NFL Preseason Report (updated 8/26)

Titans are #1. My buddy Steve may look bad, but that's just cause he's been practicing. Once he's hurting and can only play on gameday he'll be fine.

ChronoJJ wrote:

Titans are #1.

In what?

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS v. MINNESOTA VIKINGS, PRESEASON WEEK 1

I'm gonna start shortening these things up a bit. A little less fleshed out, a little more like the notes as I take them.

1ST TEAMERS

Kansas City's 1st team defensive line was pushed around by the Vikings.

KC's offensive line held up against a good challenge in the Vikings' front four. DTs Kevin Williams and Pat Williams are a formidable interior, and DE Kenechi Udeze is a promising pass-rusher. Pat Williams gave RG John Welbourn a handful, shoving him into the backfield and blowing up a couple of runs. Welbourne was also submarined by Kevin Williams in a goal-line stuff on 3rd-and-goal that forced the Chiefs to take a field goal instead. Mostly, though, the Chiefs wisely ran more to the outside, and to the left side (the stronger side) of the team's O-line.

Priest Holmes looked good in his first action back on the field. He had two big runs over 10 yards, slipping through traffic and weaving around defenders. Holmes only got 4 carries, but it was good for him to get on the field and test himself a little.

Larry Johnson has the #2 RB job to himself now that Derrick Blaylock has left town. Johnson looked like a guy that can run when the big Chiefs line opens things up for him, but not really a guy that creates things himself.

Tony Gonzalez didn't have a catch in this game, and the credit for that has to go to MLB Sam Cowart. Cowart blanketed Gonzalez and kept him completely out of the game. Cowart's underrated career was practically left for dead after a couple of down years, but perhaps there's still something left in that tank.

Hotshot Chiefs rookie linebacker Derrick Johnson had a very quiet night, with 1 tackle and an assist. He did show good foot speed in containing Culpepper after his blitz attempt was stuffed and Daunte began to roll out.

Mewelde Moore got some time on the partly-1st-team Vikes offense, and it was mostly 1st team Chiefs defense when Moore gassed the Chiefs D for a 50 yard run, then finished the job with a 7 yard TD catch a few plays later.

Dexter McCleon was able to cover the not-exactly-speedy Marcus Robinson on a sideline fly, but Robinson worked McCleon underneath with a quick double-move on a slant route that left McCleon scrambling to get back around.

Vikings OG Adam Goldberg, who is making the move inside from the tackle position, made the block of the night against Ryan Sims. Sims stunted to the outside and Goldberg, in man blocking on Sims, shoved him from the side and sent Sims rolling harmlessly by Daunte Culpepper, who then completed a pass for a TD.

Nate Burleson showed a great rapport with Culpepper on their lone hookup, a 33-yard touchdown in which Burleson ran underneath the zone coverage on a slightly broken play, and Culpepper hit him right on the money. Burleson twisted and reversed direction, and Chiefs CB Benny Sapp fell down trying to twist himself to pursue. Burleson scampered into the endzone, and the 1st team Vikings offense's job was done.

2ND & 3RD TEAMERS

Todd Collins looked pretty poor. He threw some floating rainbow passes to receivers he should have hit with a dart. He was called for intentional grounding once and should have been called for another. Swampy probably throws the ball with more velocity and fewer underthrows. This team is dead without Trent Green.

Damon Huard came in and played most of the game. He played OK.

Craphonso Thorpe screwed up an out route that he didn't cut off early enough, but came back the next play with a big 3rd down catch for a 1st down.

KC's 2nd team defense wasn't much more effective against the run than the 1st. Viking rookie RB Ciatrick Fason gouged them for 55 yards and a touchdown

Brad Johnson is back with the Vikings. He just belongs in the purple. Very efficient and looked comfortable in the offense.

(Didn't get a chance to see the rest of this game)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Dante Hall looked anything but dangerous in this game. On his first kick return, he was wrapped up around the waist by the first guy that got near him (CB Ralph Brown) and swung to the ground. Later, he lost a fumble on...

With the Vikings' RB position clogged with players, Mewelde Moore has found another way to make the team - kick returning. Moore cracked off a 43 yard kick return on a deep Lawrence Tynes kickoff. Minnesota's blocking wedge blew up the Chiefs attackers and gave Moore a seam to explode through.

Lawrence Tynes missed a very makeable 38 yard kick, but there wasn't much else bad to say about him. Tynes kicked off deep and nailed 3 other field goals, including one from 51 yards out.

SEATTLE SEAHHAWKS v. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, PRESEASON WEEK 1

1ST TEAMERS

The Saints offense is centered around Deuce McAllister. Deuce was pretty productive, especually running the counter. Joe Gibbs would kill to have this guy running his Counter Trey. McAllister's got the footspeed and acceleration, especially on turf, to really get linebackers moving laterally and chasing him on the cutback. Deuce did fumble the ball away once on a dive into a pile, where he was kept "live" by landing on top of people and never touching the ground.

