Over and done kids...the first Preseason games are in the books. I don't know about you, but I've never been so happy to have football back...even if it was just preseason and teams only played their starters for a grand total of 3 minutes per game. The key to the preseason? Watch the first quarter...that's where you get the
real idea of what a team will look like. Regardless, it was great to see players back on the field doing what they do best. As usual, I have a few thoughts and take-aways from all of Week 1's preseason clashes.
We may as well start with the
Broncos and Cowboys. Fitting match-up based on mascot alone, eh? Ok, let me be honest here, I was really excited to see the Donkeys come out of this one with a win. Womp, womp. What's with the play calling? I had flashbacks to the McD days...not a good thing. With Teborton (as the Denver media is affectionately calling them) drama still going on in the background, every
one was anxious to see who would really look like the superior QB. I hate admitting it, but Tebow actually looked alright and I think he did a decent job of quieting the drama surrounding training camp and the QB battle. In my mind, Tebow is consistently inconsistent and has a bizarre way of throwing the ball, but he surprised me with his accuracy (less the interception) during this game. He ran too much and was too predictable but I'll give credit when it's due. Good work..for now, and he could win the starting job if he has a good showing over the next few weeks...
maybe. As far as Orton goes, it's just more of the same. One drive was all he really got, and I think Bronco fans were really able to see the power and talent of Knowshon Moreno and Willis McGahee. I love McGahee in Denver and I think he'll be a powerful part of the offense. The
Cowboys looked more put together this year to me. Romo looks like he's come back and is ready to prove Cowboys haters wrong after breaking his collarbone last year. We'll see if Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, and Jason Whitten can do to make him look better...and maybe he'll keep his starting job. I'm interested in what happens with Dallas in their next preseason game.
Patriots and Jaguars. Well, one thing is for sure, Belichick
sure isn't afraid to run up the score...in the preseason. Overkill, maybe, but it drives the point home that the Pats are ready for the 2011-12 season and are coming out guns a-blazing. Ryan Mallett proved that he's a rookie who can step in right away if need be and that he'll make the transition from college QB to NFL QB with a lot of ease. Not to mention the incredible accuracy and strength in his arm! Plus, learning under Tom Brady is a major perk. It wouldn't shock me to see him get some playing time in the regular season, too, and look for him to be dealt a-la-Matt Cassel in the coming years. As a side note, Brian Hoyer looked fantastic too, a pleasant surprise. On the other hand, we have the Jags. To his credit, Blaine Gabbert did
okay for his debut. There's no reason why David Garrard should be overtly nervous, but with some time, coaching, and settling of nerves, Gabbert could step into the starting position. It'll be interesting to see what happens with him against the Falcons this week.
Seahawks and Chargers. Meh and meh again. Sorry Seattle and San Diego fans. I have a hard time getting excited seeing these two teams...so much disappointment over the past few years. It broke my heart to see Russell Okung hurt himself again, but it sounds like he'll be able to bounce bac
k, but good lord, keep that man in a bubble until he touches the field. On a positive, Tyler Polumbus, a friend of mine from high school and fellow CU alum stepped in for him - I was happy to see that. Tarvaris Jackson. 15 yards and two sacks...Yikes. I'll leave it there. I was glad to see Ryan Mathews back on the field for San Diego. I'm hoping to see more production from him this week...and maybe get some sort of impression from the Chargers...good or bad.
Colts and Rams. Indy is good...there's no doubt, but every team goes through the "cycle" of football, if you know what I mean. Time effects everything...mostly by making guys older. The guys played without Manning and Freeney...that should say a lot. Anyway, let's look at what happened here. Kavell Conner and Pat Angerer both looked sharp against St. Louis and will prove their worth in the regular season, no doubt. Rookie Anthony Castonzo looked decent, barring some rookie mistakes, and will be a major help to Manning this season. I kind of felt "m
eh" about this game...sort of vanilla, but the Colts are good, and when they have their starters in, I think it will be more explosive. The Rams look great, and Sam Bradford is just so cool (yep. I said it). Tight End Lance Kendricks is a stud and Bradford will have fun throwing to him. To Josh Daniels' credit (ugh), the offensive line is solid and the offense as a whole looks like it's clicking, and possibly exceeding expectations. Cadillac Williams surprised me and I think he's got a lot of power behind him and may have more success in McD's offensive schemes than he did in Tampa. I'm looking forward to watching the Rams this year - I think they're a very interesting team...
