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Nfc south preseason reports

Discussion in 'Other NFL' started by adamprez2003, Aug 2, 2010.

  1. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    FALCONS

    The Atlanta Falcons opened training camp on Friday, and so far all is well. Reports are almost unanimous in praising the defense's performance, specifically the pass coverage of cornerbacks Dunta Robinson, Brent Grimes, Christopher Owens, and rookie Dominique Franks. Linebacker Curtis Lofton has mentioned the D having a chip on its shoulder after being called the team's Achilles heel all offseason, and wide receiver Roddy White appreciates the intensified competition.

    Wide receiver Kerry Meier and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon have been the other rookies to earn widespread kudos, though Spoon continues to inspire loud cusses by loud cuss defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder, who loudly cusses because he cares.

    Despite triple-digit heat and Georgia humidity, the team has so far suffered only a handful of minor injuries -- Robinson tweaked a hamstring, one-time Yellow Jacket tight end Colin Peek aggravated his knee, and beloved elder wide receiver Brian Finneran has Old Man Back.

    http://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/8/2/1600740/recapping-the-first-weekend-of
     
  2. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS

    Dwayne Jarrett will be on the team, no questions asked. I don't know where on the depth chart but he will be on the final roster. I was thinking about this during the 7 on 7 drills realizing what little experienced depth we have at WR. While I now know most of the players names and numbers, I realize how much of a struggle it was to get there. Many of the fans around me keep wondering who this and that player was. Despite the hard time we give Jarrett (well deserved as it is) besides Smith he's been with the team the longest. He's really is a veteran as much as we don't view him that way. Hopefully even if he doesn't get it this year he can help those around him do so. Yet, It has to be hard on him as all the other receivers know they are vying for his spot and he doesn't have it looked up. You would think this would motivated him but not everyone responds to pressure the same way. Time will tell.

    Steve Smith, on the other hand, seemed to be working out the whole time. Out of all the players on the PUP list, you would look over at them and you would be hard pressed to see him not doing something. As another fan pointed out (actually our very own Deuceklinco) as we talked on the sidelines, it's hard to wonder why all pro-athletes don't take their jobs as seriously. Yes Smith is an ultimate competitor but most players have very little time to prove themselves on the field. Here's a life lesson to learn, it's not always about the money. You can't through money at a problem and make it go away. The person has to want to do something about it.

    As little depth as we have at WR, we have plenty of depth at TE. We have three capable guys that fit very nicely into the team chemistry. As Darin posted this afternoon:

    Maybe we're taking our eye off the ball, rather than worry about WRs, just throw to the TEs. They're better.

    There very well could be a lot of truth to that. Three experienced players, all have been with the team a few years. Yes we have pointed out their specialties, but in the end they all have been used to catch down field as well. It will be very interesting to see just how much they will be used but I do know one thing, it seriously felt all 4 QB where finding them consistently during team drills.

    Unlike earlier this offseason when I wrote that the 4th string TE, Jamie Petroski, wasn't likely to make the roster, that after watching them all practice and working the autograph line, I really feel bad making those blanket statements, even if they are very likely scenarios. They are out there busting their butts to help this team get better and they have to know their chances are slim but they still work hard. I'm happy to say that my son does have Jamie Petroski's signature on his football and even if he doesn't make it the team, we will proudly display his name as a member of the Carolina Panthers football team.

    I really didn't pay much attention to what the running backs where doing outside of team drills. Although I guess since we know the depth chart is pretty much set, that anything other than team drills doesn't provide much insight. I do intended to pay more attention to the defensive line over the next few practices and hopefully get a better understanding of how the running backs are fairing against them. From today it does appear that DeAngelo Williams was his usual self, but I would also add that with the D's limit on contact, I'm thinking he might have looked a little better than he actually performed. With Stewart and Sutton out today, we did see a more of Mike Goodson, Tony Fieametta, and training camp bodies Josh Vaughan (#40), and RB Rashawn Jackson (#38). Goodson did look improved. While he did drop a ball once, he reminded me why we were so high on him after last years draft. If, and that is a big if, if he can put the fumbling troubles behind him, he can definitely be a nice addition to the RB group. He'll stick around as one of those promise guys we just hope matures before his rookie contract runs out. He's quick and elusive once he gets into the open field and would be a great change of pace back. Again, if practice Goodson shows up as game day Goodson then he will be fun to watch.

    Matt Moore is the starter, I have no question about that. He looked confident and generally played well. All the talk about Jimmy Clausen pushing him should pretty much stop. I know its early but I just don't seem it happening this year. However, I not sure about the 2nd string QB. They have Hunter Cantwell and Clausen switching between 2nd and 3rd string. I can note that during warmups that Clausen is lined up with the 3rd string players, so at this point I have to assume that's where he is on the depth chart.

    http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/7/31/1597821/notes-from-day-1-2-of-the-panthers
     
  3. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    SAINTS

    1-on-1 Passing:
    By our count, the cornerbacks outshone the receiver 6-4 in this one. We didn’t count quick hitches or slants, where the receiver has the decided advantage because the CB gets no help from the linebackers or the defensive line.

    The nicest play was WR Lance Moore redirecting his pattern to fit QB Drew Brees’ throw. It came over CB Randall Gay, who had nearly perfect coverage on Moore, but not help over the top from a safety because they weren’t included in the drill.

    CB Jabari Greer came out the best, going 3-0 in the period, stopping passes to WR Devery Henderson, WR Larry Beavers and WR Adrian Arrington.

    Punt Return Issues:
    In an attempt to beef up the punt return unit, Payton opened up the return position to open camp. Until Monday morning, everything looked good there.

    But it all came unhinged in the heat of the morning.

    WR Reggie Bush, Moore and CB Tracy Porter all fumbled punts. Porter dropped two in a row and on the second one, he threw the ball back in frustration to the managers. Bush wasn’t much better, missing two of his own

    Team 1:
    (DE Bobby McCray and LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar were both working the first-team.)

    Brees didn’t have his best period or his best day. In the first four plays, the Saints offense ran twice, Brees scrambled on the third play and threw incomplete to WR Courtney Roby after CB Jabari Greer batted the ball down.

    QB Patrick Ramsey took the second-team snaps and had his first pass fly right through the hands of TE Tory Humphrey. On the fifth play, Ramsey had possibly his best pass of camp. He rolled to his right and found WR Montez Billings on the sideline.

    Pass Skele (7-on-7):
    Not much of note here. It was third-down work for the second day in a row.

    The nicest play was on a third-and-11 from the plus-45. Brees pump faked, allowing Roby to get behind S Pierson Prioleau, who bit on the fake. Brees hit Roby in stride for a 45-yard touchdown.

    Ramsey threw to RB Reggie Bush with LB Jonathan Casillas lunging in front of the running back. Bush displayed nice concentration to bring the ball into his hands despite Casillas’ attempt to knock it away.

    Team 2:
    Brees continued his less-than-great day in the final team period. With third-down the specific thing to work on, here are the first-team plays.

    3rd-and-5 @ 40: Brees to Moore, one-handed grab, but Gay stops Moore a yard short
    3rd-and-6 @ 40: Brees pump fakes as Bush clears his defender, but the pass sails a bit too far and Bush can’t corral the pass.
    3rd-and-10 @ 40: Brees throws incomplete
    3rd-and-10 @ 40: Brees under pressure can’t quite get ball accurately to Roby, who was behind secondary.
    3rd-and-12 @ 40: Bad snap that Brees can’t get to; LB Marvin Mitchell recovers for defense
    3rd-and-5 @ 45: RB Pierre Thomas quick give left for first down
    3rd-and-5 @ 45: Brees short left to Bush, who can’t get ball into his hands as he’s running backwards
    3rd-and-10 @ 45: Brees checks down to Thomas, who gains only six yards.

    http://www.wwltv.com/sports/black-a...-session-punt-return-needs-work-99776989.html
     
  4. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    BUCCANEERS

    Gerald McCoy, the team’s first round draft pick this past April, is signed, at training camp and improving daily. Former Buccaneers standout defensive lineman, Warren Sapp, can be thanked partially for his early development. Sapp gave the former Oklahoma Sooners pointers one day this offseason during the Bucs’ OTAs, including things like what to expect at training camp.

    “I worked out with him a little bit while I was still here at OTAs. Everything he showed me, I went and worked on it, worked on it and worked on it,” said McCoy, who is being counted on to plug a hole that’s existed in Tampa Bay’s defense since Sapp left the Bucs following the 2003 season.

    “He showed me a lot of minor things. He said personally, he can’t do it in one summer. We have to keep working and keep working to get where he thinks I can be – just like he did. He just kept working, and eventually he got better until he was unstoppable. That’s where he wants me to be, but he said it’s going to take time.”

    http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/7...ining-camp#tampa-bay-buccaneers-training-camp
     
  5. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS


    Stock is Rising:

    WR Brandon LaFell - LaFell is quickly looking like the Panthers top candidate for impact rookie of the season. We knew he could block and had an NFL-ready body. What we didn't expect was such smooth route-running and nimble hands. The kid is going to make a serious run at #2 WR and you won;t find me betting against him

    OG Mackenzy Bernadeau - Mac-Bern is the early leader for the RG position given his competition has yet to get on the field at RG much less mount a serious challenge. Geoff Schwartz continue to fill in for RT Jeff Otah as he completes his injury rehab and Duke Robinson showed up out of shape. Mac-Bern on the other hand has impressed since being drafted in the 7th round and looks and sounds ready to play the position:

    "The right guard spot's what I'm looking to do, what I want to do," he said. "If coach feels differently, that's whatever it is. I'm ready to compete and take care of business, because I want that spot."


    WR Kenny Moore - We didn't talk much about Moore during the offseason, other than the fact he was working hard during OTA's. By all accounts Moore is flat out getting it done, both in his zest for blocking and his crisp route-running. Moore could also provide the deep threat from the slot the Panthers have sorely needed. Moore is the leader for the slot position.

    ...more after the jump...

    Star-divide

    DE Greg Hardy - Hardy has been the talk of camp. The highly athletic 6th round pick looks like a first rounder with his size, speed and strength. If it translates to the field we could have the best 6th round pick since Tom Brady.

    LB Eric Norwood - Though the Panthers haven't decided whether he is a LB or a DE Norwood is impressing with his ability to grasp both positions. He's a pass rushing LB at this point:

    "Right now his base position for us is linebacker. We’ll see how that goes," coach John Fox said. "He spent a lot more time with his hand in the dirt in college. He definitely has those skills, so he can be a designated pass rusher as well as an every-down linebacker and we’ll evaluate that as we move forward."

    Stock Is Falling

    OG Duke Robinson - As mentioned earlier Robinson showed up out of shape and over weight just when many thought he would be competing for a starting spot. He must be content just being a back-up because his stock is in the tank. Fortunately for him the Panthers haven't given up on him:

    Robinson might be the best long-term answer. When in shape, he's a monster in the run game, and paired with Otah would create a mammoth wall for the backs to get lost behind. But until he can drop some weight and get on the field, there's no opportunity for him to prove himself.

    "Duke, we know about; we've just got to get him fit," Fox said.


    WR David Gettis - Gettis has nice size and speed but he has been plagued by drops and looks slow getting out of his breaks. I did see a nice catch from Gettis on a deep ball but otherwise he doesn't look NFL-ready.

    WR Dwayne Jarrett - I debated whether to put Jarrett on this list because honestly his stock has never been really that high since being drafted by the Panthers. He looked bad at the first couple of practices but has improved in the last few practices. Still until Jarrett starts to look like the #2 WR he should be at this point in his career he will receive extra scrutiny.

    WR Armanti Edwards - Edwards is a very popular Panther in his short time with the team and I'm sure many will not be happy with me putting him on this list. But the truth is any player that switches positions when jumping to the NFL is going to need time to adjust and Edwards is no exception. He has been plagued by bobbles and drops in the kick return game and lacks the polish shown by fellow 3rd round pick Brandon LaFell. Edwards may well be a factor in 2010 but I'm thinking it will be later in the season.

    CB CJ Wilson - For a 4th year player the Panthers expected to see a solid back-up CB looking to compete for a starting job. Instead they have seen soft coverage and a lack of aggressiveness required by DC Ron Meeks. Wilson's saving grace could very well be the fact the Panthers don't necessarily have anyone better to take his place.

    http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/3/1602027/panthers-training-camp-week-1
     
  6. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    BUCCANEERS

    *aqib talib looks fantastic they really never went at him
    *front 7 looks much better...mccoy and price were quick as hell off the ball in the one on one drills
    *arrelious benn runs some of the crispest routes i've seen,he cuts like he's in a video game
    *freeman was up and down,but made some nice stick throws
    *kareem huggins looks by far the fastest and shiftiest back everytime he got the ball he was MOVIN
    *Mike williams is lookin like a stud,he beat ronde like he stole something in the one on one drills
    *the o-line looked o.k. in pass protection they could be better
    *the linebackers look to be more aggressive (probably due to being comfortable in this d) they were flying around.
    *piscitelli looked o.k but sean jones i think will win out the job
    *derrick ward was meh
    *no d end really stood out to me,kyle moore flashed a few times but thats all really that i saw

    http://www.pewterreport.com/forum/index.php?topic=59970.0
     
  7. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    FALCONS

    Other than that, Kerry Meier continues to win hearts with his steady pass-catching and bristly facial hair, Corey Peters is making a case to get heavy snaps in his rookie season and Harry Douglas and Peria Jerry keep right on improving. It's almost all sunshine (no, not you, Kerry) out of training camp, and I couldn't be happie

    http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2010/8/6/1608374/the-atlanta-falcons-training-camp
     
  8. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS

    With wide, sculpted shoulders outlining a super-athletic 6-foot-4, 277-pound frame, Greg Hardy looks remarkably like a certain defensive end who once wore No. 90 for the Carolina Panthers. He runs fast -- certainly faster than any lineman on the field -- just like his predecessor did. He’s extremely quick off the ball, explosive. And he happens to play the same position.
    But that's about where the comparisons to Julius Peppers end.
    At least for now.


    Peppers was the 2nd overall pick in 2002 NFL draft and has 81 career sacks and five Pro Bowls to his name. Hardy was selected 175th overall this past April and has not yet played a down in the NFL.
    And yet, there’s something intriguing about Hardy that has some in the organization wondering if they’ve unearthed a diamond in the rough in the sixth round, a potential long-term replacement for Peppers they sorely need. Perhaps it’s his raw athleticism. Maybe it’s his motor that just didn’t quit. Maybe it’s his explosive burst.
    "We’re seeing what we hoped we saw when we drafted him -- big, explosive, active kid who brings a lot of energy,” says defensive line coach Brian Baker. “The way he finishes plays is really pleasant.”
    Baker says there’s nothing timid about Hardy.
    When he’s out on the field it’s pedal to the metal for two hours.
    "If he makes a mistake, he makes it a hundred miles per hour," Baker says. "Usually he’s around the ball when he makes a mistake. He’s very conscientious, wants to understand exactly how we want things and why we want them that way. So I’m pleased with him."
    Which, of course, beckons the question: If he's so talented why did he fall to the sixth round?
    Therein lays the great mystery of Greg Hardy.
    After his junior year at Ole Miss some draft experts had Hardy ranked as a sure first-round draft pick. In fact, in their preseason publication last year, Sports Illustrated ranked Hardy as the No. 1 NFL prospect in the country. But his decision to go back to school turned out to be a huge financial blunder. His stock plummeted after he developed a reputation for having a poor work ethic and a guy who simply disappeared for long periods of time. He missed a number of team meetings – some say as many as 20 – and continually challenged his coaching staff. He developed reputation as being a problem child.
    When Hardy’s on, he’s on.
    It’s hard to argue with his production at Ole Miss, where he registered 26.5 career sacks, forced seven fumbles (recovering four) and posted 39.5 tackles for a loss despite playing in the best football conference in America. But his disappearing act caused scouts to question his work ethic, his motivation and desire for greatness.
    Baker admits he heard rumors about Hardy before the draft.
    But after working with him for a few months, he’s convinced they simply aren’t true and that the kid does have the desire.
    “I was a college coach for 12 years before I came to the league, and in the 15 since then it’s the same thing -- guys get labels on them sometimes,” Baker says. “Sometimes it’s legit and sometimes it’s not. In his case it hasn’t been legit.”
    To Hardy it’s all a bit perplexing
    He prides himself on his work ethic.
    Maybe that’s why he seems like a caged animal fighting for his freedom every day on the field.
    Case in point. On the final day of OTAs every year, the Panthers run conditioning tests. Hardy ran against the rest of the team’s linemen, four times back and forth across the width of the football field. It wasn’t close. Hardy blew away the competition by more than 20 yards. Then he did it again. And again.
    “That’s one of the things a lot of people don’t think I have, but I’m going to constantly prove that I do,” Hardy said of his work ethic. “I’m going to be more in shape. I’m going to be more physical. I’m going to be faster because I’m out here grinding. I came to camp like that and I’m going to leave camp like that. That’s me in general every day of the week, all year long – high school, college and the NFL.”
    Hardy admits falling to the sixth round stung his ego.
    And when asked if he regrets returning to Ole Miss for his senior season, he shrugs his shoulders in a should-of, would-of sort of way and says, “I could have been paid a whole lot more.”
    But he’s moved on.
    He’s motivated to not only prove he belongs in the NFL, but he can be one of the league’s elite. He says he’s happy Peppers isn’t here because it will give him more playing time. “I feel like I’m in a position where I can come in and play and contribute and hopefully even start if the opportunity presents itself,” Hardy says with a determined look. “It’s a situation that I feel like I’m going to come out on top of.”
    Like a diamond in the rough.

    http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/6/1608632/carolina-panthers-training-camp
     
  9. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    SAINTS

    * Pierre Thomas with strong, good running this afternoon. He looks to be totally healthy and is really looking impressive in camp. He did get bottled up by the entire defensive front though on one play for only a two-yard gain.
    * Drew Brees went 3 for 3 in the first 11-on-11 drills with a dump off to Lynell Hamilton, a screen pass to Thomas, and another pass in the flat to Hamilton.
    * Ramsey again looked better in practice during his turn behind center. He went 2 for 3 with the only incompletion being batted down in tight coverage by Usama Young. My personal opinion is that this is the best Ramsey has looked thus far in camp.
    * Play of the Day: Chase Daniel was only under center for two plays, but he made it count. The pocket began to collapse and Daniel had nowhere to throw so he ran out of the pocket and down the right sidelines. Daniel went a full eighty yards with a cut back at the end to get into the end zone. Tremendous speed shown for a quarterback here as it was a great run.
    * Sean Canfield continued to look sub-par as he was 2 for 3 but his incompletion right into the arms of Jo-Lonn Dunbar that should have been an interception but the linebacker bobbled and dropped it.
    * No real punt return work, but the punting unit was out on the field to get some practice. Lance Moore, Reggie Bush, Tracy Porter, and Rod Harper were back catching punts.
    * The end of practice saw the "two-minute" drill work that began with the first team offense led by Brees and driving down field, but only getting close enough for what would have been a 52-yard field goal attempt by Garrett Hartley.
    * Rod Harper did go down with a hurt left hip after making a diving catch during the two-minute drill. No word yet on how he is, but they believe it isn't serious.
    * Lots of blitz packages shown here by Gregg Williams' defense with Jonathan Vilma and Usama Young getting into the backfield on a few occasions.
    * Daniel got his offensive unit furthest down field ending with a 20-yard touchdown to pass to Courtney Roby in the corner who then spiked it with authority.

    http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2010/8/6/1609662/saints-camp-day-8-porter-returns
     
  10. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    BUCCANEERS

    - A lot of attention has gone to fourth-rounder Mike Williams and rightly so. But rookie wideout Arrelious Benn showed today why the Bucs spent a second-round pick on him. During practice today, Benn made a beautiful diving catch in the redzone and coach Morris gave Benn some love after practice.

