Nfc east preseason reports

GIANTS

The work of Matt Dodge, the rookie seventh-round pick from East Carolina, was the most noteworthy thing about the afternoon session -- the first two-a-day of this camp.

I got to the field before practice, early enough to see Dodge working -- unimpressively -- on a side field. Some quality kicks, but just as many poor ones.

During the regular practice session, different story. Dodge kicked 20 times in two separate punt team sessions, and kicked beautifully. The stutter-step or hesitation he showed in nine or 10 kicks Monday was gone, and so were the shanks.

Of those 20 kicks 18 were absolute quality kicks, a few driving returners backwards. One was a wobbler that wasn't well struck, but went out of bounds about 35 yards downfield, and one was a not-so-great 35-yard line drive. There was good height on almost of Dodge's kicks, and I would have to think the Giants would take 18 quality kicks out of 20 all season if Dodge can deliver that.

# Not sure there is any significance to this at all, but I will toss it out there anyway. Between the morning and afternoon sessions, the Giants ran 11-on-11 three times. All three times, Ahmad Bradshaw -- not Brandon Jacobs -- took the first snaps. Bradshaw worked both practices today, by the way, and looks to be moving and cutting very well after off-season foot and ankle surgery.
# The Giants defense flashed a Tampa 2 look at one point, and Steve Smith and Eli Manning connected on a beautiful long ball right in between Corey Webster and Deon Grant in that defenses traditional soft spot between safety and corner. I will say this -- the ball had to be absolutely perfectly placed to squeeze in the hole, and it was.
# Wide receiver Derek Hagan made back-to-back nice catches on passes from Jim Sorgi. One was a quick in, the other a longer ball down the right sideline where he shed a jam from Seth Williams and ended up wide open.
# During a Red Zone drill Sorgi found Mario Manningham (yes, your first Manningham reference) for a touchdown across the middle. Of course, in a real game Manningham might have gotten blasted on the play.
# Couple of nice defensive plays by defensive tackles Chris Canty and Jay Alford, each of whom got into the backfield on separate occasions to stuff running plays.
# Will Beatty worked at both tackle slots and Guy Whimper worked a lot at left guard as the Giants continued shuffling players along the offensive line.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/2/1601791/giants-training-camp-monday

 

REDSKINS

# In general, everyone's very excited about Kyle Shanahan's new offense. Moss said one thing he loves about it is that Shanahan gives players the freedom to freelance if the play breaks down. "He runs schemes that are not always so finely stitched. Sometimes, you get an offense where a guy has something written and he says 'This is what I want you to do,' even though he knows defenses in this day and age are going to play differently. He's one of those guys that has [the play] written, but he'll also say, 'Hey, if you can make something out of it differently, let's do it, because we want to make a play out of it, we don't want to just throw it into coverage.' He's one of those guys that's very flexible on how you get open, as long as you and the quarterback are on the same page." I was also told that one reason Jason Campbell got sacked so much is that Jim Zorn's offense didn't really have hot routes. He was supposed to run the play, regardless of the pressure. Take that for what you will.
# More Kyle Shanahan - I talked to Fred Davis, and he said that the most exciting thing about Kyle's offense is that he knows he can get both Davis and Cooley plenty of opportunities. Cooley echoed that sentiment as well. So far, we've seen a lot of that, with Davis making a couple nice catches running down the seam in the middle.
# Speaking of Davis, I asked him whether some of the fan criticism he got in the first year and a half bothered him at all. He admitted that he felt people didn't understand that he was behind Cooley and just needed his opportunity to shine. "Sometimes, you have to tune [fans] out, because sometimes, they're just wrong."
# Wide receivers: There's been a lot of talk about Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly playing on the second unit. When Shanahan said Joey Galloway and Roydell Williams were ahead of them on the depth chart, I thought he misspoke, but it's true. Shanahan said those two were more impressive in OTAs, though he added the caveat that Thomas and Kelly had nagging injuries that dropped them down a bit. I actually think Thomas has played pretty well, so we'll see what happens there. Kelly is still struggling with his hamstring, so it's been tough to evaluate him.
# Clinton Portis looks very good, and I think he's rejuvenated from playing with Mike Shanahan. He seems thrilled to be reunited with Shanahan, even downplaying McNabb's impact to say so. "I wouldn't say that it was Donovan that rubbed off on guys. I think it was the organization," Portis said when asked about McNabb's impact on the vibe at training camp. "With Coach Shanahan coming in setting the rules, everybody abiding by the same rules, I think that it has players buying in."
# Larry Johnson is running really hard, finishing off runs more than 20 yards upfield. He seems thrilled to be back here in D.C., and he's admitted to us that he sees a real opportunity. However, he's also dropped three easy screen passes in the first two days, passes Brian Westbrook would gobble up. Willie Parker's played ok, but Ryan Torrain continues to impress. Don't be surprised to see Torrain leap ahead of Parker.
# The starting defensive front 7, for the most part, has been Adam Carriker, Ma'ake Kemoeatu and Kendrick Golston up front, with Lorenzo Alexander, London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh and Brian Orakpo at linebacker. Andre Carter has been rotating in a bit for Alexander, but for the most part, he's been on the second team.
# Trent Williams looked very good in his first practice, and both Orakpo and Derrick Dockery praised his effort. Shanahan did too.
# One guy turning heads here is Terrence Austin. Austin made a couple really nice catches on Friday, and was practicing a bit as the punt returner as well. Shanahan was very happy with him, saying it's very impressive that he came in only in June (because he was still at UCLA) and picked up the offense so quickly. Austin also said he's eyeing that punt return job, because everyone has told him the way to stick on an NFL roster is to make an impact on special teams. I really think he could be a huge asset this year on special teams, and he could be a solution to the punt return woes.

http://www.hogshaven.com/2010/7/31/1598133/a-couple-quick-notes-from-covering

 

EAGLES

8:54 - Nice pass breakup by Nate Allen gets a rise out of the crowd.

8:55 - New WR Kelley Washington with a catch over the middle during one-on-one drills. Not sure if he's simply motivation for our other WR's or if he really has a legitimate shot of making the team, but I'll say this... He has wheels.

8:57 - Kafka with a weak ball down the sideline, easily picked by Asante Samuel.

8:58 - Trevard Lindley swats away a pass intended for Washington. Nice closing speed. Lindley had a great day today. I have some quotes from Lindley coming up soon.

9:00 - Asante Samuel tries to jam Avant at the line, but Avant jukes the crap out of him, throws Samuel aside for good measure, and gets wide open for an easy pitch and catch. Avant may not have the raw ability that DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin have, but he is by far and away the most polished WR on the team. You want to talk about "leadership?" Look no further than Jason Avant.

9:02 - Asante Samuel at Jason Avant: "Hey Jason, I'm mad about that. I'm mad about that, Jason. That's on my mind now. I'll see you again." To which Avant retorts, "You better put on some more weight." I'll repeat what I wrote in the last diary - Samuel is constantly running his mouth. I'm becoming a much bigger fan.

9:03 - Maclin runs a fly route against Lindley one-on-one. Lindley stays with Maclin all the way and has a really nice pass breakup. The other corners, all lined up on the sideline, give a collective "OOOOOH!" Lindley looks a player.

9:05 - Vick and Washington connect on a deep ball. I won't be the first to say this, nor the last, but it's really something to see the way Vick just flicks his wrist so effortlessly, and the ball just jumps out of his hand. Vick throws 50 yard bombs with the same ease as I do tossing a crumbled up piece of paper in the garbage. It's really something to see in person. Then again, I'm not sure he always knows where the ball is going, but I digress.

9:07 - On the very first play, McCoy goes for 25 yards on a run off right tackle. McCoy is easily the MVP of the day today. He looks comfortable and confident with his role as the starting RB, which is great to see.

9:08 - McCoy again for 5 more. In the 2 days I've been here, the Eagles have been running the ball a ton during the live 11 on 11 full-contact game situation sessions.

9:11 - Vick scrambles for 25. Just FYI - Vick looks fast.

9:12 - Mike Bell with a hard run for 5. The ground game trend continues.

9:13 - High comedy here. There's a kid working the clock at the far end zone (about 60 yards away), and Andy Reid is trying to yell to the kid to put 2:34 on the clock. He yells it about 4-5 times, and kid can't hear him. So an assistant starts walking closer to the kid and is yelling "Two thirty-four!" The kid puts 4:00 on the clock. "No, two thirty-four!" The kid puts 2:00 on the clock. "Two thirty-four!" The kid puts 2:04 on the clock. "TWO THIRTY-FOUR!!!" Finally, the kid puts 2:34 on the clock. Big ovation from the crowd. Great stuff.

9:14 - Juqua Parker with a "sack" to end a drive.

9:16 - Charles Scott with a hard run. Keenan Clayton on the tackle. I continue to see this guy everywhere.

9:17 - Charles Scott again. This kid is a load. I'm really looking forward to watching Scott in the preseason. Take this to the bank - The Eagles are going to give him a ton of preseason carries.

9:18 - It's the 1's (O) vs the 2's (D)

9:20 - Nice catch by Baskett along the sidelines, who then turns upfield for some additional yardage. Every time Hank touches the football, somebody yells "Kendra," which is getting annoying.

9:21 - Trevor Laws on a tackle. Laws looks good so far, and Sean McDermott had some good things to say about him. We'll get to that later.

9:22 - On a well-executed play action pass, Moise Fokou stays with Brent Celek on a pass in the flat. Celek makes the catch but is immediately planted by Fokou for a minimal gain.

9:23 - Kolb misses an open Avant a little high down the seam.

9:24 - 3's vs 3's. Too many rookies on the field to count right now.

9:27 - Nice 15 yard gain by Buckley. Buckley had a good day today, after a not-so-great day yesterday. Competition (i.e. J.J. Arrington) is a great thing.

9:28 - Daniel Te'o Nesheim breaks up a run in the backfield. Keenan Clayton is right there again as well.

9:29 - Buckley for 4. Did I mention the Eagles are running the crap out of the ball so far? Well, they still are.

9:31 - Hurry-up FG time. Akers kicks a succession of FG's, ranging from about 35 to 52 yards. Drills them all with ease.

9:34 - They also do a hurry up drill, in which they run a play in where the defense purposely allows Jason Avant to catch a ball the middle of the field, and the offense has to run down and clock the ball. The FG team then runs out as assistant coaches yell "This is for the win!" Akers drills it again. Really fun drill. On a side note, Sav Rocca walked right past me at one point. I go about 6'3, 205, and Rocca dwarfed me. Rocca is a large human being.

9:56 - 7 on 7's

9:57 - Consecutive completions to Avant, Maclin, and Baskett. Baskett's catch is another nice one over the middle from Vick. Vick seems to look for Baskett a lot.

9:42 - Vick bomb for Kelley Washington broken up by Macho. Macho looks pretty good so far as well. I've been impressed with the way Macho is jamming the bigger receivers (Baskett, Cooper) at the line. He may not have the quicks to keep up with some of the smaller, speedy guys, but he's very physical and if he can get his hands on the bigger guys at the line he can be an effective corner. I can envision Macho matching up nicely against guys like Roy Williams, Hakeem Nicks, or even a smaller TE like Fred Davis of the Redskins.

9:45 - Another Baskett catch. This time from Kolb. Baskett is making the team by the way. He just is.

QUICK OBSERVATION - I've been watching to see how Nick Cole looks snapping the ball in shotgun situations. It's not good. You don't want your center firing fastballs back to the QB, but you do want a crisp snap that the QB gets in his hands quickly so he can maximize his time to look downfield and read the defense. Every fraction of a second counts. Cole's snaps in the shotgun are not crisp. Kolb is often having to reach for them slightly, which is not ideal, and is eating up those all-important fractions of a second. I could certainly be wrong here, but it does not appear to me that this is something Cole has worked on in the offseason.

9:50 - We're live, full-contact, game action again! 1's (O) vs 2's (D)

9:51 - It's the Eagles' patented shovel play. McCoy for about 8.

9:53 - McCoy beats a blitz for a 20-yard run. Did I already mention McCoy looks great? Well, he does.

9:54 - Kolb misses a wide open Jason Avant down the seam in the endzone from about the 40. Overthrows him by a smidge, and Avant almost makes a gorgeous one-handed grab, but it's incomplete.

9:55 - Draw to McCoy for 4. The ground game continues.

9:56 - Sideline pass to Riley Cooper. I'm about 4 yards away and can clearly see that Cooper's foot is barely out of bounds, but the coaching staff disagrees. Complete catch. Cooper was a little quieter this morning, but he's still dreamy.

9:57 - Shady up the middle again. Clayton there again.

9:58 - Noticing that Winston Justice is really doing a nice job in pass protection against Brandon Graham.

9:59 - Kolb feels some pressure in his face, but makes a quick decision and unloads the ball across the middle to McCoy. McCoy scampers 25 yards for the TD. McCoy right now looks like the fastest player on the field. If you watch him, it's fairly obvious that he's ready.

10:00 - 2's (O) vs. 1's (D)

10:01 - Bell violently blows up a blitzing defender. Outstanding block.

10:02 - PLAY OF THE DAY - 4th and 1 situation - Quintin Mikell, Brodrick Bunkley, and Omar Gaither blow up Mike Bell in the backfield. The D is fired up. You'd think it was Week 14.

10:04 - Nice run again by Buckley. Again, he's having a good day.

QUICK OBSERVATION - Keenan Clayton is getting time with both the 2's and the 3's. Lots and lots of reps for this kid. The Eagles want him on the field, and I think they're trying to find the best way to use him.

10:05 - Just as I notice Clayton again, Buckley runs right through a Clayton arm tackle. C'mon Keenan! Don't make me take you off the Na Brown Award candidate list!

QUICK OBSERVATION - Daniel Te'o Nesheim has a reputation for being quiet and reserved off the field, but plays about 3 seconds past the whistle on pretty much every play. My over/under on the number of fights he'll be in during this camp - 3.5. He already has one.

10:06 - Clay Harbor nice catch and run. Harbor is clearly ahead of Martin Rucker on the depth chart. I don't see Rucker getting very many reps at all.

10:07 -Harbor again over the middle, and he drags the pile for an additional 3 yards. He's looking good.

10:08 - Kafka finds a wide open Chad Hall, who is slammed by David Pender.

10:09 - Two J.J. Arrington runs go nowhere. My first impression is that he looks slow, and that Denver's 6th round pick is in our near future.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/1/1599737/a-running-diary-from-eagles-camp

 

COWBOYS

Offensive line coach Hudson Houck likes what he sees at left tackle.

"I think we've got two real good players," Houck said. "We've got five preseason games, so we'll find out which guy we're going to put in there. It's pretty open. Free has earned the right to get the first look, but we're certainly open to seeing what Alex can do."

Tight end John Phillips impressed offensive coordinator Jason Garrett with his hunting habits, both on and off the field:

"He hunts bobcats in the offseason, so I think that says enough about him," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said jokingly. "He's not always the flashiest," Garrett said, "but typically, he gets the job done. We're excited about him."

Tight ends coach John Garrett joins the growing crowd of John Phillips fans.

"He sat back there when he wasn’t getting a lot of reps and watched No. 82," tight ends coach John Garrett. "He watched the model of how to do it in every aspect of the game. He’s not dumb. He knows who to watch and who to emulate, and he has picked up a lot from Jason."

Linebackers coach Reggie Herring thinks that the Cowboys have the best depth he's seen yet at linebacker.

"We have more speed and more ability depth wise than we have in the three years I've been here,'' Herring said.

Of course, with Anthony Spencer on your team, it's not that hard to get excited

"He was already very difficult to block and deal with as a rusher or a run defender," Cowboys linebackers coach Reggie Herring said. "He's building consistency, and he's really established himself as a player. He's just applying himself more day to day, and we're very pleased right now with his attitude and his work ethic. It looks like he's got a chance right now, the way he's going, to pick up from where he left off last year by the end."

Reggie Herring wants to see a little more of Sean Lee before getting too excited.

"We’re very excited about Sean. I’m not going to declare anybody anything until they line up against NFL competition and prove it. Right now, he’s done a nice job at practice. He’s doing what we asked of him. He’s shown nice ability in the run and pass game. He’s a smart, instinctive player. So far, he’s everything we thought he’d be. So far. Now, let’s go play a few games and make an evaluation."

Tim MacMahon from ESPNDallas reports that word around Valley Ranch is that there's only one linebacker the Cowboys have graded higher in the past few drafts than Sean Lee. That would be Patrick Willis, the 49ers 3-time Pro Bowler & 2-time First-Team All-Pro. No wonder Reggie Herring is trying to keep expectations in check.

But overall, Herring sounds pleased with the progress of his linebacker corp:

Even Leon Williams is having a great camp right now – a guy we didn’t expect. Jason Williams is somewhat inconsistent but he shows flashes of great ability. We’re working on the consistency, the maturity factor with him. Sean Lee is an excellent, excellent prospect to be a Cowboy here. He’s doing things very well – very talented.

Then you take a Victor Butler. Talk about turning the light on. In the last three days, all of a sudden he's starting to rush the passer better than he ever has. The reemergence of a Brandon Williams, whom we didn’t have last year, who’s an explosive pass rusher. Steve Octavien who’s probably a harder worker than anybody we have at OL's, who’s making plays and is productive.

Coach Joe DeCamillis, special teams wizard and coach, wants Dez Bryant to be The Return Man.

"He's special with the ball in his hands and we're going to try to help him as much as we can," DeCamillis said, adding, "I think he's got a chance to be exceptional at both."

And the Cowboys do need Dez to step up, because kickoff returns were not something the Cowboys excelled at last year.

"Kickoff returns is definitely something we want to improve on," DeCamillis said. "We were above average to good on almost everything last year, but kickoff returns we just weren't ever comfortable. We're emphasizing that."

Running backs coach Skip Peete has an interesting idea about how to get each back enough touches.

"But a lot of times, it's not necessarily the number of carries you get," Peete said, "it's the touches. If you get 15 carries and 10 catches, that's your 25 touches." "I love that," Peete said. "There's nothing like having a running back in open space. You get big yardage." [emphasis mine]

Secondary coach Dave Campo gives us some insight into the position battle for the 4th corner spot.

"I'd say Cletis Gordon has been in the lead, he's got the experience," Campo said following Wednesday's practice. "I like Cletis. I think he's made as much improvement as anybody out here. I feel like he's really embraced the scheme and he's working very well and he offers something the other guys don't have, he has size and uses his hands and he can be more physical than the other guys."

"[Jamar Wall] is starting to make some plays and I think that's going to be his strength. Sometimes he looks a little herky-jerky out there and not real smooth. But there's been a lot of guys who played that looked real well but they don't play very well. He has playmaking ability. When it's for real, he's a physical player and some of that stuff will begin to show up."

"Bryan McCann is technically sometimes better than the veteran guys, just footwork, break-and-drive and all those kinds of things, but he's 186 pounds, [Wall] is 196 and [Gordon] 200. What's he going to do when the pads come on? Are the big receivers going to push him and that kind of thing? He looks a little smoother than Wall, but Wall I've seen play but you have to see who is going to be a factor."

Dave Campo also wants Allan Ball to focus exclusively on Free Safety

"Right now, he's at level 101,'' secondary coach Dave Campo said. "He's working to 201. He's close to 201. If we get to 201, we're going to be pretty good. "Not many guys get to 401. I'm at 401.''

"He'll make some plays,'' Campo said. "He's still feeling his way around a little bit. "The No. 1 thing for the guy back there is to make sure we're right. We can be aggressive, but we've got to make sure we're right first. If all four guys are right, we're going to be pretty good.''

Wide receivers coach Ray Sherman thinks highly of the WR groups' talent level

"I think we've got a little more talent than we had in Minnesota, little more than I had in Green Bay and even in San Francisco," Sherman said. "Overall, talent-wise as a group. Now we had some individuals that were very talent but overall talent is probably the best."

Ray Sherman also hints at the role Dez Bryant might play in the coming season.

"He is learning to play on the outside," receivers coach Ray Sherman said. "If you throw a lot at him, you're going to confuse him and slow his growth down. You have to get him in a spot and get him comfortable, with the system and also have him understand all the other components of the route, what those entail. Then, you can branch him out to other parts."

Chris Boniol loves David Buehler’s temperament when it comes to kicking FG’s, thinks that nothing bothers him, and likes the authority with which Buehler kicks.

"David’s a unique individual with unique physical skills. It’s not my job to teach him how to kick - he knows how to kick - it’s how to kick better."

"Nothing bothers him. I don’t know if you’ve watched this in OTAs, our fields were horrible, we got wind – we did everything we could to make things tough on him. And nothing bothers him. If you have a bad kick, if you have a bad day, he rebounds. He responds and comes back positive. And that’s important."

"Yesterday he was 3 for 4 but he hit the upright from 35. Well, he came back and hit a 46 and 48. With some authority. And that’s an important thing to see in a kicker. How do you respond after a miss? He does a good job of that."

Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson sees Tony Romo off to a better start than last year.

"He's had a fabulous camp so far," Wade Wilson said. "He plays practice as real as anybody I've ever been around. He treats it like a game. When our guys are rushing him, he has a complete understanding of where he wants to go with the ball. If he has to move to get rid of the ball, he knows where to get it out. If everything is clean, he is throwing the ball as accurate as I've seen. Better than last year." [...] "He's asserting his personality onto the offense as well. In the meetings and on the practice field, it comes in how he approaches things every day."

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/7/30/1594624/cowboys-training-camp-what-the

 

EAGLES

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has left practice on a cart after injuring a knee.

Maclin hyperextended his left knee during afternoon workouts Tuesday. Coach Andy Reid ended practice shortly after Maclin went down.

The team says Maclin will be further evaluated Wednesday. A first-round draft pick last year, Maclin had 55 catches for 762 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.

He joins a long list of players already on the sideline at training camp. Wideout DeSean Jackson hurt his back and cornerback Asante Samuel injured his hamstring. Both missed practice Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/art...ceiver-jeremy-maclin-hurts-knee#ixzz0vaHT0HJD

 

GIANTS

* Center Shaun O'Hara went to New York to have an MRI on his injured ankle, and Mike Garafolo was first (at least that I saw) with the news that there is no serious damage. That's good news for the Giants, who truthfully don't have a dependable backup center.
* Second-year wide receiver Hakeem Nicks went down right at the end of practice with what the Giants are terming a "hyperextended knee." Honestly, I saw Nicks come up hobbling after an incompletion pass from Eli Manning, but I did not see him carted off the field. Gotta learn to look a little closer while I'm leaving the field.

Star-divide
Here are a few notes from action on the field during the afternoon practice.

* We got our first look at Lawrence Tynes kicking with new holder Matt Dodge, the rookie punter. Tynes went 9-for-9, beginning at 20 yards and finishing at 47 while battling a pretty severe cross-wind. I'm no expert, but the holds all appeared clean and Tynes struck each ball well.
* Maybe I'm the only one who cares, but safety John Busing, a four-year veteran who was not signed until Saturday, finally had his name on the back of his jersey during the afternoon practice. Now we know how long that takes -- about three days.
* Nice practice for Terrell Thomas. He picked off a badly underthrown deep ball from Manning intended for Nicks (Eli's worst throw of camp thus far, in my estimation), then later batted away successive passes for wide receivers Duke Calhoun and Victor Cruz.
* A nice afternoon practice for Ramses Barden, catching everything that came his way, including a leaping grab of a pass from Jim Sorgi about 20 yards downfield in between D.J. Johnson and Busing.
* Speaking of Sorgi, he really has not been terribly impressive the first few days of camp. Lots of questionable throws to heavily-covered receivers.
* Osi Umenyiora showed that he is still, well, Osi Umenyiora. Same as he ever was, both good and bad. He blew past David Diehl for what would have been a sack on one play. Great. On another play, he came charging upfield hell-bent on another sack ... except that the offense ran a draw right into his vacated spot for what looked like it could have been a significant gain. Not so good. Some day, maybe he will learn to respect his run responsibilities.
* I mentioned it this morning, but I will do so again since an obvious pattern has emerged. Ahmad Bradshaw took snaps ahead of Brandon Jacobs again this afternoon, though both guys are working with the first unit. Every time the Giants' first offensive unit has lined up since camp began, Bradshaw has been on the field before Jacobs. Read into that whatever you want.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/3/1603795/giants-training-camp-tuesday

 

EAGLES

This afternoon was probably the best performance Cornelius Ingram has had yet. He got separation on a mid range catch from Kolb against the speedy Keenan Clayton. He also had a nice grab over the middle over Nate Allen. He reminded me a bit of the Packers' Jermichael Finley out there. Just a big target out that lets the QB throw high passes that defenders really don't have a play on. The catch over Nate Allen was that exact kind of throw. One of the last plays of the day was a leaping, fingertip grab over the middle from Ingram. Got big cheers from the crowd. Really a solid afternoon for Ingram after being fairly anonymous in the AM session.

Mike Bell didn't practice, but was running sprints on another field and looked fine. He should be back soon.

Omar Gaither had a real nice play where he dove near the sidelines to break up a really well thrown ball intended for Clay Harbor.

If the AM session was about Kevin Kolb showing his prowess in the short passing game, the PM session was about him going deep. In one 7 on 7 he threw two perfect deep balls for TDs. The first was to Maclin from about 40 yards out which hit him perfectly in stride and just over some decent coverage from Trevard Lindley. A play or two later Kolb lofted another perfectly placed ball in the end zone to Riley Cooper again from about 40 yards out. Kolb aired out a few more times in the late session and looked really good doing it. As soon as he sees that WR get single coverage he launches it and lets them run right underneath it. Very solid day overall from Kolb.

