Post by cloud390 on Aug 16, 2009 10:01:05 GMT -5
Alright, first up is Atlanta and Detroit. Matt Ryan looked good and Tony looks like he'll be a good threat as a T.E. Their defense looked pretty solid, but they still have a bit to go. They should do fine though. Nothing really struck me as something extremely good or bad about this group. Onto the lions. Ok, let me get this out, Stafford looked sharp. I mean really sharp. Don't just go off the numbers if you didn't watch the game. His passes were dead on but butterfingers Mr. 83 dropped about every single one. There was this one throw where a corner was covering his man on the left, he threw it perfectly over the right shoulder of the receiver and into his hands for a touchdown.
What I really liked out of him is he stayed in the pocket and let it develop around him. Now I know in Georgia he was a pocket passer too, but sometimes rookie's get happy feet and start moving around a lot when they feel the pressure. He didn't, he stayed strong and trusted his line. It's going to be hard not to start him honestly. I know they don't want to throw him into the fire, but he really looked sharp. And I know it is preseason too which makes a bit of a difference, but if the team starts off 1-3 or something, it's going to be tempting.
Ok the next game I watched was the Bears and Bills. Cutler looked terrible, but Coach Smith was smart and had him throw as much as possible. I think he ended the game with two interceptions but he should've had about four. He didn't look very Jay Cutler and I don't know if that is because of learning the new plays or not yet sure how his receivers act. I heard rumors back in the day that Cutler had to learn a new playbook every week under Shanaham so I don't know if it's the playbook or more getting use to his receivers and how much different they are compared to Denver.
Bears defense looked pretty solid. As long as they are better than last year it is a plus. As for the Bills, Edwards looked pretty good. His line seemed to hold up a bit better this game and Marshall Lynch looks to be getting back into the groove of things. They have a hard decision to make seeing as Lynch will miss the first three games and what to do about that. The Bills look like they will live and die with their slant routes. They seem to run those A LOT. And they work, or at least they are right now. All in all Bills looked good, Bears need more work.
The last game I watched was Bucs and Titans. Collins wasn't Collins in this game. If memory is right he threw two interceptions and really didn't produce much. When Young finally came in, he looked, and acted ten times better from his last game. I don't know what happened but he looked faster, and he threw the ball with confidence. In the eyes of the Tampa 2 he ran a bit from the blitz and when you thought he was going to be old Vince Young and run it all he stopped, planted his feet and lofted a pass to a wide open receiver for a touchdown.
I'm glad with this seeing as Young did not look good at all last game. As for the Bucs, I really think Leftwich will win the starting job. The team just acts differently with him in and if his receivers didn't drop so many balls he would have lit up the scoreboard on the Titans. With him in, the Bucs are very dangerous on offense because he is like another Big Ben, he's a big body that stands in the pocket and has a HUGE arm. I forgot how big of an arm he had back when he played for the Jaguars.
But with that being said he needs to learn when to throw the ball. There was this one play where he avoided THREE tacklers but the fourth finally got him and it made a 3rd and 10 into a 4th and 27. You can't do that in the NFL, you have to give the ball to a player and give him a chance to make a play. He needs to work on that, but I really think he is going to get the starting job. The Bucs defense looked solid. They are doing different stuff but basically the same philosophy of hit hard and hit a lot. The only thing is they play a weird coverage where they want you to throw the ball basically. It's hard to explain. It's different than their symbolic Tampa 2 where they rush everyone and leave it up to the corners, because the safety is there in coverage too.
All in all I think the Bucs will have a good season, but the NFC South is one of the toughest divisions so they'll have to win probably 12 games to make into the playoffs.
What about your all thoughts on the games? Did anyone else get to watch anyone's I didn't? I really wanted to see the Browns game but didn't get to.
What I really liked out of him is he stayed in the pocket and let it develop around him. Now I know in Georgia he was a pocket passer too, but sometimes rookie's get happy feet and start moving around a lot when they feel the pressure. He didn't, he stayed strong and trusted his line. It's going to be hard not to start him honestly. I know they don't want to throw him into the fire, but he really looked sharp. And I know it is preseason too which makes a bit of a difference, but if the team starts off 1-3 or something, it's going to be tempting.
Ok the next game I watched was the Bears and Bills. Cutler looked terrible, but Coach Smith was smart and had him throw as much as possible. I think he ended the game with two interceptions but he should've had about four. He didn't look very Jay Cutler and I don't know if that is because of learning the new plays or not yet sure how his receivers act. I heard rumors back in the day that Cutler had to learn a new playbook every week under Shanaham so I don't know if it's the playbook or more getting use to his receivers and how much different they are compared to Denver.
Bears defense looked pretty solid. As long as they are better than last year it is a plus. As for the Bills, Edwards looked pretty good. His line seemed to hold up a bit better this game and Marshall Lynch looks to be getting back into the groove of things. They have a hard decision to make seeing as Lynch will miss the first three games and what to do about that. The Bills look like they will live and die with their slant routes. They seem to run those A LOT. And they work, or at least they are right now. All in all Bills looked good, Bears need more work.
The last game I watched was Bucs and Titans. Collins wasn't Collins in this game. If memory is right he threw two interceptions and really didn't produce much. When Young finally came in, he looked, and acted ten times better from his last game. I don't know what happened but he looked faster, and he threw the ball with confidence. In the eyes of the Tampa 2 he ran a bit from the blitz and when you thought he was going to be old Vince Young and run it all he stopped, planted his feet and lofted a pass to a wide open receiver for a touchdown.
I'm glad with this seeing as Young did not look good at all last game. As for the Bucs, I really think Leftwich will win the starting job. The team just acts differently with him in and if his receivers didn't drop so many balls he would have lit up the scoreboard on the Titans. With him in, the Bucs are very dangerous on offense because he is like another Big Ben, he's a big body that stands in the pocket and has a HUGE arm. I forgot how big of an arm he had back when he played for the Jaguars.
But with that being said he needs to learn when to throw the ball. There was this one play where he avoided THREE tacklers but the fourth finally got him and it made a 3rd and 10 into a 4th and 27. You can't do that in the NFL, you have to give the ball to a player and give him a chance to make a play. He needs to work on that, but I really think he is going to get the starting job. The Bucs defense looked solid. They are doing different stuff but basically the same philosophy of hit hard and hit a lot. The only thing is they play a weird coverage where they want you to throw the ball basically. It's hard to explain. It's different than their symbolic Tampa 2 where they rush everyone and leave it up to the corners, because the safety is there in coverage too.
All in all I think the Bucs will have a good season, but the NFC South is one of the toughest divisions so they'll have to win probably 12 games to make into the playoffs.
What about your all thoughts on the games? Did anyone else get to watch anyone's I didn't? I really wanted to see the Browns game but didn't get to.