Bears and Bills. This game was all about Jay Cutler. The man got sacked. Shock and awe. Caleb Hanie didn't fare much better in the sack department, but he was better than I anticipated. Marion Barber looked good...strong, actually. I like him to move up the depth chart and I think he will. Chicago's defense suffered a number of injuries - not good - and depth is clearly an issue here, too. They do have Urlacher, who is a beast of a linebacker, and a few other key guys to keep things in place. The Bears, like many other teams, have a lot of work to do, but
do look improved from last year, but clearly need to focus on the pass protection..I almost feel bad for Cutler. The Bills...at least they have Shawne Merriman. Other than that, it's a sad story. I feel for you, Bills fans.
Eagles and Ravens. I'm already over the "dream team" talk about the Eagles, by the way. Let's see how the pro
duce first, shall we? I don't mean to be dismissive, it's abundantly clear the Eagles are insanely talented, and there's no doubt Michael Vick has found his groove with the Eagles and he showed people he's the same guy he was last year...I'm sure he'll have a hell of a season again this year. I'm going to stay quiet about the Eagles as a whole, I want to really observe their choices during the preseason, but I am excited to see them down here in action for the Falcons home opener in September. The Ravens surprised me with their performance...it was seriously lacking. Their offensive line struggled and Tyrod Taylor is not the answer as a backup in the Quarterback position. Their defense, which usually scares the daylights out of me, looked a less than lion-ish and I think if they want to be a serious threat this season, they have a lot of work to do. With John Harbaugh at the helm, though, I'm sure areas of weakness will be addressed quickly.
Cardinals and Raiders. It pains me deeply to say this...the Raiders look half decent. Denarius Moore is a powerhouse and it finally looks like Darrius Heyward-Bey will be a real playmaker this year. Here's the bad news though - they lost WR Chaz Schilens and S Hiram Eugene. Not good.
On the
Cardinals side, Kevin Kolb made his debut in red and white. Discarding his first play, he actually looked really good out there, and it's clear he's got chemistry with Larry Fitzgerald. The downside to this is that defenses will read this and start with double and triple coverage over Fitzgerald...so who does Kolb throw to in that situation? We'll see. The defense looks improved and I think they'll be seriously tested this year...but for them, and for coach Ken Whisenhunt, that's a good thing.
Ok, on to my personal favorite of the first round of preseason games...
Falcons and Dolphins. The Dirty Birds may have lost but
damn they look good. The loss on the board doesn't matter, because it's the starters that counted in this game. Matt Ryan + Julio Jones = Raining Touchdowns. Jones may as well have wheels for legs, he's so fast. He's a dynamic, interesting receiver with room to grow but has easily and quickly made the transition from college wideout to pro receiver. I love it. Watching him in person is a
n experience that touches on religious... the kid is unbelievably talented. Combining him in the backfield with Roddy White, Harry Douglas, and Tony Gonzalez is genius. The Falcons' first team defense, simply said, put the Fins and Chad Henne to shame. Two big interceptions by the birds' defense sent a quick and serious message. Even though there are still concerns for the Falcons' secondary (we'll see what Ray Edwards brings soon) it's clear that Mike Smith and his staff have taken last year's lessons seriously and are ready to compete in 2011. As far as the Dolphins go...well, at least no one booed Henne off the field or chanted for a different quarterback. Always end on a positive note, right?
I'll get off my "Falcons totally dominated" soapbox and move on to the
Lions and Bengals. It brings me such joy to see the Lions do well. They deserve it, and their fans deserve it. Matthew Stafford is healthy (!!) and showed he's back...with a vengeance...seriously. Calvin Johnson looked great, and everything was clicking on both sides of the ball. I couldn't stop smiling. Super Bowl or bust for Detroit at this point. The Bengals, on the other hand, had a rough start. Andy Dalton had a less than perfect first time out. He was hit hard by Ndamukong Suh (who is a beast, by the way) which (I think) scared the daylights out of the poor guy. He was accurate and completed most of his passes, but they just didn't have the yardage necessary. AJ Green did look good for Cincinnati and there's potential if he can get it moving with Dalton. We'll see.
Oh the
Buccaneers and Chiefs. What a game. Let me say this loud and with total sincerity: The Bucs scare the crap out of me. I said it. Raheem Morris is a young, vibrant coach who is willing to d
o (and say) anything to muscle his way to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl. Josh Freeman is an incredibly dynamic and mobile young gun and has turned into a leader. He comes across charismatic yet humble and more than anything....driven. I'm telling you right now, I take this team very seriously. They have Adrian Clayborn. Monster. They have Dezmon Briscoe who stepped up in a major way. The O line was studly, and the D held their own. Soon we will all see if the Bucs are who we think they are when the play preseason game 2 against the Pats. I doubt anyone at Raymond James Stadium is shaking in their cleats...they're ready (and they're not Jacksonville...). I'm interested in the Bucs matchups with big Patriots guys (read: Haynesworth). Anyway, back to game 1...the Chiefs have a lot of work to do. It totally bums me out that Ricky Stanzi may not be the answer there (long term anyway). We'll see though. Clearly Cassel will have a stronger start in the regular season, but a 25-0 loss is not a fun way to start things off. I think that KC's defense is their biggest concern. They need to sort out the holes immediately. They're in a weak division so maybe it won't be as painful...cruel football truths, I suppose.