While Kolb had the luxury of bombing TD passes all afternoon, the other two QBs mostly ran scout team offenses. the crowd kind of groaned as Mike Kafka specifically threw one pick after the other, but that's kind of the point of these scout team drills. You'll notice before the drill that a coach will show the QB a diagrammed play that the defense is going to defend. The QB just throws the ball where he's told.

That said, the defense still has to make plays... and they did. Stewart Bradley, who was solid in coverage all day, picked off a Vick pass over the middle. Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, and Nate Allen all picked off Kafka in the drills as well.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/3/1603960/eagles-training-camp-afternoon

 

COWBOYS

-- Victor Butler got extra reps with the first-team defense in the final drills today. Butler has been backing up Anthony Spencer all camp. He continued his strong rush work with some effective dashes around the edge. He stood up Martellus Bennett on one play and rode the TE back to the quarterback. Earlier, he made Scott Sicko look like a rookie with a flying ole move which left Sicko grasping for air.

Butler has worked exclusively as the strong-side OLB with Brandon Williams getting all the snaps at WOLB behind Demarcus Ware. Butler showed some quality coverage skills early in camp and has menaced the right tackles and tight ends in more recent practices. The second-year linebackers have all taken steps forward this summer and Butler does his part.

-- Six deep at WR? The top four in the team's totem look set after two weeks. Last year's trio of Austin, Williams and Crayton retain their spots and Dez Bryant will claim his spot when he returns. I think the team has to take two more wideouts and while Kevin Ogletree and Sam Hurd look strong, I would not discount Jesse Holley's chances. He'll have to make some big plays in the pre-season games but he has made his share of grabs in the 11-on-11s. He's a long-shot, but he beat the odds to make the practice squad last year.

-- David Buehler was 5-of-6 in his drill, nailing kicks between 24 and 48 yards. His lone miss was a 56 yard attempt which hit the left upright.

-- He's got a knack: Sean Lee returned to drills today, working mostly with the third-team defense. His ballyhooed instincts returned intact; he recognized and blew up a Felix Jones screen working against the first-team defense. He's got some ground to make up but Lee appears able.

-- Welcome back, rookie: I saw some intriguing skills from rookie NT Josh Brent last week, who caught Andre Gurode flat-footed in a first-week rush drill. Brent then lost a week to a broken hand. He's back and Gurode showed the rookie that he has an elephant's memory; Brent got the worst or two duels in the 11-on-11s. Gurode rolled Brent on a Marion Barber draw, showing that he's the boss.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/8/4/1605693/cowboys-training-camp-report-17

 

GIANTS

* Wide receiver Steve Smith left practice early and is headed for an MRI on his groin.
* Offensive lineman Reuben Riley strained an MCL on the final play of practice.
* Coughlin is not optimistic about an early return for Rich Seubert.
* Tight end Jake Ballard strained a hamstring reaching for a pass. Kevin Boss and Travis Beckum were already not practicing.
* Some good news. Coughlin expects center Shaun O'Hara and safety Kenny Phillips (yes, Kenny Phillips) to practice Monday.

Now, for some on-the-field news.

* With O'Hara and Seubert not practicing, and Will Beatty having struggled mightily on Thursday, I was curious how the offensive line would look. The first unit was David Diehl (LT), Guy Whimper (LG), Adam Koets (C), Chris Snee (RG) and Kareem McKenzie (RG). Beatty got some first-team reps with Diehl moving inside, and rookie fifth-round pick Mitch Petrus also got a few first-team reps at left guard. Koets, by the way, remains an adventure simply snapping the ball back to the quarterback.
* The Giants finished practice with a goal-line drill, putting the ball at the two- or three-yard line, we really couldn't see where. Good news/bad news here. Great defensive stand as the offense was unable to score in six plays. Of course, that means pretty terrible offensive play but it left the defense talking plenty of trash. Scott Chandler dropped a ball that should have been a touchdown from Eli Manning. Right now, there has to be concern about how the offensive line will shake out as the Giants could not get any running plays blocked.
* Noticeable today was that, for the first time this camp, Brandon Jacobs took a couple of snaps before Ahmad Bradshaw in 11-on-11 drills.
* Mixed bag for Ramses Barden. Great catch along the left sideline as he beat Corey Webster off the line and leaped for a high throw from Eli. He also dropped a slant pass that hit him right in the hands.
* Great interception by Aaron Ross in a red zone drill, stepping in front of Hakeem Nicks on a slant pass to pick off Manning. Bunch of dropped picks today, though. One by Keith Bulluck and one by John Busing on an awful throw by Rhett Bomar that got Perry Fewell to scream "catch the freakin' (and yes, he did say 'freakin') football." Perry must have been feeling PG in front of today's Autograph Day crowd.
* Under the watchful eye of Jeff Feagles Matt Dodge worked on dropping the ball inside the 20 today, with mixed success. A few good, high punts dropped around the 10-yard line (from the 45), but a couple of bad ones as well.
* Barry Cofield took advantage of Whimper once and Petrus once to make a pair of nice run stops in the backfield.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/6/1609812/giants-training-camp-friday

 

EAGLES

* Practice has hardly even begun and already Nick Cole is shuffling off the field. Not good. I would later find out that he tweaked his knee. Nothing serious, but with the offensive line the way it's been looking, every snap missed is a missed opportunity to get your rhythm down.
* Mike McGlynn replaces Cole at center. With A.Q. Shipley still not practicing fully, the center position is now down to McGlynn and Dallas Reynolds. Eagle Joe's prediction is starting to look pretty wise.
* I overhear that newly-acquired HB J.J. Arrington will be out for the day with a foot injury. Anyone want to guess at his chances of making the roster? (Hint: slim at best)
* Juqua Parker nearly bowls me over as he takes a play out of bounds and I jump into Chris McPherson. Luckily, they're both good sports about it.
* Kurt Coleman explodes into the backfield to bat down a Micheal Vick pass. A fan on the sideline mumbles "And he wants to be a starting quarterback..."
* Riley Cooper is seeing a lot of action with the first team with Jeremy Maclin still recovering from his bone bruise. His size will definitely be an advantage in the redzone. He's towering over the cornerbacks.
* The crowd here is as enthusiastic as you'd expect Philly fans to be. Every few minutes, there is an E-A-G-L-E-S chant. (And of course a scattered boo or two when Micheal Vick takes the field)
* Tiny little Chad Hall makes a juggling TD catch in the endzone during 7-on-7's. His argument for the Na Brown award is still strong.
* Later during that same drill, Quintin Mikell makes a great read and picks off Kolb for what could have been a pick-six during a live game. This wasn't the only time our young QB was picked off this morning.
* Kelley Washington makes a great diving grab off of a Vick pass. He's been having a solid morning so far. The choice of receivers to keep on the final roster is definitely going to be a tough decision.
* Jeff Owens and Trevor Laws are busting through the middle of the line on almost every play. Laws even knocks Vick down a few times. With Antonio Dixon still recovering from a concussion both of these young defensive tackles might just beat him out for roster spots.
* Special teams drills are now underway. Punter Ken Parrish gets bowled over by Simoni Lawrence on a punt blocking drill. As Parrish lies in the grass, Leonard Weaver runs over and yells "That's why you wear pads, son!"
* Practice is over and the players start filing back into the locker room. I join a cluster of media gurus in the tent for Andy Reid's press conference.
* On the way to the tent, I'm intercepted by a member of the Eagles PR team who wants to interview me about BGN. Hopefully, they'll make me sound better than I thought I sounded. I'm not used to being the interviewee (as Jimmy can tell you).
* Two players that Reid is raving about today are Trevor Laws and Dimitri Patterson - who had a great endzone pick off of Kolb late in practice. It's hard to imagine Patterson coming back for a second year with Macho Harris and Trevard Lindley all but locks to make the roster, but you never know...
* And as the last of the players trickle back into the locker room, Jimmy and I head out for a well-deserved lunch. On the way off the field, I am nearly run over by Moise Fokou, who is taking a cart ride in. I'm definitely not having any luck with defensive ends today.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/7/1610862/thoughts-from-training-camp-aug

 

REDSKINS

Hogs Haven: How has Dennis Morris looked? (is he getting a lot of time as FB/H-Back/TE?). What team is he primarily playing with?

Can't say that I've seen him do a whole lot. Tried to focus on him a couple times and only saw him blocking from an H-back spot. He was OK, but I really need to see more. They plan to use him in various spots.

Hogs Haven: With Ma'ake only be 60%, it's clear we can't count on him to be the starter all year (he was over 380 lbs at one point last year). Who is emering as the better NT starter: Antonio Bryant or Howard Green? (ie: pushing back the OL, stuffing the middle, who's bigger in size?)

Star-divide

I think this will be an issue if Kemo gets hurt. I haven't been a big fan of Bryant, at least early in camp. He seemed to get to upright, a major problem for a nose tackle (or any lineman for that matter). Even at the snap he's too tall for my taste.

Hogs Haven: Has anyone announced what Albert's current, actual weight is?

No, but in all honesty the issue is not the weight. He actually looks good, especially compared to last season. He looks better than others on the team. But there's a difference between being thinner and being in shape. And if you hurt your knee on the second day running a test, that's not a good sign.


Hogs Haven: The last couple years the defense has always looked miles better than the defense, which unit has been better overall so far (ie: winning the daily battles)?

The defense has been more consistent, but that's fairly typical. The defense is showing a lot of looks and I think that leads to confusion, which leads to some rugged play by the offense. The secondary has looked the best overall.

Hogs Haven: I read that Artis Hicks is getting pushed into the back-field quite a bit. Should we be concerned at this point, and if so, does Rinehart have a chance to win that job? How has he looked coming off his major injury?

Yes, Hicks has looked spotty. He's getting pushed back because he stands too tall. Part of that could be a function of having switched from right tackle; at guard, you have to get a little lower inside. My problem is that 6-6 Adam Carriker is getting lower than the 6-4 Hicks. However, he looked better today and he does seem to work well with Jammal Brown. But I do think it's something to watch (I talked to someone the other day who kept shaking his head over the fact that Hicks was starting). Rinehart has actually looked solid vs. the reserves. He's been more consistent with his base and he's playing with good strength. I'm not yet getting excited over him and right now view him mainly as a guy who, if something happened to Brown then Hicks could move outside and Rinehart could go to RG.

Hogs Haven: Chris Horton seems to be a ghost these days...is he making any plays or still nursing the toe injury? The Redskins have to have the most depth at SS than any team in the league.

I've seen Horton make a play on a blitz, but that's about it. Really, outside of his first couple games in the NFL I haven't seen him make many plays. They do have good depth at SS, but I would prefer Doughty in front of him at this spot because he's a better blitzer.

http://www.hogshaven.com/2010/8/5/1606557/redskins-training-camp-updates-on

 

COWBOYS

The Cowboys opened the pre-season with a physical 16-7 win over the Bengals. Dallas' defense resumed where it ended the 2009 regular season. The first two defensive units kept the first two Cincinnati offenses from crossing mid-field.

Brandon Williams, Victor Butler and Jason Williams, the 2nd year trio of linebackers who saw so much of their collective '09 wiped out by injury, led the charge. Brandon Williams troubled Bengals left tackles as a rusher and intercepted a pass, setting up Dallas' third field goal of the night. Butler showed a strong overall game, blanketing backs and looping inside to sack a Cincinnati quarterback in the 2nd half.

The third stringers made their share of plays. Linebacker Brandon Sharpe closed Dallas' scoring by intercepting a Jordan Palmer pass and returning it for a touchdown. The Cowboys came within a minute of a shutout, but Jordan Shipley's long punt return set the Bengals in a goal-to-go situation which they converted.

Star-divide

The game confirmed much of what we and others have reported during the first two weeks of camp. The Cowboys possess a deep, talented defense and have strong skill position offensive players, but face a shortage of offensive line depth.

The Cowboys first offense got just one series and marched from its own 28 to the Cincinnati five in thirteen plays. The unit mixed plays from the base 21 set and the 11 package and saw Miles Austin get an early first down with a deep out on Bengals standout Leon Hall.

The offense then overcame a 1st-and-20, produced by an Andre Gurode hold, with Roy Williams converting 3rd and 12 with a 21 yard deep in. Romo was given time by F-back Jason Witten, who lined up in the backfield and knocked out a blitzing Bengals inside linebacker.

A superbly timed stop-fade to Patrick Crayton over Pacman Jones put Dallas in first-and-goal at the five. Here the team got a break when an offsides penalty negated a Felix Jones fumble into the end zone, which the Bengals recovered. Safety Roy Williams put his helmet on the ball, knocking in from Jones one yard from a score. Dallas then misfired on three straight passes, leading to a short David Buehler field goal. This was it for the starting offense.

The first-team defense also got one series and forced a Bengals punt after five plays. Cincinnati gained a quick first down on a seven yard out to Terrell Owens, but Stephen Bowen pressured Carson Palmer into an incompletion on the following 3rd and 6.

The Dallas second team offense then got a series against the Bengals starters and Jon Kitna moved his guys from the Dallas six into Cincy territory. Two long completions to backup F-back John Phillips produced two first downs. Kitna hit Phillips up the left seam for 24 yards and then converted a 3rd-and-8 with a 16 yard pass outside the right hash.

While the second team skill position guys made plays, the second team line showed by depth remains a big concern. The right side looked shaky and became even moreso when Robert Brewster moved to left tackle to spell Alex Barron, who left with an ankle sprain. Pat McQuistan and Sam Young struggled to protect Stephen McGee, who took over from Kitna after the number two completed two series.

At this point, the backup parade finished out the game.

Notes:

-- Phillips out? An early report says John Phillips may have suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. The MRI will come on Monday.

-- Gesek Watch: unless something dramatic happens with Mike Tepper's game, I think the team brass may order its scouts to look hard for a backup interior offensive lineman to acquire. Tepper looks okay for an undrafted rookie, but he's not starter ready and yet, he's the only guard who inspires even a modicum of confidence. Montrae Holland has a hamstring injury and could be out a while. Pat McQuistan is all or nothing. When he whiffs, he whiffs completely. He can move guys backwards when he's blocking straight ahead, but McQuistan cannot consistently block quick tackles or ends coming at him on stunts. Travis Bright had the same difficulties when he played some guard in the second half.

-- Early candidate for assistant of the year: Reggie Herring. He's improved the coverage half of Victor Butler's game tremendously. He's done the same for Brandon Williams, who rushes about 80% of the time. Williams picked a pass tonight and made it look easy. Jason Williams didn't make any howlers tonight and we have yet to see Sean Lee, who didn't dress. He may be the best of this bunch.

-- Why Tashard doesn't start: All the Choice partisans should look to a play in the 2nd quarter where Choice missed his man coming off the edge. The OLB hit the QB and forced an errant pass. Better consistency on passing downs will get Tashard more overall reps.

-- One position at a time. Robert Brewster looks rough, but less so on the right side. He played a lot at left tackle tonight and made some assignment errors. He completely missed his man on one play, as Choice did, and got Stephen McGee slammed.

-- Some 1st team reps? McGee showed a strong arm, and a more decisive head. He never got into a rhythm, however, because he was running for his life half the time. The right side of his line simply could not contain pressure.

-- Rookie curves: Jamar Wall looked better in the first half, facing the better Bengals receivers. Jordan Palmer picked on the 4th round pick in the second half, completing three passes to Matt Jones, whose odd stride had Wall off-balance.

We'll do this again on Thursday night, folks.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/8/8/1612925/dallas-brings-the-d-cowboys-16

Our worst fears have been confirmed. The MRI results have come in on backup TE John Phillips' right knee and they show a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Before last night's game, the tight end position looked to be one of strength for the Cowboys. Now they will have to adjust accordingly, whether that means keeping an extra fullback or bringing in another TE.

Either way, this is a heavy loss after just the first preseason game. Here's TE coach John Garrett on the news:

"It's disappointing because he was having such a great camp and such a great game," tight ends coach John Garrett said after Sunday night's preseason win.

"But I know one thing: He's got great resolve. He's got great perseverance. If there's anybody going to come back even stronger than he was before, it'll be John Phillips."

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/8/9/1613520/john-phillips-out-for-season

 

GIANTS

It seems the New York Giants offensive and defensive players are getting just a touch tired of each other as Giants Training Camp at the University at Albany has turned a corner into its second week.

This morning there was a skirmish between Chris Snee and Phillip Dillard. Tonight, the testiness continued.

Before I tell you about it, a question. Does it count as a fight when it happens between two guys who are almost certainly not going to make the team? That's because tonight's extra-cirriculars happened when third-team corrner Courtney Brown knocked wide receiver Nyan Boateng to the ground and Boateng went all Kung-Fu on Brown, kicking at him from the seat of his pants. Maybe not Boateng's finest moment. Oh, and a heckuva way to get your first real mention of camp.

A little more significant, though, was that just moments after that two of the Giants big-name players had to be separated. Brandon Jacobs was having words with, I believe, Deon Grant though I am not 100 percent sure it was Grant. Could have been a different defensive back. Anyway, someone had to intervene as an incensed Jacobs was headed after him.

I happened to walk past Jacobs as we were leaving and, though I didn't ask him, he still sounded unhappy.

In general, I think the Giants offense has had enough of the woofing and trash-talking that has been coming from Perry Fewell's defense. Monday night's workout was, to say the least spirited. There was more jawing back and forth between the two units than at any time during camp thus far.

Star-divide

Ramses Barden had a tremendous practice. He has been inconsistent to this point in camp. Monday night, though, he was spectacular.

His best play of the night was a highlight reel leaping grab of a Jim Sorgi pass over an outstretched and also leaping Aaron Ross. Barden used his 6-foot-6 frame to haul in the ball, then held on while tumbling over the prone Ross.

He described the catch to Giants.com.

"The thing about Aaron, he jumps out of the gym," Barden said. "If you saw the play he had the other day when it just missed my hands, he out-jumped me. He timed it a little bit better. The wind carried it maybe, but nah - he made a great play on the ball. That just shows you the kind of athleticism he has, so it's not just a jumping game with him. You kind of have to time it. You kind of have to try to beat him to the punch because if you wait to make it an athletic matchup with Aaron, you know, he's one of the more athletic corners in the league."

Barden had several other catches, including:

* A slant in front of Corey Webster.
* A catch over the middle against Terrell Thomas.
* A nice catch down the middle in-between Thomas and Antrel Rolle.

Here are a few other highlights from the evening practice.

* This was the first practice attended by NFL referees.
* Those refs, by the way, came in handy on a great sideline interception by Ross. He batted a ball from Sorgi intended for Victor Cruz into the air, brought it down and smoothly got both feet in bounds for the pick.
* Mario Manningham and the sideline, by the way, still don't seem to get along. He actually got hollered at by one of the officials for failing to get both feet down on a sideline catch.
* Matt Dodge hit 16 punts during practice. Two were more than 60 yards and five others longer than 50 yards. There were, however, at least two very poor punts mixed in there. This young guy has a world of talent, but unless things change dramatically in the next 5-6 weeks we are going to have to live with some ugly punts on occasion.
* Lawrence Tynes went 6-of-8 on field goal attempts, with his longest being 47 yards. He missed left on kicks of 30 and 33 yards. He is 26-of-29 in camp now.
* Mathias Kiwanuka spent some time at linebacker. He dropped into coverage on one play, stepped into a passing lane and batted away an Eli Manning pass for Barden. It appears that what the Giants are doing is taking a look at a 'heavy' defense with Kiwanuka at one linebacker slot and Chris Canty at end, which would seem to be aimed at stuffing the run.
* Speaking of stuffing the run, second-round draft pick Linval Joseph had a great practice doing just that. He made three solo stops right at the line of scrimmage on runs up the middle.
* Osi Umenyiora got past David Diehl for a would-be sack on one play, and Will Beatty was quickly inserted at left tackle. How the offensive line ends up shaking out is still a work in progress.
* The Giants tried a defensive look with everyone standing, no one in a three-point stance. It featured Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka lined up inside at tackle, with Jason Pierre-Paul and Osi Umenyiora on the outside. They certainly have not been afraid to look at a variety of things thus far.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/9/1614541/giants-training-camp-monday

 

EAGLES

11 on 11's - Thud session - "Thud" sessions are contact, but no tackling...

8:49 - Corner blitz to start the day from Ellis Hobbs, which Jason Peters reads, giving Kolb enough time to get it out quickly to Baskett on the hot route. Baskett can't hang on.

8:50 - Quintin Mikell and Sims sack Kolb on a failed screen attempt. Sims is in there in a blink.

8:51 - Interesting idea here with Daniel Te'o Nesheim. He had lined up at DT, and just before the snap he jumped back into the joker position, the line shifted, and Te'o dropped into coverage.

Star-divide

8:52 - Nice looking TE screen to Celek - Prepare to see a lot of that this year.

8:53 - Brandon Graham 20 yards downfield in coverage.

8:54 - Clay Harbor reception on a quick slant.

8:54 - Trevard Lindley makes a nice read and jumps an out route for an easy pick 6... but he drops it. Nice play, but he's gotta make that catch.

9:02 - Notice that Omar Gaither is in shorts today. He apparently has "ankle inflammation."

9:06 - 1 on 1's - WR's vs. DB's - These are always great...

- Jackson vs. Hobbs - Jackson with a one-handed grab on an in.

- Avant vs. Samuel - Incomplete. Nice coverage.

- Baskett vs. Hanson - Baskett uses his size on a quick slant completion.

- Washington vs. Patterson - Incomplete on an out route.

- Hall vs. Lindley - Incomplete on an out.

- Norwood vs. Mikell - Nice move by Norwood leads to a completion on an in.

- Collins vs. Demps - On a fly route, Collins leaps over Demps' back and makes a really nice grab. Demps: "Nice catch boy!"

- Perry vs. Pope - Perry beats Pope soundly on a deep ball.

- Jackson vs. Allen - Nice test for Allen here, but he really has no shot (just as no other safety in the league would either). Jackson beats Allen deep.

- Cooper vs. Samuel - Cooper uses his size nicely on Samuel and catches a slant.

- Norwood vs. Coleman - Complete on an in.

- Washington vs. Mikell - Incomplete on a deep ball.

- Jackson vs. Hobbs - Complete on an out. Jackson is basically unstoppable in this drill.

- Cooper vs. Samuel - Incomplete on a fly.

9:38 - 5 on 6 - (WR's/RB's/TE's vs. LB's and DB's)

- Seeing the combo of Celek, Harbor, Cooper, and Jackson out there quite a bit. That's an intriguing mix - Jackson keeps the D honest with his threat of the homerun ball, while the 3 bigger, more physical guys create mismatches underneath.

- Harbor with a catch over the middle, takes a shot from Ernie Sims. Bit a cheapy there by Sims. He drilled a defenseless Harbor in the lower back. I hear it suggested that Sims may "just be wired that way." Relax, Big Ern - That's your teammate, bud. The "All Overly-Aggressive for Camp Team" is Ernie Sims, Tracy White, Kurt Coleman, and Daniel Te'o Nesheim."

- Dmitri Patterson picks off Kafka. Patterson is having a really good camp, and there's going to be a tough decision for the Eagles in the defensive backfield. At CB, you figure Asante Samuel, Ellis Hobbs, Joselio Hanson, and Trevard Lindley are locks. At safety, Nate Allen and Quintin Mikell are locks, with Kurt Coleman in great shape. That's 7 spots, with Quintin Demps, Macho Harris (currently out with a hammy), and Dmitri Patterson battling. Can they keep 10 DB's? Doubtful.

- Kolb fires a strike to Jackson between 3 defenders. Kolb looks sharp today.

- Jackson drops a low, McNabb-like ball over the middle. Should have been caught.

- Te'o interestingly getting reps with the linebackers in this drill. Before we jump to conclusions, I don't think this means Te'o will be playing LB. I think they just want to get him some reps in coverage for various exotic schemes they may want to try in which Te'o drops into coverage.

9:52 - Whooooaaa... Bit of a surprise here - We're going live hitting, 11 on 11!

- Kolb with a scramble. DE's have trouble running down Kolb. He has some wheels, and will be far from a statue back there. I certainly don't want to see Kolb make a habit of running, but expect to see him take off on occasion. He's a capable athlete.

- LeSean McCoy with a nice, long 20+ yard run. He continues to impress me.

- Buckley running with the 2's today with Mike Bell out. He's getting a bunch of carries.

- Sack by Akeem Jordan. He was untouched. Mistake there by RT King Dunlap. Vick throws anyway, and hits Clay Harbor for a nice gain. Harbor will contribute this year. He looks good.

- Quintin Demps plants Chad Hall into the ground after a short gain.

- Demps again. He sacks Mike Kafka on a blitz.

- Kolb finds Harbor this time on a rollout.

- Really nice play here by Michael Vick. Play action naked boot to the left. Finds a defender in his face, stops on a dime, and fires a completion over the middle on a pass that;s on the money. Really nicely done. Not too many QB's can make that play.

- Eldra Buckley with the play of the day. He bursts off the right side and gets into the secondary, where he gets a really hard pop from Asante Samuel - It's the loudest crack of the practice. But Buckley absorbs the hit and keeps going. He puts his head down and gets about 14. Nice applause from the appreciative crowd. It's a missed tackle by Samuel, but at least he showed the willingness to stick his nose in there and pop someone.

- Jordan Norwood beats pope on a bomb for a TD

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/8/1612062/eagles-camp-morning-session-august

 

REDSKINS

On Friday night, rookie left tackle Trent Williams will line up for the first time in a competitive NFL game. He thinks he's ready.

Asked to grade himself thus far, Williams on Monday gave himself a B-minus. "Just because I'm hard on myself," he said.

Others who've been watching his progress through training camp would surely grade higher. Teammates and coaches continue to rave about Williams, though Friday's preseason opener against Buffalo will be the best indicator yet as to just how ready the rookie is to hold down the Redskins' starting left tackle spot.

"I'm still learning," he said following Monday's practice. "I'm getting better."

