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NFL 2013 Preseason/Training Camp thread - Doritos Locos

Doomsayer

Member
Just a few thoughts -

Kaep looked sharp and was good in the pocket and good on his two rollout throws. Loved seeing him elude Von Miller on his completion to Boldin.

Boldin looked good, of course. Marlon Moore had a nice catch... Vance McDonald is going to be huge in the redzone this season. Jenkins looked like garbage, I'm so frustrated with this kid because he says all the right things but he needs to step up.

LMJ fumbled, again. Gotta work on that, but his vision was nice. We can't cut Dixon, hard runner and a good blocker.

Defense was stout, albeit against vanilla schemes with that starters only being there one series. Eric Reid looked in command of the defense and was making solid hits all night; he looks to be a keeper.

ILB depth is still worrisome as is depth at SS (I don't care much for Whitner).

Special teams looked like it did last year - hit or miss. Coverage was either great or terrible. Dawson did his best Akers impersonation, he'll get it corrected.

Oh, Tolzien was pretty bad but McCoy was just as terrible.
 
Just a few thoughts -

Kaep looked sharp and was good in the pocket and good on his two rollout throws. Loved seeing him elude Von Miller on his completion to Boldin.

Boldin looked good, of course. Marlon Moore had a nice catch... Vance McDonald is going to be huge in the redzone this season. Jenkins looked like garbage, I'm so frustrated with this kid because he says all the right things but he needs to step up.

LMJ fumbled, again. Gotta work on that, but his vision was nice. We can't cut Dixon, hard runner and a good blocker.

Defense was stout, albeit against vanilla schemes with that starters only being there one series. Eric Reid looked in command of the defense and was making solid hits all night; he looks to be a keeper.

ILB depth is still worrisome as is depth at SS (I don't care much for Whitner).

Special teams looked like it did last year - hit or miss. Coverage was either great or terrible. Dawson did his best Akers impersonation, he'll get it corrected.

Oh, Tolzien was pretty bad but McCoy was just as terrible.

all true. kap looked very comfortable and was making it look easy. boldin looked solid and our o-lne looked good.

the good and bad thing about kap keeping up his stellar play is that we're going to have to pay him and pay him a lot of money.... like $15-20 mil a year money. but then we also have guys like aldon and iupati and crabtree who need to be paid. can we afford them all?
 

Doomsayer

Member
all true. kap looked very comfortable and was making it look easy. boldin looked solid and our o-lne looked good.

the good and bad thing about kap keeping up his stellar play is that we're going to have to pay him and pay him a lot of money.... like $15-20 mil a year money. but then we also have guys like aldon and iupati and crabtree who need to be paid. can we afford them all?

It's scary how many good players we have on this roster that may have to walk because we can't afford them.

I expect Crabs to test free agency anyway. Though I'm worried about our O-line; Boone, Davis, and Iupati will soon be paid.

If Kaep wins us a Superbowl in the next two years, we are going to break the bank for him.
 
It's scary how many good players we have on this roster that may have to walk because we can't afford them.

I expect Crabs to test free agency anyway. Though I'm worried about our O-line; Boone, Davis, and Iupati will soon be paid.

If Kaep wins us a Superbowl in the next two years, we are going to break the bank for him.

davis is locked up long term and boone is locked up semi-long term. we had been talking with iupati but i'm sure he is looking to be one of the higher paid guards in the league which will run about $9 mil per year or so :/
 
davis is locked up long term and boone is locked up semi-long term. we had been talking with iupati but i'm sure he is looking to be one of the higher paid guards in the league which will run about $9 mil per year or so :/

How good is Iupati? Will he demand Mankins like money? He signed a 6-year, 51 million dollar deal in 2010/11.
 

ChanHuk

Banned
Going out for hot dogs on my days off this place has crocodile and pork andouille sausages. I should take Gata with me too.
 

chuckddd

Fear of a GAF Planet
What to watch for:

Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming off of a disappointing 8-8 campaign, the Steelers will look to ramp up the intensity this year. Coach Mike Tomlin has emphasized hitting, hitting and more hitting in camp. I think the reasoning for this is two-fold. One, he wants to reinstate the physical mind set. And two, he wants to be sure that when young players are pressed into action, they are more ready. He also has mandated that all linemen wear knee braces and there's only been one torn acl so far in camp!

OFFENSE

This is the second year under offensive coordinator, Todd Haley. Hopefully, the players get on board with his system better than last year. The Steelers are implementing more zone blocking into the running game. This is a more finesse style of blocking compared to the smashmouth of years past. It should help get the running backs to the outside. A side benefit is that it should help the defense deal with the many teams that run this style of offense.

