**** NOTES FOR EVERY GAME WILL BE UP AS SOON AS I WATCH THEM ****
MISSING
Dolphins 12, Jaguars 9
I was interested to see what Miami’s receiver situation would look like in this contest. Chad Pennington began the game by targeting Davone Bess on his first three throws. Bess finished the game with two catches for 12 yards. He’s a guy to draft late in PPR leagues, as he functions in a Wes Welker-type role in Miami’s offense.
The guy I was most impressed with was Ted Ginn. Pennington targeted Ginn five times in the first quarter, and the Ohio State product came away with two catches for 26 yards. Ginn had a third reception, but that was negated by a penalty. His fourth target was a pass interference call. Ginn also had a 14-yard end-around.
Pennington played just one quarter and then gave way to Chad Henne. Henne made nice throws, but also committed some mistakes. I liked how Henne bounced back from his errors. For example, he nearly threw a pick in the first half, but then tossed a ball to Ricky Williams in the end zone that should have been caught. In the third quarter, Henne heaved an interception, but then rebounded with a 33-yard score to Ernest Wilford. Henne finished 7-of-11 for 94 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Pat White was under center during the final few drives. White’s statistics (2-of-7, 14 yards, 1 INT) will tell you that he sucked, but that wasn’t the case at all. White endured a whopping three drops, one of which bounced out of his receiver’s hands and right into the arms of a Jacksonville defender. Another of White’s incompletions was thrown away because of pressure. In all, I really liked what I saw out of White.
Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams literally shared carries; Brown started, and was replaced by Williams almost instantly, and then came back into the game. Brown is being overdrafted in most leagues. Williams’ numbers (10 carries, 31 yards) were more impressive than Brown’s (4 carries, 10 yards), but keep in mind that only two of Williams’ rushes went for more than two yards. Williams also dropped a touchdown catch…
…But don’t tell that to the crew broadcasting the game for the Dolphins TV network. The trio was the biggest group of homers I’ve ever heard in my life. At one point, they all agreed that “the Dolphins have the best one-two-three combination of running backs between Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and Patrick Cobbs.” I almost threw up.
Sean Smith will start at corner for Miami. He did a good job on Torry Holt in this game. Besides, Vontae Davis struggled in coverage and committed two really dumb penalties.
David Garrard was just 4-of-7 for 22 yards, with a Ken Dorsey-like YPA of 3.1. Garrard barely had anyone open, and when he did, he didn’t have any time in the pocket. So much for all of those picks spent on offensive linemen…
Torry Holt had one reception for 10 yards. Not the most impressive performance.
Right tackle Tony Pashos stinks. He really, really stinks. Jason Taylor abused him and easily got to David Garrard. And if that wasn’t bad enough, backup Cameron Wake did the same thing later. Pashos’ contract will soon be debacled into shreds.
I want to get back to the Dolphins TV announcers. Like I said, biggest group of homers ever, and I’m pretty certain my ears will bleed if I have to hear them again. Here’s an example of how the broadcast went:
Play-By-Play Guy: The Dolphins 2009 draft class is really something. What a great job the Dolphins did in the draft. All of the players look terrific.
Bob Griese: The Dolphins drafted athletes. They drafted great athletes.
Other Color Commentator: It’s really amazing how the Dolphins can draft such elite players every year. What a great organization.
I just nearly threw up again.
Giants 24, Panthers 17
There were two things I learned about the 2009 Giants tonight. First, despite spending a top pick on a receiver, the team still lacks a legit No. 1 wideout. Domenik Hixon caught two passes for 23 yards, but was far from dominant. Mario Manningham saw two targets; one he caught, but it was wiped out by an illegal formation penalty. Manningham dropped the next throw that went his way.
Rookies Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden didn’t come into the game until the second half. Nicks dropped a long touchdown from Andre’ Woodson, though the catch was a difficult one to make. He later hauled in a 9-yard reception. Barden, meanwhile, converted a third-and-17 situation with a 20-yard catch out of the slot, but didn’t do anything else after that.
The second thing I learned about the Giants: Ahmad Bradshaw is awesome. If you missed it, Bradshaw rushed for 35 yards on five carries, which included a fierce 19-yard score where he bulldozed over helpless Panther defenders. More importantly, Bradshaw caught two receptions for 17 yards, meaning he’ll function as the third-down back (huge for PPR leagues). In the wake of this performance, I fully expect Bradshaw to match Derrick Ward’s 2008 numbers.
Brandon Jacobs started the game and looked like he was in mid-season form. Jacobs rushed for 31 yards on four carries. He also caught a 13-yard reception, which is important because he had just six grabs in all of 2008.
DeAngelo Williams also impressed. Williams had six carries for 29 yards; his best rush was where he eluded a few tacklers and ran nine yards for a first down. People like Matthew Berry are projecting that Jonathan Stewart will take more of Williams’ touches away, but I don’t see that happening. Williams is just too talented, and Stewart has been banged up with an Achilles injury. Stewart did not play.
Steve Smith also didn’t suit up.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they don’t have much of a chance to win the Super Bowl because Jake Delhomme sucks and apparently keeps getting worse every year. On Delhomme’s first pass, the old veteran lollipoped the ball toward the sideline, which looked like it could have been picked off for a touchdown. Delhomme completely missed a wide-open receiver downfield on his second attempt. Delhomme fumbled the ball on the second drive. Delhomme was nearly intercepted again on his first pass of the third drive.
