Williams steps up; Texans hold off Rams
NFL.com wire reports
ST. LOUIS (Aug. 19, 2006) -- A calmer Mario Williams was a lot more disruptive in his second pro game than the amped-up one was in his first.
Williams, who made a negligible impact last week, showed signs of justifying Houston's decision to take him at No. 1 over Reggie Bush in a 27-20 Texans victory against St. Louis.
He drew the Rams into a pair of penalties, batted down a pass to force a punt and tackled running back Tony Fisher for a 3-yard loss.
Last week, Williams said he was too excited.
"I just came out and was really thinking about taking my time and not being too caught up in just being on the field," Williams said. "I just took my time and let it happen, just had fun.
"I had a lot more fun today than I did last week."
Coach Gary Kubiak said Williams "played like a rookie" in the preseason opener.
He saw a different player against the Rams.
"Without looking at the film, I could feel his pressure out there," Kubiak said. "That's what you have to have. You have to take steps each week."
Vernand Morency, who did not play in the preseason opener due to a hip injury and coach Gary Kubiak's decision to look at other backs, had touchdown runs of 4 and 43 yards and totaled 95 yards on 11 carries. Phillip Buchanon also had a big game for the Texans (2-0), with punt returns of 32 and 33 yards and a fumble recovery on the first play of the second half that gave Houston the ball at the St. Louis 17, which led to Kris Brown's field goal and a 13-3 lead.
A pass-interference call in the end zone on Buchanon, however, led to a 1-yard run by Fred Russell late in the third quarter that cut the Texans' lead to 20-17.
The Texans, who completed a preseason sweep of Missouri's NFL teams after beating the Chiefs 24-14 last week, also got a 44-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels to Derrick Lewis in the fourth quarter.
The Rams (1-1) scored a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter -- a 4-yard touchdown pass from Gus Frerotte to Shaun McDonald and a 1-yard run by Fred Russell. St. Louis had first-and-goal at the 2 at the 2-minute warning but the Texans' defense held.
Vernand Morency's two touchdown runs paced the Texans to victory.
Coach Scott Linehan said he would have gone for a 2-point conversion and the victory had the Rams scored.
"The bottom line is the keys to winning weren't there," Linehan said. "I don't think we played as smart and as tuned-in as we did a week ago."
Last week, Williams was on the field for only 11 plays and was credited with one assist. This time he lined up at both end positions and saw some action at tackle.
Williams was part of a defensive-line rotation that played the first half, along with quarterback David Carr and the rest of the Texans' first-stringers. Most Rams starters were out of the game by early in the second, with the starters producing three points in three possessions.
"We've got some things we've still got to iron out with our offense," Carr said. "It was good to see that, so I don't mind playing the whole half."
The Rams' No. 1 offense has not scored a touchdown in five preseason possessions.
The Texans' first touchdown, Morency's 4-yard run midway through the second quarter, came against the Rams' second-stringers. So did Kris Brown's 48-yard field goal with one second left in the half, four plays after Dexter McCleon blocked Remy Hamilton's 51-yard attempt.
Carr was 10-for-17 for 99 yards, while Rams starter Marc Bulger was 7-for-13 for 86 yards.
The Rams' special teams, last in the NFL last season, struggled for the second successive game. Matt Turk had two 50-yard punts and a 59-yarder, but Buchanon returned one of the 50-yarders 33 yards to help set up Houston's first touchdown.
Buchanon's 32-yard return came one play after an ineligible-downfield call on Brandon Green negated a Turk punt that would have pinned the Texans at the 3.
"That's huge field position, and this is a field-position game," Linehan said. "That's as bad as a turnover."
Last week, the Rams were victimized by an Indianapolis onside kick on the opening play, and also gave up a 63-yard kickoff return to set up the Colts' first 10 points in St. Louis' opening 19-17 victory.
The Rams held out offensive tackle Orlando Pace, who sprained his right knee and ankle Aug. 14. Defensive end Leonard Little (quad) also was held out. The Texans held out guard Steve McKinney (knee).
St. Louis was held to 61 yards on 27 carries after totaling 202 yards rushing last week against the Colts. The Texans took away the run with lots of eight-man fronts.
"I believe we're coming along," center Andy McCollum said. "We've got the guys who are going to take it upon themselves to fix the mistakes they've made."
Monday, August 21, 2006
Vikings 17 Steelers 10
Vikings knock off Steelers 17-10
NFL.com wire reports
PITTSBURGH (Aug. 19, 2006) -- So far this preseason, it's been one and done for Ben Roethlisberger. One series and he's done and, for the most part, so is the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense.
Brad Johnson and rookie Tarvaris Jackson each threw for a touchdown and the Minnesota Vikings got production from starters and backups alike in beating the Steelers 17-10.
Roethlisberger, a surprise starter because of his right thumb injury, threw for a touchdown on the Steelers' opening drive while running a version of the no-huddle. After that, the offense basically shut down for the rest of the game.
Just as in a 21-13 loss to Arizona last weekend, the Steelers' execution was spotty, with mistakes, incorrect pass routes and turnovers. They had a fumble and an interception in their final two possessions of the first half.
Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a touchdown on the team's opening drive.
"It was their first game back after winning the Super Bowl and, after that first drive, we just said we had to weather the storm," said cornerback Ronyell Whitaker, who had a sack and a forced fumble. "We knew it would be a hostile crowd, but we wanted to go out and see how we stand against the Super Bowl champions."
So far, the Steelers are playing much like they were a year ago, when their starters didn't score a touchdown on offense in the preseason before going on to win the franchise's first Super Bowl in 26 years. So much for the importance of exhibition play; Roethlisberger had thrown only one other preseason TD pass in three years before doing so Saturday.
"I think we got in a fast tempo while we were out there, but we didn't run the ball much," Steelers fullback Dan Kreider said. "We didn't mix the run and the pass like we usually do most games because we weren't out there that long."
Roethlisberger was listed as questionable after spraining a right thumb ligament in practice Wednesday. But he got the offense into the end zone so quickly, throwing a 16-yard scoring pass to Cedrick Wilson with less than 5 minutes gone, he was pulled after only six plays.
"The thumb feels pretty good," Roethlisberger said. "It was one of those things where we said let's go out there and warm up and see how we feel. It felt good out there."
In two games, Roethlisberger is 6-of-8 for 59 yards and has shown no effects of the June 12 motorcycle accident that left him with a broken jaw, nose and a concussion, among other injuries.
"They came out with a sort of a no-huddle trying to get us rattled," Vikings linebacker Napoleon Harris said. "We came out kind of flat defensively, but once we settled down and got into the speed of the game, we got pressure on the quarterback."
Both starting quarterbacks had no problems moving their offenses, with Johnson going 9-of-11 for 71 yards while throwing a 12-yard scoring pass to tight end Jermaine Wiggins on Minnesota's first possession after the Steelers' touchdown.
But it was Jackson, the second-round draft pick from Alabama State, who got the Vikings offense moving again in limited playing time -- just as he did during a relatively brief but effective appearance during a 16-13 loss Monday to Oakland.
He didn't have to scramble for yardage as he did while running for 36 yards against the Raiders, but was more accurate as a thrower by completing 9 of 11 passes for 80 yards. His 6-yard touchdown pass to Jason Carter early in the third quarter put the Vikings up 17-7 and finished off a 56-yard drive in which the rookie was 5-of-5 for 54 yards. He was 7-of-13 overall for 60 yards against the Raiders.
"This is what have to do as a team every week," wide receiver Troy Williamson said. "We've got two good quarterbacks and one who's still learning what to do."
The big play on the Jackson-led drive was a 26-yard completion over the middle to Ryan Hoag on a second-and-17 play after Jackson was sacked on first down. Jackson played much better than Mike McMahon, who was expected to be Johnson's backup but was pulled after completing only 1 of 7 passes for 42 yards and throwing an interception.
Steelers first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes also stood out, though mostly for the wrong reasons. After Holmes apparently ran the wrong pass route on a Batch-thrown interception after the Steelers had driven to the Vikings' 27 in the second quarter, players and coaches alike -- led by Roethlisberger -- gathered around to show him what he did wrong.
"We weren't on the same page and you saw the end result," Batch said. "We played in spurts on offense and defense and we've got to put it all together."
Later, Holmes was certain he made a catch along the Steelers sideline, but was ruled to be juggling the ball. Holmes seemed surprised at the call, and coach Bill Cowher challenged it, but it was upheld.
Losing their first two preseason games is nothing new for the Steelers, who also did it in 2002 and 2003.
NFL.com wire reports
PITTSBURGH (Aug. 19, 2006) -- So far this preseason, it's been one and done for Ben Roethlisberger. One series and he's done and, for the most part, so is the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense.
Brad Johnson and rookie Tarvaris Jackson each threw for a touchdown and the Minnesota Vikings got production from starters and backups alike in beating the Steelers 17-10.
Roethlisberger, a surprise starter because of his right thumb injury, threw for a touchdown on the Steelers' opening drive while running a version of the no-huddle. After that, the offense basically shut down for the rest of the game.
Just as in a 21-13 loss to Arizona last weekend, the Steelers' execution was spotty, with mistakes, incorrect pass routes and turnovers. They had a fumble and an interception in their final two possessions of the first half.
Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a touchdown on the team's opening drive.
"It was their first game back after winning the Super Bowl and, after that first drive, we just said we had to weather the storm," said cornerback Ronyell Whitaker, who had a sack and a forced fumble. "We knew it would be a hostile crowd, but we wanted to go out and see how we stand against the Super Bowl champions."
So far, the Steelers are playing much like they were a year ago, when their starters didn't score a touchdown on offense in the preseason before going on to win the franchise's first Super Bowl in 26 years. So much for the importance of exhibition play; Roethlisberger had thrown only one other preseason TD pass in three years before doing so Saturday.
"I think we got in a fast tempo while we were out there, but we didn't run the ball much," Steelers fullback Dan Kreider said. "We didn't mix the run and the pass like we usually do most games because we weren't out there that long."
Roethlisberger was listed as questionable after spraining a right thumb ligament in practice Wednesday. But he got the offense into the end zone so quickly, throwing a 16-yard scoring pass to Cedrick Wilson with less than 5 minutes gone, he was pulled after only six plays.
"The thumb feels pretty good," Roethlisberger said. "It was one of those things where we said let's go out there and warm up and see how we feel. It felt good out there."
In two games, Roethlisberger is 6-of-8 for 59 yards and has shown no effects of the June 12 motorcycle accident that left him with a broken jaw, nose and a concussion, among other injuries.
"They came out with a sort of a no-huddle trying to get us rattled," Vikings linebacker Napoleon Harris said. "We came out kind of flat defensively, but once we settled down and got into the speed of the game, we got pressure on the quarterback."
Both starting quarterbacks had no problems moving their offenses, with Johnson going 9-of-11 for 71 yards while throwing a 12-yard scoring pass to tight end Jermaine Wiggins on Minnesota's first possession after the Steelers' touchdown.
But it was Jackson, the second-round draft pick from Alabama State, who got the Vikings offense moving again in limited playing time -- just as he did during a relatively brief but effective appearance during a 16-13 loss Monday to Oakland.
He didn't have to scramble for yardage as he did while running for 36 yards against the Raiders, but was more accurate as a thrower by completing 9 of 11 passes for 80 yards. His 6-yard touchdown pass to Jason Carter early in the third quarter put the Vikings up 17-7 and finished off a 56-yard drive in which the rookie was 5-of-5 for 54 yards. He was 7-of-13 overall for 60 yards against the Raiders.
"This is what have to do as a team every week," wide receiver Troy Williamson said. "We've got two good quarterbacks and one who's still learning what to do."
The big play on the Jackson-led drive was a 26-yard completion over the middle to Ryan Hoag on a second-and-17 play after Jackson was sacked on first down. Jackson played much better than Mike McMahon, who was expected to be Johnson's backup but was pulled after completing only 1 of 7 passes for 42 yards and throwing an interception.
Steelers first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes also stood out, though mostly for the wrong reasons. After Holmes apparently ran the wrong pass route on a Batch-thrown interception after the Steelers had driven to the Vikings' 27 in the second quarter, players and coaches alike -- led by Roethlisberger -- gathered around to show him what he did wrong.
"We weren't on the same page and you saw the end result," Batch said. "We played in spurts on offense and defense and we've got to put it all together."
Later, Holmes was certain he made a catch along the Steelers sideline, but was ruled to be juggling the ball. Holmes seemed surprised at the call, and coach Bill Cowher challenged it, but it was upheld.
Losing their first two preseason games is nothing new for the Steelers, who also did it in 2002 and 2003.
Jacksonville Jaguars 17, Carolina Panthers 10
Panthers frustrate Garrard, defeat Jaguars
NFL.com wire reports
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2006) -- David Garrard's worst game came at an inopportune time. It also ended whatever outside shot he had at supplanting starter Byron Leftwich.
Jacksonville's backup quarterback mostly struggled with -- and against -- the starters, fumbling three times, throwing an interception and getting sacked once in a 17-10 preseason loss to the Carolina Panthers. He was intercepted again in the third quarter against Carolina's second-team defense.
It was hardly the outing Garrard wanted when he was given a chance to showcase his skills with the first-team offense. It also solidified his spot behind Leftwich, essentially ending a mild quarterback controversy that began last season when Garrard went 4-1 in place of an injured Leftwich.
"A real tough night," Garrard said. "I haven't one of those in quite a while. I guess it happens to the best of us. It does hurt a little bit more when you're trying to get these valuable reps because you don't get many of them, and when you do, you've got to seize the moment."
Coach Jack Del Rio decided to let Garrard play extensively with the first-team offense to better evaluate the fifth-year quarterback. But Carolina's defense, which was dominant in its preseason opener against Buffalo last week, proved to be more than he could handle.
Leftwich started the game and played two series. He was 4-for-4 for 52 yards and was sacked twice. Garrard fared much worse in four series of relief.
He fumbled his second snap of the game and was intercepted three plays later when his pass sailed over Ernest Wilford's head and into Colin Branch's hands. Garrard fumbled another snap on Jacksonville's next possession but completed three passes to put the Jaguars (1-1) in position for Seth Marler's 50-yard field goal that tied the score at 3.
David Garrard had some bright moments, but Carolina's defense stung him in crucial moments.
Carolina (2-0) made it 10-3 after Nick Goings scored from a yard out with 26 seconds to play in the first half. The short TD run followed a pass interception penalty against Scott Starks, who was draped all over Keyshawn Johnson in the end zone.
Instead of taking a knee and ending the first half, the Jaguars tried to move the ball downfield with about 20 seconds remaining. But Julius Peppers, who also had a sack against the Bills, beat right tackle Maurice Williams and sacked Garrard deep in the backfield. Garrard fumbled for a third time, and defensive lineman Mike Rucker picked up the loose ball and ran 31 yards for a score and a 17-3 lead.
"For us to come out here and do a couple of good things was a positive move in the right direction," Rucker said.