Saints 2nd year FB Mike Karney is a big blocker at 258 pounds. He helped open some holes for Deuce, and he punished a tackler that tried to take him down on a pass reception.

Saints OG Jermaine Mayberry made a great pulling block on a counter to the left side. He blasted a defender aside and FB Mike Karney plowed open the hole for Deuce to explode through. Mayberry is a much better fit at guard than tackle.

'Hawks QB Matt Hasselbeck came out pretty sharp, hitting WR Bobby Engram for a touchdown on a crossing route on his first pass attempt. Engram showed his dropsies on a 3rd down pass on the next drive, though.

New Orleans' 1st team pass rush was nonexistent. Hasselbeck routinely had tons of time to throw. OTs Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack and All-Pro Walter Jones dominated Saints DEs Charles Grant, Will Smith, and Darren Howard. Jones's dominance is unsurprising (he may be the best player in the NFL), but Pork Chop is surprising in his move to RT after spending all of his young career at guard so far. The Saints were able to get pressure by blitzing linebackers and playing their DEs all together on 3rd-and-long situations.

Saints 1st round rookie OT Jamaal Brown was a monster in the running game, pushing DE Bryce Fisher down the field each time. Against a pass rush, however, he was less sound, having trouble keeping up with fast ends, or recognizing the stunts. He was also flagged for lining up off the line of scrimmage. He's going to maul defensive ends and the Saints would be wise to run in his direction, but he has to pass protect better.

Aaron Brooks throws on of the prettiest passes in the league. But his decision making on who to throw to is the problem. Brooks didn't make much happen, throwing for only 14 yards on his 5 completions. Brooks aired the ball out a couple of times, but they were well-covered receivers that probably shouldn't have been thrown to. He also struggled to find people open on 3rd down, and seemed to be scrambling on almost every pass play.

2ND & 3RD TEAMS

Seneca Wallace played most of the game after Hasselbeck left the game. Wallace has an AMAZING arm. He throws the ball off-the-cuff on a rope with amazing velocity. H also runs like Michael Vick - his 24 yard TD run on what was supposed to be a pass play looked just like a Vick highlight reel. It's not hard to see why the Seahawks want to make a QB out of him, as this guy has more physical tools than he knows what to do with. Seriously, this guy's throws made me say "god damn!" and "unbelievable" out loud. He had some trouble keeping his throws from sailing high, but he was extremely impressive with his timing and seemed to have a real solid grasp of the team's offense. He also showed great maturity in not taking off and running at the first sign of pressure. He'd use his feet to slide around and move just enough to get time and make the throw.

Jeramy Urban won't be the solution to Seattle's receiving problem, dropping everything that came his way.

Seahawks WRs Jerome Pathon and D.J. Hackett had fantastic games catching balls from Seneca Wallace. Both looked far better than any of the 1st team receivers. Pathon capped off his night by beating Saints CB Jason Craft on a corner route into the end zone.

There's nobody behind Deuce that can really run the ball. Aaron Stecker is best kept as a 3rd down back and kick returner. Antowain Smith was once a solid running back, but he looked bad in this game - too easily taken down by 2nd team defenders.

Backup Saints QB Todd Bouman seems oblivious to what's going on around him. He also seems hell-bent on getting Adrian McPherson into his #2 spot. Bouman threw many poor balls, including a rainbow floater on a rollout that Seahawks safety John Howell caught like a centerfielder - standing and waiting for the ball to come down. He didn't recognize pressure when it was breathing down his neck, and he just looked like a guy that has no business being a #2 QB in this league. He did get a TD throw on a catch by a wide open Talman Gardner, but his night was pretty much a disaster besides that "gimme" play. Don't buy into the 8-of-11 numbers - Bouman completed a lot of junk passes, including a dump-off for -8 yards and a couple throws way short on 3rd down.

Saints #3 QB Kliff Kingsbury threw a bomb to Michael Lewis on his first play that nearly went for a TD.

Saints OG Jamar Nesbit was torched with a spin move by 'Hawks DE Craig Terrill, and Terrill smashed Bouman for a sack. It was probably just as well, Bouman would've f*cked it up himself anyway.

The 2nd team Saints pass rush wasn't much more successful than the 1st team. It didn't help matters that they couldn't catch Seneca Wallace even if they got to him.

'Hawks TE Jerramy Stevens has supposedly had a big camp, but his big fat drop of a Seneca Wallae pass showed why he's still stuck on the 2nd team.

'Hawks RBs Kerry Carter and Marquis Weeks had field days with the Saints reserve defenses. Carter had 58 yards on 10 carries, and Weekes had 59 yards on 8 carries. Weeks just humiliated the Saints 2nd/3rd team defense, slipping through tackles and making defenders fall down on cuts. Weeks showed good vision in making cutbacks, and great balance in keeping on his feet. Fullback Leonard Weaver got in the action too by ripping off a 40 yard TD run. The Saints backup defense was, in a word, pwned.