    "Arrelious Benn is really starting to come into his own," said Morris. "He is making splash plays. He is really playing big, physical, and strong... The extra time that he has put in with [Coach] Yarber has been fantastic for him. He has been putting in extra time on the jug machines. He is just a guy that wants to be better and I am very proud of what he has been do for us."

    - Coach Morris seems to have a nickel package conundrum on his hands. LB Geno Hayes typically plays alongside MLB Barrett Ruud in nickel defense, but LB Quincy Black took reps during the nickel today in practice and Morris likes having two guys who can both play during nickel situations.

    "These two outside backers in Geno Hayes and Quincy Black - they make plays," said Morris. "They make splash plays. They make tackles for loss. They make sacks. They are violent... I love the competition. Geno is one of those guys that you hate to take off the field because he might go out there and make a splash play for you. But you look at Quincy, he is starting come and starting to grow and he is becoming this leader. I don't want to take him off the field either. But I'm going let those two guys go out there and fight it out and let the best man win."

    - Morris also gave the fans a little preview of what they can expect at tomorrow's night practice at Raymond James Stadium.

    "We are going to have fireworks. It's going to be a little fan-friendly, said Morris. "We will have a little Oklahoma [drill]. We will have some one-on-ones. We will a jug shooting competition. We will have a quarterback competition, bring back the old school. We will put some table out there and let the quarterbacks put some chalk on the balls and throw at some targets...this our FanFest, but we are practicing."

    - Quote the day from Morris came when he was discussing rookie DE Erik Lorig.
    "He's a (Teenage Mutant) Ninja Turtle," said Morris. "He has great base and movement. He really is. He is a little freakish when it comes to his movement and some of things he can do."

    http://www.pewterreport.com/articles/view/7244
     
  11. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    BUCCANEERS

    TAMPA — The Bucs are committed to playing young receivers this season with quarterback Josh Freeman, who barely is out of the bubble wrap himself.

    With newbie wideouts, you get fresh-legged guys who won't miss practice, have open minds and a competitive spirit.

    You also get players who are shocked by the speed of the game, hit the rookie wall about Week 12 and occasionally run wrong routes.

    An NFL team willing to live with the mistakes might perish by them as well.

    "I kind of got on Mike Williams today," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said of the team's fourth-round pick from Syracuse. "He messed up a play, he had an error, he was on the wrong side. It was supposed to be a play for Sammie (Stroughter)."

    The bloom is not off the rose for Williams, who was so impressive during the offseason he began training camp as the starter at X receiver (on the line of scrimmage, opposite the tight end). Arrelious Benn, a second-round pick from Illinois, has not risen as quickly on the depth chart but the Bucs believe he could develop into a Anquan Boldin-like player.

    It's not unusual to see a veteran quarterback with young receivers or a young quarterback with veteran receivers.

    But this?

    "That's the direction we're taking here," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. "Because of the potential of these guys, we feel like, hey, there may be some growing pains along the way, but the payoff down the road we think is going to be great because of the growth of the group. Being able to keep these guys around here. The contracts are about the same years. If we can just keep them around here, keep a good, solid group of young guys around here.

    "… A lot of times, as you see when guys get older in this league, you struggle to have guys practicing, you struggle with injuries. We're probably banking on these guys staying healthy throughout the season. They're young, fresh-legged kids and eager to learn and eager to play."

    On many occasions, Morris and general manager Mark Dominik have referenced the model in Indianapolis with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

    But when Manning arrived as the first overall pick in 1998, Marvin Harrison already had played two seasons and had 137 catches for 1,702 yards and 14 touchdowns. And Manning still threw 28 interceptions as a rookie.

    Certainly, the Bucs needed to invest at receiver. In 2009, tight end Kellen Winslow's 77 receptions were more than their top two receivers combined (Antonio Bryant had 39, Stroughter 31).

    Williams and Benn appear to have all the tools to succeed. They're big (6 feet 2), physical receivers who can gain yards after the catch. But early fame can be fleeting.

    Sunday after practice, Michael Clayton spent three hours watching tape with Williams and showed him every game from the 2004 season, when Clayton led all rookies with 80 catches for 1,193 and seven touchdowns. But in the past five years, Clayton never has had more than 38 catches in a season and had a career-low 16 in 2009.

    "His first year, he thought he was All-Everything," Williams said. "All-Rookie, led all rookies in receiving, the fifth-best rookie receiving performance ever. He just thought he was the man. He said he came back his second year and it all went away. So he had to adjust to things like that and he just wanted me to be ready for that."

    Clayton, whose $3 million salary is guaranteed this season, isn't sure if he will stay with the Bucs this season. But he says his role is to mentor young receivers.

    "Basically, I gave him my whole life story," Clayton said. "It was about handling the ups and downs, the mentality that every yard matters. When you catch the ball, get vertical. Take care of the football. It wasn't about boasting on my rookie year but teaching everything matters. Whether I'm here or not, that's a part of my title, being there for him.

    "He's a guy who is capable of being great. I really believe that."

    http://www.tampabay.com/sports/foot...ers-relying-on-youth-at-wide-receiver/1112706
     
  12. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    SAINTS

    1-on-1 (N.E. WRs/QBs vs. N.O. DBs)
    Not a lot really stood out in this one, honestly, as Tom Brady and his backup Brian Hoyer completed a lot of slants and quick hitches. Those are nearly impossible to defend in this drill.

    That said, there were a couple of standouts.

    * CB Patrick Robinson showed exactly why the Saints have confidence in him to be a solid first-round draft pick. Going up against Brady and receiver Randy Moss, Robinson made a nice move to catch up to Moss on the sideline and batted the ball away for an incompletion. Then, with Hoyer as quarterback and tight end Rob Myers as the receiver, Robinson made another good play to keep the Patriots from a completion.
    * Not that this needs to be said, but CB Jabari Greer continues to impress since his signing with the Saints last offseason. Tuesday, he kept Brady from completing passes to receiver Rod Owens and Moss.
    * CB/NB Randall Gay shut down Patriots receiver Wes Welker during the 2009 game in New Orleans. He did it again Tuesday in Foxboro several times.

    Team 1:
    (Saints O vs Pats D)
    First down: QB Drew Brees play-action to open TE Jeremy Shockey deep right for 20-plus yard gain
    First down: RB Pierre Thomas left tackle for 4 yards
    First down: RB Reggie Bush up middle for 2-3 yards
    First down: Brees play-action to WR Marques Colston over middle. Pass dropped
    First down: QB Patrick Ramsey to WR Adrian Arrington
    First down: Ramsey to Arrington in tight coverage
    First down: RB Chris Ivory right end for 3-4 yards

    (Pats O vs Saints D)
    First down: RB Laurence Maroney middle give for 4-5 yards
    First down: QB Tom Brady to WR Randy Moss in between CB Jabari Greer and S Usama Young for 60-yard completion. Brady has tons of time in pocket
    First down: Brady to RB Fred Taylor for a short gain

    (Saints O vs Pats D)
    First down: Bush slips through the middle for 5 yards
    First down: Brees to Bush right flat for 10 yards
    First down: Brees to Colston for 10-plus yard gain
    First down: flag – hard count by Brees brings Pats offside
    First down: Brees incomplete to WR Lance Moore in front of CB Darius Butler
    First down: Thomas breaks around left end for 10-plus yard gain

    (Pats O vs Saints D)
    First down: Brady incomplete
    First down: Brady to receiver Brandon Tate in front of CB Tracy Porter
    First down: Brady to Tate on a crossing route for 20-plus yards
    First down: Brady incomplete to Moss

    Team 2, Red zone:
    (Saints O vs Pats D)
    First-and-10 @ 17 – Bush bounces outside right for 3-5 yards
    Second-and-10 @ 17 – Thomas left, flag – false start
    Third-and-10 @ 15 – Brees to Shockey at goal line, but S Brandon Meriweather bats away ball
    First-and-goal @ 7 – Brees to WR Courtney Roby slant left, spins past CB Darius Butler for TD
    Second-and-goal @ 5 – Brees throws high to TE David Thomas in end zone
    Third-and-goal @ 3 – Brees checks out of play at line, throws to Shockey for TD.

    (Pats O vs Saints D)
    First-and-10 @ 17 – Maroney right end
    Second-and-goal @ 8 – Brady to Moss in back of end zone, but S Usama Young tipped the pass away
    Third-and-goal 2 7 – Brady to TE Aaron Hernandez in front S Roman Harper for TD
    Third-and-goal @ 5 – Brady to TE Rob Gronkowski for TD

    http://www.wwltv.com/sports/Practice-Observations-Robinson-stands-out-Shanle-returns-100364524.html
     
  13. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS

    1. The Panthers dumped undrafted rookie OL Kurtis Gregory and Noah Franklin (both disappointed on Saturday) and replaced them with OT Jason Capizzi and G Andrew Crummey. They claimed Crummey off waivers from the Jaguars. Capizzi is a big guy at 6-foot-9 and 315 pounds. The newcomers have more experience than the previous two.

    2. Five players returned to practice today — RB Tyrell Sutton, TE Jamie Petrowski and DL Hilee Taylor, Eric Moore and Nick Hayden.

    3. Eleven players remain out of action including RB Jonathan Stewart, OT Jeff Otah, WR Steve Smith, CB Chris Gamble and LB Thomas Davis. Davis, of course, isn’t likely to return until much later in the season, if at all.

    4. The first fisticuffs of camp occured when FB Rashawn Jackson and LB Sean Ware mixed it up for a few seconds.

    5. QB Jimmy Clausen struggled with his snaps (he dropped two) but also completed a couple of nice touchdown passes during team drills, including one on a slant route to TE Dante Rosario. On the other, Clausen lofted a ball over the head of a linebacker and nicely into the arms of RB Dantrell Savage, who was running down the right sidelines.

    6. When asked about the surprises of training camp, coach John Fox mentioned WR Trent Guy’s performance (before he got hurt), Matt Moore’s comfort zone, the emergence of WR Brandon LaFell and the play of CB C.J. Wilson at Fan Fest.

    7. The coaches were very loud this morning, no doubt trying to make sure the players were back on the field mentally after getting a day off on Sunday.

    8. The Panthers are admittedly completely undecided on what they’re going to do at DT. The first team changes almost daily, although some of that has to do with injuries and who’s on the field. Right now, Louis Leonard, Tank Tyler, Ed Johnson and Derek Landri are getting looks there. I’m not sure exactly where that leaves Corvey Irvin, last year’s third-round draft pick. But they certainly won’t give up on him before they ever see him play. He’ll likely stick around.

    9. RB DeAngelo Williams had the ball stripped by DE Everette Brown and CB Marcus Hudson early in practice. A rare mistake for Williams.

    10. Marcus Hudson and Wallace Wright were running down punts on Monday while Armanti Edwards, Captain Munnerlyn and Brian Witherspoon were receiving them. Hudson made a great attempt and saving one punt from landing in the end zone, leaping to swat the ball back into play. He nearly did it, but it hit the goal line and would have been ruled a touchdown. Still, some nice effort there.

    http://reederstake.freedomblogging....vations-from-monday-mornings-practice-2/5811/
     
  14. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    FALCONS

    It has been awhile since Brian Finneran has heard his name announced with the starting lineup.

    But with the Falcons down a receiver because of Michael Jenkins‘ shoulder injury, Finneran is up to the task if needed.

    He's listed on the team's depth chart as Jenkins' backup. However, coach Mike Smith said that he expected Finneran and Eric Weems to get most of practice repetitions while the team waits for Harry Douglas to fully recover from knee surgery.

    Finneran started two games last season, but has not been a full-time starter since 2003. He started seven games in 2005, but started 16 in 2002.

    He has battled back from two gruesome knee surgeries to keep his career going. Finneran, who missed the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons with knee injuries, believes he can fill the starting wide receiver role.

    "I've been there before," Finneran said. "It's been a while since I've been asked to do it, but you just go out there and play football. I've been on the football field for a long time now. Whether if you are a two, three or number one [receiver], you go out there and play."

    Finneran, who has 219 career receptions for 2,927 yards and 16 touchdowns, caught only 11 passes for 111 yards and no touchdowns last season.

    Jenkins is scheduled to miss four to six weeks, as of Aug. 8. He could return a week before the season opener, or he could miss as much as the first two weeks of the season.

    The Falcons open at Pittsburgh on Sept. 12 and play their home opener against Arizona on Sept. 19. Finneran is gearing up for at least an increased role, but possibly the starting assignment.

    "A lot of times, the number [one receivers] of the world, you know who they are, the Roddy Whites and Larry Fitzgeralds of the world," Finneran said. "But from two through four, those guys get to step up and make plays every week. So you just go out there and do it."

    Finneran had a tough start to training camp, missing a few practices with back spasms.

    "We are very familiar with Brian and what he's capable of doing," Smith said.

    Waiting on Robinson

    The projected starting secondary has yet to play together much in training camp, but secondary coach Tim Lewis remains pleased.

    "I'm the eternal optimist," Lewis said. "I always seem to see the bright side of things."

    Cornerback Dunta Robinson, the team's big free-agent acquisition, went through three days of training camp before suffering a tight hamstring. He hasn't practiced with the defense since Aug. 2.

    Lewis has juggled Christopher Owens, Brent Grimes and Chevis Jackson at cornerback. Owens and Grimes are set to start Friday against Kansas City in the exhibition opener.

    Brian Williams, who opened last season as a starter, is battling back from knee surgery.

    "We've had our ups and downs in our battle with the offense," Lewis said. "It's been a great battle for them to try to learn some of the things I presented to them that may be a little different than what they heard before."

    Young defensive backs

    Cornerback Daylan Walker and safety Rafael Bush, both undrafted rookie free agents, are expected to play a lot Friday night.

    "I'm looking forward to watching them play," Lewis said. "Walker, I think he had an interception and two pass breakups [in Monday's practice]."

    Bush also has made some nice plays.

    "He's making calls, and he's generally in the right position," Lewis said. "He struggled a little bit in the spring, but he's made tremendous improvement."

    QB rotation

    After Matt Ryan starts against the Chiefs, the Falcons will hand the offense over to Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson.

    "It's very important for Chris and JP simply because the backup quarterback, once the season starts, does not get a lot of repetitions in practice," Smith said. "I think you get a feel for how your backup quarterback can handle certain situations."

    No pads

    After four practices against Jacksonville, Smith gave the team a break Wednesday and let them practice without their pads.

    "We would like to get our guys some rest," Smith said. "They've been going long and hard for the last 12 or 13 days."

    http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/brian-finneran-ready-to-590151.html?cxtype=rss_falcons
     
  15. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS

    The Good

    Offense - Matt Moore's stat sheet may not have been impressive (4/7 for 32 yards), but he wasn't that bad in his first game back. The offensive line didn't do a good job of protecting him and two long completions of Moore's were called back because of penalties. DeAngelo Williams looked like he was in midseason form with five carries for 33 yards, as did pretty much every other Panthers' running back. Tyrell Sutton gained 52 yards on seven touches and undrafted rookie Josh Vaughn ran the ball 11 times for 48 yards.

    Kenny Moore had a spectacular 25-yard catch and Dwayne Jarrett snagged a bullet at 18 yards that was called back due to penalties. Jimmy Clausen looked confident and poised in the pocket, cementing his spot as the No. 2 QB. He was the only quarterback able to move the ball consistently and caused the ESPN announcers to gush over him for the better part of an hour.

    Defense - The pass rush was a big question mark for the Panthers entering the preseason, but if their D-line keeps playing like that, it won't be. They sacked the Ravens' QB six times and forced three fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Veteran starter Tyler Brayton beat Michael "The Blind Side" Oher for a sack twice, as did rookie Greg Hardy later on against the second-stringers.

    Nick Hayden and Eric Norwood each got a sack and a fumble, in addition to Eric Moore's TD-causing strip. The second and third string defenses held the Ravens' backup offense for most of the night and were solid against the run.

    Special Teams: John Kasay made two field goals from 37 and 45 yards, respectively, as Jason Baker pinned multiple punts inside the ten.

    The Bad

    Offense - The offensive line was flagged for six penalties totaling 45 yards (Jordan Gross was responsible for three of them) over the course of the game and showed their rust in pass protection by allowing seven sacks. No receiver caught more than two passes, leaving the competition for the second receiver slot wide open.

    Tyrell Sutton fumbled the ball on the one-yard line and robbed the Panthers of a potential score. Armanti Edwards dropped several passes while Dexter Jackson caused a pick by falling down during a route. Backup quarterbacks Cantwell and Pike were inconsistent and ineffectual.

    Defense - The Ravens first-team offense dominated the Panthers' top defense and marched down the field twice for a quick 10 points. The linebackers couldn't stop the screen plays and the secondary struggled mightily without Chris Gamble. Captain Munnerlyn gave up a long TD pass to Mark Clayton, but it was probably Charles Godfrey's fault for not getting over there sooner.

    Jon Beason was caught out of position a couple of times and looked like he's still adjusting to his new role on the weak side. The backup defense was solid but had some struggles in the secondary.

