LEADING OFF
HA HA. I got you. I didn’t say Simon Says. Some “Genius” you are. And what kind of name is “Urban” what do you think you’re a Pope or somethin?
NFL PRESEASON JOURNAL- WEEK 2
So you would not believe the sheer volume of work that goes into this. But you know what, it’s worth it, or not. Anywho, if there is ANYTHING you want to know about what went down in the preseason games as you prepare for your fantasy football draft, the start of your favorite NFL team’s season, or the inevitable unmasking and invasion of the Lizard People, THIS is the place to get it. Here we go.
JETS 10, LIONS 3 (Halftime- Jets 7, Lions 3)
The Takeaway- Score one for Joey Harrington in his fight to remain the Lions’ starting QB.
Jets Notes
Offense
Curtis Martin looked good in limited action, averaging 5 yards on 4 carries. His new backup, Derrick Blaylock, also had a strong game, carrying 6 times for 21 yards.
Defense
Second year LB Jonathan Vilma was all over the field, notching 5 tackles.
B-Team
Third round draft pick, DT Sione Pouha (Utah) was stout, recording 4 tackles.
Lions Notes
Offense
Beleaguered Lions QB Joey Harrington is going to be on a short leash this year, but he acquitted himself well in his first preseason performance. He completed all 9 of his passes for 100 yards even. It didn’t hurt Harrington’s cause that the man pressing him, Jeff Garcia, had a bad game. Garcia went 7 for 11 for 52 yards, was picked off once, and failed to lead the team to any points. At least for now, the advantage remains with Harrington.
Injury Note
Lions FB Corey Schlesinger broke his ankle in the game and will be out 6 to 8 weeks. In his place, Shawn Bryson will probably move into the starting fullback role.
Defense
The Lions got a great game out of a guy they signed this offseason, CB RW McQuarters. McQuarters had 3 tackles, and sacked Jets backup QB Brooks Bollinger, forcing a fumble that the Lions recovered.
B-Team
Former UConn QB Dan Orlovsky had a rough preseason debut for the Lions, he was 8 of 17 for 87 yards and an interception. He was also sacked twice.
This “Joey” is trying not to get cancelled.
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PATRIOTS 23, BENGALS 13 (Halftime- Patriots 10, Bengals 6)
The Takeaway- The Patriots B Team would make the playoffs.
Patriots Notes
Offense
Patriots QB Tom Brady sat this one out, presumably too busy drinking and scouring the Internet for porn. He’s never going to hear the end of that interview, is he? The rest of the New England regulars saw very limited action, and they still spanked the Bengals. Tom Brady didn’t take part in spanking the Bengals, presumably occupied spanking something else. Hayoooo.
Defense
ILB Monty Beisel led New England with five tackles.
B Team
Rookie QB Matt Cassel, who backed up Matt Leinart at USC last year, looked very good in going 13 of 21 for 135 yards. Cassel found Jason Anderson, a rookie free agent WR out of Wake Forest, for a second quarter TD that gave the Pats the lead for good. Rookie free agent Kory Chapman broke a 28 yard run and had 62 yards on 13 carries.
Bengals Notes
Offense
Carson Palmer, like most quarterbacks, seemed befuddled by the Pats defense. The Bengals were able to run the ball effectively though, as Rudi Johnson had 40 yards on 6 carries. Understudy Chris Perry also had a nice game, carrying 12 times for 41 yards, and leading the Bengals with 27 receiving yards.
Defense
Second round pick Odell Thurman looked like a player, making seven tackles. He and first round pick David Pollack, who is finally signed and in camp, give the Bengals a dangerous pair of young linebackers. The Bengals are concerned though, about a knee ligament strain that Thurman suffered in practice Monday.
B Team
The Bengals backup QBs didn’t fare very well against the New England defensive scheme either. Jon Kitna was 4 of 8 for 47 yards, and Craig Krenzel was 3 of 9 for 33 yards and was picked off by veteran DB Chad Scott, who the Pats signed from Pittsburgh this offseason.
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BRONCOS 20, TEXANS 14 (Halftime- Broncos 10, Texans 7)
The Takeaway- Ron Dayne, ayy?