John Fox is going to kill the Panthers in practice this week. That, or he’ll buy gallons of Elmer’s Glue for his offensive players. Carolina had a whopping six fumbles and an interception in this contest. That’s simply unacceptable, especially when one ruins a 5-unit selection for me.
Titans 27, Buccaneers 20
I was thoroughly unimpressed with almost everything the Buccaneers did on offense. All three potential starting quarterbacks were mediocre at best; the running game just wasn’t happening; and the receivers couldn’t get the job done. Of course, Antonio Bryant was out, so I am keeping that in mind.
Starting with the quarterbacks, I don’t think Luke “Captain Checkdown” McCown threw any passes longer than eight yards. He displayed nice mobility, and once again, it’s hard to judge him without Bryant, but he looked very antsy in the pocket, as he always has.
Byron Sandwich’s first pass was almost intercepted. His second throw was a deep touchdown to Brian Clark, even though it took Leftwich approximately 10 seconds to unload the ball out of his hand. Leftwich was 6-of-14 for 61 yards and that score, but it should be noted that he endured two drops.
Josh Freeman, clearly not in the same stratosphere as Matthew Stafford or Mark Sanchez, stared down his receiver and tossed a pick-six. To be fair, Carson Palmer had two pick-sixes in his first-ever preseason game back in 2003, so this is not a huge deal.
Freeman later rolled out and impressively found Sammie Stroughter 20 yards downfield. Unfortunately, Freeman later had another pass nearly picked off on a fourth-and-two.
I can’t tell you why, but Earnest Graham started over Derrick Ward. Graham couldn’t do anything, gaining just one yard on four carries. Making matters worse, Graham fumbled the ball away on the second drive.
Ward came off the bench after that and immediately looked like the superior runner. He pummeled for seven yards on his first carry and later caught a 7-yard reception. He’ll be the starter in Week 1.
Mike Nugent hit a 51-yarder right before halftime, which is a big deal for the Buccaneers, who haven’t had a 50-yard field goal since 2006. Unfortunately, Nugent hooked a 50-yarder wide left in the third quarter.
Tennessee’s offense struggled in this contest after a strong showing against the Bills. Kerry Collins tossed two picks and Chris Johnson couldn’t find any running room.
One Titan who didn’t look bad at all was Kenny Britt, who had a first-down reception for four yards on the opening drive. In the second quarter, Britt had a 38-yard catch, coming down with the ball despite getting nailed. Britt caught five balls for 89 yards and a score. He won’t be much of a fantasy factor this year because he’s only 21 and Tennessee’s offense is way too conservative. However, look for big things from him in 2010 and beyond.
Nate Washington, meanwhile, dropped a touchdown and didn’t log a single reception. There will be days like this in Tennessee’s conservative offense, but at least he was targeted in the end zone.
Hall of Fame quarterback Vince Young sucked last week, but was very impressive on Saturday night, going 9-of-14 for 131 yards and a score. One of Young’s incompletions was a drop. I still say he replaces Collins at some point this season.
A funny announcement from official Ed Hochuli: “Personal foul on the defense, roughing the passer – picked up the quarterback and stuffed him into the ground.” What was so amusing was that the quarterback in question was Byron Sandwich. I just don’t know how anyone could have picked him up.
Texans 16, Chiefs 10
The big question here from a fantasy perspective was who would get the goal-line carries between Steve Slaton and Chris Brown. Well, the game’s over and we still don’t know.
Here’s what happened: Slaton received the first four carries of the game, obtaining seven yards in the process. During the middle of Houston’s second drive, the skies opened up and it started pouring really hard. At that point, Gary Kubiak decided it would be best to take Slaton out of the game, and rightly so.
Chris Brown stepped in and helped the Texans get into the red zone. Brown eventually scored a touchdown, but Slaton was already out of the game at that point. We still don’t know whether Slaton or Brown will get the goal-line carries, though this isn’t the best news for Slaton’s fantasy prospects; Brown looked good in the situation.
Matt Schaub was flawless on his two drives; he was 7-of-7 for 70 yards and spread the ball around. He was sacked once (not a mistake; the Chiefs actually got a sack). Schaub led Houston to seven points.
Dan Orlovsky played as the No. 2 quarterback, and it was quickly apparent that he’s nowhere near as good as Sage Rosenfails, which says a lot. He made some nice throws, but he had about half a dozen passes that were nearly intercepted. I’m not exaggerating.
As for Matt Cassel, it’s kind of hard to judge him because Todd Haley cavalierly benched Dwayne Bowe and Mark Bradley in favor of Terrance Copper and Devard Darling. Plus, the downpour at Arrowhead didn’t help. Cassel finished 2-of-5 for 15 yards. One of his passes was dropped by Tony Gonzalez’s awesome replacement, Sean Ryan.
Brodie Croyle, meanwhile, was very solid. He was 12-of-18 for 145 yards (one incompletion dropped; another thrown away), showing off the velocity on his throws that Cassel lacks. Croyle, in my opinion, is the most talented quarterback on the Chiefs’ roster. Unfortunately, he can never stay healthy and thus is unreliable.
Dwayne Bowe finally entered the game in the second quarter. He caught five balls for 70 yards, including a great diving catch for about a dozen yards. So much for being fat and out of shape.
Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop hit a 48-yard field goal in the rain.
Packers 17, Browns 0
Green Bay’s offense appears as though it will once again rank among the league’s best. Aaron Rodgers looks on top of his game; he was 5-of-10 for 102 yards and a 53-yard touchdown strike to Donald Driver on the opening possession. Rodgers endured a dropped pass.
