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Before angry Jets fans accost this article’s comments section and accuse me of blasphemy, answer me one question:
If the Jets had not reached the AFC Championship game a season ago, would you be as enthusiastic about the upcoming season as you are right now?
It’s hard to imagine the answer to the question being anything but a resounding “No.” And considering the good fortune the Jets received in 2009, that outcome was a serious possibility.
In Week 16, the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts amiably rested their starters against a Jets team facing elimination. Barely hanging on at halftime, the Jets giddily looked on as Curtis Painter took over at quarterback for Peyton Manning.
Thirty minutes later, David had beaten a toothless Goliath and the Jets were well on their way to a playoff berth.
The Jets then went on to beat the Bengals and Chargers in the playoffs, but neither game was exactly an overwhelming victory. In the two wins, opposing kickers missed five field goals, including three by Nate Kaeding, who is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, in a three-point game.
So, I ask you again:
Are you as optimistic about the 2010 Jets’ Super Bowl chances if the 2009 version had not gone on its “storybook” run?
Again, a person who would answer that question in the affirmative is simply being dishonest.
The fact is that the answer is undoubtedly a “no,” and the Jets status as favorites needs to be seriously reevaluated.
In a league in which Super Bowl teams routinely miss the playoffs the following season, it couldn’t be more obvious that prior performance is not a good indicator of future success.
When predicting the outlook for prospective contenders, one can only look at the product that the team is set to put on the field; not, as so many are doing, getting swept up in a wave of enthusiasm and excitement inspired only by a team’s past endeavors.
It’s hard to imagine the last time an 8-8 team received this kind of hype.
No matter how talented or flawed the Jets were last season, they were one unfavorable decision away from such a record, one loss removed from putting a sock in Rex Ryan’s oversized mouth.
That’s not to say that they aren’t contenders. But teams with this many question marks aren’t deserved of “favorite” status.
Unarguably, the Jets have one of the best offensive lines in the league. But it remains up to debate whether second-year running back Shonn Greene can shoulder a season’s worth of carries. If the Jets want to maximize Greene’s chances of doing so, they will need former superstar LaDanian Tomlinson to regain some of the productivity he’s lost over the last few years.
That, for a man who averaged 3.3 yards-per-carry a season ago, is no small feat.
Without question, the Jets have a formidable receiving corps. But can Mark Sanchez, who led all QBs in turnovers a season ago, take the huge step that will be necessary for him to be a Super Bowl quarterback?
Let’s examine.
Since Super Bowl XXXVIII, 11 of the 12 competing teams and all six winners had quarterbacks who were at the least reliable (Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Delhomme) and, more often, legendary (Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Peyton Manning).
The only below-average QB, Rex Grossman, had moments of brilliance but still saw his Bears lose to the much more steadily-led Colts in 2007.
Out of the same crop of quarterbacks, only one (Roethlisberger), had less games under his belt than Sanchez at the time of the big game. Roethlisberger was also far more developed at that stage of his career than Sanchez is now.
Super Bowl teams need playmaking quarterbacks, not game managers. Say what you want about Eli Manning circa 2008, but he made the plays he needed to when the Giants’ were in trouble.
In the Jets Wild Card win over the Bengals, Sanchez threw just 15 passes. When he was forced to throw slightly more often against San Diego in the divisional round, he passed for just 100 yards and a 60.1 QB Rating.
Those type of numbers support what is clearly visible on the field. Sanchez is more of a liability than an asset, more of a game manager than a playmaker. At this point, it might even be generous to label him with the former.
That’s not to say Sanchez won’t one day be a good quarterback.
But it is extremely rare to make the kind of stratospheric leap that he will need to make in order to elevate himself to the level of the vast majority of Super Bowl QBs. The problem is, he will need to do just that for the Jets to make a run at the Super Bowl, especially if the running game isn’t the dominant force it was a season ago.
“So what?” you say. “Defense wins championships. If the offense falters, our defense will more than make up for it!”
Perhaps. But that tired cliché isn’t exactly true. Sure, a great defense will always help a team’s title hopes, but it isn’t the sole indicator of success.
The aforementioned Rex Grossman-led 2007 Bears were the only one of the past 12 Super Bowl teams to have a dominant defense compensate for a shoddy offensive attack.