    Special Teams: Jason Baker had a Tony Romo-esque bobbled field goal snap while the young special teams unit allowed a 57-yard punt return that set up a score.

    http://bleacherreport.com/articles/435447-panthers-ravens-recap-analyzing-carolinas-performance

    1. Clausen looked very NFL ready, at least until the rain started. He made some nice throws and seemed to have a good sense of awareness. But let’s remember a few things. Clausen was playing against Baltimore’s backups and the Panthers pretty much decided Moore’s performance at the end of last season earned him the right to open this regular season as the starter. Clausen landed some jabs, but nothing close to a knockout punch.

    2. Moore was far from horrible. He wasn’t spectacular, but he did some nice things. Something else to keep this in perspective -- Moore was playing against a very good Baltimore first-team defense. He also was doing it without receiver Steve Smith, right tackle Jeff Otah and running back Jonathan Stewart. All three are expected to be ready for the start of the regular season and they will make Moore a much better quarterback. Moore would have to absolutely bomb to lose the job now and he didn't do that.

    3. What was the deal with Jordan Gross? The left tackle got called for three penalties in the first 12 minutes and that didn’t help Moore. I wouldn’t be too concerned with this and I doubt the Panthers are. Gross is one of the best left tackles in the league. He’s not going to have games like that in the regular season.

    4. The pass rush is very much a work in progress. When it mattered with the first and second teams, the Panthers had stretches when they didn’t generate any pressure on Joe Flacco and Marc Bulger. But they also had a few flash plays where they did. The good news is veteran Tyler Brayton had two sacks on Flacco. The bad news is Brayton suffered some sort of ankle injury on his second sack. We don’t know the extent of that injury yet. The most encouraging news is rookies Greg Hardy and Eric Norwood showed some real flashes. If I’m John Fox, I let Brayton sit for most (or all) of the rest of the preseason. The Panthers know what they can get out of Brayton. They need to find out more about what they can get from Hardy, Norwood, Charles Johnson and Everette Brown.

    5. Whoov? Like a lot of Carolina fans, I was more than a little concerned when the Panthers let fullback Brad Hoover go after last season. It was hard to find a fullback more dependable than Hoover. But I liked what I saw of replacement Anthony Fiammetta. He blocked well and looked good as a receiver out of the backfield.

    6. Backup running back Tyrell Sutton had a few nice plays. But I wouldn’t go drafting him for your fantasy team. As long as DeAngelo Williams and Stewart are healthy, they’re going to get almost all of the carries. Besides, Sutton fumbled at the goal line and Fox isn’t big on giving the ball to guys who fumble.

    7. Rookie Armanti Edwards will be a factor on offense, but not immediately. Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski both talked about how the former college quarterback is adjusting to playing wide receiver and implied it might take until about midseason for him to have much of a role in the offense. That’s the exact word I got from the Carolina brass when I visited training camp. But don’t be surprised if Edwards is handling punt returns sooner than that. That’s a new task for Edwards, too. But he showed he can catch punts, even in the rain, and the guy has the dynamics to make things happen in the open field.

    http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/11840/observation-deck-carolina-baltimore
     
  16. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    FALCONS

    HIGHLIGHTS

    * Fear Kroy Biermann. He was a monster in very limited action, nearly catching Matt Cassel at least once and planting him in the turf another time. As a matter of fact, he hit Matt Cassel so hard that he forced a fumble. Also, I'm pretty sure Matt Cassel's head popped off like a Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robot.
    * Loved the effort by our ground game. Michael Turner looked effortlessly good and even managed to haul in a pass. Jason Snelling had a couple of nice runs in between his two yard grinders. Antone Smith looked elusive. And then there was my boy the Rushin' Russian, Dmitri Nance.

    The six carries for six yards isn't super impressive, but he found the end zone twice and had a long, speedy touchdown called back by a penalty. He also hauled in a couple of passes for 26 yards. Nance definitely turned a few heads tonight.
    * Chevis Jackson has become an afterthought in the cornerback corps, but he managed to force a fumble, pick a pass and pile up three tackles tonight. I don't know if the Chiefs' backups are just bad or if a light is coming on for Jackson, but he needs performances like this to hold off Brian Williams and Dominique Franks.
    * Speaking of interceptions, Shann Schillinger had a very nice one. For a guy with such a weird name, he has great instincts for the ball.
    * The linebackers all played pretty well. Sean Weatherspoon was quietly efficient, Spencer Adkins was flying all over the field and Stephen Nicholas produced a couple of nice stops. The extremely encouraging moment for tonight was the sight of Curtis Lofton getting a sack to go with his four other tackles. We could use a Lofton who is more effective against the pass and at the point of attack against quarterbacks, so that was pretty cool for The Police.
    * Eric Weems may hold on to the return job yet. Special Weems scampered around for a 31 yard kick return and a 9 yard punt return, a surprisingly effective performance. It's too bad we still don't know if he can catch all that well.
    * Tony Gonzalez, Kerry Meier and Troy Bergeron all had a couple of nice grabs. Kudos to them.
    * Last but not....okay, last and most likely least, we present to you John Parker Wilson. JPW couldn't throw a pass 50 yards downfield if God Himself willed it, but he showed flashes of being an effective game manager in this one. Most impressive was his ability to avoid pressure without the cartoon happy feet that Matt Ryan still sometimes gets.

    LOWLIGHTS

    * As has been noted by Adam and others, the pass protection for Matt Ryan was godawful. It was so bad that I have a hard time judging Ryan himself too harshly, since he was given no time to throw against a woeful Chiefs front seven. Let's pray this was just a fluke, and our boy Sam Baker's useless T. Rex arms aren't shrinking by the minute.
    * The kicking game is making me very nervous. Matt Bryant nailed a 30 yarder but missed a 50 yarder wide right. Steve Hauschka hit a 37 yarder but missed a 53 yarder that was just short but dead on. I maintain that Hauschka has the stronger leg, as can be seen by his booming 70 yard kickoff tonight, but despite his accuracy on the long attempt he did fall short. Bryant has much more experience and the steadier mindset of the two, but his leg just isn't what it used to be.

    This will be one to watch closely, or at least cover your eyes closely for.
    * I know we had two picks, but some really mediocre quarterbacks had quite a bit of success against our secondary tonight. Let's nervously chalk that one up to rust and move on.
    * Roddy White had a couple of drops. If we're being totally honest with each other, friends, we'd probably admit that White is always going to drop a few passes. It's the only thing preventing him from being considered an elite among elites.

    THE WRAPUP

    Game MVP: We'll give this one to Biermann, because he's awesome and it's the pre-season and gosh darn it, I feel like it. Dmitri Nance would also be an excellent choice.

    Game Theme Song: I think this describes, in some weird way, what we did to the Chiefs last night. Hopefully we can make this a theme song for the season.

    One Thing To Take Away: It's going to be one hell of an interesting pre-season. The competition for a handful of jobs is really heavy.

    http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2010/8/14/1622532/falcons-and-chiefs-recap-battle
     
  17. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    SAINTS

    Otherwise, the New Orleans Saints' late-summer visit to New England was fairly forgettable.

    It wasn't as disastrous as, say, the Griswolds' trip to Wally World, but it wasn't exactly "Little Miss Sunshine" either.

    In their four-day road trip to the great Northeast, here's what the Saints managed to lose: a football game, a running back, a punter - at least temporarily - and perhaps a touch of their Super Bowl swagger.

    Whatever championship aura the Saints carried with them over the offseason disintegrated in the discouraging opening minutes of their 27-24 exhibition loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

    Here's how the game started: a 1-yard run by Reggie Bush; an incompletion; an 11-yard sack; and a 40-yard punt return by Julian Edelman in which punter Thomas Morstead injured his left shoulder while making the touchdown-saving tackle at his own 10-yard line.

    Before the Saints' first-team offense mustered its first first down, the Patriots led 10-0.


    Quarterback Drew Brees and the rest of the league's top-ranked offense in 2009 managed to save face with a monster 20-play scoring drive on their third series, but New England quickly quelled the Saints' momentum with a touchdown of its own. On their first three drives, the Patriots gained 175 yards and got 11 first downs.

    Saints players and coaches afterward called it a wake-up call, and that's a good way to describe it.

    "We were rusty and have to execute better in all aspects of the game, but that will come with time, " cornerback Tracy Porter said.

    "It was our first live action on the field, and as you could see we have a lot of work to do, " wide receiver Marques Colston said.

    They can start by working on their tackling. The Saints made Edelman look like a modern-day Red Grange for most of the night. The shifty receiver consistently made the first Saints defender miss during a six-catch, 90-yard performance that helped Patriots fans forget about Wes Welker's absence.

    The Saints also have work to do in pass protection and on kick coverage.

    At the same time, it's important not to overreact. This is, after all, the preseason.

    You might not remember, but the Saints opened the 2009 preseason in exactly the same way, with two three-and-out drives followed by a touchdown march. The Saints' offense will get it together.

    And there were some definite bright spots.

    Linebacker Jonathan Casillas led all defenders with 10 solo tackles, including a sack.

    Rookie end Junior Galette showed speed off the edge.

    Receiver Adrian Arrington made a strong case for roster spot with a team-high 87 receiving yards on four catches.

    And Larry Beavers, who had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Patrick Ramsey, Jeff Charleston and Chase Daniel all had their moments.

    "This is a business trip, and we didn't get our business done tonight, " fullback Heath Evans said. "It's preseason and there are chinks in the armor, but that is what these games are for."

    Of more pressing concern is the loss of running back Lynell Hamilton to a torn ACL on Wednesday He'd enjoyed a strong offseason and was slated to fill Mike Bell's short-yardage and "closer" roles.

    Now, the Saints are in the market for veteran running back. They like young backs Chris Ivory and P.J. Hill, and both had their moments Thursday night. Ivory had 30 yards on six carries, including a touchdown. Hill added 30 yards on nine carries. And the duo will get long looks next week in practices and the home exhibition opener against the Houston Texans.

    But the club clearly could use some size and experience in its young backfield. Think about it: Do you really want to entrust game-clinching handoffs to a running back who has never made an official carry in an NFL game?

    "We're looking, " Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said before the game. "It's discouraging, because Lynell is a good player and had worked hard for this opportunity. We'll consider all of our options."

    The leaves haven't changed in New England yet, and already the Saints have work to do

    http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/08/new_orleans_saints_preseason_l.html#incart_mce
     
  18. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    BUCCANEERS

    The preseason opener has come and gone, but we've had an entire day to soak in and chew on what we witnessed Saturday night. To be certain, there were some eye-opening performances, by the starters and reserves alike, as guys began to showcase what they've got for roster spots and positions on the depth chart. With the nickel CB, strong safety, return men, 3rd down back, nose tackle, left DE, and flanker/split end positions up for grabs this preseason, there may not ever be a more open competition for roster spots than this year......meaning there might not ever be a more compelling and can't-miss preseason than this one.

    Although some fans prefer to change the channel after the first-teamers put on their baseball caps and call it a day, the true battle emerges thereafter. Second-teamers. The guys who, if they ultimately lose out to the first-teamers, will almost certainly see the field sparingly this fall and who will be called on to step in and contribute should a starter go down, which is a near-certainty for at least one or two positions at some point during the season.

    So who put a good foot forward in some of these roster battles? Who soiled the proverbial bed? Stay with me through the jump.........

    Star-divide

    Four Up

    1. EJ Biggers - was tight in coverage and effective agains the run, tallying four tackles. He was johnny-on-the-spot with a fumble recovery on the Bucs' 7-yard line to thwart a late first-half scoring drive. Definitely gave the coaching staff a good first impression in the race for the nickel CB spot.

    2. Kareem Huggins - Hugs ripped off the longest play of the night, a 35-yard run where he exploded through the line, made a move, and dashed down the sideline. He hit the holes quickly, much more so than Derrick Ward did. It might be early in the preseason, but if he can continue to impress like this, it'll be nearly impossible to keep him off the 53-man roster.

    3. Josh Freeman - He was composed and played within himself, avoiding making any rushed or forced throws. He displayed tremendous touch on the deep sideline route to Mike Williams. The TD pass to Stroughter was a product of Freeman being patient and going through his progressions. All in all, he looked good, albeit during a brief appearance. Nice tone-setter to start the year.

    4. Brent Bowden - Forget the 35-yard average. Bowden can boom the football. The average was a product of where he was kicking the ball on the field. Brent flashed some of the control he's been billed to possess, killing two 30-yard punts inside the ten yard line and giving his defense a shot in the arm.

    Four Down

    1. Derrick Ward - 20 yards rushing on 12 carries. Ugh. That was a performance to forget. Ward had next to no explosiveness to the line and he seemingly was gobbled up by whatever lineman he got near when he got there. He was clearly outshined by Kareem Huggins against a similar level of defensive competition.

    2. Josh Johnson - Definitely not a performance Buccaneer fans were looking for to quash concerns about not signign a veteran backup QB this offseason. Johnson treated the football like a 4th-grader treats his notebook, putting it on the ground twice and losing it once. On the one he recovered, he pulled a Clint Stoerner, slipping and bracing himself with the football. He also sailed a go route and threw an interception in the first half. Such a litany of mistakes can't happen in the regular season, regardless of weather. We'll see if Josh can step his game up the rest of the preseason.

    3. Chris Brooks - When you're a relatively unknown player fighting for a roster spot, you have to separate yourself and make a name for yourself. Dropping a potential game-winning touchdown is probably not a good way to do it. Brooks' drop of the football on a wide-open, perfectly-thrown go route in the Dolphin red-zone on a certain TD with 2 minutes to go was a bad first impression that he'll have to bounce back from.

    4. Clifton Smith - Yes, I know he didn't play, but the impressive performance by Huggins makes it that much more difficult for Smith to make the roster as a 3rd back. Spurlock showing some relevance in the passing game and his already proven quality skills in the return game give him a solid shot to make the roster.

    http://www.bucsnation.com/2010/8/16/1624916/four-up-four-down-who-impressed



    In a low-scoring and sloppy game, as is proper for a first pre-season game, the Dolphins beat the Bucs 10-7. The Bucs walked onto a field to face a real opponent for the first time in many months.With rain pouring down in the first minutes and the mud from the baseball game on the field the field was pretty bad. Luckily, the rain cleared up fairly quickly and it got better after that.

    Freeman opened the scoring on a 13-yard strike to a wide-open Stroughter, after driving the team down the field on a drive featuring some good runs by Cadillac and a beautiful strike to rookie Mike Williams for 30 yards. Before that, the Dolphins offense looked bad and out of sync, but the Bucs defense looked good and was quick to the ball, including a spectacular pass break-up by Geno Hayes behind the line. However, the pass rush was still lacking and Roy Miller was underwhelming, with McCoy facing constant double teams and not making much of an impact. EJ Biggers looked good in nickel duty and 2nd team defense, both in coverage and on tackles. The downside there was that Maurice Stovall was carted off the field with an ankle injury. Michael Clayton got a few looks when Stovall went down, but stood out by dropping the ball.

    After that, the second string came in on offense and defense, though Gerald McCoy was in for most of the first half. The second-team offense looked really bad, with Josh Johnson looking his usual skittish self and Derrick Ward looking a lot worse than expected. Ward gained only 20 yards on 12 carries, and while his blocking was pretty bad, he missed holes and gained no yardage when hit and even fumbled the ball twice. Josh Johnson looked bad with a lost fumble where he just dropped the ball out of his hand and a bad pick on an underthrow to Reggie Brown, But showed he still had the ability to make some good plays with his legs and even threw a good 18-yard pass to Sammie Stroughter, who made a great catch. Arrelious Benn got two looks here - one deep overthrow by Josh Johnson where he had beaten the corner and an end-around that got sniffed out so quickly that he had 5 guys on him almost immediately after crossing the line of scrimmage. Aside from 2 kick-off returns that went nowhere, Benn got no other looks. TE Ryan Purvis got a couple passes, and had a decent performance.

    The second string defense played well against the 2nd string Dolphins offense, with Michael Bennett getting a sack and a near-sack later on in the game making a good impression. EJ Biggers jumped on a bad Dolphins snap to get the ball back, but after a 3-and-out by the offense Brent Bowden hit a short punt (his only bad punt of the evening, he looked really good on other punts especially in directional punting). The Dolphins got a field goal off that good field position because Sabby gave them a first down on a late hit.

    The second half saw Kareem Huggins coming in. Kareem Huggins stood out by grabbing a few great runs, including a 35-yarder and gaining some good yardage on a screen. He looked faster than the other RBs, and had some real burst. He really made a statement this game. On the same drive Josh Johnson got a ball off to Spurlock at the last moment, who made a spectacular catch along the sideline. When Rudy Carpenter came in, they managed to drive down field a bit into field goal range, but Hunter Lawrence missed a 49-yarder.

    After that, Tyler Thigpen managed to shred our 3rd-team defense to get into the red zone, where Hilliard scored the TD. Cody Grimm and Corey Lynch, who blocked a punt later on, looked decent as safeties, but the 3rd-string defense as a whole looked bad and no one stood out. That more or less meant the end of the game, as neither side could get anything done. One play stood out where rookie WR Chris Brooks got wide open 30 yards down ball and caught the pass, but was hit and immediately fumbled the ball too, and after Corey Lynch's blocked punt the Bucs didn't turn that field position into points after going for it on 4th down.

    Star-divide

    The Good:

    First team offense is looking sharp, Cadillac Williams looking good and Josh Freeman seemed comfortable, making no mistakes and not trying to fit the ball into spots it doesn't fit. Mike Williams looks like the real deal.

    The first team defense looked quick, swarmed to the ball and was not burned for any plays.

    Sabby Piscitelli made no real mistakes, except for his penalty.

    Preston Parker looked good returning punts.

    Brent Bowden looked good punting the ball, directional punting is a real strong point.

    Kareem Huggins looked spectacular, although he was playing against a 3rd string team.

    Michael Bennett made some good pass-rushing plays.

    Our Special Teams are still really really good.



    The Bad:

    Maurice Stovall injured his ankle early in the game and did not return.

    Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter look bad.

    Derrick Ward had a horrible game.

    Roy Miller was disappointing - did not get much done even against single blocking.

    No real pass rush from our starting front 4.

    Depth is atrocious at a lot of positions. We can't afford to lose anyone to injury if these players are going to be coming in for them, with a few exceptions.

    Bunch of sloppy, needless penalties.

    The Ugly:

    The field.

    Arrelious Benn not getting any good looks.


    http://www.bucsnation.com/2010/8/14/1623612/preseason-week-1-bucs-dolphins
     
  19. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    FALCONS

    FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons secondary had to face New England quarterback Tom Brady without their top two corners backs in the first practice on Tuesday morning.

