Afc west preseason reports

RAIDERS

One of the big questions about the defense is the ability of the new LB's to cover the pass. It has been mentioned that they all look athletic and capable. Wimbley has drawn some praise for his coverage, but people are already beginning to gush about Death Ro.

McClain is not wasting any time erasing the doubts about his one perceived weakness: pass coverage. He is making good reads and anticipating routes, which have allowed him to make plays in coverage.

Ro isn't just getting by on his immense football instincts and savvy, he has got more than a little freak in him. He made a nice pick on a pass QB Jason Campbell thought he had safely lobbed over him. Here is what Campbell had to say:

He is an extreme talent. The guy is 6-4 with a 37-inch vertical. I have been throwing that pass ever since I have been in the league and he jumped as high as he could get and stretched out and caught it. It's one of those interceptions where you really can't even get mad because he made an outstanding play.

The guy is big, strong and can move, and you can tell playing under Saban he is a smart linebacker. Even if you look him off, he can tell what you're trying to do.

* Jason Campbell has had his ups and downs. I think it is to be expected with a new system and group of guys. Not to mention he is working without Chaz and Murphy right now. He has shown his mobility and Hue Jackson seems pleased with his decision making.
* Jared Veldheer is getting most of his reps with the 2nd team at LT, but he did get a couple with the 1st team. He also continues to get some reps at C. He played some Center in high school. Cable doesn't seem to think his height is a deterrent for the position. He mentioned 6'6 Don Mosebar as an example and brought up Veldheers' relatively short legs and long torso, which give him the low center of gravity necessary for the C position. According to Brodie Brazil of CSN, Cable also had this to say about Jared:

Physically, Jared has proven he can play center but he must prove it mentally. Jared has looked good, but he must show he can play left tackle well on a consistent basis.

# Jacoby Ford has had an impressive camp...until Sunday afternoon. He dropped 3 straight passes. The only drop he had in the 7 practices before then came on an out, which was right in front of Al Davis golf cart. Can't blame him for that one. Al can give even the best alligator arms.
# Ford has drawn praise from the coaches as they help him figure out how to use his gift of speed. Tom Cable:

He runs real fast, but the deal on him was he doesn’t play as fast as he runs, and I think we’re getting him to do that.

* For his part, Ford--who is reported to be getting in and out of cuts faster--seems to be absorbing what the coaches are saying

Ford seems to be the one WR, besides DHB, that is impressing coaches. Figurs, Hubbard, Bodiford and JLH were all mentioned for having drops and JLH and Figurs both drew the coaches ire at different points for not running the proper routes.

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2010/8/2/1600622/training-camp-weekend-round-up

 

BRONCOS

Most Impressive Player - Day 1: This one is easy. Wide Receiver Matthew Willis was extremely impressive. He made catch after catch and looks like a player that could surprise coming out of camp. Again, it is only one day, but I have been impressed with Willis every time I see him. There is plenty of depth in the wide receiving corps, so it may be a numbers game, but the kid can play, no doubt about it.

On the offensive side, Richard Quinn is an EXCELLENT blocker. He was eating up pass rushers, including Elvis Dumervil. Just a one-on-one drill, but these were positive signs for both players.

One last comment - The Air Force's gain is the Broncos loss regarding Ben Garland who was impressive as well.

http://www.milehighreport.com/2010/8/2/1600787/2010-denver-broncos-training-camp

 

CHIEFS

The Dexter McCluster show

McCluster and Bowe are two fan favorites. He put some nice moves on Eric Berry in drills on Sunday. In a receiver vs. defensive back drill, McCluster was nearly unstoppable because he's so fast in and out of his breaks.

That said, after Bowe scored a touchdown at one point in practice, he and McCluster did some sort of "showboating" though I couldn't quite make it out. Todd Haley told them to cut it out and brought them both over for a quick talking-to.

Ron Edwards has been running on the first team nose tackle all weekend.

His backups, Shaun Smith and Derek Lokey have split some time there. Smith had a solid showing on Saturday earning some praise from the staff. Lokey got into it today with Ikechuku Ndukwe.

Matt Cassel looks OK through the first three practices. He's not lighting the world on fire but he's also making sound decisions and throws, which is probably what the Chiefs want. With the Chiefs running backs, I would expect to see a continued emphasis on the run game making Cassel's life easier.

When you say Chiefs running backs, you think Jamaal Charles, Thomas Jones or, heck, maybe even Dexter McCluster at times.

But here are two names you might want to remember: Javarris Williams and Kestahn Moore. Williams was a 2009 draft pick and Moore was picked up last season. Both are looking solid in camp. With Charles and Jones ahead of them, they probably know they're not getting much playing time in 2010 but I like the hustle and speed both have shown.

http://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/7/31/1598046/chiefs-training-camp-day-one

 

CHARGERS

Every fan, around this time of year, finds a few players in training camp that are "on the fringe" that they really like. I'm no different, and after witnessing one full practice I already have a list of guys that I'm pulling for to have great camps so that they can play a part on the team in 2010.

Some of these guys will make the team, and I'm just rooting for them to win a starter's spot. Some have no chance to make the team, but I'm hoping they leave a lasting impression on the team/fans anyways. Either way, I'll be keeping my eye on them and you should be too.

Star-divide

Nathan Vasher
Vasher is competing for the nickel CB spot. What I saw from him yesterday is pretty much what I expected. He's not a very physical corner, preferring to play off the line and compete for the ball instead of for position, but he's smart and active. I like his speed, quickness and hands. What I liked most about him is the way in which he carries himself. I saw him being very social, always around one of the young guys teaching them what they're doing right or wrong. If he can stay healthy, I like Nathan as a nickel CB, backup outside CB and special teams guy.

Traye Simmons
I tried hard not to fall in love with Traye, for the simple reason that he's a real long-shot to make the team. Not only does he have 4-5 legitimate CBs in front of him, but he's also competing against himself as the shortest CB on the team (5'9"). However, he's currently got a streak going where he's grabbing at least one interception off of Philip Rivers each day of practice. He plays smart and tough, and his hands obviously need no work. I don't know what I'm hoping for from Traye, but he's made it impossible not to root for him.

Vaughn Martin
One of my favorite draft picks from 2009. In drills, Vaughn looked average. Not particularly fast, quick or strong. However, put him on the line or in the Oklahoma drill (basically, give him a chance to hit somebody) and the guy turns into an animal. In his one shot at the Oklahoma drill, I blinked and his guy was on the ground with a shoulder in his gut. Wow. I've said before that I think a starting line of Luis Castillo, Cam Thomas and Martin would be my dream, and nothing I saw yesterday swayed me from that.

Travis Johnson
Part of the reason I'm rooting for Travis is the stuff he went through in the offseason with his daughter, sleeping in a hospital waiting room and waiting for word from the doctors that she had died only to have her miraculously get better, and also because he has a reputation as one of the nicest guys on the team. The other reason is that, as a veteran he could certainly be half-assing his way through practice and still get a spot on the team. What he's doing is the opposite of that, and it seems like he's found a home as a 3-4 DE instead of a DT.

Cam Thomas
"Baby Godzilla" is exactly that. I can see why the coaching staff is so excited, and already drawing comparisons to Jamal Williams. Although he seemed to be the biggest defensive lineman on the team, he also was clearly the quickest, strongest and had the best balance. Big things are coming for this kid.

C.J. Spillman
An intelligent fan's favorite from 2009, Spillman just seems to get better as time goes along. My issue is that I don't see where Spillman fits on this team as anything but a 5th Safety. Eric Weddle and Paul Oliver are the obvious starter/backup combo at FS, and Darrell Stuckey and Steve Gregory are pretty much locked in at SS. I don't see Spillman taking a spot away from Stuckey or Gregory, and his only real shot to get on the field consistently will probably come in 2011. So I guess he should be hoping to open some eyes this year to get on the inside track for next season.

Gary Banks
Not only will he get lots of attention for being a part of NFL.com's On The Fringe series, but Banks will open up a few eyeballs like he does seemingly every training camp with his work on Special Teams. Gary's a very good gunner and returner, and always looks eager to lay a big hit when he's offered the chance. I think he is competing against some of the UDFA WRs and young CBs (like Traye Simmons) for Kassim Osgood's spot as Special Teams standout and extra backup at his position.

Buster Davis (aka CBD)
There's no hiding my excitement for CBD. I have been fairly optimistic with him since Day 1, and while I have to occasionally forget about him (due to injury) I have never thought he was a bad player (unlike a lot of fans). In a nutshell, CBD is a mini-Vincent Jackson. He's big/strong and has great speed downfield. He doesn't get nearly enough credit for how good his hands are. Although sometimes his body fights him on it, he's tough as nails when it comes to taking a hit while making a catch. He might be the best YAC receiver on the team. After a year off, in what I think was a calculated move to get him healthy and confident, I am 100% confident that CBD is going to impress a lot of people this season and become a fan favorite.

Ernest Smith (aka Smokey)
Yes, yes, this is partly because me and him send each other messages on Twitter like we're BFFs. This is also because, at least during yesterday's practice, he was the most impressive rookie UDFA WR on the field. He was the only one that caught the punt return with coaches punching him in the back and throwing things in his face (seriously, that's a drill). He was the only one that beat the double-team on punt coverage (with some fancy footwork, I might add) to get down to the returner. The couple of passes he caught looked smooth and his speed looked good. Look for Smith, along with Jonathan Crompton (who looks like a steal and a half), to be impressive in preseason games.

http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2010/8/2/1601032/chargers-training-camp-guys-im

 

CHARGERS

* Ryan Mathews seems to impress me every time he gets the ball. Is this because he's better and/or trying harder than an over-the-hill LaDainian Tomlinson? I have no idea, but the more you watch these practices the easier it becomes to spot the best player on each unit. As much as I love Darren Sproles as a change-of-pace RB and one of the league's best KR, Mathews has already shown himself to be leaps and bounds ahead of him and any other RB on the team (I haven't seen Tolbert at practice yet). We have ourselves a legitimate RB for the first time in a couple years, folks.
* I do a lot of watching of player groups when they're not running through drills or scrimmaging to gauge personalities. I feel like this gives me a fairly good idea of the atmosphere of the team. Last year's RB group seemed nervous to do or say anything, in fear that it would annoy LT. Last year's CB group seemingly wasn't able to do or say anything themselves because Antonio Cromartie was too busy showing off and making them watch (same thing on KRs and PRs). Last year's WR group seemed resigned to the fact that they weren't making the team. This year, just about every positional group seems focused, relaxed and eager to help each other gets better. It feels more like a team this year.

Star-divide
# Back to Mathews for a second. I've been searching for a good comparison in the NFL for him so that I could easily let people know what type of player he is, and it has turned out to be a difficult task. There are obviously guys that can out-do his speed and agility, but those guys seemingly can't match his size and power. Once he gets going in a straight-line, his speed and bowling ball-like force could match Michael Turner's. However, unlike Turner he has a shiftiness to him and seems to make big cuts on a dime without losing momentum. So he's like a shifty Turner, or shifty and fast Marion Barber, or a bigger (more powerful) Maurice Jones-Drew. Too much hype? Probably, but that's the only way I can describe his collection of skills.
# This is going to seem like a complicated statement. The Chargers both need and don't need Marcus McNeill. At this moment, with camp just starting and the passing offense still working the kinks out (like every team at this time of the year), it would appear that having a Pro Bowl LT and Pro Bowl WR would go a long way towards improving the offense.
# Unsurprisingly, Malcom Floyd is absolutely killing it in practice as always. Going against Quentin Jammer consistently is only going to help him, and I think he can nearly match VJ's production at the #1 spot. However.....
# This is going to shock some people. As much as I'm rooting for Buster Davis to be really good in the slot position, I don't think he's as good a receiver as Naanee and I'm not sure he ever will be. He could grow into the role, sure, but the WR group as a whole has taken a step backwards from last year without Marcus McNeill or VJ. Granted, it's only been two practices.
# On that note, Legedu Naanee is really good. He's opening my eyes the way Floyd did last year at training camp. He has the size/strength/speed combo that will remind a few people of Vincent Jackson. People love to rip on AJ Smith for some of his first round picks (CBD, Antoine Cason, etc.) but this team is still a contender every year because he consistently grabs guys like Naanee and Jackson before anyone know who they are.
# This Traye Simmons madness needs to come to an end eventually, right? The guy is Dre Bly-small but never seems to get beat. I don't know if there's anyone in the secondary who is quicker to the ball when it leaves the QB's hands. I don't know if there's room for him on this roster, but he might force them to make some room.
# Offensive lines never look really good the first few days of camp and this year is no exception. The guys look healthy and excited, but teamwork is the key ingredient and it comes about only with repetition. Anyone remember how worried they made us in the first few preseason games last year? They might do that again, but I like what I see from the guys individually. Jeromey Clary looks lighter on his feet than I remember, but I saw him get blown up by Derrick Jones at least once yesterday too.
# The defensive line battle is a ton of fun. There's nobody that's clearly worse than the other guys, and different guys seem to step up on different days. I have no idea how the coaches are going to pick which of these guys to lose.

http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2010/8/3/1602542/chargers-training-camp-my-notes-so

 

BRONCOS

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
# Jarvis Moss took most of the first-team reps at outside linebacker until he headed to the locker room early. After that, Mario Haggan, who started all 16 games at outside linebacker last season, moved outside and Akin Ayodele moved into the rotation at inside linebacker. With D.J. Williams out of practice, Wesley Woodyard took almost all the reps at the other inside linebacker spot. During goal line, Jammie Kirlew also saw some reps with the first team.
# After Chris Kuper gingerly walked to the locker room with an apparent injury, Stanley Daniels took most of the first-team reps at the guard position Kuper had been occupying.
# Another veteran to get the practice off was defensive lineman Justin Bannan. Jamal Williams, Ryan McBean and Le Kevin Smith got most of the first-team defensive line reps during the practice.
# Wide receivers Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley also got the morning off. During one period of 11-on-11 drills, the team utilized mostly two wide receiver sets. Taking the first rep were Brandon Lloyd and Matthew Willis. Later in the drill, newcomers Patrick Carter and Britt Davis, signed yesterday, ran together.
# The team ran through punt return drills today. The first group featured Willis, Woodyard, Haggan, Kirlew, Nate Jones, David Bruton, Nick Greisen, Spencer Larsen, Demaryius Thomas and Darcel McBath with Perrish Cox back deep returning. Part of the work included reacting to several fake punt scenarios.
# Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey also got the morning off, resulting in more time for youngsters Cox and McBath to shine with the first-team. Cox came up with an interception during goal line drills.

PLAYMAKERS
# LenDale White drew praise from fans with the power running they expected when he signed on Wednesday. During 9-on-7 drills, White put his head down and smacked into a defender in the hole, kept his legs moving and powered into the open field. White later headed off the practice field early as well.
# Thomas showed good rapport with all three quarterbacks during the session. The rookie got behind the second-team defense to haul in a bomb from Orton early in 11-on-11 drills, earning an enthusiastic clap from the signal-caller. A few plays later, he leaped and snared a pass deep over the middle from Tim Tebow. Brady Quinn also hooked up Thomas on a pair of big plays. One was a deep ball that Thomas pulled down over Alphonso Smith. During a later red zone drill, Quinn found Thomas for a short touchdown.
# On the final drive of the day’s practice, Orton orchestrated a sharp hurry-up drill to get the offense into position for what would have been a tying, fourth quarter field goal. The drive started at his own 35 with a minute to go and one timeout. He found Eddie Royal for a third down conversion early in the drive. He then threaded a quick sideline pass to Willis that the receiver pulled in with a toe-tapping, finger-tip catch. With seven seconds to go, Orton found Daniel Graham for a 10-yard gain and quick timeout to set up what would have been a 44-yard field goal attempt.

QUICK HITS
# Former Bronco John Lynch and Denver Nuggets star Chauncey Billups attended this morning’s practice. They both chatted with McDaniels and defensive coordinator Don Martindale as the team warmed up at the beginning of practice.
# Early in practice, the quarterbacks worked through a drill to emphasize maintaing proper footwork while stepping through pressure. As the quarterbacks took their drops, an operations staffer hit them with a pad as they stepped up and fired a pass.
# Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer worked his young returners through a drill, in which they caught a ball and then made their first cut. Cox, Willis, Cassius Vaughn and Syd’Quan Thompson participated, catching balls that were tossed high in the air by punter Britton Colquitt.
# Eric Decker learned a lesson about finishing plays during one-on-one drills with the defensive backs. The rookie ran a crisp comeback route and made a catch that earned praise from Kyle Orton, but as he turned upfield, Jones slapped the ball away for a fumble. Decker took a lap as a reminder to protect the football.
# Those hoping to impress coaches with their special teams work got a chance today during a drill in which two players raced about 20 yards and had to corrall a returner before he broke into open space. Several players, including Vaughn, earned praise for their pursuit angles, while others earned admonishment for overpursuit.
# After the goaline drill, Martindale expressed his approval to the defense for a solid period of work.

http://blog.denverbroncos.com/denverbroncos/training-camp-day-6-report-a-m/

Less passes are being dropped, which I like to see. There are still passes that are behind some of the receivers, but the floaters and sailed passes are dwindling. Lance Ball is getting the majority of touches at Running Back even though LenDale White had his share in this morning's practice. Lendale didn't do too bad either. DeMaryius Thomas and Matthew Willis stood out. Jarvis Moss had a couple more plays. Perrish Cox took the majority of return reps today as well as Champ Bailey's reps, and Syd'Quan Thompson had some chances at the return spot as well. Eddie Royal did not take any reps as the return man. Jamal Williams looked like the plugger he is advertised as and Zane Beadles, J.D. Walton and Russ Hochstein got to wage war with him today. David Bruton didn't have an outstanding day, but he was right in the middle of the action all morning. I hope Chris Kuper and LenDale White are okay. The Broncos can afford White being out since he has a suspension looming, but if anymore linemen get injured, Broncos country is going to panic. On the bright side, I am heading back to attend the evening practice, so you can anticipate another report soon.

http://www.milehighreport.com/2010/8/6/1610032/2010-denver-broncos-training-camp

 

CHIEFS

Practice Inactives

DE Wallace Gilberry

G Darryl Harris

RB Tervaris Johnson

G Brian Waters

S Jarrad Page

Only Waters and Gilberry were outside working out on the bikes during practice. Johnson missed his second consecutive day of practice and Harris missed his first after limping off the practice field on Thursday. Both Johnson and Harris were not outdoors on Friday. Page has yet to report to camp.

The Inevitable

It happens every year. Really, it’s inevitable.

Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt received his first ovation of training camp after hitting a towering punt some 50-plus yards. Today was one of the first practices that Colquitt has been able to unleash his boot as most of the punt-team work has been conducted “on-air” to date.

“The specialists are here,” Colquitt joked after practice.

Chiefs fans love their left-footed punter, and why shouldn’t they? Kicks such as Friday’s have been a regular occurrence for Colquitt over his five years in Kansas City. Colquitt owns Chiefs career records for net punting average (39.92), gross punting average (44.09) and punts downed inside the 20 (145).

A New Wrinkle to ILB Rotation

The training camp competition that everyone has their eye on offered a new wrinkle Friday morning. Though the inside linebackers continue to share first-team duties, the pairings switched up a bit.

Typically, Corey Mays and Demorrio Williams have paired with one another, while Jovan Belcher and Derrick Johnson form the other linebacker duo. This has been the case throughout most OTAs sessions and training camp practice. Today, Mays and Johnson paired with one another on the first team, while Belcher and Williams worked together with the second-unit.

“It’s hard to say if it’s the first time that Corey and I have worked together because we are switching up repetitions so much, but it’s definitely the longest we’ve been paired together,” Johnson said following practice.

Haley re-iterated earlier this week that competition for starting roles in the position group is wide-open.

Third-and-Short

When the Chiefs coaching staff decides to go live, there isn’t a more physical part of practice. Add in the fact that today’s focus was third-and-short situations and you’re offered a reminder of old-school training camps. The session didn’t last long (just four plays), but there was enough thumping going on to feed the football fix.

The offense and defense split the drill, trading off victories against one another. LB Jovan Belcher had the big play for the defense when he made a great run read, shooting through an inside gap to stop FB Mike Cox at the line of scrimmage. Just two snaps later, Cox turned in a big play for the offense with a ferocious lead block to spring RB Javarris Williams loose for the first down.

