaps, took a 2 yard screen pass from Stafford. Not a blocking TE, he was used mainly in passing downs, and spent his time running routes.
38. Buccaneers Austin Seferian-Jenkins
2 catches for 29 yards. Spent time on both 1st and 2nd team units, and can be a good target in traffic over the middle. Still needs some polishing done, but that can be done over time.
49. Jets Jace Amaro
2 catches for 18 yards. Good hands, and great field awareness. Ran short routes, not used as a blocker. Jace is the next TE for New York.
52. Cardinals Troy Niklas
Saw limited time, took no stats with him out.
65. Texans CJ Feidorowicz
Limited snaps, no stats.
98. Packers Richard Rodgers
1 catch for 10 yards. Played on the 3rd team offense. Not bad hands, needs to improve blocking.
99. Ravens Crockett Gilmore
No action verses the 49ers Thursday evening.
155. Dolphins Arthur Lynch
No stats in the Georgia Dome Friday.
217. Redskins Ted Bolster
Caught a 7 yard TD from Colt McCoy, playing on the 3rd team. Blocked and helped Lache Seastrunk gain his 63 yards against the Patriots.
230. Steelers Robert Blanchflower
No action against the Giants Saturday night.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Rookie Running Backs Impress In Preseason Action
Many rookies looked wonderful in their first bit of action since college football ended last January, impressing with speed, dynamics, explosiveness, and pure raw talent. We're going to go pick by pick through the draft in this article, give you the stats, and analyze each player. This will be a truly informative article, not one of politics or opinion. Part 2 of a series.
RUNNING BACKS
54. Titans Bishop Sankey
This guy turned out explosive as any player in the league, being not only a screen back but a between the tackles grinder. Not every play that he ran looked good, but he got better as the game went on. His bigger runs all popped out inside enemy territory. Sankey made a spectacular play when Charlie Whitehurst kep't the play alive to throw the ball to Sankey on the sideline. Sankey sidestepped the defender and it was off to a 23 yard gain. He brought in a TD pass from Whitehurst, a screen pass where he was sitting wide open and walked in. Looks excellent. 13 runs for 37 yards, 3 catches for 38 yards and a TD.
55. Bengals Jeremy Hill
6 runs for 36 yards. Impressive, but quietly so. He took limited snaps, and did a lot. Hard to say though. Give him another game.
57. 49ers Carlos Hyde
Hyde played with the 1st team, giving Frank Gore a break, running 5 times for 39 yards, including a 19 yard burst. He ran between tackles well, and played very professionally. Excellent opening day.
69. Buccaneers Charles Sims
6 runs for 13 yards, 3 catches for 32 yards, including a screen pass turned 27 yard gain. He's a scatback, and a screen monster. He can turn little passes into a lot with his speed. That's what makes him so great. That's why he'll fit in with Tampa Bay. Looks good receiving, lots of work to do on the ground.
75. Rams Tre Mason
15 runs for 51 yards, including a 20 yard burst, and a 25 yard kick return. Not a bad start to the NFL. Tre only needs to work on consistency. Take away his longest run of 20 yards, and you get 14 carries for 31 yards- little over 2 yards per carry. If he can run 4 or even 5 yards a carry, this guy's got a chance to get more carries on a team with former Vanderbilt Zach Stacy and Bennie Cunningham taking carries.
94. Browns Terrence West
Another "Needs to be more consistent" player. He had his moments, a 13 yard screen pass turned upfield, a nice 10 yard burst. But without those, he touched the ball 9 times for 12 yards. West has looked good in training camp, but if he wants more carries this season, he needs to step it up and play strong these next 3 weeks.
96. Vikings Jerick McKinnon
McKinnon failed to impress to much in Fridays action against Oakland, taking the majority of the carries (12) for 45 yards. He didn't make a catch, and spent time returning kicks, where he averaged 15 yards a return. He's impressed Adrian Peterson, but he needs a little more work.
97. Steelers Dri Archer
The Steelers aren't exactly known for drafting little speed monsters, but they did so with Dri and it appears to be paying off. They used him perfectly, giving him 2 runs that netted 9 yards on outside runs, and then threw him screen passes, one that went 46 yards, the other 4. He was explosive and his 4.26 40 speed just brilliantly blazed as soon as he touched the ball. He looks impressive.
103. Falcons Devonta Freeman
Freeman had a very impressive debut, compiling 107 all-purpose yards on 11 touches. His 57 yard catch and run flashed his skill and talent well, and his 10 carries for 50 yards showed his consistency. He can take a load. Keep this up, and Freeman may just get more snaps then Steven Jackson.
