Afc south preseason reports

TEXANS

TE Graham getting some 1st team reps.

Bad drop today, but also nice TD. Looks raw. Couldn't see his route-running. RT @HoustonDiehards How's Dickerson look overall?

wasn't in great position to see 11 on 11s today, but Kareem Jackson still looks rough. Got beat deep by Dickerson, dropped an INT.

Kareem looked to have tighter coverage as the practice went on. The more reps the better he plays. Makeup speed is my ?

Fred Bennett has been rolled up and smoked by every receiver on the roster it seems. Bobby Williams just did him and Williams even stumbled

I thought Wade Smith done a nice job at center yesterday

COLTS

* No less than ten different players participated as returners on punt and kick return drills. Austin Collie, Blair White, Mike Hart, Brandon King, Jamie Silva, and possibly Ray Fisher returned punts. Meanwhile, Devin Moore, Anthony Gonzalez, Blair White (again), Brandon James, and possibly Samuel Giguere returned punts. To say the punt and kick returning jobs are "open" is a serious understatement.
* Pat McAfee's punts in the morning practice were ugly. In the afternoon, he was booming.
* During drill work, the wideout order was Reggie Wayne, Collie, Gonzo, Pierre Garçon, Taj Smith, Giguere, Blair White, Brandon James, and Dudley Guice.
* Donald Brown had a nice run.
* Joseph Addai sat out afternoon practice.
* Manning looked sharp. He kinda always does.
* Kelvin Hayden was getting frustrated with Pierre Garçon because Garcon was shaking him pretty good.
* Jeff Saturday and Ryan Diem sat out.
* Bob Sanders sat out the afternoon practice.
* Gonzo beat Lacey on a long ball reception. Gonzo and Manning connected on several deep balls. Gonzo also caught a TD later in practice.
* Colts defense doing more "interesting" stunts.
* Pat Angerer looked good, penetrating the line and disrupting a Mike Hart run.
* Curtis Painter looked better in 4 on 4 drills.

While Brandon James did struggle a bit, that's to be expected for a rookie in his first week. When he did have the ball in his hands on a couple of punt returns, he looked electric, with quick cuts and great acceleration in the open field.

Mitch King also made a nice pass rush against the second-team line, breaking through for what would have been a sack on Curtis Painter. Painter made some bad throws early, including one at Javarris James' feet, but seemed to settle down later in seven-on-seven drills. The difference between Manning and all the other quarterbacks is significant, though, even in practice

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/8/2/1601409/2010-colts-training-camp-more

JAGUARS

That being said, Kampman is limiting himself to one practice a day. Generally in the morning session he will participate in individual drills, but sit out of the team drills. In Sunday's full-padded practice Kampman was a full participant and looked good doing it. Kampman was able to get consistent pressure on the quarterback when he was on the field. He'd have had a couple sacks had it been a live game, one of which would have been a blindside hit on the quarterback where Kampman came free.

I don't want to get too excited about Kampman yet, because the fact of the matter is he's only 8 months removed from tearing a major ligament in his leg. While Kampman is one of the hardest working players in the NFL, it's still staggering the progress he's made so far. In mini-camp I expected him to practice once a day once training camp rolled around, but I don't think many expected him to be at this level this soon.
The Good: Aaron Kampman
The Bad: Tiquan Underwood

Despite having a good summer, Underwood has come back down to earth so far in training camp. Sunday he suffered numerous drops on what should have been routine catches. Every so often he will make a nice grab plucking the ball out of the air, but most of the time he catches with his body and drops balls he simply shouldn't.
The Ugly: The Quarterbacks

The quarterbacks Sunday struggled quite a bit. I believe all three were intercepted at least once, and the Sunday night session ended with starting quarterback David Garrard being intercepted on an ill-advised pass into double coverage down the field. None of the quarterbacks seem to want to step up and take over. While it is still early in training camp, it is a bit troublesome to see Garrard and McCown struggling this much. It's a lot of bad reads and check downs right now. Hopefully it will improve as practice goes on.
Oklahoma Notes

Eugene Monroe bested rookie Larry Hart in a match up that was clearly in Monroe's favor. The Oklahoma is about leverage and brute power, and Monroe dwarfed Hart in each match up.

Austen Lane had been having an average camp so far until the whistle blew for the Oklahoma and he tossed tight end Zach Potter to the ground like it was nothing.