QB - After Ben, comes Bruce Gradkowski. How well will he pick up the offense and does he have a raport with his new teammates? For third qb, the Steelers drafted Landry Jones, but he's being outplayed in camp by John Parker Wilson. Not a good sign, but something to watch at the end of these preseason games!

RB - Le'veon Bell was drafted in the second round and apparently looks good enough to be the starter. The official depth chart, of course, lists him last. He's been named the starter for the first preseason game. LaRod Stephens-Howling was signed as a free agent. He should add some speed and elusiveness in addition to being a kick returner. Perhaps feeling threatened, the returning backs, Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman and Baron Batch all showed up to camp in fantastic shape. One of these guys will be traded or cut and will make a nice addition to an opposing team.

FB - Will Johnson is the only guy on the roster at this position. Look for him to be played in multiple formations and to never carry the ball.

TE - There is no firm return time for Heath Miller, who was awesome last year. Reports are that he's working out and running, but not practicing. To replace him, the Steelers have resigned Matt Spaeth and have Jamie McCoy, both of whom can block but not catch. They also have David Paulson, who can catch but not block. Get well soon, Heath!

WR - Antonio Brown will be the #1 reciever. Emmanuel Sanders will be #2. He's had an injury riddled and inconsistent career, so far. The real battle will be who will get time as the third reciever. Plaxico Burress is a big red zone target done. Jerricho Cotchery is sure handed. Markus Wheaton is a shifty, third round draft pick. Derek Moye, David Gilreath, Justin Brown, Kashif Moore and the speedy Reggie Dunn are all battling to make the squad. Once again, the Steelers will probably end up cutting a player or two that can contribute to another team.

OL - Even though Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert are doing battle for LT v RT, the o-line starters are set. In fact, the other three guys who will dress on game day, are set. They being Kelvin Beachum, John Malecki and Guy Whimper. Can Mike Golic Jr. or any of the young guys show enough to make the practice squad? That's pretty much the only remaing question.

DEFENSE

Much to no one's surprise, the Steelers ranked first in the NFL in total defense. Again. Dick LeBeau will keep on keeping on with his 3-4 zone blitz scheme.

DL - Steve McClendon takes over for Casey Hampton at the nose. He's not quite as stout, but a revelation as an udfa out of Troy. He has no reliable player behind him, but I hope either Hebron Fangupo or Alameda DWI Ta'amu can show something. At the tackles, are aging, but effective, Brett Keisel and Ziggy Hood. Hood may be playing for his Steeler life this year, as he hasn't progressed as well as a first rounder should. Behind them is Cam Heyward who is in the same boat as Hood, but a year behind. Al Woods has been getting some buzz in camp.

OLB - James Harrison is gone to the Bungles. So, opposite of LaMarr Woodley will be Jason Worilds, spelled by first round pick, Jarvis Jones. Worilds almost certainly won't be a Steeler next year, but can he stay in the league? Chris Carter and Adrian Robinson are also battling to make the team.

ILB - 90 year old Larry Foote is back, as is Lawrence Timmons. A replacement for Foote must be found, even if he doesn't play much this year. Stevenson Sylvester is the veteran back up. Marshall McFadden, Kion Wilson, Terence Garvin, Brian Rolle and 6th round pick, Vince Williams do battle here. It's hard to pick a out a single or couple of stand outs here, as reports are that they're all similar. All 6' - 6'2', 220-240. All play downhill and should be good against the run. I'll definitely be watching this area, hoping for a stand out player.

S - Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu hold down the fort. Polamalu is hoping for a renaissance, as injuries have taken their toll on his body much of the last few years. Clark still looks good, despite being the same age. DaMon Cromartie-Smith and Robert Golden will be pushed by rookie fourth round pick, Shamarko Thomas. Thomas has been nicknamed "headache" and has already professed that he'll likely be fined by Heir Goodell.

CB - Much like his hands, Ike Taylor is a rock. Keenan Lewis went to hell during free agency and will be replaced by Cortez Allen. William Gay was brought back from Steelers West to play the slot. This group has suffered a bunch of injuries in camp, so Josh Victorian, Robert Golden, Ross Ventrone and, hopefully, Terry Hawthorne, will be given a chance to showcase their wares.

WRAP UP

The 2012 Steelers were hampered by an offense that could not overcome their decimated offensive line. While the defense played well, they were unable to generate turnovers. The starters are set and look to be solid, but there is very little depth. This team has the potential to be very good, but if a single group suffers too many injuries, it will be another long season.
 
What to watch for:

Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming off of a disappointing 8-8 campaign, the Steelers will look to ramp up the intensity this year. Coach Mike Tomlin has emphasized hitting, hitting and more hitting in camp. I think the reasoning for this is two-fold. One, he wants to reinstate the physical mind set. And two, he wants to be sure that when young players are pressed into action, they are more ready. He also has mandated that all linemen wear knee braces and there's only been one torn acl so far in camp!