    Dunta Robinson, who signed a six-year $57 million free agent contract, has been out with a hamstring injury. Brent Grimes, who’s been working with the first team defense at left cornerback, did not practice because of a groin injury.


    Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss connected for two touchdowns. He caught one that appeared to be over Christopher Owens. He caught another and then went behind the Falcons players on the sidelines and told them “that’s two today.”

    Falcons coach Mike Smith spent the morning watching his defense.

    “I thought it went well,” Smith said. “The guys did what we asked them to do. They stayed on their feet when they were in shells like that. That’s the thing you want to have happen. I thought the guys worked extremely hard.”

    The Falcons finished 28th against the pass last season and are seeking to improve in that area. It must be noted that there is no pass rush in the 7-on-7 passing drills and the defensive backs have to stay in coverage longer.

    “They are a talented offense,” Smith said. “They have a great quarterback and a great wide receiver. I saw our guys out there competing and that’s what we have to do.”

    Moss later dazzled the crowd with a one-handed grab with Brian Williams in coverage.

    “Yeah, I saw his one-handed grab there,” Smith said. “He had a nice catch. I thought it was a spirited practice.”

    Grimes, who is battling for a starting spot, suffered an untimely injury.

    “Unfortunately he wasn’t able to go with us today,” Smith said. “We’ve got to get our guys healthy.”

    The Falcons did strike back offensively.

    Matt Ryan connected with Troy Bergeron on a touchdown pass and backup quarterback Chris Redman tossed a nice touchdown pass to Harry Douglas, who will play on Thursday night.

    “Harry is really progressing well,” Smith said.

    http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcon...report-secondary-faces-brady-to-moss-barrage/
     
  20. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    BUCCANEERS

    TAMPA - You know how hot it was Tuesday, so you can imagine the scene at One Buc Place for the men running at full speed during one of the final practices of training camp.

    Think: molten lava.

    Standing safely to the side as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sweated through the workout, Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon looked out to where top draft choice Gerald McCoy was willing his 295-pound body to the finish line.

    "I am so impressed with him," Selmon said. "He is very talented, but I'm so impressed with him as a person. You can tell he's a guy of great character. You know he's going to be there and you can depend on him.

    "He has the ambition to be the best he can be, and he'll work hard to do that. He wants to learn as much as he possibly can, absorb as much as possible."

    The process of absorption for Gerald McCoy continues daily. Double-team blocking is a fact of life for defensive tackles in the National Football League and Miami introduced McCoy to that concept Saturday during his 19 snaps in the Bucs' exhibition opener.

    A 3-technique tackle – lined up between the guard and tackle – isn't the spot for glory hounds.

    "They should get doubled," Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. "If they don't get doubled, it's a sign of disrespect."

    The game was played in slop, partly on the dirt baseball infield at Sun Life Stadium. That's hardly the ideal place for a coming-out party, but McCoy introduced the Dolphins to something too. During one of the double teams on McCoy, defensive end Michael Bennett was able to shake loose from single blocking for a sack.

    "A lot of snaps were in the mud. We saw him play quick and tough, but we didn't see his quick explosion like he might do because of that. I'm really looking forward to him getting a bunch of snaps on grass so he can run around and use his quickness," Morris said.

    "He played physical, he played tough, he was able to split some double teams and do some good things out there."

    And there you have it, sports fans. He figures to attract much attention from opponents, so one way we'll measure McCoy's impact this season is by how well the linemen around him do.

    "If you're a guy who has to be accounted for, the advantage goes to your defense. That allows other people to be in better situations to make plays. It's a selflessness to make plays that you have to have," Selmon said. "Your game stats might not show up, but coaches know. And opposing coaches know. That's what you really want."

    The game stats show no tackles, no sacks for McCoy.

    No matter.

    "He was consistent. The surface had a lot to do with him slipping a couple of times, but he did what we asked him to do," defensive line coach Todd Wash said. "He has to control the line of scrimmage, stay on the line of scrimmage when he gets doubled, and when he gets single-blocked he needs to change the line of scrimmage."

    McCoy's film grade for the first week was 78.

    "As a defensive lineman, it's good if you're above 75," Wash said.

    Back on the practice field, the workout was winding down. McCoy, normally an ebullient sort, stopped to talk as he moved slowly toward the locker room and the blessed relief of air conditioning.

    "It was all right," he said of his debut. "The weather didn't help out that much, but you can't use that as a crutch, you can't use it as an excuse. You have to play through it. Things are not always 100 percent in this game, in this league. But you have to adapt to your environment."

    Besides great physical gifts, McCoy is blessed with self-awareness. He may be the third overall draft pick in the NFL with a contract that guarantees him lifetime security, but last weekend he was just another jittery rookie.

    "It was nerve-wracking the whole time, but I'll let it go this week," he said. "When I have a chance to make a play, just make it and take advantage of my opportunities."

    Moments later, he was off, seeking respite from the heat. Ironic, since much of the Bucs' success this season could hinge on just how much heat McCoy brings.

    "He's going to be a good one," Selmon said.

    "He's going to be just fine."

    http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/au...t-show-it-but-mccoy-makes-impact/sports-bucs/

    TAMPA - The Buccaneers went out of their way to draft receiver Arrelious Benn in the offseason.

    Tampa Bay sent a fifth-round pick to the Raiders and moved up three spots, then selected Benn in the second round with the No..39 overall pick. Benn, from Illinois, was expected to invigorate Tampa Bay's receiving corps.

    Two rounds later, Tampa Bay took a risk and drafted Mike Williams, a Syracuse receiver with first-round talent whose off-the-field questions led to most teams passing on him several times. If Williams developed, great; if not, Tampa Bay had Benn.

    Almost one month after both arrived at One Buc Place, Wil liams became Tampa Bay's rising star and Benn has yet to shine. Williams is a starting receiver, while Benn is still getting started.

    Benn hopes to improve after training camp concludes today, and not only meet Tampa Bay's expectations, but his own.

    "I am happy Mike is having that success," Benn said. "I know I'm behind him, but I'm doing little things and he's doing things. It's all coming together. It's going to become something great."

    Benn might be overshadowed by Williams, but coaches say it is unfair comparison.

    Williams is the "X" receiver and Benn is a "Z." Williams' responsibility is to beat double teams and make big plays, such as San Diego's Vincent Jackson and New England's Randy Moss. Benn is expected to run underneath routes and play physical, such as Baltimore's Anquan Boldin.

    "You shouldn't compare those two," Bucs receivers coach Eric Yarber said of Williams and Benn. "They learn at different paces. … One (Williams) can see it on the board and take it to the field. One (Benn) has to see it on the board, has to see it on film, then practice it on the field.

    "It's not fair to make a comparison of those two. I'm very pleased about where he (Benn) is at right now."

    Bucs coach Raheem Morris is also pleased with Benn's progress.

    "Mike Williams has shown more right now and done some spectacular things, but Arrelious has really come on everyday," Morris said. "(Tuesday) was better because he's physically tough. He's done some things on special teams for us that have been really good. We'll just have to see."

    Morris previously criticized Benn for playing too slow in Tampa Bay's preseason loss against Miami, but Yarber defended his protégé, who had no receptions and was targeted once during the 10-7 loss.

    Yarber said because Benn is still learning the intricacies of being an NFL receiver, he understands why the rookie was tentative.

    "A lot of times it's paralysis by analysis where you can't play as fast as you want," Yarber said. "He's just got to get to that point where he's not thinking about everything, just reacting, and that's the point he's getting to right now."

    Although coaches have valid points about Benn's methodical development, he wants to get past excuses.

    Benn has worked hard in practice and on special teams to become a better player. Everyone around him is convinced his maturation will happen soon - Benn included.

    Even if Williams is ahead, Benn said he expects them to lead this team mutually.

    "We're two young receivers with a young quarterback (Josh Freeman). That's all you can ask for," Benn said. "It's not about him having success or me having success.

    "We're going to have success together."

    http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/18/180428/rookie-benn-confident-better-days-await/sports-bucs/
     
  21. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS

    Today's practice was another hot one as a couple of interesting developments came out. Jon Beason gives an insight of how the LB rotation will play out, Charles Godfrey quietly handling his business, D-Lo back after leave for the birth of his child, and Steve Reed has a hunch about our kicker situation. Here are Steve Reed's Ten Observations and Gantts practice wrap up. Here are the notable tweets for the day:

    Star-divide
    daringantt Been down here 3 weeks and haven't heard such a thing once. RT @DanielTDenny Read the coaches were impressed with Clausen more than Moore.

    daringantt Rain's starting to fall. They're going full pads in Gibbs Stadium.

    carolinagrowl Same thing as yesterday -- WR Steve Smith is running routes, but is in shorts instead of full pads

    daringantt Nice pick of Pike deep ball by RJ Stanford. These two 7th-round CBs (him and McClain) have some talent, will create a tough call.

    daringantt Working on kickoff returns: Goodson, Guy, Sutton, Edwards.



    daringantt Nice center field interception by Charles Godfrey off Moore in two-minute. Godfrey's quietly gotten better.

    daringantt FS Sherrod Martin on sidelines, left thigh wrapped. Marcus Hudson in his spot.

    (apparently he strained his groin, Reed says he thinks its not to serious)

    TSutt22 I wanna be like Brett farve when I get older...put a whole organization on hold, get all the media attn, get offered more money to play n show up at the end of camp...must be nice lol

    http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/17/1628368/panthers-tuesday-practice-review

    Panthers who have helped, hurt status so far

    SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Carolina Panthers’ 16th training camp at Wofford College is in the books. Here’s a look at the guys who are rising and falling after three weeks on holed up on campus:
    CAMP RISERS

    Quarterback Matt Moore: Simply put, it has been his best camp. There were elements of the staff unsure if he was an NFL player last year at this time, but Moore has made a huge leap in terms of earning the confidence of his peers. If you had taken the names and numbers off the jerseys of the quarterbacks and graded them each day, you’d have picked Moore every day.

    Defensive end Greg Hardy: Looks like an excellent pass-rusher who’s stout enough to play the run too. Keep him healthy, and he’s a sixth-round steal who gives them a legitimate second-wave rusher.

    Tight end Jeff King: They keep trying to replace him and it keeps not working. King has evolved into the wise man of the locker room, but also into a trustworthy target in the passing game. He’s in better shape than ever, and since he’s still the best blocker of the three they’ll keep, he figures to retain most of the snaps.

    Defensive tackle Derek Landri: A late-season line-filler last December, he’s impressed coaches with his motor, and his ability to get to the right place at the right time. He may not be a guy you want to start, but he’s certainly a guy you trust as a backup since he knows his assignments cold.

    Cornerback C.J. Wilson: Was passed by a rookie last year when he was supposed to ascend, but has consistently made plays throughout camp. A long defender with good ball skills, he’s making it impossible to overlook him.


    CAMP FALLERS
    Five players who may have hurt themselves with uneven camp performances:

    Defensive tackle Louis Leonard: Can be a powerful force inside, but he also can’t stay on the field. They really need him to show up, but he hasn’t so far. It’s a little surprising, because he was one of the mainstays of offseason conditioning, but a June knee injury set him back

    Wide receiver Kenny Moore: Came to camp on even footing for the second starting job, but has disappeared after a good first week to the point there may not be a roster spot for him. Roster math is not in his favor, as he’ll be fighting for a sixth-wideout job that may not exist.

    Linebacker Jamar Williams: It’s hard to blame him for getting hurt, but if he was on the field, he could have pushed for a starting job. Now with camp gone, it’s hard to see him making a late push for such a role.

    Right guard Duke Robinson: You can tell they’d love him to earn the starting job, as his power next to right tackle Jeff Otah would truly make it the strong side of the line. But coming in overweight and getting trucked in pass protection makes it hard to trust him at the moment.

    Quarterback Tony Pike: It’s not his fault he missed two and a half weeks of OTAs, but the time off dropped him to fourth in line in the eyes of the coaches. He has something about him they like, but it’s hard to tell if it will be enough to keep him on the 53-man roster.

    http://blogs.charlotte.com/panthers/2010/08/panthers-who-have-helped-hurt-status-so-far.html
     
  22. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    SAINTS

    Looks like Carl Nicks spent the day in the dog house. He was demoted to the 2's as the coaches sent a clear message to him and the others that mental mistakes and errors won't be tolerated. This looks to be only a temporary move aimed at getting his attention. Team sloppiness has been so frequent that coaches have reportedly resorted to having players run laps whenever they drop passes or commit pre-snap infractions. Wake up, fellas. The season is almost here.

    Other notes include reports from the first day of joint practices with the Texans, Dave "The Baconator" Thomas stands out, the Shockmeister celebrates his birthday, and the never-ending saga of the old man from Mississippi who yells at clouds continues. Ya ever see the movie Groundhog Day? Well, the sequel to the sequel to the sequel is currently being filmed in Minnesota. Links, tweets, transcripts, and video after the jump.

    Star-divide

    TWEETS:

    drewbrees Just finished first practice against the Texans. Pretty good work for the first one.

    JonVilma51 it was a good, physical practice today, i was glad to see all my boys from the "U!" doing their thing for the texans..

    JeremyShockey Thx for all the birthday wishes!! Your the best Tweet FAM..

    T_Porter22 RT @bobbymccray: Happy Birthday!!!! @JeremyShockey

    bobbymccray Happy Birthday!!!! @JeremyShockey

    bobbymccray RT @T_Porter22: Had a good team practice today vs the Texans..but not too many of the #whodats came out to support. What happened guys?

    jeffduncantp Very true. Smallest crowd of camp. RT @T_Porter22: Had a good team practice vs Texans.but not too many of the #whodats came out to support.

    Adam_Schefter So who in the office pool had 49ers RB Glen Coffee retiring before Brett Favre?

    DougTatum RT @McClain_on_NFL: Andre Johnson gives a lot of credit to Saints WR coach Curtis Johnson for helping him be where he is.

    HeathEvans Welcome back Brett Favre. Thurs night Sept 9th just got a lot more interesting! The Dome is gonna be rockin!!

    jeffduncantp Terrence Metcalf started at left guard in place of Carl Nicks. It's only temporary, folks. http://bit.ly/c7tBUa

    jeffduncantp Terrence Metcalf replaced Nicks in the starting line. It's only temporary. They're just sending him a message. But Nicks was clearly miffed.

    GregBensel Coach Payton and his long time high school coach and mentor JR Bishop with NFL Films interview today

    T_Porter22 Had a good team practice today vs the Texans..but not too many of the #whodats came out to support. What happened guys?

    jeffduncantp New disciplinary measures for pre-snap infractions, dropped passes, etc. RT @DKDragon: @jeffduncantp Why was Hargrove running a lap earlier

    jeffduncantp #Saints FS Darren Sharper just smiled when asked if he's concerned Malcolm Jenkins will beat him out for the starting job. "I'll be fine."

    jeffduncantp #Saints FS Darren Sharper said today he hopes to return for the 9/2 exhibition game vs. Tenn, if not the reg. season opener vs. Minnesota.

    jeffduncantp I asked Carl Nicks how they let him know he was on 2nd team. Nicks: "I don't want to get into that. You'll have to ask Coach (Aaron) Kromer"

    jeffduncantp Saints are trying to light a fire under Carl Nicks. Demoted him to 2nd team today for morning practice and was not happy about it afterward.

    jeffduncantp New Saints RB Ladell Betts is working for the first time today.

    reggie_bush Big scrimmage today against the Houston Texans! Ready to go to work! Who dat!

    alexbrown96 Good morning tweeters!!! Headed to practice where the Houston Texans are waiting to practice against the world champs !



    AUGUST 18th PRACTICE WITH HOUSTON TEXANS:

    New Orleans Saints are sending a message to guard Carl Nicks | NOLA.com
    "It has to be one of two reasons, (either) they feel I'm not good enough any more or they feel the guy behind me is better," said an obviously miffed Nicks afterward. "You've got to ask coach about that."

    Camp 2Dat: Houston Texans visit fight-free New Orleans Saints training camp
    They may be the defending Super Bowl champions but the 2010 version of the Black and Gold certainly are not your battlin’ New Orleans Saints. In other words, there has been no "Brawlin’ in N’Awlins.’’

    Saints Welcome Texans To Practice

    New Orleans Saints RB Ladell Betts on the practice field Wednesday; LB Jonathan Casillas | NOLA.com
    He worked out against Houston

    Houston Texans visit New Orleans Saints for intra-squad practices today | NOLA.com
    The Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints will kick off a series of three intra-squad practices today at the Saints' training facility in Metairie. The morning practice begins at 8:50 a.m. and is open to the public. The afternoon workout at 4:20 p.m. will be closed to the public Texans players told The Houston Chronicle on Tuesday that they're...

    Ladell Betts hoping to join the New Orleans Saints on the field soon | NOLA.com
    He is still recovering from ACL surgery

    ALSOVIDEOCamp 2Dat: Running back Ladell Betts hits field for fist time with New Orleans Saints
    The former Redskins, who will be 31 on Aug. 27, won’t play in the preseason game against Houston on Saturday in the Superdome.

    Fights break out when tempers flare on the football field | Houston Texans Football | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
    When the Texans practice with the New Orleans Saints two times today and once Thursday, tempers are expected to be short as they were the last two training camps when the two Gulf Coast teams came together.

    Texans notes: Leaving on a bad note | Houston Texans Football | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
    Keep up with Houston sports news, schedules, scores and stats.

    New Orleans Saints backup TE David Thomas looks sharp Wednesday morning | NOLA.com
    New Orleans Saints backup tightend David Thomas, whom the franchise signed to a new deal in the off-season, looked particularly sharp Wednesday morning as the team went through the first of three scheduled joint practices with the Houston Texans.

    New Orleans Saints training camp updated schedule | NOLA.com
    With the announcement that both of Saturday's New Orleans Saints training camp afternoon workout is at 3:15 p.m., here is the complete schedule as of Aug. 18.



    MORE NOTES ON YESTERDAY'S PRACTICE IN THE DOME:

    New Orleans Saints get first look at the refurbished Superdome | NOLA.com
    It was the first time back in the dome since the NFC Championship Game

    Practice Observations: Drops stand out during practice | wwltv.com | WWL Sports
    The Saints practiced inside the Superdome on Tuesday morning. WWL-TV reporter Bradley Handwerger was there and filed this practice report.

    Saints add RB depth, sign Betts to one-year deal - NFL - CBSSports.com Football
    The New Orleans Saints have signed former Redskins running back Ladell Betts to a one-year deal.