Interior lineman Uche Nwaneri was able to stone rookie defensive tackle D'Anthony Smith in each match up.

The most embarrassing match up was between safety Reggie Nelson and wide receiver Nate Hughes. Hughes was able to force Reggie Nelson backwards on each match up. Nelson was able to suplex the running back on one play, but well after the drill should have been over.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/8/2/1600675/jacksonville-jaguars-training-camp

TEXANS

Mr. Jackson missed the first practice of training camp, but was in for the second. Ever since, the news has been mixed. Andre Johnson abuses the kid and anything that moves. However, Andre's a CB Destroyer, so Ice Kareem's pretty much on the same level as anyone not named Revis or Scrabble. What means more right now is that K-Jack is biting on double moves. He's aggressive and overreacting, but there's promise because people are saying he's learning rather quickly. I've heard that he done alright against Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones and has put himself in position for picks. There's still the question of if he has top-end speed, but K-Jack is physical and improving daily. That's all we can ask of him at this point.

Glover Quin does not look comfortable in space. He's also been torched up top. Yes, I should point out that one-on-one drills are done without a pass rush or safety help, but confidence is wavering about him outside if Twitter and comments are taken into account. However, Glover's been good in the nickel, which he likes, according to OTA reports. From last season, we know that he doesn't have elite speed, but his tackling is exceptional. I'm sure Pancakes is somewhere telling people that Quin also didn't give up a TD last season. Back on track, perhaps Quin is better suited for a FS role nickel role?

Antwaun Molden is still healthy. That is a success. This is where the wide opinion begins. I've read that some are impressed, some see starter potential, some see him struggling, some say he needs more on-field time, and some are not noticing him. If there's a common thread, it's that he's got the best range of any CB. He struggles within five yards, but looks good down-field. He's worked in the starting corner, nickel, and dime roles. Maybe he should be switched to FS? Maybe he should cover a team's speedster? Regardless, at 6'2'' and 200 pounds with a 4.38 40 to his credit, he's the best CB in terms of size and speed.

Brice McCain is only 5'9'' in a league where bigger receivers are becoming more common, but there are reports that he's probably one of the team's five fastest players. He's also done a good job of sticking to WRs. There's technique, but the lack of size and experience does hurt him. He's worked at the nickel and dime.

Frenchy Reeves is the veteran of the group and was a starter one year ago before his injury opened the door for bfd's favorite (Quin). Like many of the others, he has struggled in drills but has had his moments too. He's worked with the second team, I've read.

Fred Bennett has been toast. I've yet to read one good nugget of information on Bennett. He's basically been kicked to the third team with no signs of escape since everyone is torching him. It's brutal.

Mark Parson has turned some heads with three (reported) picks during drills. He hasn't worked with the starters, nor did he play in 2009, but ball-hawking skills are hard to ignore. He initially worked with the third team, but I've seen reports of him on the second team as well.

Early on in camp, Sherrick McManis has been the invisible man. He missed OTA time (for a good reason--to graduate), and he hasn't had much during this training camp, so the sample size is limited. I guess he did well on Monday against David Anderson, according to John Harris. He worked the second team nickel on Monday.

There are all our contenders, and here is the way I believe it should go at this absurdly early point before the first preseason game...

Start: Kareem Jackson and Antwaun Molden
Jackson's starting no matter what. He's been locked there and will stay there. The fact that he's improving is what we want to hear. The other starter is where you are probably shocked. Yes, I know Quin's the incumbent starter, but I like Molden better at this point. I put Molden over Quin because of Quin's struggles outside, Quin's comfort in the nickel, Molden's great range, and Molden's overall size and speed. It's a young starting group, but there is talent there.

Roster: Glover Quin (nickel), Brice McCain (dime), Mark Parson (quarter/5th CB), Sherrick McManis (PS, FS, IR stash)
Quin seems to play better in the nickel, so why not stick him there? Slot receivers are a big weapon, so if he can lock 'em down, then go with it. McCain sees the field as a dime because I just don't think he's big enough to start. Parson impresses me. The kid's going all out, and I can't help but root for him. If he keeps this up, then he'll find the roster spot he so covets. McManis was a draft pick, so they won't cut him without seeing what he can do (keep in mind I have virtually nothing to rate him on). He'll be a fifth/sixth CB, a practice squad player, free safety transfer, or a stash on the IR.