How bad was the Aints run D? Seahawks QB David Greene came into the game as the team's #3 QB. He didn't attempt a single pass, yet he led the 'Hawks on an 88 yard drive for a TD.

Adrian McPherson got to come in as the team's #4 QB, though both he and Kingsbury should shoot up ahead of Bouman on the depth chart if there is any justice in this damn world. McPherson ran the ball well but sometimes had a hard time finding receivers to throw to. McPherson threw what should have been a touchdown to Nate Poole on 4th-and-goal, but Poole flat-out dropped the ball. When McPherson found someone to throw to, he was very sharp.

SPECIAL TEAMS

New Orleans' kick returns were explosive no matter who they put in there. Jimmy Williams, last seen in San Francisco, caught kicks on the run and really shot down the field like a bullet. Seattle's kick coverage, though, did the Saints returns plenty of favors, missing many tackles.

A bad snap on a Seahawks punt attempt that sailed over the punter's head resulted in a safety for the Saints. How bad are things if you're a backup long snapper and you come in and snap the ball over the punter's head for a safety? You're a LONG SNAPPER, that's all you do!

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES v. PITTSBURGH STEELERS, PRESEASON WEEK 1

1ST TEAMERS

Don't blink. Donovan McNabb was intercepted on his very first throw, and it was taken into the endzone for a TD by Steelers corner Willie Williams. Greg Lewis ran a "stop" route instead of the out route that McNabb was apparently expecting. Though the announcers raced to slurp McNabb all game, Donovan had some struggles, and didn't really start sticking it to Pittsburgh until the 2nd team defense came onto the field. McNabb was inconsistant more than anything else. He had some great passes, and others that floated off-target or behind the receiver. The lack of a comfort level with his receivers showed.

James Farrior didn't record a tackle, but he harassed McNabb on a blitz up the middle. Farrior and the rest of the Steelers' defensive stars came out of the game pretty quickly.

With Philly's receiver woes, rookie Reggie Brown has a good chance of being an impact player on the Eagles offense. Brown was the most impressive looking receiver on the Eagles. He looked like a stick figure with a probably generous listed weight of 195 pounds, but he showed very quick feet that allowed him to make sharp cuts and stops. His lack of size showed in run blocking though, as Brown had to resort to holding to try and make a block on an outside run.

Steelers S Troy Polamolu is just a great open field tackler. He reminds me of Philly's safety Brian Dawkins in that respect. Polamolu was thought to be a "reach" where he was drafted in the 1st round, but nobody's laughed sine. Polamolu was also used to blitz the QB, an got in McNabb's face to disrupt what should have been an easy throw to convert a 3rd down.

Ben Roethlisberger didn't come into the game until his team was already up 14-0, on defensive and special teams scores. Roethlisberger's throws were often well-timed but not necessarily good physical throws. Balls floated on him a bit, and receivers had to make reaching grabs on what should have been routine balls. One of his sailing passes flew over the receiver and bounced off of Eagles S Brian Dawkins's chest.

Rookie TE Heath Miller should provide an immediate impact to the offense in Pittsburgh. Miller only had one catch, but we got a look at how the team plans on using him - often as an H-back to send in motion, not unlike how Frank Wycheck was used by former division rival Tennessee. Miller dominated as a pass blocker, and was very quick getting off the line on pass routes.

Antwaan Randle-El didn't do much to establish confidence in his ability to be a starting WR on the team. He had one catch, and dropped a 3rd-down pass that would've resulted in a first down - but Randle-El was too eager to turn and run after the catch.

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook sure is quick. He is a major puzzle piece in this offense. As a pure halfback, he was pretty ineffective against the Steelers run D. As a guy to move around the field, and have come catch the ball out of the backfield, he was gold. On a 4th-and-3, he turned the corner on a fastly pursuing Troy Polamolu, and easily got up the sideline for the 1st down.

DeShea Townsend did a great job of man-covering Greg Lewis on the deep ball. Townsend stayed on top of the route and forced McNabb to overthrow the pass for an (intentional) incompletion.

Pittsburgh may have found an edge rusher in 2nd year man James Harrison. Harrison is light at 242 pounds, but sure is fast around the corner. He didn't allow Tra Thomas to get a strong shove on him on his pass rushes, and while he might not hold up extremely well against the run, he's a promising player for this team's pass rush.

2ND & 3RD TEAMERS

Koy Detmer makes me feel happy, because football wouldn't be football without a Detmer being a backup QB somewhere. Detmer was his usual steady but unspectacular self, but he has real competition for the #2 job in Mike McMahon.

The 2nd team Philly O had major trouble against Pittsburgh's 2nd team pass rush. Detmer and the young receivers did not do a good job of getting rid of the ball quickly against the blitz.