Broncos Notes
Offense
The big question in Broncos camp is “Who will be the starting running back?” Mike Anderson got the start in this game, but he was not the most impressive performer. That distinction belonged to former Giant Ron Dayne. Dayne rushed for 56 yards on 11 carries, and had a 23 yard run. He also had 2 receptions for 14 yards. As for Anderson he only averaged 2 yards on 6 carries. The other contestant, Tatum Bell, fared little better with 11 yards on 8 carries, and one fumble.
Defense
DE John Engleberger, who the Broncos acquired weeks ago in a trade with San Francisco, had a sack.
B Team
Todd DeVoe, a rookie free agent wideout from Central Missouri St., had a 92 yard TD reception on a pass from Matt Mauck. Backup QB Bradlee Van Pelt evoked images of John Elway when he scampered free for a 40 yard run. He also did damage with his arm, going 10 of 17 for 107 yards.
Texans Notes
Offense
Houston QB David Carr played only one series, then was held out of the rest of the game, resting a tender Achilles tendon. The Texans are being very careful with Carr, as even on his one drive he mostly just handed the ball off to Domanick Davis
Defense
Safety CC Brown, a sixth round pick out of UL Lafayette, led Houston with 7 tackles. Brown has played his way into consideration for a starting job, if you can believe that.
B Team
Houston got TD passes out of 2 different backup QB’s, Tony Banks and Dave Ragone. TE Matt Murphy caught a 31 yard pass from Banks, and 3rd year journeyman LaTarence Dunbar hooked up with Ragone for a 10 yard score. 3rd round draft Vernand Morency (Oklahoma St.) had a rough debut, gaining only 26 yards on 10 carries, and coughing one up.
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BUCS 20, TITANS 17 OT (Halftime- Titans 7, Bucs 7)
The Takeaway- Two painfully mediocre former powers put their mediocrity on display.
Bucs Notes
Offense
Tampa Bay won despite giving most of their first teamers pretty much the whole night off. QB Brian Griese played one series, leading the team to a 10 yard TD run by second year running back Earnest Graham. The drive was aided by a 32 yard pass interference penalty called on CB Tony Beckham, who was starting in place of then-holdout Pacman Jones, on a pass headed for Michael Clayton.
Defense
The Bucs’ second round pick, Nebraska linebacker Barrett Ruud, led Tampa with six tackles. CB Ronde Barber forced a fumble from Tennessee WR Drew Bennett.
B Team
With Michael Pittman and Cadillac Williams unavailable for this game, the Bucs rolled out a cavalcade of inexperienced running backs. Two of these played really well. Earnest Graham, a second year back from Florida, had a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown, and carried 10 times for 62 yards. Derek Watson, a rookie free agent, had 14 carries for 63 yards.
Titans Notes
Offense
QB Steve McNair played 2 series for the Titans, and both drives ended in a turnover. The first ended on Bennett’s fumble, and the second ended when McNair was picked off in the endzone by Jermaine Phillips. His backup, Billy Volek, who agent Drew Rosenhaus has ordered the Titans to find a starting job somewhere in the NFL for, hooked up with 4th round WR Roydell Williams for a 76 yard score that was the Titans’ only offensive TD of the game. RB Travis Henry made his Titans debut and rushed for 12 yards on 4 carries.
Defense
LB Keith Bulluck, who led the NFL in tackles last season, picked off Chris Simms in the second quarter and took it to the house. DE Kyle Vanden Bosh, who the team signed from Arizona this offseason, had a sack.
B Team
RB Jarrett Payton got the bulk of Tennessee’s carries and had 37 yards on 10 carries. **************************************************************************************
SEAHAWKS 34, SAINTS 15 (Halftime- Seahawks 24, Saints 3)
The Takeaway- My money’s on Jim Haslett to be the first coach whacked this year.
Seahawks Notes
Offense
QB Matt Hasselbeck found Bobby Engram for a 13 yard TD pass on Seattle’s second play from scrimmage following a Deuce McAllister fumble. Other than that the first offense sputtered most of the time. Jerome Pathon is competing for the third wideout job and caught a 24 yard TD pass from Seneca Wallace in the second quarter. Shaun Alexander had a 15 yard jaunt in one of his 3 carries.
Defense
Second year linebacker Niko Koutouvides made a huge play in forcing McAllister’s fumble, setting up a touchdown.