Each of the four snaps was taken in a third-and-one setting.

Developmental Sessions

The Chiefs have gone at a live tempo during various points of the past three practice sessions. Haley is calling the periods “Developmental Sessions.” Essentially, these sessions consist of full-contact drills relative to a certain game-like situation. Today’s point of emphasis, as mentioned above, was third-and-short.

“We’ve started what we’re calling developmental sessions towards the tail end where we’re giving some of these young guys as close to live looks as we can get,” Haley said.

The developmental sessions are a product of how the New York Jets conducted practice sessions in the 1990s. During that time period, Haley was joined in the Jets organization by current Chiefs coaches Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Maurice Carthon, Richie Anderson, Bill Muir, Bernie Parmalee, Anothony Pleasant and Otis Smith. Scott Pioli was also part of those Jets teams.

“We thought about doing something like this last year, but didn’t think that, team-wise, we were at a point to where we could have guys sitting out,” Haley explained. “I do feel like we’re getting to a point where guys are starting to establish themselves as closer to front-line players for us.”

Water Weight

Just how hot are training camp practices? Over the course of camp, Haley said that some players have lost up to 19 pounds of water weight in a single practice. As a result of the extreme temperatures, Chiefs trainers and coaches are constantly monitoring the health and hydration of each player in camp.

The training staff monitors the weight of each player before and after every practice session. Players are continually offered Gatorade and access to cold tubs as well. For some, pushing fluids through IV is the best route to staying healthy. For every player, it’s different.

“It’s a constant job, and something that I handle with a great deal of seriousness,” Haley said of keeping his players healthy and hydrated.

Quote of the Day

Todd Haley: “You could get about 18 or 19 Dexter McCluster’s or Javier Arenas’ and stick them in one of those clown cars. You know, when you open the door and one comes out…and then another…and then another…then another…then another. You’re like, ‘when does it stop?’ You could fit about 19 of them in there.”

CCVI Game Approaching

The Chiefs hosted sponsors for the 2010 Chiefs Charity Game at practice on Friday morning, which reminds me that the annual event is quickly approaching.

The 27th annual Chiefs Charity Game will be played vs. Philadelphia on August 27th at The New Arrowhead coinciding with the inaugural football game at the newly renovated Home of the Chiefs. For the second year in a row the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired (CCVI) is the game’s beneficiary. Funds raised through the Chiefs Charity Game are designated for the CCVI Infant Program and operational endowment.

The Chiefs Charity Game Committee, lead by Event Chairs Stu and Dana Stram has raised more than $700,000 in cash sponsorships and in kind donations in support of CCVI. If you’d like more information on how to support the CCVI through the 2010 Chiefs Charity game, please visit www.chiefscharitygame.com.



PM PRACTICE UPDATE

Gilberry Returns

DE Wallace Gilberry returned to the practice field for the afternoon session and participated in 11 vs. 11 drills. RB Thomas Jones, who practiced in a limited fashion yesterday, also participated in team 11 vs. 11 this afternoon.

Status Quo on O-Line

With both Brian Waters and Darryl Harris currently inactive for practice, Kansas City is a bit short-handed at the position. The Chiefs do, however, have plenty of versatility along the interior offensive line to give them options at the position.

Ryan Lilja played left guard for Indianapolis, but is currently repping with the first-team at right guard and rookie Jon Asamoah has played on both the left and right side this camp, but appears to be settling on the right side at the moment. Haley said today that Lilja and Asamoah would remain at right guard for the time being and such was the case in Friday afternoon’s workout. Veteran OL Ikechuke Ndukwe has been receiving the first-team reps at left guard since Harris’ injury.

“We are going to stay status quo right now and continue to let those guys get comfortable with what we’ve asked them to do,” Haley said. “Knowing that there are some options across the line there and some versatility. So right now it’s Ikechuku’s opportunity and I think I’ve seen some step-up from him and again that’s what those guys have to understand, that if they are out there and able to go every day, and be the same guy every day, is that they’re opportunity is going to come. It’s just a matter of being ready for it.”

Another Big Finish

Yesterday, it was rookie TE Cody Slate coming up with a big play in the end zone on the final play of practice. Today, the defense went home a winner, but it didn’t come without controversy.

During a Red Zone period to end practice, QB Brodie Croyle found rookie TE Tony Moeaki on an out pattern near the first-down marker. OLB Pierre Walters was in coverage and gave Moeaki a push out of bounds as he caught the football. At first, Moeaki had appeared to come down inbounds, but NFL side judge George Hayward ruled the pass incomplete.

Hayward, who ironically happens to be a St. Joseph native that attended Missouri Western and even played on first football team in the university’s history, had WRs Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe pleading in is ear for reversal. The review never came and Croyle’s next pass was intercepted in the back corner of the end zone by CB Mike Richardson to seal practice.

Play of the Day

When TE Leonard Pope comes down with the jump-ball, it’s a pretty sight. QB Matt Cassel hit the 6’8 tight end down the seam for a sky-high TD grab this afternoon. When the throw is high, but within Pope’s reach, there are few other players that are going to be able to come down with the football.

It’s obvious that the Chiefs QBs are trying to use Pope’s height as an advantage. Croyle attempted a similar throw to Pope just a few plays later, but went a bit too high.

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/articl...t-Friday/fb2fd833-920c-4bd7-bdad-28ef53565a4b

 

RAIDERS

"Tempo of the day was really good," sayeth the Cable Guy. "(We) took them out of pads, wanted to see how they'd react to it. (I was) very pleased with today."

I confidently assume one of the reasons Cable was pleased was due in large part to the play of his new QB. Campbell threw some of his best balls of practice. Highlighted by a 40 yarder to DHB, a couple of beauties to Zach Miller and another 40 yard strike to Chaz Schillens.

Schillens made a great grab on his, while being tightly guarded by Chris Johnson, and then landed awkwardly on his shoulder. The good news is, his foot is fine. The bad, as Spirals pointed out, Chaz has a stinger. It is not supposed to be severe, but this is Chaz we are talking about.

Overall, the offenses seemed to turn it up a notch. Michael Bush had a long run that highlighted a successful day of inside running. But it was the passing game that won and lost the day. Check out the thrilling end to the exciting scrimmage of two-hand touch football.

Star-divide

In the padless scrimmage, the second team was down 28-23 with just over two minutes left when Captain Comeback, Bruce Gradkowski, was picked off by Stevie Brown--who made a great read and nice play on the ball.

Speaking of...the OG Captain Comeback, Jim Harbaugh, was on the sideline--along with some of his assistants. If Cable didn't feel the heat of his coaching seat prior to this, he must now. It has been widely accepted that if the Raiders job were open, Harbaugh would be on a short list of candidates. No sympathy for the Devil mind you; such is the life of an NFL head coach.

Harbaugh came bearing gift, in the form of Steve Wisniewski. The Wis took the opportunity to address the O-line. Langston Walker talked to the press about it after. Walker:

I don’t think anyone requested him to come out here. He came out here on his own, just talked about being a pro and the things that he did to make himself better every day. Just sort of shooting it to you straight. Instead of coaches telling you, you actually get somebody who played 13 years or however long he played, went to however multiples of Pro Bowls. It’s sort of hard to be like, ‘Ah, that guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.’ It means extra

And it means extra to me that not only are these players getting speeches from former all-pro's, but Raider greats. It has been too long and too forgotten since this franchise has been good. The thought of players who have had success here sharing it with the current group, makes me feel better about being a Raider. I hope it has the same effect on the players and will hasten the return of that Raider mystique.

* The Raiders are determined to have the most ***-kicking FB corp in the league. LaMarr Houston got a couple of plays in with the FB's and may see some time in goaline situations. Here's what Cable had to say:

We might do some of that around the goal line in short yardage situations, things like that. We did some of that in minicamp, OTA, right from the get-go with him. He’s had some history there.

*

Nnam had his left wrist/thumb taped up. I guess he is fine. There was no mention on any injury.
*

Seymour and Gallery had the day off once again. Gallery hasn't practiced since he had that awkward fall a couple of days ago. Both plays are said to be fine.
* John Henderson admitted he is dealing with some shoulder issues, but is not at all concerned about it. He is looking forward to helping bolster the run D. Henderson:

I live for it. You can take me out on third and long. Just put me in on short yardage and all that good stuff.

*

Others who didn't practice were: Jacoby Ford (quadriceps), Jonathan Holland (ankle), fullback Luke Lawton (concussion), fullback Manase Tonga (knee) and quarterback Charlie Frye (wrist)
* Feeling shunned by his peers JLH joined his WR mates and left practice with hamstring soreness

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2010/8/7/1610553/the-passing-days-of-training-camp

 

CHARGERS

Stuckey looked really nice during the running drills. If it were live he would have blown up three runs...but he wasnt out there during 11 on 11s so Gregory was in there. Buster has looked really nice the past two practices...though I do remember him dropping one pass in each practice. I remember him putting on a nice move on Vasher the other day though. Also he's been in as the teams #2 WR (playing with the 1st string) with Legs out.

On another note Strickland was at it again today. The guy is making plays all over the place.

Traye Simmons is seriously gonna give the coaches a hard time when it comes to deciding the 53 man roster. He had another very very good practice. Like Strickland he was making plays everywhere. He plays the ball very well.

Burnett made some nice plays today as well. He broke up what wouldve been a TD to Sproles and blew up another running play.

Matthews looked really good out there. He didn't drop a pass today haha but he did get put on his butt while pass blocking once. I think it was Tucker who laid him out.

I forgot to add that I hope Cason gets back quickly. Vasher didnt make too many plays against Floyd. He made a play or two during 11 on 11s and while he was with the 2nd string.....but against Floyd he got beat every time.

http://forums.chargers.com/showthread.php?t=81439&page=16

 

CHARGERS

Since then, I've had a few requests to do the same with other position groups on the team. So (I'll try to remember to do these regularly) today we'll be diving into the RBs on the team and looking at either their NFL history, if that have one, or their college numbers.

Curtis Brinkley - Curtis was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, but just before training camp started he was shot in his hometown Philadelphia ("Killadelphia!") and spent the season on IR recovering from bullet-wounds in his shoulder and leg. It's speculated that the shooting happened due to a fight between Brinkley's sister and her then-boyfriend, as Curtis was on his way to pick his sister up and take her home.

Curtis' college career is fairly common. Due to his size, 5'9" and roughly 210 lbs., and a lack of breakaway speed Curtis was regarded as a backup as part of the Syracuse Orange. In his senior season he was finally given a chance to be "the guy", carrying the ball 237 times (previous high was 139) for 1,164 yds and 7 TDs. Not a bad season at all but, since it was only one season and he still didn't look like an unbelievable athlete at the combine, he went undrafted and eventually chose to sign with the Chargers.

This season is a bit of an uphill battle for Brinkley. He's behind Mathews and Sproles, and possibly Mason and McNeal, on the depth chart at half-back and hasn't wowed anyone with his running at practice.

Marcus Mason - The favorite to win the "3rd RB who is probably inactive most weeks" role that was abandoned by Michael Bennett in the offseason coming into camp, Mason may be losing ground despite his experience.

Mason worked his way up the Washington Redskins depth chart in 2009, mostly due to injuries ahead of him, and showed himself to be an adequate backup RB. In 2006, his final year at Youngstown State, Mason rushed for over 1,800 yds on 302 carries (6.1 YPC). I don't know what his competition was like, but that's a good sign that he can take the beating of a full season should he ever have to.

I worry about what happens is Mason doesn't make the team. That most likely means that McNeal makes the squad, and leaves the Chargers with only one legitimately-sized backup RB...and he happens to be the starting FB. For that reason, I am rooting for Mason to have a really great preseason and force the team to keep him on the roster.

Ryan Mathews - My goodness, look at the size of those calves. Is he planning on kicking through brick walls? Because there's not a doubt in my mind that he could.

I've been telling anyone that wants to listen how impressed I've been with "Bam Bam" so far in training camp. I know nothing of how smart he is or how well he'll play in a pressure situation, but physically there's not many RBs in the league like him. The more I think about it, the more I think the best comparison is Adrian Peterson. Peterson is 2 inches taller, but they're roughly the same weight. Also, at the combine Peterson ran a slightly faster 40 yard dash (4.37) than Mathews (4.45).

The other day at practice I had the pleasure of standing behind Peter King as he talked with someone from the Chargers (Joel Price?) about certain players on the field. Peter King just kept coming back to the same statement, which is "I can't believe how big he is. When's the last time a rookie RB came into the league with a body like that? He's got an NFL body! Usually it takes the kids two years to get to that point, and he's there right now!" The consensus was that, because of where he was physically, Mathews was going to have a huge advantage over other rookies for a shot at ROY and would have no problem being the starting RB all season.

Here's what I see when I watch Bam Bam run. I see great patience, vision usually reserved for 5+ year veterans, and quick feet. The feet are the key to everything. His feet are almost as quick as Sproles', which is mind-blowing when you see how much bigger he is. He gets up to speed really fast, and once he's running at full speed he looks like the giant boulder rolling towards Indiana Jones....which would seem to be a difficult thing to tackle. His speed and balance continue to surprise me almost every time I see him.

Shawnbrey McNeal - A.J. Smith is a freaking genius. In 2005, he drafts a 5'5" (let's be honest here) RB that's 185 lbs. soaking wet and by 2008 he's one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL on kick returns, punt returns, as a RB or as a receiver. Seeing that the value on his tiny star has risen greatly, Smith goes ahead and offers him a lucrative short-term deal and goes out and finds a replacement. Nobody else is drafting these tiny speed guys to be RBs (although they're starting to copy him now) because they're so hard to find, and it would appear Smith just plucked out another one when he felt he needed to.

McNeal is a younger Sproles. Before 2008, Darren was a practice star but was not quite ready to be the weapon he is today. He took time, he took seasoning. The same is true for McNeal, but the same potential is there was well. He's listed at 5'9", but I imagine it's closer to 5'7". He has great hands and great speed, but needs to learn to be more patient and also needs to learn how to take care of his body.

With Sproles' contract up again at the end of this season, I think McNeal makes this team easily and probably has the inside track as the 3rd RB right now. He'll spend this year soaking up whatever he can from Darren, with plans to be the younger/cheaper replacement when 2011 rolls around.

As I stated before, a lot of these UDFA RBs didn't get much of a chance in college until their final year. That's certainly true for Shawnbrey, who carried the ball 33 times in his first two years and 236 times in his third and final year. In 2009, he rushed for 1,188 yds (5.0 YPC) and 12 TDs along with catching the ball 31 times for 283 yds and 2 more scores. There's no doubt that the potential is there, and I think the Chargers are grooming him as the eventual replacement for Darren.

Darren Sproles - The veteran leader of the RBs, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I've been talking about this all through TC, but Sproles' trademark even in college was to always go an extra 15-20 yds at the end of each running play in practice. This is a great way to get yourself in shape, and to convince your mind that there's always energy left in there for another few yards. It's also a great way to piss off a defense, which Darren has done his fair-share of and had to pay the price for in the form of big hits in practice.

Anyways, it seems that one-by-one the Chargers' RBs have taken Darren's lead and started going that extra 15-20 yds at the end of each run. Even if that means the defense gets a little rough in practice to try to keep the RBs on the ground and prevent them from doing it. McNeal was the first to copy is, I believe I've seen Brinkley and Mason doing it, and now even first-round draft pick Ryan Mathews doing the same.

To make it in the NFL as a 5'5" RB, you have to work your butt off and leave your entire heart on the field. You also have to learn how to play smart, how to take hits, and how to follow your blocks. I hate to say it, but with a crop of rookie RBs on the team Sproles is a much better leader/teacher than Tomlinson would've been or could've been. A small part of me hopes that Sproles gets to wear the Captain's "C" this season.

Jacob Hester - I'm really not sure where Hester's spot is on this roster, but I know that he has one. The team loves the fact that he played a lot of HB at LSU, but despite his 5.5 YPC he has shown himself to be a less-than-average option there in the NFL.

I guess he's probably not the worth third-string-RB option in the world, nor is he the worst backup-FB option in the world, but he'll only remain a "lock" for his roster spot over the next couple of years if he can play at a high level on special teams like he did in 2009.

Billy Latsko - Billy has a few things going for him. Number one, at 26 he's still very young. Number two, he has shown himself over the last two training camps to be a reliable blocker and receiver out of the backfield. Should there be an injury to Hester or Tolbert, I'm sure Latsko makes the team (or gets signed from the practice squad) and performs his duties fine.

However, on a team and a backfield based almost entirely around versatility, Latsko is just earning a paycheck and hoping a slot opens up somewhere else. Unlike the two guys in front of him at FB, Latsko is not much of a runner with the ball in his hands. As a matter of fact, in three years as a Florida Gator he had exactly one carry.

Billy's not a bad guy to have around, but he's not going to make the 53 man roster unless something shocking happens.



Mike Tolbert - I think Tolbert may be my favorite non-Rivers player this year. I might get a Tolbert jersey. There's nothing not to like about the guy. From his 5.9 YPC, the 5 TDs scored (4 through the air), the 11.3 Yds/Rec (which is just absurd for a FB) all the way down to The Stanky Leg.

I don't know if anyone on the team is more versatile, and he's still young/untrained so he still has a ton of potential for what he could be. The starting FB, worked into the running game as a 2nd or 3rd-string RB, and probably occasionally a WR....Mike Tolbert is one of those guys that you have to look at and say "Damn, A.J. Smith knows what the heck he's doing."

http://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2010/8/10/1615582/chargers-training-camp-who-are

 

RAIDERS

Safety Stevie Brown, the ninth and final draft pick made by the Raiders in April, is doing everything he can to get noticed by the coaching staff.

He made a sliding interception of a pass that hit off wide receiver Yamon Figurs in the morning practice Saturday and earned praise from teammates and coaches.

"It seems like every day, every other day, he seems to show up, putting his hands on the ball somewhere," coach Tom Cable said.

Brown, a 5-foot-11 and 195-pounder from Michigan, said he is aware the odds are stacked against a late-round draft pick.

"You definitely have to do something to stick out from the rest," said Brown, a seventh-round choice.

# Left guard Robert Gallery, quarterbacks Charlie Frye (wrist) and Bruce Gradkowski (groin) and wide receiver Jacoby Ford (quadriceps) were among those who missed practice. Running back Darren McFadden tweaked a hamstring early in the morning practice and missed the rest of that practice, as well as the afternoon session.

# With Gradkowski and Frye sidelined, the Raiders signed Colt Brennan to absorb some of the workload. Brennan, the former Hawaii star, was a sixth-round pick of the Washington Redskins in 2008. He saw no action in 2008 and spent last season on injured reserve after undergoing hip surgery. The Redskins released him Monday.

# Rookie defensive end Lamarr Houston is getting reps at fullback
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as Cable continues to look for depth there. Projected starter Luke Lawton is suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFL policy on performancing-enhancing substances late last season, when he served the first two games of the suspension. Houston joins defensive end Alex Daniels as players who have taken reps at fullback

http://www.contracostatimes.com/raiders/ci_15707016?nclick_check=1

 

BRONCOS

We all know how the 2009 season went down for the Broncos. Beginning with the firing of Mike Shanahan, the hiring of Josh McDaniels, the Jay Cutler-fiasco and Brandon Marshall trade-request, the Broncos looked to be a train-wreck as the prepared for the 2009 season. Little did anyone know, the team was using the circus to rally together.

The Broncos raced to a 6-0 record and expectations went through the roof. Reality, along with some injuries, brought the Broncos back down to earth and a 2-8 finish saw the team finish 8-8, missing the playoffs for the 4th straight season. That has Broncos fans even more impatient, and the pressure on Josh McDaniels and the team at an all-time high - though much of it is unfair.

The seed for the Broncos current state of mediocrity were planted years ago, and McDaniels and Co. are still trying to dig out from the avalanche of bad contracts and over-priced, under-talented veterans that Mike Shanahan tried to patch together into a team. The process is going to take time, but the heat is on and the clock is ticking.