Don't you just love watching "Touchdown" Tommy Maddox on the field? I do. Tommy had a hot-and-cold efofrt. He was 7-of-11 and a pair of his incompletions could easily have been flagged for defensive pass interference. Maddox threw an INT, but I wouldn't pin that on him either - rookie WR Fred Gibson was running a quick slant and he did not use his body to shield Eagles CB Roderick Hood away from the ball. Gibson just plodded through his route and put up little resistance when Hood jumped on the route and went for the ball.

Fred Gibson looked quick on the field after the INT, though he only caught 1 pass. He has a long stride and definitely looks faster on the field than his 40 time shows. He's very lanky but showed a willingness to throw himself into blocks - he had a big pancake block on a DB on a Nate Washington run after a catch. Gibson still needs a lot of work running routes at the NFL level, as he didn't look nearly as good running up the field as he did on his Georgia highlight reel. Gibson also dropped a ball on a seam route that would've put the Steelers inside the 10 yard line. Gibson had great positioning on the coverage, but didn't react to the ball fast enough and ended up having to lunge for it and try to make a falling catch.

Pittsburgh fans have been calling into SIRIUS NFL Radio raving about how RB Verron Haynes can step onto the field and fill Duce Staley's shoes if/when Duce is injured (like, right now). Haynes only got 4 carris for 15 yards, and didn't really get to show his stuff.

When the commentators said Willie Parker is fast, they weren't kidding. Parker scored a TD on a draw play out of the shotgun. When Maddox handed him the ball, he shot through the line like he was blasted out of a cannon. Parker doesn't seem to fit in Pittsburgh's conservative offensive scheme, but he looks like he could be a useful 3rd down scat-back.

Pitt CB Ike Taylor had a big return on special teams, but his coverage had problems. Taylor bit on a Detmer play-action and allowed Billy McMullen to get wide open behind him.

Pitt QB Charlie Batch got away with some really poor throws, but the Eagles backup coverage teams were poorer. Batch underthrew deep balls and threw a slow long pass over the middle that was nearly grabbed by a DB. Pittsburgh can't feel good about his performance. Philly was plenty eager to blitz him, and Batch had no answer for the blitz.

Philly QB Mike McMahon made a good argument as to why he should step up and be Philly's #2 QB. McMahon looked like a good fit in the Philly West Coast offensive scheme. He threw quick and decisive passes, very different from, say, Pittsburgh's Charlie Batch. His mobility was put on display as he ripped a 24 yard run up the middle of the field on a scramble. He did a great job moving around in the pocket and giving himself some extra time to throw. He finished 8-of-11 and rallied a 3rd team Eagles offense against a strong Steelers (mostly) 2nd team defense.

Philly's #2/#3 mixed defense did one thing well, and that was stop the run. Aside from a couple of isolated runs, Pittsburgh had little luck pounding the ball on the ground against Philly's backup run D.

I got to watch Ryan Moats a bit in college, thanks to him going to a WAC school (Louisiana Tech). He's small, but unlike a Darren Sproles, he's a powerful runner. Moats punched in two short-yardage touchdowns in this game, and was really the only effective runner the Eagles had in this game. Moats had good quick lateral movement to avoid tacklers, very agile, and he hit harder than his 200 pounds would seem to be able to.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Eagles P Mark Mariscal kicked a short, low punt, which allowed Steelers returner Ricardo Colclough to break a 66 yard return run for a TD. Colclough is in the race to replace Antwaan Randle-El for the team's return man, as Randle-El is expected to be a starting WR on the Steelers offense.

But the Steelers weren't done. Ike Taylor took his kickoff return 100 yards for a TD. Philly's kick coverage was wretched. You could blame the short punt on the first TD, but not the kickoff on the next special teams blunder.

P Mark Mariscal's 2nd punt was another low, wobbly shank. If he was expected to challenge Dirk Johnson for the team's punting job, well, challenge is over.

OAKLAND RAIDERS v. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, PRESEASON WEEK 1

1ST TEAMERS

Oakland looks to be using a 3 WR base personnel for their offense. Raider ball is back, baby. Even when the team lined up in I formations, they were just as likely to line up with 3 wides instead of the more traditional 2 wide + 1 TE set. Oakland sent TE Doug Jolley to the Jets in a trade, so they're very committed to their new base personnel sets. Hard to argue with the idea of putting Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, and Doug Gabriel or Ronald Curry all on the field together.

San Francisco is converting to a 3-4 defensive scheme, though DE/OLB Andre Carter allows them the flexibility of him putting his hand down on the line and shifting to a 4-3 set. They were pretty tenacious and kept the Raiders offense under wraps. Some of the 1st teamers stayed on the field against the 2nd team offense.

Oakland QB Kerry Collins never really looked like a threat. He made a few good throws downfield but never succeeded in stretching the 49ers defense deep. His two drives ended with two field goal attempts, and only 3 points. Collins locked in on his first option and never really fooled San Francisco's defense.