OFFENSE

This is the second year under offensive coordinator, Todd Haley. Hopefully, the players get on board with his system better than last year. The Steelers are implementing more zone blocking into the running game. This is a more finesse style of blocking compared to the smashmouth of years past. It should help get the running backs to the outside. A side benefit is that it should help the defense deal with the many teams that run this style of offense.

QB - After Ben, comes Brad Gradkowski. How well will he pick up the offense and does he have a raport with his new teammates? For third qb, the Steelers drafted Landry Jones, but he's being outplayed in camp by John Parker Wilson. Not a good sign, but something to watch at the end of these preseason games!

RB - Le'veon Bell was drafted in the second round and apparently looks good enough to be the starter. The official depth chart, of course, lists him last. He's been named the starter for the first preseason game. LaRod Stephens-Howling was signed as a free agent. He should add some speed and elusiveness in addition to being a kick returner. Perhaps feeling threatened, the returning backs, Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman and Baron Batch all showed up to camp in fantastic shape. One of these guys will be traded or cut and will make a nice addition to an opposing team.

FB - Will Johnson is the only guy on the roster at this position. Look for him to be played in multiple formations and to never carry the ball.

TE - There is no firm return time for Heath Miller, who was awesome last year. Reports are that he's working out and running, but not practicing. To replace him, the Steelers have resigned Matt Spaeth and have Jamie McCoy, both of whom can block but not catch. They also have David Paulson, who can catch but not block. Get well soon, Heath!

WR - Antonio Brown will be the #1 reciever. Emmanuel Sanders will be #2. He's had an injury riddled and inconsistent career, so far. The real battle will be who will get time as the third reciever. Plaxico Burress is a big red zone target done. Jerricho Cotchery is sure handed. Markus Wheaton is a shifty, third round draft pick. Derek Moye, David Gilreath, Justin Brown, Kashif Moore and the speedy Reggie Dunn are all battling to make the squad. Once again, the Steelers will probably end up cutting a player or two that can contribute to another team.

OL - Even though Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert are doing battle for LT v RT, the o-line starters are set. In fact, the other three guys who will dress on game day, are set. They being Kelvin Beachum, John Malecki and Guy Whimper. Can Mike Golic Jr. or any of the young guys show enough to make the practice squad? That's pretty much the only remaing question.

DEFENSE

Much to no one's surprise, the Steelers ranked first in the NFL in total defense. Again. Dick LeBeau will keep on keeping on with his 3-4 zone blitz scheme.

DL - Steve McClendon takes over for Casey Hampton at the nose. He's not quite as stout, but a revelation as an udfa out of Troy. He has no reliable player behind him, but I hope either Hebron Fangupo or Alameda DWI Ta'amu can show something. At the tackles, are aging, but effective, Brett Keisel and Ziggy Hood. Hood may be playing for his Steeler life this year, as he hasn't progressed as well as a first rounder should. Behind them is Cam Heyward who is in the same boat as Hood, but a year behind. Al Woods has been getting some buzz in camp.

OLB - James Harrison is gone to the Bungles. So, opposite of LaMarr Woodley will be Jason Worilds, spelled by first round pick, Jarvis Jones. Worilds almost certainly won't be a Steeler next year, but can he stay in the league? Chris Carter and Adrian Robinson are also battling to make the team.

ILB - 90 year old Larry Foote is back, as is Lawrence Timmons. A replacement for Foote must be found, even if he doesn't play much this year. Stevenson Sylvester is the veteran back up. Marshall McFadden, Kion Wilson, Terence Garvin, Brian Rolle and 6th round pick, Vince Williams do battle here. It's hard to pick a out a single or couple of stand outs here, as reports are that they're all similar. All 6' - 6'2', 220-240. All play downhill and should be good against the run. I'll definitely be watching this area, hoping for a stand out player.

S - Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu hold down the fort. Polamalu is hoping for a renaissance, as injuries have taken their toll on his body much of the last few years. Clark still looks good, despite being the same age. DaMon Cromartie-Smith and Robert Golden will be pushed by rookie fourth round pick, Shamarko Thomas. Thomas has been nicknamed "headache" and has already professed that he'll likely be fined by Heir Goodell.

CB - Much like his hands, Ike Taylor is a rock. Keenan Lewis went to hell during free agency and will be replaced by Cortez Allen. William Gay was brought back from Steelers West to play the slot. This group has suffered a bunch of injuries in camp, so Josh Victorian, Robert Golden, Ross Ventrone and, hopefully, Terry Hawthorne, will be given a chance to showcase their wares.

WRAP UP

The 2012 Steelers were hampered by an offense that could not overcome their decimated offensive line. While the defense played well, they were unable to generate turnovers. The starters are set and look to be solid, but there is very little depth. This team has the potential to be very good, but if a single group suffers too many injuries, it will be another long season.
Good write up chuck, couple of notes:

It's Bruce Gradkowski, not Brad.