Not surprisingly, the exuberant Colts were doused with confetti, while Chicago retreated to the locker room and experienced the more conventional type of shower.
Regardless of the successes of past teams, there is no guarantee that the Jets will be as dominant defensively as they were last year.
There is the seemingly never-ending saga of the Darelle Revis holdout, which threatens to destroy any chance at a Jets Super Bowl victory. But, despite Jets’ owner Woody Johnson’s recent comment, it seems unlikely that Revis will hold out for the entire season.
He would do too much damage to his reputation as a team player, and the Jets would do too much to theirs as a team dedicated to its players. It also is undeniably rare for a holdout to last for an entire season.
Revis not withstanding, a host of other concerns remain for the Jets’ defense.
The Jets were helped at least a little bit by their first ranked rushing attack, which kept the opposing offense off of the field and the Jets’ defenders with fresh legs. If the running game falters, it could have some negative effects on the other side of the ball.
Another problem that might rear its ugly head is the Jets lack of safety depth. Jim Leonhard remains a steady hand, but whoever fills in on the other side (almost certainly Eric Smith) is likely to be exploited. This could become a serious problem if Leonhard goes down, as was exhibited by the Giants’ loss of Kenny Phillips last year.
A dearth of safety depth is always a problem, no matter how good your cornerbacks are.
The pass rush is also a concern. Last year’s top ranked defense accumulated only 32 sacks, good for 18th in the NFL. If the rush doesn’t improve, there will undoubtedly be more big plays down whatever side of the field Revis isn’t covering.
It also might be worth worrying about the Jets defensive line, which is devoid of a bonafide pass rusher and is anchored by NT Kris Jenkins, who is coming off major surgery. If Jenkins is not back at his full capabilities or is bitten by the injury bug again, it could open up problems against the running game.
If the latter were to happen, the Jets depth might be tested. On paper, they seem to be up to the task. But they were largely healthy last year and it remains to be seen as to whether the second-string can fill the void.
With all that has been said, it still goes without saying that the Jets are a talented football team.
With the Patriots shrinking further and further into the realm of NFL parity, the Jets have a solid shot at the AFC East supremacy. It doesn’t hurt that they have an outstanding offensive line, great wide receivers, impressive linebackers, and a stable of cornerbacks with massive potential.
But with the success of the remaining facets of the team in doubt, it’s hard to reason why this team has been anointed favorites by both themselves and the adoring media.
Perhaps it’s their boisterous, likable coach. Maybe it’s their undeniable swagger. Or their passionate fans.
More likely, however, it’s an entire portion of the public who has been seduced by a magical, yet misleading journey into the month of January.
When the calendar turns to 2011, we’ll find out whether the Jets were worth the hype, or—more likely—if their run to the AFC Championship Game was simply an exciting detour for a merely solid football team.
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The stage was set, the air was crisp, and the feel of football was in the air. It was time for the Raiders to roll out their new and improved squad on the green grass of Jerry Jones’ baby, and Raider Nation was breathless with anticipation.
Questions abounded: Will this look like an NFL offense? Can the team win the game in the trenches, and thus, stop the run against a versatile attack? What’s Rolando McClain going to do? Lamarr Houston? DHB? Can this team have the look of one that is finally headed in the right direction? Will the pain and suffering finally end?
Well, none of those questions can have answers that are fully quantified after the first preseason game in which teams are traditionally sloppy and shaking off the rust of a long off-season. We did, however, get a glimpse of a few things.
This Looks Like An NFL Offense
Jason Campbell didn’t set the world on fire, checked the ball down a couple of times when he had time in the pocket, and just missed on a couple of deep throws. But after years of futility behind center, the Nation can be encouraged by what we saw. The route trees were more complicated, Campbell saw more than half the field and the playbook was wide open.
Campbell looked rusty and even a little nervous at first, which he later admitted he was, but he also looked calm and poised on the third drive of the game, and began to find a rhythm with his offense.
His uncanny knack for the play-action fake and ability to freeze the defense will assist the running game and the vertical passing game. He also took a few shots down field and showed good touch even if those passes fell incomplete. Louis Murphy fought for the ball the first time, and caught it the second, but just slightly out of bounds. DHB did nothing of significance, but they did try to get him the ball first thing.