B Team
The Seahawks made a big leap of faith in making the very green Seneca Wallace their backup QB this year, but he looked ready for the job in this game. Wallace led the Hawks to two second quarter touchdowns. The first came on a 24 yard run by Wallace, and the second on a 28 yard pass to Pathon. Wallace finished 12 of 20 for 137 yards, and also ran 4 times for 31 yards. Leonard Weaver, a rookie free agent back from Carson-Newman, broke a 40 yard run.
Saints Notes
Offense
McAllister carried nine times for 38 yards. Aaron Brooks could not get anything going on offense and had only 14 yards passing in more than a quarter of action.
Defense
The Saints defense was just as moribund as the offense. In the three “impact” stats (sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles), the Saints were only a Colby Bockwoldt sack away from being shut out. Seattle shredded the Saints for 216 rushing yards.
B Team
A lot of people were interested to see how Saints QB Adrian McPherson (Florida St.) would play in his debut. He actually looked pretty good. He led the Saints down to the Seattle 5 yard line on the last drive of the game, before they turned the ball over on downs. WR Talman Gardner gave the Saints their only TD when he caught an 11 yard strike from Todd Bouman in the third quarter. KR/WR Michael Lewis caught a 38 yard strike from Kliff Kingsbury and glided an additional 19 yards after catch.
Geez why don’t you just line up behind the Gatorade cooler next time?
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VIKINGS 27, CHIEFS 16 (Halftime- Vikings 20, Chiefs 3)
The Takeaway- No Randy, No Problem.
Vikings Notes
Offense
Daunte Culpepper completed 5 of 6 passes and found his new #1 receiver, Nate Burleson, for a 33 yard TD pass on the first drive of the game. The Vikings expect a huge season out of RB Michael Bennett, but he looked bad in this game, getting only 6 yards on 5 carries. Not helping Bennett’s cause was that his backup, Mewelde Moore, ripped a 50 yard run. Another backup, 4th round pick Ciatrick Fason, had a 25 yard run and finished with 55 yards on 7 carries and a touchdown.
Defense
The Vikings played without CB Fred Smoot, who missed the game with a sore knee. DT Pat Williams, who the Vikings signed from Buffalo, had 2 tackles. MLB Napoleon Harris, obtained in the Randy Moss deal, had 3 stops.
B Team
Having quarterbacked a team to a Super Bowl victory 3 seasons ago, Brad Johnson is hardly a scrub. He is a backup in Minnesota though, and looked very good in his first game in the role. He led the Vikings to either a TD or field goal on 3 out of 4 drives. WR Ryan Hoag, who was on the practice squad last year after coming out of Gustavus Adolphus College, had five catches for 63 yards.
Chiefs Notes
Offense
Alleyes were on Priest Holmes, who is back from his annual season ending injury. Holmes looked like he always does when he’s healthy, great. He ran for 21 yards on the Chiefs’ first play from scrimmage, and had a 15 yard run on their second possession before giving way to Larry Johnson. Johnson picked up where Holmes left off, carrying 8 times for 37 yards. If the Chiefs are smart, they will give Johnson a good share of the workload this year to keep Holmes fresh and healthy.
Defense
The Chiefs held LB Kendrell Bell out of the game with nagging injuries.
B Team
KC 5th round linebacker Boomer Grigsby (Illinois St.) has a world of ability, andwas very impressive with 7 tackles.
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RAMS 17, BEARS 13 (Halftime- Bears 7, Rams 7)
The Takeaway- Rex Grossman is out for the year…again.
Bears Notes
Offense
For the Bears, all you really need to know about this game is that Rex Grossman broke his ankle ala Michael Vick in 2003 and will be out for the year. This after he hurt is knee in the third game of the 04 season and missed the rest of the year. This of course, came after he missed most of his rookie year in 03 with some injury I can’t even remember, which he probably got from holding the clipboard or something. So Sexy Rexy continues his master plan, no doubt learned from Kerry Wood, to keep people thinking you are good by getting hurt year after year. You see, if you don’t play, you can’t play bad. 2nd round pick Mark Bradley played in the second half and looked great again, catching 4 passes for 63 yards. Thomas Jones rushed for 43 yards on 11 carries, and carried the Bears to a touchdown on the drive where Grossman got injured. Muhsin Muhammad had 2 catches for 26 yards.