    Payton Wrap Up At Superdome
    New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton met with the media following Tuesday morning's practice at the Louisiana Superdome. During his session, Payton discussed the acquisition of RB Ladell Betts, practicing at the Superdome and the progress of rookie CB Patrick Robinson

    Betts Talks About Joining New Orleans

    Betts Adds Depth To Saints Backfield
    Betts joined his new teammates for a two-hour practice at the Superdome, but didn’t wear shoulder pads and was held out of team drills as he continues to work his way back from surgery last fall to repair torn left knee ligaments. Coach Sean Payton said Betts will not play against Houston on Saturday night in the Superdome

    http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2010/8/18/1629715/fleur-de-links-saints-camp-day-21
     
  23. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    FALCONS

    I've seen the Falcons play some very bad football games in my lifetime.

    Rarely, however, have I seen them play such uninspired football. To put it bluntly, nobody really looked like they gave a rat's *** about that game. It's pre-season. I get that. But when Mike Smith is saying this, you know something's not quite right.

    I'm not going to hit the big red panic button. I'm not even going to hit the much smaller, burgundy colored high concern button. But I will say that this team did some truly bizarre things on the football field against the Patriots, and there's apparently some weird things going on behind the scenes. When Smith says with an apparently straight face to the AJC's D. Orlando Ledbetter that Kroy Biermann is making "a push" for a starting job, you have to wonder if he's been engaging in motivational tactics or if he seriously thought Jamaal Anderson should start at defensive end over Biermann.

    If it's the latter, then I'm afraid our coach has lost his mind.

    But perspective is important, so let's keep in mind that even if there are real issues with this team, there's weeks still left to iron them out. Unfortunately, we also have a football game from last night to cover, so let's do that. Follow after the jump...or something.

    Star-divide
    HIGHLIGHTS

    * Kroy Biermann is truly awesome. When he was a rookie, he was an undersized defensive end with a motor who looked like the second coming of Josh Mallard. Now that he's got some time under his belt and some extra weight, he looks like a starting defensive end in the NFL to me. Three tackles, another sack and a jarring hit that forced a fumble. He's the real deal, folks.
    * Speaking of real deals, Lawrence Sidbury showed he can really put some pressure on the quarterback. He's a very agile end who will always rely more on that than raw power to get in the backfield, but El-Sid is more than capable of getting around hulking offensive tackles and doing some damage. He had a nice sack last night, too. I think he's John Abraham's heir apparent.
    * Antone Smith looked excellent. Admittedly, he's playing against backups, but his speed is no illusion. With Dmitri Nance looking fairly pedestrian, Smith is making a very strong case to stick on the roster as a fourth back. He can even catch a few passes! Still doubt he beats out Jerious Norwood unless he's hurt, though.
    * Eric Weems was a guy I dismissed at the very beginning of training camp. It's hard to argue with what he's doing in the return game, though. With Dominique Franks looking so-so at best when the ball's kicked at him, Special Weems may well ride again.
    * Speaking of guys who won't make the team, Troy Bergeron looked very good again in limited action. It's too bad the depth chart's so crowded, because I really think he could be an effective backup for the Falcons.
    * Michael Turner was solid in limited action. Good to see him healthy and productive.
    * Matt Ryan looked solid. Less happy feet in the pocket this time around, which was good to see. Speaking of quarterbacks....
    * On the Jekyll side of things, John Parker Wilson looked composed, rolled out and threw some nice short passes. But unfortunately....

    LOWLIGHTS

    * JPW couldn't throw his way out of a paper bag. His lack of arm strength really, really hurts him at times, and it was very apparent on the interception he threw in this one. At his best, he's an effective game manager who could be a capable backup. The thought of him ever starting for this football team scares the hell out of me.
    * Injuries reared their ugly head in this one. Chris Owens hurt his hand, though it's probably not serious. Kerry Meier got hurt, though it's probably not serious. The big deal here is that Corey Peters felt a "pop" in his knee, and he's scheduled to go in for an MRI tomorrow. The depth chart would take a real hit if he was to miss extended time, even though we've got solid options behind him. Hope with me.
    * Our makeshift secondary made every quarterback on the Patriots' roster look awesome. Chris Owens' explosive tackling skills aside, this was a pretty pathetic effort. That'll happen when you've got your fourth-string cornerbacks logging time, though.
    * Everyone off the Dmitri Nance bandwagon! The 6 carries for 6 yards he managed last game looks to be a more accurate representation of his skill level at this point than the 30 yard blast he powered to before a penalty called it back against the Chiefs. This time, he managed only 3 yards per carry, and he lost a fumble. Not so good.
    * Sean Weatherspoon's coverage skills may need just a teeny bit of work. Just a bit.
    * I'm totally lost as to why the Falcons thought it was a good idea to just hand Matt Bryant the kicking job. That's not to say Steve Hauschka was the answer, but there's gotta be kickers out there looking for a job or booting it in the CFL who the Falcons could match up against him.

    Yeah, he only missed one of two field goals tonight, and it was beyond 40 yards. The other one he made was also beyond 40. He's a wonderful person, and he's not a terrible option. But he's 71% from 40-49 yards for his career, a 20 percentage point drop from 30-39 yards. He only makes 25% of his kicks from 50 and beyond. That's not the mark of a great kicker by any means, and I'm tired of settling for mediocrity and bandages at the position.

    But hey, it's pre-season. Hopefully, Bryant will shut me up by drilling every single one of his field goal attempts in the regular season. He's certainly not going anywhere.

    http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2010/8/20/1632769/falcons-and-patriots-recap-good
     
  24. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    SAINTS

    Now that's more like it!

    The Saints got back on track last night, coming out full force and dominating the first half of play against the Texans on both sides of the ball. The first team offense got into a nice rhythm while putting together two well-balanced, clock-eating scoring drives. Just beautiful. And the defense showed signs of improvement by shutting down Houston's running game, causing turnovers and even tackling better. It wasn't all sweet unicorn farts and double rainbows though, as the Saints still have some work cut out for them in the remaining two pre-season games.

    As a fan, it was great to be back at the Dome for the first time as Super Bowl champions. Things look a little different around the outside of the stadium but I'm a fan of the change. Slowly but surely, as it is prepared for the 2013 Super Bowl, the Superdome will attempt to rise to a higher level of stadium experience more fitting with the championship-caliber team that plays inside its walls. Just need to ask Jerry Jones where to get one of them big screen scoreboards.

    It's the pre-season and this is my first "View from" post of the year, so excuse me while I work out the kinks in my blogging game. You know the deal...make the jump for more details in the bullets. Comment away below. Check back later today for pictures.

    Star-divide

    * I purposely planned my walk to the game to make sure that I passed Champions Square on my way into the Superdome. What I didn't realize was how big it was actually going to be. I guess I just wasn't expecting them to have torn down as much of the New Orleans Centre as they did. We arrived just shortly before the game so we didn't see the space getting used to it's fullest but I can definitely see it becoming a popular attraction, especially with a band playing in the corner. I think my favorite part is the new staircase that leads up to the Dome where the old Bud Bridge used to be. It's definitely sure to put fans in the right mind as they ascend the stairs en masse passing brass bands while more and more of the Superdome appears right before their eyes with each step.
    * This was the definitely the loudest pre-season game I can ever remember attending. More specifically the opening introductions. Things calmed down a bit further into the game. There were a fair amount of people taking it way more seriously than they should have, however.
    * Are we all feeling way more comfortable about our backup quarterback situation now? Other than that incredibly ugly interception - it seemed like he was trying to throw it to the Texans - Chase Daniel looked spectacular, leading four scoring drives. And did you see that screen pass to Pierre for the touchdown? Spitting image of our boy Drew.
    * The awesome quarterback play didn't stop with Daniel, however. Did you see how well Sean Canfield took a knee on those final three snaps? He really raised his stock last night. Seriously though, what gives with putting Canfield in just to kill the clock? Is there something that I'm missing or is it really as silly and pointless as I think?
    * One of the most positive aspects from last night was how much better the Saints run defense looked. Houston was limited to just 49 yards on the ground. That may not be as impressive a feat against a team like the Texans but it's a darn good start.
    * Jabari Greer got burnt on that long Kevin Walter catch down the right sideline. He was staring into the backfield the entire way and hesitated on the route just long enough to let Walter get away. Greer seems off to a slow start so far this pre-season but knowing what he's capable of, I've got no reason to worry.
    * Shockey and Bush spend a lot of time together on the bench.
    * Did the Saints even need to bring in Ladell Betts? I am loving this running back battle we've got going on. Chris Ivory again looked like the guy this team should keep. At one point he ran right into a wall of men at the line of scrimmage. I thought for sure that was the end of the play but there he was, somehow darting right out the other end of the srum like he was shot out of a cannon and ready to take on the next level of tacklers. And when Ivory wasn't in the game, it was P.J. Hill keeping the chains moving not only running but catching. I still like what Ivory brings to the table more and think he remains the front-runner to make the final roster based on the teams needs.
    * Reggie looked superb last night in one quarter of action. A wonderful job of making the right decisions and running north-south. It feels like a switch was flipped on Reggie sometime toward the end of the 2009 season and since then, he's been the running back we've all hoped he could be on a much more consistent basis. I also don't wonder if the USC sanctions have got him more motivated than ever. One of the questions a lot of fans have been asking is, "Who will get Mike Bell's carries?" Bush has never been considered a possible answer to that question but I'm here to raise my own question: How 'bout we give some of those carries to Reggie?
    * All of the great running back performances owe a lot to the great run blocking by the offensive line last night, both first team and second team.
    * Adrian Arrington picked up right where he left off last week. At this rate the Saints just have to find room for him on the roster. Me likey. Me really, really likey.
    * Great to see the Saints defense and special teams come up with some turnovers. It makes all the difference in the world and it's a huge reason why they were able to get ahead early in this game. A second season chock full of turnovers will prove to the naysayers that last year wasn't just a fluke and that the Saints are a team who take the ball from you, not hope that it falls into their hands.
    * Just as I had feared, Casillas didn't have nearly as impressive a performance as he did last week, finishing the game with only one tackle. Junior Galette was nowhere to be found either.
    * Speaking of players gone missing, my boy Rod Harper was a ghost. To be fair, he never really got much opportunity. He was back to return a kickoff but the Texans kicked a worm-burner so P.J. Hill wound up taking it. Then he was back to return a punt but wisely let it fly over his head into the endzone for the touchback instead of attempting a return. Harper finished the game with only one kickoff return for twelve yards. It's not looking good.
    * Patrick Robinson really needs to show me something before I say anything nice about him.
    * Special teams still needs a good bit of work. The tackling didn't look nearly as sloppy but they still gave up a significant chunk of yardage in kick returns.

    http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2010/8/22/1635861/houston-texans-20-new-orleans
     
  25. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    BUCCANEERS

    TAMPA — The Bucs' defense had a roller-coaster night Saturday against the Chiefs.

    It had rough moments in the first quarter, including an eight-play Chiefs drive (sparked by starting field position on the Bucs' 47-yard line) that ended with Jeremy Horne's 6-yard touchdown catch. Also, the Chiefs were able to run the ball early and controlled possession for nearly 10 of the first 18 minutes.

    But the defense bounced back and settled in, including getting a solid performance from the second unit. It forced the Chiefs to end a lengthy second-quarter drive with just a field goal.

    "I think we came out and played fast but had a couple of missed assignments that led to (Kansas City) scoring," S Tanard Jackson said. "I think we rebounded well."

    Tampa Bay had some big plays, including a fumble recovery by LB Geno Hayes (forced by DL Kyle Moore) to end the Chiefs' first possession. LB Quincy Black picked up a sack in the second quarter, dropping QB Matt Cassel to force a punt by rushing up the middle on a blitz.

    The Bucs also finally got to see first-round draft pick DT Gerald McCoy and second-round pick DT Brian Price line up alongside each other. Price, who missed the first preseason game against the Dolphins due to a hamstring injury, entered in the second quarter.

    McCoy had a nice night, including stuffing Cassel for a 1-yard gain early in the second quarter to force a punt as Moore, who also played well, sealed off the pocket.

    BACK IT UP? RB Derrick Ward, who had a disappointing game against Miami (20 yards on 12 carries with two fumbles), guaranteed he'd have a "great game" against the Chiefs.

    It turned out to be anything. Ward rushed for 11 yards on five carries and left in the third quarter with a head injury. His status had not been determined.

    RB Kareem Huggins continued to impress. The Bucs wanted to get a better look at him by getting him some reps with the first-team offense. And Huggins responded with 44 yards on eight carries. Huggins, a second-year pro who went undrafted out of Hofstra, rushed for 55 yards on eight carries against Miami.

    MEDICAL MATTERS: WR Maurice Stovall (ankle) sitting out was expected. But the absences of KR Clifton Smith and T Demar Dotson were surprising.

    Smith has a hamstring injury but practiced during the week. Dotson's injury was unclear.

    TE Kellen Winslow, recovering from offseason knee surgery, warmed up before the game but did not suit up.

    LOCAL Guys: Saturday marked a homecoming of sorts for Chiefs KR Javier Arenas (Tampa's Robinson High) and RB/WR Dexter McCluster (Largo High).

    Arenas had a 54-yard kickoff return to the Bucs' 47 to help set up a touchdown. He also returned one punt for 1 yard. McCluster lost a yard on his only carry and caught one pass for 17 yards.

    MISCELLANY: DE Michael Bennett lined up at defensive tackle during the second quarter. … CB E.J. Biggers was the first defensive back to appear at nickel corner, ahead of CB Elbert Mack, with whom he is competing. … LB Adam Hayward got some snaps at fullback in some non-short-yardage situations during the third quarter.

    http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/article1116783.ece

    TAMPA - Buccaneers RB Derrick Ward made a bold promise several days ago.

    Unfortunately for Tampa Bay fans, sometimes promises are meant to be broken.

    Ward pledged to have a "great" game against Kansas City after a dismal performance the previous week against Miami. He blamed his showing in the preseason opener on muddy conditions in Miami and having to play with Tampa Bay's second-string offensive line.

    Cadillac Williams started against the Chiefs, but Ward played half of the first quarter, all of the second and part of the third. He finished with five carries for 11 yards before leaving with a head injury.

    Last week he gained only 20 yards on 12 carries and fumbled twice.

    "I've been in this league for a while and I feel I know what it takes to win and get back on track," Ward said prior to Saturday's game. "That was just a fluke game, but I guarantee you this weekend I'll have a great game."

    Ward's struggles have opened the door for Kareem Huggins to possibly be Williams' backup.

    Huggins has taken advantage of his opportunities. He rushed seven times for 44 yards heading into the fourth quarter against Kansas City after running eight times for 55 yards in Miami.

    Tampa Bay signed Ward to a four-year, $17 million deal in 2009 after he rushed for 1,025 yards and two touchdowns with the Giants in 2008. The Bucs expected Ward to contribute to their running game last year, but he carried 114 times for 409 yards and one touchdown.

    Returner Smith suffers another setbackBucs return man Clifton Smith fell victim to one of the oldest and rarest of medical conditions — gout.

    Described as a crystallization of the fluid in joints, tendons and surrounding tissues, gout kept Smith from participating in the first two preseason games.

    General Manager Mark Dominik said the Bucs are confident they've found a treatment for Smith's problem. Smith was one of three players made inactive Saturday night.

    Smith, who missed time last season because of two concussions, has missed several workouts during training camp this year and admitted this week he's in a fight for a roster spot.

    In addition to Smith, the Bucs have WRs Micheal Spurlock, Arrelious Benn, Sammie Stroughter and Preston Parker available to return kickoffs and punts.

    Bay area homecomingWR Dexter McCluster and CB Javier Arenas might have been the only Kansas City players who felt at home at Raymond James Stadium.

    They both attended high school in the Bay area.

    McCluster played for Largo before attending Ole Miss. He was selected by Kansas City in the second round of this year's draft.

    Arenas played for Robinson and collegiately at Alabama, winning a national championship last season. He also was selected in the second round of this year's draft.

    Both made splash plays Saturday. Arenas returned a kick 54 yards to set up a touchdown drive in the first quarter, and McCluster had a 17-yard reception in the second quarter.

    Extra pointsBucs WR Maurice Stovall and T Demar Dotson were inactive for Saturday's game. WR Reggie Brown started in place of Stovall. … DT Roy Miller started instead of Ryan Sims. … Chiefs DB Maurice Leggett was carted off the field after trying to tackle Huggins in the third quarter. … The Bucs will play one more preseason game before having to make their first cuts. Tampa Bay will have to reduce its roster from 80 to 75 players Aug.31, three days after the third preseason game against Jacksonville. Final cuts are Sept.4.

    http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/au...uarantees-ward-ineffective-again/sports-bucs/

    TAMPA — Among the Bucs' most scrutinized units during this preseason is the receiving corps, also among the team's most inexperienced groups.

    What more did the Bucs learn about this group in their second preseason game, Saturday's 20-15 win over the Chiefs? Not a ton.

    It was reinforced that fourth-round draft pick Mike Williams is a potential star and that Sammie Stroughter is doing his best to prove he was not a one-hit wonder during his rookie season last year.

    But as for the rest of the group, questions linger. When will rookie Arrelious Benn make his presence felt? What will veteran Reggie Brown add to the offense? And can Micheal Spurlock be more than just a return man?

    Williams continues to impress. He had the highlight of the game against Miami in last week's preseason opener, and Saturday he built on that performance with three receptions for 44 yards. The difference in his performance was that rather than pick up his gains by hauling in deep balls, as he did against Miami, Williams got the bulk of his yardage after the catch.

    "Like I said after the first (game), I was a little bit nervous, and now I'm getting more confidence," Williams said.

    Stroughter also proved reliable with his two catches for 27 yards, including a 16-yard pickup.

    But when a converted college quarterback comes out of nowhere to steal the show at receiver, one could argue that's not good. That's what Spurlock did in his latest bid to make the final roster.

    Spurlock had the play of the game, a 53-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Josh Johnson. Spurlock hauled in the pinpoint pass, then shook Kansas City starting left cornerback Brandon Flowers, who missed the tackle and allowed Spurlock to sprint down the right sideline untouched.

    He finished with three receptions for 75 yards.

    Spurlock was a quarterback at Ole Miss and is mostly known for scoring the first kickoff-return touchdown in franchise history in 2008. He has never been given real consideration at receiver until now.

    "I just want my name to be in the hat," Spurlock said. "We want to make that job (of picking the final roster) as hard as possible."

    But if Spurlock is dominating the conversation, that means the Bucs aren't getting much from the likes of Benn, a second-round pick this year who hadn't caught a pass in his first two preseason outings until midway through the fourth quarter Saturday. Benn played mostly on special teams before that. He said after the game he felt much more at ease this week than in the previous game.