I was very impressed with Ryan Grant. He converted a third-and-one up the middle on the first drive. This is a big deal because Green Bay struggled in short yardage last year. Grant later scored on a 2-yard run, and followed that up with a nice cut for a gain of 14 on the next drive. Of course, this was all against the Browns, so it may not count.
Jermichael Finley had a 12-yard reception off play-action from Rodgers on the second drive. He finished with two receptions for 18 yards.
Mason Crosby nearly hit a 60-yard field goal. He had the distance, but hit the left upright. So much for struggling in training camp.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it; the Browns look like a trainwreck and appear to be locked into the No. 1 overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. Brady Quinn started, and played the first and fourth drives. Derek Anderson handled Drive Nos. 2 and 3.
Quinn was solid; I thought he showed very good command of the offense, going 7-of-11 for 68 yards. Braylon Edwards dropped a touchdown, but Quinn tossed a pick right on the next play.
Anderson, meanwhile, was an abomination. His first pass was tipped and could have been picked off. Anderson’s second throw was dropped by a Green Bay defensive back. His third attempt was a horribly thrown ball into double coverage that was intercepted. Anderson was an awesome 0-of-2 for zero yards and a pick.
With all of the talk about Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, Mike Furrey could be Cleveland’s No. 2 target. Furrey made two great third-down catches to move the chains on the first drive. When the starters were out, Massaquoi had one reception for six yards, while Robiskie caught a 15-yard screen pass. Robiskie was targeted once more, but was underthrown by Brett Ratliff.
Jamal Lewis looks slower than ever. It’s really sad. I don’t know what Eric Mangini was thinking because James Davis was given only three touches: two carries for five yards and a reception for six yards. Mangini was clearly busy planning his next birthday party instead of devising a game plan that actually made sense.
As mentioned earlier, Edwards dropped a touchdown. It should be no surprise that the ball hit him right in the numbers. I thought Edwards would rebound because this is his contract year, but it’s apparent that he’s as lackadaisical as ever.
Vikings 13, Colts 3
The Colts have always been a team that hasn’t had much trouble putting up tons of points on the board, but with Tony Dungy gone, has everything changed? Based on Friday night’s results, that would be the case.
Peyton Manning was sacked a whopping three times on the opening drive. Manning had no chance to even drop back on the first sack, as both tackles were beaten immediately. During the second sack, Manning couldn’t find anyone open and a linebacker finally got to him. On the last one, left tackle Tony Ugoh was pushed into Manning. Right tackle Corey Hilliard was comically whistled for holding on the same play.
Before pushing the panic button, note that starting tackles Charlie Johnson and Ryan Diem, and tight end Dallas Clark were all out. Still, it was weird to see Manning go down so often. I don’t even know why he was in the game without Johnson and Diem to protect him.
Joseph Addai also started and ripped off a nice 14-yard run behind right tackle. Addai had another carry for a loss of one, and that was it for him.
Donald Brown, meanwhile, is the real deal, and I’m not saying this lightly. Brown is the better of the two running backs, and it’s not even close.
Brown sparked the Colts instantly with an explosive run up the middle for 11 yards. He made a nice cut for a 6-yard gain on his second carry. Right after that, he ran for a surplus of 38 yards thanks to a broken tackle.
Brown finished with 58 yards on five attempts. He did this against Minnesota’s backups, but it’s not like he had his starting line either. Brown’s only mistake of the evening was a missed block that forced Curtis Painter into a near-interception.
Anthony Gonzalez was out, so both Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie started. Collie was the more impressive wideout of the two, as he caught Manning’s first pass for a first down. He later made a nice diving catch from Curtis Painter. Collie caught all four of his targets.
Garcon, meanwhile, dropped his first target. He caught the only other ball thrown his way.
As for the Vikings, Sage Rosenfails was very sharp, going 10-of-13 for 91 yards. His first pass was a crisp throw over the middle for 15 yards to Visanthe Shiancoe. He later ran a play-action bootleg to Shiancoe for 17 yards on a fourth-and-two. In total, Rosenfails’ two drives led to 10 points.
Tarvaris Jackson’s numbers looked pretty pedestrian – 7-of-15 for 39 yards – but I don’t think he played poorly, which is saying a lot because I’ve been one of his biggest detractors.
Only one of Jackson’s throws was really off. He also endured a drop by Sidney Rice. Two of his other passes were off the fingertips of his receivers. Jackson also did a good job scrambling for a first down.
Jackson will start the second preseason game.
Adrian Peterson looked like he was in mid-season form, as he had a powerful run up the middle for 13 yards to get the Vikings into the red zone. Of course, once the Vikings got there, Chester Taylor got the carry and pummeled his way into the end zone. And so Brad Clueless’ games begin…
Bernard Berrian limped off the field and was “waling gingerly” the day after according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Stay tuned.
Percy Harvin did not play because of a shoulder injury.
Colts backup end Marcus Howard abused Phil Loadholt on one play. I might have said “ugh” out loud three times as I watched the replays; it was pretty embarrassing.
Bills 27, Bears 20
People in favor of Denver in the Jay Cutler-Kyle Orton trade will be quick to point out Cutler’s sub-par performance. Cutler was 5-of-10 for 64 yards and a pick. Let’s break down what happened.
Four of Cutler’s first five passes went to Devin Hester. Cutler found Hester 20 yards downfield on one pass. However, he later threw a pick when he was pressured and subsequently tossed the ball carelessly into double coverage, underthrowing Hester in the process.
Cutler nearly had a second interception as well; Reggie Corner dropped an easy pick thrown right to him. Cutler once again had multiple defenders in his face.