Defense
On Marc Bulger’s second second drive, he was sacked on back to back plays by DE Adewale Ogunleye. Former first round draft choice Michael Haynes also had a sack for the Bears.
B Team
With RB Cedric Benson being the only remaining unsigned first round pick in the NFL, third stringer Adrian Peterson got a lot of playing time. He made the best of it, leading the Bears with 69 yards rushing and scoring a second quarter TD. Rookie QB Kyle Orton led the Bears to 2 field goals, but was picked off for the second time in as many games.
Rex Grossman is injured again.
Rams Notes
Offense
Rams RB Steven Jackson broke a 33 yard run, and had 40 yards total on his first 2 carries. Shaun McDonald caught a TD pass in the third quarter, and led the Rams with 49 receiving yards. QB Mark Bulger had an ugly first drive, in which he was actually intercepted twice. His first pass was picked off by Mike Brown, but was negated on a defensive holding penalty. 5 plays later he had a pass intended for Torry Holt picked off by Peanut Tillman.
Defense
Rams LB Pisa Tinoisamoa had 5 tackles and forced a turnover, knocking the ball loose from Thomas Jones.
Injury Note
CB Jerametrius Butler is out for the season with a torn PCL. The injury was suffered on the first day of training camp. DeJuan Groce will move into Butler’s starting spot.
B Team
Fourth year LB Trev Faulk had a huge game for the Rams, notching 10 tackles. RFA end Brandon Green had a sack. Bulger’s backup, Jamie Martin, was the best of the Rams QBs on this night. He got the offense going in the second quarter threw TD passes to McDonald and Kevin Curtis. He also got Dane Looker in on the action, finding him twice for 41 yards.
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FALCONS 16, RAVENS 3 (Halftime- Ravens 3, Falcons 3)
The Takeaway- Don’t believe anyone that tries to tell you Kyle Boller doesn’t still suck.
Ravens Notes
Offense
Much has been made this offseason of the revamping of the Ravens offense, and the supposed maturation of Kyle Boller into a viable NFL QB. Upon his preseason unveiling, Boller still looked not so good, as did the Ravens offense. Boller bumbled to 5 completions in 9 attempts for 57 yards, and had his first pass attempt intercepted by former teammate Ed Hartwell deep in Ravens territory. RB Jamal Lewis did not play, but his backup, Chester Taylor, had a strong performance in his place. Taylor had 55 yards on 8 carries.
Defense
The Ravens always do and always will make their living on defense though, and the D looked good. Newly signed LB Tommy Polley sacked Michael Vick on Vick’s first pass attempt of the game. Deion Sanders of all people also sacked Vick and forced a fumble, presumably at the same time Satan was looking for his earmuffs.
B Team
While Boller looked bad, his backup, Anthony Wright, looked worse. Wright was an atrocious 4 of 15 for 50 yards. Tellis Redmon, a second year player out of Minnesota, had 39 yards on 10 carries. Third year receiver Randy Hymes led the Ravens with 3 catches for 51 yards
Falcons Notes
Offense
Vick only played on two drives, both of which saw him get sacked. He did lead the team on an impressive drive from the Falcons own nine yard line down to the Raven 14, before Deion’s sack of Vick caused a turnover and extinguished the drive. Vick finished his day 2 of 3 for 32 yards, and did not have a rushing attempt. The Falcons couldn’t run the ball very effectively against the Baltimore defense. TJ Duckett led the team with 22 yards on 7 carries, and Warrick Dunn had 19 yards on 5 carries.
Injury Note
First round wideout Roddy White had 4 catches for 29 yards, but left the game with a high ankle sprain and will likely miss the next exhibition game.
Defense
Starting DT Rod Coleman had 2 tackles and a sack for Atlanta. OLB Keith Brooking had 3 tackles.
B Team
Third string QB Ty Detmer hooked up with backup TE Mark Anelli for the game’s only touchdown. Reserve TE Dwayne Blakely led the Falcons with 47 yards on 3 catches, including a 36 yard grab from QB Matt Schaub. Third round LB Jordan Beck had an outstanding game, notching seven tackles.
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JAGUARS 27, DOLPHINS 17 (Halftime- Jaguars 14, Dolphins 3)
The Takeaway- Two quarterbacks are not better than one, if they are both bad.