Physically, Williams says he feels comfortable with the jump from college to pros. But when it comes to the mental transition, Williams has had to do his homework.

"The biggest challenge is probably just keeping up with all the schemes we put in every day," he said. "The offensive coordinator and D-coordinator are scheming against each other, so they're throwing all types of different looks against one another. It's a little hard in the beginning, but that's why you got to study your playbook.

"There's so many different schemes to learn," he added. "You've got to learn them just like that. They might go over them once; you've got to pick up on it."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/

 

GIANTS

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Linval Joseph made a quick move inside Mitch Petrus and could see nothing but quarterback. That’s when Petrus reached out and grabbed Joseph. A few plays later, it happened again.

With the officials yet to arrive at Giants training camp, there was no flag and no indication any of the coaches had seen the holds.

But Joseph knows those plays are on film for them to see later, and that an offensive lineman won’t try grasping like that with the refs around.

“That’s just how it goes: I make a move, I’m free, I get held,” Joseph, the Giants’ second-round pick, said Monday.

“I don’t get mad because, in game situations, hopefully they won’t hold me like that. But yeah, I’m starting to make plays and (get) exposure a little bit more.”

Joseph is actually getting tons of exposure right now and is pretty hard to miss.

It began on Saturday night with two stops in the backfield and a sack. It continued Monday morning with Joseph’s shooting into the backfield on consecutive snaps: a tackle for a loss and a sack. After flying past the Giants linemen, Joseph finally was stopped -- by Petrus’ holds.

Petrus, the Giants’ fifth-round pick, has gotten off to an impressive start in camp, so the fact he was beaten a few times was an indication of how much progress Joseph has made in a short period of time.

“I feel pretty good. I’m picking up the plays and making plays,” Joseph said. “The last couple of days just getting used to the pads and getting used to the game speed. Just trying to learn how to use my hands to make more plays because D-linemen have to have great hands.”

* * *

TE Kevin Boss was limited to one practice per day early in camp while he was recovering from ankle surgery. Now, Boss is out entirely with a hamstring injury that resulted from his compensating for the ankle issue. He expects to be sidelined a few more days.

Boss said in June he was glad he opted for surgery. Despite the setbacks, he still believes it was the correct decision.

“I’m still real glad I took care of it now,” he said. “It’s going to be, in the long run, something that’s going to benefit me.”

* * *

C Shaun O’Hara returned to practice for the first time since his ankle swelled after the conditioning test on the first day of camp.

Among the barbs from his teammates was RG Chris Snee’s yelling, “Fresh legs, No. 60!” during warmups.

“Richie (Seubert) was giving me a hard time,” O’Hara said of the starting guard now out with a broken hand, “and we all see how that worked out for him. I think they’ve all backed off since then.”

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/08/giants_defensive_lineman_linva.html

 

GIANTS

Victor Cruz. Victor Cruz. Victor Cruuuuuuuuuuz! I could probably just say 'Kudos' to Cruz this morning, leave it at that and be done. His six-catch, 145-yard, three touchdown performance last night -- including an incredible one-handed grab that turned into a 64-yard score -- was the story of the night.

There were, however, other things to like -- and dislike. so, let's go through them.

Star-divide
Kudos to ...

Gee, where to start?

* Victor Cruz: Hey, Sinorice Moss, if everyone stays healthy your roster spot is officially in serious trouble. As Jon Gruden said after Cruz's third touchdown catch Monday night "This guy's gonna make the football team."

Circus catches. Solid routes. Red zone catches. Yards after the catch. The undrafted rookie free agent from UMass did everything you could ask for last night. Except maybe sell popcorn and break up fights in the stands.

Listen to backup quarterback Jim Sorgi talking about Cruz after throwing two touchdown passes to him.

"Not a long shot no more. He's definitely an NFL player. He's a guy that's going to make plays for you. He knows what he's doing on the field. He's smart. He runs great routes, and he just gets open. You got certain guys in the NFL that just have a knack for getting open, and he's one of those guys.

"Victor has looked tremendous in practice. He's made some great catches from me in practice. He just transferred it to the game field, which is what you've got to do in this league. He's going to be a heck of a player for us."

Cruz is taking nothing for granted.

"I've got to just stay humble, stay grounded and just stay on the right path because nothing is guaranteed in this league. So I've just got to keep grinding, keep putting the work in throughout my entire career. Hopefully I can have a long career and just keep putting in the groundwork and everything will kind of take care of itself."
* Antrel Rolle: Deon Grant and Michael Boley created the tipped ball, but Rolle did what the Giants signed him for during the Giants' first defensive series. He capitalized on an opportunity and came within a yard of a pick six. Let's hope we see a lot of that this season.
* Rhett Bomar: Couple of reasons. First, he played really well during the final quarter. He went 6-for-7 for 67 yards and a touchdown (to Cruz, of course). He also had a 23-yard scramble. The second reason? I may never get to give Bomar 'kudos' again.
* Ahmad Bradshaw: Tremendous moves on the 51-yard catch and run on a shovel pass from Eli Manning. I know it was an improvised play, but the Giants have got to throw Bradshaw the ball in space more often this season.
* Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph: Good debuts for the Giants top two picks. JPP had the only sack of the night, and Joseph had four tackles and did what the Giants drafted him for -- stuffed the run up the middle.
* Gerris Wilkinson: I will give him 'kudos' since he led the team with six tackles. I will say this, though. It is what he should have done since he was probably the most veteran defensive player on the field in the fourth quarter.
* Derek Hagan: Three catches for 42 yards. The guy just continues to catch everything that comes his way.
* Lawrence Tynes: Two touchbacks on kickoffs. Nice. Even if one was a bouncer that went through the end zone. I will take it.

There are probably a few others, but those are the ones who stand out for me.
Wet Willies to ...

* Matt Dodge: The rookie punter averaged 34 yards on five kicks and had one blocked. The block was probably Andre Brown's fault since Brown did an awful job as the protector for Dodge, but it still wasn't good. Dodge did not hit one solid punt all night, and without favorable bounces his 34-yard average could have been a lot worse. He has to do better than that.
* Ramses Barden: Got the start, and a huge opportunity. Then, had the first ball thrown his way -- an easy 5-yard slant -- go right through his hands. Big fella, you have to be more reliable than that -- especially when guys like Cruz and Hagan are making plays.
* Kickoff return team: Every time the Giants had to return a kick you could see by the time the returner (D.J. Ware, Brown, it didn't matter) got to the 15-yard line that he had no chance. How is it that year after year the Giants simply cannot find a way to block for these returns?
* Run game: I was glad to see the Giants stick with the run three straight times with first-and-goal at the one. I'm not happy about Brandon Jacobs ending up with two yards on four carries or Bradshaw getting -1 on three attempts. I know the offensive line is in flux, and I know the Jets have a tremendous defense, but the Giants have to do better than that.

Other Notes

Pretty touch to judge the individual line play. Looked like Will Beatty did OK playing the first half at left tackle. Really nice block by Kareem McKenzie on Jacobs' touchdown run. You probably know by now it took 12 stitches to close the cut on Manning's forehead. Ah, well, he doesn't make his living with his looks anyway. ... Mixed results for Perry Fewell's new first-team defense. A turnover on the first series, but could not get off the field during a 14-play, 68-yard, 8:42 drive by the Jets on the next series. ... Some decent work running the ball by Brown (five carries, 26 yards), but I don't want to see him as the protector on punts again.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/17/1627204/kudos-wet-willies-victor-cruz

 

COWBOYS



1. Phew, it doesn't appear that Dallas suffered any additional serious injuries. After losing a key offensive player Sunday and entering the game missing about a fifth of the roster, a Mike Hamlin neck issue appeared to be the most serious injury. Tony Romo did not return to the field after halftime for most of the third quarter, and there was conjecture that he was feeling one of his four sacks, but the Cowboys denied that he had suffered an injury.

2. The Cowboys can't afford to dump Patrick Crayton. Sam Hurd and Kevin Ogletree are NFL receivers, but Dallas needs Crayton. There is no evidence that Hurd or Ogletree can constently get open or handle physical defenders, so the real depth at receiver is essentially four - and that's counting Roy Williams and a rookie. John Phillips' injury takes away a budding possession option, and Tony Romo does not appear to trust Martellus Bennett just yet. I don't consider Crayton a game breaker, but he is a playmaker in the third receiver role. With one injury to Miles Austin, Williams or Dez Bryant - and Bryant is already missing most of camp - things would get pretty scary without Crayton

3. Jerry Jones said on the radio before the game that unless something big happens (a string of misses?), David Buehler will be the team's kicker in Washington on September 12, and his performance tonight was worthy. He made all three field goals, and his 42 yard long was right down the middle. And boy can he kick off.

Star-divide

4. I'm no expert on offensive line play, but I would be terrified of a scenario that sees Robert Brewster on the field at tackle this season. He's essentially a rookie, so maybe there is development potential in him, but he would be a useless member of the 53-man roster this season. And on a similar note, I'm not sure how you can warrant Pat McQuistan making the roster once again. Give me Sam Young.

5. I will be curious to see how the Cowboys handle the nose tackle position to start the season. Josh Brent can play. His most impressive play tonight was running down Rock Cartwright on a screen 20 yards down field and making a solo tackle, and he made a few other nice plays. What I wonder, though, is whether he has enough junk in his trunk or pure skill to anchor a line this season and give Jay Ratliff some rest. The Raiders were able to turn him several times and really pushed him off of the ball on the 4th down QB sneak. Marcus Spears is an option for NT snaps, but he would have the same issue. Given what the team would like to do at some other positions, it is hard to see them keep three NTs. Siavii was pretty good tonight, himself, with a nice sack and a couple of run stops. He doesn't appear to want to go away quietly, but Brent needs to make this team one way or another. Maybe he can play some end as well?

6. Victor Butler made some plays, including getting to Kyle Boller's arm on a third down, but the young outside linebackers were largely neutralized tonight. Brandon Williams didn't have his name called all night. Leon Williams will want to forget this game. He failed to make an open field tackle in the red zone that would have resulted in a first down, except for Bryan McCann's hustle, and his dropped easy interception late in the game would have iced it.

7. I've got more to say on this later in the week, but I'm just not seeing it with Stephen McGee. If heart, guts, athleticism and care for the ball were the only key ingredients for an NFL QB, he's a great one. And he has delivered some balls this summer, which is good to see. But NFL defenses play at 500 mph, and the talent to handle that pace can't be taught. Better footwork can be, and I have to remind myself that he's still very early in the process and playing behind a line that would make anyone jumpy. But I suspect that he's missing a couple of elements - namely the type of brain that slows the game to a manageable pace and an innate feel for touch - that he will struggle to compensate for, at least on the scale of a starting or high quality backup QB.

8. I was honed in on him when he was in the game, but I did like what Chris Gronkowski did in the game, aside from a dropped pass. One can argue that he should have turned away from the sideline late in the game when the offense was looking to run out the clock on a lead, but there were about five minutes left, and his momentum was all toward the sideline. He made two nice lead blocks that I noted and showed a touch of burst on a five yard run.

http://dallas.sbnation.com/2010/8/12/1620762/some-fairly-obvious-observations-cowboys-loss

 

EAGLES

Well I have to say, this is he first season that I have had DVR, if you don't have it from comcast, it is my crack!

Anyway, the funny part of my evening last night was that I swore I would be watching the young guys play into the 4th qtr, however, a few drinks, some poker, and all of a sudden I didn't get to see the 3rd stringers last night, but DVR saved me by letting me soak in some eagles this morning. AAAANYWAY lets get to the roster that I think the eagles will be moving forward with.

OFFENSE

*QB* (2 Roster Spots - 1 emercency QB)

Kevin Kolb - Loved everything I saw last night, well except his tendency to lock in on one receiver (in the Red Zone in particular). He is our starter, lets move on to some more intriguing roster spots.

Mike Vick - He looked unstoppable against 2nd stringers, and then like a complete fool against 2nd stringers as well. I think this is what we can expect, high highs and low lows, it is Mike Vick after all, takes your breath away and in the next moment makes you so angry you breath fire.

Kafka - Played well, crisp passes on time, the recievers dropped some, but I think he calmed me a bit because he appears to play within his abilities. His arm isn't the strongest, but he doesn't try and overthrow his own distance, he keeps his passes crisp and about 15-20 yrds down the field, which he can do very well.

*FB* (1 roster spot - 1 practice squad)

Weaver - Roster spot locked UP! I love the weave, not gonna lie, and I think everyone knows having a weapon at FB is just silly sometimes because there is always a safety valve.

Charles Scott - I don't think he will make this squad, but as a practice squad player, it is a shame because I really liked the pick at the time, however with Weaver on the field he won't see any time. He did have a strong block on Mallett's TD, however it is a numbers game, and I think keeping another healthy RB on your practice squad is important, and his versatility makes him an ideal PS player.

*RB* (3 roster spots)

LeSean McCoy - YUP BGN fantasy players, you know you wish you drafted him, but I did, let the gloating start. He looked strong, efficient and confident last night. While some of his cuts were questionable (missed a few holes when running, and got stuck behind linemen a few times) but overall he will be a focal point of this team.

Martellus Mallett - He lookes like he can find those holes in the interior of the line, these skills are sometimes only visible in game time and not obvious during practice. The guy has a nose for open space and wriggling through the line, kind of reminds me of Tiki Barber. The HAMMER should make this squad.

Mike Bell - He didn't play, but they paid the man, so he will probably make the team.

*TE* (3 Roster Spots)

Brent Celek - C'MON MAN! CATCH THE BALL! He did seem to have a few drops, which was disconcerning, however it was just preseason, if he can wrangle in those balls during the real season our offense will be potent!

Ingram/Harbor - Please correct me if I am wrong, but I didn't see either of these guys make a play all night. I actually think they both make the team as TE is always a priority in a west coast offense.

*WR* (5 Roster spots)

DeSean Jackson - Did anyone give that Jaguar defender his shoes back after DeSean juked him out of them on the End Around?

Jeremy Maclin - People love this guy, and I think he showed why tonight, he is the total package, vertical speed, hands and good route running.

Avant - Hey, if the CB depth is so horrible, why not let Avant play CB? He saved an INT by playing defense in the redzone, Kolb has to be thankful for that.

Riley Cooper - Why did I point this guy out to my girlfriend? Sigh, sure he is dreamy, but he also has great range, good hands and seems to watch the ball into his hands. Give him a roster spot.

Chad Hall - Looked more than capable in the return game and seemed to be picking up playing WR. Also as a change of pace RB he could be effective, he did take a nice run outside for us, and caught a couple of passes.

*O Line* (9 roster spots)

Overall the line looked better than I thought, although they didn't play that long, and I would like to see more from them, I think a major concern of ours was put to rest last night.

Peters, Herremans, Cole, Andrews, and Justice all have roster spots locked down. McGlynn impressed me! I think we should stick with him at center, to just keep up some consistency and I think Cole would best fit this team as a Jack of all trades, emergency player as a guard most likely since I have questions about Herremans and Andrews.

Austin Howard looked like a man among boys, BEASTLY! I suppose we will also keep AQ Shipley because of injuries at Center, and the thin interior lineman depth. Probably keep King Dunlap and cut Max Jean Gilles.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/14/1623067/hungover-offensive-roster-analysis

 

REDSKINS

The team's long-suffering fans, however, are eager for anything positive after last season's stunning debacle, and Shanahan and McNabb helped the new regime get off to a good start in a 42-17 rout of the Buffalo Bills. The Redskins eclipsed the previous record of 41 points in a preseason opener, and McNabb got them started.

"There's a lot of things you can take out of preseason," said McNabb, who played two series and threw a short touchdown pass late in the first quarter. "Obviously, we know wins and losses don't mean anything. But as far as confidence is concerned, in our case, obviously, with a new coach, new quarterback, new schemes, it plays a major part.

"Not to be overconfident. Obviously, we didn't look at the scoreboard and get too excited. That's not the type of team that we have. We know we made some mistakes and [there are] things we need to correct. But, obviously, winning the game and being able to score some points is big for us."

In front of an announced crowd of 69,578, the Redskins dominated the Bills in Washington's return to its home field for the first time since a major offseason makeover in Ashburn. Owner Daniel Snyder hired Shanahan and gave him control of the football operation, and also brought in General Manager Bruce Allen to work with Shanahan. But it was the arrival of the Pro Bowl quarterback, acquired in a surprising Easter trade with the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles, that most energized the fan base.

"It's a first step," Shanahan said. "We've got a long ways to go, but you always want to find a way to win the football game and I was happy we did that. I thought we did some good things during the game. There's some pluses and obviously some minuses and we'll grow from there."

Coming off a 4-12 season, the Redskins have turned to Shanahan and McNabb to help restore the once-successful organization to prominence. Their initial steps Friday against the Bills, who went 6-10 in the 2009 season, would seem to have stirred optimism.

Although not particularly sharp early in training camp, McNabb has improved recently while working with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and becoming more comfortable in the West Coast scheme. Scheduled to participate in a maximum of 18 plays, McNabb was in for 17.

McNabb, beginning his 12th season, helped the first-team offense take a 7-3 lead with 1 minute 40 seconds left in the first quarter when he teamed with wide receiver Anthony Armstrong on a four-yard touchdown pass. Television replays appeared to show that the ball did not reach the goal line, but the Bills did not challenge the call and the Redskins had their first touchdown.

"From the moment we got Donovan, I think everybody realized what he would bring to our team," said wideout Devin Thomas, who rebounded from a shaky start on special teams in a strong performance that included a 44-yard touchdown reception from backup quarterback Rex Grossman.

"Donovan is a great player and he's also a great leader. It doesn't matter if it's a preseason game, you know he's going to go out there and do the things we need him to do."

McNabb seems to be developing a good rapport with tight end Chris Cooley, who sat out the remainder of the 2009 season after fracturing his ankle in Week 7. With Cooley fully recovered, the Shanahans have big plans for the Pro Bowler and emerging third-year tight end Fred Davis, who caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Grossman.

Cooley, as he has done throughout his impressive career with Washington, worked the middle of the field and caught three passes from McNabb for 33 yards, including a long gain of 19 yards. The play put the Redskins on the Bills 10-yard line. Three plays later, McNabb and Armstrong connected for the score. Overall, McNabb completed five of eight passes for 58 yards with the touchdown. He had a quarterback rating of 124.0.

Rookie left tackle Trent Williams impressed as well in his debut. Williams, the fourth overall pick in the draft, displayed excellent strength, footwork and technique.

"It felt good," Williams said. "I had to settle myself down. I was so nervous. I was gassed after three plays."

Grossman continued to solidify his already strong standing on the roster, completing 61 percent of his passes for a game-high 140 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 122.5 passer rating.

In third quarter, Grossman's second touchdown came on a deep pass down the middle to Thomas that covered 44 yards. A starter last season, Thomas is trying to make a long climb up the depth chart.

Thomas muffed the game's opening kickoff but the Redskins recovered the ball. Rookie wideout/return specialist Brandon Banks had a 77-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third as the Redskins broke open the game.

"I can't say it surprised me at all, just the way he's played - not necessarily as a returner, but watching him at wide receiver," Shanahan said of Banks. "He consistently makes plays. He's got great speed, which was evident today. He has cutting ability. He's got excellent hands. It's nice to see him go out there and make a play."

Young running backs Ryan Torain (17 rushes, 62 yards) and Keiland Williams (11 carries, 51 yards and two touchdowns) fared well after following top back Clinton Portis (six carries, 22 yards). Veterans Larry Johnson and Willie Parker sat out by design, Shanahan said, and will have larger roles in the next preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Under the direction of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, the new 3-4 defense showed promise. In the first, top cornerback DeAngelo Hall made a nifty play, intercepting a pass and returning the ball 33 yards down the left sideline to the Bills 1-yard line, which set up the Redskins' second touchdown.

Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth entered the game with 8 minutes 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter. For most of his appearance, Haynesworth played nose tackle.

"We're just getting started but we did some good things out there as a defense," outside linebacker Andre Carter said. "Now, we have to look at it on film and just keep building and getting better."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/13/AR2010081306806.html

There were a lot of questions surrounding the 2010 Washington Redskins entering Friday night's exhibition opener. Would Albert Haynesworth last an entire series? Who would step up in the wide-open wide receiver race? How would Donovan McNabb perform in burgundy and gold, and most important, would he have time to show us?

It's no secret that in a 2009 season full of problems, the biggest was the offensive line. Quarterback Jason Campbell at times looked like a duck in a carnival shooting gallery, running sideways (or backwards) while desperately trying to elude defensive fire. The line was what many Redskins fans thought needed the most offseason attention, and the area that most feared would not get it. You don't make a big splash on the free agent market by signing offensive linemen.

But the Redskins instead made their seasonal splash by signing McNabb, then got busy building a wall in front of him. They resisted all the medium-rare quarterbacks available in the draft, the flashy wide receivers, all the temptations of old, and picked left tackle Trent Williams out of Oklahoma with their top pick. They also replaced the right side of the line, trading for tackle Jammal Brown and signing guard Artis Hicks as an unrestricted free agent. Only left guard Derrick Dockery and center Casey Rabach remain from last season's starting line.

And they didn't stop there. They also bolstered the pool of backups, signing Kory Lichtensteiger and Clint Oldenburg and drafting Selvish Capers and Erik Cook. With returning veterans Edwin Williams, Will Robinson, Chad Rinehart and Stephon Heyer, the line is unquestionably deeper than a year ago, when injuries meant the weekly lineups were like snowflakes: No two were alike.

"Now that we have some depth we don't have to worry about somebody getting hurt, we have somebody who can come in," fullback Mike Sellers said.

And yet Sellers and the linemen say that the more important change is not to the roster, but to the system. A new blocking scheme is the reason there were holes for running backs Clinton Portis (22 yards), Ryan Torain (62) and rookie Keiland Williams (51)on Friday night. It's the reason McNabb and backup Rex Grossman had time to check more than one receiver and spent no time on their backsides.

"We've got a whole new blocking scheme that we put in this year under [offensive coordinator] Kyle Shanahan and [offensive line coach] Chris Foerster," said Rabach, who admitted that what we saw of the playbook Friday night was "vanilla."

"We really like it. There were some growing pains, obviously, with it but it's really coming along. Obviously we've got a ways to go yet. We really do."

True. The Redskins were 4-12 last season; you don't recover from that with one preseason win over a team that was 6-10 a year ago. There are still question marks after Friday's game, no doubt, and Brown has yet to play. One that seems to have been answered, however: Trent Williams was absolutely the right draft choice. He looked like a rookie at times - he was flagged for an illegal-formation penalty in the second quarter - and admitted he was "gassed" after three plays, but his mistakes were few.

"I thought he did a good job," Coach Mike Shanahan said. "It is hard to say for sure until I look at the film. He had one penalty in there, that one dump that he had called back. We had him lining up too far in the backfield, but I am very pleased for the first game."

"That's typical for a rookie," Sellers said of the errors, "but he's playing like a vet and he doesn't let anybody intimidate him and that's what we appreciate the most."

In their first series of the second quarter, with a 14-3 lead, the Redskins ran three times in 10 plays - all to Trent Williams's side of the line. The gains were not spectacular - one and 15 yards by Torain, six yards by Williams - but Grossman was able to mix the running and passing game in a way that seldom came together a year ago. The result was a nine-yard touchdown to Fred Davis that gave the Redskins a 21-3 lead and their first comfortable margin in a long, long time.

"To be a first game for a rookie . . . I think he did a great job," Hicks said. "We're all still out there chasing that perfect game but I think that was a great start for him. He's got so much potential, I think the sky's the limit for this young kid. He's going to be the future for these left tackles for the next few years."

There is much work to be done. Hicks pointed out that only Dockery and Rabach had played next to each other before Friday night's game. "Just building the chemistry is probably the biggest thing we have to do and that's going to come with repetitions and us playing together," he said.

Hicks isn't worried about overconfidence, either. It's one win in the preseason, and while it feels good, it doesn't count for much more than giving the players and fans a bit of a glow. For the players, that will last until they get back on the practice field, where they'll find out all the things they did wrong. And that's okay with Hicks.

"If you're very critical of yourself, you're harder on yourself after a win," he said. "It's easier to come in when everyone's high-fiving you and patting you on the back and say, 'I had the best game in the world.' If you're hard on yourself you'll break yourself down even moreso after a win than a loss."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...0/08/14/AR2010081402755.html?waporef=obinsite

 

GIANTS

Meet your new starting quarterback for the New York Giants ... Rhett Bomar. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is Bomar Time!

Bomar is the only healthy quarterback the Giants have heading into Saturday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bomar was the only quarterback practicing Wednesday afternoon for the Giants, and he may be the only one cleared to play Saturday night.

We know about Eli Manning and the famous 'Cut,' which, incidentally, Manning refused to show off on Wednesday. He wore a baseball cap which covered his stitched up forehead during a media interview early in the day and during practice later in the day. Coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday Eli will not play Saturday. Backup Jim Sorgi apparently has a shoulder injury -- possibly the same shoulder he hurt last season. He was non-committal when asked if he could play Saturday. He did absolutely no throwing during Wednesday afternoon's workout at the University at Albany. Coughlin was uncertain about his status, according to reports.

So, Wednesday was Bomar Time during Giants Training Camp. Manning said he expects to practice Thursday, but didn't seem likely to play. Wearing a helmet is an issue as it would rub on his stitches. So, Bomar Time is likely to extend right through Saturday evening against the Steelers.

Prior to practice Wednesday, Bomar was besieged by the media, to the point where he had to climb the podium generally reserved for players the media most wants to speak with. Telling because I think it might be the first time in the entire camp anyone has spoken to Bomar.

Star-divide

"I need all the reps I can get," Bomar said. "Getting more reps this training camp than last year, but still limited. all the reps I can take I'm happy to take 'em."