The battle for LT is pretty much over. Adams won. Gilbert is now battling Beachum for RT.

Emmanuel Sanders will take up Wallace's old post of Flanker, and is showing his speed at the position. Markus Wheaton is the front runner for his vacated slot spot.

Team is high on Robert Golden. Tomlin has nicknamed him "little Dawk" which is high praise. He and Shamarko have the inside track on safety for future.

Worilds likely won't be going anywhere, but he probably won't be pulling in starter money. Jarvis Jones is turning so many heads that he may actually have a chance to win the starting ROLB job from under Worilds as a rookle, which hasn't happened in over a decade when Kendrell Bell did it.
 

ChanHuk

Banned
Well now I'm babysitting two idiots. Older woman thought she OD'd on pain pills, turned out she OD'd on her diabetes medication metformin. Some people suck at killing themselves.
 
So....

Any of you talented folks want to help design a logo?

FfDC33L.jpg


You're welcome, brother.
 

JABEE

Member
Today is the day to see Chip's offense. I'm excited. What should I look out for when watching Chip Kelly's offense, Squicken?
 

SonnyBoy

Member
A few thoughts on the Redskins vs Titans game.

1. Kirk Cousins is going to garner the Redskins a 1st round draft pick. He picked right where he left off last year, his play was really good.
2. Shanahan showed his "base" offense last night and it's still highly effective.
3. Pat White ran the read/option three times, otherwise he was operating out of the Redskins traditional offense. He played shockingly well and oh hand one really horrific pass. I think the #sexcanon may be gone after camp.
4. The Redskins essentially started 4 rookies in their secondary against the Titans. Rambo, Thomas, Amerson and Minnifield (2012 rookie on IR) and it showed. However, this was purposeful and beneficial. You could see flashes of talent, some flashed more consistently than others. There inexperience mostly showed up during tackling, they took poor angles and must adjust to the speed of the game. Having them on the field all at once led to a few big plays. It's preseason.
5. An area of weakness for the Redskins now looks like a strength. The cornerback position consists of two solid veterans in Hall, Wilson and Biggers. Rookies year players Minnified and Amerson. And second year player Jordan Crawford.
6. Saftey is still very much an area of concern for Washington. Very much so.
7. Fred Davis looked amazing last night, as did Logan Paulsen when he bailed out Pat White with an amazing one-handed catch. Rookie Jordan Reed should play next week and he's supposedly more athletic than Fred Davis.
8. WR Aldrick Robinson has elite speed, even for the NFL. It was nice to see him getting more work in the intermediate routes. You could tell that he's still a work in progress, but it's something. It's preseason. Week 1of preseason at that, I'm curious to see his progression.
9. I advocated for Briscoe last year, he'll be cut. You can tell when a man is defeated and you can tell that he knows he won't make the team.
10. Orakpo... If the front 7 can stay healthy... The Redskins defense will be good this year. That's a big IF. However, Orakpo came right in and got two sacks. Place him in bubble wrap until the season starts. It's no coincidence that Kerrigan gets a sack shortly afterward, they were drafted to compliment each other and do so well.
 
First preseason game is in the books. Game went to crap after the starters exited so it was just like every other first preseason game in the past couple of years in that regard. I'm just happy that no one got injured.

Thought Trufant and Alford did pretty well in their first game. A bit concerned with the right side of the offensive line but I'll reserve any judgements until we see a little bit more from them.
 
This poll surprises me:

dolphinspoll.png


I knew the Dolphins had generated a little [unfounded] hype but I figured it was only among fans of the team. Anyway, my personal prediction is that they will win 8 or 9 games and miss the playoffs (losing the division to the Pats). At this point not making the playoffs should be considered failure, though.
 

Kave_Man

come in my shame circle
To BG and anyone else who watched the Browns game:

Is it true we actually threw a successful screen pass? I'm just reading the recaps now and it distinctly says we threw a successful screen pass!

Crown Chud right now if that's the case!

And I love that people are still shitting on Weeden from the Browns fanbase. Let it go bros, he's our starter for the next 1-3 seasons. Even Gondo knows he won't last forever in Cleveland but he's a perfectly good QB to hold the fort until we draft the next great hope.

From all accounts he looked crisp last night and very different from what Shurmur had him doing, he looks comfortable.
 

Spades

Member
This poll surprises me:

dolphinspoll.png


I knew the Dolphins had generated a little [unfounded] hype but I figured it was only among fans of the team. Anyway, my personal prediction is that they will win 8 or 9 games and miss the playoffs (losing the division to the Pats). At this point not making the playoffs should be considered failure, though.

Nooooo. No hype please.
 