Significant Offseason Additions/Subtractions

Obviously the Broncos are going to feel the loss of WR Brandon Marshall. With over 300 catches the past 3 seasons, Marshall has become one of the most productive offensive weapons in the League. In the locker room and off the field, however, it is another story. Sometimes circumstances dictate that a change of scenery is best for all parties, and Marshall needed out of Denver, for a variety of reasons.

The Broncos also parted ways with TE Tony Scheffler, a talented, yet oft-injured weapon. Scheffler's loss in the passing game will be the Broncos gain on the ground as run-blocking was not one of Scheffler's strong suits.

While those are two offensive players the Broncos will need to replace, the Broncos needed to address their defense, specifically a defensive-line that seemed to wear down as the season went along in 2009. The Broncos did just that, bringing in 3 guys from winning programs and extensive knowledge of the 3-4 defense the Broncos are hoping to master. Justin Bannan (Baltimore), Jamal Williams (San Diego) and Jarvis Green (New England) are an immediate upgrade for the Broncos up front. While all three are over 30, all three provide the Broncos experience up-front. Better yet, two of the starters from last season - Ronald Fields at NT and Ryan McBean at DE - are back, providing the Broncos with experienced backups.

Of course, much has been made of the selection of QB Tim Tebow in the draft, and it appears likely that Tebow will see action in some capacity this season. It's unlikely, however, that Tebow will be the reason for/against Broncos success this season.

The team also made a quiet addition, signing CB Nate Jones in free agency. Jones provides the Broncos an experienced nickel corner, an area the team struggled with last season.

Offense

The offense is going to hinge on one thing - the health and effectiveness of the offensive line. The Broncos come in to 2010 with the prospects of starting two rookies along the offensive line - J.D. Walton at C and Zane Beadles at G - while their two bookend-tackles - Ryan Clady at LT and Ryan Harris at RT - are trying to come back from injury. Clady's absence hurts the most, and it is really unknown if/when he will return in 2010.

The only regular starter the Broncos can fell 100% confident in heading into the season is RG Chris Kuper, who signed a long-term contract with the Broncos during the off-season. If the line can't protect, or create spaces for the running game, the rest of the offense won't matter much. If they can, the Broncos still have weapons on offense, starting at quarterback.

Yes, I consider Kyle Orton a weapon. He's smart, confident and can make all the throws. What has side-tracked Orton, both in Chicago and last season in Denver, is the inability to remain healthy. It shouldn't be underestimated what the injury Orton suffered against Washington did to both Orton's season and the Broncos success.

The Broncos will be looking for 2nd year RB Knowshon Moreno to have a breakout season after showing flashes of brilliance during his rookie season. The Broncos really didn't want Moreno to be shouldered with the entire load of the offense last season, yet it is exactly what happened when Orton got hut and fellow running-back Correll Buckhalter couldn't stay healthy. Both are already injured in camp, and their health will go a long way towards determining the success of the offense, and how quickly a young offensive line comes together.

While there is no Brandon Marshall, the Broncos are deep at receiver, at least on paper. The team picked WR Demaryius Thomas with their first pick of the Draft, and he has looked dominant in Training Camp - until he got hurt on Saturday. The injury isn't considered serious, but it is to the same foot he broke during the off-season so it is definitely a cause for concern.

There is also concern for the other rookie receiver, Eric Decker from Minnesota. He was shaken up on Saturday night as well, injuring the same leg he had surgery on during his Sr. season with the Gophers. The injury was a big reason Decker slipped to the 4th round, and there is concern Decker may have re-aggravated the injury some way. There is veteran leadership as well - Jabar Gaffney is simply underrated, and Brandon Stokley and Brandon Lloyd are still effective. A name to keep your eyes on is Matthew Willis who is having the best camp of all the receivers so far.

Defense

The Broncos were extremely excited about the defense heading into camp, and early on it appeared the unit could have a big season. Then the injury epidemic started and the unit is filled with questions. OLB Elvis Dumervil is the biggest loss. Dumervil, who lead the NFL with 17 sacks a season ago had just signed a huge extension with the Broncos and looked primed to have another Pro Bowl season. Instead he will miss most, if not all, of 2010 with a torn pectoral muscle. Dumervil will undergo surgery today(August 10) and the prognosis is that the injury will take at least 4 months to heal. That puts the Dumervils return sometime in December, so the Broncos have a decision to make.

Dumervil's backup, OLB Jarvis Moss - a former first-round pick out of Florida - was have a great off-season and looked ready to step in until he was lost with a broken bone in his hand. Moss will miss a couple weeks before being fit with a cast on the hand.

The newly acquired defensive line has remained healthy so far, knock on wood, and should provide the Broncos the beef necessary to stop the run. How they will get to the quarterback, however, with the loss of Dumervil, is the big question and it is not out of the realm of possibility that the Broncos could go back to a 4-3 to cope with the razor-thin depth at linebacker. The team will likely be keeping an eye on the waiver-wire as the season approaches for guys that can step in.

Luckily the Broncos are deep at defensive-back, albeit a bit long in the tooth. All four starters in back are over 30, and one has to wonder just how many years Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins, Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill have left. That said, I'm not going to bet against any of those guys, especially the two future Hall of Famers.

The biggest change on the defense might be at coordinator. Mike Nolan left the Broncos to take over the Dolphins at the team's 2nd half collapse last season. Many thought the Broncos would go outside the team to replace him, yet Josh McDaniels chose Don ‘Wink' Martindale, the team's linebackers coach in 2009, for the task. It will be Martindale's first shot at a DC job and all eyes are on him. The players respect and respond to Wink, however, and his personality is much like Jets' Head Coach Rex Ryan's. Now we'll find out if his defenses can play like Ryan's as well.

Special Teams

Perhaps the Broncos most stable position, the team is set at K, with Matt Prater quickly becoming one of the League's best. Prater made several big kicks in 2009, and in reality should have been a Pro Bowler. He has yet to miss a 4th quarter field goal and is ultra-effective in the kick-off game as well. The Broncos have also kept just one punter this Camp, essentially handing the job to Britton Colquitt. Colquitt was in Camp last season but lost out to Brett Kern. Kern couldn't hang on to the job, however, and was replaced last season by veteran Mitch Berger. Berger is likely on stand-by should Colquitt struggle but he will be given first crack at the job.

As for the return game, Eddie Royal is a great returner, though the Broncos would like to save him for his receiving duties. Matthew Willis has been returning kicks, and the Broncos hope rookie DB Perrish Cox can step in as a returner as well. LB/FB Spencer Larsen is the star of the coverage units.

Coaching

Josh McDaniels has surrounded himself with the type of players he wants, while ridding the team of the me-first, team-last attitudes that had polluted the locker room for years. Will it translate to on-field success? That remains to be seen. The offense will make strides, if the O-Line can come together. McDaniels knows what he is doing, if if some outside the organization think otherwise. The players respect him, and he will be a winner.

Conclusion/Prediction for 2010

So much has already happened for the Broncos on the field, that any predictions are fluid. The Elvis Dumervil injury is a huge blow, and how well the Broncos offensive line can come together will determine how quickly the Broncos come together offensively. While they haven't played a pre-season game yet, the Broncos can hardly afford another injury, and players that weren't originally going to be counted on now have to step up and perform at a high level.

I thought before the season that the Broncos would win 10 games. The loss of Dumervil, however, has to cost the Broncos something, and to me it is 2 games. That, and a young offensive line, will keep the Broncos at .500 another season and keep the pressure on Josh McDaniels and Brian Xanders. The team is headed in the right direction, however, even if fans and experts have a hard time believing it. Lookout for the Broncos in 2011!

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/8/10/1615112/2010-nfl-preview-denver-broncos-tim-tebow

 

CHIEFS

It was a somewhat memorable practice at Kansas City Chiefs training camp this afternoon. After practice, we heard from special teams coach Steve Hoffman, defensive line coach Anthony Pleasant and quarterback Matt Cassel.

Here are some practice highlights and I'll have more from the folks above later tonight and tomorrow.

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Tony Moeaki and Travis Daniels did not participate in practice. They were on the bikes. Moeaki was injured in the scrimmage last Saturday and we're not sure what's up with Daniels.

Kind of a funny moment: Matt Cassel and Shaun Smith were messing with each other while doing some running. Smith was grabbing his jersey to push him back as they were running and Cassel did the same. Glad to see some camaraderie.

Tim Castille has a tattoo that says "Struggle".

Castille also caught a nice screen pass and, with a good block from his receiver, might've scored on the play.

New offensive lineman Dan Santucci fell to the ground on one drill and Smith yelled at him to stay off the ground.

Dexter McCluster saw a little time at running back and showed that burst that he has.

Javier Arenas dropped a Dustin Colquitt punt in a drill.

Colquitt has an unreal leg. He was kicking it from the 30 and it was landing near the goal line.

Eric Berry had a few blitzes. He had a clear lane to Cassel at one point but Cassel found Leonard Pope in the flat.

Dwayne Bowe caught several nice passes near the sideline. He's been solid on keeping his feet in bounds and catching the pass.

Tamba Hali pressured Brodie Croyle and would have been a sack in a real game. Several plays later, a combination of Glenn Dorsey and Mike Vrabel collapsed the pocket. Pierre Walters and Dion Gales did the same to Tyler Palko.

Barry Richardson pancaked Arenas at one point. Talk about a size difference.

In a goal line play, Thomas Jones dove over the pile for the score. It was Marcus Allen-esque.

There was a scuffle at one point between Eric Berry and Jake O'Connell. I couldn't quite tell what started it but they were going at it for a few seconds before it was broken up.

Jake O'Connell once again had a nice touchdown catch. He caught a Croyle pass in the end zone and was drilled by Derrick Johnson immediately. O'Connell held on though for the score.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/10/1616464/chiefs-training-camp-another-hot

 

CHARGERS

Norv Turner isn't about to let WR Vincent Jackson's impending holdout limit his offensive options. To make up for the likely absence of his top wideout, Turner has decided to get creative — instead of deploying additional receivers, he's taking advantage of his stellar collection of tight ends. From what we hear, the head coach and play-caller plans for his tight ends to play a major role in the passing game this season, and he has experimented with various formations in training camp, including three-TE sets. Already having arguably the league's best tight end in Antonio Gates, who signed a five-year contract extension in late July, and the versatile Kris Wilson, the Bolts added veteran Randy McMichael this offseason to round out the unit. With all three being skilled pass catchers, San Diego believes that putting the trio on the field simultaneously will pose serious matchup problems for opponents. Having multiple big bodies out there at once to block also could bolster the rushing attack.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/08/11/turner-has-big-plans-for-chargers-tight-ends

 

BRONCOS

The Broncos left Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday night with many of the same questions they arrived with just hours before in a 33-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Their offensive line, albeit missing some regulars, has the look of a work in progress.

Their pass rush, in the first cameo without Elvis Dumervil and missing much of a game plan, did not get a sack until the third quarter.

And a backfield that is sporting a list of injuries that includes the team's top two running backs — Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter — is still an unknown and didn't get much work to prove otherwise.

Quarterbacks: Kyle Orton has shown no shortage of confidence in training camp and played that way. In a pass- first look on offense, he led the Broncos' starters on two scoring drives, jumped on an ill-timed Bengals penalty on each of those, and completed passes to five different players on the way to 84 yards and the two scores.

Brady Quinn struggled mightily at times — at one point, his quarterback rating was 0.0 when an interception was returned for a touchdown. He finished just 6-of-16.

Tim Tebow entered the game with 4:39 left in the third quarter and found rough going at times, but he did play patiently against the Bengals' prevent look to push the Broncos on a scoring drive to finish the game.

Running backs: Lance Ball got the start, but as a whole this group didn't get the ball much when the No. 1 or No. 2 offense was on the field. The Broncos ran the ball just three times in the first quarter — Ball got all three carries — and eight times overall in the first half, 15 times in the game.

Overall, they didn't find much room at the point of attack. Ten of Ball's 27 yards rushing came on one carry.

Receivers: Jabar Gaffney, Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal worked with the starters out of the three-wide look, with Royal lining up in the slot much of his time. Josh McDaniels has said they want to make a concerted effort to get Royal more involved this season, and Royal's 12-yard catch, out of the right slot, was the first score.

Brandon Stokley was the third receiver when the Broncos went to the three wide with the second-team offense and did not get a snap with the regulars. Matt Willis drew two pass- interference penalties.

Offensive line: This group is still a little mix-and-match because of injuries. Russ Hochstein started at right guard for the injured Chris Kuper.

D'Anthony Batiste started for the injured Ryan Clady at left tackle and later moved to right tackle when Ryan Harris left the game.

The two rookies — center J.D. Walton and left guard Zane Beadles — held their own. Walton, Beadles and Batiste each played the entire game.

Defensive line: The Broncos' starting three — Ryan McBean, Jamal Williams and Justin Bannan — for the most part bottled things up as 21 of Cedric Benson's 24 yards rushing in the first quarter came on one play.

Le Kevin Smith and Marcus Thomas were the ends when the Broncos' second-team defense took the field, so free-agent signee Jarvis Green played just sparingly.

Linebackers: D.J. Williams, who has missed much of camp, did not make the trip, and with Mario Haggan having moved outside to adjust for Dumervil's injury, Akin Ayodele and Wesley Woodyard were at the two inside positions with the starters.

Kevin
All Things Broncos blog

The Denver Post's NFL reporters post analysis, notes and minutiae on this blog devoted to the Denver Broncos.
Alexander was in the game early — in the second quarter — as was Joe Mays and rookie Jammie Kirlew. The reserves had some trouble setting the edge in the run game, so Bengals backups did bounce a few plays outside in the second half.

Secondary: Champ Bailey had a first-quarter series suitable for a nine- time Pro Bowl selection, knocking passes away from Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens as well as tackling Owens for just a 1-yard gain on a fourth-and-2.

Nate Jones saw playing time as the Broncos' nickel (five defensive backs) cornerback with the first-team defense as well as at safety in the second-team defense.

Special teams: Perrish Cox opened as the kickoff and punt returner while Willis also got some work there.

Matt Prater didn't show quite the leg he has in the past on kickoffs, but the air was heavy on a humid night. He did make his only field-goal attempt. Punter Britton Colquitt showed plenty of leg at times — he had a 60-yarder — but the Broncos surrendered a 43-yard punt return as well as 28- and 21-yarders.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15790486

 

RAIDERS

Moving right along, the Raiders have played a game in the palace of football opulence and have had two practices since.

While all teams, especially teams as young as the Raiders and featuring a new O-coordinator and QB, are a work in progress--they are beginning to form an identity. The seeds of strengths and weaknesses have cracked open. While they are still fragile sprouts, they can quickly grow into a field of lame football.

I find my opinions and feelings on the offense and defense of the Raiders soaring in opposite directions with the acceleration creating a potentially fatal amount of G-force.

Where to start? The good...or the bad? Well, as John Wooden used to say, "Always make your last shot," so...let's look at the offense. After watching the game a couple of times, I find myself treating thoughts of the offense with my full and quite impressive, if I do say so myself, powers of procrastination. Here's why....

Star-divide
First a shout out to the men watching the men in the trenches: McDonald and Tafur and Gutierrez.



The only positives the first team O managed to generate against the Cowboys first team D was the lack of negatives. The Raiders only managed one first down against the first team D. The line wasn't blocking, The WR's weren't getting open and Campbell was not hitting his targets.

Cable seemed to feel the same way, which is why he sent the O back out for a series more than he intended. Cable:

The rhythm thing was most important. I did not like the second series very much. It just felt like we were going to put the line and the quarterback back out there together and see if they can kind of put some cohesiveness together which they were able to do a little bit. The thing I am encouraged about is it was a guy here or a guy there that were breaking down. I look for us to be better this week.

It’s a guy here and a guy there. It looks to be probably a little better than what I thought last night after the game, so I think we can fix it, and fix it rather quickly.

Cable guy is right, of course. It was just one preseason quarter and it was against a very good defense. But was the lack of success all a function of the Cowboys stellar D?

The lack of precision cannot all be attributed to the opposition, but maybe it could be attributed to the young season, the new faces and the need to build chemistry, but here is where this weekend comes in like a sickening and gray storm-front or as we know it in my Washington neck of the woods: Every month that doesn't start with the letters A-U-G-U-S-T.

The reports from practice this weekend talk of a passing game that looks to be regressing. Hue had to stop practice a few times to vent over the drops, Cable has had to stop plays to have Mario Henderson do extra push-ups and DHB seems to be following his zero catch performance by disappearing in practice.

It is not all doom and gloom for the offense. Todd Watkins was reported to have had a nice weekend of practice, Chaz is looking good and should be on the field on Saturday. Darren McFadden and Jacoby Ford haven't practiced, but both have been running and look to be on schedule to play on Saturday as well. And Zach Miller is still Zach Miller.

It is a long season and it is silly to get worried over performances that happen in its infancy, but what I want to see and hear about are signs of progress. I think the Raiders would be a little more considerate. As a Raider fan, my hopes have been abused into a glass ball like fragile state. Give me baby steps over two steps forward and one back. Back is frightening.

When it comes down to it, if I had my choice between watching a dominate Raider team led by the defense or offense, I'd pick the defense. So in times of fright I travel to my happy spot via the defensive side of the ball.

The D looked great in the game and nothing has changed in practice. In fact, the D is even taunting Hue "Action" Jackson after they make plays or the offense fails to make plays. It's possible that Hue is having as big of positive impact on the D as he is on the O. Thanks to Hue and the infusion of the young play-makers, the level of intensity and accountability appears to be rising.

It was impossible to miss LaMarr Houston in his pro debut and it wasn't because he got into a fight; he was making plays. He doesn't seem content about it either. He learned from the game and he is ready to improve himself based on that. Houston:

I think the NFL is a lot different because all these guys are really technically sound. Nobody slacks and everybody has good technique. That's what makes the NFL a better game.

Houston is clear on what he wants to work on. Houston:

Technique. Technique, technique, technique. Just seeing how I can finish plays, or make a play.

While the defense looked great, there were a couple of break downs in pass coverage, but like the days after the game seemed to solidify my worries about the O, it has eased them on the D. Nnam was only in for the first series and the only pass to his guy was incomplete.

The completions, except for Witten's, came on CJ--who found himself one-on-one with Austin. And while his coverage wasn't bad, he did get beat, but the sting of this is eased in the fact that it looks more and more like Nnam is going to be unleashed to follow the team's number one WR or to wreak havoc in any other ways they see fit.

The practices following the game have found Nnam playing almost exclusively on the left side instead of his customary right side. Cable had this to say about it:

Some of it is just being able to get him comfortable on both sides because of all the slot formations. And some of it has to do with him maybe lining up on the best receiver.

Works for me and probably more importantly, for everyone except me, it works for Nnam. Asomugha:

We're doing more things, and I love it. I've been playing all over the field pretty much. And that's great. It gets me more involved.

Finding Nnam on the field is now going to be a tick inside the brain of opposing QB's as they walk up to the line.

Another interesting note to come out of this weekends practices:

* Mike Mitchell took some snaps at FS. Mitchell has had a solid camp and played a solid game. The coaches are looking for ways to get him on the field more and that can only be a good thing.
* Rolando McClain had a solid, but less spectacular debut than his fellow rookie and has since missed practice due to what is being unofficially reported as a family illness. Good luck and best wishes, Ro and his family.
* Bennett and Cartwright continue there battle for the #3 RB slot. Cartwright's versatility seems to have given him the edge as he got carries before Bennett in the game. Versatility or not, Bennett looks to me like he is earning a spot. I don't think Cartwright's special teams play is enough above average to keep Bennett off and when it comes to RB skills, I'll take Bennett. That's why I'd like to see him get some run with the first team. Let's see what he can do with the big boys.
* Stanford Routt seems to get burned often in practice. This really isn't news to any of us, but it is still sucks and sucking even further is Walter McFadden has missed practice since the game, because of shoulder issues. While it is not serious, McFadden does have a history of missing time due to injuries.
* Unexplained by the coaches was Stevie Brown getting some reps with the first team at FS.
* SeaBass got the weekend off. Ahh the life of a kicker.
* Charlie Frye's illustrious tenure with the Raiders may be ending. His hand isn't really healing and Boller has looked solid. Frye is going to see a specialist about his hand.

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2010/8/16/1625109/weekend-recap-a-tale-of-two-units

 

CHARGERS

Philip Rivers (and everyone else) survived. Ryan Mathews and the defense thrived.