The Cowboys seemed to be itching to get to Campbell, but the O-Line actually kept him fairly clean with one exception. Once the rust is off and the rapport is built, I expect big things here.
Michael Bush ran the ball hard and tough, but in my opinion we did not run the ball enough. Our offensive line was actually getting decent push against the first unit, but we only ran the ball four or five times with Bush, and I thought we should’ve used him more.
The Raiders Have Improved in the Trenches
I’m trying not to read too much into the first preseason game, but early returns on the trenches are good. The offensive line, while not blowing the Cowboys back and creating huge running lanes, kept Campbell and then Boller relatively clean, giving up only one sack as big Junior Siavi overpowered Samson Satele. That’s a going concern for the season, as Satele has shown he has difficulty with big nasties up front.
On the other hand, the Raiders defensive line lived in the Cowboys backfield for the majority of the game. When it was first unit against first unit, the Raiders sacked Romo three times and forced a fumble; Matt Shaughnessy, the often overlooked and underrated Raider rush monster, also beat the first team offensive line and sacked backup QB Jon Kitna just outside the end zone, almost grabbing a safety. Rookie draft choice Lamarr Houston got two of the sacks, and he also made a couple of nice plays on the edge, stopping runs for minimal or no gain.
Shaugnessy dominated the edge, picking up two sacks himself and dogging the Dallas QBs consistently. Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly plugged up the middle, and in all, the run defense DID look much improved. There was much better gap discipline, pursuit of the ball, and getting off blockers to make a play. It was extremely encouraging. In fact, I would go so far to say that the Raiders won the battle on both sides of the ball all night.
Nnamdi Being Nnamdi
The Awesome One has been floating around the field in recent practices, and he showed why last night. The Cowboys decided to throw on Asomugha only once; and he ran Roy Williams’ route better than Roy did, and would’ve had a pick-six if not for a borderline offensive pass interference mugging by Roy to prevent the touchdown. All in a day’s work.
Then, he was interviewed during the game, and sung the praises of Hue Jackson, Campbell, the young defensive backs like McFadden and Ware, and talked up Matt Shaughnessy, all while being his usual respectful, poised, and intelligent self. He told Raider Nation to get excited, because he was, and you truly believed him.
The guy is smooth as butter, and when his brilliant playing career is over, the networks would be wise to fight each other for his wonderful analytical skills and impressive vocabulary.
Our Third Running Back Is Good
Regardless of who it may be. Rock Cartwright runs hard, and has good hands for a physical guy. He’s also a good kickoff returner, although you’d never know last night with David “Ferris” Beuehler hammering touchback after touchback into the Jerry Jones sky. His special teams ability may separate him from Michael Bennett when it comes down to cutdowns.
But Bennett isn’t going to go without a fight, and man that guy still has some legs. On that screen pass in the fourth quarter, in which Bennett gained 33 yards, he looked like he was shot out of a cannon. He’s still got some speed, and picked up some tough yards between the tackles as well.
It’s a good problem to have, deciding between these two.
The Rookies Are Alright
I’ve already mentioned Houston, and big Rolando McClain, though not stand out, was solid in his debut, making a few nice tackles on short passes and showing well in coverage. He is an excellent tackler, and never seems to be out of position.
Walter McFadden had a scary moment in which a pile of Cowboys rolled over his right arm after a muffed punt by Shaun “Bye Bye” Bodiford. But he was okay, and played well in coverage when he was in there.
Jeremy Ware didn’t do much; but didn’t make any mistakes, either.
Stevie Brown grabbed a nice pick to end the game, and almost had another. The guy has been making plays all camp and has a knack for being around the ball.
Jared Veldheer played quite well in his time at LT, protecting Boller and opening some excellent holes on the left side with seal blocks to allow Bennett to bounce it around the edge. I was also VERY impressed with the fact that on that screen pass to Bennett, Veldheer, who was now playing center and doing it well, was the only lineman quick enough to even get out to block. Granted, Bennett blew right by him, but on the video, when you see Bennett accelerate and then a big number 68 come into your screen, you’ve gotta love that effort and intensity.