Chili

Member
A few thoughts on the Redskins vs Titans game.

1. Kirk Cousins is going to garner the Redskins a 1st round draft pick. He picked right where he left off last year, his play was really good.
2. Shanahan showed his "base" offense last night and it's still highly effective.
3. Pat White ran the read/option three times, otherwise he was operating out of the Redskins traditional offense. He played shockingly well and oh hand one really horrific pass. I think the #sexcanon may be gone after camp.
4. The Redskins essentially started 4 rookies in their secondary against the Titans. Rambo, Thomas, Amerson and Minnifield (2012 rookie on IR) and it showed. However, this was purposeful and beneficial. You could see flashes of talent, some flashed more consistently than others. There inexperience mostly showed up during tackling, they took poor angles and must adjust to the speed of the game. Having them on the field all at once led to a few big plays. It's preseason.
5. An area of weakness for the Redskins now looks like a strength. The cornerback position consists of two solid veterans in Hall, Wilson and Biggers. Rookies year players Minnified and Amerson. And second year player Jordan Crawford.
6. Saftey is still very much an area of concern for Washington. Very much so.
7. Fred Davis looked amazing last night, as did Logan Paulsen when he bailed out Pat White with an amazing one-handed catch. Rookie Jordan Reed should play next week and he's supposedly more athletic than Fred Davis.
8. WR Aldrick Robinson has elite speed, even for the NFL. It was nice to see him getting more work in the intermediate routes. You could tell that he's still a work in progress, but it's something. It's preseason. Week 1of preseason at that, I'm curious to see his progression.
9. I advocated for Briscoe last year, he'll be cut. You can tell when a man is defeated and you can tell that he knows he won't make the team.
10. Orakpo... If the front 7 can stay healthy... The Redskins defense will be good this year. That's a big IF. However, Orakpo came right in and got two sacks. Place him in bubble wrap until the season starts. It's no coincidence that Kerrigan gets a sack shortly afterward, they were drafted to compliment each other and do so well.

I just flicked through the game this morning and these are my initial observations:


  1. I don't think Pat White will get in ahead of Grossman, I don't think the team even considers it a battle. I think White may land with another team though, and I'd like to see that happen on the basis of yesterday. I wonder if they will go with 2 QBs instead if they are really happy with RG3's fitness and Kirk is as solid a backup as you can ask for. I don't want to trade him but that would be selfish, I honestly believe he can start somewhere right now with a good running game to back him up.
  2. I know it is preseason but some of the drops were pitiful. Hankerson showed some more promise but I still don't fully trust his hands. He has good blocking though. Shame about Briscoe, but I agree he will be out unless he really steps it up in the next few games.
  3. I'm not sure if Aldrick Robinson is physical enough to be a starting WR for this team. He needs to be a better blocker for the running game and needs to fight for catches. Until then, he is a great speed guy to have on the roster and will be an important weapon this year nonetheless. Sleeper pick for fantasy.
  4. Helu looked great, I hope he can remain healthy all season. Can't wait to see what Jawan Jamison (sp?) and Chris Thompson do as well. I think one of them will make the team with the other being stashed on the PS. Royster looked good but he has never shown anything special to be worth keeping if one of the rookies shows promise. I think one of them (Thompson?) is a real speed guy too.
  5. I agree, corner looks like an immediate upgrade. I am quite impressed with Chase Minnifield. I've heard good things about him in camp, his progression from injury looks to be going really well. I wonder if there is a place on the roster for him though. Assuming we keep Hall, Wilson and Amerson, he will be fighting with Biggers and Crawford for the final two spaces.
  6. Safety was rough as always. Rambo did not have a great game, and I was projecting him to be a starter. To be honest, with the offence we have I don't mind building a defence around one which creates turnovers while giving up huge plays in doing so.
  7. I really hope Jarvis Jenkins steps up to replace Carriker. We don't have him for the first four games so I'm even more concerned about what is going to happen for our front 7.
  8. I agree the rookies had bad angles but I even saw some vets using poor technique (I think Orakpo was one of them with a poor angle). Totally agreed on Orakpo + Kerrigan. I am more excited to see this duo than any other part or player of the team.
  9. I need to re-watch to look a little closer at the offensive line. It looked like the backups were making holes for Royster, but LeRibeus seemed to let the line down and had a penalty. We were lucky last year not to have many injuries on the line, I'm not sure we'll have the same luck twice.
  10. I hadn't even heard of the TE who caught that 2-point conversation, but I like him.
  11. I never want to see an illegal formation penalty in the regular season.
 
And I love that people are still shitting on Weeden from the Browns fanbase. Let it go bros, he's our starter for the next 1-3 seasons. Even Gondo knows he won't last forever in Cleveland but he's a perfectly good QB to hold the fort until we draft the next great hope.