Bomar went 6-for-7 Monday night against the Jets for 67 yards and one touchdown. He also had a 22-yard scramble.

"I felt comfortable out there. It was fun to get out there and play again after a year," Bomar said.

Bomar is looking forward to the additional playing time he appears likely to get Saturday.

"It's my opportunity to show the coaches what I have," Bomar said. "I have to be ready to produce when I go out there."

Bomar spent most of 2009 on the practice squad, and was active for the final regular season game. He says the year of experience and study has left him more prepared.

"I feel like I'm more comfortable in this offense this year, making smarter decisions, and I feel like I can make the throws," Bomar said. "It's night and day. When you look at this offense, it's not easy and there's a lot of stuff on the quarterback.

"I'm still learning. My second year in the system, last year your head is spinning a little bit. This year it's a lot different."
Practice Notes

* Many of the Giants' injured players were back in action. Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum, Tim Brown among them. Sitting out were Manning, Sorgi, Chris Snee, Michael Johnson, Jerome Johnson and Jake Ballard.
* The Giants did a lot of shuffling with their outside linebackers Wednesday. Rookie Phillip Dillard took several steps on the strong side with the first unit, and veteran Gerris Wilkinson also got a couple. Wilkinson even stepped up and made a nice run stop on a stretch play for Brandon Jacobs, shedding a block from Boss. This is purely speculation on my part, but you have to wonder if this is a sign that the Giants are unhappy with the progress of second-year linebacker Clint Sintim.
* Two interceptions (of Bomar, of course) by middle linebacker Jonathan Goff. One came on a deflection at the line of scrimmage. The other came on a bad throw by Bomar, who simply did not read the coverage properly and threw an underneath route for Mario Manningham right into Goff's arms. With every passing day, you have to begin to think Goff actually has a real chance to hold off Keith Bulluck for the starting middle linebacker job. Goff is playing well, no doubt about that. Personally, I figured by now Bulluck would be running with the first unit, but that has not happened yet.
* Matt Dodge hit eight punts during practice, and was all over the map. Three beautiful 50+ yard punts with good hang time, two awful punts of less than 40 yards and three punts with decent distance and no hang time whatsoever.

Back in the morning with more.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/18/1630178/giants-training-camp-its-bomar-time

 

REDSKINS

There would seem to be no more innocuous occurrence at Washington Redskins training camp than what happened here shortly after 8:30 a.m. Monday. Donovan McNabb, the starting quarterback wearing a yellow jersey, dropped back under a gray sky and hit Terrence Austin, then Bobby Wade, then Anthony Armstrong. No defensive backs were in sight, and such a skeleton drill is as basic a training camp endeavor as there is.

Then, there is the matter of how the head coach sees such a pursuit.

"Everything has been charted out," Mike Shanahan said. "Every drop, catch. We look at everything."

Cancel that innocuousness, then, because if you are Austin or Wade or Armstrong or any of the seven other receivers on the field for Redskins workouts this week, each of those drills is being parsed, and each one matters. With only one preseason game gone by and three more ahead, there is sorting out to do in much of Shanahan's first Redskins team. But the outcome at wide receiver, where veteran Santana Moss is in and anybody else could - potentially - be out, may be most perplexing of all.

Thus, when Roydell Williams - a veteran trying to make it back into the NFL after two years interrupted by injury - entered last week's preseason opener against Buffalo, he did so as a second-stringer, because he had performed well in training camp and throughout off-season drills. When he walked off the practice field Monday - after Armstrong caught a touchdown pass against the Bills, after Austin made two catches and fellow rookie Brandon Banks returned a punt for a touchdown - Williams was listed with the fourth team.

"I think I need to prove myself," Williams said.

That makes him no different than anyone else who shows up for work trying to catch passes in Ashburn. Moss, by virtue of his preparation and past performance - 500 career receptions in nine NFL seasons, including 349 in his five years with the Redskins - will make the team and almost certainly start. So the fact that he was the target of just one pass against Buffalo is the lone stat from that game that can be forgotten.

Everything else is important. Joey Galloway, the 38-year-old, 15-year veteran who - for now - is the starter opposite Moss, had only one opportunity for a catch, on a deep sideline route that McNabb overthrew, and enters the second preseason game still looking to impress. Bobby Wade, a seven-year veteran who said this week, "You never know if this is going to be your last year, last opportunity," was the target of seven passes, but made only two catches.

Williams caught one pass - and made a nice move afterward, picking up 21 yards - but couldn't corral the other two balls that came his way, including an outright drop on third down of the Redskins' first series.

"Look at the group we have here," Moss said earlier in camp. "There's guys pushing each other all over the place, guys with experience, younger guys. We got lots to offer."

But when final cuts are made, only five - or maybe six - will be doing the offering. Mike Furrey, a veteran signed during the offseason, has been out of practice with a concussion and appears to be the longest shot to make the team.

Third-year wide receiver Malcolm Kelly has practiced just one day of training camp because of a hamstring problem, and as Shanahan said Monday, "Obviously, if you can't practice, he can't show me anything." Devin Thomas, another third-year player, has been relegated to the third team, but he used three catches against the Bills, including a 44-yard touchdown reception, to reestablish himself to some degree.

Given the opportunity, some of the players with less-than-sexy backgrounds - those who weren't drafted (Banks, Armstrong), or were drafted late (Austin) - have stepped in and excelled, even when their thought could be, as they return to their hotel rooms after another exhausting day: "Will I make the team?" Shanahan has repeatedly praised the 5-foot-7 Banks as a receiver in practice. Armstrong caught McNabb's only touchdown pass against Buffalo, a laser-like four-yarder he juggled into his arms in traffic.

"He didn't blink," offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said.

In such a tightly monitored evaluation process, that counts. So does attitude.

"I know there's limited spots," said Austin, a seventh-round pick out of UCLA in the 2010 draft who wears a yellow rubber bracelet that says, simply, "Play Hard." "But I just try to be optimistic about everything, and I just love the game, so I'm not going to think about the other stuff. If I make a mistake, I suck it up. I don't go home like, 'Dang, man, I dropped the ball today. I wonder what Coach is thinking.' I never think like that. You can't afford to."

Austin said this Monday as he held Galloway's pads, which the rookie had to lug off the field. The group, which ranges in age from the literally gray-bearded Galloway to the 21-year-old Austin, tries to remain close. Receivers frequently leave the field together - or with new receivers coach Keenan McCardell, who played 16 years in the NFL as a receiver himself - discussing plays and routes.

But there is an inescapable reality in the situation, too, one encapsulated in Shanahan's "we look at everything" mantra, reflected by the video cameras stationed on cranes high above the practice fields, monitoring every move. These 10 receivers - 11, counting Furrey - might be teammates today, but at least four of those 10 will be out of a job before the preseason ends. How can they handle those opposing pulls, helping a guy who might take their job?

"Some guys, even if someone's trying to beat them out, they'll help them a ton," Kyle Shanahan said. "They can't help it. That's who they are. Some guys aren't going to give everybody their secrets. But if they put it out there, even if they don't give the secrets, they show their secrets by doing what they do, and a coach just says, 'Hey, watch this guy. This is how you can get it done.' "

From Mike Shanahan's standpoint, getting it done is all that matters. The next opportunity to prove that comes Tuesday morning, when McNabb and the other quarterbacks will again drop back to zip passes to their receivers. Each will drop a ball at his own peril, because someone's always watching, and every pass counts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081604933_2.html?sub=AR

 

COWBOYS

The Dallas Cowboys came out in shorts and helmets for their second practice of the day, which is probably a good thing considering the recent injuries. The early part of practice was spent on punt coverage and punt returns. Catching punts during the drills were Kevin Ogletree, Jamar Wall, AOA, Patrick Crayton and Terence Newman. AOA was having issues with the sun and missed a couple. Meanwhile, Mat McBriar was having a solid day with a couple of extremely good punts. Just what you'd expect from the Cowboys stud punter.

The next part of practice was spent in position drills and these went on for an extended period. Nothing special to report from this period of practice, just your standard drills.

Star-divide

After a break, the team came together for 11-on-11. These sessions were very pass-heavy, and with no real pass rush because of no pads, the offense definitely had the advantage. In some ways these kind of sessions feel more like a 7-on-7 drill.

Tony Romo was sharp again this afternoon, although most of the plays were short to intermediate passes. In the first period before a break, Romo was 7 for 9 with two runs mixed in. Some highlights included a beautiful deep out to Ogletree, a nice out to Miles Austin and a checkdown to Marion Barber that left the running back in wide open space for a huge gain. Jon Kitna had a couple of good passes himself when he hit Ogletree and connected with Sam Hurd, both along the sidelines on out patterns.

The next go-around Romo was 6 for 9, again making use of Ogletree and and a couple to Crayton. Also, he connected with Roy Williams on a planned roll-out. Bryan McCann had a nice break-up of a pass intended for Ogletree on a deep out and AOA made a good read on a screen to Austin. Kitna made a nice throw and Crayton completed the play with a good catch over the outstretched hands of Orlando Scandrick.

After another break they placed the ball on the two-yard line and made the offense go the length of the field. They were doing down-and-distance, sort of, but they kept cheating to move the ball down the field. Romo started with a Marion Barber run, which included a nice cutback by the Barbarian. Next, he threw a pass in the flats to MB3 but Sean Lee was all over him for the tackle. Romo threw another short one to MB3, hit Bennett on a hitch pattern (Bennett was lined up wide as a receiver), then Felix Jones had an OK run. The next play was a pass in the flats to Felix who had tons of room in front of him. The next play was the play-of-the-day when Romo threw a pass, approximately 30 yards, to Hurd who made a leaping catching and hauled it in for a TD. Romo ran a few more plays including a run, a short pass to Witten with Lee right on him, then a swing pass to Felix who caught the ball, fell down, but still managed to roll into the endzone.

Kitna got his turn and had a few runs mixed in with passes to Hurd twice, who managed to lose Scandrick on both plays. On another pass Mike Jenkins got his hand on the ball to break-up the pass, and the rebound went right to Bradie James for an interception. Stephen McGee's session was highlighted by catches from Terrell Hudgins, who always seems to make plays when he's in there with McGee. AOA had a nice break-up of a pass during this session. BTW, they are playing AOA a lot as a slot corner in the week I've been here.

Not a terribly exciting practice, but Romo looked sharp again and the offense seems to be hitting it's stride.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/8/18/1630542/cowboys-training-camp-report

 

EAGLES

BETHLEHEM - Little something different for Brandon Graham yesterday. The Eagles' first-round rookie defensive end took some snaps inside - as the pass-rushing tackle, the spot Darren Howard filled the past few seasons.

Not a bad fit for Graham, who is a bit of a stubby d-end. He weighs 278 pounds, and is about an inch shorter than his listed 6-2.

"We talked about it a long time ago, and we finally just did it today," Graham said afterward. He added that he thinks he'll get some snaps inside Friday night in Cincinnati , when the Eagles take the field for their second preseason game. "I like that it's always one-on-one, especially if I'm at a three-technique," lining up on the guard' shoulder.

"I don't really have a problem with it; I'm going to get closer to the quarterback, being inside."

Tight spot for Marty?

For the second week in a row, Marty Mornhinweg dampened the ardor over rookie Clay Harbor's strong camp by hinting he might want someone who's more of a veteran in the backup tight end mix with Harbor and Cornelius Ingram, someone who isn't here yet (but could be when rosters get trimmed across the league. And yeah, we know Nate Lawrie is still here).

Asked about his comfort level with Harbor as his No. 2 tight end, Mornhinweg said: "Well, I just don't feel comfortable going there quite yet. He has a long way to go. He's had a terrific camp up to date, and we just talked about him, he's a tough, physical guy that will hit you. So, he's got a chance to progress, and he's progressed very quickly. Now, there's a long way to go to be in a regular-season game and be effective. So, there's his challenge, and he's got a great opportunity right in front of him."

Ingram, by the way, was a partial participant yesterday because of that knee/calf fluid thing that has bothered him. Still some time to go before the Sept. 12 season opener, but it's really hard to envision Ingram being ready to contribute right now.

Ingram would be ineligible for the physically unable to perform list when the season starts, because he wasn't on it when camp started. Victor Abiamiri would be eligible for regular-season PUP, since he started camp on the list and has not been taken off. Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson have been taken off PUP, so they can't go back on. A player who started the season on PUP would have 6 weeks to rehab without counting against the 53-man roster limit. Then there would be a 3-week window where he could be activated.


Protégé LeSean McCoy said he had been communicating with Brian Westbrook and was not surprised to hear he'd signed with the 49ers. The Eagles released Westbrook this year after eight seasons.

"I can't wait" to play Westbrook and the 49ers, Oct. 10 in San Francisco, McCoy said. "I'm going to give him a big hug.

"Since Day 1, he's embraced me with open arms . . . teaching me things, treating me like a little brother. A couple times I stayed out at his house, on his couch."


Birdseed



Best illness excuse ever, from Ellis Hobbs as he exited the field house following the afternoon workout, which he skipped, along with the morning workout: "Bad cereal" . . . Hobbs' fellow starting corner, Asante Samuel , left late in the morning practice with what the Eagles said was a hamstring injury. A team source said the injury isn't considered serious. Samuel didn't seem concerned when he left for lunch; he was wearing no ice bags and wasn't visibly taped. "I'm gettin' too old for this!" he exclaimed, presumably referring to two-a-days . . . After a brief, nonpublic practice this morning, the Birds again bid farewell to Lehigh, but they will return in 2011, general manager Howie Roseman said. Of course, an NFL lockout could intercede.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports..._rookie_defensive_end_Graham_goes_inside.html

 

GIANTS

In Albany, N.Y., on the campus of the University at Albany. (Every year I come here, and every year I say I'm going to find someone who can tell me why it's the "University at Albany'' and not the "University of Albany.'') While I'm at it, the athletic facilities are fine here, but it's one of the most depressing campuses I've been on. It looks like a high-rise office park. It's impossible to tell one tall white personality-less building from the other, and every year, I've got to ask six people directions to the same place where the media gathers and the players eat.
Three Observations

1. Regarding the change in defensive coordinators from Bill Sheridan to Perry Fewell, can you say, "breath of fresh air?'' Talked to Osi Umenyiora (I think he still has Sheridan's shoeprint on the back of his pants) and Justin Tuck, and both feel Fewell's strength will be analyzing strengths and weakness of every player and putting them in the best position to make plays. Even if that means making Umenyiora not an every-down players (I do expect him to start off playing first down, but that may change), Fewell won't be afraid to make the changes he thinks he needs to make.

2. I've always said Tom Coughlin is one of the four or five coaches I'd want to play for if I were a free-agent trying to make an NFL roster. He goes by what he sees. That's why I think Victor Cruz will break into a deep receiver group somehow -- even if it means cutting a vet with promise like Sinorice Moss. Then again, haven't we been writing about Moss as a promising player for five camps now?

3. Chris Canty, a waste last year because of injury, knows he's vital to the success of the Giants front. He's healthy, coming off a strong offseason, and I expect him to be a 70-percent-of-the-snaps player all over the front four.
New Face, New Place

I call the Antrel Rolle acquisition the "C.C. Brown Memorial Signing,'' because it's obvious the Giants were sick of injuries (Kenny Phillips especially) and marginal players (like Brown) manning the safety spot for them. Rolle, the ex-Cardinal, has had an active camp -- he picked a pass off the day I was there -- and the Giants hope to pair him with Phillips if the latter is able; Phillips is coming off knee microfracture surgery, and they don't sell insurance for that kind of injury. Rolle looks slim for a safety. Still looks like he could play corner, the position he played 'til moving as a Cardinal in 2008. He moves very well, obviously, and will be a center fielder on the back line. He'd better be, for $5.4 million a year.
Rookie Report

Defensive tackle Linval Joseph is the most impressive draft choice in camp. The Giants had good depth on the line already, but they had Joseph, the 320-pound space-eater from East Carolina, rated so high in the draft that they honored their board and added him to the mix. He's shown more quickness than some in the organization thought he had. I expect him to be a solid member of the eight-man defensive-line rotation.
Memorable Image

The sight of Vinny DiTrani of The (Bergen) Record typing away in the press room in Indian Quad. DiTrani, 65, one of the most respected football beat men in the country, is retiring at the end of the season after 43 years at the paper, 33 covering the Giants. Now, DiTrani was a veteran scribe when I joined the Giants' beat in 1985 at age 28. In those days, I surveyed the scene of the 15 or so regulars on the beat and quickly determined DiTrani was the most knowledgeable and commanded the most respect from the players and coaches. Bill Parcells called him "The Sage,'' and he made sure he read DiTrani's story in the paper as a matter of habit daily. DiTrani was one of the first beat guys I knew who watched gametape every Monday, over and over, to determine how every starter and sub on the Giants played. Of all the local NFL writers I've worked alongside, there's no one I respect more. That's why I'll be sure to bookmark The Record's site this year and read him for one last season.
On the Menu

There's a lot of good training-table food in the NFL. I didn't go to Cleveland this year, but the Browns cook nearly everything to order with four-star chefs. But in terms of the best cafeterias serving the most well-round good food, no team can touch the Giants. The choices, the quality, the depth of good food is unsurpassed in the league. Today, at the pasta bar, I had penne with marinara and barely cooked yellow squash, broccoli and zucchini mixed him. Superb. Grade: A.
Parting Shots

1. Wouldn't be surprised to see Ahmad Bradshaw (4.8 yards per carry on 163 rushes last year) exceed or come very close to the number of carries for Brandon Jacobs (3.7, 224). If Bradshaw stays healthy, they'll feed him more.

2. Defensive end Dave Tollefson had such a good offseason and is having such a good summer in camp that the Giants are going to have to find snaps for him in the line rotation.

3. The Giants want 2009 second-round pick Will Beatty to push, and perhaps replace, David Diehl at left tackle. But I don't think Beatty is ready. Diehl might not be the athlete Beatty is, but he's more reliable, and by the end of camp, my money's on Diehl to hold off Beatty -- for this year anyway.

4. Giants have been very beat up in camp. All three interior offensive linemen were hurt the day I saw them, along with every tight end but Bear Pascoe (what a great name for a tight end -- or for any NFL position, for that matter). Eli Manning was rendered nearly headless the other night against the Jets. It's been a very frustrating camp for Tom Coughlin.

5. Everyone in camp loves Ramses Barden's potential, and how the 6-6 receiver from Cal Poly goes up for the ball so physically and athletically. If you've got a slot on your fantasy team for a breakout receiver, and Barden's there in the later rounds, go for him.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...postcard/index.html?eref=sircrc#ixzz0x5v34C5Q

 

REDSKINS

Throughout his rookie season, Brian Orakpo always said the right thing. Regardless of the week or the circumstances, anyone who asked was told how satisfied Orakpo was with his role in the defense.

But the change that swept through Redskins Park in the offseason didn't miss Orakpo. He revealed that moving to linebacker and playing so much pass coverage in Greg Blache's defense wasn't always ideal.

"Obviously, I'm [a defensive] end. I was a D-end out of college and all I did was rush the passer. Coming to a new scheme, I'm gonna do what the coaches ask, but I wanted to rush the passer a little bit more," said Orakpo, who had 11 sacks in 2009, almost all from the defensive end spot.

He's still a linebacker this season, but he'll be rushing the quarterback a lot more - perhaps as much as three times more than a year ago, according to Jim Haslett, Washington's defensive coordinator.

The change in Orakpo's duties illustrates how coaches want the new-look 3-4 scheme to operate; in short, more aggressively, providing more pressure and creating more turnovers.

The team's first-string defense will get a welcome challenge Saturday night, when the Baltimore Ravens travel down Interstate 95 to visit the Redskins. The Ravens bring a formidable offense that will provide a good measuring stick for Washington coaches.

Last week's preseason opponent, the Buffalo Bills, fielded the league's 30th-ranked offense in 2009. By comparison, the Ravens had the 13th-best offense in the NFL a season ago and the league's fifth-ranked running game.

"Most definitely, it's a way better challenge," said cornerback Carlos Rogers. "We're still kind of vanilla with our calls, but the wide receivers and things we got to [cover], we got a challenge outside, along with the linemen and linebackers. They got a powerful run game. . . . So it's going to be a test just coming out there playing on pure strength and natural ability."

The Redskins are expected to give their starting defensive players about 30 snaps, which will be a much heavier workload than they had in the first preseason game. It should keep the starters on the field into the second quarter. Not surprisingly, the only question among the top defensive players concerns lineman Albert Haynesworth, who's still lining up with the second unit.

Haynesworth missed the team's final three full practices of training camp this week with an illness. Coach Mike Shanahan had a different explanation each day, and on Thursday said it was a headache that kept Haynesworth from practicing.

But team sources say Haynesworth felt better on Friday and would be ready to play against the Ravens.

Though he missed 13 of the team's 18 full practice sessions in training camp, Haynesworth has mostly lined up as the second-string nose tackle. He took snaps as a first-string defensive tackle in nickel situations. Against the Ravens, he is also expected to play at right defensive end.

Haynesworth said following the Bills game that he has learned to appreciate Haslett's 3-4 defense, and it didn't take too long to pick up.

While the Redskins' offensive players note that they're still adjusting to their scheme, several defensive players say they've felt comfortable with Haslett's 3-4 since the team's final minicamp in June. Players reported for training camp on July 29 and defensive players have been fine-tuning their technique and honing their understanding of their new assignments.

Defensive end Phillip Daniels said the group would be ready if Saturday's game was actually Week 1 of the regular season, but he acknowledged that there's still some value to a mostly-forgettable preseason game.

"Some things we're still probably confused on here or there," Daniels said, "but for the most part, I think guys are comfortable."

While coaches are happy with the progress the defense has made, defensive end Kedric Golston said it's all still a "work in progress."

"No matter where we're at, we've still got to come out here and continue to get better each and every day," he said. "We're still young and in the infancy process of this defense."

Buffalo tallied only 293 yards and committed three turnovers against a defensive approach that Redskins players described as "vanilla." Haslett said he's not planning to pull any more tricks out of his pocket for the Ravens. Even though Baltimore's offense might pose a better challenge, the Redskins' focus is still on their scheme and their assignments, not Baltimore's personnel and playbook. For the defense, game-planning for preseason foes is minimal.

"We get a sheet of what they do and an overall view of what they do," Rogers said, "but it's really not broken down [where] every day we go in and watch film on them and break it down like we usually do on a true game week."

And while coaches won't lose sleep over the final score, they're eager to see the defense's aggressive attitude during training camp translate into game situations.

"We all understand Baltimore has a heck of a football team coming back with some great acquisitions," Shanahan said. "We also know this is the second preseason game and we're evaluating some players."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/20/AR2010082005585.html

Washington still is a team in transition despite a meaningless blowout victory last week, Shanahan says, and it seemed he was on to something after the first-team offense performed poorly Saturday night in a 23-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Field.

An announced crowd of 72,944 watched as quarterback Donovan McNabb and the rest of the offensive starters struggled throughout a sloppy first-half performance against the Ravens' top defensive players. The Ravens pounded McNabb as the Redskins' pass protection was far less effective than it was in a 42-17 rout of the Buffalo Bills at FedEx eight days ago.

And in a development potentially even more disturbing to Shanahan than the display on offense, several key players left in the first half because of injuries. Fullback Mike Sellers injured his left knee early in the second quarter and free safety Kareem Moore, the star of training camp, went out with a right knee injury several minutes later. Rookie left tackle Trent Williams bruised his right elbow.

McNabb, who returned to the field after halftime with his ankle wrapped in ice, completed only 11 of 26 passes and had a passer rating of 54.3. The Pro Bowler passed for 206 yards, but threw an interception and the Redskins failed to convert on their final five third-down attempts of the half. The Ravens led at halftime, 13-3.

"I felt great," McNabb said in an on-field interview with Comcast SportsNet during the game. "I had a couple of throws I missed, some miscommunications and some balls that we missed. But the thing about it is, they were opportunity plays. We made some plays throughout this game, we drove the ball and put ourselves in position to score. Now, we just have to capitalize."

The Redskins' first-team defense provided encouragement for the team, playing well again, and defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth played in the second half after missing several days of practice because of illness. The negative, however, outweighed the positive for Washington.

Running back Larry Johnson appeared to have an awful outing in his "showcase" game. The starter Saturday in the back rotation (Clinton Portis started against Buffalo), Johnson gained only four yards on eight rushes and was ineffective as a receiver out of the backfield and as a blocker on passing plays. In the second half, the reserves also stumbled, especially in attempting to execute the blocking scheme.

After the game, Shanahan said the Redskins have a lot of work to do on offense.

"It's an evaluation process," he said. "Had a chance to evaluate our first-teamers and second-teamers some of the first half. Thought we did some good things, obviously some things very poorly.

"But at the end of the day, when you take a look at your turnovers and the red zones and . . . you don't score many points, which we didn't tonight. But we had some good. We've got a lot of work to do and it'll get started early next week."

Shanahan declined to provide updates about the injured players. "Concerned, but I don't know right now," Shanahan said. "We'll wait and see and let you know after practice on Monday exactly where we're at. For me to tell you right now where we're at would be a mistake."

The first-team offense moved the ball well on its first drive, which ended with place kicker Graham Gano's short field goal. The Redskins' starters appeared to find their rhythm quickly, and they were particularly effective on third downs.

Washington converted on its first three third downs of the opening possession, as McNabb teamed with receivers for long gains. He connected with wide receiver Santana Moss for 13 yards on the first third down and located tight end Chris Cooley for 15 yards on the second. And then facing third and 10 from Washington's 48-yard line, McNabb completed a deep pass down the middle to wide receiver Anthony Armstrong, who'd beaten Baltimore's Dawan Landry, for 45 yards.