LaMont Jordan used his power to get out of trouble when his blocking failed to keep 49ers out of the backfield. He's very quick for someone with his weight (230 pounds). Jordan was a force both in the running and receiving game. Jordan was the real workhorse in the 1st team Oakland offense's possessions.

The 49ers did a good job of containing the downfield threat of the 1st team Raiders offense. Randy Moss was pretty well covered by CB Willie Middlebrooks, and only managed 1 catch in this game.

After making a STUPID move to a 3-4 scheme last year, the Raiders are converting back to primarily a 4-3 set. This makes Warren Sapp a productive player again, and productive he was in this game, tearing through the makeshift 49ers line. The Raiders personnel never made sense for a 3-4 formation, and thankfully they have ended that dumb experiment. The team will still use a 3-4 scheme in places, but not as their base set.

San Francisco's offensive line was filled with no-names, and played like it. They were pushed around and didn't let the running game get anywhere. A lot of guys (including Justin Smiley and new star Jonas Jennings) sat this game out. Plus, center Jermaine Newberry might not be able to play this season after foregoing surgery on his knee after an injury last season. This team needs all their top linemen back if they want to do anything offensively. RB Kevan Barlow couldn't get anything going behind that line.

49ers QB Alex Smith had a rough game. He completed only 3 passes out of 9 attempts, and simply did not get the 49ers offense going anywhere. Smith led the 49ers to exactly 0 first downs in the first 28 minutes of the game. Only at the end of the half was he able to get a 1st down by being late hit out of bounds and getting the flag thrown. He was able to complete a pass on the next play for an actual earned 1st down, so that's nice, though it was a dump-off screen pass and the running back did all the hard work. He looked overwhelmed, and it didn't help that his line couldn't give him a running game or pass protection.

2ND & 3RD TEAMERS

Raiders QB Marques Tuiasosopo came in before the end of the 1st quarter. Tuiasosopo completed a lot of passes to backs out of the backfield, but did not look like a good fit in the new high-flying Raiders offense. He struggled in finding receivers downfield and made some awful throws. One such throw was a slooooow throw on an out pattern that corner Derrick Johnson just jumped on and picked off - and easily ran unchallenged for a 49ers TD. Tuiasosopo just didn't have the arm strength to throw the "out" ball hard enough (if you ever wonder why I talk so much about a passer's "velocity", it's because QBs have to have the strength to throw the ball fast enough to get to a receiver before a defender can jump on it. Arm strength isn't about a 60 yard bomb - it's about throwing a 15 yard out pattern faster than the man coverage can move on it.

Very disappointing to not see 49ers rookie RB Frank Gore get any action in this game. Gore has a chance to make a run at a #1 job that Kevan Barlow doesn't have a stranglehold of by any means.

San Francisco's 2nd team defense really kept the Raiders in check. The Raiders only managed 3 points against the 2nd team D.

Doug Gabriel dropped a fingertip sideline catch in action with the #2 offense. Gabriel has an opportunity to establish his role on the team while Ronald Curry is out with an Achilles injury. Though he was great in the return game, he didn't make a great impact as a receiver.

DT Ed Jasper has been a starter for most of his career, but the Raiders managed to get him this offseason to be a backup behind Sapp and Ted Washington. Jasper clearly outclassed the #2s on the field with him, with 3 tackles and a sack on Tim Rattay. Jasper will provide a great rotational player to help keep aging DTs Sapp and Washington fresh. A very underrated and valuable pickup by this Raiders team.

Tim Rattay stepped onto the field on the first possession of the 2nd half. Four plays later, he had 66 yards passing and a touchdown throw to Brandon Lloyd behind double coverage. Who needs Alex Smith? Rattay had a big day, 6-of-8 with 2 touchdowns.

#3 Raiders QB Andrew Walter played for much of the 3rd and all of the 4th quarters. Walter moved the ball against the 49ers 3rd team defense, though he was intercepted twice (once on the final play of the game). Walter made rookie mistakes, like taking a delay-of-game to kill a 4th down that they were going to attempt, but he also showed some physical ability in avoiding pass rushers and making some good throws. He looked like an extremely raw prospect with some physical tools. Certainly someone to replace Tuiasosopo as the team's "project" QB.

Ken Dorsey came in to be San Fran's #3 QB, and made an INT on a throw where the receiver ran into the official on a crossing route. Not much else interesting to say about either team at that late stage of the game, but that was enjoyable.

Raiders fans can't be happy with this game. Their 1st team offense was bottled up by the 49ers. Their 2nd team O and D were 0wned by the 49ers 2nd teams. The only thing the Raiders did well was shut down a 1st team 49ers offense that was led by a rookie QB and anchored by a second team offensive line filling in for a nearly all-injured 1st team offensive line.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Sebastian Janikowski missed his first field goal, but hit kicks from 20 and 44 yards later.