From all accounts he looked crisp last night and very different from what Shurmur had him doing, he looks comfortable.
Weeden looked great last night from what I saw. Didn't waste time in the pocket, had great accuracy and power on this throws, made very smart decisions, and found the open guy consistently. 10/13 for 112 and a TD is very nice for a starting QB in a preseason game. Obviously it's just preseason but I was impressed.

Nooooo. No hype please.
I know! I much prefer everyone thinking the Dolphins suck regardless of whether or not they do. Oh well. You looking forward to the game tonight? It sounds like we'll get to see the starters in action a lot more:

FB Jorvorskie Lane, who missed practice Wednesday with an unkown injury, is expected to play against the Jaguars Friday. The Dolphins are still finalizing decisions on playing Lamar Miller (ankle) and Mike Wallace (groin). Jared Odrick (groin), Brian Hartline (calf) and Olivier Vernon (groin), all of whom missed the preseason-opener, are expected to play. Dannell Ellerbe, who missed the preseason opener, is expected to play. Randy Starks (knee) and John Jerry (knee) are definitely out. Miller, who has been nursing the tender ankle the last two practices, is expected to play barring a last minute complication ... CB Jamar Taylor (hernia recovery) is not expected to play.
 

squicken

Member
My thoughts on first game

1. Saffold is injury prone. Sucks for him but that is what he is. I thought it was a mistake during the offseason to have an OL built on aging/injury prone players and am no less concerned that unit could submarine the season

2. Safeties looked awful but I won't really get worried unless it's still going in the next few games. Awful angles and just terrible tackling

3. Offense suffered from it's youth. Pead fumbled, and Pettis, Austin, and Richardson all had passes hit their hands but failed to catch them. This is the kind of thing you hope young guys shake as the get more game experience, but my guess is Pead is done

4. One just general complaint, and it just seems dumb to run Austin down the seam. Danny had trouble with it as well. The ball will always be high on that pass. That's why you send big guys like Boldin and Pitta on that route, not little Smurfs like Tavon and Amendola
 

SonnyBoy

Member
I don't think Pat White will get in ahead of Grossman, I don't think the team even considers it a battle. I think White may land with another team though, and I'd like to see that happen on the basis of yesterday. I wonder if they will go with 2 QBs instead if they are really happy with RG3's fitness and Kirk is as solid a backup as you can ask for. I don't want to trade him but that would be selfish, I honestly believe he can start somewhere right now with a good running game to back him up.

I think Rex showed that he can't operate in the offense. It's not totally on him but this line isn't meant to step back pass-protect. A lot of the lines deficiences are masked by the play calling and Rex is incapable of running a lot of it. If Pat shows that he can be accurate against improved competition, it may be smarter to key him around. But I could see it go either way. Plus, I believe Pat will be used in certain packages with RGIII at the helm. I personally would not be shocked to see Pat in the backfield as part of option package. Hell, RGIII could option to Pat who would still have the option to pass.

I know it is preseason but some of the drops were pitiful. Hankerson showed some more promise but I still don't fully trust his hands. He has good blocking though. Shame about Briscoe, but I agree he will be out unless he really steps it up in the next few games.

Brisoe is out and I was a strong advocate for him last year. He looked defeated, it just reeked through his pores. But check the stats though, Hank had the lowest drop percentage of all our WR's... Shocking, right? LOL

I'm not sure if Aldrick Robinson is physical enough to be a starting WR for this team. He needs to be a better blocker for the running game and needs to fight for catches. Until then, he is a great speed guy to have on the roster and will be an important weapon this year nonetheless. Sleeper pick for fantasy.

We don't need him to be a starter, so I'm not worried. He and Pierre play the same position. He has to work on his hands though but it was nice to see him work and improve on his intermediate routes.

Helu looked great, I hope he can remain healthy all season. Can't wait to see what Jawan Jamison (sp?) and Chris Thompson do as well. I think one of them will make the team with the other being stashed on the PS. Royster looked good but he has never shown anything special to be worth keeping if one of the rookies shows promise. I think one of them (Thompson?) is a real speed guy too.

I totally agree with all of this. I wouldn't be shocked to see Thompson placed on IR. My biggest disappointment was that I had to watch Roysters lame ass for a sustained period of time.

I agree, corner looks like an immediate upgrade. I am quite impressed with Chase Minnifield. I've heard good things about him in camp, his progression from injury looks to be going really well. I wonder if there is a place on the roster for him though. Assuming we keep Hall, Wilson and Amerson, he will be fighting with Biggers and Crawford for the final two spaces.

My suprise cut of camp is Josh Wilson. I'd keep Minnifield over one of our lame safties, like Dejon Gomes. Hall and Wilson are under 1 year contracts, so I'd keep as many promising CB's as I could.

