Good, Bad, and Ugly Preseason
Posted by Don M. Dumas on 08.23.2007
Week 2 of the preseason is in the books, and the real deal is right around the corner. 411's Don M. Dumas breaks down what has transpired on the field and off in his latest column!
The preseason is halfway over and we have seen all that we are going to see from NFL teams before the games start to count. Most teams will only play their starters for a series, maybe two, in the third game, and not at all in the fourth and final game. Therefore, as fans, I think we are justified in making judgments on who looks good, who looks bad, and who is just ugly.
Additionally, there have been a few off-the-field occurrences that we can comment on as well. Nothing is off limits ladies and gentlemen; entire teams, individual players and even commercials can be critiqued and I plan on doing just that. Let's begin.
THE GOOD…
Minnesota Vikings' Defense- I am not really surprised by this. Last season the Vikes played extremely well on defense under coordinator Mike Tomlin. He is, of course, the head coach in Pittsburgh now, but the mark Tomlin left on the Vikings' defense is there to stay.
The name of the game is touchdowns, and Minnesota's defense is not waiting for their offense to put points on the board, they're doing it themselves.
In two games they have scored 4 defensive touchdowns. In those same two games, the Vikings' offense has only scored 1 TD. With Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback, this could be the norm throughout the '07 season.
What's scary is the thought of RB Adrian Peterson changing all that for Minnesota. If he runs all season like he has so far in the preseason, then the Vikings have a recipe for a playoff appearance: strong defense and a solid running game.
Brady Quinn- Okay, so I know Quinn has only played in one game. I also know that it was in the 4th quarter, where he played against back-ups and guys that will probably get cut (from the Lions, no less). But what we witnessed was the future of the Cleveland Browns.
Now I have said in a previous article that Brady Quinn will be a great NFL quarterback. I even said he would be better than a certain QB who shall remain nameless (hint: he was drafted way ahead of Quinn and is still not in camp). I'm not saying Quinn has proven me right, but he's off to a hell of a start.
Entering the game with under 10 minutes to go, Quinn completed his first 5 passes before throwing his 7th pass for a touchdown. He finished the game 13 of 20, for 155 yards and 2 TDs.
A lot of Quinn's completions were checkdowns to wide-open running backs in the middle of Detroit's prevent defense, but that doesn't mean that Quinn didn't do a great job. He ran a quick and efficient offense when there wasn't much time left in the game, and his throws were accurate and on time.
The Browns have a long way to go, but Quinn is going to help them get there faster than Charlie Frye or Derek Anderson.
LaDainian Tomlinson's Nike Commercial- Nike's new commercial features L.T. in the backfield, making his pre-snap reads. Next the screen flashes back and forth between the reigning NFL MVP knifing through the defense, and back to his position in the backfield before the snap.
After shaking and baking his way to the end zone, the San Diego Charger does his trademark flip of the ball with one hand, while putting his other hand behind his head. Then, the commercial cuts back to L.T. in the backfield, awaiting the snap, and says "Quick is Deadly."
So, L.T. is so quick, that he knows what he and his opponents are going to do before the play even begins. He visualizes it all and then makes it happen. Brilliant commercial for the NFL's best player.
The greatest thing about the spot is: its against the team with the best defense in the league, the Chicago Bears. It is highly unlikely that Tomlinson will be able to shred the Bears with the ease displayed in the commercial, and rumor has it that more than a few Bears are upset with it.
Ironically, perhaps coincidentally, the two teams play each other week 1. What a great time to be a football fan.
Baltimore Ravens- The Ravens started the preseason in dominating fashion, beating the Eagles 29-3. Their defense is stout, and even their offense looked good.
It didn't seem to matter who was in the game, everybody played great against Philadelphia. McNair, McGahee, and especially kicker Matt Stover, who went 5 for 5.
The Ravens did lose their second preseason game, however. The New York Giants gave ‘em a stiff one, but in the process lost a handful of players to injuries. So it seems the Ravens are going to make it more painful to beat them than to lose to them.
In all seriousness, the difference between the two games is staggering. In the first, the Ravens out-gained the Eagles by 202 yards, committed only 3 penalties, and didn't turn the ball over.