Cut: Jacques Reeves, Fred Bennett
Bennett's obvious. The writing's on the wall (or in this case, the blog) and has been since he tumbled down the depth chart over the past few years. He's not helping his case when project WR Dorin Dickerson and third team receivers are lighting him up. Reeves is a tougher cut because a veteran presence would be nice, but I'm going for broke with a youth movement and showing him some respect. He's a veteran and should go elsewhere for playing time, as opposed to sitting fifth behind four young guys.

http://www.battleredblog.com/2010/8/3/1602406/start-roster-cut-cornerbacks

COLTS

# Jerry Hughes worked with the first unit and turned a few heads. The team seems very impressed with the work he did this off-season. He was getting good, consistent pressure on Peyton Manning in the morning. Again, this is a practice in full pads. He beat Charlie Johnson on one play to pressure Manning, and on another he and Ramon Humber sniffed out a Brandon James reverse.
# Mitch King followed up yesterday's practices with another strong outing today. No word on how he looked on special teams, but he seems to be doing what he is known to do, and that's pressure the QB from the interior of the line. If he showcases this a bit in pre-season, Mitch will make the final 53.
# According to PhilB, players held out of morning practice were Clint Session, Joseph Addai, Ray Fisher, Keyunta Dawson, Ervin Baldwin, Adam Terry, Robert Mathis, and Tony Ugoh.
# Once again, Mike Pollak worked with the first unit at guard.
# The secondary looked very sharp this morning, especially Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers.

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/8/3/1603978/2010-colts-training-camp-notes

JAGUARS

I don't think there has been a single practice I've been to so far in training camp where one of the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks looked anything but "alright." I was not at the morning session today, but by all accounts David Garrard and Luke McCown both had troublesome mornings, including David Garrard ending practice on an ill-advised interception, which he also did previously on Sunday night. Tonight's practice ended in similar fashion in a 2-minute drill where the offense failed to convert a first down or get in field goal range from the 50-yard line. On one of the plays David Garrard took a sack and Jack Del Rio just looked at him for a second and said, "C'mon let's go. The clock is running."

Early in practice Garrard hit Troy Williamson, who's come on strong lately, on a long pass... but in a game it wouldn't have happened. Newly signed rookie defensive tackle Tyson Alualu would have registered a sack had it been live action. The best play by a quarterback all night was one in which Luke McCown got stepped on in his drop back and popped back up to hit Mike Sims-Walker in the middle of the field got about a 20 yard gain. A few series later, Garrard bounced a pass off safety Sean Considine's chest.

A lot of the completions that drew cheers from fans were nice, but quite a few of them would have been sacks in game situations. The quarterbacks are not progressing through their reads quick enough. Some of it was the offensive line, but a lot of it was the quarterbacks just holding the football. There are spurts of good plays here and there, but it's the same old story it's been since 2008, inconsistency.
The Good - Tyson Alualu

The rookie defensive tackle came into his first padded practice and did not disappoint. He looked quick in drills and was able to beat his blocks in 11 x 11 action.
The Bad - The Quarterbacks

The Ugly - Injuries

Jaguars third round pick and rookie D'Anthony Smith suffered an ankle injury yesterday afternoon in practice. Today we learned it was an achilles injury that requires surgery and he will be out indefinitely. Wide receiver Nate Hughes also went down early in practice while going up for a pass from David Garrard. The ball was underthrown and Hughes had to go up for the ball against the defender and came down on his shoulder. He was carted off the field after practice was over with his shoulder wrapped, but we do not know the extent of his injury yet.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/8/3/1604180/jacksonville-jaguars-training-camp

COLTS

Among them:

* WR Pierre Garcon was one of the stars in practice, making a couple of highlight-reel catches. It's easy to forget about Garcon a bit with all the focus on Wayne and his contract and the battle between slot WRs Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez, but Garcon looks like he'll be making a very strong case start again this season. It appears that Garcon will strictly be an outside receiver — Peyton Manning at least seemed to think that was the plan for now — and though the other wideouts might be a little more versatile, it appears it will be hard to keep Garcon off the field.
* On defense, CB Kelvin Hayden was one of the standouts. Again, most of the work this morning highlighted the receivers and DBs, but relatively speaking to the others on the field, Hayden looked great. He first beautifully broke up a pass intended for Gonzalez, closing on the ball well and avoiding any contact. Then Hayden tracked Garcon deep down the seam and leaped to break up a high, arcing pass from Manning. It was a great first practice for Hayden.
* Gonzalez had a nice day overall. The most interesting thing he did was catch punts, the first time he has done that since ... since ... "Actually, never," Gonzalez told me. "I mean, I have been back there, but I don't know that I have returned more than one or two punts. I think I might have fair caught one (at Ohio State)." Gonzalez looked comfortable doing it and wasn't fighting the ball at all. "I like it," he said. "If anything, it helps with your hands. The ball is up there knuckling around; it's harder to catch a punt than anything else." Gonzalez said he's healthy and looking forward to the competition he's facing at wideout, which will be fierce. "My focus is just to control my game. I can't worry about anything else. It's great competition, that's for sure," he said.
* It's early, but here was the first first-team offensive line combo the team rolled out: Charlie Johnson at left tackle, Jamey Richard at left guard, Jeff Saturday at center, Kyle DeVan at right guard and Ryan Diem at right tackle. We'll have to see if and where Adam Terry and Mike Pollak fit in. As for the first iteration, head coach Jim Caldwell told me they will be doing a lot of rotating up front. "The (53-man rosters) dictate it," he said. Most teams opt to keep seven, maybe eight, offensive linemen active on game days, which makes flexible players all the more valuable. But his answer was politically correct, too. Despite it being the first day, this fivesome does mean something.
* DT Fili Moala, last year's second-rounder who had something of a nada rookie season, played some end today and flashed a couple times in 11-on-11s. But Moala said he's not switching positions. "It was just out of necessity," he said. "We had a couple of guys down." That would be Dwight Freeney, still nursing his pre-Super Bowl ankle injury, and Robert Mathis, who was held out of some drills today. Freeney said he's a once-a-day practice player for camp, but that the coaches tell him which practice he'll be going.
* P Pat McAfee unleashed some real bombs in the special-teams portion, but he also uncorked a few very bad clunkers.
* After looking a little out of his league early on, WR Dudley Guice made one of the plays of the day: a brilliant, sprawling catch along the sidelines. He managed to stay inbounds, it appeared, and the catch made the Colts fans in attendance (there were a ton) go reaching for their rosters to find out who No. 13 was.
* Another slow starter, WR Taj Smith rallied with a few nice grabs, too

http://www.profootballweekly.com/blogs/2010/08/02/early-colts-practice-observations

TEXANS

PART I: QBs and RBs

QB

There is no position on this team where less has been learned. Matt Schaub is the leader of the offense. He will be widely recognized as an elite NFL Qb this season if he is able to stay healthy. An interesting note about Schaub: he is really strutting in practice. Walking from one field to another or one teammate to another, even his strides indicate that he is feeling extremely confident these days.

Here ends the celebratory portion of our QB breakdown!

Dan Orlovsky- I was very happy with the free agent signing last season. I did not share the concerns of many other fans and commentators who were baffled by the money we gave him. I was extremely encouraged by Kubiak’s tone and optimistic attitude regarding Orlovsky during the off-season. Since then, though, every piece of information has been discouraging. I attended two practices and saw nothing to get excited about with Orlovsky. In team drills, I don’t think he ever completed a pass of more than 15-20 yards. I saw balls hit short-hop WRs and some thrown behind them. Sometimes, I would see him hold the ball for five seconds or more. The most damning evidence for me, though, is that I never could tell whether Booty or Orlovsky was in the game unless I craned my head to located the jersey number. In other words, Orlovsky has been playing on par with a 3rd string QB, according to my eyes. Combine my observations with the rest of the reports coming out of camp at www.houstondiehards.com and from Alan Burge, for instance, at the picture is even bleaker. The death blow are the comments from Kubiak about Dan Orlovsky’s inconsistency. UGGH! (that’s hate speech from Gary Kubiak). Now, all is not lost. We are talking about one week of camp and he can improve and the light can click on. However, those 2nd and 3rd quarters at Arizona next week and New Orleans the week after, should be nail-biting for everyone involved to see if Dan O can run this offense.

Booty is a farm hand and nothing more. There is zero chance that he is on the 53 man roster when the season starts, IMO.

RB

Now for some good news! The Rbs look excellent!

Arian Foster- Kubiak gave Foster the preliminary starter role in camp as a reward for his work late last season and his off-season work ethic. It was the equivalent of a pat on the butt. Foster has treated it like he was knighted. Everyone thinks he looks great in camp and Kubiak is constantly praising his work ethic and professional demeanor. Even Maurice Jones-Drew chimed in on his fantasy football show and predicted a big year from Arian Foster.