Del Rio stuck with his first-team offense to open the third quarter, which gave Garrard a chance to redeem himself against Carolina's backups. Garrard led the Jags to the 19-yard line, but Richard Marshall intercepted his pass to Wilford in the end zone.
"Everything was great besides those three plays," Garrard said, referring to the two interceptions and the sack. "You take those three plays away and we're moving the ball and we're doing everything that's asked of us. It was just some poor throws and not holding onto the ball good enough on the sack. But those are all things I can correct."
Garrard finished 7-for-11 for 86 yards.
"It wasn't as sharp as I know he can be," Del Rio said.
Jake Delhomme was much better for the Panthers, who played again without Steve Smith. The All-Pro receiver sat out for precautionary reasons after missing 17 days of training camp because of a strained left hamstring.
Delhomme led the Panthers to a score on their opening possession for the second time in as many games. He completed a 40-yard pass to Keary Colbert on third-and-7, and John Kasey kicked a 22-yard field goal.
Delhomme played the entire first half and was 10-for-18 for 129 yards, but he also saw two passes nearly intercepted.
"Certainly there's a lot more work to be done. That was evident," Delhomme said. "It wasn't our crispest game. But it's going against that defense. That's a pretty impressive defense. They did some good things and we were a little sloppy in some areas."
NFL.com wire reports
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2006) -- David Garrard's worst game came at an inopportune time. It also ended whatever outside shot he had at supplanting starter Byron Leftwich.
Jacksonville's backup quarterback mostly struggled with -- and against -- the starters, fumbling three times, throwing an interception and getting sacked once in a 17-10 preseason loss to the Carolina Panthers. He was intercepted again in the third quarter against Carolina's second-team defense.
It was hardly the outing Garrard wanted when he was given a chance to showcase his skills with the first-team offense. It also solidified his spot behind Leftwich, essentially ending a mild quarterback controversy that began last season when Garrard went 4-1 in place of an injured Leftwich.
"A real tough night," Garrard said. "I haven't one of those in quite a while. I guess it happens to the best of us. It does hurt a little bit more when you're trying to get these valuable reps because you don't get many of them, and when you do, you've got to seize the moment."
Coach Jack Del Rio decided to let Garrard play extensively with the first-team offense to better evaluate the fifth-year quarterback. But Carolina's defense, which was dominant in its preseason opener against Buffalo last week, proved to be more than he could handle.
Leftwich started the game and played two series. He was 4-for-4 for 52 yards and was sacked twice. Garrard fared much worse in four series of relief.
He fumbled his second snap of the game and was intercepted three plays later when his pass sailed over Ernest Wilford's head and into Colin Branch's hands. Garrard fumbled another snap on Jacksonville's next possession but completed three passes to put the Jaguars (1-1) in position for Seth Marler's 50-yard field goal that tied the score at 3.
David Garrard had some bright moments, but Carolina's defense stung him in crucial moments.
Carolina (2-0) made it 10-3 after Nick Goings scored from a yard out with 26 seconds to play in the first half. The short TD run followed a pass interception penalty against Scott Starks, who was draped all over Keyshawn Johnson in the end zone.
Instead of taking a knee and ending the first half, the Jaguars tried to move the ball downfield with about 20 seconds remaining. But Julius Peppers, who also had a sack against the Bills, beat right tackle Maurice Williams and sacked Garrard deep in the backfield. Garrard fumbled for a third time, and defensive lineman Mike Rucker picked up the loose ball and ran 31 yards for a score and a 17-3 lead.
"For us to come out here and do a couple of good things was a positive move in the right direction," Rucker said.
Del Rio stuck with his first-team offense to open the third quarter, which gave Garrard a chance to redeem himself against Carolina's backups. Garrard led the Jags to the 19-yard line, but Richard Marshall intercepted his pass to Wilford in the end zone.
"Everything was great besides those three plays," Garrard said, referring to the two interceptions and the sack. "You take those three plays away and we're moving the ball and we're doing everything that's asked of us. It was just some poor throws and not holding onto the ball good enough on the sack. But those are all things I can correct."
Garrard finished 7-for-11 for 86 yards.
"It wasn't as sharp as I know he can be," Del Rio said.
Jake Delhomme was much better for the Panthers, who played again without Steve Smith. The All-Pro receiver sat out for precautionary reasons after missing 17 days of training camp because of a strained left hamstring.
Delhomme led the Panthers to a score on their opening possession for the second time in as many games. He completed a 40-yard pass to Keary Colbert on third-and-7, and John Kasey kicked a 22-yard field goal.
Delhomme played the entire first half and was 10-for-18 for 129 yards, but he also saw two passes nearly intercepted.
"Certainly there's a lot more work to be done. That was evident," Delhomme said. "It wasn't our crispest game. But it's going against that defense. That's a pretty impressive defense. They did some good things and we were a little sloppy in some areas."
Miami Dolphins Beat Tampa Bay Bucs 13-10
Dolphins hold off Bucs to win 13-10
NFL.com wire reports
TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2006) -- Daunte Culpepper was more than ready for the next logical step on his comeback trail.
The Miami quarterback took the first real hit since undergoing knee surgery, then absorbed a second and a third while helping the Dolphins to a 13-10 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"It was beautiful to finally get a hit because everybody was kind of waiting to see what would happen, what would be my reaction," Culpepper said. "I think I handled it pretty well."
The eighth-year pro played into the second quarter, completing 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards and leading a nine-minute touchdown drive after producing little offense on his team's first three possessions.
Culpepper played one series in Miami's preseason opener against Jacksonville, completing one pass for 2 yards. This appearance lasted 23 plays, 14 of them on the 70-yard march that Sammy Morris finished with a 2-yard TD run.
Equally encouraging for the Dolphins (1-1) was the way Culpepper got through the first true contact work he's had since tearing three ligaments in his right knee while playing for the Minnesota Vikings last season.
"I wasn't even worried about it. I'm worried about the next play and what we've got to do to be successful," Culpepper said.
"I told myself that I was going to push myself as hard as I possibly could before training camp even started so at the time when I do start taking some hits I'd be ready for them physically."
Daunte Culpepper absorbed some punishment, but the Dolphins starting QB took it in stride.
Tampa Bay's Barrett Ruud and Anthony McFarland sacked Culpepper on consecutive plays in the first quarter, with the first hit causing a fumble that Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown recovered at the Miami 18.
Ruud later tested the quarterback's mobility, chasing him out of the pocket and forcing Culpepper to throw a pass that was ruled intentional grounding when the ball failed to get back to the line of scrimmage.
"I play the game a certain way -- to make plays, some with my legs. Sometimes you get hit. That's football," Culpepper said. "My knee's fine. I just thank God that everything's holding up. I'm continuing to get stronger every day."
Chris Simms started at quarterback for Tampa Bay (1-1) and led a field goal drive, followed by two three-and-outs. He completed 2 of 7 passes for 27 yards and was sacked twice, once by Dan Wilkinson, the much-traveled defensive tackle who signed with Miami last Monday.
Wilkinson wasn't surprised that he was able to contribute despite being in training camp for less than a week.
"I've been healthy, and I have been in good shape pretty much my entire career," Wilkinson said. "I knew coming out here I was ready to roll."
Joey Harrington, another of the Dolphins' newcomers, followed Culpepper and was 8-of-15 for 81 yards. He led a pair of field goal drives before being replaced by Cleo Lemon at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Bucs made it close in the fourth when rookie Bruce Gradkowski threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Edell Shepherd, who slipped behind Dolphins first-round draft pick Jason Allen to trim Miami's lead to 13-10.
Gradkowski had the Bucs on the move again, but a poorly thrown pass glanced off Shepherd's hand and was intercepted by safety Jack Hunt with just under 2 minutes to go.
"It went pretty well, but we didn't get the 'W,' and that's the most important thing," Gradkowski said. "It's hard to swallow not winning. We have to learn from it, build for next time and see what happens."
Several Tampa Bay starters, including running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and receiver Joey Galloway on offense and linebackers Derrick Brooks and Shelton Quarles and end Simeon Rice on defense, sat out.
Defensive end Jason Taylor started for Miami after sitting out last week's game with a back injury.
NFL.com wire reports
TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 19, 2006) -- Daunte Culpepper was more than ready for the next logical step on his comeback trail.
The Miami quarterback took the first real hit since undergoing knee surgery, then absorbed a second and a third while helping the Dolphins to a 13-10 preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"It was beautiful to finally get a hit because everybody was kind of waiting to see what would happen, what would be my reaction," Culpepper said. "I think I handled it pretty well."
The eighth-year pro played into the second quarter, completing 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards and leading a nine-minute touchdown drive after producing little offense on his team's first three possessions.
Culpepper played one series in Miami's preseason opener against Jacksonville, completing one pass for 2 yards. This appearance lasted 23 plays, 14 of them on the 70-yard march that Sammy Morris finished with a 2-yard TD run.
Equally encouraging for the Dolphins (1-1) was the way Culpepper got through the first true contact work he's had since tearing three ligaments in his right knee while playing for the Minnesota Vikings last season.
"I wasn't even worried about it. I'm worried about the next play and what we've got to do to be successful," Culpepper said.
"I told myself that I was going to push myself as hard as I possibly could before training camp even started so at the time when I do start taking some hits I'd be ready for them physically."
Daunte Culpepper absorbed some punishment, but the Dolphins starting QB took it in stride.
Tampa Bay's Barrett Ruud and Anthony McFarland sacked Culpepper on consecutive plays in the first quarter, with the first hit causing a fumble that Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown recovered at the Miami 18.
Ruud later tested the quarterback's mobility, chasing him out of the pocket and forcing Culpepper to throw a pass that was ruled intentional grounding when the ball failed to get back to the line of scrimmage.
"I play the game a certain way -- to make plays, some with my legs. Sometimes you get hit. That's football," Culpepper said. "My knee's fine. I just thank God that everything's holding up. I'm continuing to get stronger every day."
Chris Simms started at quarterback for Tampa Bay (1-1) and led a field goal drive, followed by two three-and-outs. He completed 2 of 7 passes for 27 yards and was sacked twice, once by Dan Wilkinson, the much-traveled defensive tackle who signed with Miami last Monday.
Wilkinson wasn't surprised that he was able to contribute despite being in training camp for less than a week.
"I've been healthy, and I have been in good shape pretty much my entire career," Wilkinson said. "I knew coming out here I was ready to roll."
Joey Harrington, another of the Dolphins' newcomers, followed Culpepper and was 8-of-15 for 81 yards. He led a pair of field goal drives before being replaced by Cleo Lemon at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Bucs made it close in the fourth when rookie Bruce Gradkowski threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Edell Shepherd, who slipped behind Dolphins first-round draft pick Jason Allen to trim Miami's lead to 13-10.
Gradkowski had the Bucs on the move again, but a poorly thrown pass glanced off Shepherd's hand and was intercepted by safety Jack Hunt with just under 2 minutes to go.
"It went pretty well, but we didn't get the 'W,' and that's the most important thing," Gradkowski said. "It's hard to swallow not winning. We have to learn from it, build for next time and see what happens."
Several Tampa Bay starters, including running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and receiver Joey Galloway on offense and linebackers Derrick Brooks and Shelton Quarles and end Simeon Rice on defense, sat out.
Defensive end Jason Taylor started for Miami after sitting out last week's game with a back injury.
Seattle Seahawks 30, Colts 17
Seahawks get the better of Indy, 30-17
NFL.com wire reports
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 20, 2006) -- All Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander had to do was keep pace with Indianapolis' starters. Done.
Leonard Weaver and the Seattle backups overwhelmed the rest of the Colts.
Weaver rushed for one touchdown, Mike Green returned an interception for another and Josh Brown kicked three field goals to give the defending NFC champions a 30-17 victory at Indianapolis.
"As bad as we were last week, that's how well we played today," Hasselbeck said. "What a difference it makes when you win a game, just the attitude, the energy in the locker room."
The game, which featured the NFL's last two MVPs -- Peyton Manning and Alexander -- for a little more than one quarter, had a distinctly preseason look to it.
Indianapolis, which has now lost eight straight preseason games and nine of 10 dating to 2004, tried an onside kick and a fake punt, and during one short span in the fourth quarter, the two teams traded possessions twice in three plays. By the end, only a smattering of fans remained in their seats.
The starters for both teams, however, looked sharp.
Alexander ran five times for 20 yards and set up the Seahawks first scoring drive. Hasselbeck completed 8 of 9 passes for 88 yards although he was sacked twice. It was enough to give Seattle a chance.
The Colts offense, as usual, looked good.
Timely stops and turnovers proved Seattle's defense is ready for the season.
Manning completed six of his first seven passes and had a perfect rating of 158.3 in the first quarter before finishing 6 of 9 for 140 yards with one touchdown and a 146.8 rating. And Marvin Harrison turned a spectacular one-handed grab on the run into a 35-yard gain on the Colts' second series. It was his only catch of the night.
The Colts also finished with 93 yards rushing, nearly triple their total from the preseason opener at St. Louis.
"It's always good to go out and get a drive on that first series," Manning said. "The second drive was going good, too, until an unfortunate fumble."
Tony Dungy was more upset with the litany of miscues that followed the starters' departure.
"It's disappointing because we made some of the same errors we made last week," he said. "You can't fumble the ball and drop the ball against a team like Seattle. They were good enough to take advantage of it."
Manning opened the game with a crisp 78-yard scoring drive that ended with a nifty 30-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne.
Seattle answered with Brown's 30-yard field goal, and then Manning went back to work.
After Harrison's circus catch, Manning had the Colts in scoring position again when he connected with tight end Ben Utecht on a 27-yard pass to the Seahawks 11. One problem: Julian Peterson stripped the ball and Michael Boulware recovered to end the threat.
It was all Seattle the rest of the way.
Peter Warrick's 25-yard punt return put the Seahawks at the Colts 40 midway through the second quarter, and Weaver scored on a 1-yard run five plays later to give Seattle a 10-7 lead. Weaver carried 14 times for 51 yards.
Manning's backup, Jim Sorgi, entered the game on the ensuing series, but was hit hard on each of his first two passes. The second fluttered toward the sideline where Green picked it off and ran it back 18 yards to make it 17-7.
The second hit knocked Sorgi out with an injury apparently to his throwing shoulder. Dungy said the Colts would re-evaluate the injury Aug. 21.
Brown's 39-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half made it 20-7, and the teams traded field goals in the third quarter to make it 23-10.
Then came another preseason caper -- when Weaver fumbled near the goal line and center Chris Spencer fell on it for a touchdown to make it 30-10.
"Our second guys knew they were going to play a lot," Alexander said. "Coach Holmgren just really stressed to them that their lives are on the line. Sometimes when your backs are against the wall, you can't help but throw punches."
The Colts got a 1-yard run from Tony Hollings with 7:33 left, but could get no closer.
Both teams were missing a handful of starters.
The Colts played without defensive tackle Montae Reagor, cornerback Jason David, safeties Mike Doss and Bob Sanders, and guard Ryan Lilja. Also sitting out was receiver Brandon Stokley.