So, should Bears fans be chanting for Caleb Hanie? Before you answer that, consider that Cutler was essentially missing his entire offense, as Matt Forte, Greg Olsen and Orlando Pace were all out. Let’s wait and see how Cutler fares with the team’s best offensive player, his top target and his left tackle.
Robbie Gould nailed a 50-yard field goal in the second quarter. Why is this important? Gould has never hit a kick from 50-plus yards in his pro career.
While Cutler struggled, Trent Edwards managed Buffalo’s no-huddle offense very efficiently. Edwards completed all 10 of his passes for 79 yards. All but three were checkdowns (the ones that weren’t were completions of 36, 9 and 9 to Lee Evans).
Terrell Owens did not play with a sprained toe.
Three of Edwards’ checkdowns went to Lynch. Lynch received most of the work with the first-team offense, which I really can’t understand; with Lynch suspended for the first three games, you’d think Dick Jauron would give Fred Jackson more reps with the starters.
Something else I didn’t understand – I have no clue why Buffalo ran a draw with Jackson on a 3rd-and-14 inside the red zone. That was such conservative play-calling, I had to make sure Herm Edwards wasn’t coaching the Bills. Don’t worry, Buffalo fans. Herm will not hurt you with his horrid mismanagement this year. Maybe in 2010 if Jauron is fired.
Seahawks 20, Chargers 14
For the first time since 2005, LaDainian Tomlinson played in a preseason game. Tomlinson looked decent; not great, rushing for 10 yards on four carries and catching an 8-yard pass. Seattle’s underrated defense didn’t give Tomlinson much room to run.
Philip Rivers was just 5-of-8 for 26 yards, but endured two dropped passes from Malcolm Floyd and Antonio Gates. Gates grabbed three balls for 17 yards.
Matt Hasselbeck didn’t play much – 3-of-5 for 27 yards – so it’s hard to judge Seattle’s first-string offense. Hasselbeck found T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a 5-yard connection. John Carlson caught a 10-yard pass but ran the wrong route on another play. Remember, Hasselbeck doesn’t have much live-game action with the second-year tight end.
Julius Jones rushed for 15 yards on four carries. He had a nice 8-yard scamper off left tackle at the beginning of the game.
T.J. Duckett gained 18 yards on six carries off the bench. Unfortunately, Duckett failed to move the chains on a third-and-one; Duckett will be counted on to convert short-yardage situations, so this wasn’t encouraging.
Seattle’s most impressive runner was Devin Moore. Moore is very small (5-9, 191), but lightning fast and displayed great shiftiness en route to gaining 32 yards on eight rushes. I’d like to see Moore get an opportunity with the first team because Jones and Duckett are definitely nothing to write home about.
Lions 27, Falcons 26
Everyone on the forums and everyone at Ford Field was interested in seeing one thing: Matthew Stafford. Stafford certainly didn’t disappoint; he showed off his arm strength on the first throw, as the ball found Keary Colbert’s hands 25 yards downfield. Unfortunately, Colbert’s hands could not find the ball. Stafford connected on his next two passes for 15 yards, but his fourth attempt was yet another drop by Colbert. Apparently, Colbert was one of the people on the WF.com forums who did not like Lions-Stafford pick.
I was beginning to doubt that on the next series when Colbert caught a Stafford missile along the sidelines for 28 yards. However, Colbert dropped yet another deep pass two plays later.
Stafford had a pick-six at the beginning of the second half because he had too much pressure in his face (thanks for the left tackle). However, Stafford bounced back and led Detroit to the end zone on a 25-yard dart to Derrick Williams. Stafford finished 7-of-14 for 114 yards, one score and a pick.
Stafford is clearly Detroit’s most talented quarterback in decades and will have to start ASAP, but it’s good to see that Daunte Culpepper is at least putting up some sort of a challenge. Culpepper was 5-of-6 for 41 yards and displayed nice pocket elusiveness and scrambling ability.
The Lions are going to get the ball a lot to Kevin Smith this year. Smith was featured on the first four plays, which were two runs for 11 yards, one reception for 11 more yards and then a third carry for a short gain. Smith finished with 39 total yards and is one of the best RB2s in fantasy football.
Calvin Johnson did not play with a minor thumb injury.
In the season opener last year, Michael Turner abused the Lions for 200 rushing yards and a long touchdown scamper. Detroit fans experienced deja vu, as Turner scored on a 40-yarder on the second drive of the game. Turner compiled 63 yards and a touchdown on six carries.
Matt Ryan wasn’t spectacular or anything, but he was solid enough, going 5-of-7 for 33 yards. Tony Gonzalez caught a 7-yard pass.
Speaking of Gonzalez, a funny quote from the veteran, who threw the Chiefs under the bus: “I wanted to win a playoff game, so I needed to get out of Kansas City.”
Funny quote by play-by-play announcer Brian Baldinger (thanks CKane): “The special teams coach is putting a great emphasis on special teams.” Thanks Baldy. If Baldinger said “are” instead of “is,” I’d believe that quote came straight out of Emmitt’s mouth.
Congratulations to the Lions, who just snapped their 16-game losing streak. See you at the parade in downtown Detroit!
Saints 17, Bengals 7
Though you wouldn’t know it based on last year’s results, this game was a battle of two prolific offenses. That’s right, Carson Palmer is back and looks 100 percent. Palmer’s first throw was about 50 yards downfield to Chad Ochocinco amid good protection. The pass fell incomplete because a Saints defensive back made a nice play, but Palmer showed no ill effects of last season’s elbow injury. Two plays later, Palmer found a wide-open Chris Henry 27 yards downfield.