Safety was rough as always. Rambo did not have a great game, and I was projecting him to be a starter. To be honest, with the offence we have I don't mind building a defence around one which creates turnovers while giving up huge plays in doing so.

Rambo will be the starter. Backup NT Chris Nield failed on that play, then Orakpo failed on that play and it put Rambo in a bad spot. There aren't any more than 2 safeties in the NFL that wouldn't lose to CJ in the open field.

I really hope Jarvis Jenkins steps up to replace Carriker. We don't have him for the first four games so I'm even more concerned about what is going to happen for our front 7.

Jarvis was barely getting pressure and he was going against future bag boys, disappointing.

I agree the rookies had bad angles but I even saw some vets using poor technique (I think Orakpo was one of them with a poor angle). Totally agreed on Orakpo + Kerrigan. I am more excited to see this duo than any other part or player of the team.

The rookies will learn the speed of the game and improve. I'm happy they're throwing them into the fire early.

I need to re-watch to look a little closer at the offensive line. It looked like the backups were making holes for Royster, but LeRibeus seemed to let the line down and had a penalty. We were lucky last year not to have many injuries on the line, I'm not sure we'll have the same luck twice.

It's definitely a mixed bag but that's league wide once you start going 2 or 3 deep into the depth.

I hadn't even heard of the TE who caught that 2-point conversation, but I like him.

He has great "measurables" but has Fred, Logan, Niles, and Jordan ahead of him.
 

Spades

Member
You looking forward to the game tonight? It sounds like we'll get to see the starters in action a lot more:

Yep, can't wait. Looking forward to seeing Jordan continue his development mostly, but also interested in some more Martin scrutiny and seeing what the RB's do.

Oh, and a Tannehill to Wallace completion would be a nice bonus.
 
Yep, can't wait. Looking forward to seeing Jordan continue his development mostly, but also interested in some more Martin scrutiny and seeing what the RB's do.

Oh, and a Tannehill to Wallace completion would be a nice bonus.
Most wanted for me:

1. No sacks or hurries given up by Martin
2. Tannehill TD pass and no INT's
3. Wallace reception (or three)
4. Lamar Miller averaging +5 ypc
5. Sack by Wake, Jordan, or Vernon (wouldn't mind all 3!)
6. A Bumphis highlight or two

Although, the real number 1 is probably no injuries!
 

RBH

Member
Their relationship began 10 years ago when Louis Delmas was a volcanic, trash-talking freshman at Western Michigan University.

Tony Scheffler was the big man on campus, a senior with NFL promise. Delmas was the abandoned 17-year-old adjusting to campus life after a rough life in Florida. Scheffler took Delmas under his wing even though the young safety barked at him every time the tight end ran a route.

Their friendship grew over the years, and they remain tight as members of the Lions.

“Hey, cracker,” Delmas often says to Scheffler inside the Lions practice facility.

“How’s my n-----?” Scheffler replies.

Delmas is black. Scheffler is white.

Their relationship is one of the tightest bonds in the Lions dressing room, but it is a test to society. Usually whites use the term to tear down and ridicule. Most blacks use the word with an “a” at the end rather than an “er,” and it is a term of brotherhood and endearment. Scheffler and Delmas use both forms.

This is the way they’ve greeted one another for years, and this revelation comes on the heels of Riley Cooper, the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver who hurled the N-word at a black security guard during a Kenny Chesney concert.

Riley’s drunken rant went viral and disgusted folks both black and white. Although Eagles teammates publicly supported him, Cooper was removed from team activities for four days while undergoing sensitivity training.

Delmas said there is a difference between using slurs in public and doing it behind closed doors with a close friend you consider a brother, even if the brother is white.

“Me and (Scheffler) have a relationship many people do not have — both black and white,” Delmas said. “I look at him like my brother. I love him to death.

“He greets me, ‘What up, n-----?’ But I understand it. So I say, ‘What’s up, cracker?’ But we would never take it outside the building.”
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130808/SPORTS0101/308080035
 

Spades

Member
Most wanted for me:

1. No sacks or hurries given up by Martin
2. Tannehill TD pass and no INT's
3. Wallace reception (or three)
4. Lamar Miller averaging +5 ypc
5. Sack by Wake, Jordan, or Vernon (wouldn't mind all 3!)
6. A Bumphis highlight or two

Although, the real number 1 is probably no injuries!

Regardless of who is playing the bulk of the game, a win would be nice. 0-5 in preseason now since last year!
 