The Seahawks held out defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, defensive end Grant Wistrom, Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu, tight end Jerramy Stevens and receiver Darrell Jackson.
Notes: The Colts distributed 56,596 tickets, their highest total for a preseason game in 20 years. Indy had 57,969 on Aug. 30, 1986, a 23-20 loss to Minnesota. ... Ken Hamlin, who had one tackle last week against Dallas, made two tackles against the Colts in his second game back after he fractured his skull in a street fight last October. ... Colts backup running back James Mungro left in the third quarter with a knee injury, and defensive end Johnathan Goddard left with a foot injury. Neither returned.
NFL.com wire reports
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 20, 2006) -- All Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander had to do was keep pace with Indianapolis' starters. Done.
Leonard Weaver and the Seattle backups overwhelmed the rest of the Colts.
Weaver rushed for one touchdown, Mike Green returned an interception for another and Josh Brown kicked three field goals to give the defending NFC champions a 30-17 victory at Indianapolis.
"As bad as we were last week, that's how well we played today," Hasselbeck said. "What a difference it makes when you win a game, just the attitude, the energy in the locker room."
The game, which featured the NFL's last two MVPs -- Peyton Manning and Alexander -- for a little more than one quarter, had a distinctly preseason look to it.
Indianapolis, which has now lost eight straight preseason games and nine of 10 dating to 2004, tried an onside kick and a fake punt, and during one short span in the fourth quarter, the two teams traded possessions twice in three plays. By the end, only a smattering of fans remained in their seats.
The starters for both teams, however, looked sharp.
Alexander ran five times for 20 yards and set up the Seahawks first scoring drive. Hasselbeck completed 8 of 9 passes for 88 yards although he was sacked twice. It was enough to give Seattle a chance.
The Colts offense, as usual, looked good.
Timely stops and turnovers proved Seattle's defense is ready for the season.
Manning completed six of his first seven passes and had a perfect rating of 158.3 in the first quarter before finishing 6 of 9 for 140 yards with one touchdown and a 146.8 rating. And Marvin Harrison turned a spectacular one-handed grab on the run into a 35-yard gain on the Colts' second series. It was his only catch of the night.
The Colts also finished with 93 yards rushing, nearly triple their total from the preseason opener at St. Louis.
"It's always good to go out and get a drive on that first series," Manning said. "The second drive was going good, too, until an unfortunate fumble."
Tony Dungy was more upset with the litany of miscues that followed the starters' departure.
"It's disappointing because we made some of the same errors we made last week," he said. "You can't fumble the ball and drop the ball against a team like Seattle. They were good enough to take advantage of it."
Manning opened the game with a crisp 78-yard scoring drive that ended with a nifty 30-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne.
Seattle answered with Brown's 30-yard field goal, and then Manning went back to work.
After Harrison's circus catch, Manning had the Colts in scoring position again when he connected with tight end Ben Utecht on a 27-yard pass to the Seahawks 11. One problem: Julian Peterson stripped the ball and Michael Boulware recovered to end the threat.
It was all Seattle the rest of the way.
Peter Warrick's 25-yard punt return put the Seahawks at the Colts 40 midway through the second quarter, and Weaver scored on a 1-yard run five plays later to give Seattle a 10-7 lead. Weaver carried 14 times for 51 yards.
Manning's backup, Jim Sorgi, entered the game on the ensuing series, but was hit hard on each of his first two passes. The second fluttered toward the sideline where Green picked it off and ran it back 18 yards to make it 17-7.
The second hit knocked Sorgi out with an injury apparently to his throwing shoulder. Dungy said the Colts would re-evaluate the injury Aug. 21.
Brown's 39-yard field goal as time ran out in the first half made it 20-7, and the teams traded field goals in the third quarter to make it 23-10.
Then came another preseason caper -- when Weaver fumbled near the goal line and center Chris Spencer fell on it for a touchdown to make it 30-10.
"Our second guys knew they were going to play a lot," Alexander said. "Coach Holmgren just really stressed to them that their lives are on the line. Sometimes when your backs are against the wall, you can't help but throw punches."
The Colts got a 1-yard run from Tony Hollings with 7:33 left, but could get no closer.
Both teams were missing a handful of starters.
The Colts played without defensive tackle Montae Reagor, cornerback Jason David, safeties Mike Doss and Bob Sanders, and guard Ryan Lilja. Also sitting out was receiver Brandon Stokley.
The Seahawks held out defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, defensive end Grant Wistrom, Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu, tight end Jerramy Stevens and receiver Darrell Jackson.
Notes: The Colts distributed 56,596 tickets, their highest total for a preseason game in 20 years. Indy had 57,969 on Aug. 30, 1986, a 23-20 loss to Minnesota. ... Ken Hamlin, who had one tackle last week against Dallas, made two tackles against the Colts in his second game back after he fractured his skull in a street fight last October. ... Colts backup running back James Mungro left in the third quarter with a knee injury, and defensive end Johnathan Goddard left with a foot injury. Neither returned.
Oakland Raiders Offense Looks Better; Raiders Top 49ers 23-7
Raiders continue upswing, win 23-7
NFL.com wire reports
OAKLAND, Calif. (Aug. 20, 2006) -- (Aug. 20, 2006) -- The passing game clicked, the defense created turnovers and the special teams was strong once again.
The Oakland Raiders put together their most complete performance of the preseason, yet coach Art Shell is far from satisfied.
Aaron Brooks threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Doug Gabriel on Oakland's opening drive, and Andrew Walter led the Raiders to two second-half scores in a 23-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
"We're not where we need to be," Shell said. "We're not where I want to be. We're not there. I expect a more efficient football team throughout. But I thought they performed better as a team today than the last two weeks."
Doug Gabriel started the game off right with a TD catch on the opening drive.
Oakland improved to 3-0 in preseason under Shell, who coached the Raiders for the first time in the Coliseum. Shell, who played most of his Hall of Fame career in Oakland, coached the team for 4½ seasons when it played in Los Angeles.
"It was really nice to walk back in the stadium on this side and be a part of it again," Shell said.
The Raiders ran for 156 yards, completed 67 percent of their passes, committed no procedural penalties and scored on five of their first eight drives. They also held the Niners to 209 yards.
"We're taking strides," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "We took a really good step today. The offense moved the ball. We played nice, tight defense and created turnovers. ... This is the NFL, my friend. Whenever you can do that, you're playing good football."
Niners coach Mike Nolan was disappointed with his team's performance, calling it a step back from last week's 28-14 win over Chicago.
San Francisco avoided a shutout when Trent Dilfer threw a 6-yard TD pass to Michael Robinson with 3:35 remaining.
"A very flat performance from our football team," Nolan said. "It started that way in our warmups, and I thought we were flat the entire game. We missed tackles, we missed opportunities for turnovers, and much the same offensively. I was not pleased with the tempo."
After completing only one pass in each of Oakland's first two exhibition games, Brooks came out looking sharp, completing an 11-yard pass to Gabriel on his first play.
He was 4 of 5 for 42 yards on the 75-yard drive and also had a 25-yard scramble. He was helped out when Mike Adams dropped a potential interception at the goal line three plays before the TD pass to Gabriel.
Brooks, who finished 10 of 17 for 125 yards, connected with Randal Williams on a 39-yard pass late in the second half to set up Sebastian Janikowski's 23-yard field goal.
Brooks also had problems at times. He missed a wide-open Alvis Whitted on a deep pass, threw an interception in the end zone and botched a handoff to LaMont Jordan that nearly led to another turnover.
"It was a slow start for us offensively the first two games," Brooks said. "I know we made some strides this game, but it's a process. Every time we get out on the football field, whether it's practice or a game, we just want to get better. I felt we did that tonight."
Walter went 8 of 9 for 99 yards, leading scoring drives on both of his possessions. Justin Fargas scored on a 3-yard run to cap the first drive, and David Kimball kicked a 23-yard field goal to end the second drive.
San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith, who had a strong preseason opener, struggled against the Raiders. He began the game by throwing an off-target lateral to Bryan Gilmore that ended up as a 12-yard loss and ended his half by throwing a pass that was intercepted by Tyrone Poole.
Smith was intercepted earlier in the half by Raiders first-round pick Michael Huff, who left the game with a slightly sprained left ankle. Smith went 6 of 12 for 81 yards.
"I can probably count on just one hand the number of plays I'd like to redo, but that'll be good to sit down and go over," Smith said. "It's something we can learn from."
Before the game, the 49ers traded running back Kevan Barlow to the New York Jets for an undisclosed 2007 draft pick. The trade officially makes Frank Gore the starter. Gore, San Francisco's leading rusher as a rookie last year with 608 yards, gained 42 yards on seven carries.
Notes: Dilfer got two personal fouls in the game for taunting. The second came after his TD pass when he ran over to the Raiders' sideline to yell at Sapp, his former Tampa Bay teammate. "The apocalypse is definitely on us when Trent Dilfer gets two personal fouls," Sapp said. ... The Raiders have five interceptions through three preseason games, matching their total from the 2005 regular season.
NFL.com wire reports
OAKLAND, Calif. (Aug. 20, 2006) -- (Aug. 20, 2006) -- The passing game clicked, the defense created turnovers and the special teams was strong once again.
The Oakland Raiders put together their most complete performance of the preseason, yet coach Art Shell is far from satisfied.
Aaron Brooks threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Doug Gabriel on Oakland's opening drive, and Andrew Walter led the Raiders to two second-half scores in a 23-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
"We're not where we need to be," Shell said. "We're not where I want to be. We're not there. I expect a more efficient football team throughout. But I thought they performed better as a team today than the last two weeks."
Doug Gabriel started the game off right with a TD catch on the opening drive.
Oakland improved to 3-0 in preseason under Shell, who coached the Raiders for the first time in the Coliseum. Shell, who played most of his Hall of Fame career in Oakland, coached the team for 4½ seasons when it played in Los Angeles.
"It was really nice to walk back in the stadium on this side and be a part of it again," Shell said.
The Raiders ran for 156 yards, completed 67 percent of their passes, committed no procedural penalties and scored on five of their first eight drives. They also held the Niners to 209 yards.
"We're taking strides," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "We took a really good step today. The offense moved the ball. We played nice, tight defense and created turnovers. ... This is the NFL, my friend. Whenever you can do that, you're playing good football."
Niners coach Mike Nolan was disappointed with his team's performance, calling it a step back from last week's 28-14 win over Chicago.
San Francisco avoided a shutout when Trent Dilfer threw a 6-yard TD pass to Michael Robinson with 3:35 remaining.
"A very flat performance from our football team," Nolan said. "It started that way in our warmups, and I thought we were flat the entire game. We missed tackles, we missed opportunities for turnovers, and much the same offensively. I was not pleased with the tempo."
After completing only one pass in each of Oakland's first two exhibition games, Brooks came out looking sharp, completing an 11-yard pass to Gabriel on his first play.
He was 4 of 5 for 42 yards on the 75-yard drive and also had a 25-yard scramble. He was helped out when Mike Adams dropped a potential interception at the goal line three plays before the TD pass to Gabriel.
Brooks, who finished 10 of 17 for 125 yards, connected with Randal Williams on a 39-yard pass late in the second half to set up Sebastian Janikowski's 23-yard field goal.
Brooks also had problems at times. He missed a wide-open Alvis Whitted on a deep pass, threw an interception in the end zone and botched a handoff to LaMont Jordan that nearly led to another turnover.
"It was a slow start for us offensively the first two games," Brooks said. "I know we made some strides this game, but it's a process. Every time we get out on the football field, whether it's practice or a game, we just want to get better. I felt we did that tonight."
Walter went 8 of 9 for 99 yards, leading scoring drives on both of his possessions. Justin Fargas scored on a 3-yard run to cap the first drive, and David Kimball kicked a 23-yard field goal to end the second drive.
San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith, who had a strong preseason opener, struggled against the Raiders. He began the game by throwing an off-target lateral to Bryan Gilmore that ended up as a 12-yard loss and ended his half by throwing a pass that was intercepted by Tyrone Poole.
Smith was intercepted earlier in the half by Raiders first-round pick Michael Huff, who left the game with a slightly sprained left ankle. Smith went 6 of 12 for 81 yards.
"I can probably count on just one hand the number of plays I'd like to redo, but that'll be good to sit down and go over," Smith said. "It's something we can learn from."
Before the game, the 49ers traded running back Kevan Barlow to the New York Jets for an undisclosed 2007 draft pick. The trade officially makes Frank Gore the starter. Gore, San Francisco's leading rusher as a rookie last year with 608 yards, gained 42 yards on seven carries.
Notes: Dilfer got two personal fouls in the game for taunting. The second came after his TD pass when he ran over to the Raiders' sideline to yell at Sapp, his former Tampa Bay teammate. "The apocalypse is definitely on us when Trent Dilfer gets two personal fouls," Sapp said. ... The Raiders have five interceptions through three preseason games, matching their total from the 2005 regular season.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Raiders Tom Walsh Not Out Of The Woods Yet
I just returned from the East Side Club, and a bit of traffic out of the BART parking lot. Not much.
As the one who called for Raiders Offensive Coordinator Tom Walsh's head, I'm here to report that he's still not out of the woods -- yet.
First, let's acknoweldge that the offense's performance was much better this game than last. And it was better on some very basic levels, but two seem to disturb me just a bit.
1) It seems as if they "game planned" this one -- in other words Tom went in with a plan based on a cursory analysis of the 49ers defense.
2) They responded to pressure from the fans -- it's obvious that the national sports news contained no shortage of critics of the Raiders offense; I'm not the only one to point at Tom, just the most aggressive person to do so.
Now let's deal in detail with point 1. The play-by-play's telling:
This is the 10-play 75 yard drive:
1-10-OAK25 (12:56) A.Brooks pass to D.Gabriel to OAK 36 for 11 yards (W.Harris).
1-10-OAK36 (12:14) A.Brooks pass to C.Anderson to OAK 45 for 9 yards (T.Parrish).
2-1-OAK37 (11:37) A.Brooks FUMBLES (Aborted) at OAK 40, and recovers at OAK 37. A.Brooks to OAK 37 for no gain (J.Ulbrich).
3-9-OAK37 (10:56) A.Brooks scrambles up the middle ran ob at SF 38 for 25 yards (D.Johnson).
1-10-SF38 (10:19) L.Jordan right guard to SF 33 for 5 yards (J.Ulbrich).
2-5-SF33 (9:34) L.Jordan right tackle to SF 25 for 8 yards (S.Davis, M.Adams).
1-10-SF25 (8:48) A.Brooks pass incomplete deep right to R.Moss (M.Adams).
2-10-SF25 (8:42) A.Brooks pass short left to R.Moss pushed ob at SF 11 for 14 yards (S.Davis).
1-10-SF11 (8:05) L.Jordan up the middle to SF 8 for 3 yards (J.Ulbrich).
2-7-SF8 (7:20) A.Brooks pass short middle to D.Gabriel for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
S.Janikowski extra point is GOOD, Center-A.Treu, Holder-S.Lechler.