Speaking of effort and intensity, Bruce Campbell was impressive as well. He’s a huge, strong dude, and he used that to his advantage to push back his opponents. Not content to block just the man in front of him, he consistently got to the second level, looking for someone to hit.
Would’ve liked to see Jacoby Ford, but next time.
Kellen Heard didn’t do much and at this point may not make the final roster.
Quick Thoughts
- Welcome back, JLH. You didn’t score last night, but looked confident fielding passes and punts and showed some of that explosion we missed, along with good hands. Good on you
- As I mentioned above, bye bye Shaun Bodiford. His muffed punt, coupled with his poor hands early in camp, and Figurs solid performance last night tells me his days are numbered
- I’m comfortable with our backup quarterback situation, and Grads didn’t even play last night. Boller, after early rust, looked pretty solid
- Well done, Jon Condo. Not only are you a Pro-Bowl long snapper, but you’re a pretty awesome coverage man too; and you do it with toughness and style.
- Our WR corps has a plethora of quick guys that need to be sorted out. Figurs played well last night, muddying the waters amongst him, JLH, Jacoby Ford and Nick Miller
- Speaking of Nick Miller, how many fellow fans HONESTLY thought that call was going to go our way? I love this kid….I can see why they wasted a roster spot on him last season. Something about him just says to me he’s going to be a player in this league, and I hope we keep him around again. I don’t know what it is, but he’s got that vibe
- Not much from Kamerion Wimbley, but Quentin Groves made a couple of solid run stuffs and played decently in coverage. He got hurt but stayed in the game, which is impressive toughness in the preseason
- Tommy Kelly gets dumped on a lot, but he was solid in the middle of the defense last night with three solo tackles in very limited action. I think he steps up this year
- For a preseason game, I was impressed with the discipline of the Raiders. They didn’t take very many penalties, and really the only time it was a concern was when Boller first came into the game and the unit was out of sync
It was the first preseason game, so you can’t read too much into anything positively or negatively, but the Raiders off-season goals were to improve against the run, to improve discipline, and to improve the offense. Judging by last night’s performance, we’re well on our way
Hope you enjoyed the game as much as I did, Nation. Let me know your thoughts, and hey, a win is a win, am I right?
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
Here is the official depth chart that is required to be released before the first pre-season game. This was compiled from an article in the Denver Post by Lindsey Jones and also from the Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports websites.
As you can see, it doesn’t have a lot of meaning for the upcoming pre-season game in Cincinnati.
For one thing, Ryan Clady will in no way be starting that game at LT. What will likely happen is D’Anthony Batiste will start, with Tyler Polumbus backing him up. Clady is still weeks away from even returning to practice.
The running back positions mean absolutely nothing for this Sunday, as none of the first three listed players are expected to suit up. This leaves Toney Baker, Lance Ball and Bruce Hall fighting for playing time. The signing yesterday of Justin Fargas also adds more fuzziness to an already cloudy RB picture.
It shows that Doom is not listed on the chart, but there is a good chance he will return before the end of the regular season.
Notice also that we have two rookies listed as starters in Beadles and Walton. This speaks a lot to how high they both were rated by the coaching staff. There will be the requisite rookie mistakes but I do believe that this O-line will come along as the pre-season and the regular season progresses.
Considering all the injuries and uncertainties, it doesn’t have much in common with reality but here goes:
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After missing practically all of the 2008 season with a knee injury, quarterback Tom Brady was back in 2009, and he helped lead the New England Patriots to another division title. The Patriots finished the regular season with a 10-6 record, and eight of those wins came at home, where the Pats ran the table.
An injury to star wide receiver Wes Welker was certainly a factor in New England’s embarrassing playoff loss, further emphasizing how valuable his presence is to this team. If Welker can return healthy, the Patriots have enough pieces to top the AFC East again, but it won’t be easy with the emergence of the Jets and Dolphins.
Offense
Tom Brady played well in his first season back following major knee surgery. He finished the year with 4,398 yards and 28 touchdowns with 13 interceptions while helping New England boast the third-best passing offense in the NFL.