The 49ers had a good rush on a punt, with LB Saleem Rasheed shooting around the corner and getting in punter Shane Lechler's kicking lane, forcing Lechler to pull the ball down and run with it. Lechler nearly ran for the 1st down, but he was just tripped up short of the marker.

Doug Gabriel nearly broke a TD run on a punt return, and added a good kickoff return to his output as well. Gabriel's role on this team is up in the air, but he gives himself a chance to stick if he can be an explosive return man.

Raiders returner LeShaun Ward fumbled a kickoff return carrying the ball like a loaf of bread. The turnover put San Francisco right on the doorstep of the red zone, and set up a quick 49ers score.

Great Work on the reviews

Thanks Legion

Excellent as usual Legion, I wonder if Collins is going to worth worth the early rounds pick some people will make for him in fantasy drafts.

Certis - That's something I'm trying to figure out. We'll see what he looks like in the next games. Either he just needs to knock some rust off, or maybe he doesn't have it anymore. Too early to say, but something to watch.

Criminy. Is this three years straight we've had NFL players die during the Preseason?

Korey Stringer was 2001. Who died between then and now?

EDIT: DallasCowboys.com says it is the "first football-related death in the NFL since Minnesota's Korey Stringer died of heat exhaustion, Aug. 1, 2001."

Although they indicate it's the second one in "pro football" this year (CFL? Arena?). And of course there's been a few in college between then and now.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES v. BALTIMORE RAVENS, PRESEASON WEEK 2

1ST TEAMERS

Neither Terrell Owens nor Jamal Lewis played in this game, and it showed. Both 1st team offenses looked inept without their biggest playmakers.

Donovan McNabb struggled against the 1st team Ravens defense, especially when they threw some 46 schemes out onto the field and blitzed him. McNabb threw a TERRIBLE pass into a cloud of 4 Ravens, and hit CB Samari Rolle in the numbers for the INT. McNabb did get to pump his stats up a bit on a quick throw against the blitz to Brian Westbrook, and Westbrook then shook tacklers as he burned downfield for a 51 yard score. McNabb did tear off an impresisve 27 yard run. He had problems finding receivers on 3rd down, and was sacked once after his indecision kept the ball in his hands for too long.

Kyle Boller still looks like a poor excuse for an NFL quarterback. He threw 2 INTs, one on a deep throw over the middle that had no chance of getting to anyone except Brian Dawkins. Philly sent blitzes at him and he couldn't have been less ready for it. Boller's offensive line didn't help, especially the middle of the line.

Brian Westbrook got stuffed on his rush attempts again this week. The Philly 1st team offense hasn't shown the ability to run the ball. Westbrook was, however, a weapon as a pass receiver once again. His TD reception play was all him - about 5 yards of a catch and about 45 yards of a post-catch run. In the open field, Westbrook is a playmaker. What this team needs is someone else to run the ball on 1st and 2nd down, and let Westbrook stick to 3rd down draws and receiving as a back or slot wideout.

One shining star on the Eagles D-line was rookie Mike Patterson. Patterson had a sack on an easy 1-on-1 defeat of the guard, and he had a fumble recovery as well. Patterson started to draw double-teams as the game went on.

Where were Reggie Brown and Billy McMullen? Neither had a catch.

Backup Raven RB Chester Taylor played with the 1st team offense in Lewis's absence. Taylor was more productive than the Eagles defense should have allowed him to be.

2ND & 3RD TEAMERS

Mike McMahon played #2 QB this game. He followed up last game's good performance with another one. McMahon had happy feet a bit too much, but he sure has a knack for getting out of trouble.

Ryan Moats was impressive again playing with the #2s. He's about the same size as Westbrook but he sure seems to run with a lot more of a heavy load. He's not quite as agile as the very nimble Westbrook, but I have a feeling he would be more effective as a between-the-tackles runner than Westbrook.

Philly may have something with undrafted TE Stephen Spach. Spach played here at Fresno State but our run-first offense never got him the ball in the passing game, until the MPC Computers Bowl. Spach was a fringe NFL prospect based on that game, and Philly brought him in. Spach is an effective blocker and he caught the ball well too. The sportscasters say that he's been one of the talks of Philly camp. Spach is already working with the #1s when they go into 2-TE formations. With the 2nd team, Spach even lined up as a slot receiver.

McMahon seemed to favor WR Carlos Perez, though Perez burned up that goodwill with a fumble into the end zone that gave Baltimore the ball back on a touchback. McMahon and Moats had spearheaded a great drive, only to come up empty handed after Perez's fumble.

Philly's #2 defense bottled up the run, though Baltimore's true #2 back was playing with the #1s instead. Still, they disrupted things at the line of scrimmage.