A nice job over all. But there were two passes, the first to Gabriel and the second to the TE Anderson that were both short -- Gabriel's was a hook, Anderson's a unique kind of "jet" pattern rarely seen, where the TE releases and just aims for a diagonal point at 45 degrees and to the sideline.
It's a hard pattern to defend and one that's not called unless the OC knows to expect a roll-up zone away from the TE or man-to-man, and thus: completion.
As a momentary aside, I LOVE that pattern -- it's a child of the Run and Shoot Offense -- way to go, Tom Walsh.
But the other had me real concerned, even as the crowd around me was going nuts (accept for this Niners bro who seemed bent on being annoying, but whatever). My focus was this: as Brooks took a deep drop, the o-line used a different technique -- the troublesome one I wrote about -- where they retreat. And so I see the pattern, they use a retreat and react technique for their 8 to 10 yard OB drops -- (UGH! I hate that...steps are what's better) --- and a more push and stay home style for their 5 yard drops. And therein lay the problem.
On that play the pocket collapsed fast, and Brooks got out of there like -- well, like Matt Leinart being blitzed in his first NFL game. He ran and picked up 25 yards.
So everyone thinks that's great, except me. I'm fuming that he had to run at all. The problem of the way the line's schooled to block is still troubling to me. But I do like the fact that more short passes were called and used, taking pressure off the o-line and letting them use the more in-your-face style of blocking that Tom Walsh seems to favor for the 5-yard passes.
My point is that style of blocking should be used for the deeper drops too, as well as rollouts and sprints.
Now let's look back at that drive and another first: the pattern used on the pass to Randy Moss for 14 yards. IT WAS A DRIVE PATTERN
YIPPEE!!!
Maybe the dude was listening to this? Who knows.
But the point is that they ran the drive -- the crossing -- pattern. And it was a smart call against...a zone defense. But Randy should watch how he runs that because he's supposed to "sit" down in a zone space rather than run --- that may be Tom's fault here.
Why? Because in a zone the defenders are waiting for him to run shallow and IF they're paying attention they zero in (specifically the defender in the hook zone) -- so Moss gets creamed after he catches the ball.
....They weren't paying attention because their zone drops were SO DEEP. Guess why?
They were looking for those deep patterns, and didn't get them. Ha! Tricked 'em he did. Nice.
So let's stick to fundamental matters:
1) The Raiders used short and medium range passes, taking pressure off the O-line. AWESOME
2) They obviously game planned this one, but what the heck.
3) The problem of blocking on the deep drop passes is still an issue.
4) The patterns ran by backs and receivers were more varied.
5) The QB's are still using yards and not steps in their drops.
6) The 49ers didn't game plan for this contest. (Amoung other things, they seemed to be experimenting with different ways to line up their new toy Vernon Davis, TE, slot, and WR, and perhaps more to come. And on defense, they played a lot of base 3-4 -- why? Well they've got to face the Raiders again in October. Hello!)
So that's why I write that the Raiders and Walsh are still not out of the offensive woods in terms of the passing game.
But the running game's working. I noticed two patterns -- one existing and the other new. The first one is the runs off-tackle are consistently successful. And JUST those plays off tackle. Whenever the runner is forced outside, it doesn't work. That tells me the blocking at the point of attack is good, but the defenders are "pushed" away from the POA off-tackle and toward the outside where they await the runner -- this happens alot.
I also noticed -- and here's a weird nod to the person claiming that the Raiders were using the Pats' offense: not at all, just one kind of technique.
It comes from the one - back, two TE, Ace formation, which the Raiders used a lot of. The halfback is behind the QB. At the snap, the QB turns around in a "reverse pivot" fashion and hands off to the halfback, who takes the ball and runs directly and quickly to the guard / tackle gap. This is done without any juke steps and comes off quickly, almost in a smooth motion.
This simple play is one the Pats and Indy Colts perfected and it has spread like wildfire around the NFL. Why? Well, it's not that the play alone is successful, but it is the "mother" play in a cool series where the QB runs a "quick play fake" from the same hand-off motion, and often with devistating results for the defense. Peyton Manning does this better than Tom Brady.
(No. I'm not referring to the zone stretch run fake -- that's unique to the Colts. No one else does it well at all.)
But I've seen -- let's see -- the Raiders, Niners, Pats, Eagles, Falcons, and Cardinals run this play set. I'll hand it to the Raiders and Tom Walsh: this was the first game where they ran it extensively and they did it well. I hope it's a part of their basic approach.
So in closing, my hope is that Tom Walsh and the Raiders...
1) Use agressive blocking for all passing depths, not just the 5 yard ones.
2) Concentrate on developing an even more varied short and medium range passing game.
3) Continue the quick-count running "blast" plays I discussed.
4) Have the QB's drop with feet and not yards. That's going to be a major problem in the regular season. This is the root of the timing problem, and must be adressed.
5) Install rollout and sprint passes. (Indeed, I like the package Norv Turner's got with the Niners -- very varied.)
As the one who called for Raiders Offensive Coordinator Tom Walsh's head, I'm here to report that he's still not out of the woods -- yet.
First, let's acknoweldge that the offense's performance was much better this game than last. And it was better on some very basic levels, but two seem to disturb me just a bit.
1) It seems as if they "game planned" this one -- in other words Tom went in with a plan based on a cursory analysis of the 49ers defense.
2) They responded to pressure from the fans -- it's obvious that the national sports news contained no shortage of critics of the Raiders offense; I'm not the only one to point at Tom, just the most aggressive person to do so.
Now let's deal in detail with point 1. The play-by-play's telling:
This is the 10-play 75 yard drive:
1-10-OAK25 (12:56) A.Brooks pass to D.Gabriel to OAK 36 for 11 yards (W.Harris).
1-10-OAK36 (12:14) A.Brooks pass to C.Anderson to OAK 45 for 9 yards (T.Parrish).
2-1-OAK37 (11:37) A.Brooks FUMBLES (Aborted) at OAK 40, and recovers at OAK 37. A.Brooks to OAK 37 for no gain (J.Ulbrich).
3-9-OAK37 (10:56) A.Brooks scrambles up the middle ran ob at SF 38 for 25 yards (D.Johnson).
1-10-SF38 (10:19) L.Jordan right guard to SF 33 for 5 yards (J.Ulbrich).
2-5-SF33 (9:34) L.Jordan right tackle to SF 25 for 8 yards (S.Davis, M.Adams).
1-10-SF25 (8:48) A.Brooks pass incomplete deep right to R.Moss (M.Adams).
2-10-SF25 (8:42) A.Brooks pass short left to R.Moss pushed ob at SF 11 for 14 yards (S.Davis).
1-10-SF11 (8:05) L.Jordan up the middle to SF 8 for 3 yards (J.Ulbrich).
2-7-SF8 (7:20) A.Brooks pass short middle to D.Gabriel for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
S.Janikowski extra point is GOOD, Center-A.Treu, Holder-S.Lechler.
A nice job over all. But there were two passes, the first to Gabriel and the second to the TE Anderson that were both short -- Gabriel's was a hook, Anderson's a unique kind of "jet" pattern rarely seen, where the TE releases and just aims for a diagonal point at 45 degrees and to the sideline.
It's a hard pattern to defend and one that's not called unless the OC knows to expect a roll-up zone away from the TE or man-to-man, and thus: completion.
As a momentary aside, I LOVE that pattern -- it's a child of the Run and Shoot Offense -- way to go, Tom Walsh.
But the other had me real concerned, even as the crowd around me was going nuts (accept for this Niners bro who seemed bent on being annoying, but whatever). My focus was this: as Brooks took a deep drop, the o-line used a different technique -- the troublesome one I wrote about -- where they retreat. And so I see the pattern, they use a retreat and react technique for their 8 to 10 yard OB drops -- (UGH! I hate that...steps are what's better) --- and a more push and stay home style for their 5 yard drops. And therein lay the problem.
On that play the pocket collapsed fast, and Brooks got out of there like -- well, like Matt Leinart being blitzed in his first NFL game. He ran and picked up 25 yards.
So everyone thinks that's great, except me. I'm fuming that he had to run at all. The problem of the way the line's schooled to block is still troubling to me. But I do like the fact that more short passes were called and used, taking pressure off the o-line and letting them use the more in-your-face style of blocking that Tom Walsh seems to favor for the 5-yard passes.
My point is that style of blocking should be used for the deeper drops too, as well as rollouts and sprints.
Now let's look back at that drive and another first: the pattern used on the pass to Randy Moss for 14 yards. IT WAS A DRIVE PATTERN
YIPPEE!!!
Maybe the dude was listening to this? Who knows.
But the point is that they ran the drive -- the crossing -- pattern. And it was a smart call against...a zone defense. But Randy should watch how he runs that because he's supposed to "sit" down in a zone space rather than run --- that may be Tom's fault here.
Why? Because in a zone the defenders are waiting for him to run shallow and IF they're paying attention they zero in (specifically the defender in the hook zone) -- so Moss gets creamed after he catches the ball.
....They weren't paying attention because their zone drops were SO DEEP. Guess why?
They were looking for those deep patterns, and didn't get them. Ha! Tricked 'em he did. Nice.
So let's stick to fundamental matters:
1) The Raiders used short and medium range passes, taking pressure off the O-line. AWESOME
2) They obviously game planned this one, but what the heck.
3) The problem of blocking on the deep drop passes is still an issue.
4) The patterns ran by backs and receivers were more varied.
5) The QB's are still using yards and not steps in their drops.
6) The 49ers didn't game plan for this contest. (Amoung other things, they seemed to be experimenting with different ways to line up their new toy Vernon Davis, TE, slot, and WR, and perhaps more to come. And on defense, they played a lot of base 3-4 -- why? Well they've got to face the Raiders again in October. Hello!)
So that's why I write that the Raiders and Walsh are still not out of the offensive woods in terms of the passing game.
But the running game's working. I noticed two patterns -- one existing and the other new. The first one is the runs off-tackle are consistently successful. And JUST those plays off tackle. Whenever the runner is forced outside, it doesn't work. That tells me the blocking at the point of attack is good, but the defenders are "pushed" away from the POA off-tackle and toward the outside where they await the runner -- this happens alot.
I also noticed -- and here's a weird nod to the person claiming that the Raiders were using the Pats' offense: not at all, just one kind of technique.
It comes from the one - back, two TE, Ace formation, which the Raiders used a lot of. The halfback is behind the QB. At the snap, the QB turns around in a "reverse pivot" fashion and hands off to the halfback, who takes the ball and runs directly and quickly to the guard / tackle gap. This is done without any juke steps and comes off quickly, almost in a smooth motion.
This simple play is one the Pats and Indy Colts perfected and it has spread like wildfire around the NFL. Why? Well, it's not that the play alone is successful, but it is the "mother" play in a cool series where the QB runs a "quick play fake" from the same hand-off motion, and often with devistating results for the defense. Peyton Manning does this better than Tom Brady.
(No. I'm not referring to the zone stretch run fake -- that's unique to the Colts. No one else does it well at all.)
But I've seen -- let's see -- the Raiders, Niners, Pats, Eagles, Falcons, and Cardinals run this play set. I'll hand it to the Raiders and Tom Walsh: this was the first game where they ran it extensively and they did it well. I hope it's a part of their basic approach.
So in closing, my hope is that Tom Walsh and the Raiders...
1) Use agressive blocking for all passing depths, not just the 5 yard ones.
2) Concentrate on developing an even more varied short and medium range passing game.
3) Continue the quick-count running "blast" plays I discussed.
4) Have the QB's drop with feet and not yards. That's going to be a major problem in the regular season. This is the root of the timing problem, and must be adressed.
5) Install rollout and sprint passes. (Indeed, I like the package Norv Turner's got with the Niners -- very varied.)
Tea Partay Video Is Hilarious! Sent By Irina Slutsky Of Geek TV
Irina Slutsky of Geek TV sent this totally funny video that is a parody of New England's young upper crust set, with their tennis games and tea parties.
Anyway, the video says to check out www.teapartay.com so I do, and it turns out to be a kind of marketing trick by of all companies Smirnoff.
All I can say is brilliant!
Here's the video:
Anyway, the video says to check out www.teapartay.com so I do, and it turns out to be a kind of marketing trick by of all companies Smirnoff.
All I can say is brilliant!
Here's the video:
"Business Simulations" - A New Blog
SBS has a new blog on business simulations and their application, especially in the classroom.
Pay a visit to the new blog with a click on the title of this post!
Pay a visit to the new blog with a click on the title of this post!
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Al Davis - Raiders Owner Seriously Ill; Who's Next In Line To Run The Raiders?
Yesterday, I met a gentleman who claimed to do special projects for Oakland Raiders Manager Of The General Partner Al Davis and the organization. After a long talk about everything from the old Raiders to his exploits with John Matuzak and my relationship with ex-Executive Assistant Al LoCasale, and others, I asked him how Mr. Davis' health was.
After a long pause and my repeat of the question, the gentleman finally shook his head, looked down, and said "He's seriously ill. I know what it is, but I can't tell you."
After a period of slience, I asked if Mr. Davis was going to be taken from us soon; the gentleman remarked that he didn't think he was going to pass on within the next year, but he's sick.
Having lost both of my fathers last year to cancer, and with a Mom that had and beat cancer last year as well, the issue of a person's possible passing is hard for me to discuss without emotion. The matter of Al Davis' health and what may happen to him is important because it's time for all football fans to consider his impact on the NFL.
Arguably there may not have been an NFL without Al Davis. He's the one who's actions essentially forced a merger between the NFL and the AFL in the late 60s. Mr. Davis was also the first coach and owner to not only seek out and employ African American players, but administrators as well. He also was the first to recruit black players while at USC. Here's a video that includes Sid Gilman's comments on Al Davis' impact on the NFL in the area of diversity:
And most will remember Al Davis as the owner who ushered in the era of franchise movement in the NFL when he moved the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles, and then back to Oakland.
I add that Mr. Davis was the first owner to build a solid marketing brand around his team, even before the Dallas Cowboys did. When you think of the Raiders of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, you always have an image of a team not unlike a bad- ass, but fashionable gang who wore black before it was cool to do so. Heck, it may very well be that all the female ad execs you see wearing black got the idea from watching the Oakland Raiders.
I'm only half-kidding.
Greatest Recent Contribution: Collective Bargaining
With all of his accomplishments it may have been his role in the formation of the new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement that NFL Owners will remember the most, especially since it happened this year. Here's a video on his views and his role:
Who Will Take Over If Davis Passes On?
The gentleman I talked to said that if Mr. Davis passes on, these are the people most likely to take major control of the organization: Mr. Davis' wife Caroline, his son Marc, John Madden, Jim Otto, and Amy Trask, or some combination of those people.
Regardless of the mix of owners, Al Davis is one of a kind: a maverick and a social innovator. I hope he cheats his illness and we get 20 more years out of him.
Chicago Bears Slow San Diego Chargers 24-3
It just goes to show that this is preseason. Some were already writing off the Bears after the 49ers game. But it's "practice" and not real.