In all, the Patriots ranked sixth in the league in terms of scoring offense, averaging 26.7 points per game. Matching last season’s offensive numbers will largely depend on Welker’s health. Welker is expected to be ready to go in Week One, but the Pats have added Torry Holt and David Patten for security. In just 14 games last season, Welker caught 123 passes for 1,348 yards. He flat out moves the sticks.
Randy Moss may have lost a step of two, but I’m a firm believer in the saying “the numbers don’t lie”. Moss finished with 83 catches for 1,1264 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. There is room for improvement in the running game, and that improvement could come if Fred Taylor is able to stay healthy.
Defense:
While last year’s defense wasn’t as dominant as the ones from the past that featured Jarvis Green, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour and Mike Vrable, it still finished fifth in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing only 17.8 points per game.
However, it may be hard to duplicate last season’s numbers with the additions division rivals New York and Miami have made to bolster their passing games.
Big Vince Wilfork is back to hold down the fort up front, but pass rushers must emerge around him for New England to remain a top notch defensive team. Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain led the Patriots with 10 sacks last year, but no one else on the roster had more than five. Someone is going to have to aid Banta-Cain and Wilfork in the pass rush or New England could end up allowing more than the 209.7 yards per game it gave up through the air last season.
Prediction: 2nd AFC East
The Patriots have won the AFC East six of the last seven years, and they’ll be in the mix in 2010. In fact, as long as Tom Brady is on the field and Bill Belichick is on the sideline, the Pats will be a threat to make the playoffs. However, I have them coming up short in the division this season.
The Jets, who were the best defensive team in the NFL last year, have a lot of momentum on their side after advancing to the AFC title game last season. Check out my 2010 NFL predictions article to see who I have winning each of the eight NFL divisions.
Beat the NFL odds on a consistent basis from Week 1 of the preseason through the Super Bowl with Jimmy Boyd expert picks!
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The breeze returned to the Florida Blue practice facility at EverBank Field for the evening practice session. It carried with it a buzz almost as palpable as the first night of contact drills. The crowd was outstanding this evening, most of whom came to see the newly signed first rounder, Tyson Alualu.
He did not disappoint the fans.
Injuries:
The Jaguars continued to hold out some veterans to allow them to rest. There were also those injured players who were dealing with dings. The players who did not participate this evening included Maurice Jones-Drew, Jarett Dillard, Eben Britton, Aaron Kampman, Daryl Smith, Vince Manuwai, and D’Anthony Smith.
Austen Lane had his right knee wrapped up and the training staff made some adjustments during practice. I am not clear if this is something he has been doing at all practices, or if he had some minor issue requiring a wrap. He did not appear to be dealing with any issues during practice, so it is probably nothing to be concerned about.
Kampman had his left knee heavily iced late in practice to counter any swelling resulting from the aggravation he caused during practice last night. He seemed upbeat, and spent the majority of practice following the defensive line around instead of working with the trainers. Hopefully this is only a minor setback.
Now, let’s get to the drills.
Individual Drills (Round 1):
Special teams took center stage as they started practice working on punt return drills. Scotty McGee, Mike Thomas, and Nate Hughes were used in these drills. All three did fine with handling the punts.
The one incident of note was when the rookie, McGee, was leveled by Don Carey before the ball was anywhere close to being hauled in. Carey came over and shook McGee’s hand after they were done to make sure there were no hard feelings for being turned into road kill.
The receivers had a better night in individual drills, and the quarterbacks were more accurate than they have been in previous practice sessions. The only notable areas where there were missteps were muffed receptions by Mike Thomas and Mike Sims-Walker, and one bad pass Trevor Harris launched at the feet of Roren Thomas.
9 X 9 (Running Drills):
There were a couple of observations about the rushing attack with Jones-Drew on the sideline worth mentioning.
Deji Karim is a guy who has nice cutting ability, decent speed, and solid burst through the line. What he showed tonight was a pounder mentality. The guy was punching through the defense like a pinball when he carried the ball.
Rashad Jennings had a relatively quiet practice, but he does continue to show marked improvement in how quickly he is hitting the hole. His indecisiveness as a rookie appears to be a thing of the past.