If that wasn’t all that mattered in the preseason opener, it was close.

The Chargers trounced the Chicago Bears 25-10 Saturday night at Qualcomm Stadium, as first-round draft pick Ryan Mathews made an emphatic entrance.

While a defensive line competition intensified and the secondary showed a new mettle, what was most important for a team that will struggle to do anything perceived as impactful until the calendar reads January was that the starting quarterback was upright, the starting running back was outstanding and the starting left tackle was stout.

Brandyn Dombrowski held up for two series against Julius Peppers. Tyrrone Green took over at left tackle and stayed there for two quarters. Dombrowksi later re-entered the game at right tackle.

“I don’t think anyone inside our organization has any doubts about those guys,” head coach Norv Turner said. “But because Marcus (McNeill) isn’t here, it’s a good story. I’d love it if Marcus came back, but I’m confident if these guys have to play there.”

Rivers got the ball off quick, for sure, but he also held the ball before lofting a 28-yard touchdown pass to Legedu Naanee, and the quarterback was never sniffed by a Bears defender in six drops.

Rivers worked two series. His final pass was the one to Naanee, who caught it over his shoulder going into the end zone to give the Chargers a 7-3 lead.

Descriptions of the efforts by Dombrowski and Naanee suffice in covering the two players filling in for the guys sitting out — McNeill and Vincent Jackson.

What Mathews did in his first game taking over for an icon could not be overstated, even in an exhibition.

Mathews tried to keep his mind off his unofficial debut all day, then vomited in the locker room shortly before the game.

“Nerves,” he said afterward, even his grin reminiscent of the man he replaced.

He called the cheer when he ran out of the tunnel during introductions “an unreal moment.”

Mathews sent out a message via Twitter last week that stated he is not replacing LaDainian Tomlinson. That said, Mathews in his first night in lightning bolts did a good job showing he might be able to do just that.

Wearing a tinted visor on his facemask and even stiff-arming people, Mathews ran nine times for 50 yards and caught one pass at the line of scrimmage, bowling through one tackle for a 7-yard gain.

“It was crazy at first,” Mathews said. “My adrenaline was going.”

When the Chargers running backs came onto the field for pregame warmups, it was the first time in 185 games, including the preseason, that No. 21 wasn’t with them. While he hardly carried the ball in August while a Charger, Tomlinson would participate in pregame warmups.

It was when Mathews jogged onto the stadium floor for those warmups that the sense of anticipation became tangible.

Every touch by Mathews stirred a preseason crowd of 55,837, in particular an 18-yard gain in which he powered through a linebacker in the backfield and a three-yard rush up the middle on fourth-and-inches.

Mathews showed his expected burst and balance and also impatiently ran up on left guard Kris Dielman more than once. That included on the 18-yard run that ended up showing his potential for greatness. He plowed into Dielman, failed to see a corner closing, then recovered, kept his balance as he bounced off a defender and got outside for the big gain.

“His instincts are outstanding,” Turner said. “He can run too.”

Mathews insisted, “I’m going to try to slow things down in my body. I’ve got to work on everything.”

A 1-yard run by Mike Tolbert in the second quarter and second-half field goals by Nate Kaeding (28 yards) and Nick Novak (43 and 48) accounted for the rest of the offense.

The Chargers defense was mostly stout and appeared to finish most plays with the physical emphasis they promised.

If they a few times allowed the Bears quarterbacks too much time, they also applied pressure, up the middle especially, and the Bears gained 28 yards on 13 carries in the first half.

“We came out and set the tone,” free safety Eric Weddle said. “We were definitely physical. It was our first chance to show what the 2010 Chargers defense is going to be.”

Coordinator Ron Rivera kept dialing up different looks and blitzes into the fourth quarter against the team that let him go after the 2006 season.

Nickel back Donald Strickland got a sack off a blitz. Kevin Burnett had a sack, Antwan Applewhite had a sack and forced fumble in the third quarter.

Paul Oliver recovered that fumble with a brilliant pursuit and push to follow up his interception to end the previous series.

Undrafted rookie Brandon Lang, whose past week has been as good as anyone in camp, blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety. Rookie tackle Cam Thomas got pressure to affect the throw on Oliver’s interception and also a fourth-quarter sack.

“There’s a lot of competition on the defense,” Applewhite said. “It makes for a lot of energy. We felt a little more intensity out there.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/14/mathews-sharp-chargers-debut/

 

CHIEFS

~There are two backups that need to be starting right now, and I will quickly sour on Haley if they are not promoted. I am speaking of Jamaal Charles and Derrick Johnson. Thomas Jones could be a good addition and all, but this is Charles' team. Our offense doesn't move without him, as proven last night. With Johnson, I believe Haley continues to play mind games with him, aiming to right his mind into that of a fierce, determined Linebacker. I suspect both of these players to be starting by week 1, and will be vocal in my displeasure with Haley if they are not.



~Dexter McCluster was unreal, literally. Clearly, he's a Madden creation. His two plays consisted of the best working plays on Madden (at least a few years back, anyway) with the sweep around the end and the quick out from the slot position. He was unstoppable, just faster than anybody else on the field. I was a step slow to hop on the McDexter bandwagon, but now I'm sitting shotgun. Our offense has some serious weapons right now, led by Charles and Dex.



~My biggest concerns with the team after one game is stopping the run on defense. We were pushed off the line in the first drive, giving up at least five yards a pop. We will constantly need an 8th player in the box, making us vulnerable to playaction passes over the top.



~My biggest concern with the offense is teams stacking the box due to a lack of a downfield threat. The blame for this goes all the way around the offense. The line struggles to hold blocks to give Cassel enough time to look down field, neither Bowe or Chambers are speedsters, and Cassel tends to overthrow deep balls. This will allow teams to bring 8 or 9 players up, forcing us to find ways to throw over the top.



~My biggest surprise of the game was the effectiveness of Mike Vrabel. My main mane, LbR, made the astute statement that Vrabel will be good as long as we are good, which got me to thinking. I remember being very confident in him at the beginning of last season (and preseason), but was semi-embarrassed by his performance the latter half of the season. This makes sense. He just shut it down, with no real reason to continue pushing. Save it for next year, which is now this year. Our defense has a shot to be mediocre at the least if Vrabel plays like he did last night.



Impressive List:

~Kendrick Lewis- QB pressure, helped blow up a sweep, and blanketed Tony G.

~Javier Arenas- Delivered a stiff arm that would make the Viagra CEO proud.

~Maurice Leggett- A few big hits, including a throw down of Rowdy Roddy White.

~Andy Studebaker- Solid across the board, could provide much needed depth.

~Derek Lokey- Should make this team after a few unsuccessful tries.



Disappointment List:

~Ryan O'Callaghan- Got beat a few times around the edge, we seemingly have nobody better to replace him though.

~Jon Asamoah- Got absolutely roasted on back-to-back plays in the 3rd quarter.

~Leonard Pope- Missed a block on 3rd and short, dropped a pass, and dove for a catch that a normal sized man could've caught and ran with.

~Ryan Succop- Missed two field goals, albeit they were long.

~Tyson Jackson- Have yet to see him fight off a block or do anything.

~Corey Mays- Too slow in the middle. A one-on-one matchup with a Tight End is a guaranteed catch.

~DaJuan Morgan- Was actually afraid of the ball when John Parker Croyle floated a pass right to him.

~Zebras- Nice call on the offensive penalty converting a 3rd and Goal into a 1st and 10. I wish Haley would have just sat on the field in protest and drawn multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/14/1623583/thoughts-on-chiefs-falcons

 

RAIDERS

– Backup quarterback Charlie Frye on Wednesday will undergo a surgical procedure to repair an unspecified injury in his right wrist, coach Tom Cable said.

Frye hurt his wrist Aug. 5 and hasn’t practiced since. Cable said he isn’t sure how long Frye will be out of action.

Kyle Boller and Bruce Gradkowski have been getting increased reps during Frye’s absence. Boller even received a great deal of time with the second-team offense Tuesday.

Don’t make too much out of that, though, Cable warned.

“Bruce isn’t back (from pectoral surgery) all the way yet,” Cable said Tuesday. “We’re bringing him back. That’s really more the issue than anything.”

Still, Boller looked sharp, including back-to-back scoring strikes to tight end Zach Miller.

– Undrafted free agent Alex Daniels made it in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated for his quote about being willing to block for President Obama if that’s what it takes to make the Raiders roster.

Apparently, things are going well, for more than S.I. are taking notice.

On Tuesday, Daniels received a one-on-one audience with managing general partner Al Davis for several minutes after practice.

This came a few minutes after coach Tom Cable singled him out as the one undrafted free agent who has caught his eye the first three weeks of training camp.

“There’s been some guys who have shown up,” Cable said. “I think about guys like Alex Daniels and his move to fullback. He’s learning it, figuring it out. Physically, he looks to have all the tools to be able to maybe help us there. I think that’s the guy that probably stands out in my mind as much as anybody right now.”

Cable said Daniels will receive his first playing time in an NFL game Saturday night against the Chicago Bears.

– Wide receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey (rest) and Chaz Schilens (foot), running back Darren McFadden (hamstring) and cornerback Chris Johnson (undisclosed, though he came up lame in practice Monday) missed the lone practice.

– McFadden was spotted jogging around the two practice fields while his teammates practiced. Afterward, McFadden said he is making progress toward a return to the field, though he isn’t able to display the burst he is known for.

“At this point it’s something I just need to take care of just so I don’t have to deal with it all season,” McFadden said. “So, I’d rather get it healthy now and then it won’t bother me all season.”

As for this Saturday night’s game against the Chicago Bears, McFadden said he hasn’t ruled it out just yet.

“Well, right now, we’re just playing it day by day until I feel like I get the chance where I can open all the way up and then try to see what I can do,” McFadden said.

– Davis attended a practice for the fifth time since training camp practices started July 29. He watched from a golf cart parked between the two fields.

Afterward, Davis left the field as a passenger in the cart. A handful of fans screamed Davis’ name as if they were seeing one of the Beatles stroll past their front yard. Davis acknowledged the love with a slight wave of his right hand.

– This camp has been relatively devoid of fisticuffs. One of the few altercations occurred Tuesday during a one-on-one pass-blocking drill between center Samson Satele and defensive tackle William Joseph.

Satele blocked Joseph to the ground with both arms and then delivered a knockout blow as Joseph attempted to get to his feet. From there, it was on.

Joseph started swinging at Satele once he got to his feet, and Satele responded in kind as numerous offensive and defensive linemen intervened to calm down the situation.

– Wide receiver Louis Murphy said he has made it a point to keep his emotions in check this year, something he struggled doing as a rookie last year.

On Tuesday, Murphy struggled with a case of the dropsies that he typically avoids. At one point, he slammed his helmet against a water cooler, sat down and contemplated his not-so-good day.

Quarterback Jason Campbell and tight end Zach Miller walker over and talked things out with Murphy. On the bright side, Murphy made a nice catch of a deep pass over cornerback Stanford Routt.

– One particularly clueless fan shouted at a player as he exited the locker room and headed for the team hotel. “Charlie Frye!”

“Nope, I’m Kyle Boller,” Boller said, as he laughed.

For the record, there’s no resemblance between Boller and Frye other than the fact they both play quarterback. Boller should have told the fan to buy a program that features mug shots of all the players.

Kudos to Boller for taking it in stride and going over to sign autographs anyway.

– Rookie Jared Veldheer worked at left offensive tackle with the second-team offense for most of practice, while Chris Morris handled the center duties.

Veldheer is alternating between offensive tackle and center as a means of making himself more versatile and therefore more valuable to the Raiders as a backup.

Cable is adamant that his offensive linemen be able to play more than one position once the regular season starts because only two or three extra offensive linemen are activated for a game.

– Running back Rock Cartwright beat strong safety Tyvon Branch on a corner route for a 30-yard touchdown from quarterback Jason Campbell. Yet another example of Cartwright’s versatility as a runner, receiver and kick returner. It’s that versatility that is catching the eyes of his coaches and making him a strong candidate to make the roster as a backup to McFadden and Michael Bush.

– Cable said he won’t make determinations on playing time and such for the Bears game until later this week. However, he offered this snipped about one area he expects to see improvement.

“I am encouraged (by the protection), but as we talked about after the game, we need to get going a little quicker and sustain some drives,” Cable said. “Third down was really the biggest negative out of that football game. There was some good things in terms of protection. I thought in the second half running the ball with some efficiency. But I’d like to see us get started just a little bit quicker.”

– For as good as cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha has been the past three seasons, in particular, he has room to get even better, Cable said.

“Just being more complete,” Cable said of what Asomugha needs to work on. “I know that’s where he’s chasing, is to try to be complete and try to be the best. It takes doing what he’s doing. He kind of refocuses himself, and don’t be afraid to find your weaknesses. You know them before anybody else does. Don’t before to find them and work at it. And I think that’s what sets him apart. I think he’s able to do that every year.”

As for what sets apart Asomugha from most every other cornerback not named Darrelle Revis, Cable said: “Just the fact that he’s intelligent. He’s not afraid to say, ‘This is something I need to get better at.’ He doesn’t feel like he’s arrived or any of that stuff. He continues to thirst to be good, to be as good as he can be.”

http://www.ibabuzz.com/oaklandraiders/2010/08/17/notes-and-quotes-from-tuesdays-p-m-practice/

 

CHARGERS

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound inside linebacker admitted in a separate interview the neck injury he suffered in last year’s preseason finale against the 49ers was the scariest of his career.

But while he admitted, in general, a nagging injury often does hinder a football player, he avoided it as a justification for what was a solid season despite his physical limitations (he made 83 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in 11 games). The NFL is a bottom-line industry, he said.

“You play football. You go out there, play as hard as you can and let the chips fall where they may,” Burnett said. “You prepare, you do everything that you can do. The only thing to do is go out there and play, and that’s the easy part.”

His professional approach will not change now that fellow ILB Donald Butler will miss the season because of an unfortunate Achilles injury. Burnett already was working with the first defense, but he’ll play an important role in the middle with one less player at the position.

“I think you do everything that’s within your power every day to get ready to be the best player that you can be,” Burnett said. “If you need extra motivation, then you’re in the wrong business.”

A standout last preseason after he spent the first four years of his career in Dallas, Burnett again made a mark against the Bears, recording five total tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry.

San Diego blitzed from several positions in the 25-10 win, sacking Chicago quarterbacks six times. But more important, the Chargers disrupted the offenses’ timing. And the more visible the disruption the better, Head Coach Norv Turner said.

“If you can get them out of their comfort level, they’re not going to play as well against you,” Turner said. “Kevin Burnett is an outstanding blitzer. A lot of times if you come off the edge, the quarterback doesn’t ever feel it. I think if you come up those A gaps, he not only feels it, he sees it.”

Fellow inside linebacker Stephen Cooper believes the defense will mix its schemes and formations well enough to hinder offensive plans. That may include blitzing more up the middle.

“I think we’re doing that a lot more this year. Last year we let our outside linebackers go a lot more than usual,” Cooper said. “This year with KB (Kevin Burnett) being so fast and so quick, he’s going to get a lot of pressure on the quarterback.”

A Los Angeles native, Burnett’s comfort level in the locker room, around his linebacker buddies and in San Diego has leaped since this time last year. That camaraderie creates a healthy learning atmosphere, Burnett said. But the Chargers defense, in his opinion, exposes players for what they are.

“(This defense) allows guys to go run around and make plays. You allow guys to showcase what they can do,” Burnett said. “This is a show-me game. It’s a lot of talk about, ‘Well I’m the best player,’ ‘Well I’m this,’ ‘Well I’m that.’ Well you have to continue to show that year in and year out. In this defense, if you’re not such a good player, it’s going to show. If you’re a good player, it’s going to show. It’s really up to you what you do in this defense.”

And if Burnett remains healthy, that’s something those at Chargers Park could enjoy seeing.

http://www.chargers.com/news/article-1/Inside-force/4f67028a-5f00-4406-ab4b-e6e2c976b2c0

Brandyn Dombrowski neutralized Bears defensive end Julius Peppers for two series Saturday. Today veteran Tra Thomas returned to practice.

SAN DIEGO – Left tackle Brandyn Dombrowski backed his coach Saturday by shutting down Julius Peppers in limited action against the Bears.

Head Coach Norv Turner said earlier in training camp that Dombrowski maximizes his physical gifts when he’s in pads and can utilize full contact, a claim he supported during a pair of series during the first quarter.

“I’ve definitely got some stuff to work on, but overall it went pretty well. It’s all little things; technique,” Dombrowski said after the game.

He watched a little film on Peppers, but it was difficult to guess what the defensive end would do in his first game with Chicago. Peppers recorded at least 10 sacks in six of his eight seasons with the Panthers, but didn’t get close to Philip Rivers with Dombrowski in the game.

“I just tried to stay firm and rely on my technique,” he said.

Asked if the preseason opener felt different than practice, where Dombrowski often has worked against Larry English or Jyles Tucker, mostly with less than full contact allowed, the 6-foot-5, 323-pound lineman said no.

“When I get beat in practice, I still feel the same way as when I get beat in a game,” Dombrowski said. “I feel like a piece of (junk) because you don’t want anybody to touch your quarterback. You have to approach it like that all the time.”

Tyronne Green also performed well at left tackle against the Bears. Tra Thomas missed time after getting his right knee scoped, but returned to the practice field Monday. Thomas has started 168 career games at left tackle and made three Pro Bowls, all with the Philadelphia Eagles.

San Diego’s offensive line allowed just one sack against Chicago in the third quarter, but Billy Volek found tight end Randy McMichael on the next play for a 22-yard completion that resulted in a first down.

BACK TO WORK: Shawne Merriman may be in good physical shape, but the 28 days before the season opener will come in handy, he said.

Merriman participated in his first practice after signing a one-year tender on Friday.

“Full pads the first day being back at practice is tough, but these guys have been out here working for weeks,” Merriman said. “I’m pretty much in shape. Just getting ready for football movement again and doing football drills. Reacting to the ball and exploding again.”

Others that returned to practice after missing time with minor injuries include Darrell Stuckey, Darren Sproles and Larry English.

“It definitely felt good to be back out there today working,” English said. “I wouldn’t say 100 yet, but I’m close to it. I gradually keep getting better and better and I’ll be ready to go (against the Cowboys).”

OPTIMISM CONTINUES: Turner has volunteered some strong statements about the Chargers’ potential for much of the months following the draft.

His opinion didn’t waver after seeing San Diego compete against another team for the first time in seven months.

“I thought (Saturday) was outstanding for us. There’s an excitement on this team that I don’t know if we can describe,” he said. “I’ve been trying to describe it, but then I think you go watch these guys play and you should get a sense for what I’ve been talking about. We have a lot of physical players that are fast. We’re going to be an exciting team to watch.”

REARRANGED: One of the NFL rules changes this year repositions the umpire in the offensive backfield until the final two minutes of each half.

The Chargers got their first chance to analyze the impact of the new rule Saturday.

Designed to limit collisions between players and umpires, the change will have an impact on the game, Turner said.

“It’s going to be a number of games before you really get a feel for it,” he said. “I think there’s going to be different penalties called because it’s going to be a different vantage point.”

Umpires will return downfield during the final two minutes, but teams that want to run a two-minute offense outside the allotted period likely will be hindered, Turner said.

BOLTS: English slipped through a double team during an inside run period to stare down Ryan Mathews in the backfield … Ogemdi Nwagbuo also ripped into the backfield during the same period … A high pass during a team period seemed destined to sail toward the fence lined with reporters, but Malcom Floyd skied between a double team to spear it for a catch.

http://www.chargers.com/news/article-1/Tackles-pass-first-test/780b9c55-794d-40ea-a06d-fcfa10c45e9e

 

CHIEFS

Two young, unheralded linebackers from small colleges are trying to become staples in Kansas City’s revamped 3-4 defensive front seven.

While outside linebacker Andy Studebaker and inside linebacker Jovan Belcher aren’t strangers to the Chiefs organization — each played in all 16 games last season, with Studebaker making two starts and Belcher three — their play during training camp has impressed head coach Todd Haley.