Steve Slaton- Early on, I think he was receiving reduced reps as he eased back into contact. Reports have been mixed on how he’s looked. I’d say he was a little tentative early on but looks more explosive than last year. The great news is that he’s taking contact and he hasn’t missed a practice as a precaution or to have a test done. He’s been there and the coaches seem convinced of his good health.

Ben Tate- Tate looked sluggish and tentative the first two days but has picked it up since then. Once the pade were dawned, he began flashing a lot more. He has a lot to learn as a rookie coming out of a spread offense, so the steep learning curve should have been expected. He has been impressing the coaches lately with his runs and I am very interested to see how he handles passing situations in games.

Chris Henry- He is one of the big surprises in camp. I was in denial for a few days. I just don’t trust a workout warrior with so little football accomplishments in his college and pro career. However, I have been inundated with praise for him by people with whom I respect. Now, Gary Kubiak, is singing his praises and seems genuinely excited about him. So, while I’m not convinced, I’m anxious to see his work in Arizona next week.

Jeremiah Johnson- He’s quick and explosive but a mile behind the others. I would guess they will attempt to re-sign him to the practice squad unless something unexpected happens. He is a natural punt/kick returner, yet they haven’t been working him at either, despite the injury to Trindon Holliday. That fact convinces me they have no plan for Johnson on the roster. They won’t carry a 4th RB on the roster that doesn’t excel in special teams. That much I know for a fact!

http://www.texansbullblog.com/week-training-camp-review/news/

WR

This has been our deepest and most reliable group for the past three seasons. This year it is stronger and deeper than it has been. Getting the Andre Johnson contract situation resolved quickly and in a healthy fashion will only motivate Johnson more. He is absolutely unstoppable in training camp. It’s almost comical (if only he wasn’t abusing our CBs).

Jacoby Jones looks very good as well. He has been able to get separation from the DBs regularly and has shown generally reliable hands. It appears to me that he will being taking some snaps away from KWalter, although I don’t expect him to fully unseat Walter in a two WR set. My guess is that they will share time in 2 wide sets, depending on the situation. I will be watching Jones’ downfield run blocking early in the preseason. It is an area of excellence for Walter and something this coaching staff values.

David Anderson has been very impressive in camp. Despite all the talent and competition for spots, he is solidly the 4th WR. Also of note, he has been taking some reps at punt returner with the Holliday hamstring pull.

Andre Davis has looked very good in one on one drills and made a number of plays during the team scrimmages. He caught a 50 yard TD from Schaub on day two, badly beating Kareem Jackson.

Dorin Dickerson has been very good, also. He has struggled some when pressed at the line but has been able to beat most of our CBs (including torching Fred Bennett) during one on one drills and in the scrimmaging. He is very fast and his routes have appeared sharper than I would expect, given his lack of experience at WR. It appears that he has very good hands.

Rookie Bobby Williams has impressed the coaching staff and will be interesting to watch during the early preseason games. He is a likely practice squad addition.

Glenn Martinez tore his hamstring and was placed on the IR. He’s very solid and I think the Texans knew they would have to cut him and used the injury in order to stash him away for next season.

Trindon Holliday is tiny and lightning fast. However, he is light years behind everyone else with his route-running, ball-catching technique, and total inability to run block. Combining his struggles at WR with his hamstring pull, it has become less likely that he can make the roster. He is going to have to get healthy and really impress during the preseason games in order to have a shot at the 53 man roster.

I think Andre Davis is still at risk of being cut but everyday that Holliday rides his tricycle on the sidelines is a good day for Davis. Dorin Dickerson has a real shot to make the roster if his preseason game performance can match his training camp.

TE

Owen Daniels looks pretty good, IMO, with his rehab and work on the side. He is catching balls from Schaub and the ball machine and running/exercising apart from the team activities. I would largely ignore Mortenson’s claim of a “setback in his rehab“. Daniels may be ready for week one and is clearly ahead of Hill in his rehab from the same injury. I expect Hill will be placed on PUP or on IR in a couple weeks.

James Casey and Joel Dressen are both involved in the long snapping competition as well as competing for time at TE. Kubiak loves Casey’s athleticism and versatility, so we should expect to see some interesting use of his talents. Both those guys will be on the roster.