McNabb wasn't sharp on deep balls during training camp, but he displayed arm strength and a nice touch on the ball to Armstrong, who had a short touchdown reception in the rout of Buffalo and has impressed in his bid to earn a spot on the opening-day 53-man roster.

But McNabb and the rest of the offensive first-stringers struggled as the game continued. McNabb faced pressure from the edge and through the middle as the offensive line and running backs failed in protection.

Williams, who returned to the field with his right arm in a sling in the second half, clearly lost in his individual battle against premier pass rusher Terrell Suggs. The outside linebacker sacked McNabb once and repeatedly disrupted the Redskins' offense while causing fits for Williams. Johnson, who has never been considered a strong blocker, did not consistently execute his blitz pick-up assignments well.

"I knew their kind of tag is that they will bring pressure," McNabb said. "But you know the thing about it is? This is what we need."

In celebration of their victory, Ravens players doused quarterback coach Jim Zorn with Gatorade after the game. Although the Redskins fired Zorn after he went 12-20 during the 2008-09 seasons, he still remains well liked by some within the organization. Several Redskins players and team employees hugged Zorn as he left the field.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...21/AR2010082103058_2.html?sid=ST2010082200261

 

COWBOYS

Boxing buffs will tell you that the best fights pit rivals with different styles. Matchups of two heavy punchers frequently produce quick, bloody bouts. Two boxers can shadow each other round after round, producing too few flurries.

Saturday's Chargers - Cowboys game presented two contrasting styles. Norv Turner's offense worked the old '90s Cowboys playbook. He ran the quick slants, the deep 18 yard in, the quick outs and a blizzard of quick screens to all his backs, all the time shuffling in off-tackle runs and tosses to new running back toy Ryan Mathews, who looks like a more than able replacement for LaDainian Tomlinson.

Quarterback Philip Rivers was his accurate, quick self, frustrating a decent Dallas rush with last instant releases that converted 3rd down plays and kept his Chargers offense on the field.

The Cowboys were able to withstand the steady barrage of jabs because their defense landed two haymakers, which knocked out two long Chargers drives. Terence Newman scored the first knockdown when he intercepted Rivers on the Dallas eleven. Late in the half, Bradie James stopped a 13 play Chargers drive when he literally punched the ball from running back Darren Sproles' grasp. Backup strong safety Barry Church picked up the fumble and meandered his way up the Cowboys sideline, before Rivers tackled him at the San Diego 8.

Here, Tony Romo connected with Miles Austin on a stop-fade in the short right corner of the end zone, beating Quentin Jammer and tying the game 7-7 with two minutes left in the half.

Star-divide

The conversion gave the Dallas offense, which had just eight minutes of first-half possession, a successful end to a sputtering half. The patchwork line did a decent job, with backup guard Montrae Holland and tackle Robert Brewster holding their lanes. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett devised a game plan which helped them, calling three-step drop passes for nearly all of Romo's first half passes.

The drives sputtered because Romo and his veteran receivers lacked sharpness and coordination. Romo had Roy Williams open for an eleven yard out on Dallas opening drive and sailed the the pass out of Williams' reach.

Miles Austin and Romo mis-communicated on a 3rd down pass on the next drive. The third drive lasted just three plays with two of them being an incompletion due to a Williams' slip and an Austin drop of a sprint-out pass on 3rd and one.

Jason Witten added to the sloppy skill position night when he dropped a short Romo pass on the play prior to Austin's touchdown grab.

The offensive line did contribute to Tony Romo's pick, which matched Rivers' miscue and put San Diego on a short field. On a 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 26, the Chargers ran an overload blitz at the right side of Dallas' line. The end and outside linebacker to Romo's right crashed down while inside linebacker Stephen Cooper looped into the B gap wide of left guard Leonard Davis. Davis lost Cooper, who charged directly into Romo's face. Romo threw for Austin while bailing out and his rushed toss was intercepted by safety Eric Weddle at the Dallas 40.

The Chargers offense had been very efficient on its opening drive and this time it completed the project. Keith Brooking broke up a 3rd down pass for Antonio Gates, but San Diego tried on 4th and 5 and converted when Gates gained seven against Church, who replaced the injured Gerald Sensabaugh two plays prior. Sensabaugh dove for Mathews on a Chargers sweep and landed with his arm extended. Sideline reports said Sensabaugh's shoulder popped out of joint. The shoulder popped back into place and stadium x-rays were negative, but he will likely get an MRI to give a more precise assessment of the injury.

A Mathews quick screen gained 12 and three runs moved the Chargers to a first and goal at the Dallas one. The defense stuffed the Chargers twice before Rivers broke the end-zone plane on a 3rd down sneak.

The second half saw the second units trading blows. The Chargers scored first after Billy Volek found Seyi Ajirotutu behind Cletis Gordon and Danny McCray, who mixed up their coverage. The bomb set up the Chargers inside the Cowboys five and they scored shortly after.

Jon Kitna led a 63 yard touchdown drive in the 4th quarter, relying on Martellus Bennett and Sam Hurd. Bennett converted two third downs and then pinballed between two Chargers defenders on his way to the end zone.

Dallas grabbed the lead when Victor Butler stripped the ball from the Chargers QB Jonathan Crompton. The ball rolled into the end zone, where a Chargers lineman recovered it, giving Dallas a safety.

Notes:

-- Keith Brooking claimed his injury was a "mild AC sprain. If this was the regular season I would put a pad on it and roll."

-- Norv turner gave Dallas plenty of screen practice. He called four in the first half, by my count and at least six in the game.

-- They make the exceptional ordinary. Cletis Gordon made a one-handed interception in the 4th quarter. As I mentioned several times in my San Antonio reports, the corners practiced this type of catch almost everyday.

-- Martellus Bennett blocked everything put in front of him. The big first half running play was a nine-yard toss left to Marion Barber. Bennett shoved the San Diego DE inside, while Doug Free pulled wide and rolled a linebacker. Bennett had other strong blocks and caught four passes, the last a game-tying 4th quarter snag.

-- Sean Lee entered the game early after Keith Brooking hurt a shoulder. Lee showed the ballyhooed instincts. He made or assisted on the tackle on four of his first five plays. When the Chargers were trying to come back late in the 4th quarter, Lee blew up the 3rd down play by flying in off the right end to trip the running back for no gain. On 4th-and-1, Lee stuffed the fullback in the hole and stopped the runner cold.

-- Barry Church looked fearless attacking runs in the box. I'd like to see more of him in coverage.

-- Robert Brewster got help with short drops but kept Tony Romo clean. He again played the first half at right tackle and the second half at left tackle.

-- Rough night at the office for Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, who had trouble hanging onto his early returns. He had a long 4th quarter return nullified by a block in the back. More of the latter, Mr. OA.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/8/21/1635668/split-decision-cowboys-16-chargers

 

EAGLES

Very sloppy game last night, as the Eagles slogged through an ugly performance in Cincinnati. Overall, the first team defense performed well, as did Kevin Kolb, at least with the hand he was dealt. The interior offensive line failed to give Kolb any kind of time in pass protection, nor did they open up holes in the running game. David Akers and Sav Rocca aside, special teams were atrocious, and remain a concern.

In a game that I'd like to quickly forget and struggled to re-watch this morning, there were both positives and negatives to take away from this game, which I'll detail after the jump...

Trent Cole - Got pressure all night, made a subtlely great play on the TO end around on the Bengals' opening drive. He's just a great player.

Stewart Bradley - Huge hit on Chad Ochocinco which caused a Quintin Mikell interception, although it probably should have been a penalty for a helmet to helmet hit on a defenseless player. But still, he was everywhere last night.

Kevin Kolb - You know the saying "When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade?" Well, Kolb made lemonade out of a steaming pile of turd-like pass protection. Yeah, I know that doesn't make any sense, but I'm keeping it. Kolb had no time whatsoever, and yet somehow completed 11/17 for 126 yards. He showed the ability to make accurate throws on the run, which he was forced to do all night. The play that I loved, however, was on the 3rd and 1, where he got the Bengals' DE to jump into the neutral zone on a hard count, knew he had a free play (and a first down), and delivered a strike downfield to DeSean Jackson.

DeSean Jackson - Speaking of Jackson, he just gets open. Wide open. 4 catches, 74 yards. He's awesome... (yawn).

Dmitri Patterson - Had a pick, and good coverage all night. He even got some playing time in obvious pass situations with the 1's. He's had a great camp, and his solid play has continued into the first 2 preseason games. He has to make this team.

Sav Rocca - 45.2 yard punting average on 7 punts, including a 60 yarder. He also landed a nice punt at about the 6, which the gunners failed to down before it bounced into the endzone.

Brandon Graham - I'd like to keep my expectations in check, but I'm starting to buy the predictions that Graham will be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. He got pressure all night, and looks really solid in the run game - Loved the play where he absolutely destroyed a Bengals RB in the backfield for a loss. I like Juqua Parker - I really do. He's a good pass rusher, and can fill a nice role on this team. But after watching the game again this morning, I consistently see Parker getting blown off the ball on run plays. Graham needs to be starting, and I'll be shocked if he isn't by Week One.

Trevor Laws - He's a different player this year. The play that stood out from last night was when the Eagles ran a stunt, and Laws looped all the way around 2 teammates to get to the QB... quickly. The coaching staff has raved about Laws' dedication in the weight room this past offseason, and it's translating onto the football field. Good for him. Actually, good for us. I think he should finally be a solid contributor this season.

Keenan Clayton - Second consecutive game with a big play. This time he intercepted a screen pass. I really like this kid.

Nate Allen - Everyone is going to remember Cedric Benson running him over, but Allen had really solid game in coverage, and got a little revenge on Benson with a big hit that jarred the ball loose (Benson's knee had already hit the ground). I'm feeling much more confident at the FS position.

Ellis Hobbs - Nothing spectacular here, but he tackled when he had to and didn't give up any plays. Starting to feel more comfortable with Hobbs as well.

David Akers - 3/3 on FG's, from 40, 25, and 48.

Disliked (in no particular order)

Referee-falsestart_medium

The illegal formation penalties - Peters got pinched for two of them, and they got Winston Justice and Jeraill McCuller for one each. One of them negated a TD pass from Kolb to Jason Avant. They also got the Bengals for one. It seems to be a point of emphasis for the officials this season. Can't blame the players here on these, by the way. When multiple players are committing the same technical-type foul, it's indicative that it hasn't been addressed in practice. This is a classic example of the kind of sloppiness that the preseason games are good for. OL coach Juan Castillo will tighten that up.

The interior OL - The Bengals basically set up camp in the Eagles' backfield and messed up anything the offense tried to do all night.

Kick coverage - 4 returns for 120 yards (a 30.0 average) including individual returns of 40 and 41 yards. Last week they gave up 36.7 yards per return on 7 kickoffs against the Jags. The extreme youth of this team has me concerned in this regard. Bobby April has some work to do.

Michael Vick - I'll just let his stat line speak for itself - 1/5, 6 yards, 2 INT, 0.0 QB rating

Mike Kafka - I'll just let his stat line speak for itself - 4/12, 29 yards, 2 INT, 2.8 QB rating

Moise Fokou - On the punt return before the Eagles' opening drive: "Holding, #53, half the distance to the goal, 1st down." Instead of starting from the 20, the Eagles started from the 7 on their opening drive as a result, severely limiting their playbook. Result: 3-and-out. Last year, the Eagles had 26 special teams penalties, which was the 2nd most in the NFL. Fokou had 3 of those, one of which negated an Ellis Hobbs kick return TD against Dallas. His total penalty yardage, plus the return yardage he negated in 2009 totalled 129 yards. He's not a rookie anymore. The dumb penalties have to stop.

Jeremy Maclin - 2 fumbles. He fumbled trying to reach the first down marker on 3rd down, which is somewhat forgivable, although it cost the Eagles an attempt at what would have been about a 45 yard FG attempt. However, on the play he got hurt, he absorbed a big hit, didn't go down, realized that he was hurt, and basically dropped the football as if to say "Don't hit me again." That's totally unforgivable. Jeremy, you can't just drop the football if you're hurt.

[Note by JimmyK, 08/21/10 11:28 AM EDT ] Just watched it again. He had the ball in his right arm when he was hit in his left arm, but it jarred the ball loose a bit. It appears that he tried to regain control of the football by grabbing it with both hands, but only his right arm worked (he would say later that his left arm went numb), which made it look like he was just sort of throwing the ball out of bounds. So it appears he didn't purposely drop the football.

Get well soon.

Joselio Hanson - Got burned badly on a deep ball for the second straight week. He was originally thought to be a stone cold lock to make this team, and I still think he will, but he's not playing well. I understand that he's better covering players in the slot, but that excuse can only take him so far. He's a cornerback, and it's his job to cover opposing receivers - He's not doing it. Opposing coaching staffs are going to watch this film and look to get him on an island one-on-one. If they're successful, God help us. He's a liability right now, and needs to pick up his game.

Max Jean-Gilles - I already mentioned the entire interior OL, but I believe MJG deserves special attention for one particular play that just infuriated me. The Eagles had a beautiful screen pass set up, with Jean-Gilles leading the way. Jean-Gilles was bearing down on a defensive back he probably outweighed by about 150 pounds, and what does he do? He dives at the defensive back's feet. I don't want to sound too harsh, but that's garbage.

All 3 TE's - They were basically invisible. Brent Celek had a catch, but I can't recall even seeing Clay Harbor or Cornelius Ingram. Harbor's job is safe, but Ingram's employment on this roster is in serious jeopardy.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/21/1634733/things-i-liked-things-i-didnt-like

The Eagles closed camp at Lehigh yesterday and I thought we could spend some time on the winners and losers from the past month. BTW, I'm cribbing this idea a bit from Moving The Chains, who posted their winners and losers from camp yesterday. First, the winners.

Riley Cooper - Your odds on favorite for the Na Brown Award winner is an obvious choice for the winners' list. The rookie WR from Florida had a great camp, seemingly making a notable play every day. With starters DeSean Jackson & Jeremy Maclin missing some time with various nicks throughout camp, Cooper got chances galore. He took snaps with the first and second team while looking completely at home doing it. Cooper passed an NFL veteran like Hank Baskett and camp vets like Jordan Norwood on the depth chart. So far, he looks like a steal in the fifth round. Tommy Lawlor dedicated a whole column to Cooper today at SB Nation Philly.

Kurt Coleman - Speaking of rookies making an impact, the young safety from Ohio has done that. He's opened eyes at Lehigh and in the first preseason game with his physical play and absorption of the play book. Between he and fellow rookie Nate Allen, a position that was barren last year now looks stocked with young talent.

Trevor Laws - Could he the Winston Justice of 2010? Laws drafted the same year as DeSean Jackson(ahead of him if you can believe that) but his career has hardly followed the same trajectory as Jackson. In two years he's failed to mane any impact. Last year, the Eagles picked up undrafted free agent Antonio Dixon in midseason and he passed Laws on the depth chart. From that point on it seemed like Laws would have a battle to make the team this year. However, we kept hearing this offseason about how Laws had really dedicated himself and worked hard to build strength... It appears that was true as Laws has been one of the most active lineman at Lehigh continually getting himself into the offensive backfield and making plays. It'll be interesting to see if he keeps it up in the preseason.

Jason Avant - Avant came off his best season as a pro, so the fact he had a good camp isn't a big surprise... but just how good he was had to be. Not only was he the best WR at Lehigh, you could make the argument that Avant was the best offensive player in camp. He was dominant in one on one drills and the fact that he didn't drop a single pass in live drills has become part of Lehigh lore. He's my MVP of training camp.

Stewart Bradley - The best description for Bradley's camp was a sigh of relief. We knew how important he was to the defense this coming year. We knew he could play well if he was healthy... But we didn't know if he would be healthy coming off knee surgery. Turns out, he was. Bradley had a great camp, he moved around flawlessly, and gave Eagles fans a lot of hope for the defense in 2010.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/19/1629588/top-five-winners-from-eagles

Yesterday we looked at the top five winners from the Eagles past month at Lehigh. Today, we look at the disappointments.

Mike Bell - The Eagles signed him as a restricted free agent from the Saints to be LeSean McCoy's backup, but he really never got on the field at Lehigh. It may just be bad luck that he hasn't been healthy, but for a new guy on the team to never really be part of practice isn't encouraging. He'll still make the team and if he gets healthy by the 3rd preseason game then his missing so much time in camp might not be such a big deal ... but for now he's got to be considered a disappointment.

Ricky Sapp - Everyone got excited about what a steal they thought Sapp was when they got him in the fifth round, but so so far he's been pretty much anonymous. That said, it's not at all uncommon for rookie DEs to struggle early on and the fact that Sapp hasn't distinguished him yet doesn't mean he never will ... but the fact is that he certainly doesn't seem like a "steal" after this year's camp.

Cornelius Ingram - Another guy who has struggled with injuries a bit, but the problem is that he's been struggling with injuries for the last three years. He's a really good guy and all reports are that he's worked very hard to get himself back healthy, but if he can't get on the field and contribute then the team won't keep him around. The fact that rookie Clay Harbor had such a strong camp made Lehigh look even worse for Ingram this year.

Charles Scott - Another guy who some people saw as a "steal" in the 7th round but never really looked like it. It would have been one thing if he just struggled catching the ball, but Scott didn't even look that great running it. For a guy that's supposed to be a big, bruiser I saw Kurt Coleman absolutely stone him on the goal line in one drill. At the very least a guy Scott's size should be able to run through a safety on the goal line. Plus, Scott was basically moved to fullback partway through camp. It doesn't seem like he's got a great shot to make the 53 man roster. All that said, playing as a full back he did make a great block on the Martell Mallet TD run in the first preseason game.

Darryl Tapp - When the Eagles traded for him in the offseason, he was seen as a guy that could possibly push for a starting job on the left side but at least provide depth as a DE and DT on passing downs. However, he really hasn't distinguished himself at camp. Juqua Parker is the start at LDE with Brandon Graham nipping at his heels and Trent Cole rarely comes out of the game at RDE. Plus, as Jordan Ranaan points out, Tapp even seems to have lost his job as the main passing down DT to one of our training camp winners, Trevor Laws.

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/8/20/1631614/top-five-disappointments-from

 

GIANTS

New York Giants Training Camp concludes with what promises to be a brief walk-thru this morning at the University at Albany. The team will then head down the Thruway to New Jersey for Saturday's preseason game with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and will conclude preseason practices from the Meadowlands.

This also means, sadly, my access to the team on any type of regular basis has also come to an end.

With that in mind, I thought I would offer some final impressions of the team and the now-concluded 2010 Giants Training Camp.

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The Star of Our Show

Victor Cruz, of course. The undrafted rookie free agent wide receiver from UMass, a Paterson, N.J., native, has been the biggest breakout player in camp. He has also become a media darling, partially because he is a local kid. Also, though, he has a great smile and he seems to have handled all of the unexpected attention well thus far. It would be a stunner if he does not make this team and, if he somehow does not, Rex Ryan indicated the Jets would snap him up. I am sure the Jets are not the only team hoping the Giants let Cruz slip away.
The Offense

It has been anything but a smooth camp for the unit that was the bright spot in the Giants' dismal 2009 season. Injuries, of course, have been a big part of slowing the progress of this group. First to the offensive, then the tight ends and now the quarterbacks. Kevin Gilbride's offense has rarely been whole throughout camp, and there is little doubt that the progression of the offense has been slowed due to all of its missing parts.

Still, camp has begun to reveal some things about this year's offense.

The big question has been the offensive line, and the big worry right now has to be the condition of All-Pro right guard Chris Snee's knee. Snee has not practiced in about a week, and the Giants running game really feels his absence. He is their best lineman, and the guy the team likes to run behind when they absolutely need to make a play, and if he is limited -- or unavailable -- that is a huge problem.

One thing we have begun to see with the offensive line is that it is looking more and more like Will Beatty is going to be the starting left tackle, with David Diehl moving inside to left guard in place of Rich Seubert. Beatty had a rough start to camp, but played well Monday against the New York Jets. During his meeting with the media Thursday, Gilbride was effusive in his praise of the second-year player from UConn. Another telling sign is that Beatty has taken almost all of the reps at left tackle this week, and Seubert worked exclusively with the second and third groups on Thursday.

Running backs -- Ahmad Bradshaw has looked terrific and Brandon Jacobs also seems healthy. Andre Brown has been running and cutting well, and appears to be emerging as the third back.

Tight ends -- Bear Pascoe was the only healthy tight end for a while, and it will be an incredible upset if he does not open the season as the No. 2 tight end. Kevin Boss missed some time with a hamstring injury, but both his hamstring and his surgically repaired ankle seem to be better and he looks to be moving well again. Travis Beckum has been nearly invisible this camp and how -- or if -- the Giants can find a role for him is debatable.

Wide Receivers -- Camp, of course, has been the Victor Cruz Show as the undrafted free agent from UMass has made a huge impression on coaches, teammates and fans. That, however, does not mean Cruz will be taking playing time from the top three receivers -- or even that he is a complete lock to make the team. There are still three exhibition games to be played.

We know about Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. Derek Hagan has had an excellent camp, and right now is likely the fourth receiver. Ramses Barden has been good at times, bad at others and now he has a back injury and the Giants don't know how long he will be out. The Giants really seem to want the big guy to be an important part of their offense, but whether that will happen remains to be seen.

Quarterbacks -- Forget about Eli Manning missing this weekend's game. The big injury for the Giants right now is the shoulder problem sidelining backup Jim Sorgi. He will miss the rest of the preseason and maybe longer. By the end of the preseason the Giants should know if a) Sorgi will be available this season and b) if Rhett Bomar can be the No. 2 guy if Sorgi can't. If Bomar isn't ready and Sorgi isn't available, the Giants will be looking for a veteran backup.
The Defense

This is the place where all of the focus, and all of the questions were at the start of training camp. In reality, those questions are still there -- even if it looks like we have begun to get some answers from Perry Fewell's group.

Secondary -- Aaron Ross is healthy, Kenny Phillips looks like he will be able to contribute, Deon Grant and Antrel Rolle are as advertised. This group is much, much better than what the Giants fielded last season.

Linebackers -- An ongoing battle for the middle linebacker job between Jonathan Goff, who had a good camp, and veteran Keith Bulluck. Odds are Bulluck eventually wins the job, but Goff is not simply stepping aside. Michael Boley is healthy and has looked explosive on the weak side, particularly in pass coverage. Quiet camp for second-year strong side linebacker Clint Sintim, and both Gerris Wilkinson and rookie Phillip Dillard have begun to get some reps over there. Sintim is not a lock to keep that job. Have not seen Mathias Kiwanuka at linebacker for a while, but I suspect we will see some of that -- especially in run situations -- during the season.

Defensive line -- Really, nothing but good news here. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora look healthy, and Osi has had some truly excellent moments in camp. Kiwanuka looks ready for a big year. Chris Canty has been healthy all camp and looks like a force. He might not make a lot of tackles, but he is hard to move and requires a lot of attention in the middle. Rookies Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph have both shown why the Giants used their first two picks on them. Joseph, as advertised, can be a dominant run defender.
Special Teams

A mixed bag here.

The good is that Lawrence Tynes had a terrific camp. He nailed a 52-yard field goal on his final kick of camp Thursday, and throughout camp and Monday's first exhibition game his kickoffs were better than they were in 2009. He finally seems done monkeying with his mechanics, and he is kicking the ball with more consistency.

Consistency, though, is not a word you can attach to rookie punter Matt Dodge. His kicks were all over the map during camp, and his performance against the New York Jets was terrible. He has shown a very strong leg and a terrific work ethic, though, and we just have to wait and see if he can begin to hit the ball with more consistency. If not, well, there will be lots of veteran punters available in a few weeks.

I watched Monday's game and saw that the Giants still have not figured out how to return a kickoff. On each return you could see that there was no chance of a big play by the time the returner got to the 15-yard line. Thursday, speedy undrafted free agent Tim Brown was getting reps as a kickoff returner for the first time. Punt and kickoff returns might be the diminutive Brown's way onto the roster.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/20/1631535/giants-training-camp-final

The Good
Bomar - did ok, he has showed signs of progress and some bad decisions, but again he does lack inexperience. He seems to be able to throw any type of route, and get out of the pocket when needs to be, yet not looking to run first as many Running qbs started doing in the early part of their career. Ala Steve Young, Pepper, and McNabb to name a few. His mistakes were partially on him, WR, and the Oline. For our back up if we ever need for a game or two I think we can be fine, but he does need more experience and again that comes with time.

Andre Brown - I was not impressed with him early, as I noticed BlueNOrange wrote in his own thread, that he seemed slow on the returns, not only that but early on in the Returns and even the running game, he seemed to miss the holes or look for contact (maybe because he wanted to get over his injury of last year which is understandable).

Later in the game he did look better and faster, and started to hit the holes. So it went from Bad/Ugly to good, i think that will propel him into next weeks game, getting that confidence back up.

Ross - Did a nice job with the Punt return, even though i prefer another one to be out there.

Adrian Tracy - I felt was one of the stars on defense, he was making plays this week, night and day from the week before.

Mainly the whole Defense deserves a Congrats - This week it was the opposite of last week. They were making plays, a bit more aggressive, and there seemed to be better communication.
Tuck - Played very well,
Osi - Played the run well, and IMHO besides last year he was improving in the run game, with a combo of coming back from an Injury and doing his own thing, it became a glaring issue last season (no excuse, he is a professional and not a child)
Rolle - I am very happy we got him. He can make a play on the ball, or make a sure tackle.
Kiwi - Looked good
Canty - Looked good again for the 2nd week in a row, and maybe we got ourselves a player there
Our DTs who played earlier in the game looked pretty good
Bradshaw was again in midseason form.
LBs played fairly well I thought early on
TYNES - I have wanted him gone for about 2 years, but so far this preseason (hence preseason) he is playing very well, and I hope he continues this during the season. GL to him
Oline- in around the 3rd quarter if i recall played fairly well
Linval - did ok.