Ravens WR Mark Clayton clearly outclassed the #2s he was on the field with. He had great footwork and smoked the various corners trying to keep up with him. Anthony Wright should have looked his way more often.

Hugh Douglas is down working with the #2 defense. He showed some quickness off the ball that's been lacking in recent years. Again the run, though, he was total crap. Easily dominated by backup offensive tackles and even tight ends. His usefulness to this Eagles team probably does not extend beyond situational pass rusher.

Baltimore didn't call off the blitz when the 2nd team came onto the field. Rookie LB Roderick Green had a pair of sacks (one with the 1st team on McNabb, even), and Terrell Suggs sacked the elusive Mike McMahon.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Philadelphia's kickoff coverage was still bad.

Philly returner Dexter Wynn ripped off a 74 yard TD, giving Philly SOMETHING good on special teams to talk about.

Baltimore blocked a field goal at the end of the 1st half, and returned it for a TD but the score was called back on a forward lateral. Ed Reed lateraled the ball in a backwards direction, but because the players were running forward full-speed, the ball was still moving forward and was caught a yard forward of where it was released. Reed could've just kept the ball and taken it the distance himself.

*Legion* wrote:

they indicate it's the second one in "pro football" this year (CFL? Arena?).

There was an on-the-field fatal injury in the Arena league this year. I believe it was a lineman and I think it was the Colorado Crush.

Edit: Al Lucas played for the Los Angeles Avengers.

Bring back THE "WINNERS & LOSERS" section!

Here's my pre-season analysis. Ladainian Tomlinson is good!

Oh and check out the block by right guard Toniu Fonoti as he takes out two Ram's defenders on the play.

LT's stats on the preseason (sure is nice to see him at 100%):

1 carry 55yds 1TD
2 rec 18 yards

Collins is an emergency backup, I agree, if Green gets hurt, the offense is neutered.

Some interesting news bits today about how Kendrell Bell hasn't been able to take part in contact yet, and some whispers that his shoulder may in fact be "shot".

He is supposed to start taking part in drills and play in preseason. Definitely someone to keep an eye on. He's making a switch to a new position too, so we'll see how effective he can be.

I thought there had been someone last year. I'm probably mixing dates. That said, it's still been too many guys in recent football history. I know a kid collapsed and died during spring drills at Mizzou, and i'm sure other places. Sad.

Word is that Miami is watching New Orleans and hoping that they release Adrian McPherson. If New Orleans really keeps Todd Bouman instead of keeping both Kliff Kingsbury and McPherson, well, it won't be the last mistake that front office has made. What they think Bouman will do for them, I don't know.

With classes started again, my free time has taken a hit. Still, I have some stuff to write up, just in a bit more condensed of a form:

WASHINGTON REDSKINS v. CINCINNATI BENGALS, PRESEASON WEEK 2

Starters: Patrick Ramsey floundered - he was all over the place, and couldn't hit an open receiver to save his life. He had a big throw for a TD, but turned it over twice on terrible INTs. Carson Palmer looked terrible too. He blew great opportunities with poor throws, and he his Skins rookie CB Carlos Rogers in the numbers on a bad INT toss. Palmer pumped up his stats against the 2nd team Skins D, but he sure looked bad against the 1st team Skins D. Cincy's run defense still looks weak, struggling to stop backup Skins RB Ladell Betts (who filled in for Clinton Portis on the 1st team). The pass rush was better though, especially with rookie Odell Thurman contributing on the blitz. Skins rookie CB Carlos Rogers had the easy pick on Palmer, but was burned on back-to-back fly patterns for a TD (the first play would've been a TD if T.J. Houshmandzadeh didn't drop the ball, but the Bengals came back on the next play and did the same thing with Kelley Washington, who burned Rogers the same way and held onto the ball). Washington's stout run D from 2004 looks good so far this year, as they swarmed Rudi Johnson and kept him from getting anywhere.

Backups: The 2nd team Skins D had to play against much of the starting Cincy offense. They had their hands full defending the pass against both the starters and 2nd team Cincy passing attack. They were still pretty effective against the run - Cincy RB Chris Perry only managed 38 yards on 10 carries. Jon Kitna's time on the field was short. Mark Brunell looked quite a bit better than Patrick Ramsey.

Impressions: Cincy has been talked up as a playoff contender with a strong passing game, but they didn't show it. Palmer was worthless against the 1st team Skins D, and was still wild with some throws against the backups. Washington has a real problem at the quarterback position, and need to find an answer if they are to compete in 2005.

ATLANTA FALCONS v. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, PRESEASON WEEK 3

Starters: Byron Leftwich was on fire. Some of his receivers, however, were not. Leftwich went 11-of-20 and had 7 passes dropped by his receivers. Everything he threw was right on the money, but as the hurricane rains started pouring in, some of the receivers struggled to get their hands on the ball. Matt Jones made a major splash with the best catch of preseason so far, reeling in a jump ball 1-handed on a deep seam route. Jacksonville's 1st team defense smothered Atlanta, but two pass interference penalties (both by players fighting for that RCB position) gave Atlanta a free 87 yards, and set up two scores. Vick was effective in scrambling but could not find a receiver to throw to. Fred Taylor got his only action of preseason, looked pretty good on a few carries and a couple passes. Being able to start come Week 1 doesn't look like such a question mark anymore for Taylor.