Bears use defense to ground Chargers
NFL.com wire reports
CHICAGO (Aug. 18, 2006) -- The Chicago Bears carried over the tradition they established last year: Score early and often, just not on offense.
Brian Urlacher showed why he was the 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, intercepting a pass on the game's third play from scrimmage and returning it 64 yards for a touchdown. Then, near the end of the opening quarter, Rashied Davis took a kickoff the length of the field, going 100 yards for another TD.
The two plays got the Bears off to a fast start and they beat San Diego Chargers 24-3.
"He just threw it right to me," Urlacher said of Philip Rivers' errant pass intended for Antonio Gates. "I caught it and went into the end zone."
Chargers running back Michael Turner broke three tackles on a tough 45-yard run around the right side before Nate Kaeding kicked a 43-yard field goal to cut the Bears' lead to 7-3.
But on the ensuing kickoff, Davis bounced off a scrum at the 20, broke outside, put a nice fake on Kaeding and outran Terrence Kiel to give the Bears a 14-3 halftime lead.
"I just ran in the hole where I was supposed to hit and it clogged up. I bounced off, saw something to the right," Davis said.
"At that point you try to find something to make something happen. When I got around the corner or through the hole or whatever, I noticed it was just me and the kicker."
Dealing with an aggressive Chicago rush and taking some hard hits, Rivers played the first quarter and more than half the second before he was replaced by Charlie Whitehurst.
Rivers completed 9 of 14 passes for 75 yards and made one of the best plays of the first half. Shaking off two tacklers, he rolled left and threw a 21-yard pass to Malcom Floyd on the sideline.
But Urlacher's interception was still on his mind after the game.
"Obviously there was one particular play that was really poor," Rivers said. "But at the same time, I'm not going to dwell on it. It's easy to correct. I threw it right to the guy. It's going to happen. You'd rather have it happen tonight than down the road," he added.
Brian Urlacher sets the tone with his interception return 1:31 into the game.
Rivers was 15-for-21 for 169 yards and one touchdown last week in a victory against Green Bay.
"They have a terrific front unit and they put more pressure on us than obviously we saw a week ago," Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "We're going to have to step up to that, because the level in which we're looking to go, that's the defensive level you're going to face."
Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, a shaky 3-for-11 in the preseason opener last week against the 49ers, looked sharp late in the second quarter by hitting passes of 24, 14 and 10 yards to drive the Bears to the Chargers 24. But when he tried to hit Gabe Reid in the corner of the end zone, Marlon McCree cut across for the interception.
"I wish I had it back," Grossman said. "I forced it."
Grossman finished 7-for-14 for 83 yards. Brian Griese took over in the second half, played two series, completed 2 of 4 passes for 16 yards and threw a touchdown pass before Kyle Orton entered the game.
"It was better. Not great, but better," Grossman said of his performance. "I don't know what happened last week."
A pair of rookies helped the Bears increase their lead to 21-3 in the third. Devin Hester returned a punt 42 yards and P.J. Pope had a 14-yard run on a fourth-and-1 from the Chargers 29, setting up Griese's 9-yard TD pass to Justin Gage.
Rookie Jamar Williams recovered a San Diego fumble, leading to a 49-yard field goal by Robbie Gould early in the final quarter. Jason Harmon intercepted a Whitehurst pass in the end zone with just under seven minutes remaining to stop a Chargers scoring threat.
Neither team's top running backs played. Chargers star LaDainian Tomlinson rested and the Bears' Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson are injured.
Bears use defense to ground Chargers
NFL.com wire reports
CHICAGO (Aug. 18, 2006) -- The Chicago Bears carried over the tradition they established last year: Score early and often, just not on offense.
Brian Urlacher showed why he was the 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, intercepting a pass on the game's third play from scrimmage and returning it 64 yards for a touchdown. Then, near the end of the opening quarter, Rashied Davis took a kickoff the length of the field, going 100 yards for another TD.
The two plays got the Bears off to a fast start and they beat San Diego Chargers 24-3.
"He just threw it right to me," Urlacher said of Philip Rivers' errant pass intended for Antonio Gates. "I caught it and went into the end zone."
Chargers running back Michael Turner broke three tackles on a tough 45-yard run around the right side before Nate Kaeding kicked a 43-yard field goal to cut the Bears' lead to 7-3.
But on the ensuing kickoff, Davis bounced off a scrum at the 20, broke outside, put a nice fake on Kaeding and outran Terrence Kiel to give the Bears a 14-3 halftime lead.
"I just ran in the hole where I was supposed to hit and it clogged up. I bounced off, saw something to the right," Davis said.
"At that point you try to find something to make something happen. When I got around the corner or through the hole or whatever, I noticed it was just me and the kicker."
Dealing with an aggressive Chicago rush and taking some hard hits, Rivers played the first quarter and more than half the second before he was replaced by Charlie Whitehurst.
Rivers completed 9 of 14 passes for 75 yards and made one of the best plays of the first half. Shaking off two tacklers, he rolled left and threw a 21-yard pass to Malcom Floyd on the sideline.
But Urlacher's interception was still on his mind after the game.
"Obviously there was one particular play that was really poor," Rivers said. "But at the same time, I'm not going to dwell on it. It's easy to correct. I threw it right to the guy. It's going to happen. You'd rather have it happen tonight than down the road," he added.
Brian Urlacher sets the tone with his interception return 1:31 into the game.
Rivers was 15-for-21 for 169 yards and one touchdown last week in a victory against Green Bay.
"They have a terrific front unit and they put more pressure on us than obviously we saw a week ago," Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "We're going to have to step up to that, because the level in which we're looking to go, that's the defensive level you're going to face."
Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, a shaky 3-for-11 in the preseason opener last week against the 49ers, looked sharp late in the second quarter by hitting passes of 24, 14 and 10 yards to drive the Bears to the Chargers 24. But when he tried to hit Gabe Reid in the corner of the end zone, Marlon McCree cut across for the interception.
"I wish I had it back," Grossman said. "I forced it."
Grossman finished 7-for-14 for 83 yards. Brian Griese took over in the second half, played two series, completed 2 of 4 passes for 16 yards and threw a touchdown pass before Kyle Orton entered the game.
"It was better. Not great, but better," Grossman said of his performance. "I don't know what happened last week."
A pair of rookies helped the Bears increase their lead to 21-3 in the third. Devin Hester returned a punt 42 yards and P.J. Pope had a 14-yard run on a fourth-and-1 from the Chargers 29, setting up Griese's 9-yard TD pass to Justin Gage.
Rookie Jamar Williams recovered a San Diego fumble, leading to a 49-yard field goal by Robbie Gould early in the final quarter. Jason Harmon intercepted a Whitehurst pass in the end zone with just under seven minutes remaining to stop a Chargers scoring threat.
Neither team's top running backs played. Chargers star LaDainian Tomlinson rested and the Bears' Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson are injured.
Jerome Harrison Rises; Browns Win 20-16
Unlikely hero leads Browns to 20-16 win
NFL.com wire reports
CLEVELAND (Aug. 18, 2006) -- Jerome Harrison came to the NFL with a simple, modest plan.
"I just practice hard, line up where the coaches tell me to line up and make plays," he said.
In a short time, the little running back has made a bunch of them.
The 5-foot-9 rookie caught a 31-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and finished with 107 total yards as the Cleveland Browns rallied for a 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions.
With the Browns down 16-10, third-string quarterback Derek Anderson hit Harrison in stride over the middle for the go-ahead score. Harrison, who rushed for 1,900 yards at Washington State in 2005, ran for 53 yards on nine carries and had six receptions for 54.
The Browns were helped to a win by diminutive running back.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel has been impressed with Harrison's fast start.
"The Harrison kid caught the ball and ran with it," Crennel said. "He looked pretty good. He has quickness and change of pace. If he continues to improve, we'll all feel good."
The Browns are also feeling better about tight end Kellen Winslow, the former first-round pick who missed most of the past two seasons with leg injuries. He had three catches for 37 yards -- all in the first half.
"I'm not nervous. I'm not pressing and I'm out there having fun," said Winslow, who believes he'll have a big season. "Oh yeah. I'm looking to dominate."
Harrison has emerged as a multipurpose threat for the Browns (1-1), who looked much better on both side of the ball than they did a week ago in a listless 20-7 loss at Philadelphia. Harrison scored Cleveland's lone touchdown against the Eagles.
Taken in the fifth round (145th overall) by the Browns, Harrison has shown speed, agility and toughness. Although he's the shortest Browns player, Harrison hasn't been intimidated about running inside.
"He's looked great, I knew he would," said Anderson, who played against Harrison in college.
Matt Prater kicked three field goals -- 22, 44 and 48 yards -- for the Lions (1-1).
An undrafted rookie from Central Florida, Prater has no chance of beating out Jason Hanson, Detroit's all-time scoring leader and one of the NFL's most consistent kickers for the past 14 seasons. However, Prater's strong kicking could land him a job elsewhere, or force the Lions to keep him around.
Lions coach Rod Marinelli said he's considering keeping two kickers.
"He was a beast," Marinelli said. "He did a great job tonight."
Browns starting quarterback Charlie Frye finished 8 of 11 for 41 yards with one touchdown, one interception and one fumble in four series.
Except for throwing the pick to cornerback Dre Bly on his fourth attempt, Frye showed nice poise and pocket presence. His performance had to be reassuring to Crennel, who handed the starting job to the second-year quarterback when he traded veteran Trent Dilfer to San Francisco.
The Browns also got big plays from rookie linebackers Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson and nose tackle Baba Oshinowo. Wimbley had a sack, Jackson made an interception and Oshinowo and a late sack as Detroit was driving.
Lions starter Jon Kitna played the entire first half, completing 7 of 12 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown. Kitna's passing was one of the few bright spots as the Lions first-team offense managed just 3 yards rushing on nine attempts against Cleveland's defensive starters.
Frye bounced back from throwing an interception on Cleveland's first possession by hitting Dennis Northcutt for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put the Browns ahead 7-0.
After taking a low snap from new center Ross Tucker, Frye scrambled to buy himself time before zipping his pass over the middle to Northcutt, who has been his favorite target during camp.
Frye's next attempt didn't go as well. Detroit defensive end James Hall beat tackle Kevin Shaffer on an outside rush and stripped the ball from Frye deep in Cleveland territory.
Three plays later, Kitna hit Kevin Jones for a 2-yard touchdown to tie it.
NFL.com wire reports
CLEVELAND (Aug. 18, 2006) -- Jerome Harrison came to the NFL with a simple, modest plan.
"I just practice hard, line up where the coaches tell me to line up and make plays," he said.
In a short time, the little running back has made a bunch of them.
The 5-foot-9 rookie caught a 31-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and finished with 107 total yards as the Cleveland Browns rallied for a 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions.
With the Browns down 16-10, third-string quarterback Derek Anderson hit Harrison in stride over the middle for the go-ahead score. Harrison, who rushed for 1,900 yards at Washington State in 2005, ran for 53 yards on nine carries and had six receptions for 54.
The Browns were helped to a win by diminutive running back.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel has been impressed with Harrison's fast start.
"The Harrison kid caught the ball and ran with it," Crennel said. "He looked pretty good. He has quickness and change of pace. If he continues to improve, we'll all feel good."
The Browns are also feeling better about tight end Kellen Winslow, the former first-round pick who missed most of the past two seasons with leg injuries. He had three catches for 37 yards -- all in the first half.
"I'm not nervous. I'm not pressing and I'm out there having fun," said Winslow, who believes he'll have a big season. "Oh yeah. I'm looking to dominate."
Harrison has emerged as a multipurpose threat for the Browns (1-1), who looked much better on both side of the ball than they did a week ago in a listless 20-7 loss at Philadelphia. Harrison scored Cleveland's lone touchdown against the Eagles.
Taken in the fifth round (145th overall) by the Browns, Harrison has shown speed, agility and toughness. Although he's the shortest Browns player, Harrison hasn't been intimidated about running inside.
"He's looked great, I knew he would," said Anderson, who played against Harrison in college.
Matt Prater kicked three field goals -- 22, 44 and 48 yards -- for the Lions (1-1).
An undrafted rookie from Central Florida, Prater has no chance of beating out Jason Hanson, Detroit's all-time scoring leader and one of the NFL's most consistent kickers for the past 14 seasons. However, Prater's strong kicking could land him a job elsewhere, or force the Lions to keep him around.
Lions coach Rod Marinelli said he's considering keeping two kickers.
"He was a beast," Marinelli said. "He did a great job tonight."
Browns starting quarterback Charlie Frye finished 8 of 11 for 41 yards with one touchdown, one interception and one fumble in four series.
Except for throwing the pick to cornerback Dre Bly on his fourth attempt, Frye showed nice poise and pocket presence. His performance had to be reassuring to Crennel, who handed the starting job to the second-year quarterback when he traded veteran Trent Dilfer to San Francisco.
The Browns also got big plays from rookie linebackers Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson and nose tackle Baba Oshinowo. Wimbley had a sack, Jackson made an interception and Oshinowo and a late sack as Detroit was driving.
Lions starter Jon Kitna played the entire first half, completing 7 of 12 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown. Kitna's passing was one of the few bright spots as the Lions first-team offense managed just 3 yards rushing on nine attempts against Cleveland's defensive starters.
Frye bounced back from throwing an interception on Cleveland's first possession by hitting Dennis Northcutt for a 5-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to put the Browns ahead 7-0.
After taking a low snap from new center Ross Tucker, Frye scrambled to buy himself time before zipping his pass over the middle to Northcutt, who has been his favorite target during camp.
Frye's next attempt didn't go as well. Detroit defensive end James Hall beat tackle Kevin Shaffer on an outside rush and stripped the ball from Frye deep in Cleveland territory.
Three plays later, Kitna hit Kevin Jones for a 2-yard touchdown to tie it.
Bengals Top Bills 44-31; Chad Johnson Celebrates...Almost
Bengals roll to 44-31 win over Bills
NFL.com wire reports
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2006) -- Shortly after the game was over, Chad Johnson announced in the Bengals locker room the Buffalo Bills couldn't stop him.
The NFL officials, well, that's another story.
Johnson, the always colorful receiver, scored his first touchdown this preseason in Cincinnati's 44-31 win over the Bills. Yet there was one thing missing: the touchdown dance.
Johnson's bid to do something -- anything, without drawing a flag that would hurt his team -- was denied by an official under the NFL's new rules severely limiting post-TD celebrations. He pleaded with the ref immediately after his 9-yard catch, even offering to pay his fine for keeping the flag in his pocket.
Keiwan Ratliff and the Bengals defense pestered the Bills offense all evening.
"I was asking him to let me celebrate, that's what that was, I'm sure you guys knew that," Johnson said. "But he told me not to. 'Get off the field.' Just like that."
It didn't matter much: There was enough high-scoring entertainment to keep most fans interested in a mean-nothing game.