Let's move on to the
Redskins vs. Steelers shall we? What I saw in a nutshell:
Grossman is decent (sort of), Hightower looks pretty awesome, and the offensive line was strong. The Skins' rookies look like they need development - and as much as I like Leonard Hankerson, the kid needs catching drills. Dropping passes, even occasionally, isn't acceptable in college, so it's definitely not kosher in the NFL. A final yikes goes to Evan Royster. If he wants to make a career in the pros he has a lot of learning to do. The Steelers weren't playing at 100% with Troy Palamalu and James Harrison both out due to injuries. Those two being absent leaves big holes for the Steelers and without them on the field, there's an obvious (negative) impact. Steelers offensive isn't the issue here, it's the defense. When Polamalu and Harrison are healthy, they'll be back to being a top tier, competitive team.
Saints and 49ers. Welp. Then there was the Saints. It's Drew Brees. He's awesome. Their defense is sick. They're so good it makes me sick. But it doesn't mean they're impenetrable. On the other side of the ball, Mark Ingram proved why he was a good 1st round draft pick. He's going to have a clear and intense impact for the Saints where Reggie Bush didn't. It didn't surprise me at all to see NOLA tear up the 49ers. However, it was nice to see moments of greatness from Frank Gore...once again he'll be a major part of the San Fransisco's offensive plans, especially since Quarterback situation is still a mess. Are Smith or Kaepernick really the answer? Maybe for now but likely not in the long run.
Carolina and the NY Giants. Woah...holy Cam Newton. He sure came out ready to silence haters, didn't he? He was confident and ready and, in my opinion, won the starting job over Jimmy Clausen for the regular season. Newton has to work on his accuracy and
consistency, but he is on the right track. As a whole, though, the Panthers were a hot mess, and have a long way to go before they are a real contender in the league, let alone in the NFC South which is stacked with talent right now. DeAngelo Williams had a disappointing performance (just because it's preseason?). The Giants had a nice interception for a touchdown and Jason Pierre-Paul had a few big sacks that are sure to be confidence builders. Obviously the NYG's have nothing to stress about when it comes to pass rush, but their offense struggled and it's going to be an uphill battle for Tom Coughlin and his team.
Browns and Packers. Let's start with Cleveland here. Colt McCoy has chops. He had a strong showing and displayed accuracy and a sleek calmness under pressure. It's intimidating walking into a game against the 2010 champs, and let's be real here, the Packers are still stacked and scary. The lil' Browns that could held their own and put up a W on the board. The Browns' receiving group looks strong and even better yet? Cleveland's defense. This was definitely a major win for Cleveland and their fans. The Pack? I don't even need to expend much on this because they're just awesome. Period, end of story.
And finally...the
New York Jets and Houston Texans. My friend Toni was sure happy last night (Facebook status update: "TOUCHDOWNNNN TEXANSSS!"). Yes, the rumors are true, the Texans beat the Jets, and looked pretty good while doing it. New defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips (strange to type that he's now with the Texans, not the Cowboys) took the mindset of "meet me at the Quarterback." Houston had
seven (!) sacks last night alone...I'm thinking this is an omen
of what's to come. JJ Watt, Brooks Reed, and Jesse Nading are insane...simply insane and are going to be major factors guarding that end zone this year.
As far as the offense goes, I have one thing to say: Chris Ogbonnaya for the win. One more thing, actually...Matt Leinar...not so bad.
If the offense can get it together and fix depth issues (aka injury issues) then they have a chance to be a real contender this year. The Jets are, well...the Jets. Mark Sanchez was easy going and had no real trouble. He seemed more put together and calm, and I think he's happy to step into a leadership role. His backup, Greg McElroy was nervous and jumpy and took some hits but eventually settled a bit. He has a lot of work to do, but the potential is there. The defense looks strong and improved from last year, and I think the real question marks are on the offense's shoulders this year. I'm interested in who Sanchez will target. The Jets are one of those fast-paced, loud, in your face teams but I dig that. Actually, for your viewing pleasure, here's an extra special video of Rex Ryan's 2nd quarter meltdown.
Ok...take a deep breath. That was nuts...and I love it! Welcome back, NFL. Good to have you.
Until next time,
S.