The Bad
If you recall that play that Ben tried to run for more yardage near the endzone, there was a DT that bit so bad on his play fake that he ran backwards and in a circle, I cannot recall if it was 96 or 98, but it was bad.

Most of the 2nd/3rd unit on the defense was bad, unlike last week when the back ups played well and the starters not so hot.

Kotes ( might play better in the regular season when he has played for us when it counted, but in the preseason is stinking it up)

Bernard - Besides one play that he made a great play on to stop them from getting into the endzone from the one, the rest was not good.

Moss - Beating a dead horse here. Everyone says he is a good guy, team player, and I really wish he could do something that can help the team, but what did he have 1 catch and 1 drop?

The Oline - I am hoping it once we get everyone back healthy we will be better, because It cannot get that much worse. The last two weeks the pressure the opposing team defense put on us was not great. I know last week we really didnt try to work around it, but this week it was bad as well.

The Ugly

Dodge - Still learning, for now he gets a pass, even though it was UGLY.

Cruz - Was kind of in both, made a couple nice catches and moves, but also dropped a ball (happens), and muffed a punt. Even though Ugly I think he kind of broke even, which usually the ugly is for.

JPP - Didnt see anything good this game, except when he lost contain, but again rookie who is still learning.

Overall I think the starters played well, some of the back ups did ok to good, while the other backups did poorly.

The defense looked much better overall, the offense was very tough to gauge, because of the missing Oline, and starting QB. I am hoping that the 3rd game we can get most of our starting units on the field, for one more practice run before the season.

I think overall we took a positive step forward, but as most of the guys on the team say on their twitter accounts, there is room for improvement.

http://boards.giants.com/forums/thread/1820386.aspx

 

GIANTS

Before we get to the 'Kudos & Wet Willies' analysis of Saturday night's 24-10 loss by our New York Giants to the Baltimore Ravens, I have to hand out a special 'honor'.

A super-sized, double-fisted 'Wet Willie' for all of you commenting in Saturday's Game Thread and in Sunday's posts who have already decided that the season is over, there is no hope, the Giants stink, the team needs a new quarterback, they don't do anything right, everyone should be fired, it has no guts, Jerry Reese has suddenly turned into Matt Millen and rooting for the Giants is a complete waste of time.

Get a grip, people. It's preseason. Yes, things did not go as well Saturday as many of you, coach Tom Coughlin and the Giants players wanted it to. But, all it really means is that the Giants are far from a finished product. Will they ever be finished? Will they be what we want them to be this season?

We don't know. There is no way to know -- the season has not begun yet. But, to write their epitaph while the 2010 Giants are still, technically, in the womb, is silly.

Star-divide

Have you noticed that the Colts, who went to the Super Bowl a year ago, are 0-3? I doubt Colts fans are ready to run Jim Caldwell and Peyton Manning out of town. Those Super Bowl-bound Jets (just ask 'em) are 1-2. Preseason results are, largely, meaningless.

When I say that I recognize fully that this has not, by any means, been a great preseason for the Giants. There are issues all over the place.

The offense is a mess. If you expected precision Saturday, I really don't know what you were basing that on. Eli Manning has missed time practice and game time. Most of the receivers have missed chunks of time. The offensive line is like a jumbo-sized game of 'Twister' with players shuffling from spot to spot.

Things will get better on that side of the ball, especially once the Giants settle on what their line will look like. They could go with a variety of configurations. The key right now, though, is to decide on one -- and figure out if Shaun O'Hara will be able to be part of it.

There have been good signs from running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, and the emergence of Victor Cruz. So, some good things.

The defense is still in an exploratory phase. Perry Fewell is still probing, moving players around, trying combinations, sometimes playing in ways he would not ordinarily play during the regular season, simply to find out what his players can and can't do. That is what you do in preseason.If the Giants are still getting gashed like that on short passes across the middle six or eight weeks from now, then I will be concerned.

I'm concerned about the cornerback depth. I am also concerned about the linebacker play, particularly in pass coverage. Again, though, I think some of that will settle down once the Giants decide once and for all who is in -- and who is out -- in their linebacker rotation. Once everyone knows for certain what they will be asked to do things should get better.

Besides, with a new coordinator and so many new parts on defense did you really expect things to be smooth sailing right from the beginning? Did you not learn from 2007, when Steve Spagnuolo's group was terrible the first two games before settling in and helping the Giants win a Super Bowl?

You should feel really good about the play of Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathias Kiwanuka. Corey Webster has been excellent. Kenny Phillips is looking more and more comfortable. Michael Boley looks healthy. Good signs from a lot of guys.

The special teams are a work in progress. Matt Dodge still has growing pains to experience. The Giants still can't cover a kickoff, or return one.

All of these problems can be fixed. Will they be? We don't know, but it's too early to just throw in the towel.

I know, though, that some of you have already done that. You know who you are, whether you have voiced it in the comments or kept that opinion to yourself. You guys get special 'Wet Willie' recognition this week.

Now, on to the stuff you all really want to read about.
Kudos to ...

* Justin Tuck: His pair of sacks and the fact that he was buzzing around the quarterback the entire time he was in the game was probably the best thing to come out of the entire game Saturday.
* Corey Webster: An interception and a handful of passes defensed, though I don't know the exact number. The Giants played a lot of man-to-man Saturday, and Webster thrived in it.
* Shawn Andrews: For a guy who had not played in two years, and who had only been around for a week, Andrews did a very nice job at left guard in the second half. The offensive line is still unsettled, but if Andrews can build off that he could depose Rich Seubert and help the power running game inside the tackles we see the Giants struggle with so often.
* Matt Dodge: Nine kicks and only one that I thought was poor. The rookie even ripped a 74-yarder, had a punt caught inside the 20 and one that should have been downed. He also had a good hold on a high snap for a Lawrence Tynes field goal. A step in the right direction for the heavily-scrutinized punter.
* Rocky Bernard: If the Giants have to cut someone from their defensive line stockpile, I would be stunned if it was the veteran tackle. A pair of sacks and three tackles Saturday, following a nice goal line stop the week before. There's a little life in Bernard yet.
* Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw: Jacobs showed he can still get it done when he can get square to the line of scrimmage with a head of steam, ripping off a 30-yard run in the first half. The run, by the way, came on a stretch play -- my absolute favorite play call for Jacobs. It allows him to build a head of steam, get to the edge, get his shoulders square and start dishing out punishment. Bradshaw had just 22 yards on seven carries, but pretty much every single one of those yards he got on his own.

Wet Willies to ...

* Every cornerback not named Corey Webster: Tom Coughlin said the Giants played more man-to-man than they normally would simply to find out more about players like Seth Williams, D.J. Johnson and Courtney Brown. I think they found out that none of those guys are NFL-caliber players. I will do one final 53-man roster projection this week, and I guarantee I am leaving one spot open for the veteran cornerback the Giants absolutely must add to this team.
* Antrel Rolle: Don't care about the seven tackles. I care about all the passes completed with the Giants' biggest free-agent acquisition late to arrive. Don't want to hear his whining about the late-hit penalty he received, either. I know years ago the hit would have been applauded. Not now, though. The ball was clearly incomplete, and Rolle had time to recognize that before delivering a hit.
* Jonathan Goff: The young middle linebacker was getting his Antonio Pierce on Saturday night, and I'm not talking about the good Antonio of his early years. I'm talking about the old, slow AP who got abused in pass coverage. Goff has done a lot of good things thus far in the preseason, but if he keeps looking that clueless in pass coverage he is going to accomplish one more thing, a very bad one. He will wind up tagged with the nickname C.C. Brown left behind, 'Can't Cover.'
* Will Beatty: Played the first half on the right side in place of Kareem 'Migraine' McKenzie, and was not good. Missed a couple of blocks and missed an assignment on a blitz. Whether he is the starting left tackle Week 1 or not the Giants will need Beatty this season, and if he is needed on the right side he has to figure out a way to get the job done over there.
* Kickoff return and kickoff coverage: The Giants averaged 17 yards per return and gave up 32 yards per return. That's a lot of field position to surrender during the course of a game. Thought Tim Brown was going to break one kickoff return, but it looked like he lost his footing just a step or two before breaking into the clear.

Kwillies to ...

I won't do this every week, but there are a couple of players who fell into this category Saturday. Basically, these are guys who did things that actually helped both teams.

* Rhett Bomar: For me, Bomar (10-for-20, 140 yards, 1 TD) has done enough to displace sore-shouldered Jim Sorgi. He was far from perfect Saturday with a couple of erratic throws and a couple of situation where he held the ball too long in the pocket, but there is some ability there. The Giants should continue to nurture it.
* Tim Brown: Couple of decent punt returns (13-yard average on two tries), but he fell and missed an opportunity for a big play on one return and foolishly tried to run a kickoff back from five yards deep in the end zone. He barely got past the 10-yard line. I can't blame the guy for trying, since he knows he has to make a big play to have a shot at a roster spot. Judgment also counts, however.
* Victor Cruz: Four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. He dropped an easy ball over the middle, though, and was not good at all on special teams. As a gunner on the outside a number of times, Cruz was never able to get past the double team and get down the field to get involved in the coverage. I know we are excited about his skills as a receiver, but he has shown absolutely nothing in terms of being able to help the Giants on special teams -- a place he will have to find a role.

http://www.bigblueview.com/2010/8/30/1657218/kudos-wet-willies-get-down-off-the

The best news after a dismal Saturday night in Baltimore for the Giants was that Keith Bulluck and Kenny Phillips, both coming off knee surgery, experienced no physical setbacks after getting extensive playing time in the 24-10 preseason loss to the Ravens.

Now comes the next stage in their comebacks: Getting them back to form.

"They were rusty but they're starting to get a little bit more in the groove," coach Tom Coughlin said yesterday.

Bulluck after playing only six plays in his preseason debut last week estimated he was on the field for 30 in Baltimore. He didn't make a big impact (two tackles) as he was used for the first time with the Giants as an outside linebacker.

"It was actually a good test as far as my endurance," said Bulluck, coming off reconstructive knee surgery last December. "As far as the calls coming in quick and me having to line up and get people lined up, it was a great test for me and I think it was a great test and an eye-opener for our defense."

*

Coughlin after reviewing tape of Saturday's loss said he did spot some effort.

"I'm not going to say it wasn't there, I am going to say it can be better," he said.

*

Coughlin liked the way Tim Brown averaged 13 yards on two punt returns, but that doesn't preclude the front office from looking for help in the return game.

"We're continuing to try to resolve that issue and try lots of people and keep an open mind on what's going on in the league and see what's available," Coughlin said.

As for rookie punter Matt Dodge , who had a net average of 38.3 yards, Coughlin added: "They certainly weren't all great punts, but the work is helping him tremendously."

It appears as if the Giants will stick with him for now.

*

Quarterback Jim Sorgi (shoulder) has not been cleared to practice today. . . . Rookie linebacker Adrian Tracy is expected to be out 2-3 weeks with a dislocated shoulder. . . . Linebacker Gerris Wilkinson is getting tests for a possible groin strain. . . . Defensive linemen Chris Canty and Jason Pierre-Paul both sat out the game in Baltimore with strained groins. Coughlin said both should work today on a limited basis and are improving. . . . Receiver Sinorice Moss will get a second opinion today of the problem in his groin/pelvic area.

*

Coughlin said he's "never been tempted" to sit his starters in the final preseason game and will go with his usual strategy of playing his starters no more than one quarter Thursday night against the Patriots.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/gian...ore_time_CBaHH7B8z9cpP0e80yvRnL#ixzz0y80OWB00

 

EAGLES

Friday’s game against the Chiefs is not one the Eagles should be happy about. Sure, they won the game and winning is always better than losing. However, this was the last game we’ll see the starters play in before the big Week One game with the Packers.

The game on Friday was very much a disappointment, so let’s look at a few players who helped make it that way.

Mike Bell

Bell made his preseason debut on Friday, and it was lackluster to say the least. The Eagles gave him his fair share of touches in the game, but Bell failed to make any plays. At the end of the night, Bell had eight carries for 17 yards and one reception for three yards.

Maybe it’s too early to make a strong judgment, but I have no confidence in Bell as the second running back right now. He will more than likely retain that position, but he has yet to show that he’s worthy.

Jeremy Maclin

Maclin was targeted 11 times on Friday night and only had three receptions to show for it. Is that all on him? No. However, his stat sheet on the night should include way more than three receptions.

With DeSean Jackson out of the game, Maclin turned into the go-to option at receiver. He had the opportunity to have a great game, but dropped many passes and just didn’t seem interested in the game.

Kevin Kolb through a deep ball to Maclin that was right on the money but was dropped. These are the type of plays you can’t have during the regular season if you want to win football games.

Jason Peters

No surprise here. Peters continued his already awful preseason by adding costly penalties and playing at a low level.

Peters is known as a Pro Bowl player and is supposed to be considered one of the elite offensive tackles in the NFL. Since he has been in Philadelphia, this hasn’t been the case.

He has had many mental lapses during his time as an Eagle and hasn’t shown that his blocking ability is that of a Pro Bowl caliber player. His main responsibility is to protect Kolb’s blindside, and I’m not confident that he can do that at this point.

Stacy Andrews

Andrews had a disappointing 2009 season. He took a pay cut in the offseason with the intention of showing the Eagles he could truly earn the money he was making. Right now, his 2010 projection looks very dismal.

Andrews is being dominated on the line and not giving Kolb any time to throw the ball. He’s getting pushed around when run blocking. Not exactly worthy of a starting job.

With Todd Herremans back in the lineup, we could see another guard making a run for Andrews’ spot.

Asante Samuel

Was his hit on Friday awesome? Absolutely. I could watch it over and over. So why is he on my list?

As the second quarter wound down, Samuel was directly involved with the Dwayne Bowe touchdown. The Chiefs were on the four-yard line; yet Samuel was still way off the ball. There was a definite communication breakdown as well. As a veteran on a young defense, Samuel needs to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Although his big hit stands out to most, there was another play that sticks in my head. I don’t remember exactly when it happened or who was carrying the ball for the Chiefs. However, the play went around the right side of the Chiefs offense. Samuel closed the gap on the ball carrier and then let him run right by. He made no effort at a tackle and it ended up being a large gain for the Chiefs.

Samuel has proved he can hit a guy when he’s not looking. He needs to prove he can hit a guy who isn’t completely defenseless.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/446340-five-players-who-let-the-eagles-down-on-friday

The first roster cut-downs came and went without any surprises, but the final cut-down is definitely going to feature a few surprise cuts.

Some fan favorites will have to be let go for the good of the team, and some moves will have fans scratching their head until it bleeds.

Outside of the starters, there are a few backups with solidified spots such as Juqua Parker, Riley Cooper, Nick Cole, and others. But there are also plenty of guys who will be fighting until the very end just to remain employed.

All of these guys will have a chance to shine in the fourth and final preseason game as the starters likely won't see the field, so they'll all have an opportunity to change the minds of Andy Reid and Howie Roseman...for better or worse.

Let's take a look at the fate of some select bubble players as it stands so far through three preseason games.



Charles Scott, RB - Out

After a move to fullback, things became very shaky for a guy who came into camp as a fan favorite. But as I said when the Eagles drafted Scott, he just doesn't seem to fit Reid's offensive scheme at all.

There's no way the Birds keep two fullbacks, and Scott just isn't a viable option at running back at this point.



Martell Mallett, RB - Out

Mallett has shown a lot in the preseason. He's a quick, shifty guy who seems to fit what Reid looks for in a running back, but he has come up short on special teams.

And if Reid is going to keep a third running back, he had better be able to play special teams.



J.J. Arrington, RB - Out

Joe Mays was sent to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Arrington and, so far, the move has not exactly panned out for Philly.

But, even if Arrington gets cut, the Broncos will still have to give up a sixth-round pick in next year's draft.



Eldra Buckley, RB - In

If the other three are out, then Buckley is obviously in. He's shown he's a good north-and-south runner and is a guy the team cannot afford to lose due to his ability to play special teams.

If Bobby April has any say in the final roster at all, Buckley is already a lock.



Hank Baskett, WR - Out

DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Kelley Washington, and Riley Cooper all seem like locks to make the team and make up the receiving corps.

Baskett has seen little time in the preseason and isn't a good enough special teams player to warrant making room for him, especially with an ace like Washington on the roster.



Chad Hall, WR - Out

This is a damn shame, but there's just no room and he has not shown enough as a receiver to keep him around.

With every punt return, I was rooting for Hall to somehow find the endzone, but his efforts were lackluster at best.

Hopefully another team finds a spot for him somewhere because it would be nice to see a good guy like Hall get a break.



Jeff Owens, DT - Out

With Mike Patterson, Brodrick Bunkley, and Antonio Dixon all looking like locks before Training Camp even started, there was only one spot at defensive tackle left.

And now, with Trevor Laws' emergence during the offseason, all the spots are gone. Owens could be a prime candidate for the practice squad, however.



Dimitri Patterson, CB - In

With the way he plays, it's not difficult to root for Patterson. He's a hard-nosed guy who is clearly just doing everything and anything he can to make the roster.

He's pushed a few guys off to the side with his impressive play, and will likely be the fifth corner.



Macho Harris, CB/S - Out

When guys start getting moved all around to different positions, it usually means bad things for the aforementioned player.

Harris spent all of his rookie season as a safety, and then was moved to corner during the offseason, and is now being moved back to safety.

That says the team doesn't like what they've seen so far, and Harris could go from starter to cut in one year.



Moise Fokou, OLB - Out

It's a true sign of the times when Harris and Fokou, both starters at certain points in the 2009 season, find themselves looking for work only one season later.

Like Harris, Fokou has been moved around (from linebacker to defensive end) and has seen limited snaps in the preseason.



Jamar Chaney, OLB - In

Chaney has shown a quickness and tackling ability that cannot be ignored. He's not only a viable option as a backup, but has looked good playing special teams as well.

Cutting Chaney would simply be too hard to justify, as he's clearly outperformed Fokou.



Kurt Coleman, SS - In

Like Chaney, Coleman has made a mark on special teams. Combine that with the way he's been able to pick up the defense and the Birds have their second seventh-round rookie on the roster.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/446131-in-or-out-taking-a-look-at-the-eagles-bubble-players

The 3rd preseason game is a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Starters play a lot. You want to see a crisp performance. We got anything but that.

I was highly frustrated with the team after watching the game Friday night. The offense was ineffective. Kansas City blitzed a lot and had very good success at getting to Kevin Kolb or at least pressuring him. Part of this was on the O-line and part on other blockers. The skill players didn't have a great night either. The defense had a solid night, but still made some bad mistakes. STs was once again up and down.

Seeing Kafka and the backups come on and win the game was nice, but meaningless. A good showing by the starters would have been far more important than getting a W like that.

I actually feel better about the game after re-watching it. Don't get me wrong. There are still plenty of problems and I'm bothered by how sloppy the offense looked in a game where I expected good results. I was happy to see how well the defense played in the 1st half. They only allowed one scoring drive. That featured a critical mistake by us on 4th down that kept the drive alive. The defense was fast, aggressive, tackled well, and swarmed to the ball. This was even more impressive considering the fact that Sean McDermott mixed in his backups regularly.

While the offense did struggle, there were a few plays where we were very close to big gains. Kolb barely missed a couple of deep passes to Maclin. One should have been a TD and the CB easily could have been called for PI on the play. McCoy was held on a screen play that had potential for a good gain or TD. I know that those plays still ended in failure, but the point is that this wasn't like other games where the offense struggled and we had no hope of success. The passes to Maclin weren't complete, but they were on target. Missed/poor blocks cost us running and RAC yds.

We did finally score a Red Zone TD, but we can't make anything of that. McCoy had an 18-yd TD run. That was nice, but still doesn't show us that the offense can actually execute several plays in the RZ that will lead to a TD.


-Misc-

* We used an unbalanced line on Vick's 3rd/2 run. Peters swung over to the right side, alongside of Justice and Andrews.

* We did have some bad luck on offense. We tried a bootleg play and it just so happened that they blitzed to that side. Kevin was able to get the pass off, but was under duress. The blocking was okay. KC just called the perfect defense.

* Backup DL played in 2nd Qtr. Teo - Laws - Dixon - Tapp. They came up with the stop on 3rd/1 QB sneak.

* Defense went to a 3-man line in the 3rd Qtr. for a play. Laws was LDE. Teo shifted from LDE to ILB. Interesting look.

* Backup defense took over in the mid-3rd Qtr.


QB

KOLB --- Up and down game. The Chiefs blitz attack hurt him. One thing we've absolutely learned is that Kevin can run. Showed great escapability on one play. The pocket collapsed on him. Kevin hung tough. I thought for sure he'd been sacked or had fumbled the ball. Instead, Kevin comes flying out of a scrum and runs up the field for a 1st down on 3rd/7. I was impressed with Kevin's pocket presence in the game. He didn't drift right or left and he didn't go backward at the first sign of pressure. He did his best to sit tight and deliver the ball. He ran when things broke down and he had to take off.

About some passes...Good throw to McCoy over the middle on play-action pass. Got the ball out quickly so that LeSean could run a bit. We got 8 yds on the play. Made a very good throw to Maclin down the right sideline. Ball was on target for a TD. Looked like the CB was all over Mac, but there was no flag. PI would have given us 1st/GL at the 1. Hit Washington on the left side with a quick throw for 7 yds. Those are the kind of passes I want from Kevin. Had a good looking pass for Celek deflected by a LB on the final drive of the half. The guy was underneath the play and Kevin likely didn't see him. That play could have put us inside the 10. Good play by the LB.

Worst decision was running out of bounds with the ball short of the LOS. Just throw it away. We only lost a yard, but I hate when QBs do that. Forced a pass over the deep middle and ILB almost picked it off. Worst decision/pass of the day came on 3rd/11. KC pressured him. Kolb stepped up in the pocket and threw a downfield pass. It was easily picked off by S and he added a good return.


VICK --- Played with the 1s as a role player. Handed off to McCoy on his TD run. Came in on 3rd/2 and ran up the middle for the 1st. Had good blocking, but also ran hard in traffic. Threw a pass to Avant over the middle. Throw had good zip and was right on target. Ran for 1st down in the late 3rd. Never played as the primary QB. We went from Kolb to Kafka. You can see what a difference Vick's presence makes at times. KC had a blitz called prior to a play. Vick runs out of the huddle and that caused LB Mike Vrabel to call off blitz.

KAFKA --- Took over in the early 4th Qtr. First couple of drives resulted in punts, but Mike came alive late in the game and led us to the winning TD. Played very well on the drive. Scrambled for 5 yds, got out of bounds. Made an excellent throw down the right sideline to Washington for a gain of 22. Used a pump fake and then threw a tight spiral with good accuracy, velocity. Made a good throw to Cooper for the winning TD. Kept the ball up high where the tall WR was the likeliest player to be able to get it. The pass was pretty accurate and had good touch. Used a pump fake. Finished the game 9 of 13 for 93 yds, TD. Had one bad pass that got some attention on an early drive. Threw for Riley Cooper, but there was confusion on the play. Cooper went upfield. The pass was targeted for an intermediate route. The result looked bad, but there was simply some confusion.


RB

MCCOY --- Looked great early on. Ran for 18-yd TD. Got the ball and ran in the A-gap to the left side. Got to the 2nd level and then headed right and had a wide open lane to the endzone. Caught a pass over the middle and got 8 yds on the play. Had a good downfield block for Kolb on a scramble that allowed him to get a 1st down. Head's up play. Took a snap as Wildcat QB. Ran right for 1 yd. KC played it well. Got held by DE as he tried to release on a screen pass. Too bad. Shady had blockers and room to run. He had some good pass blocks, but also got run over a couple of times. Still needs work.

BELL --- He finally played for us. Looked rusty, but showed what he can do on a couple of plays. Fought for 2 yards on 2nd/1 run. Got absolutely blown up on final drive of half. Had short pass come his way, along with LB Derrick Johnson. Big hit sent the ball flying and left Bell on the ground. Made a solid block on KOR to open 2nd half. KC stuffed running lanes on 3rd/1 play. Mike tried to bounce the ball wide, but got tripped up and fell down. He had nowhere to go up the middle. Good D. Best run came to the right side in early 3rd. Spun out of a tackle at the line and got 4 more yds. Caught a swing pass in the left flat. Evaded one tackler. Hit one defender and then got brought down by the 3rd guy. Bell knocked out the player he hit, LB Cameron Sheffield. Luckily Sheffield wasn't seriously injured. He left on a stretcher, but looks to be okay. We haven't had a RB with that kind of power in a long time.

BUCKLEY --- Mainly played on STs. Good tackle while covering punt in 4th Qtr.

ARRINGTON --- Played some in the 4th. Ran up the middle for 7 yds when we were pinned deep. Bobbled a pass in the early 4th, but did manage to hang on and then get upfield for the 1st down. Not smooth, but effective.


WEAVER --- Good block on the TD run. Got the ILB and pinned him to the outside so that Shady could stay inside and go untouched. Ran hard when he got the ball (3-12). Best run came on 4th/1. Had good blocking, but attacked the LOS to make sure he got the yard. Picked up 4. Worst part of that play was when Todd got shoved and fell on Leonard's back. Weaver got up slowly from that. Blocking was up and down. Leonard knocked Vrabel to the ground on blitz pickup. That was an impressive block. Had a sloppy cut block of Vrabel on run to the outside. Mike was able to slow up McCoy. Too bad as McCoy had some room to run. Missed blitz pickup of ILB and Kolb got sacked on drive in early 3rd. Had some good blitz pickups, but also struggled on other plays. He should be more consistently good.