Johnson, sporting his new golden mohawk haircut, had five catches for 73 yards in less than a half of playing time, helping Cincinnati (2-0) produce the third-most points in a preseason game in team history -- and most since a 45-0 win over Tampa Bay in 1977.
The Bengals defense did the rest, forcing four turnovers in the first half, returning two of them for touchdowns on Dexter Jackson 's 72-yard fumble return and Keiwan Ratliff 's 26-yard interception return.
"Tonight was a fine example of people running to the ball and trying to make plays," Jackson said. "We're not where we need to be, but we're on that road."
The Bills (0-2), coming off a 14-13 loss at Carolina last weekend, had a mixed outing. The 44 points they allowed is the fifth-most by a Bills team in preseason, and most since a 45-14 loss at Chicago in 1985.
The bright spot for Buffalo was Willis McGahee, who had nine rushes for 88 yards, including an electrifying 61-yard touchdown run on a power sweep to the left. It was an impressive glimpse of a player who arrived at training camp 15 pounds lighter and eager to erase what had been a disappointing season last year.
"It felt real good man, like the monkey off my back," said McGahee, who was limited to five touchdowns rushing last season after scoring 13 in 2004. "I think we took a step forward."
The same cannot be said of J.P. Losman, who had an up-and-down outing in his first preseason start after coach Dick Jauron named him the front-runner for the No. 1 job this week.
Losman finished 7 of 11 for 134 yards passing, but lost two fumbles and an interception, leading to 13 Bengals points. His worst pass was a quick out intended for Josh Reed, which was intercepted by Ratliff, who jumped the route with 6 minutes left in the second quarter.
Losman responded on the next possession, hitting Lee Evans in stride up the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown.
"It was unacceptable," Losman said. "There was some good and some bad. I think the bad is very correctible."
"He's got to protect the football," Jauron said. "We've got to be forcibly patient. We've seen him perform. He's got a strong arm. ... Sometimes, he holds the ball too long. But we'll just keep working and moving forward."
Losman, the second of Buffalo's two 2004 first-round picks, has been locked in an offseason-long competition for the starting job with journeyman Kelly Holcomb and Craig Nall.
The Bengals have quarterback questions of their own, specifically who will be the No. 2 behind Carson Palmer. Anthony Wright continued to show signs of improvement in making his second preseason start.
Wright finished 9 of 19 for 99 yards and a touchdown in the first half, which ended with the Bengals ahead 27-17.
Third-stringer Doug Johnson went 8 of 14 for 133 yards and a touchdown, and also scored on a 4-yard bootleg while playing the entire second half.
Notes: When Johnson didn't celebrate, Bengals OG Bobbie Williams wondered if the receiver was saving it for the regular season. Informed the official stopped Johnson, Williams laughed, and said: "Well, at least he's listening now." ... Bills CB Eric King left the game because of back spasms. CB Troy Vincent was held out because of a strained hamstring. ... Bengals OT Willie Anderson was held out because of a hamstring injury.
NFL.com wire reports
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2006) -- Shortly after the game was over, Chad Johnson announced in the Bengals locker room the Buffalo Bills couldn't stop him.
The NFL officials, well, that's another story.
Johnson, the always colorful receiver, scored his first touchdown this preseason in Cincinnati's 44-31 win over the Bills. Yet there was one thing missing: the touchdown dance.
Johnson's bid to do something -- anything, without drawing a flag that would hurt his team -- was denied by an official under the NFL's new rules severely limiting post-TD celebrations. He pleaded with the ref immediately after his 9-yard catch, even offering to pay his fine for keeping the flag in his pocket.
Keiwan Ratliff and the Bengals defense pestered the Bills offense all evening.
"I was asking him to let me celebrate, that's what that was, I'm sure you guys knew that," Johnson said. "But he told me not to. 'Get off the field.' Just like that."
It didn't matter much: There was enough high-scoring entertainment to keep most fans interested in a mean-nothing game.
Johnson, sporting his new golden mohawk haircut, had five catches for 73 yards in less than a half of playing time, helping Cincinnati (2-0) produce the third-most points in a preseason game in team history -- and most since a 45-0 win over Tampa Bay in 1977.
The Bengals defense did the rest, forcing four turnovers in the first half, returning two of them for touchdowns on Dexter Jackson 's 72-yard fumble return and Keiwan Ratliff 's 26-yard interception return.
"Tonight was a fine example of people running to the ball and trying to make plays," Jackson said. "We're not where we need to be, but we're on that road."
The Bills (0-2), coming off a 14-13 loss at Carolina last weekend, had a mixed outing. The 44 points they allowed is the fifth-most by a Bills team in preseason, and most since a 45-14 loss at Chicago in 1985.
The bright spot for Buffalo was Willis McGahee, who had nine rushes for 88 yards, including an electrifying 61-yard touchdown run on a power sweep to the left. It was an impressive glimpse of a player who arrived at training camp 15 pounds lighter and eager to erase what had been a disappointing season last year.
"It felt real good man, like the monkey off my back," said McGahee, who was limited to five touchdowns rushing last season after scoring 13 in 2004. "I think we took a step forward."
The same cannot be said of J.P. Losman, who had an up-and-down outing in his first preseason start after coach Dick Jauron named him the front-runner for the No. 1 job this week.
Losman finished 7 of 11 for 134 yards passing, but lost two fumbles and an interception, leading to 13 Bengals points. His worst pass was a quick out intended for Josh Reed, which was intercepted by Ratliff, who jumped the route with 6 minutes left in the second quarter.
Losman responded on the next possession, hitting Lee Evans in stride up the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown.
"It was unacceptable," Losman said. "There was some good and some bad. I think the bad is very correctible."
"He's got to protect the football," Jauron said. "We've got to be forcibly patient. We've seen him perform. He's got a strong arm. ... Sometimes, he holds the ball too long. But we'll just keep working and moving forward."
Losman, the second of Buffalo's two 2004 first-round picks, has been locked in an offseason-long competition for the starting job with journeyman Kelly Holcomb and Craig Nall.
The Bengals have quarterback questions of their own, specifically who will be the No. 2 behind Carson Palmer. Anthony Wright continued to show signs of improvement in making his second preseason start.
Wright finished 9 of 19 for 99 yards and a touchdown in the first half, which ended with the Bengals ahead 27-17.
Third-stringer Doug Johnson went 8 of 14 for 133 yards and a touchdown, and also scored on a 4-yard bootleg while playing the entire second half.
Notes: When Johnson didn't celebrate, Bengals OG Bobbie Williams wondered if the receiver was saving it for the regular season. Informed the official stopped Johnson, Williams laughed, and said: "Well, at least he's listening now." ... Bills CB Eric King left the game because of back spasms. CB Troy Vincent was held out because of a strained hamstring. ... Bengals OT Willie Anderson was held out because of a hamstring injury.
Pamela Sue Anderson For PETA on KFC - Video
In this video, super star sex symbol Pam Anderson uses her star power to bring attention to the way KFC treats the chickens it uses to make its product.
After this, you'll think twice about Colonel Sanders.
After this, you'll think twice about Colonel Sanders.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Matt Leinart Spotted At Pussycat Lounge In Scottsdale, Az
In his recent article, Sports Illustrated's Michael Silver notes that new Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart was spotted at the Pussycat Lounge in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Pussycat Lounge -- not your typical strip club -- hosts such notables as Jamie Foxx and Mike Tyson, who was reported to have grabbed some woman's butt.
Man, dude likes to party.
Remember, Matt was seen earlier this year at a Playboy Party in Atlanta.
Michael Sliver On Kurt Warner's Ride, And Other Matters
Over the year's Sil's written some pretty funny openings to his work, and this one's certainly in the top 20. It's about Kurt Warner, who Mike Silver (of SI) is picking to have a great year -- didn't he do that in 2005?
Anyway, part of it comes from his good relationship with Warner, who lights up with a smile when he hears "You know my friend Mike Sliver." The other portion is that Warner's finally got the right mix of talent and scheme to do some real damage, not to mention a two-time national champ in Matt Leinart behind him.
But back to my point. This is the opening of the article:
"When Kurt Warner utters the words "Pimp my ride," do you:
a) break out laughing;
b) search for hidden cameras; or
c) take a boxy Ford van and turn it into a tricked-out vehicle that will seat the Arizona Cardinals quarterback's family of nine, complete with rims, tinted windows and iPod ports?
The answer, when you are the folks at West Coast Customs -- the company featured in the brilliantly named MTV show featuring some of the world's most accessorized automobiles -- is definitely "c" and probably all of the above.
..For the rest, click here:
Maurice Jones - Drew Video From First NFL Game
Fresh from being wrongly accused for a crime, UCLA's Maurice Drew, drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars -- who now goes by the name Maurice Jones-Drew -- had a great first NFL game against the Miami Dolphins. Preseason, yes, but it's still a great game and features his 55yd catch-and-run for a TD.
President Bush's Wiretaps Snuffed Out By Judge - "Tricky Dick" Accusations Forthcoming
I just saw this Washington Post article (click on the title) where President Bush's secret wiretaps were deemed unconstitutional by a Federal Judge. The trouble is this activity -- an unconstitional one -- has gone on for several years.
What happens to those out there who may have been the target of such efforts and were wrongly accused of a crime? And did President Bush do this to Democratic Party activists?
This opens a new can of worms, but it's also evidence of how the Bush Administration has acted in a very dangerous way that seemed to paint the picture of a president who believed he was above the law.
I know the reason's tied to 9/11, but that seems to be used as a kind of nice excuse for going a little beyond what's really appropriate in this matter.
This wil further the claim that George W Bush has more in common with Richard M. Nixon, than with Bill Clinton. I write this because I know he and Clinton are friends, but I see Bill as more nuanced in his approach.
Andrew Young's Right; His Comment Isn't Racist, Just Race Concious
Former Amabassor Andrew Young had stepped down from serving on a Wal-Mart sub-committee after making remarks that were seen as racially offensive.
This is what he said:
"In the Sentinel interview, Young was asked about whether he was concerned Wal-Mart causes smaller, mom-and-pop stores to close.
"Well, I think they should; they ran the `mom and pop' stores out of my neighborhood," the paper quoted Young as saying. "But you see, those are the people who have been overcharging us, selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables. And they sold out and moved to Florida. I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now it's Arabs; very few black people own these stores."
Now the unfortunate fact of modern America is that many black communities have corner stores ran by people who are generally either Mid Eastern or Korean, and in the past some were Jewish as well. That's a fact. Now even today in Oakland, I can show you examples -- many in number -- of stores that are owned by persons such as those Mr. Young pointed out and do have substandard food and produce. In many cases the inventory hasn't been properly turned over in several months. But with that, the prices are up to three times higher than at a larger chain.
On top of all that, I've never seen one of these stores hire anyone black -- ok, once. That's it.
What Andrew Young pointed to is a fact and he should not be shunned for publically pointing to a problem that needs to be adressed by economic development officials around the US.
Moreover, people have to learn the difference between a racist remark and one that's racially concious. I do agree that Andrew Young should have nuanced his expression of the problem. I think what he should have said is "we need to adress the problems of store quality and price and employment where one ethnic group not African American establishes a store in a black neighborhood."
That would have -- or should have -- gone down better.
How To Get Raiders WR Randy Moss Open - Part One
I've been so critical of Oakland Raiders Offensive Coordinator Tom Walsh's approach , I figured it was only fair to place my own ideas out there.
Here's how I would solve the Raiders offensive line problem and get famed wide receiver Randy Moss open all at the same time.
Then formation here calls for a personal grouping of really three wide receivers and one back, but the third wide receiver plays flanker (Z) in the play, and Randy Moss is three-and-a-half-yards behind the weakside tackle where the fullback would normally be.
We place Moss in motion to the wide weakside before the snap of the ball. This forces the defense to 1) reveal its overall coverage and 2) place a slow defender -- more than likely a safety on first down -- on the fleet Moss. But this manuever also forces the defense to spread out to get Moss, thus leaving a nice passing lane for the tight end, who runs a five-yard out pattern. This second receiver in the pattern set will see the ball most of the time.
Note that Moss has an option to run either a fly pattern against man coverage or a kind of skinny post (break at 12 yards) into the seam of a three-deep defense, should the safety already be back in that position. It's not logical to try to run by the safety; we take our chances with the idea that we can drill our QB to make the throw on time to Moss should he chose to run the skinny post. We also chose the fly as the base pattern, in case the defense makes the mistake of not accouting for Moss in motion out of the backfield.
But Moss and the tight end open up the short middle for the halfback who runs a simple pattern to about 12 yards over the ball. There's nothing fancy here. The idea is to exploit the chance that between the free safety either covering the deep post or "spliting" the field and the middle linebackers moving into short hook zones or rushing the passer, that area will be open.
Finally, the Flanker runs a fake drive pattern, then turns and moves into what I call a "sweet spot" between the two deep zones post and corner and just over the hook zone. The Flanker's the fourth receiver.
The line blocking is zone-push: the linepeople don't give ground and instead push the defenders to keep them at bay. The strong guard is "uncovered" and so watches for the inside linebacker first and then the outside linebacker blitz. If the outside linebacker rushes, the guard slides out to get the defender. If both linebackers rush, the guard plays inside and the QB throws the hot pass to the halfback, who should be wide open.
The QB takes five steps-- three big and two small -- reading the weak safety and the middle linebackers as the drop back is taking place. Then once taking a hitch step set, looks to one, and if not open, then two, and so on...
In this case, the split end "Y" is a decoy that runs a pattern to basically shield the Flanker and then spread the defense wide and to the sideline, perhaps bring the free safety that way depending on the coverage. But a variation of this would have the split end as the primary receiver.
This can be the bread and butter play for any offense, but it's best use is to create a mismatch for Randy Moss. As for the o-line, we solve the problems they have faced by 1) QB and receiver timing and 2) an aggressive blocking style more like the run.
Banarama - Cruel Summer Video
This is one of my all time favorite songs. I never tire of hearing it, and it's still hard to believe it's 23 years old. But Banarama's still going strong; their most recent album's called "Drama."
Black Velvet - YouTube Video With Alannah Myles
If you thought the timeless rock song Black Velvet was a product of The Wilson Sisters -- as I did -- you're flar wrong. The amazing voice behind this classic is of none other than Alannah Myles. Take a look and give a listen here:
Here are the lyrics (according to Songfacts, it's about Elvis Presley, but I thought it was refering to black men in the South, or an African American man she knew -- wishful thinking):
Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high
Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for
Chorus:
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Up in Memphis the music's like a heatwave
White lightening, bound to drive you wild
Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl
"Love me tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle
The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Every word of every song that he sang was for you
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could you do?
(Solo)
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
If you please, if you please, if you please
Here are the lyrics (according to Songfacts, it's about Elvis Presley, but I thought it was refering to black men in the South, or an African American man she knew -- wishful thinking):
Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high
Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The boy could sing, knew how to move, everything
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for
Chorus:
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Up in Memphis the music's like a heatwave
White lightening, bound to drive you wild
Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl
"Love me tender" leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle
The way he moved, it was a sin, so sweet and true
Always wanting more, he'd leave you longing for
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Every word of every song that he sang was for you
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could you do?