    Michael Clayton, who remains on the bubble, caught one pass for 5 yards. Brown caught one pass for 12 yards. Terrence Nunn caught one pass, 5 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

    None of those performances was notable, meaning the dropoff after Williams and Stroughter remains sizable.

    Unless you look at things a different way.

    "Everybody's competitive," Stroughter said. "We know all 10 of us can't make it, but we're building something."

    http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/article1116791.ece
     
  26. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS

    CHARLOTTE Everette Brown wasn't going to let the other guys have all the fun.

    After being left out of last week's sack-fest, the Carolina Panthers second year defensive end picked up two of his own in the first quarter Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium.

    Brown seemed to be the only one left out in the opener against the Ravens - when the Panthers recorded six sacks - but quickly joined the party with sacks on each of New York's first two drives.

    Starting in place of the injured Tyler Brayton, Brown also made several nice plays against the run, which was one of his offseason priorities.

    Brown added about 15 solid pounds this offseason in an effort to be stouter in that phase of the game, and unlike last year, he kept the weight on through camp.

    Brayton's absence also cleared the way for Greg Hardy to get some work with and against starters. Hardy had a few nice plays against the run, though he failed to live up to his two-sack debut in Baltimore during his first-half work against the Jets.

    Growing pains

    Rookie wideout Armanti Edwards had a decent opening night in Baltimore returning punts, but his home debut was nothing short of a nightmare.

    On his first chance of the night, he let a short punt bounce in front of him rather than make a play on it. Teammate Jordan Pugh then appeared to be pushed back into it, and the Jets recovered. Panthers coach John Fox challenged the play, but replay confirmed the call on the field.

    The second attempt was even worse, as the ball bounced off his hands and into the arms of Jets wideout Jerricho Cotchery at the Panthers 12-yard line. Edwards appeared confused as the traffic built around him, and scrambled wildly for the ball after his awkward attempt sent him to the ground.

    Edwards hadn't caught punts at all until March, just prior to his pro day workout before the draft. That job's his for the taking, but until he can reliably do it, he's not advanced enough as an offensive player to be a factor this season.

    Taking it easy

    Wide receiver Steve Smith continued his recent pace, of looking like he was about to work without actually doing anything.

    Smith did pre-game warm-ups, caught a few passes, but didn't dress for the game. Running back Jonathan Stewart was also on the sidelines, despite doing some increased work over the last few weeks.

    Strong safety Sherrod Martin (groin strain) was also out, with rookie Jordan Pugh taking his place. While they have some veteran options, they've been encouraged by Pugh's progress and want to see if he can be a factor on defense sooner rather than later.

    Also held out were defensive ends Brayton and Hilee Taylor, linebackers Jamar Williams and Quinton Culberson, safety Aaron Francisco and the physically unable to perform duo of linebacker Davis and right tackle Jeff Otah.

    Starting shuffle

    As they continue to look for options up front, the Panthers went with a new look in their starting defensive line.

    In addition to Brown replacing Brayton, but they started defensive tackles Ed Johnson and Derek Landri.

    While Louis Leonard and Tank Tyler were projected starters going into camp, neither has really flashed. Leonard in particular has been held back by an offseason knee injury, independent of the broken leg that ended last season.

    Landri's an effort player, but has impressed coaches with his work throughout camp. Acquired last December off waivers from Jacksonville, he didn't play last season, but looks like a keeper so far.

    They also fiddled with their starting receivers, sending Dwayne Jarrett and Brandon LaFell out first. Kenny Moore then came in as the third, and promptly caught a pretty 26-yard strike for a first down.

    Ready for prime time

    The Jets brought their traveling circus with them.

    A 40-plus person crew from the HBO documentary "Hard Knocks" was here filming, and clips from the game will be featured in next week's show.

    Adjust your DVRs (and the earmuffs for your kids) accordingly.

    Observations

    Which side of the ball were we supposed to be worried about again?

    If the Panthers fans groaned last week when Matt Moore took an early blindside sack and fumbled, then his first deep ball brought back more memories of previous administrations.

    Moore aired one out down the left sideline for LaFell, but Jets safety Jim Leonhard camped under it like he was fielding a punt.

    Moore looked comfortable and in charge throughout camp, but he's gotten to a few slow starts now.

    That DeAngelo Williams guy, he's going to be OK.

    He's looked sharp in the work he's gotten this preseason, and appears to not be bothered at all by the lack of sleep he's getting with a newborn at home.

    Probably charitable to let Captain Munnerlyn go back there for the third punt. After Edwards' first two miscues, probably not worth killing the kid's confidence this soon. Of course, Munnerlyn bobbled one out of bounds, so it may have been contagious.

    Pugh starting could make for some interesting roster math. You'd think they'd want to keep special teamers Marcus Hudson and Aaron Francisco, but if Pugh's trustworthy as the third safety, you may not need to keep both of the veterans.

    The offensive line was scrutinized in the opener, but the backfield needs to block better for Matt Moore to have a chance.

    That's the last thing young backs pick up, but Williams whiffed on a second-quarter cut attempt, leaving his quarterback exposed.

    Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/22/1636685/jets-at-panthers.html#ixzz0xOIIDJf4

    What you take away from Carolina's 9-3 home loss to the New York Jets in Saturday night's preseason game depends on if you're a "glass-half-full" or "glass-half-empty" sort of person.

    Decide whether you're an optimist or pessimist before reading this column, and then concentrate only on the statements that apply to your personality type. Then you and I will agree exactly on what kind of team these Panthers are going to be.

    Optimist: The Panthers' first-team defense is unbelievably good. It might be better without Julius Peppers than with him! After all, it held the Jets to 45 yards on 33 plays in the first half Saturday before retiring for the night. And the second-team Panther defense was almost as good – the Jets only had seven first downs and 112 total yards for the game.

    Pessimist: It doesn't matter how good the defense was because the Panthers' special teams and the offense looked so awful.

    If the Panthers could field a punt cleanly, they might well have won Saturday night. As it was, however, the Panthers made three turnovers on punt returns alone and five overall. And they still haven't scored an offensive touchdown in two exhibition games.

    Optimist: The Panthers have some rookies and young players (Greg Hardy, Eric Moore and Everette Brown) who have shown up very well so far in the preseason.

    Pessimist: The Panthers have one rookie (Armanti Edwards) who had an absolutely horrible game Saturday night and a couple of others who have yet to do much (Jimmy Clausen, Brandon LaFell).

    Edwards obviously isn't ready to be the team's punt returner. He made two huge punt-return errors in just two tries Saturday night, both resulting in turnovers that led to two Jets' field goals and a 6-0 Jets lead at halftime. That would be all the lead the Jets would need because Carolina's offense was so nasty.

    Optimist: It looks like people are excited about the Panthers once again. There must have been at least 55,000 in the stands at the start of Saturday's game.

    Pessimist: Most of them got really bored. There wasn't a touchdown the entire game – I've been more dazzled at a 0-0 soccer game. There were probably 5,000 in the stands at the end when Clausen was trying in vain to muster a final drive.

    Optimist: Hey, that was the Jets. They are a brash, talented Super Bowl contender, as anyone who has watched HBO's "Hard Knocks" show knows. Last year, the Jets had the No.1 overall defense, No.1 passing defense and No.1 rushing offense in the NFL. They're a great blitzing team. Yet the Panthers stayed close all night.

    Pessimist: Yeah, it was the Jets, but New York played its starters less than the Panthers did and still won.

    Optimist: Clausen looked decent at times – even though he couldn't get Carolina in the end zone -- and Carolina scored its only points under his leadership. The rookie quarterback has a good knack for escaping the rush. He's going to be big-time.

    Pessimist: Clausen threw a bad interception when it counted most after getting Carolina to the Jets' 37 at the two-minute warning. He still doesn't read defenses nearly well enough and checks down off his wideouts too quickly. Matt Moore still has to be the starting quarterback, for sure, but he didn't do anything to make you confident that his 2009 success is about to carry over to 2010.

    Optimist: Steve Smith and Jonathan Stewart didn't play Saturday. No wonder the Panthers' offense was as exciting as watching a banana develop black spots.

    Pessimist: DeAngelo Williams did play. So did Matt Moore. So did most of the Panthers' first-team offensive line and every other receiver but Smith. Other than Williams, no one did much of anything.

    Optimist: We haven't seen enough yet, and the Panthers are usually a better team when they are underdogs. Put me down for 9-7 and a wild-card playoff spot.

    Pessimist: We've seen plenty. Put me down for 4-12.

    Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/20...-games-is-glass-half-empty.html#ixzz0xOIgdsSp
     
  27. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    FALCONS

    That was more like it.

    We saw some flashes of brilliance from the offense and some quality special teams play against the Miami Dolphins last night. That's all well and good. With so much concern for our defense after the first two pre-season games, the D had to come out and make a statement. After that game, I'm reasonably certain they've conveyed a message, and it rhymes with "snuck foo core flouting pus!"

    Above all else, I'm extremely encouraged by the performance of the front seven. There's a plethora of talent arrayed up there, and while Sean Weatherspoon is probably going to have a steep learning curve as a rookie starter, he'll be propped up by the awesome power of Kroy Biermann, Jonathan Babineaux, John Abraham, Curtis Lofton and others. When was the last time you got this excited about a Falcons defense?

    You're here for a recap, though. Obviously, there's a gap in my direct knowledge of this game, because I had to head out to cover a fire for my day (night?) job. So I'll note any happenings in the third quarter and early fourth quarter that I only know about thanks to you guys and stats. But I think we can still get this thing done proper.

    Hurdle the jump and hear my words, friends!

    Star-divide
    HIGHLIGHTS

    * Despite Jason's complaints that he didn't strip the ball from Chad Henne after almost ending his life, you gotta give Kroy Biermann props. The Duff Man wasn't guaranteed a starting job out of training camp, but he's almost certainly got one now after absolutely mauling quarterbacks in the first three pre-season games.

    He could have a breakout season and flirt with double digit sacks, and I wouldn't even blink.
    * Speaking of awesome defensive ends, Lawrence Sidbury is heating up. He's not going to unseat the venerable John Abraham in 2010, but he's the future at Abe's position. Get excited.
    * Eric Weems is stone solid as a returner. After his brush with the law—no, not Curtis Lofton—and the team's addition of Kerry Meier, I honestly thought he was doomed. But he's taken advantage of his opportunities and he's clearly the most well-rounded guy the Falcons have in terms of bringing back kicks. If his season numbers even approach tonight's averages (26.5 yards per kick return, 15.0 per punt return), he'll put the team in nice spots more often than not.
    * I told you to watch Jerious Norwood. His five carries for 22 yards weren't exceptional, but he showed his trademark burst on one nine yard carry, and he scampered around for a nice eight yard catch, too. He didn't distinguish himself from Jason Snelling in any meaningful way (Big Snell also had 5 carries for 22 yards), but he looked healthy and I'm eager to see him break a few long runs against Pittsburgh.
    * Michael Turner is ready for the season. Ignore the fumble. 'Nuff said.
    * Chris Redman was pretty good in relief. I know not everyone is all that fond of Rojohombre, but he's a quality backup, at least for this season. No offense to John Parker Wilson, but I don't want him one injury away from starting for the Atlanta Falcons.
    * Roddy White had a couple of really dumb, stupid drops that were ugly and also bad. But he also caught several, including a pass from Matt Ryan in the end zone that looked like it was airlifted in by angels. Drops will always be a concern, but Roddy's option Numero Uno in this offense.

    Honorable mention to Harry Douglas, who looked healthy and ready to contribute. Sweet!
    * Curtis Lofton is nasty. If he ever picks up coverage in a meaningful way or is asked to rush the passer.....well, he's going to the Pro Bowl. No questions asked. He's already a monstrosity against the run.

    Speaking of being monstrous against the run, the entire defense killed this game. Just spectacular. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams ended up looking like a couple of geezers.
    * I barely saw William Moore play, but I did see he was getting rave reviews from some of you. I never doubt my readers. The fact that he played at all and didn't explode is good enough for me.
    * I couldn't let the Mike Peterson to Erik Coleman connection pass. There's probably not two guys on the defense more roundly maligned than Peterson and Coleman, and yet thanks to the tip tap from Mo Pete and the pick by Coleman, they're getting some love today. I wish we could see that kind of thing from them more often.

    LOWLIGHTS

    * Wow, Matt Ryan looked bad. By the third pre-season game you generally start to see some semblance of regular season form, but Matty Snowballs looked like he wasn't even attached to his own feet. He overthrew, underthrew, missed and threw one of the most half-hearted interceptions I'll ever care to see. He also tried to force the ball to Roddy White an excruciating number of times. Blech.

    Once again, I'm going to chalk this up to pre-season, because I don't really have a choice. I simply can't believe Ryan could be anywhere near that bad in a regular season game, unless he's got like horse flu or something.
    * Hey, Chevis Jackson got six tackles! That's pretty cool.

    Then you realize Chevis Jackson got six tackles because he was being burnt to a crisp out there. I missed a few, so you can tell me if I'm being grossly unfair, but I did watch Chad Pennington of all people float a couple zeppelins by him.
    * Brian Finneran had a nice touchdown grab. He also looked very, very slow, and had an unfortunate crackback penalty called on him. I don't know how many times I have to say this, but I love Finn. I also hope he's coaching for the Falcons in 2010, instead of playing for them.
    * Matt Bryant hit a 26 yard field goal and only one of two extra points. Think you might have jumped the gun by removing all his competition after the first pre-season game, coaching staff? What's that? You don't?

    WRONG ANSWER!

    THE WRAPUP

    Game MVP: Let's give it to the entire defense. They shut down a very potent Dolphins ground game all night long. Credit goes where credit's due.

    Game Theme Song: For the Comrade!

    One Thing To Take Away: We might be seeing the best Falcons defense of the last several years getting warmed up. I can't stress how awesome that is.

    Next Week: The erstwhile Jacksonville Jaguars, the team of Maurice Jones-Drew and a bunch of guys you've never heard of. Should be a fun game, so go visit Big Cat Country to find out more.

    Final Word: Defense!

    http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2010/8/28/1655208/falcons-and-dolphins-recap-the
     
  28. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    SAINTS

    The New Orleans Saints offense looked solid last night against a legitimate San Diego Chargers defense, thanks in large part to the excellent performances from running backs Chris Ivory and Reggie Bush as well as quarterback Drew Brees. On the other side of the ball the Saints defense showed reason for optimism as well, looking good against the run but still leaving room for improvement, particularly in pass coverage.

    All in all, it was a good win for the team. I don't want to say any more without giving away my first-hand observations below so let's just jump straight into my bullet points. Follow me, won't you? Then share your own thoughts in the comment section. Personal pictures from the game will be posted in a little while.

    Star-divide

    * I think it's official and we can all go ahead and pencil in Chris Ivory as the No. 3 running back on the Saints depth chart. Ladell Betts looked halfway decent in the limited action he saw last night but Ivory has been beastly this pre-season. He's earned his fair share of carries this season if not for his talent than for his hard work.
    * I was pleased with Patrick Ramsey's play. It wasn't amazing and he threw an interception, but he just looks way more comfortable back there in the pocket than Daniel and it looks like he throws with a little more velocity. This one is too close to call by me. Ramsey may have the edge because of his experience.
    * Freaking Jonathan Casillas. I said before the game that if he played well last night I would support him and if he played poorly I would forever doubt him. What does he do? He plays so-so. Now what? I'm at a crossroads of epic proportions. You tell me what I'm supposed to think about this guy because I have no idea anymore.
    * Adrian Arrington got some work returning punts - which was a little surprising - and didn't do that great. It's actually got me wondering if the coaches have told him that he needs to do more than just catch passes if he wants to make this team. Having not done so well at those non-pass-catching activities, I'm a little worried that he actually won't make this team. Is Arrington versatile enough?
    * Meanwhile, return specialist Courtney Roby was doing the exact opposite and showing that not only can he return kickoffs well, but he can also catch passes. Roby hauled in two passes for 45 yards, and missed another big one thanks to a Patrick Ramsey overthrow. I truly think this game was planned to purposely sort out the battle for that fifth wide receiver spot and to help coaches make a final decision. The contrasts were stark. Advantage: Roby
    * The Saints made zero improvement in cleaning up their act and taking less penalties. Yet another sloppy game with a lot of free yardage handed to the Chargers. Even more surprising, it's veteran guys like Jahri Evans and Marques Colston getting flagged for false starts. Maddening.
    * Other than the 47-yard kickoff return the Saints let up, special teams was much better in most phases. Glad to see some improvement there. Thomas Morstead in particular looked like he was really booming his punts last night.
    * The Saints defense started off looking like crap. The Chargers offense pretty much had their way on the opening drive but they tightened it up as the game went on. Particularly good to see the Saints continue to do a better job of stopping the run, holding the Chargers to less than 70 yards rushing. As Grandmaster Wang would say: High five!
    * Unfortunately, the Saints pass defense left a little to be desired. Greer looked sharp and nearly had that early interception but they were definitely feeling the effects of not having Tracy Porter in the lineup. I think it was Malcolm Floyd who was wide open in the back of the end zone for the Chargers touchdown pass and Antonio Gates seemed to catch the ball at will. If the San Diego receivers could actually hold on to the ball, it would have been worse.
    * By my count, Patrick Robinson had one good play: a nice pass deflection. But there's a margin of error on my calculations of +/- 1. The rest of his performance was more of the same we've seen thus far. He also got a chance to return a couple of kickoffs with unimpressive results. If the Saints have to pay this guy so much money for being a first round pick, they might as well get more out of him, right?
    * If there is anyone you could label as consistent so far this pre-season, it might definitely be non other than Reggie Bush. Once again I was very, very happy about what I saw from him, even exceeding my expectations as he put together another fine football presentation both on the ground and through the air. This is probably the last we'll see of Reggie before the regular season begins but I cannot wait to see the way he gets used this year and I now trust that it will only be positive. I can't emphasize my newfound respect for Reggie enough.
    * I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Colston get called for an unsportsman-like penalty. Quiet Storm never does anything naughty or outspoken on the field. Then he got flagged for a false start. Very unusual.
    * Both Jonathan Vilma and Zach Strief went to the locker room after their injuries. Courtney Roby limped off the field later in the game. Let's hope that all of them, Vilma in particular, will be fine and ready to go by September 9th.
    * Usama Young may have had an interception but it wasn't that impressive. The throw was a floater and nobody was anywhere near him. His special teams play looked good, however, from what very little I noticed.
    * I received several text messages and emails about this. If you have the CBS broadcast of the game on tape, feel free to skip to the crowd shot taken with 8:27 on the clock in the 4th quarter. You can catch 3/4 of my face for about .05 seconds. Enjoy.
    * I'm not sure if anyone else noticed but Montez Billings quietly put together a nice game for himself. He had two catches on the night, one of which was an impressive, bobbling number as he was falling down. He also made a sweet tackle on a special teams return. He even got a chance to return a punt himself, probably as a reward for his good play on the night. Billings may have earned himself a spot on the practice squad with his performance.

    http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2010/8/28/1655211/san-diego-chargers-21-new-orleans
     
  29. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    PANTHERS

    Good morning Panther faithful and welcome to the Monday Morning Optimist. How 'bout that defense? I don't think enough good things can be said about the quality, caliber and power of the Carolina Panthers' defense thus far. As a defense on Saturday night here's what the Panthers did:

    *

    Allowed just 217 total yards
    *

    Sacked the QB seven times
    *

    Forced two fumbles
    *

    Intercepted two passes

    There's no magic formula to what the Panthers are doing on defense. No exotic blitz packages, no weird schemes, they're just playing faster than stronger than their opponents- daring them to try and get yardage and thus far it hasn't worked for any of the three teams faced. It remains to be seen if they can keep up this pace all year, but it's a very, very promising sight from the phase of the game the fan base thought could be a weakness.