Against New York, they were out-gained by 87 yards, committed 11 penalties, and had one turnover. You can choose whichever game you want and say that is the direction in which this team is headed. I say the first game. After all, despite all those mistakes against the Giants, they only lost by one point.
THE BAD….
Denver Broncos- It's not really the Broncos play on the field that concerns me. In fact, their first team has looked pretty sharp. The Broncos are bad because of their personnel issues.
Travis Henry, Denver's prized offseason acquisition, is banged up. It is reported that Henry has a sprained knee, and that the injury isn't very serious. I'm not so sure.
Henry has been labeled as injury-prone, and it seems with some merit. He was brought to the Mile High City to be their every-down back. Henry is expected to carry the entire rushing load in '07, and this is a huge setback for the organization.
He could make a full and speedy recovery, and might be on the field on opening day. How long after that remains to be seen.
One player the Broncos will not have for the 2007 season is defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban. A torn Achilles' tendon claimed Ekuban's season, and the Broncos' already lackluster pass rush will suffer.
Then they traded the former #3 overall pick, Gerard Warren, to Oakland for a draft pick. Although Warren never played up to his potential has a third overall draft pick in Cleveland, he was a solid contributor on Denver's defense in '06.
Only time will tell if the Broncos will remain healthy long enough to challenge the Chargers for the AFC West title, but after their last preseason game I wouldn't bet on it.
Rex Grossman- In the words of Yogi Berra, "It's d?j? vu all over again."
The quarterback for the Chicago Bears looked good in their first preseason game. In the second, against the Colts, he looked like a scared Pop Warner rookie who has never played tackle football before.
Grossman threw an interception and fumbled the ball three times. THREE TIMES! IN LESS THAN ONE HALF OF FOOTBALL! His first fumble can be credited to a good play by the defense, but his other two were just amateur.
For some reason, despite an entire season together in 2006, Grossman and center Olin Kreutz still haven't mastered the QB/Center exchange. Somehow, I don't think the blame lands on the 6-time Pro Bowler that is Kreutz.
When Grossman has been able to handle the snap this preseason and actually dropped back to pass, he's looked okay. With the exception of his one INT, he has made some good reads and hasn't forced the ball as much as he did in 2006.
What Bears fans really want to know is: Rex, will you ever play at a consistent level? It doesn't matter whether or not you're consistently good or consistently bad; just hurry up and show your true colors already so they know whether or not to ride you to another Super Bowl or call for Brian Griese.
New Orleans Saints Defense- The Saints are an offensive team; that is no secret. However, their offense is not that good. The defense is going to have to step up if this team is going to make a run at the big game.
In their first game, the Steelers marched down the field like a high school band. The Steelers were passing, running, whatever they wanted. The Saints' corners couldn't cover, their line couldn't get pressure. It was miserable.
The Saints improved in their next two games, but only forced 1 turnover in those games. If something doesn't light a spark under that side of the ball, the Saints could be at home when the playoffs begin.
THE UGLY…
Because football season is such a beautiful thing, there is only one thing that can tarnish the overall feeling we have since the preseason began: Mike Vick.
Like all of you, I've had my fill of Vick so I will keep this short and sweet.
Michael Vick is a jerk, an idiot, a simpleton, a greedy, selfish, heartless S.O.B. who deserves whatever punishment he receives plus some.
Personally, I feel betrayed. I supported Vick when people said he was just a runner incapable of learning a complicated NFL offense. When Vick gave fans the bird, I wrote it off as just a mistake by a guy under a tremendous amount of pressure.
When Vick was sued for knowingly passing herpes to an unsuspecting female, I said that it's both participants' responsibility to engage in safe sex. When Vick got caught with marijuana in a water bottle on an airplane, I said he was just enjoying himself like a young rich man should; he'll grow out of it.
So you see, I've defended Mike Vick for years, and now I feel like a fool. His brutal crimes remind of Communist China, not Virginian suburbs, and Vick should be punished accordingly.
There. That is all I will say about Vick for the entire season (hopefully….probably not, but I'll keep it to a minimum).