“(Studebaker’s) clearly one of those guys that’s clearly come a long way, and I think it’s hard not to notice him in a lot of different areas,” Haley said. “He’s worked real hard to put himself in a position to have some success, and I think some of that showed up.”

Haley had similar words for Belcher, who led the team last year with 17 special teams tackles.

“This guy made huge gains in the offseason, this being his first offseason,” Haley said. “He made a ton of progress last year. When I see him, I see a different physical body in a lot of different ways.”

Both Studebaker and Belcher come from colleges that don’t produce NFL players.

Studebaker, who signed with Kansas City in 2008 from Philadelphia’s practice squad, played at Division III Wheaton College (Ill.) and became the first player from the college to suit up for an NFL game. Belcher, who signed with the Chiefs last season as an undrafted rookie free agent, played for the University of Maine in the NCAA’s FCS division.

Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher tries to get past blocker Bobby Greenwood Tuesday afternoon.

Even though he’s from a small college, Belcher said he doesn’t feel like he has anything extra to prove with the coaching staff.

“I don’t look at it like that,” he said. “We’re all here. We’re all playing together.”

Both played the defensive end position in a 4-3 defensive scheme in college and primarily rushed the quarterback.

Since Kansas City switched to a 3-4 defensive scheme in 2009, both are adjusting to new positions and the complexity of the new defensive system.

“They’re a work in progress. They’re trying to learn new positions, and there’s the good, the bad and the ugly,” said Gary Gibbs, the Chiefs’ linebackers coach. “They’ve made some good plays; they’ve made some bad plays; they’ve made some ugly plays. You hope over time through practice that they develop into more complete players.”

Studebaker’s play during Kansas City’s preseason loss to Atlanta has resulted in him taking more snaps with the first team defense on the practice field. Belcher has been rotating with the first defensive unit as well and figures to start in Kansas City’s second preseason game Saturday at Tampa Bay.

Studebaker said the experience he received last season, along with increased practice time has helped hone his skills.

“Anytime you can get experience, you’re going to have a chance to get better,” Studebaker said. “Last year was really valuable to me. But this training camp, getting a lot more reps and having another year as a linebacker has been big for me, too.

“I’ll embrace the opportunity to play anytime I can.”

As for Belcher, he said he’s simply going to do whatever the coaching staff asks of him.

“Truthfully, I’m just trying to do my role. Whatever the coaches need me to do that’s my role; that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. “As your second year, you feel a lot more confident. But just like everybody, there’s still a lot more to learn.”

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/2010/aug/17/chiefs-have-young-lbs-learning-go/?chiefs

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Sure, Scott Pioli and Todd Haley would rather their Kansas City Chiefs program was further along than it is as they approach the second preseason game of their second summer at the helm.

But they know it’s a long process. And the process is taking shape.

“I’ve been a part of great teams,” said Pioli, who was an executive in New England during its glory years. “We’re not there, but I’m encouraged. I feel better than I did this time last year.”

Pioli and Haley, whom Pioli hired as a first-time head coach in 2009, knew it would be a challenge when they took over a Kansas City team that won a combined six games in 2007 and '08. The Chiefs were not much better last season, finishing 4-12, but the team did make strides late in the year.

“I knew last year wasn’t going to be easy or fun or smooth or comfortable,” Haley said. “And it lived up to expectations. ... But we were building a program and trying to change things. We’re doing it our way.”

As a result, Pioli and Haley have seen progress this offseason and so far in camp.

“It’s apples and oranges,” Haley said. “I really like what we’re seeing. We still have a long way to go and we haven't done anything yet, but we are seeing the pieces come together in this program.”
That’s all the team’s brass can ask for from this young, intriguing team.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. Is quarterback Matt Cassel getting better? It’s difficult to say quite yet. The word is that he has been better at times during camp, but he didn’t do much against Atlanta in the first preseason game. It’s time Cassel is unleashed and given the chance to show what he can do. The team is being very careful with him. Cassel has better weapons this year. With a better supporting cast, Cassel should be better in his second season in Kansas City. But we just haven’t seen it yet. His ability to lead Kansas City will very likely, once again, be a major storyline heading into the regular season.

2. What’s the influence of the two new coordinators? We are seeing a more disciplined, organized Kansas City team this camp. Much of the reason is because Haley is in his second season and everything usually flows better in a second season of a new era. Haley also acknowledges the presence of offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel helps. The two veteran coaches, who were a big part of New England’s dynasty days, give valuable experience to Haley’s staff and bring a real presence to this team. This is a young team that has responded well to the top-notch coaching. The Chiefs are still very much a work in progress, but Weis and Crennel are helping bring this program up to speed.

“I think we have more continuity this year because of who we added to the staff,” Pioli said. “We all have history together.”
Hali had 8.5 sacks in 2009, but the Chiefs need to get more of a consistent pass rush.

3. Where’s the pass rush coming from? We don’t know yet and that is worrisome. How are the Chiefs going to be a real contender if they don’t have a legitimate pass rush? This has been a problem in Kansas City since Jared Allen was shipped to Minnesota in 2008. We all know the Chiefs didn’t want to sign Allen to a long-term deal and we know the Chiefs got a decent bounty in return for him, but the truth is the pass rush has been almost non-existent since he left. In Allen’s first year away, the Chiefs set an NFL record for the fewest sacks in a season with 10. Last year, the pass rush was anemic as well. The lone legitimate pass-rusher on the team is Tamba Hali. He often hurries the quarterback, but he has little help. There haven’t been many people in training camp to stand up and show Kansas City they are ready to help Hali either. Thus, this may continue to be a major weak spot in Kansas City.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Dwayne Bowe still has upside

Christopher Harris looks at the potential fantasy value for Dwayne Bowe, who was a disappointment last season. Harris
Many Kansas City fans were in an uproar when Thomas Jones was listed as the starter on the camp depth chart. Jamaal Charles looked like the league’s next star running back when he finished with 1,120 yards last season after becoming the starter at midseason. Jones was signed as a free agent this offseason to complement Charles and to keep him fresh. Still, having Jones at the top of the depth chart was an indication that Charles could be buried. Don’t worry about it, though. Despite the surprising depth-chart look, Charles will get plenty of carries. This should be a dynamite pair.

“I really like where this running game is going,” Cassel said. “A good running game is a quarterback’s best friend and I think it can really help us.”

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

One of the reasons the Kansas City front seven has yet to establish itself is the lack of impact made by the team’s last two first-round picks. That can be a killer to the team. Glenn Dorsey was the No. 5 overall pick in 2008 and Tyson Jackson was the No. 3 overall pick last year. Both are starters, but neither player has had a major impact. These are supposed to be cornerstone players. If Dorsey doesn’t get it in his third season, when will he?


* The Chiefs’ rookie class has the camp buzzing. Safeties Eric Berry (first round) and Kendrick Lewis (fifth), running back/receiver Dexter McCluster (second), cornerback/returner Javier Arenas (second) and tight end Tony Moeaki (third) have all stood out. Each of those players has a chance to make major contributions right away. This has a chance to be a dynamic group.

* After spending much of last season in Haley’s doghouse, linebacker Derrick Johnson is still not working with the first team. Still, Johnson is too talented not to have a role on this team.

* This has been a physical camp. Of the team’s 27 camp practices, 25 have been in pads. There’s no doubt Haley wants to make this one of the most physical teams in the league.

* Receiver Dwayne Bowe looks to be in decent shape. Bowe has had his issues under Haley, but he seems to be working fairly hard as he is about to enter a pivotal season in his career.

* Keep an eye on defensive tackle Derek Lokey. He could play a big role.

* Backup quarterback Brodie Croyle had looked pretty good in camp before suffering an arm injury. It wouldn’t be a shock if there is some interest from other teams in the former starter if he can return to health fairly soon.

* The Kansas City offensive line is improved, but right tackle Ryan O'Callaghan has struggled some. It could be a problem area.

* The Chiefs love the big leg of second-year kicker Ryan Succop. He missed two 53-yarders at Atlanta, but the team has no problem letting him rip on long attempts.

* Restricted free-agent safety Jarrad Page is staging what is the league’s quietest holdout. Nobody seems to care, the Chiefs included. They have clearly moved on with the youngsters at safety. Page could be dumped for a low draft pick at some point.

* Arenas could push third-year man Brandon Carr for some playing time at right cornerback. Arenas is good in man-to-man coverage, which the Chiefs like. Carr is more of a Cover 2 guy.

* The Chiefs have practiced the Wildcat some. With players such as Charles and McCluster available to operate it, this could be a very nice occasional wrinkle for Kansas City to use.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/15826/camp-confidential-chiefs

 

BRONCOS

These aren't the types of problems that a new defensive coordinator should be figuring out in August.

This is the time for position battles and rookies fighting for roster spots, not for figuring how to replace the NFL's reigning leader in sacks.

But in their preseason opener Sunday against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale debuted the Broncos' plan for how they will play without star pass rusher Elvis Dumervil, who will miss at least four months — if not the whole season — because of a torn pectoral muscle.

On the first defensive series for their starters, the Broncos forced the Bengals into a third-and-11 situation — the scenario in which Dumervil, who had 17 sacks last year, thrives. The players given first shot at replacing him — 2009 first-round draft pick Robert Ayers and versatile veteran linebacker Mario Haggan — couldn't get to Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer.

It surely wasn't the start the Broncos were hoping for.

"Trust me, Elvis was our best pass rusher, but we've got a lot of talent on this team, guys that whether it is schematically or just rushing straight up that we can get to the quarterback," Haggan said. "I think it's only just a matter of time. Trust me, Elvis will be greatly missed, but we have guys that can get the job done."

Defensive end Justin Bannan was the only Bronco to lay a hand on Palmer when the No. 1 defense played against the Bengals' offensive starters in a game Denver lost 33-24.

"Somebody else has got to step up (after Dumervil's injury). My guys have got to step up. Guys that are rushing on the edge have to step up," said Denver defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely. "It's a loss that we wish we didn't have to deal with, but someone else has got to step up and that's really what it's all about. That happens in football."

In addition to Ayers and Haggan, Kevin Alexander —
an undrafted rookie from Clemson — and Baraka Atkins also lined up for at least one snap at outside linebacker with the first-team defense Sunday.

Atkins and Jammie Kirlew recorded sacks during the second half. Alexander was credited with four quarterback hits in the second half.

"Felt good to go out there and be aggressive and get into the backfield and help my team out," said Kirlew, a seventh-round draft pick from Indiana. "Not going to lie, it felt good to get my first sack under my belt, get that out of the way."

Yet it isn't just the loss of Dumervil that has caused concern about the pass rush. The Broncos lost much of their pass rush from last season before Dumervil's injury happened in training camp. Defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday, who ranked second among the Broncos with five sacks in 2009, signed with the Washington Redskins. Third-down specialist Darrell Reid, who had four sacks last year, remains on the physically unable to perform list after major knee surgery in the offseason.

So where will the sacks come from?

The Broncos are banking on big improvement from Ayers, who played in the nickel package last season but has yet to record his first NFL sack.

The Broncos have moved Haggan from inside linebacker — where he worked all spring and through the first week of training camp — back outside, where he started every game last season. Ayers and Haggan will likely be three-down players.

"Everyone wants to get to the quarterback. You have to get to the quarterback and knock him off the spot," Haggan said. "It's highlighted for us, of course, because Elvis is such a good pass rusher. But it's the first preseason game and we've got a lot of work to do."

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15789126

 

RAIDERS

Back again with your weekly write up of the Raiders O-Line, last week I told everyone to chill out and keep it cool. As far as cool goes, the Raiders looked icy chill out there on Soldier Field.

Facing them were Tommie Harris; a guy who's been off his game since his leg injury years ago but still has a knack for being one of the fastest DT's in football, Julius Peppers; an All-Pro RE known for both speed and strength and is one of the most feared DE's in football, Lance Briggs; overrated but is still a very good blitz option, and the Chicago defensive scheme; a scheme known for sending a lot of all-out blitzes from a talented front seven.

And how did the Raiders O-Line fare against yet another rigorous test? Read on to find out.

Star-divide

Once again this is a preseason game so don't read too much into this. However it is well known that if there's one thing preseason accurately tests, it's the battle of the trenches.

Mario Henderson, man oh man is this guy hard to judge. Goes from great looking couple weeks in 08, to horrible in 09, to looking like an All-Pro in 2010. Matched up on him all day (save for a few breathers where Veldheer came in, more on that later) was All-Pro Julius Peppers.

Peppers did get pressure which is definitely to be expected, but Mario Henderson played him almost entirely one-on-one and allowed 0 sacks. This is isn't some 2 series thing either, this was in whole half of football. Maybe it's the confidence he gets in having Gallery beside him, or maybe it's Mario finally getting great, but he looked great out there.

Speaking of Robert Gallery, I'm disappointed in all of his penalties (but wow did that Michael Bush screen look fantastic on 3rd and 17), but he faced up against Tommie Harris like a true Pro Bowl guard. Campbell never had to worry about his blindside as long as those two were in.

And when the O-Line is neutralizing the RE and DT, that means the C can help the G leaving the RT free to work on the LE. Meaning, if the left side is looking good, the right side is looking better than their usual mediocre selves. That's right, the right side of the O-Line allowing 0 sacks as well. Though against competition arguably as average as the right side themselves.

So pass blocking was great, but their was just two mistakes. The first being the INT throw by Jason Campbell. Campbell threw a bad pass and should have just taken the sack, but that's something he'll learn in 3 weeks when he does his usual 24 hour film study.

The second was an error by the rookie Veldheer. Veldheer came in on a play to give Mario a breather. On that play, Peppers made Veldheer actually look human as he manhandled Jared to sack Campbell and force a fumble. Now Veldheer looked great out there against Peppers in limited action, and that sack was just a simple case of rookie versus veteran all-pro.

Satele was injured with an ankle sprain and Chris Morris came in for his first play. The cold center made a bad snap which resulted in a fumble. Reason I'm not worried about this, that probably just won Veldheer the backup center job. Something we can all be happy with.

However, this was not a perfect game for the Raiders O-Line. Bush and Fargas....I mean Cartwright (hard to tell the difference) were struggling all game to get going against the annually good Bears run D. Combining for 10 carries for 28 yards, things could have been better. But in a game where our passing offense is on fire like that, it's not too bad. But still needs work.

Jackson's power blocking plays were on display on those Campbell and Boller TD runs. Can't wait to see more of that in the regular season.

Overall the O-Line looked great against the Bears and will probably look better next week if Veldheer does in fact start like I think he will.

Quick Hit:

In a game where your two starting corners are out and the guys you're fielding are a guy named Stanford Routt, and the other a rookie 7th. round pick in Jeremy Ware, you expect nothing short of disaster. Does Jay Cutler only throwing for 99 yards count as disaster? Well for Chicago it is.

Routt actually looked decent out there (I was going to say good but we'll use decent when it comes to Bears receivers), and Ware looked like a vet instead of a rookie (except for a couple rookie mistakes of course). I'm really starting to feel good about the Raiders depth in the secondary.

Hell even Stevie Brown made a nice pick in the second half. Brown making plays......bye bye Hiram Eugene.

Cutler had a touchdown and there were some bad plays by the secondary, but when Nnamdi Asomugha, Chris Johnson,and the pass rushing stylings of single blocked Seymour are out, they looked incredible out there.

Shout Out:

To Satele, hope you get well soon. Sorry for being so happy about your injury as a chance to see Veldheer in action (hopefully), but that's what you get for looking average yet again. Way to make me look lame for defending you all offseason. Hope you prove me wrong, and hope to see you on the field again soon.

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2010/8/22/1636075/raiders-o-line-going-from-chill

1. Four sacks? From one guy? From new edge rusher Kamerion Wimbley? OK, rename this entry Kandid Kam in his honor. Carrying over the defensive front's momentum from the exhibition opener at Dallas, Wimbley introduced himself quite well to Raider Nation with that four-sack first half.

2. Michael Bush can be the Raiders' mainstay running back. That was the sneaking suspicion his first two seasons, and even more so now. It has to be reassuring, especially with Darren McFadden's injury history. McFadden (hamstring) has not played this exhibition season. Also good to see Bush (and Marcel Reece) catching short passes out of the backfield, a staple in Jason Campbell's repertoire.

3. Bo Jackson is still awesome. The former Raider (circa. Los Angeles 1987-90) was a treat to listen to from the broadcast booth in the third quarter. His parting line: "I want to tell all the Raiders fans I said 'Hi.' I'm still around. I'm in Chicago and I'm a Raider 'till I die." His next-best line came after safety Mike Mitchell recovered a muffed punt (wearing Jackson's old No. 34): "I actually told him to do something good tonight. 'That's a special number you're wearing.' "

4. Campbell looks professional. Strange praise? Not after the JaMarcus Russell era. Poised and efficient,
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Campbell comes as advertised. He also is not perfect (see: pass to Zach Miller that was intercepted inside the Bears' 10-yard line). Encouraging, nonetheless.

5. Maybe it is just me but the center position is the most concerning one. And not because starter Samson Satele got hurt tonight. I am not sold on Satele, who might eventually develop into a strong center, but the Raiders' inexperience on offense demands a quality anchor snapping the ball. Chris Morris' first snap resulted in a fumble to Campbell in the shotgun formation. Yo, Jeremy Newberry, how 'bout a comeback?

6. The Raiders secondary has depth. Cornerback Stanford Routt and Walter McFadden are looking good, as is rookie safety Stevie Brown. Safety Michael Huff, however, did not look good as Matt Forte sped past him en route to an 89-yard touchdown.

7. Left guard Robert Gallery is the Raiders' best lineman. He can't commit two penalties on an opening drive in the regular season, however. It was encouraging watching him pulling to the right and opening big holes.

8. When rookie left tackle Jared Veldheer got beat by Julius Peppers for a strip/sack, it was not a terrible development. It was a great test for the rookie. Now he knows what a premier pass rusher can do.

9. Defensive lineman Tommy Kelly, he's alive. The same can't be said of the Bears, especially their woeful special teams.

10. Was Louis Murphy the only Raiders wide receiver on the field tonight? Today's column already addressed that feeble corps, so I won't further rip it. Instead, kudos to Murphy who is developing well.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_15855201

THUMBS UP

QB Kyle Boller: He completed 7 of 9 passes for 55 yards and scored on a 2-yard sneak. He finished with a 92.1 passer rating and increased his chances of making the 53-man roster.

FB Marcel Reece: He turned a short reception into a 40-yard gain on the strength of some nice open-field moves and decisiveness.

CB Joe Porter: His hustle as a gunner on punt coverage played a huge role in Bears returner Eric Peterman mishandling the ball, and Raiders linebacker Slade Norris recovering it for a touchdown.

LB Slade Norris: In addition to scoring a touchdown, he blocked a punt that sailed out of the end zone for a safety. Strong special teams play is a quick way onto the 53-man roster.

THUMBS DOWN

OT Jared Veldheer: He allowed defensive end Julius Peppers to get around him and knock away the ball from quarterback Jason Campbell's hand for a lost fumble. Overall, Veldheer's OK showing against one of the league's top pass rushers was overshadowed by this play.

RB Michael Bennett: He finished with 64 yards rushing. However, 44 of those came on one carry against the Bears backups. He averaged only 1.4 yards on his other 14 carries. The Raiders are seeking more consistency from whomever sticks around as a backup to Michael Bush and Darren McFadden.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_15862007

The Raiders might have the league's worst corps of wide receivers. Or at least among the youngest and most unproven.

That perception won't change overnight, no matter how they fare in tonight's exhibition visit to the Chicago Bears, who themselves tout a slew of raw receivers.

Age before beauty? Perhaps. But it is up to the Raiders' young receivers to still prove they can indeed receive, allowing Jason Campbell, Kyle Boller and Colt Brennan to chuck passes all across Soldier Field.

"We're real young. I like that," rookie wide receiver Jacoby Ford said. "There is a lot of determination in our group to be great."

When thinking outside that box, however, the Raiders are too inexperienced and unaccomplished to pose a threat in the 2010 passing game. Defenses will surround rushers Michael Bush and Darren McFadden as if they are a fire pit on a chilly night.