    The offense on the other hand still looks a little lost without Steve Smith, Jonathan Stewart and Jeff Otah. Hopefully this is all that's needed. While the offense made clear strides against the Titans it's still clear that this is the weaker of the two major phases.

    Lots of great performances in the 15-7 win, so let's break it down...



    After the jump

    Star-divide

    This week's focus for the in depth look goes to Everette Brown the sophomore DE who was starting to garner attention from a section of the fan base wondering if he was going to be a bust given the price we paid to draft him (1st round pick). We heard reports before the OTAs that Brown had bulked up to the tune of 15 lbs while still looking just as explosive. Your's truly called him several months back 'a younger, more inexperienced Dwight Freeney' another smaller DE who Ron Meeks turned into a pass rushing monster. It now appears that Brown is 'getting it' and I would like to table this nickname for your approval: UPS- Unbelievable. Panther. Sack machine.... what can Brown do for you?

    Thus far in the last two games as a starter Brown has amassed 7 tackles, 3 sacks and 1 forced fumble. These came working against D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Michael Roos, both highly respected LT's. On the field it looks like Brown is moving at 100% and his opposing tackle I moving at 75%; he's so quick he's getting around the edge before the LT has time to rotate and set. Everette Brown is poised for a monster season and with Greg Hardy continuing to be disruptive it appears the Panthers will be set at DE for a long time.

    Much like last week the optimistic rankings will be heavily dominated by the defense. There are so many guys who deserve kudos, but not enough time to give everyone their props. So I'm going to concentrate on the guys who made the biggest impact on Saturday.



    Optimistic

    Everette Brown- Extremely Optimistic: Heading this category again for the second straight week. For all the reasons mentioned above and more he looks like a very special player.



    Charles Johnson- Extremely Optimistic: Johnson was the guy I believed was most poised for a breakout this season. With Tyler Brayton injured he's not working from his natural blind side spot, but regardless he was impressive on Saturday with four tackles and two sacks.



    Eric Moore- Extremely Optimistic: Talk about a guy holding on to the NFL by a thread and making the most of his chance. Rather than retiring like some journeyman players would do Moore is out there fighting tooth and nail for a shot... and it looks like he's going to get it. One sack and one forced fumble last night.



    Jon Beason- Extremely Optimistic: He's not in his natural position and he's still making plays. Beason led the Panthers in tackles with five and helped shut down Chris Johnson.



    Blitzing Defensive Backs- Extremely Optimistic: I loved how Meeks utilized safety and corner blitzes on Saturday night. Richard Marshall and Charles Godfrey both got sacks against the Titans, but on numerous more plays there was a DB in the backfield harrassing the quarterback. It's a really nice way to use our speed.



    Mike Goodson- Extremely Optimistic: Prior to Saturday's game I thought Goodson was right on the cusp of possibly being cut. I'm glad he game out and showed he can be effective on Saturday. He ran the ball well, caught out of the backfield with poise and got the Panthers their only TD on a 91 yard KR.



    Brian Witherspoon- Extremely Optimistic: One tackle, two interceptions, one punt return = Extremely optimistic.



    Dan Connor- Somewhat Optimistic: Only had three tackles solo and one assisted, but that doesn't really matter. Connor is being asked to fill the shoes of Jon Beason in the middle, hands down the toughest role to fill and he's doing so admirably. People aren't getting past him and he's showing why he's the all time leader in tackles at 'Linebacker U'.



    Matt Moore- Somewhat Optimistic: I rated Moore's 1st half and 'extremely pessimistic' and his 3rd quarter as 'extremely optimistic' so this is me splitting the difference. Moore had both brilliant and terrible moments on Saturday night, the former being a beautiful 24 yard strike to Dante Rosario, the latter being a mess of a pass play resulting in a long bomb into triple coverage that was lucky not to be picked off. Moore settled down a lot after half time and played the way we know he can. Once bitten, twice shy and I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm slightly concerned Moore will have a 'good Matt, bad Matt' dichotomy much like Jake Delhomme did.



    Jimmy Clausen- Somewhat Optimistic: We didn't see a lot of Jimmy Clausen, but that was to be expected. This was Matt Moore's game and Thursday night's game will be Clausen's. We saw accurate passes, good zip on the ball and poise in the pocket. We just didn't see a lot of it thanks to both the game clock and an offensive line who had itchy trigger fingers.



    Trent Guy- Somewhat Optimistic: Showed that he can be a part of this team having two good punt returns and one good reception.



    Brandon LaFell- Somewhat Optimistic: Needs to wok on his hands more, but that one handed circus catch was too good not to recognize.



    Armanti Edwards- Somewhat Optimistic: What a difference a week makes. They should concentrate solely on his receiving and forget about the punt returns for now.



    Pessimistic

    Dwayne Jarrett- Extremely Pessimistic: I think it's safe to say his future is on life support right now. Against the Titans he was a starter in name only. When a player is barely featured in game three they're either injured or about to be a casualty of a cut. He hasn't proven himself enough to get the job and with promising guys like Wallace Wright (pending injury evaluation), Brandon LaFell, Armanti Edwards, Trent Guy and David Gettis who all had good games it's tough to justify continuing the experiment any longer.



    Marcus Hudson- Somewhat Pessimistic: He had a good performance afterwards, but being burnt that badly by a TE for a touchdown was ugly.



    Overall Outlook

    I'm still willing to give the offense the benefit of the doubt. When Steve Smith and Jonathan Stewart are reinserted into the lineup I think you'll see a much more fluid and effective offense. Word is the Steelers will be played Ben Roethlisberger extensively in game four to get him as much plying time as possible before he starts his suspension, so it will be a great opportunity to see the 2nd team defense step up.

    http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/30/1658337/carolina-panthers-monday-morning


    Last night we were blessed with a beautiful evening for football. It was temperate, there wasn't a lot of wind, and the crowd was roaring and ready for football. The only sign of preseason was the empty seats. But it was football, and me and my buddy sat in the upper deck and watched the action from start to finish. It was a slow-paced game, without a lot of offense on either side of the ball. That gave me a lot of time to sit and think.

    A few years ago Florida played Ohio State for the National Championship. When they hit the field, it wasn't long before you noticed a real difference between the Ohio State offense and the Florida defense. The Gators were just plain faster. The ball didn't go anywhere without several Florida players converging on it, and the Buckeyes couldn't get a thing going. Speed killed.

    That's the way I feel about the current Panther defense. They just look faster than the other guys. I haven't seen a group this fast in years. That's not going to automatically make them world-beaters, and it remains to be seen if they have enough leadership to keep them together when things get tight. But if I had my choice, I would take the speed.

    Star-divide

    The line seems to like it too--they're rushing with reckless abandon. Gone are the days when Kemo dug his heels in and tried to move the pocket back. Now you have Leonard, Tyler, Johnson, & Landri doing their best to ignore the pocket and just get to the QB. Charles Johnson looks great on both the inside and outside, Brown has gotten some strength to go with his speed, and Hardy is just fine playing with the ones. This group looks to have gone from a team concern to a team strength.

    Dan Connor deserves his own call-out as well. He looked like another 55 out there, but without the concussions. When he was in the game, he was with the ball, usually for little or no gain. He's showing amazing instincts in the middle. He's still sitting when the Panthers line up in the nickel.

    Beason is starting to look like he's played the weak side his entire career. He made several nice plays. I didn't hear Anderson's name called, but the Linebackers as a unit were very solid.

    And once again, all of the blitzing came from the Linebackers. Remember when Trgovac would send Marshall in on a blitz that had him running 15-20 yards before he made contact with anyone? Not this defense--they bring a Linebacker up to the line and just bring pressure at the snap. And they've got the speed to keep the coverage.

    Speaking of speed, when did Charles Godfrey's light come on? I know it's preseason, but I've never seen him play so well.

    Offense is another issue entirely. As prepared as the defense looked, the offense didn't. The penalties were bad enough, but even when they got their play going they didn't look particularly comfortable. Our offensive line got no push at all, and the backs couldn't buy a hole. Someone needs to tell me again about all the talent we have on the line, because I don't feel like I saw much last night.

    Still, the big concern isn't on the line but instead at Quarterback. A lot of people will say receiver, but once again Matt Moore looked tentative out there, stared down his receivers, and made some really interesting decisions. Moore definately likes his tight ends more than Delhomme ever did. But he's not playing well.

    Clausen looks far more comfortable under center, and has more presence. But he's a rookie, and clearly isn't ready to take the team. But if Moore doesn't get his groove back, I wouldn't be surprised to see a change by mid-season. My buddy is a Steeler fan who doesn't really know the Panthers well, and he didn't understand why Clausen isn't starting already.

    Last night Moore's accuracy, particularly on longer balls, was just suspect. Maybe everybody's running the wrong routes, maybe he doesn't have faith in anyone, but he just isn't throwing with authority and he doesn't really look anything like he did last fall. On the other hand, when he did lay it right in there the receivers dropped it more often than not.

    Which brings us to Brandon LaFell. I think he's going to be the starter, solely based on how well he moves without the ball. He's got good game speed, his cuts are crisp and he's physical. And this week it was his turn to make the routine look difficult and the difficult look routine. He dropped an easy throw from Moore, and then made a diving one-hand grab on a terrible pass that had the Stadium rocking. Take comfort in the fact that he's a rookie, and will probably improve.

    Someone who hasn't improved is Dwayne Jarrett. For whatever reason, he just couldn't get open. What's the point of having great hands if the Quarterback won't throw it to you? Well Dwayne, as long as you don't get any separation, the Quarterback will continue to look elsewhere. Unless it's Moore and you're a Tight End, maybe.

    It was genuinely disappointing that Armanti Edwards wasn't given another opportunity to return punts. Trent Guy did ok, but we've been using guys who do ok for far too long. We need someone who's a threat to go more than ten yards when he catches the ball, and Guy isn't that. Edwards might be, and he needs as much practice as possible to find out. He did catch a few passes though, and looks comfortable out there, but he's still going to take time.

    Special Teams were good for the first time in a long time. In the off-season a lot was made about bringing in better special teams players, but until now it wasn't really apparent. Last night the coverage was good, the kicking game was great, and we actually got a long return for a touchdown. Here's hoping it carries over to the regular season!

    The third preseason game is where you're supposed to game-plan and come up with some schemes that look like your regular season stuff. If that's what we saw last night, we're in trouble. The Defense is ready, and Special Teams no longer look like an embarrassment. Based on last night, that role looks to have been taken over by the offense.

    http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/29/1656777/thoughts-from-the-cheap-seats

    CHARLOTTE – After three promising outings, folks around these parts are beginning to wonder if this young Carolina Panthers defense is for real.
    Through three games the Panthers have limited their opponents to 10 points per game, 3 yards per play and registered a league-high 18 sacks, including seven on Saturday night against the Tennessee Titans.
    Preseason or not, those are impressive numbers.
    It’s been the one highlight for the Panthers in a preseason marred by inconsistent special teams play and a flailing passing game.
    “It’s not that I’m surprised because we see it in practice,” cornerback Richard Marshall said of the team’s defense. “We have guys that are fast, guys that run around and guys that play with good technique. So to me it’s not a surprise. For the public it might be a surprise because a lot of people are probably thinking, wow, we didn’t know they had this.”
    Added linebacker Jon Beason: “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, but I would say I’m happy with the way we’ve played.”
    And why not?
    On Saturday night the Panthers limited the Tennessee Titans to 50 yards on 24 plays in the first half and held Vince Young and Chris Johnson scoreless for three quarters en route to their first win of the preseason 15-7 at Bank of America Stadium.
    Led by defensive end Charles Johnson, the Panthers had seven sacks and forced two turnovers on defense and another on special teams on a great hit by Tyrell Sutton.
    The only letdown for Carolina’s defense came early in the fourth quarter when the second team allowed Kerry Collins to move the Titans 80 yards in five plays to take a 7-6 lead on a 35-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jared Cook. But kick returner Mike Goodson took the ensuing kickoff back 91 yards for a touchdown.
    However, the first-team defense held the Titans to 70 total yards in three quarters and limited Chris Johnson, the NFL’s leading rusher last year, to 10 yards on eight carries.
    “The thing we preached this summer was playing fast and doing your assignment and not trying to do someone else’s assignment,” Marshall said. “And that’s what we’ve been doing the last three weeks – everyone doing their own jobs to their best ability. Everything is working right now.”
    Especially the pass rush.
    Carolina’s 18 sacks have come from a variety of players, the latest being Johnson, probably the best of the team’s pass rushers. Johnson got his first two sacks in the second quarter. Everette Brown and Eric Moore also had sacks.
    “Charles is playing over the top along with all of the defensive ends,” Beason said. “It’s hard to single out one guy. He’s doing his job. The good thing about it is he’s being greedy out there, so to speak, every play is a new opportunity to go out there and make a play.”
    Added linebacker Dan Connor: “The D-line did a great job with keeping us free on some of those plays, we could just read and react and we didn’t have to worry about any blockers or anything. We could just hit our gap, they do one back zone so we got gap responsibility so it allows us to fire our guns and really try and make a play in the backfield.
    Brown said the continuity on defense has been amazing.
    “The most important thing is we’re playing fast,” Brown said. “Everybody is just playing their position fast and it’s allowing us to go out there and be successful.”
    Even coach John Fox has been pleased.
    “They’ve been pretty salty all three preseason games so far,” Fox said of his defense. “We are getting a look at a lot of different players. That one touchdown, we had a group in there that got a little discombobulated as far as matchups. Overall I thought it was a pretty strong outing again on first, second and third down.”

    http://www.carolinagrowl.com/index....-this-young-panthers-defense&catid=1:articles

    HARLOTTE – The preseason is about finding answers, but the reality is we’ll have to wait until the regular season to find out just how good (or how bad) Carolina’s offense really is.
    Granted, the Panthers have been downright unwatchable on that side of the ball through three games but is it really a fair assessment when -- as coach John Fox readily points out -- two of the team’s top three playmakers, Steve Smith and Jonathan Stewart, haven’t played a snap in the preseason?
    There’s still one game left before the real bullets fly, but we won’t know anymore after Thursday night than we know now. Fox never plays his starters more than a series or two in the preseason finale, so not much will change between now and then.
    So what can we expect come Sept. 12 against the New York Giants?


    Will the Panthers look like the well-oiled machine that put up 41 points at the Meadowlands last December or will they look like the broken-down clunker they’ve appeared to be in the preseason?
    The reality is we won’t know.
    Perhaps Smith’s return will ignite the passing game. Perhaps his mere presence will bring the best out in potential No. 2 receivers Brandon LaFell, Dwayne Jarrett, Kenny Moore and Wallace Wright.
    One thing is for certain – the Panthers have spent a good portion of the preseason working on their passing game, almost to the point where they’ve ignored the run.
    In an effort to get their young quarterback and receivers working on the same page, the Panthers have called 129 pass plays and 70 running plays so far in the three exhibition games.
    That’s nearly a 2:1 ratio of pass to run.
    How often do you see a John Fox coached team throw that much? The answer is never.
    Obviously it won’t be that way in the regular season.
    When the regular season arrives, the focus of Carolina’s game plan will shift back to running the football behind Stewart, who ran for a franchise record 206 yards last year against the Giants, and Pro Bowler DeAngelo Williams.
    The preseason was clearly about finding out what the team had in the passing game.
    “We have as young of a group of wide receivers I think you’ll find in the league,” said offensive tackle Jordan Gross. “There’s not a lot of familiar faces in that group. We got to get better, we got to protect better. Matt (Moore) will watch tape and improve. Just a team effort, but it’s definitely nothing to throw an alert on.”
    Moore, who completed 18 of 30 passes for 190 yards against Tennessee to raise his quarterback rating to 56.1, said he feels like the offense is “headed in the right direction.
    “Just to see the strides that I think we’ve taken, we’re getting better each week. There’s some throws that I think I missed that are unacceptable.”
    One play in particular hurt.
    Moore had Dwayne Jarrett streaking open down the middle of the field and overthrew him by a few steps.
    “You just have to hit those opportunities because they’re big plays,” Moore said.
    Everything could change by Sept, 12 -- or maybe it won’t.
    The reality is we just won’t know until that day arrives.
    In the meantime, as Gross said, the Panthers offense has “a lot of work to do.
    “Bottom line is we just have to keep working and we’re very optimistic, there’s nowhere to go but up,” Gross said. “We’re better today than we were a week ago and that is going to be the trend all season I feel.”

    http://www.carolinagrowl.com/index....ffense-until-sept-12-arrives&catid=1:articles
     
  30. adamprez2003

    adamprez2003 Senior Member

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    new york ciity
    BUCCANEERS

    TAMPA - It doesn't look the same. Not even close. There are three and sometimes even five down linemen and the strongside linebacker seems to be the star. When has that ever been the case before?

    No, it doesn't look the same. Not even close. Until you get to the results.

    Forget about the yards. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seldom used that as their measuring stick. They care more about touchdowns and points allowed, and in those two areas it's beginning to look like old times again.

    Take their performance Saturday in a 19-13 loss to Jacksonville at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs gave up 396 yards, but allowed just one touchdown and four field goals. It's been like that all preseason.