113. Giants Andre Williams
Andre has looked scary since the HOF game in Canton. In action against the Steelers in East Rutherford, Williams took 7 carries for 35 yards, a 10 yard burst being his longest run. He consistently got past the line of scrimmage, put his head down and got the ball forward. The only thing we have yet to see from Williams is his receiving hands. He has yet to catch a ball.
117. Bears Ka'Deem Carey
Very unimpressive in Fridays game against the Eagles. 10 carries for 23 yards, he was tackled for a loss more then once. He had trouble finding holes, and looked overall confused. He's another RB with a concern on his help to the passing game. Carey struggled, and proved why Forte is starting over him this season.
124. Chiefs DeAnthony Thomas
The Black Mumba struck with an electrifying 80 yard punt return score where Thomas simply ran around everyone on the Bengals special teams and outran them. He took a Kickoff back 35 yards, and didn't see too much action on offense. It looks like Reid want's Thomas to be the special teams man.
130. Patriots James White
James White struggles in Thursdays scrimmage in Landover, Maryland. His 4 runs for 9 yards were most unimpressive, and he didn't add anything to the passing game. Needs a lot of help, but he should be a 3rd team player.
138. Ravens Lorenzo Taliaferro
Lorenzo bloomed in his first action taking 13 carries for 71 yards, and adding a special explosive part of the Ravens offense. He ran consistently too, his longest run a 12 yard burst. Lorenzo keeps this up, he'll be 2nd on the depth chart, with Bernard Pierce moving back to 3rd.
181. Texans Alfred Blue
Blue didn't look so bad in his first game against the Cardinals, taking 5 runs for 30 yards with a 14 yard run being his longest gain. He was a help to the flats, catching 2 passes for 14 yards, and looked overall impressive. He's used to backing people up, he did that in LSU behind Jeremy Hill. Now here he is trying to move to the #2 spot on the depth chart behind Arian Foster. He just might get it too.
186. Redskins Lache Seastrunk
Another 6th round steal at the RB position? Seastrunk just might be. He tore apart the Patriots defense on Thursday night, collecting 63 yards on 12 carries, including his 21 yard strike into the secondary. The Redskins line looks much improved, and that will be the key factor for the RB position. Hes got a chance of moving to the #2 spot.
201. Chargers Marion Grice
Not very impressive against the Cowboys, taking 14 carries for 35 yards, including an 18 yard run. Consistently stopped for the minimal gain, or the loss. Needs a lot of help with his footwork and overall strength.
204. Panthers Tyler Gaffney
Didn't see action against the Bills Friday night.
222. Jaguars Storm Johnson
Took 9 carries for 21 yards, playing a little with Blake Bortles, and most of the time with Ricky Stanzi. Johnson has potential, it flashed at many occasions against the Buccaneers, but he's still having trouble finishing runs. That won't be too hard for Gus Bradley to have fixed. Will probably spend the season at either #3 or on the Practice Squad.
245. 49ers Trey Millard
NFI according to Outlads.
RUNNING BACKS
54. Titans Bishop Sankey
This guy turned out explosive as any player in the league, being not only a screen back but a between the tackles grinder. Not every play that he ran looked good, but he got better as the game went on. His bigger runs all popped out inside enemy territory. Sankey made a spectacular play when Charlie Whitehurst kep't the play alive to throw the ball to Sankey on the sideline. Sankey sidestepped the defender and it was off to a 23 yard gain. He brought in a TD pass from Whitehurst, a screen pass where he was sitting wide open and walked in. Looks excellent. 13 runs for 37 yards, 3 catches for 38 yards and a TD.
55. Bengals Jeremy Hill
6 runs for 36 yards. Impressive, but quietly so. He took limited snaps, and did a lot. Hard to say though. Give him another game.
57. 49ers Carlos Hyde
Hyde played with the 1st team, giving Frank Gore a break, running 5 times for 39 yards, including a 19 yard burst. He ran between tackles well, and played very professionally. Excellent opening day.
69. Buccaneers Charles Sims
6 runs for 13 yards, 3 catches for 32 yards, including a screen pass turned 27 yard gain. He's a scatback, and a screen monster. He can turn little passes into a lot with his speed. That's what makes him so great. That's why he'll fit in with Tampa Bay. Looks good receiving, lots of work to do on the ground.