Making matters worse for the Raiders is their two projected starters -- Darrius Heyward-Bey and Chaz Schilens -- have been absentees for too much of this training camp. Heyward-Bey just took a weeklong breather because of "fatigue," which had better be a cover for an injury if he deserves to retain any respect from fellow-fatigued teammates. Schilens is, again, coping with a tender left foot the Raiders stubbornly think is attached to the skillful frame of the next Terrell Owens.

Outside of that, the Raiders receiving corps resembles their 2008 and 2009 records:
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5-11 (or 5-foot-11, the typical height among the young backups).

Johnnie Lee Higgins, the Raiders' most accomplished receiver with 47 career receptions, is 5-11 and 185 pounds entering his fourth season. Yamon Figurs is 5-11, 185 pounds, fourth season. Shaun Bodiford is 5-11 pounds, 185, fourth season.

One notable exception is 6-2 Louis Murphy. He's shown enough passion and gumption to give hope to a receiving corps that deserves little. Murphy's 34 receptions (four for touchdowns) ranked second behind tight end Zack Miller's team-high 66 receptions. Murphy dropped enough passes last season to offset his high points, however.

Miller will have to remain the Raiders' top target until the wide receivers develop, and that could work for Campbell, who relied on tight end Chris Cooley the past few seasons with the Washington Redskins.

Campbell does not spill Raiders propaganda about this being a hot-shot corps of receivers as much as he recognizes the harsh reality of having such a young unit. "We've got to grow together. We understand it's a building process," Campbell said. "It's not done in one week or half a year."

Digest that for a minute. Instant gratification will not come from the Raiders' passing game, not with the receiving corps assembled as it is. Now, if the defense shows up (last week's exhibition opener was a very encouraging start), then the Raiders could hold serve for 58 minutes and hope for the best come the two-minute drills.

Campbell added: "One thing about young guys is they're hard to tackle once you get the ball to them, because they have fresh legs."

The quickest of those young legs belong to Ford. He is intriguing, and not just because he stands only 5-9 (Nick Miller also is 5-9). Ford comes with an Al Davis-approved stopwatch, having flashed a 4.28-second time in the 40-yard dash at the Indianapolis scouting combine.

"I'm a football player, not a track guy," Ford insisted after a recent practice. "I always get that. (Speed) is definitely my biggest asset."

Young, fresh legs are commonplace this time of the NFL campaign, before the first wave of roster cuts.

But, along with the Raiders, only the 49ers and St. Louis Rams have no wide receivers with more than three seasons of service. Yes, the 49ers are significantly young, too, depending on their tight end (Vernon Davis) to complement their second-year receiver (Michael Crabtree) while getting a push from other up-and-comers (Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn Jr.).

Overall, the most accomplished and deepest wide-receiving corps belong to the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens. It's no coincidence those teams are contenders in the pass-oriented NFL.

More needs to be seen out of the Raiders' young receivers before their turnaround can be taken seriously. Tonight's audition is their next step.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/raiders/ci_15845956

 

BRONCOS

There was a need for toughness.

The Broncos weren't going to get it from Tim Tebow. The rookie quarterback was out with bruised ribs, and everybody's trying to soften up his playing style, anyhow.

Someone, anyone, needed to man up and fight back against those no longer 0-16 Detroit Lions in their preseason game Saturday night at Invesco Field at Mile High.

The Lions played like bullies. For a little more than a quarter, the Lions manhandled the Broncos on both sides of the ball.

Beaten, battered, bruised and embarrassed in front of their home fans, the Broncos discovered dignity on the outside.

Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney almost single-handedly gave the Broncos a measure of respect in their 25-20 loss to the improving Lions.

His team down 13-0, Gaffney led the Broncos' offense on two long touchdown drives in the second quarter. Usually, it's quarterback Kyle Orton who leads the Broncos' offense. This was Gaffney leading Orton and everyone else. Gaffney finished the first half with six catches for 98 yards.

"Jabar Gaffney is the most consistent receiver I've ever played with," said Brandon Lloyd, the Broncos' other starting receiver. "It doesn't matter how he's feeling — he can be dragging for practice, he can be fired up, ready to go — it doesn't matter. He still makes catches. He still gets yards after the catch. He still produces."

Last week, in the Broncos' first preseason game at Cincinnati, Gaffney's 31-yard reception on the first play set up the first touchdown, and he later drew a 40-yard pass interference penalty that led to a second touchdown.

As Gaffney goes, so goes the Broncos' first-team offense.

Gaffney may be the Orton of receivers. No one looks at him as a No. 1 receiver, even though in his first eight NFL seasons, he has played second fiddle to the likes of Andre Johnson in Houston, Randy Moss in New England and Brandon Marshall in Denver.

Those
three may well be among the five best in the league.

"I've always had a special guy on the other side," Gaffney said. "I think we still have some special guys. Brandon Lloyd, he can make some plays out there. Eddie (Royal), he's a heckuva talent."

On and on the humble Gaffney went, deflecting credit to others. If he's going to be a No. 1 receiver, he's going to have work on developing a diva attitude.

When Marshall was suspended by Broncos coach Josh McDaniels from the final game of last season, Gaffney caught 14 passes for 213 yards. Marshall never had as many as 213 yards receiving in a game.

Yet, one of the biggest questions confronting the Broncos as they get ready to begin the 2010 season: Who's going to replace Marshall now that he's been traded to Miami?

"That's why we play the season," Gaffney said. "He'll do great things in Miami. He did great things while he was here. But we've got people here who can make plays as well."

In Gaffney, the Broncos may answer the question with one of their own: How many passes did Marshall drop last week, again?

Working almost exclusively off the left sideline in the second quarter, Gaffney got the Broncos going by snaring a 19-yard completion on a third-and-9 play. Two plays later, it was second-and-8, and Gaffney again worked the sideline for another 19-yard gain.

Later, on fourth-and-6 from the Lions' 35, Orton drilled a pass directly at the back of Detroit's left cornerback, Eric King. Gaffney leaped over King to make the catch for a 14-yard gain. First down, drive continued, and the Broncos eventually scored on an Orton checkdown pass to Lance Ball.

"That's been his history," said McDaniels, who recruited Gaffney away from New England, where they both served from 2006-08. "When he's had chances and opportunities, he's made the most of them. He's a solid, dependable guy."

After Matthew Stafford moved the Lions deep into Broncos' territory before settling for a field goal and a 16-7 lead, Orton got the ball back with 59 seconds remaining in the half and 80 yards from the end zone.

A 16-yard completion to Gaffney, this time over the middle, on the first play was followed by 24-yard reception by Gaffney. Gaffney, Gaffney, Gaffney. Is that all the Broncos have? No, it wasn't. Once he moved the ball to the Lions' 40 with 38 seconds left, Gaffney played decoy while Orton completed passes to Matt Willis — whose strong offseason play and groin injury to veteran Brandon Stokley makes him a virtual lock to make the season-opening 53-man roster — and tight end Marquez Branson.

With the ball at the Lions' 11 and 10 seconds until halftime, Orton connected with Branson again, this time for a touchdown.

By halftime, the Broncos had the momentum — and Gaffney rested.

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com
Nice drive

The best a team can hope for in the preseason is that the starters end their playing time on a high note. Kyle Orton and the Broncos' offense did just that, with a six-play, 80-yard drive in the final minute of the first half in which Orton completed 5-of-6 passes for 69 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown to tight end Marquez Branson.

Defensive malaise

The Broncos' defensive starters did not force a punt in the first half, allowing the Lions to score 16 points on three field goals and a touchdown. The unit did keep the Lions out of the end zone on three trips inside the red zone.

Lindsay H. Jones, The Denver Post

16 Broncos who were held out of the game with various injuries, including six players who are projected to start on opening day, Sept. 12.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos?source=nav_home_sports

Ordinarily, I have a pretty good feel about what kind of team the Broncos will have heading into training camp.

This year, training camp is finished and here’s what I always tell people who ask what kind of team I think the Broncos will have this year: Anywhere from 6-10 to 10-6.

I know, it’s a copout. It’s also the smartest prognastication you’ll see. Because nobody can possibly have a clue. This team, more than any other I’ve covered, can go either way.

Kyle Orton looks great. He’s the primary reason why this team can improve on 8-8. But injuries to Elvis Dumervil and Ryan Clady _ who happen to be the team’s only two returning All Pro players _ are reasons to think the team can regress.

The preseason has offered few clues because so many key players have been held out. The first-team Lions moved the ball easily against the Broncos’ first-team defense, at least until getting deep in the red zone. But how do you knock a defense that isn’t playing Dumervil, Champ Bailey or D.J. Williams?

The offense has shown no running game. But how can it with its top three running backs, and best blocker missing?

“”I think that hopefully we’ll have some guys turn the corner this week,” Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said Saturday night after the Lions’ game. “”We’re hopeful we’ll have more guys out there (against Pittsburgh) who weren’t out there tonight.”

Williams, running backs Correll Buckhalter and LenDale White, third-string quarterback Tim Tebow, and right guard Chris Kuper are among those who are close to returning from their injuries.

Starting tailback Knowshon Moreno is coming along from his hamstring injury, but he may be held back one more week as a precaution. Slot receiver Brandon Stokely will need at least one more week to rehab from his groin injury. It wouldn’t hurt Demaryius Thomas if he was held out a few more days, based on what we saw last week while he was working out on the side with conditioning coach Rich Tuten.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2010/08/22/what-preseason-says-about-2010-broncos/4651/

 

CHARGERS

The preseason is halfway over. The Chargers play their next two games on the road, beginning Friday in New Orleans in about as highly anticipated a game as any preseason tilt could be.

Of course, they're playing Drew Brees and the defending Super Bowl champions. More important, training camp wraps up Monday, and the Chargers will treat the lead-up to Friday and the game itself as a virtual regular-season game.

They did the same thing to positive effect for last year's third preseason game in Atlanta.

The practice and meeting schedule will be the same as a short game week. Starters and key reserves will play three quarters.

And while not to the extent they would for the regular season, coaches will devise an actual game plan based on their scouting of the Saints. Coaches met Sunday and began that work, in addition to breaking down Saturday's game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Here are some of the things to take out of the 16-14 loss to Dallas and also some insight based on observations and conversations I've had over the past couple days:

• The Chargers can run. Excluding the three carries inside the 5-yard line by Ryan Mathews and Philip Rivers and Legedu Naanee's eight-yard loss on an end around, the Chargers rushed 18 times for 76 yards while the first-team offensive line and the Cowboys' first-team defense was in. That's a 4.2-yard average, almost a full yard improvement over last year's regular-season average.

• Rookie receiver Jeremy Williams has plateaued. Not only has he been underwhelming after impressing everyone all spring and to start training camp, he should have prevented Cletis Gordon's interception of Jonathan Crompton by coming back to break up the underthrown pass. Despite being in a good portion of the game, he didn't have any receptions. While fellow undrafted rookie Seyi Ajirotutu has stepped up in practice and games (3-for-71 Saturday), Williams has leveled off.

• Provided Buster Davis remains healthy, it could a three-man race for the final wide receiver spot -- between veteran Josh Reed, Ajirotutu and Williams. That's right, the Chargers could keep just four receivers. They have pass-catchers and excellent runners in tight ends Antonio Gates, Randy McMichael and Kris Wilson, and they might need to make room for an extra linebacker, defensive back and/or defensive lineman.

• Another place the Chargers could trim is at tailback. Curtis Brinkley didn't get in the game at all. Shawnbrey McNeal and Marcus Mason are not separating themselves. With Mike Tolbert looking so strong as a runner, the Chargers could keep just Mathews, Darren Sproles and fullbacks Jacob Hester and Tolbert.

• You have to like Antonio Garay as the starter at nose tackle. He is strong and quick. Signed off the New York Jets' practice squad late last season, if he can avoid the injuries that have plagued him in his career, he could be one of the big surprises of this season. That said, rookie Cam Thomas performed well again on Saturday. He's just not as experienced as Garay.

• No, the Chargers didn't get any sacks. But Tony Romo got the ball out quick after the first series -- as in, after he got leveled by Stephen Cooper as he let fly a pass that would be intercepted by safety Eric Weddle. Excellent game by Weddle, by the way.

• Rookie safety Darrell Stuckey, playing in the second half, wasn't good and wasn't horrible. He missed almost two weeks. Norv Turner said it wouldn't make a big difference, and it probably won't long-term. But it did on Saturday.

• Don't count on Shawne Merriman being back to work Monday or playing in Friday's game. The Chargers are trying to make sure when he comes back he doesn't have to take a practice off every few days (or worse). So they'll wait until they're convinced the Achilles' that has sidelined him since Wednesday is calmed down enough to

• Inside linebacker James Holt could be out for New Orleans after leaving Saturday's game with what I think was a leg bruise. However, Brandon Siler should be back after X-rays Sunday showed his foot is OK.

• Yes, "senior executive" Randy Mueller was at the Seattle Seahawks' home game against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. Certainly, he was assessing Seahawks players. But before too many lines are drawn, understand that Mueller lives in Seattle and this game has been on his docket for weeks. Furthermore, unless Jackson's camp comes down in dollars and/or years, that trade is never happening. The Chargers have not even officially given the Seahawks any requirements for trade. The second-round pick I reported is what I heard the Seahawks were floating around league circles.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/22/midway-through-preseason/

 

CHIEFS

The Kansas City Chiefs running back situation is getting interesting. I'm not sure a lot of folks are aware of some of the talent in the backfield.

In game one, Thomas Jones ran just two times for two yards and Jamaal Charles was easily the best running back on the field.

In game two, Jones rushed eight times for 29 yards. On a handful of occasions he was able to get the short first down so he served his purpose. He looked OK -- not bad but not great. Charles is still easily the best running back if you go by on-field performance in the first two preseason games.

Charles once again averaged over five yards per carry on Saturday night with 26 yards on five carries.

There are a few interesting notes about the Chiefs running backs on Saturday night.

* Jones lost a fumble on the first series of the game. Even worse considering Todd Haley and the coaching staff were preaching a fast start all week.
* Jackie Battle had a good night rushing the ball 11 times for 59 yards leading all rushers.
* Tyler Palko had 28 yards rushing on four carries, the highest per-carry average on the team.
* Kestahn Moore and Javarris Williams may be playing for the same spot on the roster. Moore was inactive for this game and Williams rushed four times for 10 yards.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/22/1636371/chiefs-vs-bucs-preseason-runing

Over the last couple weeks I've been wondering why the Kansas City Chiefs coaches like Todd Haley talk about Matt Cassel's improvement so much. On the field, there hasn't been a whole lot of tangible improvement. It's been nothing we can see. He completed 6-of-8 short passes last week in a small sample size.

On Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers he looked much sharper.

The offense as a whole looked energized and on the same page in a lot of areas. It wasn't perfect by any means but it's the first sign this offseason that the Chiefs offense can move the ball.

The disappointing part of this: They only scored one offensive touchdown again.

Cassel completed 14-of-19 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown. Late in the first half, he also took the Chiefs from their own 13 down to the Bucs red zone before opting for a field goal as time ran out.

This wasn't Pro Bowl Matt Cassel by any means but it was a game that I think a lot of folks would be content with assuming they can get it in the end zone more than once a game.

I'll be very curious to see how Cassel follows up this performance. If he puts together another good outing, I'll be pretty happy because the Chiefs offense hasn't shown any kind of consistency over the last year. He needs to show that this was a genuine step in the right direction and not just one game.

What do you think? It's one half and I'm making too big of a deal? Or is it a bad thing I'm getting excited about 14-of-19 for 125 yards and one touchdown?

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/22/1636127/chiefs-vs-bucs-preseason-matt

Javier Arenas was an accomplished return man coming from Alabama and he's proven his ability in the first two weeks of preseason for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Arenas had an impressive performance in week one against the Atlanta Falcons and used that momentum in week two.

Tampa scored the first points of the game on a field goal in the first quarter and kicked off to Arenas.

He caught it one yard deep and took it back 54 yards down the left side of the field to the Bucs 47. It wasn't just great protection either as Arenas broke a key tackle allowing him to scamper up the field another 15+ yards before being pulled down from behind.

That set up the Chiefs lone touchdown drive of the game.

Last week against the Falcons, Arenas had a 42-yard kickoff return as well as a 100-yard return that was called back with a penalty.

Early signs are good with Javier Arenas. I think a team like the Chiefs needs a few special teams plays this year to stay in some games.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/21/1635751/chiefs-vs-bucs-preseason-so-far-so

Chiefs GM Scott Pioli appeared on the Chiefs Television Network during the 20-15 loss to the Bucs. At the end of the third quarter and into the fourth, he talked with Mike Kelly and Trent Green during the broadcast.

"We started quickly until we fumbled the ball, obviously," Pioli said of the first team offense. "We got our feet under us quickly and we had to sustain a couple of good drives. There were a lot of encouraging signs on both sides of the ball at the beginning of the game."

The offense looked much better, which Pioli recognized, and he also said there was a different feeling with the team this week.

"The energy level has been different the last couple days, actually. At practice, in the facility, even in the meeting rooms and the locker rooms. Tonight before the game, we sensed something a little different, a sense of urgency. And that's what we talk about in professionalism. Having a sense of urgency without being silly, and that was present today."

I agree they were better offensively but they still only scored one touchdown. Results matter and while there was some good stuff out there we haven't seen the tangible results -- points and wins.

Here are a few other topics Pioli covered:

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* Called Derrick Johnson and Jovan Belcher encouraging at times on Saturday night.
* He says the Chiefs did not have much team speed last year so that's changed and it's shown on special teams.
* There are a lot of position battles going on but many of these players will make the team based on their special teams play.
* Impressed with the Chiefs offensive drive led by Cassel at the end of the first half (drive started on the 13).
* The job of the offensive line stood out to him and it looks like they're working together well.
* Matt Cassel did some good things throughout the night and made good decisions "from an awareness standpoint."
* He calls Tyler Palko a tough, high energy guy for the Chiefs. It's always nice to have a guy like Tyler Palko he says.
* Pioli says they did a very good job running screens relative to 2009.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/22/1635993/chiefs-vs-bucs-preseason-gm-scott

 

RAIDERS

(08-28) 22:34 PDT -- The names Darrius Heyward-Bey and Michael Crabtree will always be linked after the Raiders shocked the world last year by drafting Heyward-Bey three spots ahead of the more accomplished Crabtree.

They were supposed to meet on the field for the first time Saturday night at the Oakland Coliseum, but Crabtree was a late scratch with a stiff neck.

Heyward-Bey is just back himself from a mysterious "fatigue" break, but he showed Raiders fans a glimpse of the improvement he showed at training camp. He caught three passes for 46 yards before coming out with the rest of the starters in the third quarter.

He had two catches for 29 yards in the first quarter - including a 22-yarder across the middle - and a 17-yard third-down catch that moved the chains in the third quarter.

"It's nice to see him get started that way," coach Tom Cable said. "That third-down catch, that was a big ball."

Heyward-Bey, who did have a drop in the third quarter, is 15 pounds heavier this year, and he has worked hard on catching with his hands and not his chest and being more explosive out of cuts and after catches.

Super subs: Linebacker Quentin Groves rose to the occasion, having his best preseason game in the one that counted the most - a week before the Sept. 4 final cut-down day. Reserve defensive end Chris Cooper and outside linebacker Thomas Howard also played well.

Briefly: Defensive tackle Richard Seymour suited up but didn't play, as apparently his sore triceps is still bothering him. ... Defensive tackle Desmond Bryant left the game with an elbow injury. ... Rookie center Jared Veldheer had a nice push on Michael Bush's 1-yard touchdown run (and the 3-yard run preceding it) but had trouble with the Niners' stunts. San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis looked like an 18-wheeler coming down an open highway down the middle on several plays. ... Sebastian Janikowski's 57-yard field goal in the third quarter was especially impressive as he kicked it out of the infield dirt. ... The Raiders came very close to stopping the Niners on three tries for one yard early in the second quarter. But Nnamdi Asomugha was called for holding Ted Ginn Jr. on 4th-and-1 at the Oakland 16-yard line.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/29/SP7F1F54GC.DTL#ixzz0y7rSQtBo

(08-28) 22:34 PDT -- The day after a party is never fun.

The day after Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell got a standing ovation at the Raider Nation Celebration in downtown Oakland, he lay on the grass a victim of whiplash at the Oakland Coliseum on Saturday night.