Jaguars Notes
Offense
The Jags again took the field without RB Fred Taylor, who is recovering from knee surgery. LaBrandon Toefield started and ran for 21 yards on 6 carries. The Jags’ first team offense couldn’t get anything going. Their only points came on a 76 yard punt return by David Allen. Converted QB, now wideout Matt Jones, the team’s high risk 1st round pick, had 3 catches for 45 yards and caught a 4th quarter TD pass. The Jaguars o-line surrendered 5 sacks.
Defense
DT Marcus Stroud had a sack. The Jags tough D held Miami to only 71 yards rushing.
Injury Note
Saftey Deion Grant injured his hip in this game. It’s not known yet how serious the injury is.
B Team
Jacksonville’s backups on offense looked a lot better than the starters. QB David Garrard is going to get a chance if the Jaguars falter this year behind Byron Leftwich. The Jags got a TD and 2 field goals in the three drives they had with Garrard under center. Garrard was aided by RB Alvin Pearman, who ran for 64 yards on 11 carries. Second year WR Ernest Wilford caught a TD pass from Garrard, and rookie 6th round draft choice Chad Owens (Hawaii) caught a 48 yard pass from Quinn Gray. CB Chris Thompson had an interception. RFA’s Bernard Thomas and Jim Davis both forced fumbles.
Dolphins Notes
Offense
Ricky Williams looked a lot better in his second preseason outing than in his first. He carried 6 times for 39 yards. Gus Frerotte got the nod to start at QB in this game, and could only lead the team to a second quarter field goal after the offense bogged down inside the Jaguars 20. AJ Feeley was ineffective and threw a 4th quarter interception.
Defense
DE David Bowens had 4 tackles and a sack. Another Dolphins end, Kevin Carter, also came up with a sack, as did veteran tackle. Jeff Zgonina. Rookie LB Channing Crowder had his second straight good game, notching 5 tackles. Zach Thomas was in regular season form and had six tackles. LB Jason Glenn, who spent 4 seasons with the Jets, had 4 tackles and a sack.
B Team
Both of the Dolphin QBs fighting for a 3rd string job had strong outings. Brock Berlin threw a TD pass to Maurice Mann late in the game, and Sage Rosenfels found TE Jason Rader for a touchdown. It was Rader’s second TD grab in as many games this preseason. Mann, an RFA out of Nevada, had 5 catches for 89 yards. DT Josh Shaw had 4 tackles.
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BROWNS 17, GIANTS 14 (Halftime- Browns 7, Giants 7)
The Takeaway- Eli to Plaxico, Volume 1.
Giants Notes
Offense
All that matters for the Giants is Eli, and how his development is coming along. After the game saw a 1 hour and 19 minute rain delay, Manning resumed the Giants opening drive and hit Plaxico Burress for a 20 yard TD. If a Manning to Burress TD pass on the opening drive of the preseason doesn’t get Giants fans rubbing their nipples, I don’t know what does. Rookie RB Brandon Jacobs (S. Illinois) saw action in the first quarter, and broke an 11 yard run on his first carry. He finished with 73 yards on 12 carries. The Giants did yield 5 sacks though, and that’s gonna be a problem with the statuesque Eli at QB.
Defense
Michael Strahan, who has 118 career sacks in the regular season, got one in this exhibition game.
B Team
Jacobs wasn’t the only reserve running back to have a big game. Mike Cloud had 58 yards on 5 carries. WR Ataveus Cash caught a game tying TD pass from Tim Hasselbeck in the 4th quarter. RFA linebacker Chase Blackburn had 5 tackles. Remember that 450 pound QB that used to play at Kentucky? He is in Giants camp, and threw an incompletion in this game.
Browns Notes
Offense
The Browns couldn’t get out of their own way when the first team offense was on the field. If you count the many penalties called on Cleveland early in the game, the Browns generated -6 yards of total offense behind the Trent Dilfer/Lee Suggs Experience. However, the offense came to life when RB William Green entered the game. He shouldered the load on a 10 minute touchdown drive, that ended with him scoring on a one yard run.
Defense
New Browns coach Romeo Crennel was New England’s defensive coordinator, and it looked like it in this game. The Browns generated 5 sacks. LB Orlando Ruff, who comes over from New Orleans, led the way with six tackles and a sack. LB Andra Davis had 3 stops and a sack. Newly signed CB Gary Baxter was the man that got beat on Plaxico’s TD.