75. Rams Tre Mason
15 runs for 51 yards, including a 20 yard burst, and a 25 yard kick return. Not a bad start to the NFL. Tre only needs to work on consistency. Take away his longest run of 20 yards, and you get 14 carries for 31 yards- little over 2 yards per carry. If he can run 4 or even 5 yards a carry, this guy's got a chance to get more carries on a team with former Vanderbilt Zach Stacy and Bennie Cunningham taking carries.
94. Browns Terrence West
Another "Needs to be more consistent" player. He had his moments, a 13 yard screen pass turned upfield, a nice 10 yard burst. But without those, he touched the ball 9 times for 12 yards. West has looked good in training camp, but if he wants more carries this season, he needs to step it up and play strong these next 3 weeks.
96. Vikings Jerick McKinnon
McKinnon failed to impress to much in Fridays action against Oakland, taking the majority of the carries (12) for 45 yards. He didn't make a catch, and spent time returning kicks, where he averaged 15 yards a return. He's impressed Adrian Peterson, but he needs a little more work.
97. Steelers Dri Archer
The Steelers aren't exactly known for drafting little speed monsters, but they did so with Dri and it appears to be paying off. They used him perfectly, giving him 2 runs that netted 9 yards on outside runs, and then threw him screen passes, one that went 46 yards, the other 4. He was explosive and his 4.26 40 speed just brilliantly blazed as soon as he touched the ball. He looks impressive.
103. Falcons Devonta Freeman
Freeman had a very impressive debut, compiling 107 all-purpose yards on 11 touches. His 57 yard catch and run flashed his skill and talent well, and his 10 carries for 50 yards showed his consistency. He can take a load. Keep this up, and Freeman may just get more snaps then Steven Jackson.
113. Giants Andre Williams
Andre has looked scary since the HOF game in Canton. In action against the Steelers in East Rutherford, Williams took 7 carries for 35 yards, a 10 yard burst being his longest run. He consistently got past the line of scrimmage, put his head down and got the ball forward. The only thing we have yet to see from Williams is his receiving hands. He has yet to catch a ball.
117. Bears Ka'Deem Carey
Very unimpressive in Fridays game against the Eagles. 10 carries for 23 yards, he was tackled for a loss more then once. He had trouble finding holes, and looked overall confused. He's another RB with a concern on his help to the passing game. Carey struggled, and proved why Forte is starting over him this season.
124. Chiefs DeAnthony Thomas
The Black Mumba struck with an electrifying 80 yard punt return score where Thomas simply ran around everyone on the Bengals special teams and outran them. He took a Kickoff back 35 yards, and didn't see too much action on offense. It looks like Reid want's Thomas to be the special teams man.
130. Patriots James White
James White struggles in Thursdays scrimmage in Landover, Maryland. His 4 runs for 9 yards were most unimpressive, and he didn't add anything to the passing game. Needs a lot of help, but he should be a 3rd team player.
138. Ravens Lorenzo Taliaferro
Lorenzo bloomed in his first action taking 13 carries for 71 yards, and adding a special explosive part of the Ravens offense. He ran consistently too, his longest run a 12 yard burst. Lorenzo keeps this up, he'll be 2nd on the depth chart, with Bernard Pierce moving back to 3rd.
181. Texans Alfred Blue
Blue didn't look so bad in his first game against the Cardinals, taking 5 runs for 30 yards with a 14 yard run being his longest gain. He was a help to the flats, catching 2 passes for 14 yards, and looked overall impressive. He's used to backing people up, he did that in LSU behind Jeremy Hill. Now here he is trying to move to the #2 spot on the depth chart behind Arian Foster. He just might get it too.
186. Redskins Lache Seastrunk
Another 6th round steal at the RB position? Seastrunk just might be. He tore apart the Patriots defense on Thursday night, collecting 63 yards on 12 carries, including his 21 yard strike into the secondary. The Redskins line looks much improved, and that will be the key factor for the RB position. Hes got a chance of moving to the #2 spot.
201. Chargers Marion Grice
Not very impressive against the Cowboys, taking 14 carries for 35 yards, including an 18 yard run. Consistently stopped for the minimal gain, or the loss. Needs a lot of help with his footwork and overall strength.
204. Panthers Tyler Gaffney
Didn't see action against the Bills Friday night.
222. Jaguars Storm Johnson
Took 9 carries for 21 yards, playing a little with Blake Bortles, and most of the time with Ricky Stanzi. Johnson has potential, it flashed at many occasions against the Buccaneers, but he's still having trouble finishing runs. That won't be too hard for Gus Bradley to have fixed. Will probably spend the season at either #3 or on the Practice Squad.
245. 49ers Trey Millard
NFI according to Outlads.
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