Chad Kackert also showed impressive speed as he ran a couple of stretch plays. He is an interesting prospect to watch because he has good hands coming out of the backfield, and better than expected speed. On a team where the offense is going to be focused on running the ball, he is making enough noise to warrant some consideration. He is certainly a long shot to make the roster, but he could find himself on the practice squad as a developmental guy.
2 X 1:
The receivers were working on a lot of 10 and 20 yard hooks and crossing routes, and for the most part, the quarterbacks were hitting their guys with terrific accuracy.
Trevor Harris struggled early to find his guys, mostly on the deeper passes. After overthrowing Clarence Denmark on a pass down the sideline, he was intercepted by Anthony Smith on a 20 yard curl intended for Roren Thomas.
David Garrard was spot on most of his passes, but when he missed, it was usually a breakdown in communication where the receiver curled in when he should have been turning the other way. It was easy to pick up because the guys were getting hammered by Todd Monken when they ran the wrong route.
Once David was warmed up, he was money on his passes. That does not mean his receivers were always hauling them in though. On one particular play, Kassim Osgood was running a slant with Michael Coe in coverage. The ball was delivered perfectly over the shoulder to Osgood, but he bobbled the pass. He tried to recover, but Coe was hand checking him and the ball wound up hitting the turf.
Luke McCown launched a 25 yard corner pass that was out in front of his intended receiver, John Matthews. Matthews made a great fingertip grab to haul in the ball for a solid gain with Scotty McGee in tight coverage.
Mike Thomas embarrassed William Middleton on a post pattern where the receiver gave a little juke move in his route. When he made the cut, Thomas got decent separation from Middleton, and the defensive back was never able to recover.
Pass Rush Drills (Linebackers vs. Running Backs, Tight Ends, and Fullbacks):
I would not normally mention these drills, but they were quite entertaining this evening as the two sides really stepped up their efforts. In the end, the offensive players came out on top, but there were a few notable exceptions.
Some of the matchups were fun to watch, including Kirk Morrison going up against Greg Jones twice. Morrison never had a chance as Jones showed why the Jaguars have coveted his services for all these years. He stymied Morrison on two attempts, never letting him get anywhere near the quarterback.
Morrison was also victimized by Marcedes Lewis who was able to prevent the veteran linebacker from reaching his target. Lewis also flattened Jacob Cutera on another attempt.
11 X 11 (Round 1):
David Garrard went to work hitting Mike Sims-Walker on a 30 yard post pattern with Don Carey in tow. The ball was on the mark and Sims-Walker made it look routine pulling down the pass with Carey wrapped around his waist.
Garrard nailed Troy Williamson on a 65 yard post pattern that was probably one of his best throws of training camp. He dropped the pass over Derek Cox into Williamson’s hands without breaking his stride. The pitch and catch got the crowd into the practice on that end of the field as Williamson took it to the end zone.
On the other end of the field, the fans were just as thrilled because Tyson Alualu had made his presence known by blowing up Kevin Haslam. If contact was allowed, it would have been a sack for Alualu. He was literally standing there playing spectator when Garrard launched the pass.
Garrard came back and quickly hit Mike Thomas on a dump pass to avoid Larry Hart, who had gotten into the backfield and was headed for a sack. Garrard showed good pocket presence sensing the rush and getting the ball to his outlet quickly.
Deji Karim found the running difficult as he tried to take one off the left side. He was stuffed for a loss by Freddy Keiaho.
Garrard nailed Chad Kackert for a 20 yard gain along the sideline. Kackert made a nice falling grab with Kirk Morrison standing over him. Similar to the bomb Garrard dropped on Williamson earlier, this was another instance where the play probably would have wound up a sack. Both Larry Hart and Jeremy Mincey were in the backfield and had to pull evasive maneuvers to avoid sacking the quarterback.
Garrard hit Kassim Osgood on a 20 yard slant on the next play. Again, Mincey and Hart had blown up the left side of the offensive line going right by Eugene Monroe and going hands-up to avoid actually tackling the quarterback.
Luke McCown hit Deji Karim on a dump off to avoid Julius Williams and Atiyyah Ellison roaming free in the backfield.
McCown came back and hit Troy Williamson on a cross, barely avoiding Julius Williams, who had run right by Daniel Baldridge. The play wound up a 20 yard gain, but again it could have been a sack just as easily.