B Team
Rookie Charlie Frye and veteran Doug Johnson are competing for the backup QB spot, and both led touchdown drives. Maybe they should be competing for the starting job. The Browns got a surprising performance out of former Redskin taxi squad RB Sultan McCullough. McCullough had 61 combined yards rushing and receiving. The Browns got sacks out of reserve safety Sean Jones, LB Justin Kurpeikis, and DE Omar Nazel. 4th round CB Antonio Perkins had a pick, as did Chris Crocker, who accepted a rose from QB Jesse Palmer in the form of a poorly thrown pass.
A win for Romeo in his debut
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PANTHERS 28, REDSKINS 10 (Halftime- Panthers 14, Redskins 3)
The Takeaway- Rod Gardner sticks it to the man. The man being Joe Gibbs.
Redskins Notes
Offense
Patrick Ramsey was picked off on the first drive, and things didn’t get much better after that. Ramsey played until midway thru the 2nd quarter, and completed a grand total of 2 passes to his wide receivers. One to David Patten for 11 yards, one to James Thrash for 5 yards. Everything else was a dump off to a back or the tight end. Clinton Portis got only 1 carry. The offense actually moved a little bit under Mark Brunell, if you can believe that. He was 11 of 19 for 121 yards.
Pretty much every play in the first half involved either backup RB Rock Cartwright or 7th round pick Nehemiah Broughton touching the ball. Yikes. The Redskins rushed for anemic 68 yards. On the plus side, they threw the ball 50 times without allowing a single sack.
Defense
The defense didn’t make any game changing plays. To not force a single turnover in the first preseason game is pretty hard to do, but the Redskins did it. The first team defense allowed a nine play touchdown drive on its first series.
B Team
Jason Campbell is the Redskins’ future at QB. The first round draft choice out of Auburn showed lots of ability, but also a penchant for mistakes. He fumbled the snap deep in his own territory on his second play. He did lead a nice 2 minute drill at the end of the game before being intercepted on a last second pass. Campbell finished 10 of 19 for 132 yards. Sixth round LB Jermaine Newberry (Stanford) was very impressive, getting 4 tackles and a sack.
Panthers Notes
Offense
WR Rod Gardner had to be loving catching a first quarter TD pass against his old team. The first team offense clicked pretty well, although they did not give starting RB DeShaun Foster any carries.
Defense
Much like the Redskins have to be disappointed with not getting any turnovers, the Panthers should be concerned that they got no sacks in 50 pass attempts. The run defense was outstanding, but when your job is to somehow contain Nehemiah Broughton, how hard is that? CB Chris Gamble intercepted Ramsey on the first drive of the game.
B Team
Chris Weinke and rookie Stefan LeFors are competing for the backup job, and both played well. LaFors, in particular, had a great pro debut, throwing 4th quarter TD passes to Drew Carter and Aaron Boone. LeFors’ backfield mate at Lousville, RB Eric Shelton, has gotten a lot of hype this offseason. He didn’t live up to it in this game, getting only 20 yards on 10 carries. Backup corner Dante Wesley saw a lot of playing time and had 8 tackles and an interception.
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BILLS 17, COLTS 10 (Halftime- Bills 17, Colts 3)
The Takeway- Just an ugly, ugly game, but the Bills defense is great.
Bills Notes
Offense
Well, JP Losman looked pretty bad in his first outing as the anointed one, especially early on. Losman stayed in longer than a first string QB normally would in an opening preseason game, playing until the middle of the third quarter. RB Willis McGahee limped off the field, but reportedly is OK. He was replaced by Shaud Williams, who ran for 46 yards on 5 carries.
Defense
The Bills held the Colts to -5 rushing yards for the game. It was like playing Madden or something. Takeo Spikes sacked Peyton Manning early in the game and the Colts got Mr. Cut That Meat the hell out of there right after that. The Bills sacked Colts QB’s six times on the day.
B Team
Sam Aiken and Drew Haddad benefited from having their starting QB playing with them late in the game. They combined for 5 catches and 63 yards. Lauvale Sape recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a Bills TD. DE Constantin Ritzmann had 2 sacks and forced a fumble.