(Solo)
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
If you please, if you please, if you please
Junior Seau May Join New England Patriots
Just three days after giving a stirring speach that he was graduating and not retiring from the Miami Dolphins, and the San Diego Chargers, and
The NFL, Junior Seau may graduate alright, right to the New England Patriots.
It's not suprising given that Seau remarked that no one wanted him, so he got out.
Well, no one asked the Pats.
NY Giants Crush KC Chiefs 17-0
The Chiefs have not yet played at home.
Manning, Giants sharp in win over Chiefs
NFL.com wire reports
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Aug. 17, 2006) -- Eli Manning and the New York Giants showed flashes of offense they'll need to repeat as NFC East champions. They also showed Herm Edwards how much work his Kansas City Chiefs have left to do.
Manning threw for one touchdown and set up another and the Giants starters and backups dominated in a 17-0 preseason victory over Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, spoiling Edwards' return to Giants Stadium.
"We came out here and played very well," Manning said. "The defense did a great job of getting us good field possession on the first series and we were able to run the ball, throw the ball and convert third downs."
The Giants did just about anything they wanted in outgaining the Chiefs 309-111 while holding the ball for more than 37 minutes.
If the game showed anything, it was that the Giants (2-0) have the talent to repeat in the NFC East and that Edwards, the former Jets coach, has a lot of work ahead to get the Chiefs (0-2) back to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
"We've done this two weeks in a row," Edwards said matter of factly. "I flat out told the guys it wasn't a good job coaching, and you just can't play like that against a team that went to the playoffs last year. We have to hurry up and rally now."
Edwards led the Jets to three playoff appearances in five seasons, but he was ushered out after a 4-12 mark last season. In taking the Chiefs job, he promised to shore up their porous defense.
No such change was evident against the Giants.
Eli Manning was effective in limited action for the Giants.
Manning shredded Kansas City for touchdowns on two of the first three drives, capping the first with a 5-yard toss to Amani Toomer and handing off the Brandon Jacobs for a 1-yard plunge on the third series.
The other drive probably would have resulted in points had not Jeremy Shockey and Tim Carter been hit with consecutive holding penalties in Chiefs territory.
Defensively, New York limited Trent Green (4-of-6 for 32 yards) and halfback Larry Johnson (4 carries for 8 yards) to two first downs in two series before turning things over to the backups. The Chiefs only got into Giants' territory once in the game, getting to the New York 40 on their second series.
"Is it time to panic?" Green asked. "No, but I definitely think there has to be much more of a sense of urgency on the starters part."
Manning finished 11-of-14 for 80 yards playing for the first time this preseason with all 11 starters from the offense that scored 422 points last season.
Manning spread the ball around extremely well, hitting Toomer, Plaxico Burress and Carter with two passes each. Tiki Barber, appearing for the first time, ran five times for 22 yards and caught a pass for nine more.
Shockey, who missed the preseason opener with a concussion, caught one pass for 10 yards and cleared out the middle on the short touchdown pass to Toomer.
"I'm excited we have something to build on," Shockey said.
In the second-quarter drive, Manning used a no-huddle offense to move New York 52 yards in eight plays without all starters in the game. Jacobs had a 14-yard run on the second play of the drive in which the Giants had only one third-down play: Jacobs' touchdown run.
Kansas City never threatened.
"Last week we didn't come out the way we wanted," Giants safety Gibril Wilson. "This week we came out flying."
The game also marked the return of quarterback Rob Johnson to NFL action for the first time since December 2003. He missed the last two seasons with an elbow injury that required surgery.
The 33-year-old Johnson, who the Giants signed in May, replaced Manning midway through the second quarter and played five series, completing 7 of 14 passes for 62 yards. The 10-year veteran put up points on his last drive, taking New York 65 yards for a 31-yard field goal by Jay Feely on the final play of the third quarter.
"I'm not satisfied," Johnson said. "I have a lot to improve on."
The most serious injury in the game was a sprained knee sustained by Giants starting center Shaun O'Hara. He will have an MRI on Friday, but he was not concerned.
"I'll be back working at Albany," O'Hara said, referring to the team's training camp site.
Manning, Giants sharp in win over Chiefs
NFL.com wire reports
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Aug. 17, 2006) -- Eli Manning and the New York Giants showed flashes of offense they'll need to repeat as NFC East champions. They also showed Herm Edwards how much work his Kansas City Chiefs have left to do.
Manning threw for one touchdown and set up another and the Giants starters and backups dominated in a 17-0 preseason victory over Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, spoiling Edwards' return to Giants Stadium.
"We came out here and played very well," Manning said. "The defense did a great job of getting us good field possession on the first series and we were able to run the ball, throw the ball and convert third downs."
The Giants did just about anything they wanted in outgaining the Chiefs 309-111 while holding the ball for more than 37 minutes.
If the game showed anything, it was that the Giants (2-0) have the talent to repeat in the NFC East and that Edwards, the former Jets coach, has a lot of work ahead to get the Chiefs (0-2) back to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.
"We've done this two weeks in a row," Edwards said matter of factly. "I flat out told the guys it wasn't a good job coaching, and you just can't play like that against a team that went to the playoffs last year. We have to hurry up and rally now."
Edwards led the Jets to three playoff appearances in five seasons, but he was ushered out after a 4-12 mark last season. In taking the Chiefs job, he promised to shore up their porous defense.
No such change was evident against the Giants.
Eli Manning was effective in limited action for the Giants.
Manning shredded Kansas City for touchdowns on two of the first three drives, capping the first with a 5-yard toss to Amani Toomer and handing off the Brandon Jacobs for a 1-yard plunge on the third series.
The other drive probably would have resulted in points had not Jeremy Shockey and Tim Carter been hit with consecutive holding penalties in Chiefs territory.
Defensively, New York limited Trent Green (4-of-6 for 32 yards) and halfback Larry Johnson (4 carries for 8 yards) to two first downs in two series before turning things over to the backups. The Chiefs only got into Giants' territory once in the game, getting to the New York 40 on their second series.
"Is it time to panic?" Green asked. "No, but I definitely think there has to be much more of a sense of urgency on the starters part."
Manning finished 11-of-14 for 80 yards playing for the first time this preseason with all 11 starters from the offense that scored 422 points last season.
Manning spread the ball around extremely well, hitting Toomer, Plaxico Burress and Carter with two passes each. Tiki Barber, appearing for the first time, ran five times for 22 yards and caught a pass for nine more.
Shockey, who missed the preseason opener with a concussion, caught one pass for 10 yards and cleared out the middle on the short touchdown pass to Toomer.
"I'm excited we have something to build on," Shockey said.
In the second-quarter drive, Manning used a no-huddle offense to move New York 52 yards in eight plays without all starters in the game. Jacobs had a 14-yard run on the second play of the drive in which the Giants had only one third-down play: Jacobs' touchdown run.
Kansas City never threatened.
"Last week we didn't come out the way we wanted," Giants safety Gibril Wilson. "This week we came out flying."
The game also marked the return of quarterback Rob Johnson to NFL action for the first time since December 2003. He missed the last two seasons with an elbow injury that required surgery.
The 33-year-old Johnson, who the Giants signed in May, replaced Manning midway through the second quarter and played five series, completing 7 of 14 passes for 62 yards. The 10-year veteran put up points on his last drive, taking New York 65 yards for a 31-yard field goal by Jay Feely on the final play of the third quarter.
"I'm not satisfied," Johnson said. "I have a lot to improve on."
The most serious injury in the game was a sprained knee sustained by Giants starting center Shaun O'Hara. He will have an MRI on Friday, but he was not concerned.
"I'll be back working at Albany," O'Hara said, referring to the team's training camp site.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Philadelphia Eagles Drop One To Balimore Ravens 10-20
Ravens rally past Eagles for 20-10 win
NFL.com wire reports
BALTIMORE (Aug. 17, 2006) -- Standing in a corner of the Philadelphia Eagles locker room, Correll Buckhalter flashed a wide smile as he spoke excitedly about playing in the NFL again.
"Everything in the past is in the past," he said, referring to knee injuries that forced him to miss three of the past four seasons. "It's a new beginning for me."
Playing for the first time this preseason, Buckhalter ran 48 yards with a shovel pass from Donovan McNabb to set up the Eagles' lone touchdown in a 20-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
The final score didn't spoil the fun for Buckhalter, who has not played in the regular season since 2003. He is vying to be the backup to Brian Westbrook, who missed the game with a leg injury.
"It feels great to be back. I feel very blessed," Buckhalter said. "I put a lot of hard work into this, and practice makes perfect. I stayed calm throughout the process before getting on the field, and that helped me. I made no mental errors and followed my assignments."
Especially on his catch-and-go from McNabb. Buckhalter eased past the several blitzing linemen, then worked his way downfield before being tackled on the 1. He enjoyed less success carrying the football, however, gaining eight yards on five tries.
"I thought he did some good things," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "It was good to get him in there, and he had the long screen play. I thought after that he was a little bit tired. We'll do a little more with him next week."
Buckhalter's spectacular play accounted for nearly half of McNabb's 97 yards through the air on 6-of-10 passing, all in the first half.
Down 10-3 at halftime, the Ravens got a 43-yard touchdown run from Musa Smith to pull even. Matt Stover kicked a 30-yard field goal later in the third quarter to give Baltimore (1-1) its first lead, and Kyle Boller threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Devard Darling with 13:34 left.
Ravens quarterback Steve McNair, who ran for a touchdown in his only series last week, couldn't get Baltimore into the end zone in 30 minutes of play. He went 14-for-18 for 148 yards and no interceptions.
Steve McNair looked good but managed just three first-half points.
"We did a good job from the 20 to the 20, but we've got to finish now," McNair said.
Darling finished with five catches for 121 yards, including a 42-yarder. He's seeking to earn a job as Baltimore's third wide receiver, and this performance didn't hurt his chances.
"Those are the kind of plays we've been waiting to see Devard make," Ravens coach Brian Billick said.
Working with a no-huddle offense, the Eagles (1-2) scored on their opening drive after Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle was called for pass interference on the first play from scrimmage. Six plays after the 35-yard penalty, David Akers kicked a 43-yard field goal.
After Baltimore punted, the Eagles benefited from another penalty during an 80-yard drive that produced a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
On third down at the Philadelphia 22, McNabb threw an incomplete pass. But Ravens linebacker Bart Scott was called for illegal contact away from the play, and McNabb completed a 21-yard pass to L.J. Smith before connecting with Buckhalter.
Buckhalter gave credit to the offensive line, but the play wouldn't have worked if he didn't show the speed and footwork that characterized his play three years ago.
"For him to come back and bounce back this strong," McNabb said, "we cheer for him. He can gain some confidence from this and be able to move on."
After Buckhalter was stopped at the 1, McNabb threw a touchdown pass to Reno Mahe.
The Ravens answered with a 15-play drive that consumed more than nine minutes and produced a 30-yard field goal by Stover.
Late in the half, Baltimore moved to the Philadelphia 23 before Jevon Kearse hit McNair in the pocket, forcing a fumble that was recovered by safety Brian Dawkins. Ray Lewis then forced Mahe to fumble at the Philadelphia 42.
The Ravens moved to the 17 with 18 seconds to go, then inexplicably ran on a third-down play without any timeouts left. The clock ran out before they could try a field goal.
NFL.com wire reports
BALTIMORE (Aug. 17, 2006) -- Standing in a corner of the Philadelphia Eagles locker room, Correll Buckhalter flashed a wide smile as he spoke excitedly about playing in the NFL again.
"Everything in the past is in the past," he said, referring to knee injuries that forced him to miss three of the past four seasons. "It's a new beginning for me."
Playing for the first time this preseason, Buckhalter ran 48 yards with a shovel pass from Donovan McNabb to set up the Eagles' lone touchdown in a 20-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
The final score didn't spoil the fun for Buckhalter, who has not played in the regular season since 2003. He is vying to be the backup to Brian Westbrook, who missed the game with a leg injury.
"It feels great to be back. I feel very blessed," Buckhalter said. "I put a lot of hard work into this, and practice makes perfect. I stayed calm throughout the process before getting on the field, and that helped me. I made no mental errors and followed my assignments."
Especially on his catch-and-go from McNabb. Buckhalter eased past the several blitzing linemen, then worked his way downfield before being tackled on the 1. He enjoyed less success carrying the football, however, gaining eight yards on five tries.
"I thought he did some good things," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "It was good to get him in there, and he had the long screen play. I thought after that he was a little bit tired. We'll do a little more with him next week."
Buckhalter's spectacular play accounted for nearly half of McNabb's 97 yards through the air on 6-of-10 passing, all in the first half.
Down 10-3 at halftime, the Ravens got a 43-yard touchdown run from Musa Smith to pull even. Matt Stover kicked a 30-yard field goal later in the third quarter to give Baltimore (1-1) its first lead, and Kyle Boller threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Devard Darling with 13:34 left.
Ravens quarterback Steve McNair, who ran for a touchdown in his only series last week, couldn't get Baltimore into the end zone in 30 minutes of play. He went 14-for-18 for 148 yards and no interceptions.
Steve McNair looked good but managed just three first-half points.
"We did a good job from the 20 to the 20, but we've got to finish now," McNair said.
Darling finished with five catches for 121 yards, including a 42-yarder. He's seeking to earn a job as Baltimore's third wide receiver, and this performance didn't hurt his chances.
"Those are the kind of plays we've been waiting to see Devard make," Ravens coach Brian Billick said.
Working with a no-huddle offense, the Eagles (1-2) scored on their opening drive after Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle was called for pass interference on the first play from scrimmage. Six plays after the 35-yard penalty, David Akers kicked a 43-yard field goal.
After Baltimore punted, the Eagles benefited from another penalty during an 80-yard drive that produced a touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
On third down at the Philadelphia 22, McNabb threw an incomplete pass. But Ravens linebacker Bart Scott was called for illegal contact away from the play, and McNabb completed a 21-yard pass to L.J. Smith before connecting with Buckhalter.
Buckhalter gave credit to the offensive line, but the play wouldn't have worked if he didn't show the speed and footwork that characterized his play three years ago.
"For him to come back and bounce back this strong," McNabb said, "we cheer for him. He can gain some confidence from this and be able to move on."
After Buckhalter was stopped at the 1, McNabb threw a touchdown pass to Reno Mahe.
The Ravens answered with a 15-play drive that consumed more than nine minutes and produced a 30-yard field goal by Stover.
Late in the half, Baltimore moved to the Philadelphia 23 before Jevon Kearse hit McNair in the pocket, forcing a fumble that was recovered by safety Brian Dawkins. Ray Lewis then forced Mahe to fumble at the Philadelphia 42.
The Ravens moved to the 17 with 18 seconds to go, then inexplicably ran on a third-down play without any timeouts left. The clock ran out before they could try a field goal.
"Security Moms" Are A Figment Of The Republican Imagination
I saw this howler of an article on Washingtonpost.com that "Security Moms" -- married women with kids -- were leaving the GOP in droves according to polls.