SCOTT --- Backup FB. Failed to catch a pass in the right flat. Wasn't an easy play because of his body position, but fringe players have to make those catches if they want to make the roster. Had a solid blitz pickup on 3rd down pass. Rode the rusher deep and wide so that Kafka had room in the pocket. Had a good chip block on DE in the 4th. Sloppy lead block led to RB getting stuffed for minimal gain. Did catch a pass, but got no gain on the play.


TE

CELEK --- Only caught 1 pass for 19 yds. Blocking wasn't good. Way too sloppy. Whiffed on a block on 3rd/2. His guy looped around and got Shady's feet. I wish Brent would not do his Matt Schobel impressions in games anymore. Brent has got to get a piece of the LB, just to slow him down. Had a better block on 2nd/2 run up the middle. Didn't move the LB, but kept him under control. Terrible block attempt on run play to his side. Brent was supposed to go upfield and cut the ILB so he couldn't pursue. Brent "dove", but missed the guy clearly and that LB made the tackle. To quote principal Richard Vernon, I expected more out of a varsity letterman. Brent fell down near the LB. That's not exactly a cut block. Caught a pass on the right side in the late 3rd. Got 19 yards on the play.

HARBOR --- Finally got on the stat sheet. Both catches came on final drive. First catch was over the middle. Got the pass 5 yds upfield, turned and got another 5. Next catch came on a quick out. Got the ball 4 yds upfield. Used a good move to get by one DB, then fought through a couple of tacklers to finish with a gain of 10. Hustled to make tackle on final KO of the game. One small thing impressed me. We had a pass play in the mid-4th. Harbor wasn't jammed at the line. He flew upfield. He got on top of the LBs in a hurry. I don't know what route he ran, but it was impressive to see that kind of speed off the ball by a TE.


WR

DJAX --- Caught one pass, a WR screen. Took a big shot and left the game.

MACLIN --- Not his best game. Caught 3 passes for 39 yds. Had a lot of throws come his way (11). Beat CB down the right sideline for what could have been a TD. The ball was on target. Looked like PI on the CB. Beat a defender down the left sideline in the early 2nd. Ball was on target. The CB got a hand on the ball to cause the incompletion. I thought Mac could have caught that ball. He seemed passive about letting the ball come to him. The CB did make a terrific play, but something just looked funny. The ball looked like it was going to hit his forearm even if the CB didn't touch it. Maybe Mac didn't locate the ball well on the play. Dropped a quick pass late in the half. Wasn't going to get much, but you still don't want him dropping balls like that. Failed to catch pass on opening play of 3rd Qtr. Couldn't tell if it was a drop or too tough to hold on to.

AVANT --- Solid game. 3-26. Worked the middle well. Caught a pass from Vick over the middle.

BASKETT --- Played throughout the game. First catch came on final drive. Short pass, but moved the chains and Hank got out of bounds.

WASHINGTON --- Got some snaps as the slot receiver with the starting offense after DJax went out. Caught a pass from Kolb that got us 7 yds. Highlight catch came on the final drive when Kafka hit him down the sideline for a gain of 22. Took a big hit, but held onto the ball. Did drop a pass early on in the drive.

COOPER --- First catch came in the mid-4th. Was tightly covered, but hauled in the pass. Caught the game winning TD. Very smooth. Reached up and plucked the ball. Showed excellent concentration on the play. Didn't look at the DBs or anything else. Focused on the ball. Clutch play.

HALL --- Never saw him on offense. Had a pedestrian night as PR. Hasn't shown quickness or elusiveness in last 2 games.


OL

*** General notes --- We struggled with blitz pickup and adjusting to creative rush schemes. This is on the OL, TEs, RBs, and maybe even Kolb. Marty, Juan, and Andy need to get this sorted out in a hurry.

KC did a simple blitz on our 2nd drive. DE attacked Stacy and got blocked. OLB came upfield and Justice took him. ILB blitzed and had a free run. I'm not sure if McGlynn could have made a different line call or Justice should have focused on the ILB. Weaver was in the backfield and was on the side of the blitzer. He could have taken the ILB or OLB and left a lineman to make the other block.

Not every blitz was a disaster. On Kevin's throw to Mac in the endzone KC brought 6 guys. The line + Weaver and McCoy did a good job of blocking everyone and giving Kolb a clean pocket. He put the pass right on the money. Good play. KC got away with Pass Int. so we had nothing to show for it.

3rd/2 in early 2nd Qtr. KC comes hard with a blitz. We pick it up well and give Kevin a clean pocket. He throws down the left sideline for Mac. CB makes a good play to break up the pass. Very good blocking on the play. That was OL + McCoy and Weaver.

Late in the half KC ran a simple blitz. We either didn't have the right line call or someone just screwed up. Studebaker came free off the edge and sacked Kolb. Shipley was the C. No idea if he made an adjustment or Justice screwed up or McCoy was at fault for not staying in and blocking. Somebody screwed up.



PETERS --- Another sloppy performance. Called for a pair of false starts. Not good. Lined up really deep, but didn't draw any flags. Still makes me nervous. Hali drove him back to Kolb on a pass play. Tamba got into him and Jason might as well have been on roller skates. Beaten to the inside by blitzing LB, who pressured Kolb. Drove Hali a few yards off the ball on run play to his side. Threw Hali to the ground in pass pro. Gave him a big shot and sent the guy flying. Generally handled 1-on-1 blocks pretty well.

JUSTICE --- Solid game from a blocking standpoint. Generally blocked his guy in pass pro. Got some movement on run plays. I did have some questions about assignments and blitz reads. It is hard to be super critical since I'm not sure who exactly is at fault. Good block on 4th/1. Fired off the ball and got the DE. Sustained the block until the whistle. Weaver ran to that side and had a clear lane. Gave up a sack in the early 2nd to Studebaker. Winston gave Kolb about 2 seconds to throw the ball. No one was open and Andy got free at that point and chased Kolb down for the sack. Winston needs to sustain his blocks better, but it wasn't a terrible job on his part.

MCGLYNN --- Started at C again. Good block on TD run. Controlled the NT and gave Shady room up the middle. Had a good block on a run to the left side. Pushed his guy wide and left a cutback lane for McCoy. Solid block on Vick's 3rd down run up the middle. Got help from Stacy, but sustained block of NT. Got hurt on final drive of the half and had to leave. Did return in the 3rd Qtr.

TODD --- Played the 1st half at LG. Looked athletic and moved well. Got a real good block on the TD run. Fired off the ball and got into his defender aggressively. Sealed the hole for McCoy. Had a good block of LB on a run to his side. Had a good block of LB on run to his side in the 1st Qtr. Looked good on Vick's 3rd down run up the middle. Pulled to the right side and helped Weaver block a LB. Then peeled off and blocked someone else. Looked good on the move. He's easily our most athletic interior OL.

ANDREWS --- Good block on the TD run. Fired off the ball and got to the 2nd level. Engaged LB and got him off balance. That allowed Shady to cut back and go right by the guy. Had a good block on Vick's 3rd down run up the middle. Pushed NT from side to create a lane, then went for LB. Got him and that gave Vick room to run. Good block on 4th/1. Fired out to LB. Weaver ran hard right through that gap. Sloppy block on LB on 2nd/2 run to his side ruined the play. LB used his hands to get by Stacy and then made the tackle. Stacy was off balance when he tried to make the block. Gotta keep those feet under you and cleanly get your hands on the defender. Watching Stacy try to pull is not fun.

MAX --- Took over at LG in the 2nd half. Poor block on run to his side. Didn't move his DL and the guy even made the tackle. Had one very good moment in pass pro. Hit #99 from the side and knocked him to the ground. Then piled on him.

HOWARD --- Backup LT. Gave up a sack in the early 4th. Feet just went out from under him and the DE got to Kafka. Overall he was pretty solid.

TUPOU --- Backup LG. Came into the game in the early 4th. I wish I had something to say, good or bad. I didn't see Fenuki make any overly impressive blocks. I also didn't see him make any major mistakes.

DUNLAP --- Backup RT. Okay game.

REYNOLDS --- Backup RG. Real good block in mid-4th. We were backed up by GL and Dallas cleared a good hole for Arrington. Got out on a LB so there was good room to run.

SHIPLEY --- Took over as C with the starting offense late in the half. Then had to wait for 4th Qtr to get back on the field. Called for holding on pass play in mid-4th. NT beat him to the outside and AQ held him rather than let the guy get to Kafka. Some people wondered how he looked with the starters. One key point to remember is that he came in on a 2-minute drive. KC didn't blitz much. That eased pressure on the line and made AQ's job easier.

___________________________________________________

DL

COLE --- Quiet night as a pass rusher. Played the run well. Batted down a pass that Cassel threw under heavy pressure from BG. Blew up a run play when he used a spin move. Trent finished the move and the RB was right in front of him. Easy play. No gain. Hurt his ankle while covering the flat on a zone blitz. Just planted funny as he was trying to make a tackle. No contact at all.

BUNK --- Should have been credited with half a sack. Cassel moved in the pocket and Bunk hit him from behind as Jordan was coming from a different side. Akeem got the credit, but that was good hustle from Bunk. Made a good tackle of Jones on draw play for minimal gain.

PATT --- Quiet game. Did his usual thing of eating up blocks. Got some push on a couple of pass plays. Had one potentially great moment. 2nd/GL pass. Mike drifts to the right. I'm not sure why he didn't attack upfield. Maybe he read something. He's coming along behind his fellow DL. QB never sees him. Mike pops out right as Cassel throws to RB. Mike missed the ball by about a foot. I would have loved to see him pick that ball and head the other way. Would he have gotten to the 30? 40? No way he makes it to the 50.

GRAHAM --- Good game. Graham looked like he got good pressure a few times. I was really impressed with his speed in pursuing plays. He chased a RB out of bounds on the far sideline. That's speed and hustle. Almost recovered a Cassel fumble early on. Reached for the ball when he should have dived to get it. All happened in a split second so it wasn't terrible on his part. Had a free run at the QB in the early 2nd Qtr and got a big shot on Cassel. Looked good on 4th/1 play. Fired off the ball and got inside of blocker. Got down the line in a hurry and grabbed RB by legs. Almost stopped the guy short. You could really see BG's potential on a play like that (strength, burst, speed, awareness, playmaking ability). Had a TFL on the next snap, a run play that came to his side. Graham stayed wide and got around the blocks and then got enough of the runner to get him down for short loss. Pressured Cassel on final play of half and forced him to dump the ball to RB for useless gain.

TAPP --- RDE played some with starters, some with backups. Helped make tackle of RB on 3rd/short inside the RZ after quick pass. Stopped him from getting the 1st. Blew up his blocker on 4th/1 run to make sure RB had to stay inside.

LAWS --- Made a good tackle of RB on draw play. Started on the left side and worked his way along the LOS and got the RB short of the 1st down marker. Good pursuit and tackle. Got rotated in with the starting DEs at times. Trevor was on the field for 3rd/1 play. KC ran at him. Trevor held his ground. He ate up the C, but the G came free and blocked Stew. Chiefs got 2 yds and the 1st. Trevor has come a long way since last year. He regularly got blown off the ball in situations like that. He needs to improve, but give him credit for making a lot of progress in this area. Doing the dirty work isn't easy. Got held on final drive of half and drew a flag. Good hustle on short pass in 3rd Qtr. Helped on tackle of RB in the flat.

DIXON --- Quiet game. Played mostly in the 2nd half. Almost had a TFL in the early 4th. Just missed RB. Beat LG and got in QB's face, forcing an incompletion.

OWENS --- Quiet game. Did a solid job of taking on blockers. Got a bit of push on a pass play or two.

TEO --- Blew up a draw play late in the half when he was at DT. Drove G back a couple of yds and gave RB nowhere to go. Split a double-team and pressured Cassel late in the half. Did okay on STs. Failed to standout when he was at LDE. Needs work as an edge rusher.

ROBINSON --- Tackled RB after play got blown up in mid-3rd. Chased a run play downfield and got in on the tackle. Has a pretty good motor.

SAPP --- RDE. Quiet game. Failed to get pressure off the edge.

MONCUR --- #3 LDE. Had one very impressive play. Fought through block of RT and then put RB down with authority for a TFL. Well done. Had a good tackle vs run on late drive. Fought off block and worked down the line to the RB. Good job by a guy that's only 240 or so. Finished with 3 solo tackles, including a TFL. Good game.


LB

SIMS --- Led the team with 5 total tackles. Played a run well in the early 1st Qtr. KC ran to his side. Ernie came up and took on the blocker aggressively, but kept outside leverage. This forced the RB back inside. Pursuit was slow, but Ernie did his job well. Closed to the ball quickly when Cassel tried to scramble up the middle. We held him to only a couple of yds. You could really see his speed on Lindley's INT in the 1st Qtr. Ernie was up close to the line on 3rd/3. He fell for the fake and started upfield. When he saw Cassel turn and still have the ball, Sims flew backward. He covered 15 yds in a hurry and was in position to cover the TE. The ball came the TE's way. He tried to catch it, but batted the ball in the air. We picked it. Without Ernie as a distraction the TE might have made the grab. The throw wasn't ideal. Impressive play in early 2nd. Jumped over a cut block and chase down a RB. Was able to get in on the tackle. Helped Stew on stopping RB on 3rd down draw. Helped to disrupt a draw play when he took on the FB in the hole. Sims took a nasty shot, but held his ground and the RB had no room. Broke up 2nd/GL pass to RB. Could have been called for PI, but it was a bang-bang play and happened right at the LOS. Missed tackle of Charles in the flat on final drive in the half. Gotta make that play.

STEW --- Good game. Broke up pass over the middle to TE on 3rd down. Good ball skills. Looked natural in knocking the ball away. Got stuck on a block early on when Charles ran to our right. Stew should have been there to get him for minimal gain. Instead, got about 5 yds. Tackled RB for no gain when KC tried to run draw on 3rd/3. Tripped over DB while trying to cover RB on 3rd down. Got right up and in on the tackle. Just missed stuffing runner on 4th/1. Fired into the backfield. Went low. RB went high. Disrupted 1st/GL run by attacking upfield and clogging the running lanes. Blitzed late in the half and pressured Cassel into throwing the ball away. Batted down pass on flea flicker play.

JORDAN --- SAM. Credited with 4 tackles and a sack. Came upfield when he saw Cassel moving in the pocket and hit him. Also knocked the ball loose. Very sloppy on run to his side. Let OT get up on him and pin him inside. That gave RB free run outside for a good gain. Other guys were blocked on the play, but Akeem should have kept outside leverage. Good stop on run to his side. Fought off blocker to make one-armed tackle of Jones. Gave up 5 yds, but did make a good tackle. Showed good hustle in getting out wide to help tackle WR on screen pass from spread look.

FOKOU --- Up and down game. Good tackle on the 2nd KO. Flew downfield and found his way to the ball. Looked awkward covering a punt in the early 2nd. Flew downfield, but was out of control and the PR cut back inside of him and left Moise grasping at air. #2 SAM. Showed excellent speed, pursuit ability when chasing down plays away from him. Bizarre play in the mid-4th. Flew into the backfield and blew up a run play. Unfortunately he tripped the RB and that drew a flag. Was in on a few tackles late in the game. Showed good hustle in getting to the ball.

GAITHER --- Only played on STs. Coaches know what he can do and wanted to see other LBs. Blew up blocker on KO late in the 1st. That freed up Chaney to make the tackle. Was in position to make the tackle on McCluster on the re-kick after penalty, but couldn't quite get him and that cost us 15-20 yds.

CLAYTON --- Good tackle on run play. The play went away from him and Clayton used his speed to get over in pursuit and then made a solid tackle. Had a good stop vs the run in early 4th Qtr. Got off block by FB and then through the line to tackle RB for short gain. Big improvement from previous run D. Got sloppy on another run. This one came at him. Rather than aggressively engage the blocker, Keenan peeked to the outside and the runner went inside. Bad D, good gain. Got cut by FB on another run that came to his side. Showed excellent speed when he chased down RB from behind on 3rd down pass play and kept the guy from moving the sticks. Run defense still needs work.

CHANEY --- Another bad game on defense. Did okay on STs. Good tackle in KO coverage. Had a free run to the ball and put the guy down cleanly. Unfortunately he was offside on the play and the re-kick resulted in a long return. Made the tackle on the re-kick but did so 20 yards more upfield. Backup MLB. Chased down WR and made tackle after short catch and run. Good hustle on the play. Was caught off guard on play where KC ran for TD. Jamar had his back turned and was making some kind of defensive adjustment. He was turning back when the ball was snapped. Chaney got close to the RB, but was a step slow and didn't get a hand on him. I was bothered by the fact he looked slow on the play. Chaney timed so well at the Combine, but we just haven't seen that speed on the field with any consistency. Sloppy defense on a run to his right in the early 4th. Had trouble getting through trash and to the ball. Got stuck on block on inside run and KC had a nice gainer. Got driven almost 10 yds downfield on another run play. Not good. Blitzed up the middle and almost got to QB in the early 4th. Had a couple of tackles on Chiefs drive late in the game. Both tackles were downfield after Jamar had initially been blocked.

LAWRENCE --- Chased down KOR and made a tackle.


S

MIKELL --- Played up in the box quite a bit. Wasn't real good up there. Had a hard time taking out blockers or getting to the ball. Only had a pair of solo stops. Played a WR screen well. Ball came to his side and Q fought through blocks to get to the ball.

ALLEN --- Another good game. Had 4 total tackles. Came up quickly in run support. Made a good tackle in the early 2nd when a run came to his side. Got into the alley and put the runner down. Made good tackle of Charles after long gainer on draw play late in the half. Forced RB out of bounds after catch and run late in the half. Had tight downfield coverage of WR on flea flicker play. Cassel had to look elsewhere. Blitzed in the 3rd Qtr and hit QB as he was throwing. Ball fell incomplete downfield.

COLEMAN --- Good tackle on PR in early 3rd Qtr. Got blocked by FB on run play. Didn't give up. Got off the block and then chased down the runner from behind. Disrupted run play by attacking FB in the backfield and forcing the runner to change directions. Good tackle vs run late in game. Got through traffic and put the runner down for a short gain.

DEMPS --- Had our best KOR of the preseason. Took ball 47 yds late in the 1st half to put us out at midfield. Good vision, ran hard. Took over at SS in the 3rd. Got into the backfield on a run play and disrupted things. Someone else made the tackle, but Q did his part. Got stuck on a block on KC's TD run. The runner came right his way. Demps could have made the tackle or slowed the runner if he'd just gotten off the block. Got through traffic to make tackle of RB in early 4th.


CB

SAMUEL --- Somewhat of a quiet game, but was in on a couple of notable plays. KC threw a pass to McCluster in the right flat. Sammie came flying up and leveled him. Big time hit. Fans forget that Asante has done this stuff before. He will hit. Tackling is a whole other issue. The other play wasn't so good. Gave up an easy TD pass to Dwayne Bowe. Sammie was playing off and hoping to break on the ball. He did break, but the pass wasn't inside like he guessed. Easy pitch and catch for Cassel/Bowe. Almost picked off a pass late in the half. Got interfered with by Bowe, but no call was made. Even the KC announcers noted that was a bad no-call. Showed his non-tackling ways in the mid-3rd. RB came his way. Asante stood there and watched guy come to him, but didn't flinch. Saw a couple of LBs pursuing and decided that they could handle the play. Frustrating to watch.

HOBBS --- Very quiet game. Was in on one tackle, but didn't have much action come his way. Also, the coaches gave some of his plays to Lindley. They wanted to see the rookie play with starters. Ellis isn't in trouble.

HANSON --- I only saw him play in the slot, which is where he belongs. Had 1 tackle.

LINDLEY --- Got some snaps with the 1s at RCB. Picked off a pass. TE tried to catch it, but batted the ball in the air. Trevard stayed calm and made the grab. Held his own with the starters. Made a good tackle of Jones in the flat after a short pass. Good tackle on a run play in the 4th. Fought off a block and got RB as ballcarrier got to him. Broke up a pass late in the game. Had tight coverage and made a good play on the ball. Continued his good summer.

PATTERSON --- Gunner on punts. Made tackle of PR in early 2nd. Had to work hard to get by blockers. TFL in the 3rd Qtr when he got McCluster down after a quick pass. Didn't stand out in coverage, good or bad.

HARRIS --- Took me a minute to figure out who #24 was. Showed up on STs. Missed block of gunner on 3rd Qtr punt and that guy tackled Hall for minimal gain. Played slot CB in the 3rd Qtr.

http://boards.philadelphiaeagles.com/index.php?showtopic=591478

 

COWBOYS

I was unable to watch the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans live; after going through the film, I can say I was immensely grateful to be able to hit the "skip ahead" function and not have to suffer through that in real time.

Obviously, the game was not a good showing by our hopefully-contending Dallas Cowboys. Much of the focus, as it should be, is on the inability of the offense to get anything positive going. This game against the Texans was the "dress rehearsal', the 4th game for the offense at the tail end of an abnormally long training camp. With the first team originally scheduled to not play against Miami, this was supposed to be the final tune-up for the season opener against Washington.

If this was the Cowboys team that's supposed to be ready for the Redskins, then we're in serious trouble.

Now, all of this is based on first glance. All of the knee jerk reactions and the immediate emotion after such a poor game is mostly warranted, but I wanted to dig deeper. I wanted to break down exactly what went wrong against the Texans and where is actually went right (there were some positives). After the jump, my detailed film review of the first team offense against the Texans. You might be surprised by what I found; then again, you might not.

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For the purposes of this film review, I focused solely on the first team offense under Tony Romo.

Before I get into my extended and detailed thoughts on the offense's performance overall, I wanted to highlight and breakdown a number of plays from each of the five possessions by the first team offense. These individual plays highlight the various issues the offense struggled with all game long. Once we get into the season, I'll include screen grabs for these film reviews; for now we'll just have to go with a description.

First possession:

3rd & 7 - DAL 41 - (13:29 - 1Q) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 29 for -12 yards (29-G.Quin).

This play was the perfect example of what the Cowboys struggled with all game long when it came to pass protection. The Texans brought a five-man rush with Mario Williams stunting to the inside from the right defensive end position. Quinn came untouched on a delayed blitz from the edge, but it was the Williams pressure that caused the issue. For some reason, Gurode initially bumped Williams and then let him go free as if expecting help; this wasn't helped when Marion Barber completely ignored Williams and went up the middle on a pass route.

Even if Gurode was expecting some help, there was no need for him to let Williams go. Holland had his man locked up and everyone knows that you never allow pressure from the inside -- this gives the quarterback nowhere to go in the pocket. As it was, Romo had to avoid two free defenders and was sacked for a 12 yard loss. The Cowboys were forced to punt.

Second possession.

1st & 10 - DAL 21 - (10:09 - 1Q) 24-M.Barber left tackle to DAL 17 for -4 yards (94-A.Smith, 90-M.Williams).

The Cowboys decided to start their second drive with an off-tackle run to Barber. On this play, Leonard Davis was pulling while Jason Witten was charged with blocking down on the left side of the defensive line. Witten completely whiffed on his block, allowing Smith to be in the backfield almost as soon as Barber has handed the ball. With Davis pulling, Williams had space to head off a cutback attempt by Barber. This failure of the offense to execute on any sort of pulling blocking scheme would become a trend throughout the game.

1st & 10 - DAL 33 - (8:04 - 1Q) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete short left to 19-M.Austin.

After getting their initial first down of the game out of the way, Jason Garrett called a short curl to Miles Austin along the left sideline. With the Cowboys set up on the left hash, this was a longer throw than a normal quick curl but was designed to negate the pressure the Texans had been getting on every pass play. The Texans were playing Austin soft and he had plenty of room to make his move to the outside after catching the ball. Unfortunately, he dropped it.

What made the drop more unfortunate was that the rest of offense executed perfectly. Lined up in the "11" package, the Cowboys sent their lone TE out on a pass route and left the offensive line to block five rushers. Romo had a perfect pocket on a five step drop.

2nd & 10 - DAL 33 - (8:00 - 1Q) 28-F.Jones left end pushed ob at DAL 31 for -2 yards (29-G.Quin). Penalty on DAL-68-D.Free, Offensive Holding, declined.

This was all sorts of ugly.

The Cowboys, over the past two years, have used the delayed draw to catch defenses off guard. It's worked, nearly every time, as Romo fools the defense by initially dropping into a passing stance before handing off. This time, it fooled no one. The blocking appeared to call for an inside run behind Montrae Holland and Doug Free, with Gurode and Davis both crashing their defenders to the right. Brian Cushing slipped through and immediately disrupted the timing of the play, as he was in the backfield before Jones was handed the ball.

Jones attempted to bounce outside and was able to avoid Cushing. Unfortunately, with Witten, Free and Holland blocking to the left, Jones ran straight into the defenders. On a play designed to go right up the middle, there was zero room to the outside. Not even Jones' speed could help him here.

3rd & 12 - DAL 31 - (7:31 - 1Q) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo sacked at DAL 24 for -7 yards (91-A.Okoye).

On third down, the Texans brought yet another five man rush. Romo never had time to set up in the pocket, however, as Okoye cleanly beat Gurode inside with simple swim move from Gurode's left to right. We had been warned that Gurode was having issues with this move during camp and it was plainly evident here. I watched this play about 10 times and I have yet to determine what Gurode was attempting to do on his block; it looked like Gurode was blocking vs. air and was just ignoring the real live person in front of him.

Once again, and inside rush is near impossible for a quarterback to handle. Sack.

Fourth possession.

1st & 10 - DAL 24 - (9:16 - 2Q) 9-T.Romo pass short right to 11-R.Williams to HST 47 for 29 yards (26-E.Wilson).