Palmer’s third pass was a laser in a tight spot to Laveranues Coles. He later threw a pick, but it was on a third down with pressure in his face; it had nothing to do with his elbow. Palmer finished 7-of-11 for 133 yards and that interception. I love Palmer as a mid-round sleeper this year.
Another guy I’m high on is Chad Ochocinco. No. 85 caught two balls for 73 yards, including a reception in which he broke a Jason David tackle and scampered 55 yards downfield.
Chris Henry caught seven balls for 100 yards and a score, but was targeted only once by Palmer.
Last year, Cincinnati struggled to run the ball, but that probably won’t be the case this year. Cedric Benson looked very sharp despite fumbling on his second carry. He rushed for 28 yards on eight tries, and also caught a 5-yard pass. Bernard Scott shined amongst the second-stringers, gaining 30 yards on six attempts. He also caught a 12-yard screen.
As for New Orleans’ running back situation, Sean Payton may have snorted coke before the game because he gave Reggie Bush a carry inside the opposing 5. Bush was predictably stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Bush finished with five yards on three carries and didn’t catch a pass. Meanwhile, Pierre Thomas garnered 15 yards on four attempts, but three of them came against the backups. Thomas needs to be the first- and second-down runner and goal-line carrier, and even though Payton has done some really stupid things in the past, I can’t believe he’d be dumb enough not to use him.
Drew Brees was 6-of-9 for 88 yards and a score. He threw two balls into the end zone: one to Marques Colston; the other to Jeremy Shockey. Shockey looked great, snagging three balls for 61 yards and a touchdown. Shockey, who caught all three targets thrown to him, is a decent TE1 you can grab in the middle rounds.
Robert Meachem led the Saints with 77 yards, including a 64-yard score from Mark Brunell. Don’t get too excited; Meachem shined last preseason and did nothing when it counted.
Garrett Hartley shanked a 20-yard field goal, but before you drop him in your rankings, consider that he nailed a 54-yarder in the second half.
49ers 17, Broncos 16
Oh boy. There were many informed football fans who believed the Bears won the Jay Cutler-Kyle Orton trade. Some, including myself, opined that it was one of the most lop-sided trades in NFL history. But this has gone so bad it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Josh Mishandles were fired tomorrow.
If you missed it, Kyle Orton heaved three interceptions in each of his first three drives. Orton did a solid job tossing his trademark dink-and-dunk passes on his first possession to get Denver into the red zone. But Orton’s girly arm failed him where it mattered most, as Nate Clements was able to cut in front of Orton’s intended target.
Interception No. 2 was just a poor decision on Orton’s part, while the third pick was the result of Orton staring his wideout down.
Orton isn’t completely inept, but the problem is that he’s extremely limited physically and he’s busy learning a new offense. Denver’s receivers will shine in PPR leagues because Orton can’t make any NFL throws longer than 10 yards. I’m joking here, but it almost seems realistic that Eddie Royal could finish the year with 200 receptions, all made within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Royal had four catches for 46 yards.
If Denver’s night couldn’t get any worse, Knowshon Moreno’s knee was rolled on during one of Orton’s picks (almost seems scripted, doesn’t it?) Moreno left the game with a knee sprain and will get an MRI tomorrow. If you have a fantasy draft this weekend (like me), I feel your pain.
Moreno had just three carries, but looked impressive on every touch. Forum moderator VBSiena said it best, “Two runs already proved he is the best RB on that roster by far.” Moreno impressively showed power-running ability on his third carry, so I’d like to see him get some goal-line opportunities this year.
Speaking of SEC rookie running backs, Glen “Hot” Coffee was very impressive in relief of Frank Gore, who did not play. Coffee rushed for 67 yards on 14 carries.
One of my favorite sleepers, Josh Morgan, caught two balls for 23 yards. Morgan made a statement on his first reception, taking the ball away from Champ Bailey.
Vernon Davis caught two passes for 41 yards. Shaun Hill played just one series, but targeted Davis right away.
Speaking of Hill, he was just 2-of-2 for 41 yards. He played on only the first drive and took two sacks. Alex Smith played the rest of the first half and was an unimpressive 5-of-7 for 33 yards (5.71 YPA) and a touchdown that he nearly missed despite having a wide-open target in sight.
Rams 23, Jets 20
The Jets have found their next Joe Namath! OK, maybe I’m jumping the gun here, but Mark Sanchez was brilliant in his only drive against the Rams. Sanchez was 3-of-4 for 88 yards, including a 48-yard bomb to David Clowney on his first pass. Sanchez also found Dustin Keller for 26 yards, setting up Thomas Jones for a 1-yard touchdown.
Sanchez didn’t get a second series despite being promised one, which tells me Rex Ryan was more concerned with keeping Sanchez healthy than giving him experience. Sanchez will be the starter in Week 1. Kellen Clemens, meanwhile, was 4-of-4 for 24 yards, but lost a fumble on the Jets’ first drive.
Thomas Jones started the game, but managed only 13 yards on nine carries. Jones simply couldn’t find any room to run behind a line that was missing three starters. Jones was later stuffed at the goal line on his first try. He scored on his second attempt, but lost the ball as soon as he crossed the plane of the end zone. Jones is an ineffective red-zone runner, so I’d like to see Greene get more tries at the goal line.
Leon Washington touched the ball three times and then gave way to Greene, who totaled 45 yards on nine carries; 34 of those yards came on a long scamper that Greene broke left tackle.
Clowney once again shined the preseason, catching three passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Only one of the receptions came from Clemens or Sanchez, however.