Field Goal Drills:
Josh Scobee was rock solid during practice tonight, hitting on field goal attempts of 33, 40, 42, 44, and 46 yards. What was more impressive was he hit the camera platform from 42 and 44 yards.
They also pulled a nifty fake field goal from 48 yards where Adam Podlesh took the snap and immediately flipped it over his head to Scobee, who was streaking to the outside on the play, catching the defense completely off guard.
7 X 7:
David Garrard attempted to go deep down the sideline to Nate Hughes with Sean Considine in coverage. The ball was on target, but Hughes could not pull it down despite beating Considine on the play.
Luke McCown hit Mike Caussin on a little dump off that would have gone for a short gain. The impressive part of the play was how Caussin just ran right over poor William Middleton on the play, demonstrating the bug on the windshield theory for the defensive back.
Zach Potter continued to do his best Kyle Brady impersonation, taking a pass out of the backfield from Luke McCown and stone-handing it as he turned to run after the catch.
David Garrard connected with Chad Kackert on the sideline with Gerald Alexander in tight coverage. Kackert showed great concentration after initially bobbling the pass. He was able to pull it in despite the fact that Alexander was doing everything he could to shake the ball free.
11 X 11 (Round 2):
David Garrard tried to go down the field to Mike Sims-Walker on a deep crossing route. The ball was slightly overthrown, but Walker made a great effort to try to catch the ball going up and getting a hand on it. Unfortunately, he was unable to control the pass. Garrard’s pass sailed on him because Aaron Morgan had broken into the backfield and was in his face as he launched the ball.
Garrard came back and hit Walker on a 20 yard sideline pass, again while having to contend with Aaron Morgan in his face.
Clarence Denmark made a nice catch on a Luke McCown pass right before getting hammered by Anthony Smith on a deep cross. The reception went for 25 yards, and even after he was hit, he did not go down getting additional yardage on the play.
Reggie Nelson had a nice highlight in the practice tonight. Trevor Harris attempted to go deep down the sideline for Tiquan Underwood, but Nelson cut in front of Underwood and picked the ball off. It was a great jumping grab by Nelson taking the ball away from Underwood with acrobatic style.
Del Rio stopped the drill and brought the team together briefly to lecture them. When he finished, they resumed the drill, but set the clock to 18 seconds and gave the offense a chance to get the ball into field goal range.
On the first attempt, Garrard hit Marcedes Lewis on a short cross, getting the offense into range. Josh Scobee nailed the 44 yard field goal.
On the second attempt, Garrard hit Troy Williamson on a crossing pattern after throwing the first pass away to stop the clock. He got the ball in range, and Scobee hit from 39 yards.
Garrard hit Zach Miller on a short slant, and then spiked the ball to stop the clock. Scobee came in and sealed the deal with a 47 yard field goal.
They updated the clock to 48 seconds, moved the ball back to midfield, and started again. On the first attempt, Garrard missed Kassim Osgood on a sideline pass. He came back and tried to hit Clarence Denmark on a deep post pattern. However, the ball was thrown too deep and behind Denmark, and was almost intercepted by Sean Considine. If Considine had hands, the drill would have ended there.
Garrard connected with Marcedes Lewis but Del Rio ruled it a sack by Scott Starks. Del Rio gave Garrard some grief about taking the sack and letting the clock run down to where they had one play left.
Because they were outside of field goal range, Garrard attempted to go deep to Tiquan Underwood. The 20 yard pass down the sideline was not enough to get them into field goal range, and the clock ran out on the offense.
Final Thoughts:
In the limited exposure we had to Tyson Alualu tonight, he was impressive. They did not let him participate too extensively in the fully squad drills outside of the first set of 11 X 11, but when he was on the field it was clear the guy has a motor that does not stop. He is going to be fun to watch as he develops.
There are some real concerns about our offensive line. Not only are we thin on depth, but the starters on the left side of the line were completely ineffective tonight. The backups filling in for Britton were no better, looking more like a turnstile than offensive tackles.
If the plan is to keep Garrard upright and healthy for the entire season, the line needs to get better quickly.
More later!
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