Finally, a positive. The Texans brought an eight-man blitz on first down; an initial six-man rush with an inside stunt with two linebackers blitzing on a delay. Both Jones and Gronkowski were able to pick up the blitz with solid blocks while the offensive line were able to counter the inside stunt and provide Romo with a clean pocket. Romo hit Roy Williams with a bullet on a 9-yard curl and Roy did what you're supposed to do: turn it into a big gain.

With the eight-man blitz, the Texans gambled and the Cowboys made them pay. Roy Williams ran a good route, made a clean catch on a great throw and the offensive line provided a clean pocket.

Fifth possession.

1st & 10 - HOU 23 - (9:26 - 3Q) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass incomplete deep right to 19-M.Austin.

We've been talking about the back-shoulder fade all camp and how the Cowboys have been making it a vital part of the offense. We've seen it used to perfection a number of times already in the preseason and we here talk about how it's "impossible to defend". Well, that statement is based on the offense actually executing the play.

This was an example of how dangerous this play is if quarterback and receiver aren't on the same page. Miles Austin lined up against press coverage on the right sideline and runs a slant-and-go. Romo, who has to rush a bit due to pressure, throws a sharp fade that leads Austin. Unfortunately, Austin had stopped on his route expecting the back-shoulder pass. We've been told that this pass is not planned and is contingent on what coverage the cornerback has; if that's the case then Austin was right.

The cornerback was well in front of Austin on the go route and wasn't letting Austin by. Seeing this, Austin cut his route short as Romo released the ball. Romo went with the longer pass and it was nearly intercepted. The play looks great when it works; when it fails it's very dangerous.

Star_medium

Honestly, I could have given a detailed breakdown of every offensive play by the first-team. Each play provided me with something to look at and break down, and most of it wasn't good. Without going into detail for each play, here are the main points I want to make about the performance as a whole.

- Once again, we see the Cowboys play with a very vanilla offensive gameplan and get smoked by a fired-up and aggressive defense. The Houston Texans were not playing their "vanilla" base defense and generally rushed at least five defenders on each pass play. At least twice the Texans brought more than six. This created all sorts of problems with the pass protection and it also created problems with the extremely safe plays that were being called by Jason Garrett. Was it this vanilla gameplan to blame for the offense's ineffectiveness?

After watching each play, it's tough to lay sole blame on the playcalling. No matter what play is being called you still need your players to execute that play and win the one-on-one battles. Too many times the Cowboys whiffed on individual blocks, with multiple players being at fault: Witten, Gurode, Davis, Holland. When this lack of execution happens, it breaks down the entire play; who cares what defense is coming at you if you can't block the guy in front of you.

- One reason the offense sputtered like it did was the absolute lack of any sort of running game. The Cowboys were barely able to get any positive plays going on the ground as generally a running back was met in the backfield by a defender. Against a fast defense like Houston it's tough to get moving downfield if you can't keep them honest with the run.

The Cowboys, on nearly every running play, used a pulling guard to try and open up holes. Even on inside runs there was a lineman pulling. Now this isn't abnormal and it's what the Cowboys generally do with their running game. Yet the Texans have a fast and elusive defensive line and the Cowboys' linemen were never able to get their blocks in time while pulling. The defenders were already meeting the running back while the linemen were attempting to get in place for their block.

You have to think that against a defense that is too quick through the gaps to allow intricate pulling schemes to work, the Cowboys would use straight ahead blocking instead. Just once did the Cowboys line up and fire off the ball heading up field, and that was on Gronkowski's first down run on 4th and 1. The Cowboys were able to move the Texans off the line of scrimmage; on none of the other run plays, with guards and tight ends pulling all over, did this sort of positive movement take place.

- As far as playcalling goes, there's no doubt that Garrett called a soft and "vanilla" game for most of the first half. Before the last drive of the half, there was just one downfield pass attempt by Romo. The Cowboys were calling mainly short pass plays; 10-yard outs and curls and the occasional screen. This lack of a downfield attack isn't solely because of the pass rush as Romo always checked down even if he had time; the Cowboys just seemed to want to stubbornly play it safe.

It wasn't until the Cowboys were attempting to drive in the final minute of the first half that Garrett finally opened up the offense. Romo stepped up in the pocket and fired a rocket downfield to Austin for a 30 yard gain just before halftime. In their first possession of the second half, Romo was once again hitting receivers downfield. Garrett apparently opened up the playbook as he tried to kick-start the offense and get the Cowboys finally moving the ball aggressively. Unfortunately, Witten's drop and the subsequent interception ruined the good times on what turned out to be Romo's final pass of the game.

- One thing that has bothered me was why the Cowboys struggled so much after supposedly putting together a great camp? Against the Texans, Romo was laser sharp and made several accurate throws; can't blame him for it all. The offensive line was unable to win individual battles and the Cowboys struggled with pass protection, yet when Romo did have time there was either a drop or a mis-communication.

You have to wonder if the "vanilla" offensive gameplan had something to do with this lack of execution. The Cowboys played most of the first half as if they weren't completely interested and almost as if their were practicing in a walk-through. When you know that the playcalls will be simple, then perhaps there was a tendency to become complacent a bit. This conservative approach doesn't suit Romo, it doesn't suit Garrett and is obviously doesn't work with this offense.

There is something to the saying "you play like you practice". When you're practicing as an aggressive and supposedly innovative offense, it's not easy to get into a game against a fired up defense in front of a rowdy crowd and suddenly operate within a safe and conservative gameplan. With the Cowboys playing the Texans in Week 3, it's understandable that Garrett wanted to play it close to the vest; yet it was obvious the Cowboys were having trouble executing these simple plays against a complex defense.

Final (quick) thoughts:

I think the Cowboys offense is going to be fine. The basic execution was off, but I'm hoping this was due to the team easing up while playing in a conservative gameplan. Is that the right way of doing things? Not at all, but the offense did start to move once more aggressive playcalls were made.

Romo was sharp yet was obviously hesitant to step up in the pocket. Even when he had time, Romo didn't make that one step forward right before a throw you like to see when a quarterback is feeling confident. Romo's lightning-fast release was on display, but he was having trouble feeling comfortable in the pocket.

Chris Gronkowski impressed me. He received a lot of playing time with the first-team offense and never stood out with a glaring mistake, and showed good pop on his blocks from a number of positions.

I have a feeling that the Cowboys starters are going to play in Miami. I also have a feeling that it won't be with a conservative gameplan. They'll get on the field and attempt to be successful with their normal, aggressive playcalling. It has to work this time, or there will be serious doubts headed into the season opener.

Finally, let's remember that this is just a preseason game. That the "dress rehearsal" was against a Week 3 opponent is a bit maddening as it was obvious that Wade was refusing to show his hand, while the Texans appeared content on opening up the playbook. Both the offense and the defense held back while the Texans unleashed upon them; this is still not an excuse for the lack of basic execution on a multitude of levels. Yet I look forward to seeing what the Cowboys can do when the game actually counts.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/8/29/1657741/film-review-dallas-cowboys-offense

About the only good thing you can say about the Dallas Cowboys embarrassing loss to the Houston Texans was that it was a pre-season game. The Cowboys looked like a team that awoke from a 20-year coma five minutes before the game, the Texans looked like a team that had been chomping at the bit to play the game for the whole week. This being the pre-season, it's easy to say it doesn't matter and to a large extent that's true. Nobody remembers these games once the real thing begins, and as is customary the Cowboys worked from the most vanilla of playbooks. So we can hold off on pulling the rip cord on the parachute for now.

But we can't really wash away the stink that was the Cowboys on Saturday night. Not being ready to play in their supposed dress rehearsal - the sloppy ball-handling, the missed tackles, the inability to get in and out of the huddle in proper formations - all of this suggests that Dallas has plenty of work to do between now and the season opener. It's been a long training camp and the fact they had just broken camp was a factor, but let's not use it as an excuse. This was a poor display of professional football, and the team knows it. So bad, in fact, that there are suggestions the regulars may play in the final pre-season game against the Dolphins.

Star-divide

Most worrisome has been the Cowboys inability to assemble anything that resembles a running game. Sure, they were playing with a makeshift line, but in the NFL injuries happen. The Cowboys ground game has ground to a halt. They've become one-dimensional in the pre-season and that hasn't been good for Tony Romo's health. The Texans front seven spent some quality time with Romo, grabbing a few sacks and knocking him down to the point were getting him out of the game was becoming a decision of medical importance. About the only bright spot offensively was that Roy Williams actually got involved in the game and caught some passes.

The Cowboys offense played hot potato with the football, a mis-communication on a pitch play to Felix Jones wiped out one of their only good drives of the night, Romo also had to scoop up a bad snap and later put the ball on the turf when Dallas was making another charge for the endzone. That series was ultimately snuffed by a tipped pass that turned into a Texans interception. Given the injuries on the offensive line, it would be easy to put the blame on the replacements. But Andre Gurode gave up a sack on a straight rush, Doug Free picked up a holding penalty that was declined, and the line blew the blocking assignments on several blitzes.

In short, the Cowboys offense was simply horrendous. Only a Jon Kitna to Kevin Ogletree touchdown late in the game saved them from a total embarrassment.

The defense, who has been the steadier of the two units in the exhibition games, was also undone in the dress rehearsal. It has to be said that they didn't play any of their specialty packages and Matt Schaub and the Texans' offense took advantage of that. But vanilla formations can't account for the numerous missed tackles against the Texans running game. The Cowboys were extremely sloppy in that area. And formations and play-calling weren't the problem when safety Alan Ball was faked out of his jock on the Texans first touchdown. For a couple of weeks in a row, opposing teams have been able to run on the Cowboys defense, something that usually doesn't happen. It wasn't only missed tackles, it was losing the battle at the point of attack. The Texans offensive line was throwing around Cowboys defenders like rag dolls.

Okay, so the Cowboys got thoroughly whipped by the Houston Texans. It was a shambles of a game from the Cowboys perspective. Wade Phillips did what he always does, he tried to protect the players by saying they didn't game plan for the game, they didn't make any adjustments and tried to take responsibility for their play. I'm sure the players appreciate that, but they know what happened, They were not ready to play football, even pre-season football. They looked indifferent, they looked tired, they looked like a team that had their mind on anything else except this game.

They don't get a free pass, there was too much failure in just the basics of football to excuse it. But it is the pre-season, so the panic button can remain un-pushed - for now.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2010/8/29/1656720/cowboys-dress-rehearsal-a-flop

HOUSTON – The Cowboys' focus for Saturday's game against Houston was more on the team performance than individual evaluation.

If that was the case, then there was very little good to come from the 23-7 loss to the Texans, but Wade Phillips cited some individuals who played well anyway.

The Cowboys are still looking to shore up some backup roles and were able to find some good, believe it or not, and some not so good as they move closer to the Sept. 12 season opener at Washington.

With Thursday's preseason finale vs. Miami, they will have jobs to fill.

Alex Barron

He got his first start at right tackle with Marc Colombo recovering from knee surgery. Barron was not the problem for a line that allowed too much pressure on Tony Romo and too few holes for the running game.

He was matched up against Mario Williams a few times and did a nice job without much help on one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.

Barron is not a power player, but he did a nice job of keeping the defender at bay.

"It was all right," Barron said. "It was good to get back and mix it up a little bit."

Sean Lee/Jason Williams

With the Texans spreading out their offense, Williams got the bulk of the first-half work with the regulars in the dime defense.

Williams was decent against the run but an illegal contact penalty negated a turnover, and Houston scored on the next play.

Lee had a hard time disengaging from blockers and was not nearly as active in the first half as he was against San Diego.

"That was way too inconsistent," Lee said. "When you're going to play with the first team you can't make mistakes."

Danny McCray

A special teams fiend in the first three preseason games, the undrafted rookie safety from LSU was given more of a role in the sub-package defense and struggled with his responsibilities.

Used mostly in long-yardage situations, McCray stuck with the tight end too long on a route, creating an opening for Arian Foster to pick up 7 yards on third-and-6. In the third quarter, he got caught in the wash on a Foster run that went for 17 yards and set up a Houston field goal.

"It moves a lot faster in the game than it does in practice," McCray said.

Kevin Ogletree

After an up-and-down camp in San Antonio , Ogletree was better in Oxnard, Calif., but he was slowed by a hamstring strain during the week that limited his practice time. Ogletree had the Cowboys' only touchdown – a 24-yard strike from Jon Kitna – but fumbled a kick return that the Cowboys were able to recover.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...oys/stories/082910dnspocowissues.2a703c5.html

 

REDSKINS

Perry Riley's mild ankle sprain was the only damage done against a very physical NY Jets, so that's a win. After the jump I get into some game film screenshots for Willie Parker and Ma'ake Kemoeatu, but let's start from the top.

Since there's a decent chance Rex could see action this season, what I wanted to see most this game was see Rex protect the ball. Jason Campbell kept the Redskins in games simply for his knack to do that. Rex failed this test miserably - again. He muffed the shotgun snap and on a sack, he put the ball on the ground. He's made a career out of fumbling averaging one every other game he plays and already has 5 this pre-season so far. Fumbles aside, the former Steve Spurrier pupil posted a respectable 72.7 QB rating, which against the Jets defense is more than any of us expected. He drove the ball down the field and showed that when he has protection, he can throw a strike (although that 3rd down pass he threw out of bounds to a wide open Joey Galloway on the first drive was a 2009 ‘shake my head' moment).

Speaking of Galloway, there's not a lot to hate on. He broke Cromartie's knees on one route and showed he can still not only get separation, but also catch over the middle. That should advance him into the next round of cuts.

Willie Parker s-t-r-u-g-g-l-e-d. Post game he had this to say, "For what I did with the opportunities I had and the running room that was there, I could say yeah [I was pleased].... It was kind of tough sledding. It definitely was a grind." Really? Throwing the OLine under the bus are you? Well, when I watched the game again there were two plays that stood out where Parker could have run differently for extra yardage.

On this running attempt, Willie Parker decides not to follow fullback Darrel Young (who's taking the outside) and instead decides to run into the path of Kris Jenkins, arguably the best Nose Tackle in football. Trent Williams and Cooley are owning their men and if Parker had stayed outside, his chances for a big gain would have been a lot higher.

On this rushing attempt, Willie hits a split with Antony Armstrong blocking directly in front of him. Since Willie decided to cut left/outside, he lost his speed and the CB was able to shed Armstrong and make the tackle just past the line of scrimmage. If Willie had taken the green path, he'd be inside the 10 yard line with full speed and a chance to make a move on a streaking Jim Leonhard.

As a footnote, Cooley makes the All Kool-Aid Team for his 5-star blocking. In both of these pictures he's man-handling his defender. When the Redskins went to 7-man protections (RB and Cooley in the back-field), Cooley did not miss a single block, and he faced every different Jet that suited up: Jason Taylor, Jim Leonhard, Shaun Ellis, Bart Scott. On run plays when Cooley was on the line, I saw him driving defenders backwards.

As for the defense, the difference between Kemoeatu and Haynesworth is as comparable as Peyton Manning and Danny Wuerffel. I've been a hard critic of Hayenworth the last several months, but he looked like a Pro Bowler out there. He was consistently in the back-field whether he was pushing his defender back or coming around the end on a stunt. Anytime Albert was in 1-1 coverage, it was like watching one of those Running of the Bulls videos when the bull gets hold of a Spaniard. Rag doll. Haynesworth to me has to see a lot of action at NT. Kemo again got pushed back on every single play at least 3 yards...and that was against ONE OLineman. Mangold is one of the best, but the Guards were having their way with Kemo, too. The Redskins run defense has been WOEFUL this pre-season giving up yards per rush: 8.1 (Bills), 4.0 (Ravens), and 5.0 (Jets). When the NT is pushed 3-yards backwards with both Guards pushing untouched, running backs are guaranteed great stats. Here's the image that stood out most to me.

Off the snap, Mangold drives Kemo backwards 5 yards eventually landing on top of him. How does this happen to a 350 lb Nose Tackle? It's clear he's not back to his prior form. There's a reason lineman do so much work on the sleds. It teaches them to continue pushing after first contact. On almost every play, Kemo stands upright after contact...there is no push or drive. Perhaps coaches are telling him to stand tall, but as I said last week, nothing disrupts an offense more when the NT can take away the pocket for a QB to step up in. Not once has he demanded a double-team which is a major problem that hopefully #92 can solve. Either way, you won't be seeing anymore Fat Albert posts from this guy anytime soon.

Another player that disappointed was Selvish Capers. Like Kemo, he was driven backwards with ease on 1-1 action. That might explain why the Redskins have decided to start him at Guard for the Cardinals game. If he can't do well there, he won't make this team. I didn't follow Rinehart and Will Montgomery exclusively, but they excelled on the plays I did see.

All in all, the Kool-Aid pitcher is still full.

http://www.hogshaven.com/2010/8/30/1658238/kool-aid-report-redskins-1st-team

No team ran for more yards than the Broncos during Mike Shanahan's 14-year run as coach in Denver. The face of those teams may have been John Elway, the golden-armed quarterback with whom Shanahan won a pair of Super Bowls, but the best years in Denver were characterized by a finely tuned offensive line leading the way for halfback Terrell Davis, grinding teams into submission.

Three games into his first preseason as the head coach of the Washington Redskins, Shanahan's distinctive running game has not yet taken form. In Friday night's uneven 16-11 victory over the New York Jets, the Redskins managed 82 yards on the ground, a meager 40 in the first three quarters against the Jets' best defenders. Willie Parker, a former Pro Bowler signed as a free agent, gained 16 yards on eight carries in what amounted to his most significant audition. Larry Johnson, another former Pro Bowler signed as a free agent, gained all but 32 of his 42 yards in the fourth quarter, when the Jets' starters had long been removed from the game.

"Famine, famine, feast," was how starting right guard Artis Hicks described it. ". . . We feel much better this week than we did last week."

They do not, though, feel good enough about the ground game to have any sort of comfort level heading into the Sept. 12 season opener against Dallas - particularly after starter Clinton Portis sprained his right ankle Friday night.

The Redskins provided no update on Portis's injury Saturday, but the team's struggles to run the ball - even with the ninth-year running back healthy - are stark. Through Friday's preseason games, the Redskins were averaging 82.3 yards per game on the ground - an average that ranked 24th in the league.

They have two rushing touchdowns in three games, both by rookie Keiland Williams in a preseason-opening rout of woeful Buffalo. They are, as a team, averaging 2.9 yards per carry, and in the last two weeks - against the stout defenses of Baltimore and the Jets - they have gained two first downs on the ground.

"It takes a lot of work," Shanahan said. "A lot of work, a lot of effort. We surely don't have it down yet."

Following the victory over the Jets - a game decided when Johnson took a screen pass from backup quarterback Richard Bartel and scooted 15 yards into the end zone with 2 minutes 21 seconds remaining for Washington's lone touchdown - most of the offensive linemen and running backs attributed the Redskins' rushing struggles to their most recent opponents. The Jets had the NFL's top-ranked defense a year ago, a unit that ranked eighth against the run, allowing 98.6 yards per game. Baltimore, long a defensive powerhouse, ranked fifth against the run in 2009, allowing 93.2 yards a game.

"You've got to give credit where credit's due," center Casey Rabach said. "That's a heck of a defense. Obviously, they're number one last year. But we're confident that we can run against anybody, and that's what we intend to do."

But the matter of who will do the running for the Redskins is still taking shape. Portis, the incumbent who is also a two-time Pro Bowler, has nine carries for 39 yards (a 4.3 average) in the preseason. Regardless of the state of his ankle, it's unlikely Portis will see significant time, if any time at all, in Thursday's preseason finale at Arizona.

Johnson overcame last week's dismal eight-carry, four-yard effort against Baltimore with better results against the Jets, but Parker - who now has 15 yards on nine carries in his two preseason appearances - likely needs to get another chance against the Cardinals.

"I just made the best of what was given to me," Parker said. "It was tough grinding, tough sledding there at first. . . . As far as individually, I made the best of what I had."

Williams (17 carries, 68 yards) and second-year back Ryan Torain (23 carries, 72 yards) are also vying to bump either Johnson or Parker off the roster. But regardless of who makes the team, Shanahan's running game relies heavily on the zone blocking scheme in front of it. Washington's offensive line - with new starters at right tackle (Jammal Brown), right guard (Hicks) and left tackle (rookie Trent Williams) - must simultaneously learn each other and the new system for the running game to be effective. Above all else, Shanahan preaches a commitment to the running game that extends from the line to the backs to every other position on the field.

"To be a really good running football team, all 11 [have] got to function well," left guard Derrick Dockery said. "Receivers have to block down field, tight ends have to block as well, linemen, running backs. It's a collective group effort."

For now, the group is struggling, particularly against elite defenses. The Redskins will learn more about Portis's injury this week, and he has two full weeks to recover before the Dallas game. Shanahan and his offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, must also determine how much to play the first-team offensive line - if at all - against the Cardinals.

"We take pride in running the football," Dockery said. "I'm really excited about this group. I think we have a talented group up front, we just need to make some touch-ups here and there as far as technique and everything."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/28/AR2010082802998.html?sub=AR

Anthony Armstrong has nothing to worry about on Tuesday, when the Redskins make their first cuts of the preseason. He has nothing to worry about going into the final exhibition game against Arizona, and nothing to worry about afterward, either. He's made the 2010 roster.

Armstrong brings something to the Redskins that few others do, and he brings it in abundance: He's fun to watch. He runs his routes, he finds a way to get open, and he finds a way to make catches, even on less-than-perfectly-thrown balls.

"He's awesome," quarterback Rex Grossman said after Friday's 16-11 victory over the Jets. "He's definitely explosive. He's going to be a great player for us this year."

Armstrong has become a fan favorite, a quarterback favorite and a coaching favorite in less than a month. Sadly, it wasn't that hard to do. The Redskins' stable of wide receivers is a bit . . . thin. Let's see who we've got.

Santana Moss? He's still the top dog of this group, no question.

Joey Galloway? Despite the fact that he didn't catch a ball in the preseason until Friday night in New Jersey, he's in as well. He caught three of six balls thrown his way against the Jets and none of the three he didn't catch were his fault.

Armstrong? Asked and answered.

Devin Thomas? He was pretty invisible Friday night - 12 guys caught passes, none of them named Thomas - but Coach Mike Shanahan said that was by design. He caught four of nine balls for 78 yards in the first two games, including a 44-yard touchdown against Buffalo. We'll get a better look next week in Arizona, those of us who can stay awake. But chances are he's in - although I'd keep some change-of-address cards handy, just in case.

And then it gets tricky. Let's start with Malcolm Kelly, who has barely practiced and has yet to play. Since being chosen by the Redskins in the second round of the 2008 draft, Kelly has failed to impress. He has also proven a bit delicate, and going down with a hamstring injury at the beginning of camp didn't help that reputation. He also has some maturity issues; witness the five traffic citations in 18 months. I would cut him.

However, he has one advantage over everyone else: He's 6 feet 4. In the kingdom of the short wide receivers, Kelly is king. So while I would cut him, the Redskins may not.

And speaking of the kingdom of the short, how about Brandon Banks? If a player can look me in the eye in an NFL locker room, that's a concern. (If a player can look me in the eye in an NBA locker room, that's Muggsy Bogues.)

Banks is listed at a generous 5-7, which makes me about 5-5. (I wish.) He's had a spectacular 77-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Bills, but no receptions. He had one catch against the Ravens, a beauty for 29 yards. He had two catches against the Jets. How does he overcome his height disadvantage?

"Make big plays," he said. "If you're out there making big plays and putting points on the board the coaches ain't got no choice but to put you out there and give you opportunities so if I can continue to make plays my size ain't going to matter after that."

He also muffed a punt Friday night; DeAngelo Hall's subsequent interception may have prevented him from being left in the New Meadowlands parking lot with bus fare. Still, him I'd keep. Kick returns, for the Redskins, have long been a good time for a bathroom break.

There was seldom a chance anyone would break loose for anything. Banks would keep me in the recliner. I also think you could get a couple of catches out of him, as well. Of course, all this means he'll probably be cut (though not this week).

Like Galloway, Terrence Austin had more opportunities Friday night than in previous games. He had three catches for 34 yards to go along with two catches for 18 yards in the opener.

He's done a decent job returning kicks; he's not as flashy as Banks but he has better hands. Like Galloway, he's 5-11. I'd put him on the practice squad and keep Roydell Williams. So the Redskins will likely keep Austin and not Williams.

While the wide receivers as a group have been largely unimpressive, they look like the Smurfs compared with the Redskins' running game, which has managed only 10 first downs in three games - eight of those against the Bills, two against the Jets and a big goose egg against the Ravens - and two rushing touchdowns.

Which has only helped to spotlight Armstrong. Signed to the practice squad last October, the 5-11, 182-pound Armstrong has seven catches for 101 yards and one touchdown. Saturday night was his weakest offensive performance in three preseason games - he had just one reception and was flagged for a questionable offensive pass interference call near the end of the first half.

But for a guy like Armstrong, 27 years old and getting his first real shot at the NFL, catching the coaches' eyes on special teams is just as important as big touchdown catches. He didn't have any return opportunities; instead he made his mark on the punt and kickoff return teams, using his speed to get involved in at least three tackles. With a 53-man roster, a player who can make himself more versatile has a much better chance of sticking.

So I think Armstrong is a mortal lock for this team, and so do the fans, and probably so do his teammates.

"Armstrong has been doing a great job all through [organized team activities] and minicamps and what you're seeing is a guy that is maturing in the offense and getting his confidence," Donovan McNabb said after the loss to Baltimore. "We all have the confidence in Armstrong that he'll be able to make the play just like Joey or anyone else in that position."

The one person who isn't taking anything for granted is Armstrong.

"I feel confident in what I'm doing, but I also know I have to get better day in and day out," he said last week. "I can't come out here and think that I have it made already. I have to stay hungry like I haven't had anything to eat for a while."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...28/AR2010082803133_2.html?sid=ST2010082804135