So much for Steve Spagnuolo’s promise that Marc Bulger would play three quarters of this game. Bulger lasted a quarter and a half, completing all four of his passes for 77 yards. Unfortunately, Bulger was sacked once on each of his three drives.
Two of Bulger’s completions went to Laurent Robinson, including his first attempt. Robinson’s second reception went for 50 yards. He’ll be the No. 1 wideout until Donnie Avery comes back.
A few funny things regarding this game:
1. I found it amusing that Rex Ryan’s belt was actually holding up his stomach and essentially serving the same purpose as a bra. Said El Guapo in the Live In-Games Thread: “Rex Ryan ate all of the pizza at Eric Mangini’s birthday party.”
2. There was a fan in the stands wearing a shirt with green question marks on it. Commented PuppyPuncher, “One Jets fan dressed with question marks. I have no idea why. Maybe he’s the NY version of the Riddler.”
3. The Jets broadcasters had three words to describe Kellen Clemens. They listed these words in capital letters: “OOPS. SURPRISE. DANGER.” Take note kids, smoking crack in TV production meetings leads to stupidity.
Ravens 23, Redskins 0
The main thing I was looking forward to seeing in this game was Baltimore’s running back rotation. Ray Rice started the contest and looked very impressive. His first carry was a nice gain of six yards. On his first reception, Rice caught the ball over the middle and ran away from London Fletcher for a gain of 34 yards. Rice finished with 22 rushing yards on five carries and three catches for 38 receiving yards.
Once the Ravens reached the red zone, I expected LeRon McClain to get the carries. However, McClain remained at fullback and paved the way for Willis McGahee, who also looked great. McGahee rushed for 26 yards on four carries, and also chipped in with a 7-yard reception.
As for McClain, he wasn’t given a single touch; not even inside the 5. That’s huge. McClain did make a nice block on a fourth-and-one, but that won’t score you any points in your fantasy league. I would severely downgrade McClain for now.
Despite Joe Flacco’s training camp woes, he was very solid against the Redskins in the preseason opener. Flacco was 9-of-15 for 103 yards, and one of the incompletions was a dropped 15-yard reception by Marcus Smith as the ball bounced out of his hands.
I was very curious to see Justin Harper after hearing such great things about him coming out of training camp. Harper’s 2009 debut was pretty much a roller coaster ride. Harper dropped his first three targets. The first was a tough diving catch, so I’ll give him a pass, but Harper had alligator arms in anticipation of a hit on the second try. The third drop was a difficult reception to make, but Harper reached out with only one hand.
When I was about to give up on him, Harper came alive, making several nice catches, finishing with four grabs for 57 yards and a score. Unfortunately, he dropped another pass in the fourth quarter, giving him a grand total of four drops in the game. Despite his nice frame and athleticism, Harper’s not going to get a chance to play consistently in the NFL if he keeps dropping this many balls.
Steven Hauschka currently has a hold on the kicking job. He nailed both of his attempts, including a 37-yarder. Graham Gano nailed a 39-yarder, but missed a chip shot inside 30.
Ravens cheerleaders FTW.
Washington’s starters weren’t on the field too often. Jason Campbell played only two drives and had just six pass attempts. He was 3-of-6 for 38 yards. One of his incompletions was way over Devin Thomas’ head. On another try, Campbell missed a wide-open receiver 20 yards downfield on a 3rd-and-6. To be fair, Campbell was pressured a lot and didn’t have the services of Clinton Portis or Santana Moss.
With Portis out, Ladell Betts got the start. He predictably couldn’t get anything going against Baltimore’s defense (4 carries, 7 yards).
As for the three young receivers the Redskins have, Devin Thomas was targeted just once by Jason Campbell on a pass that was overthrown. Thomas later hauled in a 12-yard grab from Todd Collins. Malcolm Kelly had a nice 13-yard reception and finished with three catches for 25 yards. Tight end Fred Davis caught two balls, but fumbled twice on one drive, losing the second fumble (though I thought he never had possession of the football).
A breakdown of Colt “Z-” Brennan’s first 10 passes (he was 4-of-12, 43 yards, INT).
Brennan’s first pass was a 21-yard completion downfield, as he took advantage of Baltimore being offside. His second attempt was an overthrow on a deep bomb. Pass No. 3 was a short 7-yard connection to Hackett. Brennan overthrew Hackett by a mile on his fourth pass. Attempt No. 5 was an interception as he was getting hit. The sixth throw was wildly off the mark despite the fact that it was a 5-yard toss over the middle. Brennan’s seventh pass was dropped by Robbie Agnone, a backup tight end. His eight attempt was a short gain to Agnone. Agnone, unfortunately, dropped Brennan’s ninth pass. Brennan lofted his 10th throw out of bounds when he was under pressure.
Brennan was very unimpressive, but it should be noted that he was under pressure on almost every play. For now, Brennan will have to wait to see his draft grade increase from a Z- to a Z+.
Raiders 31, Cowboys 10
With all eyes on Darren McFadden, Tony Romo, Roy Williams and Jason Witten, the star of this game was Raider receiver Chaz Schilens. Schilens, a seventh-round pick a year ago, caught five passes for 52 yards, which doesn’t include a 40-yard pass interference penalty he drew on the second drive.
In total, Schilens was remarkably targeted on five of JaMarcus Russell’s first seven pass attempts. Schilens made some impressive grabs, including a leaping 16-yard reception and a diving catch early in the second quarter.
Schilens is definitely a fantasy sleeper, and I’d suggest grabbing him in the later rounds of your draft.