Backups: David Garrard has been a preseason star in the last couple of years, but he really shut up the people demanding him to become the starter with a poor outing against Atlanta. Atlanta's #2 QB, Matt Schaub, fared better in the rain, which was a massive downpour by the time these two guys hit the field. Both are players other teams may pursue next offseason to compete for starting jobs, but Schaub had the upper hand this time. Jacksonville's #2 defense continued to smother the run. Atlanta's returned the favor, though it was #4 RB Derrick Wimbush playing with the #2 offense.

Special Teams: Rookie KR/PR Chad Owens made some very bad "rookie mistakes" in this game, and didn't really get to show much in the return game (though the wet footing didn't help). Jags K Josh Scobee blasted his kickoffs again, but missed a 38 yard field goal. Falcon K Todd Peterson was money for 3 field goals (from 40, 40, and 38).

Impressions: The new offense is a great fit for Leftwich. Jacksonville's offense was far more effective (375 yards vs. 254 for Atlanta), but an extra 100 yards of defensive penalties set Atlanta up for some quick scores, as did a pair of wet-ball fumbles. Vick and the Falcons were effective with their red zone opportunities, though. Neither team got much going once the rains started pouring. Oh, and Matt Jones is for real - lots of big grabs in all 3 preseason games.

I think the highlight from last night's game was the clip of the little kids playing at halftime in the middle of a downpour. That, and Matt Jones; he'd have been the number one highlight if he was a pint-sized kid and made that left-handed catch in mid-air.

Actually I saw the last 2 mins and they showed that sleeping guy. That was funny! Imagine his friend's reactions the next day!

Dammit Legion - I read the first page - then skipped to the third...

WHERE THE HELL are my stars and losers...whats up man...come on...I need summations like that for my fulfillment.

(Plus, I just traded Edge James for the first pick in my keeper league draft, and took Ronnie Brown, Miami's RB with it...so I'm feeling kinda vulnerable.

before you condemn - we only can only keep up to 4 players plus two rookie slots - I had Vick, McGhehee, James, Andre Johnson, Chris Brown, and Tony Gonzales - with Roy Williams and Reggie Williams as my rookies - so I had to cut two, so by trading James, I only had cut Brown, and then dropped Reggie Williams because he gave me Tatum Bell as part of the trade - and then got Ronnie Brown as the first pick)

So wait, you've still got Tatum Bell on the roster? Bell failed to crack the Denver starting lineup AGAIN. Mike Anderson has taken the 1st team spot, and Bell has done nothing to even separate him from Ron Dayne. I would've kept Reggie Williams, no doubt.

That second rookie slot counts as your final 19th round pick...so yeah, I'm willing to take a flyer on the rotating Denver Backfield and Bell for a 19th round pick.

Well, OK then. I don't think there is a rotating backfield in Denver. Mike Anderson has been entrenched at 1st team all camp and preseason, and he is very capable of being a 1000+ yard back as a full-time runner. I think the only reason Shanahan has tried replacing him at halfback is because he would prefer to have Anderson play full-time at fullback. But I think Shanny finally breathed in, sighed, and accepted the fact that he won't get to do that this season.

I don't think Bell gets significant time unless Anderson gets hurt. And even if that happens, I think Ron Dayne has every bit as much of a chance to be the guy that takes over as Bell does.

Karma's prediction : Big Ben gets the bench by the 4th game.

He played mistake free football last year but his stats weren't great. Then Pittsburgh tries to put a bit more on his shoulders and he is folding BIG time.

Benched? I don't agree with that. It takes a LOT for an NFL quarterback to get benched, especially if he's a young guy that the team expects to build around. Big Ben will likely have to kill someone for that to happen.

Now, will there be a regression in his 2nd year? I think quite possibly. Well, maybe not a "regression" so much as no longer a "perfect storm" situation that shoves all of Ben's flaws and still-in-development shortcomings behind the curtains. He's a 2nd year QB. David Carr didn't really start coming on until year 3, and his biggest steps are probably still to come. Byron Leftwich started coming on in year 2, but his biggest steps are in front of him too. Joey Harrington is in year 5 and we're still waiting to see if this will do it. Carson Palmer showed flashes in year 2 but I think it might be 3 or 4 before he's fully in stride. Year 2 is way too early to treat a young QB like a final product. Unfortunately for Ben, it does look like the Steelers are going to put more workload on his shoulders - though I don't know if they have a choice otherwise. You can't cheat the development process, you have to ride out the bumps and ditches.