Colts Notes
Offense
What can you say, they rushed for minus 5 yards? Edgerrin James didn’t play, Marvin Harrison didn’t play, Brandon Stokely, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark all didn’t play, Peyton Manning threw one pass. The results were about what you would expect. Aaron Moorehead had 4 catches for 38 yards. The Colts gave up six sacks. That is very ,very un-Colts like. Just about as bad a game as an offensive line can possibly have, although alot of that is attributable to the scrubs playing the whole game.
Defense
The Colts can take some satisfaction in the way the defense played in this game. They had JP Losman looking lost for a long, long time.
B Team
On offense, it was ALL B Team. Neither Jim Sorgi or Travis Brown looked like a viable backup, but Brown continues to show a little bit of potential. He hooked up with RFA TE Travis Brown for a 31 yard TD pass in the third quarter. WR Levon Thomas, an RFA out of Georgia Tech, had a very good game with 6 catches for 67 yards. Tulsa rookie Monteise Culton, and Purdue free agent John Standeford both had strong games for the second straight week. DB Waine Bacon and DT Jason Stewart both had sacks which caused fumbles.
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49ERS 21, RAIDERS 13 (Halftime- Raiders 6, Niners 0)
Raiders Notes
Offense
There were two players Raider Nation couldn’t wait to get a look at in this game. Of course, there was WR Randy Moss, but there was also RB Lamont Jordan. Jordan looked good, and was utilized as both a runner and receiver. He had 35 all purpose yards and 4 receptions. Moss had only one ball thrown to him, an 11 yard completion on the Raiders second drive. Kerry Collins led the team to two field goal attempts. Sebastian Janikowski made one and missed the other.
Defense
The Raider defense suffocated rookie QB Alex Smith. SF started the game with 4 consecutive 3 and outs. Once veteran Tim Rattay took over though, the defense looked soft as ever.
Warren Sapp and longtime Atlanta Falcon Ed Jasper both had sacks.
B Team
RFA DB Chris Carr had an interception, and 4th year DB Keyon Nash had a sack. Third round QB Andrew Walter (Arizona St.) showed flashes of both good and bad, struggling on his first couple of drives before hooking up with Randal Williams for a fourth quarter TD. Walter then reverted back to begin bad, ending his day with 2 interceptions. Johnnie Morant, an 04 practice squad player, led the Raiders with 76 receiving yards.
Niners Notes
Offense
Tim Rattay is miles ahead of Alex Smith at this point in time. The first overall pick generated one three and out after another, but under Rattay the 49er offense actually looked good. Rattay was 6 of 8 for 103 yards and threw a long TD pass to Brandon Lloyd, and another 6 point pass to Arnaz Battle. SF is going to have to do something about the running game. Kevan Barlow had 6 yards on 4 carries, and it doesn’t look like he’s the answer.
Defense
Sixth round CB Derrick Johnson (Washington) took an interception in for a touchdown. The pick was one of two on the night for Johnson. DE Chris Cooper had 2 sacks. LB Jamie Winborn had 5 tackles.
B Team
Rookie RB Bobby Purify (Colorado) led the team with 31 yards rushing on 7 carries. Second year corner Mike Adams had an interception.
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CARDINALS 13, COWBOYS 11 (Halftime- Cardinals 10, Cowboys 3)
The Takeaway- The Arena Football League uniform era begins with a bang for Arizona.
Cardinals Notes
Offense
Probably the biggest plus in this game for Arizona was the fact that they did not give up sack, even without 2 of its starting O linemen. If they can keep Kurt Warner clean, he’s going to do some good things in this offense. Warner went 14 of 19 for 151 yards and threw a 31 yard TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald. The game also saw the first on field test of rookie starting RB JJ Arrington, and he looked just OK. He had 12 yards on 4 carries. Fitzgerald had a huge game, catching 5 passes for 81 yards.
Defense
The first defense looked very good. DE Calvin Pace had 2 sacks. Bertrand Berry and free agent signing Chike Okeafor also had a sack each. LB James Darling had 7 tackles.
B Team
The Cardinals should be very happy Josh McCown is not their starting QB anymore. He struggled mightily against the Cowboys backups. Bryant Johnson started in place of WR Anquan Boldin and showed good timing with Warner, catching 3 balls for 36 yards.