The day after Oakland coach Tom Cable told the crowd that he thought his defense could be Top 5 in the NFL, it gave up 6.6 yards a carry to San Francisco in the first half. Free safety Michael Huff got bounced on a 49-yard run by the Niners' Frank Gore.

Raiders running back Michael Bush, meanwhile, broke his left thumb on a hit in the second quarter and will see a hand specialist today.

"We had a nice start and then at the end of the first quarter, we had a let-up," Cable said after his team's 28-24 loss. "We didn't tackle very well and we got out of rhythm offensively. We learned a lot about ourselves. We have to do it all out all the time."

The Raiders bounced back after a rough second quarter to take a 21-17 lead in the third quarter on Bruce Gradkowski's 27-yard touchdown pass to Zach Miller. Gradkowski played well in his first action in eight months, but he won't have to take over No. 1 duties just yet. Cable said Campbell's stinger injury was "not a serious issue."

He left the field on a cart - sitting up and riding shotgun - with 8:59 left in the first half after San Francisco's Travis LaBoy came around the left end and clobbered Campbell from the back. Oakland left tackle Mario Henderson, who has a history of watching men he's supposed to be blocking injure his quarterbacks, couldn't even slow LaBoy down, let alone get in his way.

"I couldn't really feel a lot because it was down the back of my neck a little bit," Campbell said. "Usually, I recover pretty fast. Right now there's no timetable."

Campbell and the Raiders' offense had enjoyed a great start to the evening before grinding to a halt even before he got injured.

Oakland went 81 yards on nine plays on its first drive, taking advantage of fullback Marcel Reece's athleticism for a second week in a row. Reece hauled in a 34-yard pass from Campbell to put the Raiders in scoring position. Darrius Heyward-Bey had two catches for 20 yards sandwiched around Reece's catch, and Bush punched the ball in from 1 yard out for a 7-0 lead with 9:37 left.

The Niners outscored the Raiders 17-7 in the second quarter, and would run 33 times for 165 yards. San Francisco was also 7-for-16 on third down as Oakland's defense took another step backward.

"We didn't tackle particularly well," Cable said. "We had plenty of guys where we needed them to be, we just didn't tackle."

Gore's big run turned out to be for nothing, as Joe Nedney missed a 37-yard field goal, and the Raiders led by seven going into the second quarter.

After San Francisco cut it to 7-3, Oakland's special teams unit took a nap as Phillip Adams basically returned a punt 83 yards up the middle for a touchdown.

Oakland didn't get much out of its pass rush, failing to get a sack after getting 12 in the first two preseason games.

Gradkowski did stop the Niners' 17-point run with a 74-yard scoring pass to Louis Murphy with 40 seconds left in the half.

"I felt like I picked up where I left off," said Gradkowski, whose season ended last year with a knee injury and who then missed time this year with a torn pectoral muscle and groin injury. "The only good thing about Jason getting hurt - and he'll be fine - is that I got to play with the first team and I got to play almost three quarters. It was exciting and fun."

He finished 14-of-22 for 202 yards.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/29/SP7F1F54GA.DTL#ixzz0y7rhvCiU

The most revealing injury update from coach Tom Cable's conference call Sunday night was that receiver Chaz Schilens (knee) is out three to six weeks, but the Raiders have no interest in free agents such as Antonio Bryant.

"We haven't had any of those kind of discussions at this point," Cable said. "Right now, we're more focused on our group."

Schilens, projected to be the team's No. 1 receiver, had arthroscopic knee surgery last week, and the Raiders had hoped he might be back for the season opener Sept. 12 in Tennessee. Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy are now the starters.

Running back Michael Bush, meanwhile, will have surgery on his broken left thumb today. Cable said there's a good chance Bush could recover in time to play in the opener. And he might not even have to switch to carrying the ball in his right hand.

"I don't think it's a cast issue, from what I've been told," Cable said. "It will certainly have to be protected."

Bush led the team with 589 yards rushing last season.

As for quarterback Jason Campbell, though the stinger that knocked him out of the loss to the 49ers on Saturday is not serious, he also hurt his right wrist. He fell on it the series before he got flattened by linebacker Travis LaBoy. There will be some tests, but Campbell wasn't going to play Thursday in the preseason finale against Seattle anyway.

Also, center Samson Satele is back today from his ankle injury. Cable said Satele and rookie Jared Veldheer will compete for the starting job. Veldheer got his first start and made some mistakes trying to block rushes by Patrick Willis up the middle, but that's to be expected.

"I saw a guy playing center for the first time in this league," Cable said. "You've got to learn where to put his helmet a little bit more consistently. When he did, it was pretty good stuff. So, there's a lot to grow on. It was actually a pretty good effort by him."

Gradkowski No. 2: Bruce Gradkowski's performance (14-for-22 for 202 yards and two touchdowns) was good enough to hold off any challenge from Kyle Boller for the backup quarterback job.

"He definitely showed himself well and strengthened our football team at the quarterback position," Cable said. "I think he is (the backup). I never said he wasn't."

Wrap it up: Cable didn't like the suggestion that having so many practices at training camp without pads might have led to the poor tackling Saturday.

"Oh, no," he said. "No. No. We're fine that way. That isn't our issue."

So, what is the issue with the tackling?

"Well, I'd like to see us wrap up when we tackle," Cable said. "That was probably the biggest negative that took away from the game. I was very disappointed in our kick-coverage teams. Those two things, we've got to play better. And offensive tackle. Those three things, you can put your hand on those pretty clear."

Briefly: Cornerback Chris Johnson (hamstring) is expected to practice after missing two games. He is competing with Stanford Routt for the starting spot across from Nnamdi Asomugha. ... Cornerback Joey Thomas has a concussion and defensive tackle Desmond Bryant hyperextended an elbow. Both are day-to-day. ... Defensive end Jay Richardson, coming back from knee surgery, will not be ready to play Thursday.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/29/SPKB1F5GPE.DTL#ixzz0y7ruM16E

Back with the weekly analysis of the O-Line, this time focusing on the 3rd preseason game of San Francisco versus Oakland. This week the Raiders faced one of the toughest 3-4 defenses in terms of run stuffing and pressure getting. Let me say, the 49ers defense fully lives up to that hype.



Not only do I think the Niners will win the NFC West, but they might actually win a playoff game. That being said, there was a lot of miraculous, a lot of mediocrity, and a lot of maligned. Read on for the full report of Jared Veldheer's starting debut and the overall review of the line.

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If this O-Line could do what it did on the opening drive about 2-3 of the time, we would be a playoff team. No doubts about that. That opening drive Veldheer was punching open holes, the O-Line looked solid in pass blocking, even Carlisle looked average again. Their blocking was great clear down to that 1 yard Michael Bush TD run.



Unfortunately, after that things got nightmarish. Oakland can't rely on running to that right side of the line like they did last year when Walker was RG. Just about every run, regardless of runner, towards the RG was stuffed. Safe to say that if this extends into the regular season, Carlisle will get pulled. Of that I have no doubts.



Now while I do expect the 49ers to do this to a lot of running games this year (have them predicted as a top-3 run defense), the Raiders should have fared better than this. Maybe Hue didn't want to give the Niners too much film, and I very much believe that, but come on. 19 runs for a measly 55 yards? Luckily, we can expect the Raiders to run more in regular season with more power blocking plays.



As for the pass protection. This was like watching a Jekyll-Hyde transformation. Going from stellar pass blocking that allowed Campbell to go a fantastic 6 of 8 for 93 (would have been 7 of 8 if Myers could have hung on to an easy pass), to allowing 2 sacks and getting Campbell injured.



Luckily as I'm sure everyone is aware of now, Campbell suffered a minor stinger injury and has 2 weeks to heal up before the opener.



After Campbell's departure, last year's savior appeared from the sea of black jerseys. Bruce Gradkowski came in, was never sacked, and looked calm and cool even behind the 2nd team. Gradkowski just erased all talk of Kyle Boller being better, doing in one game more than what Boller had done in two.


Bruce showed what he showed us last year. Quick release, razor sharp decision making, and the abiltiy to dance in the pocket to avoid the pressure. Bruce Gradkowski would go 14 of 22 for 202 and 2 touchdown strikes. In response Tom Cable said:



"Bruce Gradkowski was one of the bright spots in terms of going in there and having some efficiency and move the club around fairly well, I think that’s what you want from your backup quarterback and he showed himself very well that way.’’



Yes people, backup. Campbell was having a great game and I think he would have only gotten better. Jason Campbell looks better and better with each game, even in restricted pass heavy play calling. Campbell will be back by opener and should pick up right where he left off.



All in all this O-Line looked great, but they also had major breakdowns that are rather troublesome. Veldheer did look good and I definitely think he should be our starting center.



Quick Hit:



Youth was on display in ways both good and bad. Darrius Heyward-Bey silenced his critics, reeling in one-third of his whole season in basically 2 quarters. Catching 3 passes for 46 yards, leading all Raiders receivers in receptions.



Rolando McClain had a big outing. Tied with Patrick Willis for the team lead in tackles. McClain had a couple stuffed runs and was our most impressive linebacker in a game of poor linebacker performance. Neither Scott not Wimbley had a tackle recorded in any box scores I've looked through.



But McClain wasn't perfect, allowing a couple bad runs because he was out of position again. Rookie mistakes again and nothing to hound the guy on. McClain looked good in coverage and made some nice run stuffs.



McFadden, oh McFadden. How I wish we had traded thee. Darren McFadden looks great as a receiver, I will not deny that. I wish this team would just move him to WR already so we can keep Michael Bennett on roster. Then again after Michael Bush's broken thumb we probably will.



D-Mac didn't have many holes, but when he did he couldn't do anything with them. As running back, I'm close to calling Darren a bust as he's shown me zero improvement. As a receiver, he could be a very good slot option. Hue could have utilized him better for sure, but we don't need to show our future opponents too much.



Shout-Out:



This week my shout out goes to Marcel Reece who had 2 catches for 45 yards including a great 34 yard catch and run. I've never seen a fullback with the playmaking ability he possesses. Not only that his blocking has gotten better. Not good, but not bad either. His speed and amazing hands more than make up for it. Teams will be awe-struck to see a fullback with the speed of a starting wideout coming their way.

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2010/8/29/1656769/raiders-o-line-night-and-day-in

Saturday: I had been excited for it, waiting for it, anticipating it for months. A pre-season game that is supposed to resemble real football. And my sweet lord, how I have been feinding for real football.

Saturday also happened to be one of my closest friends birthday and we are close friends despite his incredibly ugly life choice of being every bit the Seahawk fan that I am a Raider fan.

Still, as fall begins to leave its scent in the air, we had a good football centered day planned. We played football in the early afternoon and then BBQ'd at his house with another Seachicken friend while watching a second rate game pitting the Seachickens against that team that Favre plays on.

This is where my internal debate started. Do I just watch this silly action--or, at 6, do I go to his computer and watch the Raiders? I don't get to see my friend as much as I used to and it being his birthday and all I started thinking I'd just catch the replay Sunday night and watch the inferior game with my two amigos. It is only the pre-season after all.

6 O'clock started ticking closer and I began to get the shakes. Everything was turning silver and black. My friends were talking and all I heard was Raiders, Raiders, Raiders.

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"You alright?" My friends asked.

"I gotta go watch real football," I said while growing pale and sweating.

"Why put yourself through that? You won't get real football until your dead owner dies."

"Yeah, well Pete Caroll looks healthy. So you guys are ****ed." I said while heading towards the computer room.

"Al Davis!" They shout proudly shout.

"Remember, you are one fragile QB away from the Chuckin' Charlie Honkey-shifter era." The trade for Charlie Whitehurst has been invaluable to me this off-season.

So, I left them with that ***** slap o' truth and got the game up and going. After the first drive I had to wipe my eyes. It was too good to be true. Every play went perfectly and with Rich Gannon precision. Like the considerate friend I am, I ran out to gloat, then returned for more commitment to excellence.

Or so I thought. Ugh...things were changing. The 49ers were getting the better of the Raiders in the trenches, the Raiders were giving up big runs and opposing defenders were flying through un-blocked. They were punching the Raiders in the mouth and the Raiders weren't responding. I was getting anxious.

"It's all happening again. This looks too much like last year," I was whispering to myself in case my friends could hear. This is where the Raiders would start to give up and get blown out.

The 9ers ran a punt back right up the middle. I was sinking and I tried to right my internal ship. "No problem. It's pre-season. Punt coverage shouldn't be a problem in the regular season. The O gets the ball back and can get something going."

Then it happened. Mario Henderson forgot he was playing football and his man launched himself into Jason Campbell...and Campbell didn't get up. The trainers came onto the field. They were holding the sides of his head. My jaw was just hanging open. I was in shock. I didn't move until Campbell did.

I began to feel a little better, but my mood was soured. "Mario Henderson is worthless. Pre-season football is stupid. QB's should wear red jersey's in pre-season. That was a dirty hit. Marion Henderson is worthless! This is dumb." Then finally I came to the rationalization that I should stop neglecting my friends.

And I walked back out and collapsed into a pile on the couch. "What's wrong buddy?" I doubted my friends' sincerity.

"Mario Henderson sucks the devils nipples and pre-season football is stupid."

"We told you not to watch the Raiders game."

"Jason Campbell just got carted off the field."

"Ouch! Good thing you have JaMarcus to back him up. That kid has potential." They apparently thought this was funny, but my friends don't get that it's not funny at all. It's only funny when it happens to the Seahawks.

So, I watched the Favre bowl, which featured a nice TD grab by Javon Walker. That was it--I had had enough. "Football is stupid!" We all decided, turned off the TV and left.

Time heals all wounds they correctly say and football is now forgiven. Upon second viewing of the game, I find myself with a rosier perspective on the Raiders showing. It helps that Campbell's injury is not serious as it initially looked. Although it came out that he is having his throwing wrist examined.

If it's possible, Saturday's game brought me down to earth while at the same time reaffirming my hope. This is not the same team it was last year, but it is only a few months removed from that team. And it is a team that has changed mostly by the insertion of young players. The ills will not be erased overnight.

So, the things that illed this team from last year, other than one blubbery non-prepared exception, reared their head in this game. We saw, as KA1ZR pointed out, spotty line play resulting in hurt QB's, multiple drops of catchable balls, lack of discipline by LB's resulting in big run plays, and less than stellar tackling.

But as I said, I saw some positives. So...

What Has Pulled Me From Football Abyss:

* What I liked and what changed my feeling about this game more than anything was the Raiders response. As I said, they were getting punched in the mouth by the 9ers and it looked like the all too familiar seeds of a blow out. Well, call me Adrian, 'cause this team showed they got a little Rocky in 'em.
* The shot that caught Drago and cut his eye came when Louis Murphy caught a bubble screen and then pulled half of the 9ers D for a couple of extra yards. He was not alone; the team had his back. Henderson got flagged on this play for getting a little extracurricular, but I thought that was a bogus call and the 9ers needed to get popped back.
* That's right, I said bubble screen and it worked. I like what I have seen of Hue's offense. It is a great mix of long and short throws and the screens look effective and they are a great way to slow down a pass rush.
* They quickly followed that play with the long strike to Murphy for the TD. What a sight that play was. The O-line picked up the blitz, Hue had the perfect play call in, DHB demanded the faster corner to follow him leaving the safety to get torched by Murph. This left Grad to make one of the easier throws a QB will have. The post to the inside guy and Grad drilled it.
* The Raiders kept fighting and when the starters left, they left with the lead.
* Except for some key drops, the passing game looked fantastic.
* The guy playing in Stanford Routt's jersey: He is awesome! Read Sons excellent in-person analysis on Routt and others.
* DHB was in the house. He is still letting the ball get into his body, but he was running crisp routes, getting open and moving the chains.
* The reduction of pre-snap penalties. Still, not perfect, but much better.
* Bruce Gradkowski is back! It is a luxury to have this guy as a back-up. The Raiders last offensive play sums up everything I love about the man. He was hurried, ran up in the pocket to create time then started to get pulled down--so he awkwardly, while flat-footed, heaved a 40-yard pass that hit Watkins in stride for what would've been a game winner.

What Still Bothers Me

* Mario Henderson's inconsistency is looking awfully consistent.
* Kick Return Blocking: It doesn't look any better.
* The drops. Brandon Meyers drop on Campbell's 3rd down pass is a butterfly. Go back in time, squash that butterfly and witness an entirely different future unfold.
* The battle for the last WR roster spot: No one is grabbing the captain's hat.
* Running to the right side of the line: I hope they look to run to the left side more than the right once the season starts. KA1 documented these woes well.
* Jason Campbell's wrist.
* Michael Bush's thumb: While it is said he will likely be available for Week One, I worry about the impact his thumb will have on his catching and blocking.

Interesting Things in the Neutral Spectrum:

* Desmond Bryant got pushed around too much on running plays. I thought the D looked way better with Henderson in. In the end though, it's good training for Bryant, Seymour will be back and Bryant can be that energy, rotation lineman.
* Jared Veldheer: While he is way, way, way, ahead of where I expected him to be, his lack of awareness scares me. He proved his physical tools, now he just needs to continue his already rapid acclimation to his new position.
* Satele will be back practicing this week and Cable was non-committal about the starting Center spot. Cable:

I want to look at it. There were some things from last night’s game that I was not pleased with but there were also a lot of good things at the center position. I think the fact that Samson is ready to go is the most important thing right now.

* Marcell Reece: He is a wonderful weapon in the FB position, but his blocking--while improved--is still not great. He looks like he is going to be the starter, but with Bush's broken thumb limiting his blocking skills and the obvious need for a RB to pick up a block now and then, I am a little nervous.
* Darren McFadden: Overall, I was pleased with his performance. It is easy to knock him for his yards per carry, but the guy didn't have a chance. He had one run where he once again let gravity make the tackle, but he also had a nice run on a pitch when he actually got a chance to get going. Not surprisingly, he looked great catching the ball.
* While the 9ers got 5 yards per carry and racked up 165 yards this is way better than the 5.9 YPC and 275 yards they got in Week 2 of the pre-season last year.
* Since we are comparing pre-seasons, last year's game 3 was the debacle against the Saints. Compare the two and you'll see how much this team has grown in a year.

http://www.silverandblackpride.com/2010/8/30/1658040/rome-wasnt-built-in-a-day

 

BRONCOS

That was not Tim Tebow playing quarterback Sunday night.

The Tebow who has moved a football nation is a rumblin', tumblin', whoa, Nellie, what a hoss! That kind of quarterback. As Keith Jackson might say.

The Tebow who moved up to the Broncos' No. 2 quarterback Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers must have been an imposter. He didn't run. Didn't scramble. Didn't even think about running or scrambling.

All Tebow did, for gosh sakes, was play like an NFL pocket passer.

"Trying to be," said Tebow, who suffered bruised ribs during a touchdown run in the preseason opener at Cincinnati. "Just trying to do what I'm asked."

As a passer, Tebow was 5-of-10 for 72 yards, a touchdown and an interception. As a runner, Tebow had zero carries for zero yards and zero TDs.

The last time Tebow played a game in which he didn't run the ball? Maybe never. As a freshman at Florida, he played in four games in which he ran but never passed. But good luck finding the last time Tebow played a game in which he did not have at least one carry.

"We're not calling plays for him to run the ball," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "When he went in there, we wanted him to throw the ball from the pocket. He wanted to do some things and test it, see what he did, see how he handled it. I told him if he did scramble to get down."

Read more: Tebow was born to ... pass? - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15936659#ixzz0y7uT8DuJ

When Justin Bannan finished his senior season at the University of Colorado in 2001, he took the Regiment Award home with him from the team banquet.

That's the honor Buffaloes coaches gave to the player the team believed made the greatest contribution but received the least amount of recognition for doing so.

Sounds perfect for a defensive lineman. And perfect for Bannan, a nine-year NFL veteran defensive end who was the first unrestricted free agent to sign with the Broncos this season.

"If they play (the defense) correctly, their stats aren't going to be huge, and people need to realize that," Bannan said. "It's one of those things where you're creating a wall and just plugging everything up so the 'backers can roam and run and make plays. If the play comes to you, you need to make it, but the most important thing is just doing your job and taking care of your gap."