Matugi

Member
My thoughts from the Redskins game:


1. While Pat White looked good, it was not out of the base offense; he only had 3 read-option carries but almost everything came off of play-action. Not that that's a bad thing but if he wants to secure a roster spot he needs to show the versatility to do so.
2. Roy Helu, Jr. looks fully recovered from his foot injury and it really showed. He started slow by, ironically, being too quick to the hole, but he soon settled into the flow of the game and his decisiveness in the ZBS really showed as he cutback numerous times to get extra yards.
3. Lance Lewis, my man. I had high hopes for him last year but he didn't really get a chance to show during preseason and was (thankfully) stashed on the practice squad. He does something that nobody else on this team can: high point a football. This isn't a new thing, either: he's 6'4 and did this all throughout his career at ECU, including completely abusing Stephon Gilmore for two TDs in that game. One more game like this and I think he locks up the 6th WR spot.
4. Tight Ends are looking good. Fred Davis looks spry, and both he and Logan Paulsen continued to show excellent progression as blockers, and Paulsen even had a sick one-handed grab. Niles Paul even showed some versatility as an H-back. Looking forward to seeing Jordan Reed who will play complement to Paul's H-back as a Joker TE.
5. Did not really like what I saw from the returners that weren't Richard Crawford. Crawford's spot is safe because he's the incumbent and he's a smart defender who always seems to make plays. Nick Williams looked sluggish on returns but OK as a receiver outside of an egregious drop, so I think he'll be stashed on the PS. Skye Dawson was okay on his long return at the end but I did not like how he danced east-west. Too much wasted movement.
6. OL for the most part played well. Obviously Tom Compton is just a backup but it's nice to see progression. The same can't be said for Josh LeRibeus; he played well in the Seattle game last year but reportedly had a bad offseason, struggling with his conditioning, and it showed here as he had a pretty poor game.
7. I do not think Evan Royster's spot is for long. Unlike Helu, Royster cannot make plays outside the scheme; most of his yards were picked up because of huge holes, and there was a time where he had a huge cutback lane but only managed to get three yards because he could not explode through his cut. It's a play Helu would have turned into 15-20 yards.
8. Liked what I saw from our pass-rushers. There was one package where Orakpo and Brandon Jenkins were the up-men and Kerrigan a down lineman and it generated a sack in under three seconds. It's important they can consistently get pressure like this this year with a suspect secondary.
9. Fits in run defense are to be expected in preseason because the pace of the game is much faster than it is in practice. It was a collective failure on both long runs.
10. Jarvis Jenkins needs to step up. I saw him miss several tackles and fail to generate any sort of pressure. Disappointing from the player who showed so much good his rookie year before tearing his ACL.
11. Thought Minnifield and Amerson both played very well. Both had excellent coverage multiple times and played very physical, which is to be expected because they are both pretty big corners. Think Amerson has locked down the #3 CB job in the sense that he'll move outside and Josh Wilson to the slot, and Minnifield the fifth corner who will play a lot in quarters coverage.
12. Rambo played better than it looked. No player can make that tackle on Chris Johnson, although he did later get sucked up on Shonn Greene's touchdown run. Other than that, nothing stood out which means he was likely following his responsibilities pretty well.
13. Unfortunate for Phillip Thomas to get injured as he'll miss valuable learning time, and he certainly needs it as he struggled in this game.

That's all I got.
 

bionic77

Member
Damn so weird seeing this thread being dominated by football talk!

chuck great write up on the Steelers. This team is really intriguing this year. Some young and new faces on both sides of the ball. Hope the young guys earn their keep and come on later in the year. We really need a game changer on defense. That was supposed to be Woodley and Timmons and Timmons for the most part is holding up his end of the bargain (Woodley on the other hand...). I don't expect a lot out of Troy but hopefully he can start making some impact plays and generate some TOs the way he used to.

The offense should dominate but health is always the key to the and I don't remember the last time the offense was able to stay healthy as a unit for an entire season. Usually we lose 3 starting tackles by the end of the first month.
 
I'm not glad Plaxico Burress is injured, but i'm glad he's injured. Dude is finished and he made it obvious by tearing his rotator cuff on a routine jump ball. Give the spot to somebody who will be with the team next year, like Justin Brown.

Surely Landry isn't really getting beat out by John Parker Wilson?

Yes and no. Wilson is really outperforming Jones in camp. No way Steelers will cut Jones in favor of him though.
 

bionic77

Member
I'm not glad Plaxico Burress is injured, but i'm glad he's injured. Dude is finished and he made it obvious by tearing his rotator cuff on a routine jump ball. Give the spot to somebody who will be with the team next year, like Justin Brown.
He was only going to be a 4th or 5th receiver and he could have been a locker room leader. He might have been able to contribute in that capacity.

Probably a long shot but that is probably what the team was thinking.
 
He was only going to be a 4th or 5th receiver and he could have been a locker room leader. He might have been able to contribute in that capacity.

Probably a long shot but that is probably what the team was thinking.

A guy who doesn't want to practice and runs sloppy routes is not the voice you want in the locker room.

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