Cowboys Notes
Offense
I think its time we all accepted that Drew Bledsoe is just not any good. Better to do that now than when the Cowboys are 3-7. His first appearance in a Cowboy uniform produced a bevy of three and outs, and the Cardinals defense using his immobile frame as target practice. Dallas couldn’t run the ball effectively either. “Orange” Julius Jones, whose picture adorns my cubicle at work, carried 6 times for 10 yards. The only receiver to have any amount of success was TE Jason Witten, who had 5 catches for 62 yards.
Defense
The Cowboys have made a big commitment to overhauling their defense, installing a new scheme and new talent, so bear in mind they are still transitioning. Still, if you can’t sack Kurt Warner, with 40% of his starting offensive line missing, who in the hell can you sack?
B Team
Tony Romo actually looked the best out of any of the Dallas QBs (the others being Bledsoe and Drew Henson), completing 80% of his passes after entering the game in the second quarter. RFA RB Tyson Thompson (San Jose St.) was a pleasant surprise, averaging 6.4 yards on 10 carries. DB Justin Beriault had an interception, and Tom Crowder blocked a punt for a safety.
The only Drew worse than this one is Rosenhaus
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STEELERS 38, EAGLES 31 (Halftime- Steelers 28, Eagles 10)
The Takeaway- TO doesn’t play on special teams, does he?
Eagles Notes
Offense
Everyone wanted to see how the Eagles O would be without TO. They got a lot of chances to do that too, because every time Philly kicked the ball to Pittsburgh, they would run it back for a touchdown and the Eagles would get the ball right back. The Eagles offense is going to be fine, with or without Owens. McNabb is a great QB, he led a team to the Super Bowl last year with Todd Pinkston and Freddy Mitchell as his receivers, with or without Owens you don’t have to worry about him. He was picked off for a TD early in the game but rebounded to complete 14 of 19 and throw a TD pass to TE LJ Smith. Second round pick Reggie Brown (Georgia) also showed he can be a player, catching 5 passes for 52 yards. Billy McMullen also looked good, pulling in 4 passes for 59 yards. Third round pick Ryan Moats (Louisiana Tech) ran for 2 touchdowns. In other words, everyone chill, the Eagles offense is fine.
Defense
Let’s not talk about defense here. Let’s talk about the special teams. They were special alright, in a Eugene Dinsmore type of way. The Eagles gave up one punt return and one kickoff return for touchdowns. There is no other way to spin it other than to say it’s unacceptable, and it’s the type of thing that gives coaches embolisms.
B Team
Chris Samp, an RFA from Winona State, had a 67 yard reception. RFA LB Martin Patterson (TCU) had 7 tackles, as did 5th round LB Trent Cole (Cincinnati). #2 QB Mike McMahon played well, completing 8 of 11 and breaking a 24 yard run.
Steelers Notes
Offense
Who needs offense when your defense and special teams put 3 touchdowns up? Ben Roethlisberger played one series, as did Jerome Bettis.
Defense
Third year DB Ike Taylor had an interception and an 100 yard kickoff return for a TD. I’d say he probably got a game ball. Third year LB James Harrison had a sack. CB Willie Williams, who is replacing Chad Scott as a starting corner this year, picked off McNabb on the first series and took it in for a score. Ricardo Colclaugh returned a punt 66 yards for a TD.
B Team
Third year QB Brian St. Pierre, who is competing for the 3rd string job against Charlie Batch, was 3 of 3 and threw a TD pass to RFA RB John Kuhn (Shippensburg). 7th round RB Noah Herron (Northwestern) had 39 yards on 13 carries. RFA WR Nate Washington (Tiffin University) had 4 catches for 76 yards.
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PIMPS UP, HOS DOWN
Well, I’m spent. Deez Iz Geez:
Eugene beat me to the punch this week. I’ll see you in Hell, Tierney.
Matthew Michael has the unenviable task of writing about hockey. Good luck with that.
Oli Porter talks futbol. As an aside, I am absolutely friggin hooked on FIFA 2005 right now.
Patrick has job search tips.
Steve previews the Glen, which I remember best as one of the tracks you could race on Atari 2600’s “Grand Prix” game. Of course, all the tracks looked exactly the same, one was just called “Watkins Glen”.
That’s a wrap for now.