Well, I've got news: they were never there.
There's this really annoying tendency to pare down anyone who voted for George Bush in 2000 and 2004 as a solid support of him and the GOP. Well, no. First, you've only got two real choices for President -- the Greens and Independents (flaky by the name) have not advanced a really viable candidate. So it's either one guy or the other.
George Bush voters just liked him better than Al Gore and even more so that John Kerry.
Let us remember it was Joh Kerry who made the crack about marrying up to his wife, not George W. I was at a Bay Area Democrats event attended mostly by white women between 21 and 60 -- about 30 percent with kids -- and all let out a collective groan when Kerry made that slip of the tongue. I could see votes slipping away right them.
The Security Moms just plain don't like George W any more. I mean they voted for him but that never translated into support. Let's not forget that as long as the GOP remains white male dominant in its policies -- like abortion -- it will never ever capture the vote of every married woman with kids and this fact will remain as more and more women enter the workforce and take on traditional male roles. The GOP's demise -- or change -- can be seen in demographics.
Then signal is clear: welcome to the 21st Century GOP -- deal with it!
Matt Leinart To Start In Second Quarter Of Pats Game This Weekend
Never been to an NFL game? Matt? Wow!
Newly signed Leinart to play 2nd quarter
NFL.com wire reports
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Aug. 16, 2006) -- Matt Leinart finally gets to see his first NFL game against the New England Patriots -- from under center.
The Arizona Cardinals plan to play Leinart at least a quarter, Cardinals coach Dennis Green said.
"He'll go in the second, and then John Navarre will go in the third,"
Kurt Warner and the Cardinals first team will play the first quarter. Then the rookie from Southern California, who ended a two-week holdout by signing a six-year contract late Aug. 14, will attend a pro game for the first time.
"I've never been to an NFL game," Leinart said, "and my first game I'm going to be playing in. It's pretty cool."
He has taken extensive reps with the second team since arriving at the training camp, which ends Aug. 17 at Northern Arizona University.
"I was a little surprised," Leinart said of his early work in practice. "They were throwing me in there almost every time it seemed like. But it was good. I thought I threw the ball pretty well."
Green said that while Leinart has not been around to work on the entire Arizona offense, he arrived in time to focus on the game plan for New England.
"There are a lot of things we have done that won't be a part of the game this week," Green said. "The things that are going to be part of the game this week Matt Leinart will have a very good knowledge of, so I think he'll go out and play well."
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Bruno Kirby Of "When Harry Met Sally" Dies at 57
This report by Niki Finne makes you understand how short and precious our lives are. Click on the link to read it. Here's an except below:
From AP: Bruno Kirby, the veteran character actor who co-starred in When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers has died at age 57 in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, according to a statement today from his wife, Lynn Sellers. He had recently been diagnosed with the disease. "We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Bruno's fans and colleagues who have admired and respected his work over the past 30 years," his wife said. "Bruno's spirit will continue to live on not only in his rich body of film and television work but also through the lives of individuals he has touched throughout his life."
From AP: Bruno Kirby, the veteran character actor who co-starred in When Harry Met Sally and City Slickers has died at age 57 in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia, according to a statement today from his wife, Lynn Sellers. He had recently been diagnosed with the disease. "We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from Bruno's fans and colleagues who have admired and respected his work over the past 30 years," his wife said. "Bruno's spirit will continue to live on not only in his rich body of film and television work but also through the lives of individuals he has touched throughout his life."
STEELERS-DOLPHINS KICK OFF NFL SEASON With RASCAL FLATS - NFL
From NFL Media.com
STEELERS-DOLPHINS KICK OFF SEASON
ON NBC ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Pittsburgh and Miami Anchor "NFL Opening Kickoff 2006 Presented by Sprint"
Special Preceding Game
The journey to Super Bowl XLI begins on Thursday night, September 7.
That night, the NFL will kick off its 2006 season when the Super Bowl XL champion PITTSBURGH STEELERS host the MIAMI
DOLPHINS at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The game will be televised by NBC in its return as an NFL television partner.
Each year, the previous season’s Super Bowl winner hosts the NFL Thursday night season kickoff the next year. The Steelers will begin defense of their Super Bowl crown against a team that won its final six games of 2005.
The kickoff of the 2006 season will be accompanied by musical performances in two cities.
RASCAL FLATS will help kick it off with a performance at Heinz Field as part of "NFL Opening Kickoff 2006 Presented by Sprint"
-- a half-hour pregame special on NBC at 8:00 PM ET.
The performance is part of a two-city football kickoff and music celebration that will honor the Super Bowl champion Steelers and look ahead to Super Bowl XLI on February 4 in South Florida.
The nationally televised pregame event also will include the singing of the national anthem at Heinz Field by MARTINA MC
BRIDE.
In South Florida, DIDDY and CASSIE will perform from a specially designed stage on South Beach in Miami as part of a
free concert. Also performing on the beach will be TEGO CALDERON, DJ RIZ and the Miami Dolphins’ cheerleaders.
There also will be a series of community events in South Florida in the days leading up to NFL Kickoff 2006, including youth clinics and other activities.
Vikings Koren Robinson In Chase WIth Police At 120 MPH...
Minnesota Vikings Koren Washington was arrested on what will be his third DUI, according to the NFL Network. What is not reported in the Wash Post link is that Koren Robinson was driving at a speed so fast, police couldn't clock him. They lost him in chase for a bit, so they went by their own car's speed: 120 MPH. But even with that, Robinson still eluded them.
If you're wondering what Robinson was driving, it was a BMW, proving that even with a drunken pro athlete behind the wheel, it's still the Ulimate Driving Machine.
Israel Is Giving Its Position To The UN; Question Of Hezbollah's Strength Is Wrongheaded
The Wash Post reports on Israel's pullout of Lebannon and to the UN's force. But Chris Matthews of "Hardball" asked if Hezbollah had been weakened.
I think that's the wrong question. It seems to compare the organization to a standing army; the simple fact that such a query would develop shows how little we Americans really "get" the Arab / Israel conflict. Hezbollah represents a force in what is more a holy war than a common nation to nation battle. Thus, it's more a movement than an army.
Take a look at this video. Yes, it's totally anti-Hezbollah, but it underscores my point of how severe the differences are and why we as Americans must be careful.
I think that's the wrong question. It seems to compare the organization to a standing army; the simple fact that such a query would develop shows how little we Americans really "get" the Arab / Israel conflict. Hezbollah represents a force in what is more a holy war than a common nation to nation battle. Thus, it's more a movement than an army.
Take a look at this video. Yes, it's totally anti-Hezbollah, but it underscores my point of how severe the differences are and why we as Americans must be careful.
George Allen - Jon Stewart's Take On The Senator's Meltdown
As to be expected Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, chimed in with a great segment on George Allen's meltdown:
Whatever Happened To Ex-49ers PR Man and "Videogate" Guy Kirk Reynolds?
What happened to Videogate's main fall guy Ex-49ers PR Director Kirk Reynolds?
He's resurfaced with NBX.com a kind of sports fantasy organization. I happened to spot this as I was responding to a comment link left by a guy named "Sweet Lou" with the same firm. He was commenting on Tom Walsh of the Raiders.
Check out the link to his contact page at NBX.com by clicking on the title of this post.
Who's Kirk Reynolds? Chris Bull wrote this account for ESPN, which is also linked to via the title of this post.
Diversity champion done in by insensitive mistake
By Chris Bull
Special to ESPN.com
You know Kirk Reynolds, right?
He's the former San Francisco 49ers public relations director who produced the bizarre video the San Francisco Chronicle dubbed "racist and sexist."
He's the bigot who indulged racially insensitive jokes, cavorted with topless blonds at a strip club, and mocked same-sex marriage – all recorded for posterity.
He's the jerk who the lost a dream job because of an episode "absolutely contradictory to the ideals and values of the San Francisco 49ers," as team lawyer Ed Goines put it.
At least that is how the brainy, brawny, balding Reynolds is being represented in much of the Bay Area after an adversary with ties to the storied franchise made a copy of the tape available to the Chronicle.
There is one problem with this picture: It is wrong.
This not the Kirk Reynolds that I know – or that the dozens of media types he's dealt with in his eight years with the organization have known. The Kirk Reynolds I know put his neck on the line for the very ideals of equality and diversity he now stands accused of sabotaging.
This is a cautionary tale of how style and substance get confused in the media whirlwind and how a good man can be brought down in the process.
In many ways, the story begins back in November 2002, when star 49ers running back Garrison Hearst declared, "I don't want any faggots on my team." The sentiment was sadly commonplace. For years, players across the league had been making similar remarks, both publicly and privately.
But the Bay Area boasts an admirable commitment to a level playing field, and Hearst's comments were the political equivalent of a flagrant foul, especially with owners Denise DeBartolo York and John York's courting city support for a new stadium at Candlestick Point. They determined to show a better face off the field – even as the once-great team struggled on it.
Last February, ESPN The Magazine published my lengthy profile of Lindsy McLean ("The Healer," Feb. 16, 2004), the legendary 49ers head athletic trainer. McLean had overseen Hearst's heroic comeback from a devastating ankle injury.
McLean also happens to be gay.
Apparently Hearst, well aware of his trainer's sexual orientation, would not play with a "faggot" but he was more than happy to have his career extended by one.
Having hung up his tape after nearly three decades in the trenches, McLean spoke for the first time about the sexual harassment he endured since the early 1980s, when his homosexuality became an open clubhouse secret. McLean, who has since become a friend, declined to identify his tormenters out of respect for trainer-player confidentiality. (They did not include Hearst, who treated McLean with utmost respect.)
Throughout the three-month interviewing and writing process for the article, Reynolds gently encouraged McLean – understandably nervous about the revelations – to cooperate. He coaxed Hearst to speak about the contradiction between his admiration for McLean and his feelings about homosexuals. The notoriously private Bill Walsh opened up for the first time about the death of his son, who succumbed to AIDS in 2002.
To be sure, it was Reynolds' job to cast the organization in an accepting light. Like every reporter, I have a complicated relationship with PR staffs. They bring access. But they also jealously guard material that strays too far from the company line, the stuff of which great stories are made.
McLean had told me about harrowing incidents, starting in the early '90s, when a 350-pound lineman would chase him around, grab him from behind, push him against a wall and simulate rape. "Get over here, bitch," he'd demand. "I know what you want." The lineman reprised his act whenever he could; even after he was traded to another team, he'd sneak up on McLean in the locker room or alongside the team bus.
Like every dimly understood social transgression, the episode, drenched in a toxic combination of misogyny and homophobia, became shrouded in secrecy and shame. Those who witnessed it, puzzled and aghast, preferred to pretend it had never happened or to write it off as the kind of "boys will be boys" behavior that occurs only in all-male environments.
McLean, bound by his oath, declined to name the perpetrator. Reynolds, however, was so incensed by what he had witnessed outside the team bus that he offered to give the guy up. (After much discussion, ESPN decided not to identify the player. The Boston Globe later named him.)
I recall discussing Reynolds' overture with my editor, Jon Scher. In the world of public relations, we agreed, it was extraordinary. In professional sports, it violated an unspoken code of silence surrounding the misbehavior of star athletes. How much easier would it have been to leave the onus on the victim than risk the repercussions of fingering a powerful and popular athlete?
Perhaps Reynolds made the offer because no one had stood up for McLean when he needed it most. "I saw [the athlete] chase Lindsy around the bus," Reynolds told me at the time. "It was so strange and so uncomfortable, I didn't know how to react. We all stood there watching. I think [the player] should be held accountable for what he did."
It is one thing to expose a moral wrong; another to work to right the wrong. The next year – right after Reynolds showed the team and coaches his homemade video – Reynolds, Goines and John York, inspired by the Hearst incident and their beloved trainer's ordeal, put together a mandatory diversity training program. Players who had long resisted the idea raved about how it had brought the team closer together. They now understood that by bandying around words like "queer" and "fag," they might unintentionally be offending a guy with a gay relative or friend, a guy they depended upon in the trenches.
"Lindsy helped us understand that it wasn't a healthy environment," Reynolds told me by phone from his East Bay home, where he is fielding calls and job hunting. "After the training, we broke players into teams of five, and they were nearly unanimous about how helpful it had been. After all we had been through, it was truly gratifying to feel like we had made a difference, even in this small way. This is not an easy audience to reach."
The Niners' program is considered a model. But now it has been forgotten, overshadowed by "the tape." I've watched excerpts; I won't defend it, and I can see why some took offense. But I will say the skits exemplify a kind of crude, insider humor that my teammates on my mostly gay softball team would consider tame.
"My judgment was just awful," Reynolds explains. "After I played the tape, the guys were laughing, I stood up and said something along the lines of, 'I hope I didn't offend anyone.' Ironically, I was really thinking that maybe the religious guys in the room would be offended by the nudity. But the fact that I had to make that statement at all should have been a red flag for sure."
So go ahead and find Reynolds guilty of a boneheaded indiscretion, of violating public relations rule No. 1: Never put anything on paper or tape that you wouldn't want repeated publicly.
But Reynolds is innocent of the far more serious charge – intolerance. He made a mistake, but like all such mistakes – including Hearst's "faggot" comment – it created a teachable moment. In a time when pro athletes are managed by agents and handlers to avoid saying anything of substance, such moments have become all too rare.
"What's on that tape is not the true me," Reynolds says. "The true me is the guy who supported Lindsy. The true me is the guy who promotes diversity training in our organization and in the league. Before this is over, I want to get that back."
So let's not lose sight of what really matters – making the NFL a more comfortable, accepting place for gay athletes and employees. Thanks in part to Kirk Reynolds, now paying the price for his good deeds, we are one step closer to that elusive goal.
Chris Bull is editor of PlanetOut.com.
Amanda Congdon Watch - She's With Jude Law (Sort Of)
According to her blog at Amanda Unboomed, she's signed with Endeavor and will be annoucing her new gig soon.
Endeavor is a talent agency located in Beverly Hills and represents Jude Law, amoung other notables.
Clinton Portis Out But Shawn Springs Lost For Six Weeks - Washington Post
According to the Washington Post, it seems like the Redskins are dropping like flies before the season starts, losing Clinton Portis and his nutso costumes and Cornerback Shawn Springs, who will be out for six weeks. Plus, they just traded wide receiver Taylor Jacobs to the San Francisco 49ers. With all of this, the Redskins are in need of players.
This will test just how good the coaching staff is at compensating for loss. Stay tuned.
George Will Officially Declares War On Iraq War
In his recent column which you can read with a click here on the title of this post, Washington Post Senior Columnist George Will declared war on the Bush Administration's rhetoric behind the idea that sustaining the Iraq War is a fight against terrorism and terrorists.
When a good Neo-Con like Will goes against the Bush Administration, you know they're in political trouble. The problem is so are the thousands of men and women fighting over there, and their lives hang in the balance.
It's time to get them out.
When Robert Reich said "This President just doesn't get it" on "This Week," Will not only did not disagree with him, but added this...
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