    In three games, the Bucs have allowed three touchdowns, with Saturday's coming against a second unit that couldn't hold after Brent Bowden shanked a punt that allowed Jacksonville to set up at the Bucs 30.

    "It's been a lot of bend but don't break," said middle linebacker Barrett Ruud, who turned in the defensive play of the game late in the second quarter, intercepting Jaguars quarterback David Garrard at the 1-yard line.

    Ruud returned the ball 80 yards to the 19 to set up Tampa Bay's lone touchdown - a 2-yard pass from Josh Johnson to fullback Earnest Graham - but later admitted the defense can play even better.

    "We've probably bent a little too much for our liking," said Ruud, who led a defense that is giving up an average of 323 yards per game. "We'd like to get more three-and-outs and more turnovers."

    They went into Saturday's game looking to get more pressure from their defensive front, too, and they got it as pass rushers Stylez G. White, Gerald McCoy and Brian Price led a unit that finished with seven QB hits.

    "We had great pressure on the quarterback tonight," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. "It was a pretty good showing from those guys. As for the yards, I'm not interested in yards.

    "I'm all about points and getting the ball back. They were able to get some first downs, with David using his legs, but I'm about keeping those guys out of the end zone."

    White, McCoy and Price helped the Bucs do that throughout the first half as Jacksonville settled for a pair of field goals. The real defensive star of the night, however, might have been strongside linebacker Quincy Black.

    Most of Black's predecessors on the strong side (a group that includes Al Singleton, Ryan Nece and Cato June) played in absolute anonymity as the Bucs' defense often was geared toward weakside backer Derrick Brooks.

    It doesn't look like that will be the case with this defense. The Bucs already have created a package of plays for Black (many of them have him blitzing in three-down linemen sets) and he's shined in the spotlight.

    With seven tackles against the Jaguars, including one for a loss on the first series of the night, Black has a team-leading 14 tackles. He also has a sack, that coming last week against Kansas City off a blitz.

    "Black and that rush that we had going really caused some problems for them and made guys like Garrard and (backup quarterback) Luke (McCown) use their legs and that's what you want to see," Morris said.

    What the announced crowd of 42,640 saw at the beginning of this one was a game of big plays and small returns.

    Jacksonville's Scotty McGee got the trend going when he brought the opening kickoff back 47 yards. Four plays later, the Jaguars wound up settling for a 35-yard Josh Scobee field goal and a 3-0 lead.

    The Bucs were up next, and they immediately got a 53-yard pass play from Johnson to receiver Mike Williams, but all that did was set the stage for Connor Barth's game-tying 51-yard field goal.

    The game slowed significantly after that as lightning halted play for 30 minutes at the end of the first quarter, but before and after the lightning struck, the Bucs' pass rush struck with greater force than it has all preseason.

    Pressures from Price and McCoy (the Bucs' two rookie tackles), White (their veteran right end) and Black forced the Jaguars to give the ball up on two straight possessions.

    The Bucs didn't do anything with those opportunities, but they did capitalize fully on the next one, which came their way via Ruud's interception, his first of the preseason.

    The Jaguars bounced back but settled for another field goal midway through the third quarter and won the game when McCown threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to John Matthews to finish off the drive that started at the Tampa Bay 30.

    "We need our second team (defense) to play a little better, but anytime you hold a team to six points you feel pretty good," Morris said of his first-team defense. "I'm really encouraged by their performance and what they're going to be able to give us."

    http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/29/290033/sp-like-old-times/sports-bucs/

    Even though we didn't beat the Jaguars I came away after watching this game very encouraged about the Buccaneers' season. Particularly I thought just about every guy on the defensive line showed at least some improvement. There were a bunch of hits and pressures on David Garrard even though we didn't come home with any sacks this game. And the effort was once again very good.

    There were some problems though as far as everyone on defense being on the same page, particularly when we blitzed. At least twice we had major busts when we blitzed and nobody covered the running back out of the backfield. One time it appeared to be Kyle Moore's fault, another time it appeared to be Sean Jones' fault. In addition, several times when we blitzed there was no contain element of the defense away from the blitz. It didn't hurt us at first but then in the second half Garrard noticed and he took off running for a first down.

    Now I don't know for sure who was right and who was wrong or if the blitzes just had some design flaws or what. But those are the kinds of mistakes that can be the difference between a win and a loss in a tight game. So its of utmost importance that we get those problems ironed out as we get ready to face Cleveland in a couple of weeks.

    Technique wise one thing I noticed this game was when the defensive line ran a line stunt and guys came inside they really didn't use their rip to help them get inside of the blocker. Instead they just stayed square and tried to push the blocker in the backfield. I understand not wanting to get washed way down inside, but by the same token if a guy doesn't rip into the inside gap they lose almost any chance of penetrating and either making a play or forcing the runner to go laterally instead of downhill. Its a little technique thing that can really make a big difference.

    I'm still not a fan of the five down lineman alignment we have for short yardage and goalline. Its simply too easy to run inside when you don't cover both A gaps. I keep hoping that Coach Morris will at least consider going back to what we used to do seeing as how what they are using now hasn't been all that effective, but so far I've seen nothing that makes me believe he will change so I guess I'll just have to get over it and hope we don't end up in that situation all that often.

    I did like some of the things Coach Morris did with the three lineman set up. But only when he sent pressure or at least had Quincy Black coming off the edge. I don't really think rushing an offensive tackle is really Black's strong suit, but when he rushes it gives the 3 other guys an opportunity to be successful. But I can't stand when we only rush 3 because its almost impossible to get any pressure on the quarterback and anybody if given enough time can find an open receiver. With the way we were getting after Garrard with our four man rushes I was surprised that Coach Morris went to so much 3 man rush, but maybe he was just trying to get a long look at it. At least I hope that's all it was.

    For most of the night the Jaguars were getting the passes off early anyway and not giving our guys a chance to sack Garrard. I did get really excited one time though when Stylez White and Gerald McCoy ran an EX game to perfection. The ball came out quick but if it didn't both guys would have been free to pummel Garrard.

    As for the individual critiques:

    Kyle Moore: Moore's pass rush at left end was much improved this game. He still didn't really attempt to turn the corner outside but he had several good inside moves. I had him with one pressure and a couple of other notable rushes. He still doesn't look all that impressive as an inside rusher to me though. Also he was poor again in trying to set up a TEX with Ryan Sims. Taking two steps upfield and expecting that to attract the offensive tackle is just not good enough.

    He also got a little too high down on the goalline and got knocked off the ball a little. I would really like to see him use his hands more when he goes against tightends. He is big and strong enough to dominate those matchups but he never seems to get good hand placement on them so he can get good extension with his arms. Because he is the left end and most offenses are right handed he is going to have to battle tight ends a lot. That part of his game definitely needs some work.

    Gerald McCoy: I was very impressed by McCoy this game. You can tell that he is getting very comfortable with the speed of the game now and its not overwhelming to him. He had some outstanding pass rush moves that you probably didn't even notice on the first glance. I had him with two pressures a quarterback hit and three other really good rushes. By my count he had a tackle and an assist to go along with that.

    And that's with Garrard going with a three step drop for most of the game.

    He did have a missed tackle but it was on a play where he got good penetration into his gap and made the running back go almost backwards to try to get around him. That penetration allowed the rest of the defense to pursue and get the running back on the ground for a loss.

    I still would urge caution against anyone expecting McCoy to be a world beater in his rookie season. But I can tell you this much, I wouldn't be all that surprised if he is.

    Roy Miller: Roy had a quiet game this week. I think that's mostly because he wasn't in for a lot of the three lineman schemes. When he was in the game I thought he did well though. And he did a lot better this week on the scoop cut. He didn't fall down and he ended up being in on the running play. He also held up well over the center in goalline and didn't allow himself to get knocked off the ball much.


    Stylez G. White: Stylez flashed big time against the Jaguars. After having his coaches taking shots at him in the paper for his work ethic and other folks including me saying he needed to show up, he did just that. He had a really nice spin move and got a hit on the quarterback. He came inside on a blitz and good a pressure on Garrard. He had a good speed rush and forced a holding call on the offensive tackle. And he had a really good tackle from behind on a play where he showed great effort running down the field in pursuit.

    That's the kind of performance I am expecting out of Stylez every game and that's the standard he is going to be held to. And if he can go out and play like that for 16 games, something tells me our pass rush will be alright.


    Michael Bennett: I'm going to go ahead and say this and get it out of the way. I believe Bennett should either be the starter or split reps evenly with Kyle Moore. It's not necessarily a knock against Moore but the truth is Bennett has shown himself to be the better pass rusher at left end in games this preseason. And its not as if he has only done well against backups. He has had some of his better rushes against starting offensive tackles in fact. And as I have said before, and as it was proven again on Saturday, right now Bennett is the only guy at left end who is successful speed rushing around the corner.

    I just believe that all other things being equal you go with the better pass rusher, and that is Bennett in this case. Its the same argument I made last year in training camp when I felt Stylez should have been starting over Gaines Adams (RIP).

    Now I have about as much chance of starting at left end for the Bucs right now as Michael Bennett does and I realize that. The Bucs are committed to Kyle Moore and its not likely that they would consider benching him any time soon. I'm just telling you what I see as an unbiased observer.

    Against the Jaguars Bennett again was very productive. He had some really good rushes, got a hit on the quarterback and ended up with a tackle and a couple of assists. He might be falling too in love with his inside pass rush moves though. He is good at getting the offensive lineman upfield and then coming back inside, but when you are the left end facing a right handed quarterback the last thing you want to do is lose containment and allow the QB outside of the pocket. And sooner or later if you keep going inside somebody is going to see it and take advantage of it.

    Bennett also learned a valuable lesson Saturday night, and that is when you see a back offset to your side you always have to be aware that they might chip block you when you aren't looking for it. Bennett was trying to get upfield to make the Jags' quarterback pull up on a roll out pass and one of their running backs caught him from the blindside and put him on his back. Not a good look at all lol.

    Brian Price: Price had a much better game. He obviously got his legs back up under him and it was a lot harder for the Jaguars to move him or get him on the ground. He had a really good hit on Garrard off of a three man plus Quincy Black pass rush look. He did have one bust though when he forgot to loop around for containment when we ran a line stunt. But all in all for his second bit of live action of the preseason he held his own.


    Tim Crowder: Crowder played well but he didn't flash all that much. He did have one good rush that I noted but for the most part he was where he was supposed to be, doing his job. But he just didn't really fill up the stat sheet.

    Normally I would go through the rest of the guys on the roster but they didn't play all that much this game plus because the DVR gods are jerks, the last 2 minutes or so of the game was not recorded. Therefore I will just note that although Carlton Powell may not have enough talent to play in the NFL, I have really been impressed with the way he has bounced back from a decidedly horrible first preseason game against the Dolphins. The guy goes hard and you can tell it means something to him. I feel like that's the kind of guy who I would want on my practice squad because I think he will actually appreciate the opportunity and, in time, just might develop to the point where he IS ready to play in the NFL.

    I'm not trying to campaign for the guy but I am saying I really appreciate seeing young guys who bust their *** and show marked improvement from game to game.

    Well that's it for this week. Just two more weeks before the real bullets start flying. I don't know about you but I can hardly wait!

    http://passingonthegame.blogspot.com/

    The Good:

    - Josh Johnson: Johnson turned in another strong performance in his first start of the preseason. He went 9-14 for 122 yards with one touchdown pass to Earnest Graham. He made quick decisions and seemed to throw it to the right guy even if the passes weren't always perfect. He also again made a play with his legs gaining 18 yards and a first down on one carry. I don't know about anyone else but if Josh Freeman can't start against the Browns I believe Johnson has shown he can get the job done if need be.

    - Quincy Black: Black was literally all over the field against the Jaguars. He was officially credited with 7 tackles and remember that's for just one half of football. I also had him down for a couple tackles for loss and several pressures on Jaguars quarterback David Garrard. He really has stepped his game up since Coach Morris has taken over as defensive coordinator and I think a lot of it has to do with the act that Raheem is using him in roles that are more suited to him. I can't wait to see what kind of year this guy is going to have provided he stays healthy.

    - Gerald McCoy: McCoy was in the backfield all night, getting penetration and harassing the quarterback. He has really improved substantially with each game and that's what you want to see. I know better than to get my hopes up too high for his rookie season, but the guy showed me a lot on Saturday.

    - Stylez G. White: Myself and a lot of other people called Stylez out this last week for not flashing much this preseason. Well he had the game we have been waiting for and of which we know he is capable of. He had a really nice spin move and got a hit on Garrard on that pass rush. He also forced a holding penalty on a big 3rd down. When he plays like that the whole defense works better. Now we just need to see some consistency.

    - Mike Williams: I'm still waiting on someone to try to logically explain to me why this guy can't be a star this year. I can't think of a reason and he's well on his way.

    - Barrett Ruud: After hearing all the negativity thrown around at Ruud it was nice to see him make that big interception down by the goalline. Of course that wasn't all he did on Saturday night. He was once again good on his run fits and his effort was outstanding. He did get stuck on one block too long and the guy kind of ran him towards the sidelines but other than that he was on point.

    - Sean Jones: Jones gave Bucs fans a reason to be optimistic about our fortunes this season. Its not so much that he made some spectacular plays, but rather he made the routine plays routinely. He was physical in his tackling and he didn't get shook in the open field. Sometimes you don't need a guy to be a superstar, you just need them to be able to reliably do their job. Jones appears to be able to fill that role and then some.

    - Ronde Barber: The old guy showed that he still has it tying Black for the team lead in tackles. Several of those tackles were one on one situations where if he had missed the runner would have gone for a big gain. But in each situation he found a way to get the guy on the ground. One play in particular though is what compelled me to put him on the list this week. On the goalline the Jaguars tried to run a counter play with a guard coming to kick out the end man on the line of scrimmage. If the guard had made his block the running back likely would have walked into the endzone. Unfortunately for him the end man on the line of scrimmage was Ronde and although he was outweighed by almost 100 pounds he went in and spilled the play making the running back bounce outside and then had the wherewithal to spin back and get in on the tackle.

    That is the kind of play that doesn't really show up on any stat sheet but shows you why Ronde is still a part of this team and why the Bucs should be thankful to still have him out there as a leader.

    Derrick Ward: I give credit where its due. The guy had a rough couple of weeks and he bounced back to have some really nice runs on Saturday. Not sure whether it will be enough to keep him as number 2 on the depth chart though.


    The Bad:

    - The Running Game: I thought that there were two problems with our running game on Saturday. The first problem was play calling. All of a sudden we were back to running a bunch of zone plays instead of the straight ahead power stuff we had been so successful with for most of this preseason. The second problem was Jeremy Zuttah being in for Davin Joseph. Zuttah got pushed around too much on Saturday and wasn't able to get much if any movement on the Jaguars' defensive tackles. I'm not sure how serious Joseph's quad injury is, but we better all hope its not that big of a deal.

    - Kickoff Team: For two weeks straight we have given up big returns on kickoff. That's something that has been unheard of in recent years as our special teams have become a strong point of the team. I know that on Saturday the principle problem was that our safety guy, E.J. Biggers who is supposed to prevent breakout runs went inside of a block instead of staying outside to turn the ball back in. Whatever the problem is it needs to get fixed in a hurry because even though our defense should be much improved this year, no defense is built to perform well when the offense is already starting close to mid field.

    - Mark Dile and Xavier Fulton: Both of these guys were liabilities in the running game and pass protection. At least with Fulton he was switching sides which may have been a factor but Dile has been a disappointment for most of this preseason. He just doesn't seem to be strong enough to be effective as an offensive guard, especially against bigger defensive tackles. Its kind of scary too because if you do the numbers its highly likely that Dile will make the team and be 2nd string on the depth chart. Thankfully with Fulton at least there are other guys in front of him.

    - Reggie Brown: Brown let two opportunities for big plays literally slip right through his fingers. He has shown that he has the speed to stretch defenses but at some point he is going to have to actually make the catches on those deep balls when they are thrown to him. I felt pretty confident going into camp that he was a lock to make the team. I still believe he will be on the roster but I'm not nearly as confident now.



    The Ugly:

    - Michael Clayton: The guy didn't get into the game on offense and I didn't notice him on any special teams either. Enough said.

    - Defensive Blitz busts: Too often on Saturday when we blitzed either somebody forgot to cover the back out of the backfield or we didn't have a contain element away from the blitz or both. If we are going to send pressure a lot, and its obvious that we are, we can't afford to have those kinds of mental breakdowns because they can be the difference between a win and a loss.


    Extras:

    - I think what we are about to see is that in order to keep four tight ends with Ryan Purvis being that fourth guy, the Bucs are not going to carry a backup fullback. That's why you haven't really seen Chris Pressley or Rendrick Taylor much the last two preseason games. I can tell you this much, we DEFINITELY need to upgrade our run blocking from the tight end position from last year. So if Purvis can help do that I'm all for it. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to keep Taylor around on the practice squad though if for no other reason than to be able to give the defense a good look on scout team.

    - I'm not sure why the Bucs decided to flip Xavier Fulton and James Lee but Lee looked just as comfortable on the right side as he had been looking on the left. The kid can play and I think he is going to be a helluva backup for us on either side. Fulton on the other hand will have me holding my breath if he ever has to play a down for us.

    - Keydrick Vincent played relatively well but he did seem to have a problem passing off pass rush stunts. It will be worth keeping an eye on for the rest of the season.

    - I hate 3 man rushes. I can't say that enough.

    - Some people took issue with Coach Morris calling out a few players this last week. It was kind of funny to me because last year Morris talked about replacing his starting defensive linemen while the season was still going on and he had some sharp words for Antonio Bryant as well. But I guess people's memories are short so for them this seems like something new. But its not. And when you look back at the game everybody he called out seemed to play better. I'll take that.

    - I'm officially taking the over now for the Bucs. If you know anything about playing spades I'm taking them for 7 and a possible. Right now I believe we can and will beat Cleveland, St Louis, Carolina at least once, Arizona, Washington, Detroit, Seattle and its possible we will beat Atlanta once.

    I believe that we now have a defense that will be stingy when it comes to points, an offense that can run the ball but also has some game breakers in the passing game, and we have a kicker who is very consistent (knock on wood). I have watched all of the teams that I have said we will beat and I feel pretty confident in my prediction. Of course we still have to see how Josh Freeman comes back from his broken thumbs and we will have to stay health as a team to have success. But I have seen enough at this point to give me confidence. Now we just have to go out and play the games.

    Don't worry, I'll be doing a post later this week more fully explaining my reasons for optimism for be on the lookout for that.

    http://passingonthegame.blogspot.com/
     

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