Darrius Heyward-Bey was targeted twice by Russell on deep downfield throws. The first pass was tipped away by a Dallas safety. The second attempt was overthrown. Heyward-Bey caught an 8-yard slant from Bruce Gradkowski in the second quarter, but didn’t do anything else.
For all the talk about JaMarcus Russell being 500 pounds, the maligned Raider quarterback scrambled up the middle for 18 yards late in the first quarter with the help of a nice juke move. Russell was a very solid 6-of-9 for 50 yards. Two of his incompletions were long bombs to Heyward-Bey.
Justin Fargas started the game and played exclusively on Oakland’s first drive. Fargas was the least impressive of the three Oakland running backs. Darren McFadden, who took over on the second drive, took his first carry for 13 yards behind right tackle. McFadden had a great-looking 45-yard scamper at the end of the first quarter, but managed to do so against Dallas’ backups. Michael Bush, meanwhile, gained 18 yards on two carries, and also had a long run called back because of a holding penalty. It should be noted that he ran against the Cowboy reserves.
As for the Dallas running back situation, Wade Phillips split carries between Marion Barber and Felix Jones on the first two drives; after a Barber carry, Jones came in and looked electric, breaking a 14-yard run left tackle and then catching a 9-yard pass. Once the Cowboys got into the red zone, Barber got the ball and crashed into the end zone on his second try. Unfortunately, his touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty.
With Terrell Owens gone, someone on the Cowboys is going to score a bunch of touchdowns in the passing game. Tony Romo, who played only two drives, had just one red-zone trip, but did manage to find Jason Witten. That’s something worth noting.
The Cowboys didn’t waste any time getting the ball to Martellus Bennett; he was the first Cowboy to catch a pass. Bennett simply ran over Raider corner Chris Johnson, who looked like a little kid trying to make a tackle. Bennett is an imposing figure and should be good for around 400 yards this year. He’ll put up monstrous numbers if Witten gets hurt, so monitor that situation.
Despite all of Jerry Jones’ admiration toward him, Miles Austin was very unimpressive as a starting wideout. Austin didn’t make a single catch and even dropped a 20-yard slant. Sam Hurd was much better, hauling in five balls for 79 yards.
Patriots 27, Eagles 25
He’s back. Tom Brady shined in his first extensive action since the Super Bowl loss to the Giants, going 10-of-15 for 100 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Keep in mind that does not include a 50-yard bomb in which Asante Samuel interfered with Randy Moss. Brady’s pick was underthrown, and it looked like he was worried about getting hit in the pocket. Excluding that interception, however, Brady was sharp. He remains my No. 1 fantasy quarterback – click here for 2009 Fantasy Football Rankings.
Wes Welker didn’t play. Randy Moss caught three passes for 54 yards. He also dropped a pass and had a long completion wiped out because of pass interference. Brady and Moss were clicking as if they didn’t miss any time.
Interestingly, Brady targeted Chris Baker twice in the end zone. Baker caught three balls for 22 yards and a pair of scores. Baker was signed as a blocking tight end, but he’s very draftable if Brady is looking his way in the red zone. Ben Watson, whom I’ve been high on, did not play (he’s apparently in Bill Belichick’s doghouse.)
Joey Galloway, meanwhile, dropped a touchdown. By my count, it was the only time Galloway was targeted all evening. He’s not draftable at this point.
Laurence Maroney received a lot of first-team reps. He didn’t look too bad at times, gaining 14 yards on six carries. Remember, the Eagles have one of the top rush defenses in the NFL. I don’t like Maroney, but he’s worth drafting late because he can produce if healthy. As for Sammy Morris, the third-stringer didn’t get any carries until the second half. Fred Taylor did not play.
I mentioned that Welker didn’t play. Welker’s clone took the field instead. Rookie Julian Edelman, who was the quarterback at Kent State last year, looked exactly like Welker, catching five passes for 37 yards. Like Welker, he also handled punt returns, scoring on a 75-yard return. If Welker goes down, Edelman will be a guy to pick up.
As for the Eagles, Donovan McNabb’s numbers don’t appear to be too impressive (11-of-18, 103 yards, 5.72 YPA) but he was pressured constantly. Left tackle Jason “Derrick Coleman” Peters looked very slow and surrendered a sack in the red zone. Peters predictably left the game in the second quarter with a quad strain.
It’s worth noting that McNabb also had a 45-yard completion to DeSean Jackson wiped out because crooked official Jerome Boger incorrectly called offensive pass interference on Jackson.
LeSean McCoy stole the show, rushing for 55 yards on 10 carries and two catches for 12 receiving yards. McCoy was extremely impressive, and it made me wonder how Andy Reid can justify keeping the rookie off the field, even with a healthy Brian Westbrook in the lineup.
Though he did all of the work against New England’s third-stringers, Jeremy Maclin logged two receptions for 44 yards, and also drew a long pass interference penalty on fellow rookie Darius Butler. Maclin also registered a kick return of 31 yards and a punt return of 21 yards.
Brent Celek had two receptions for 30 yards, but left the game with a minor shoulder injury.
In the wake of the QB Dog Killer signing, it’s worth noting that A.J. Feeley had an incredible performance. Feeley was 18-of-24 for 211 yards and a touchdown. Most of Feeley’s incompletions were actually drops; he didn’t have any poor throws.
I liked what I saw out of fourth-string running back Eldra Buckley. Buckley rushed for 23 yards and caught six balls for 56 receiving yards. Buckley’s power running and pass-catching ability could vault him over Lorenzo Booker on the depth chart.