Still, it has been hard not to notice Bannan through the Broncos' preseason. Just watch when the defensive starters play the next time, Sept. 12 in the season opener at Jacksonville, and Bannan will hardly ever leave the field.

He's the left defensive end in the base defense, he slides to his right to play tackle in the "nickel" formation when the team brings in an extra defensive back, and he remains in the game as the biggest defensive body on the field when the Broncos go to their "dime" defense with six players in the secondary.

In the same game, and even on the same defensive series, it means Bannan could find himself matching up against anyone from an offensive tackle to the center.

"It is kind of what I envisioned," Bannan said. "It has been a tough, hard camp for me, but it is always going to be a challenge when you come into a place new, with new teammates and everything. I feel very good, I love the guys I'm with, love this team. It has been a good experience — tough, but that's what it's all about."

In August, that much work is exhausting in training camp. But from September through December, being able to move up and down the line makes Bannan irreplaceable. The Broncos will likely carry only seven defensive linemen on the 53-man roster, and not all of those will make the active game-day roster of 45 players.

"Versatility is definitely something that gives Justin added value," coach Josh McDaniels said. "He's a smart player, a tough player. Really anything you give him to do, he really focuses on doing his job and he does it really well."

The Broncos liked Bannan's body of work from his previous four seasons in Baltimore — where he was a starter in 2008 and a rotational player in 2009 — enough to bring Bannan to Dove Valley as soon as the free agency period opened. Bannan never left. The Broncos are hoping Bannan will bring to Denver the toughness and attitude that has typified Ravens defenses over the past several years.

Bannan, who also played four years with Buffalo, has 5 1/2 career sacks and has played in five postseason games.

"I'm really happy we brought him in. He's added another physical dimension, along with Jamal (Williams), along with Ryan (McBean), in that first group," defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely said. "I think we've got as physical a group as I've had in the years I've been in the league."

Read more: Broncos' Bannan content in the shadows - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15936121#ixzz0y7ufdaXa

The Broncos are to a point now, as their third preseason game approaches Sunday night, where the calendar is either half empty or half full.

They said this week, and have continually said throughout the preseason, they have "a lot" of time to get things figured out before the regular season begins.

They open the season in Jacksonville in two weeks. They say two weeks as if it's measured in geological time when most fans see two weeks and think that's only one pay period.

Fast or slow, these are the things that bear close scrutiny over the next 14 days:

# In the offensive line, it will still be a major surprise if Pro Bowl left tackle Ryan Clady (knee) can be a major contributor early in the season. That puts the Broncos in a position to mix and match up front without their best player.

Coach Josh McDaniels is undecided, as of this week's practices, who will play left guard. Add in a rookie at center in J.D. Walton — who has done well — and there are still plenty of questions to get things going.

# All indications are Knowshon Moreno will be ready to play in the opener. But just exactly how hard a player can go after not seeing any game action in the preseason and missing virtually of training camp remains to be seen.

Correll Buckhalter (neck/back) is in a similar situation, and LenDale White is facing a four-game suspension to open the season. The Broncos will need some kind of rushing attack to get defenses to back off quarterback Kyle Orton.

# McDaniels has had four first-round picks in his two drafts combined and he needs those four players to be a big part of his team's core.

Moreno is the starter at running back and linebacker Robert Ayers will open his first season as a starter. The Broncos have high expectations for both this season, but Moreno wore down at times last season and Ayers finished his rookie year without a sack.

This year's first-round picks — quarterback Tim Tebow and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas — have had issues as well.

Tebow will be a work in progress for a while no matter how many of his jerseys fly off the shelves. Thomas has battled pain in his left foot — the same foot he fractured in a predraft workout — and will be limited if his foot doesn't heal quickly.

With an offseason almost done, that's quite a to-do list still to finish.

Read more: Analysis: Broncos face big question marks as season nears - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15916581#ixzz0y7up8tMJ

 

CHIEFS

The Kansas City Chiefs lost 20-17 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the third preseason game.

Though they lost, there were still some solid performances.

Here are five Chiefs who helped themselves against the Eagles on Friday night.

LB Demorrio Williams

My biggest issue with Williams last year was that he had no "playermaker stats" -- No interceptions, fumbles or sacks.

He changed that on Friday night with two big sacks against the Eagles. The Chiefs blitz was successful and Williams was part of that.

He also nearly intercepted a pass and had another pass breakup. Overall, a solid game for him.

He was rewarded with placement on the first team in the latest depth chart.

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LB Andy Studebaker

Like Williams, Studebaker had two sacks on Friday night.

His style of play seems to have a way of energizing his teammates and the crowd.

It's hard to believe he would put starting LB Mike Vrabel on the bench but he has made the Chiefs get him on the field more often, particularly in nickel situations.

He's making the Chiefs decision at outside linebacker a difficult one.

WR/RB Dexter McCluster

He's again showing his versatility. He's expected to be the Chiefs slot receiver but he only caught three balls for zero yards on Friday.

That's OK. He made his impact in other ways.

He carried the ball eight times for 47 yards and an average nearing six yards per carry. He also returned three kicks over 30 yards each.

He didn't exactly need to help himself but he did on Friday night.

RB Jackie Battle

This is the second game in a row Battle has stepped up to be the Chiefs leading rusher. He had 10 carries for 49 yards for another solid performance.

Battle was rewarded with a third team placement on the latest depth chart. Todd Haley said after the game that Battle is trying to get noticed and he's done a great job of that.

He probably earned himself a spot on the roster the last two games.

WR Jeremy Horne

An undrafted free agent with no catches is a strange player to pick here but Horne had a solid game.

As an undrafted free agent, he's going to need to perform well on special teams to find a spot on the roster. He simply won't have an impact at receiver in year one.

He had a couple of key special teams tackles and downed a ball inside the 15-yard line on Friday against the Eagles.

It's the little things that count with these no-name type of players and Horne is doing the little things right

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/30/1658513/chiefs-vs-eagles-preseason-five



We're getting down to the wire in the Kansas City Chiefs preseason and only a handful of starting job remain open (or at least we think only a handful remain open). One of those jobs that has been boring and intriguing at the same time is center.

You've got the veteran, Casey Wiegmann, going against the younger incumbent, Rudy Niswanger.

This has been a strange position battle through training camp. Niswanger has taken the vast majority of first team snaps and has been listed as the first team center in every depth chart released by the team so far. An outside would assume that he's got the job locked up.

But then I think back to Chiefs GM Scott Pioli reminding us to remember why certain players are playing in certain situations.

"Sometimes when you look at people in certain situations," he said, "have an understanding of why it appears certain guys are at certain levels in the depth chart. Don't let yourself get fooled all the time."

The Chiefs have over a decade of tape on Wiegmann so they know what they have in him. Niswanger on the other hand is younger and has less experience and probably needs the experience of taking first team snaps.

Because of that dynamic, it's hard to get a gauge on which way the Chiefs are leaning in this particular battle.

This is seemingly one of the tightest battles though it's possible the Chiefs keep both on the roster. That's definitely an option but, keeping in mind how often the Chiefs tout versatility, I'm not sure that would be the most likely option.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/30/1658929/figuring-out-where-the-kansas-city

Now that the preseason has unofficially ended (I always feel like the final preseason game is more geared toward figuring out your bubble players), we start to get a feel for who the Chiefs will be in 2010.

The good news, folks, is that the Chiefs are going to be better this season. However, don't get too carried away. This is a team that still has a lot of challenges and they probably aren't a playoff team yet. But hey, progress is progress.

Today, I'll talk about the rookies. More after the jump.

Star-divide

So let's break down some areas where I think the Chiefs have improved:

The Rookies: Even though I thought the Chiefs' 2010 draft was exceptional and a lot of experts agreed, I also found that the draft was pretty polarizing among Chiefs' fans. As fans, we often get wishy-washy about whether teams need to draft for need or draft playmakers. When we draft playmakers, we get upset that we didn't draft for need. When we draft for need, we get upset that we drafted average players in the place of playmakers. I believe in the first approach and that's exactly what the Chiefs did.



* Dexter McCluster: we've only seen a small dose of what he's going to do this season. If you rewatch any of the games, pay close attention to how many ways he's being used on the field. He's used as a primary back, he's lined up in split-back sets opposite Charles or Jones, he's lined up in the slot, he motions into the slot into the backfield or on end-arounds. And when he gets his hands on the ball and has space, he is absolutely electric. I have no concerns about his ability to play the game. I do wish and hope, however, that he learns to go out of bounds or fall to the ground every once in a while. I admire the kid's toughness, but given his size, sometimes those extra 3 or 4 yards aren't really worth it.
* Javier Arenas: I don't really know how much he'll contribute on defense, but it seems pretty clear that he's going to be huge in the return game. I know there are some that would argue that Kick/Punt Returning is a fairly non-impactful position, but I would respectfully disagree. Last year, the Chiefs averaged 6.5 yards per punt return; Philadelphia averaged 13.5 Yards per Return. If the Chiefs had the same YPPR as Philly, they would have gained 1,400 extra yards last season. On kickoffs, the Chiefs average 21.6 Yards per Kickoff Return; the Ravens average 26.2 YPKR. That means they would have gained 355 extra yards last season. That's not to say that the Chiefs will come anywhere near those averages, but I don't think it's unrealistic to believe that the Chiefs can gain an additional 750-1000 yards on special teams next season by adding Arenas. Maybe even more. After all, keep in mind how many head-scratchingly bad decisions Wade made last season in terms of letting a ball bounce instead of taking a fair catch, or fair catching a very returnable ball. Not only should Arenas get a better YPPR than Wade, he should also return a lot more punts that Wade would have let go. Those extra yards will not only improve our offense, but also improve our ability to pin opposing offenses deeper into their territory.
* Eric Berry: Duh. Though he's been fairly quiet in the preseason, by no means has he been invisible. He's breaking up pass plays, he's always around the ball, and, man, his closing speed is close to superhuman. The kid is going to be a player, but we all already knew that.
* Kendrick Lewis: I think a lot of people were surprised that Lewis played as well as he has, but I'm not. He's not particularly fast, but what he lacks in quickness he makes up for in smarts. I like the kid a lot. I think he plays with a lot of discipline and I think LeSean McCoy's open run through the middle in the last preseason game is pretty compelling proof that Jon McGraw doesn't belong in the starting lineup. I know the Chiefs might be reluctant to start two rookies at Safety, but they shouldn't be. Lewis even at his rawest is still a heck of a lot better than McGraw.

http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/30/1656093/the-chiefs-will-be-better-in-2010

 

CHARGERS

EW ORLEANS — It didn’t count, except to tell them where they need to get better and where they might be pretty good.

So the Chargers left the Superdome and their matchup with the defending Super Bowl champions feeling as if they had accomplished their preseason goal of getting better each week.

“The first half, we played the best we’ve played to this point in the preseason,” Norv Turner said.

Dropped passes early, a couple defensive breakdowns throughout and an ineffective second-team offense led to the Saints beating the Chargers 36-21 in the third preseason game for both teams.

“By the way,” tight end Antonio Gates said, “that was a very good team we played.”

The Saints led 17-14 when both teams began substituting liberally in the third quarter.

Throughout, there were big gains and dropped passes. There was good coverage and some that was less than effective. There was pressure here and there but not enough against an excellent offense that was trying.

“There were so many positives we can take from it,” said Gates, who had five catches for 66 yards. “We dropped some passes, we could have made some more plays.”

Two plays – one on offense, one on defense -- might have been the difference in the Chargers’ starters between the Chargers starters being able to claim victory and them knowing they didn’t capitalize.

The second was a pass off wide-open tight end Kris Wilson’s hands that would have gone for a gigantic gain across midfield in the second quarter.

The first was what appeared could have been an Antoine Cason interception that ended up a 46-yard touchdown reception by Devery Henderson that tied the game 7-7 late in the first quarter. The ball sailed through Cason’s hands, off his shoulder pads and into the hands of Henderson in the end zone.

“That (overshadowed) the rest of the game for me,” Cason said. “I’m upset with myself. I know I have pretty good ball skills.”

Still, one answer the Chargers will take into the season is that Cason can handle taking over at right cornerback. Saints quarterback Drew Brees repeatedly went after Cason, who had three passes defensed and played consistently in coverage.

“I came out with the mindset to get better every week,” Cason said. “I am so confident in what I can do. I feel I’ve been getting better.”

While they would struggle with some blocks and have Rivers hit some the game wore on, the Chargers opened the game looking season-ready and no worse for not having the Pro Bowl left tackle and wide receiver who they will begin and perhaps go through the season without.

Rivers completed five of his six passes for 44 yards, Ryan Mathews ran five times for 32 yards. Jacob Hester followed left tackle Brandyn Dombrowski into the end zone from six yards out.

“That first drive is about as good as it gets,” Rivers said. “We didn’t capitalize on some other things.”

Ryan Mathews was hit harder, more often and more effectively than in his first two exhibitions. Still, the rookie gained 43 yards on 13 carries.

After Mathews gained 32 yards on his first five carries – on runs of 5, 2, 16, 5 and 4 yards – the blitzing Saints defense wrapped him up for a time. He totaled 11 yards on his final seven runs.

“Being able to run against a defense like that was very good,” Mathews said. “It was a learning experience.”

A Chargers defense that expected to get tested, did. Brees finished 18-for-27 for 240 yards. The Chargers at times got to him, was at times stout against the run but also gave up a few big plays.

“It wasn’t good enough,” linebacker Stephen Cooper said. “The pressure wasn’t enough. We didn’t do everything we wanted to do.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/27/saints-down-chargers/

Thankful enough just to be wearing his own NFL uniform, Chargers defensive lineman Antonio Garay smiled appreciatively the night of Aug. 21 when he saw the familiar star on the helmet of the Dallas Cowboys. He was instantly reminded of the day, just two years ago, when he found himself racing a bunch of junior-high boys to impress a former coach who might be able to put a good word in for him with the Cowboys.

A broken leg and obliterated ankle caused by an illegal chop block essentially had ended Garay’s stint with the Chicago Bears and, from all indications, his football career. He’d arranged a workout with Jim Garrett, a former pro and college coach whose three sons (Jason, John and Judd) were employed by the Cowboys, and the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Garay rolled up to Monmouth Beach, N.J., facility expecting to drill with college players and perhaps a few ex-pros on the mend.

“I get out of the car and all I see are little kids,” says Garay, who was 28 at the time. “The youngest is 12 years old. The oldest is a freshman in high school. I go, 'Oh, no, where’s everybody else?' Next thing I know, Coach Garrett’s got me out there with these kids and he’s telling us all, 'Just run!’

“Now, I’m a big brute of a guy, so I’m just trying to stay agile so I don’t bump into any of those kids and hurt any of them. But then I’m thinking, 'Man, I can’t let these kids beat me.’ So I started chasing 'em.”

Garay’s easy grin turns to a full-on laugh. But not really a ha-ha laugh.

“It was a funny experience to talk about now,” Garay says. “But there were things like that, lots of things, that I would do just trying to get back into the game.”

Again, from all indications, Garay’s all the way back. The most competitive position in Chargers training camp was along the defensive line, where 10 players vied twice a day for seven spots, and it’s quite conceivable that the powerful and nimble Garay will emerge as the starting nose tackle.

Garay, for obvious reasons, isn’t counting chickens or roster spots at this point. He is, however, counting his lucky stars over San Diego.

“Last year, pretty much all the stars aligned right for me, and I ended up here,” he says. “Coming back this year was a no-brainer.”

Garay’s injuries kept him out of the NFL for two years, because, as he puts it, “no one wants a defensive lineman with one leg.” In turn, injuries to Jamal Williams and Ryon Bingham created the need at Chargers Park for a defensive lineman who could play inside and out.

Having rehabbed his way onto the New York Jets practice squad last October, Garay remained in the memory banks of two former Bears staffers now with the Chargers, defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and d-line coach Don Johnson.

Signed away from the Jets on Dec. 9, Garay arrived in San Diego with not only the benefit of knowing Rivera and Johnson, but also with the full, rousing, unconditional support of every Garay in Rahway, N.J. The latter is not an inconsiderable number.

The name “Garay” is synonymous in Rahway with athletics. Plural. For instance, Antonio’s parents met at Hofstra, where he (Tony) competed in football and wrestling and she (Marsha) played varsity softball and tennis.

“I’d say we have 50-60 family members in my town, and at least 10 of us were two-sport athletes in D-1 college programs,” said Garay, whose family is of Puerto Rican, Costa Rican and Jamaican descent and whose parents raised him in the Jewish and Catholic faiths. “My family plays every sport under the sun. My family as a whole is way competitive.”

Wrestling wasn’t just the “other” sport on Antonio’s paternal side, a New Jersey mat dynasty of sorts over the decades. Antonio and his brother, Dan, won state championships, Antonio going undefeated his senior year at Rahway High. The ability to do football and wrestling prompted Antonio to go to Boston College, where he became BC’s only wrestling All-American - right before the school dropped the sport in the months before his senior year.

The stars may be working in Garay’s favor in that regard, too. Whereas he played more end before coming to the Chargers, Garay’s been getting a lot of time at the nose position, and it’s there that his wrestling skills can best come into play. As it happens, he practices every day opposite a center who also wrestled in high school, Nick Hardwick.

“He’s got his little tricks,” said Garay. “There’s stuff he’ll do that I’ll say, just joking, 'Bud, did you just shoot a double-leg (takedown) on me?’ "

“You can tell he’s got the wrestling (background),” said Hardwick. “He's a handful. He’s savvy when it comes to balance, getting a feel for which way to move the other guy. But he's also strong as a bull."

Strong-willed, to be sure.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/29/garays-comeback-wasnt-kids-play/

There's no doubt the Chargers got what they wanted from a tough third preseason game at New Orleans, Head Coach Norv Turner says.

SAN DIEGO -- Say what you will about the level of play Friday in New Orleans, both good and bad. With 16 days remaining before the season opener, Head Coach Norv Turner says his team is on schedule and will be ready to take the field at Kansas City.

Speaking at Chargers Park on Saturday, Turner talked highly of the competition between his starters and the Saints.

"Each time I get more excited about where this group can go. We've got some highly motivated guys in all areas," Turner said. "I don't think there was anything vanilla about that game. Both teams went after it pretty good. I thought the first half was back and forth like a regular season game with two good teams going at it.

"We're not ready to go, but that was a good example of what we can be. That was as close to a regular-season game as you can get through two and a half quarters, but I thought we were sharp."

The Chargers lost 36-21 and trailed 17-14 when the starters exited during the third quarter, but it appeared the two teams would provide an intense, close contest into the fourth had it been a regular-season game.

San Diego responded to two unanswered touchdowns with a drive of their own to tie the game at 14-14. The Chargers even drove into Saints territory after forcing a three-and-out but could not convert a third-and-3 after the two-minute warning. That allowed the Saints to drive and convert a 40-yard field goal to take a halftime lead.

A conversion wouldn't have guaranteed points, Turner said, but it would've lengthened the odds of a Saints score and made sure Brees didn't get the ball back. Those are the kind of plays that make the difference between two very good teams, he said.

Turner expressed confidence in Antoine Cason among other players. Cason matched Devery Henderson stride-for-stride on a deep pass by Drew Brees in the first quarter that appeared to dart between his hands. Henderson batted it to himself for a 46-yard touchdown. Cason finished the game with five tackles and three passes defensed.

"I thought he had excellent coverage," Turner said. "He was in great position on the deep ball and I thought the Saints receiver made a great play. I've made it clear that there's competition at all positions but I think
Cason has shown he's up for the challenge over there."

The coach lauded the secondary as a whole and thought strong safety Darrell Stuckey played well in his second preseason game other than one missed tackle and will get a lot of playing time against the 49ers.

Turner said Mathews played his best overall game, improving his pass protection and gaining yards after contact against a defense intent on slowing him down.

The Saints corralled Mathews during the second quarter after he busted a few big runs early. He finished with 13 carries for 43 rushing yards. Turner was particularly impressed with the speed that allowed him to prevent a loss and gain 16 yards on a third-and-1 pitch.

"The linebacker had a great angle," Turner said. "I think the linebacker expected to make a tackle for a two or three-yard loss. Ryan turned those jets on and it turned into a (big) play.

http://www.chargers.com/news/article-1/Saints-game-beneficial/5d43cedf-ec14-48c1-8474-263576762bc0