Funny exchange by play-by-play guy Kevin Reilly cutting off color commentator Herm Edwards mid-sentence:
Herm: “This kid… he was at… Missouri… he was a weapon…”
Reilly: “We’ll be back after this!”
Steelers 20, Cardinals 10
I can’t say we really learned anything from this game as far as the first-team offenses are concerned. Ben Roethlisberger was 4-of-6 for 33 yards and did a nice job eluding two near-sacks in his own end zone to scramble up the field for three yards to negate a loss. Two of Roethlisberger’s completions went to Hines Ward (19 yards). The other two were to Limas Sweed and Heath Miller.
Speaking of Sweed, the second-year wideout made an incredible leaping first-down catch on third-and-10 on Pittsburgh’s second drive. On the next possession, Sweed hauled in a 45-yard reception downfield. Mike Wallace (2 catches, 35 yards) was also impressive; Dennis Dixon underthrew him on a potential long bomb.
The Steelers couldn’t open up any running lanes for Rashard Mendenhall (Willie Parker didn’t play). Mendenhall was able to finish with 24 yards on nine carries, as he piled up yardage against Arizona’s backups.
Kurt Warner, meanwhile, was 6-of-10 for 53 yards. Warner looked a bit slow and awkward on his first drive; on one draw play, he literally took five seconds to get the ball to his running back. Warner revealed that he’s not 100 percent after hip surgery, so this is not a surprise.
Fortunately, Warner looked much more impressive on his second drive. He missed Steve Breaston by an inch on a 50-yard pass, as the ball went off Breaston’s fingertips as Troy Polamalu tackled him. I’ll still be surprised if Warner lasts the whole year again, but if healthy, there’s no doubt that he’ll put up huge numbers.
Chris Wells did not play. In his place, Tim Hightower had a pretty decent showing, garnering 24 yards on six carries.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Matt Leinart saved his job. Leinart started off poorly. His first throw was incomplete behind Anquan Boldin. His second throw was high to Boldin, but caught along the sidelines for seven yards. His third pass was incomplete under pressure. His fourth attempt was overthrown to Jerheme Urban.
That said, Leinart really rebounded after that, completing his next five throws for 61 yards. Leinart finished 8-of-14 for 83 yards. Expect him to celebrate with a sexy hot tub experience with Nick Lachey. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
MISSING
More 2010 Fantasy Football Articles:
2010 Fantasy Football: Home
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings:
2010 Fantasy Football Playoff Rankings - 1/5 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Week 17 Fantasy Rankings - 1/2 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 8/31 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterbacks - 6/6 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 9/6 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Running Backs - 7/3 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 9/7 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers - 7/14 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 8/31 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Tight Ends - 7/20 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Kickers - 6/10 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defenses - 6/11 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Auction Values - 9/2 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: IDP Defensive Linemen - 8/3 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: IDP Linebackers - 8/7 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: IDP Defensive Backs - 8/14 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Team-by-Team - 6/7 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Dynasty Rookie Rankings - 4/30 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Rookie Rankings - 4/29 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheets:
2010 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 Traditional - 9/6 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 PPR - 9/6 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet: Top 150 Touchdown League - 9/6 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Rankings: Downloadable Spreadsheets - 9/7 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Mock Drafts:
2010 Fantasy Football Draft: WF.com Free League - 9/7 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Draft: Real Traditional Draft - 9/1 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Draft: Real PPR Draft - 8/26 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Draft: Real PPR Draft - 8/18 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Draft: Real Experts PPR Draft - 8/12 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Experts Mock Draft - 8/12 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Draft: Pros vs. Joes - 7/28 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: PPR Draft with AKA - 7/20 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Mocking ESPN's Fantasy Mock Draft - 7/7 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: The Four-Man PPR Fantasy Draft - 7/1 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Articles:
2010 Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 17 - 1/2 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Start Em, Sit Em - 12/29 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Add/Drop - 12/20 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Stock Index - Week 8 - 10/29 (John)
2010 Fantasy Football Buffet: Week 8 - 10/28 (Steve)
2010 Fantasy Football Stock - 9/7 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Preseason Stock - 9/3 (Walt)
2010 NFL Preseason Recap, Fantasy Football Notes - 9/3 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: High-Upside Late-Round Sleepers - 8/25 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Top 12 Players to Avoid - 8/25 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Undervalued Players - 8/13 (John)
2010 Fantasy Football: Buy Low - 8/6 (Walt)
ESPN's 2010 Fantasy Football Magazine Errors - 8/3 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Defense Strategy - 8/2 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: My Round-by-Round Strategy - 7/27 (Walt)
Lack of 2010 Fantasy Depth: Blame the 2008 NFL Draft Class - 7/26 (John)
2010 Fantasy Football: Why You Should Pass on Chris Johnson - 7/14 (John)
2010 Fantasy Football: Draft Strategies - 7/13 (John)
2010 Fantasy Football: Wide Receiver Scarcity - 6/30 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Sleepers (Late-Round) - 6/2 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Sleepers (Mid-Round) - 6/1 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Busts - 5/31 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football Mailbag - 5/29 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Quarterbacks with New Receivers - 5/1 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: 2010 NFL Draft Stock Up - 4/29 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: 2010 NFL Draft Stock Down - 4/29 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Free Agency Stock Up - 4/15 (Walt)
2010 Fantasy Football: Free Agency Stock Down - 4/12 (Walt)
Running Backs with Most Carries - 4/10 (Walt)
NFL Picks - Dec. 11
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