Rookie Garrett Graham looked a little lost on day two of camp but made a spectacular catch during the scrimmage in day three. If OD is healthy in week one, it will be interesting to see if Graham is on the active roster and what kind of role Kubes carves out for him.

Derek Fine has also been impressive in camp but is in trouble due to the numbers game. He is a similar player to Dressen but Dressen is from Colorado State, is a good long snapper, and performed well for the team last season. Fine can not make the roster without a significant injury to Daniels, Dressen, Casey, or Graham.

Next Saturday, keep your eye on the long snapping of Dressen and Casey, as well as how they utilize the two of them. It will be interesting to see which of those guys emerge as the primary TE if OD is not ready on week one.

http://www.texansbullblog.com/week-training-camp-review-cont/news/

Part III: Offensive line

Many Texan fans are frustrated with the lack of media attention the Texans receive outside of our tiny subculture in south Texas. I live in Austin and I usually receive one of three reactions when I identify myself as a Houston Texan fan:

1. “Is that a band? What kind of music do they play?” When I explain to these hippies that it is football and that they don’t play UT this year, it is usually followed by “Cool… oh, you want to hit this, dude?” (it is Austin, after all)
2. “The Texans! Why? You know they didn’t draft Vince! What was that about? That was stupid!”
3. “The Texans! They Suck! Why can’t they get a decent offensive line? Your QB, what’s his name… David Carr, gets killed every game!”

The Texans singular successful media blitz in their nine years of existence came from the David Carr grocery commercials where he calls out the offensive line. It’s an infamous group yet nobody (other than crazies like us) know anything about them. Barrett and I are a little obsessed with the big uglies. Since last Friday, I’ve learned a few more things about them. So, here ya go:

LT

Duane Brown looks excellent! He should continue to improve. He came into camp in very good shape and is now in his fifth year of football since converting from TE to offensive line. His strength and athleticism is very noticeable in the pass rushing drills at camp. We watched some very intense matchups between he and Antonio Smith last weekend. I have seen or heard nothing to dissuade me from my belief that he is going to have an excellent season. Rashod Butler is his primary backup. Butler has looked good. Butler is lean and very athletic. I did notice that he can get bull-rushed and isn’t a great drive blocker. However, his quick feet and long arms prevent him from being embarrassed in pass protection and he excels at the cut block.

RT

Eric Winston is one of those guys that is just built bigger than everyone else. He weighs around 315 lbs but he just towers over most of the guys, even the rest of the offensive line. He’s what my grandparents would refer to as “big-boned” (this is a PG-rated blog, do not go homo-erotic with your imaginations… I said don’t!) Anyway, the guy looks great in the drills. He very much seems like a leader on the line and I love his attitude. He and Pollard got into a fight on day four, but I love everything about his perspective on it. Rashod Butler is the backup here, too.

4th tackle

I still do not know how they are going to handle tackle depth after Rashod Butler. I know Kubiak would like to have 4 tackles on the roster. I just don’t see it happening. I tried to watch Adam Stenavich, Cole Pemberton, and Steve Maneri but I just don’t see any of those guys making the roster. My guess is that Maneri and either Pemberton or Stenavich are placed on the practice squad. Of the three, Stenavich is the only one with any NFL experience but he is also the least athletic of the three. Wade Smith has experience at both tackle spots. It is my guess that they will keep an additional interior lineman on the roster and consider Wade Smith their emergency tackle.

RG

As we predicted before camp, right guard is Antoine Caldwell’s. He’s been given the job despite the return of Brisiel and the addition of Wade Smith. Reading this article, it sounds like he is much stronger and more confident than he was last season. I am excited about having him line up next to Winston for 16 games. The right side could feature a legitimate short yardage running game with he and Winston playing together. It is very difficult for me to watch interior line play without my DVR. However, based on his performance in the one on one drills, he looks very good. Of course, that may simply be because he was lucky enough not to go up against Eric Mitchell!

C/LG

Chris Myers, Wade Smith, Kasey Studdard, and “Biscuit” Brisiel appear to be battling for these two positions. Chris White has been solidly entrenched behind this group and is on the fringe of the 53 man roster, it appears. Shelley Smith (rookie guard from Colorado State) will really have to come on strong in order to make the roster. I was thoroughly unimpressed with what I saw from him. He appeared tentative and not stout at the point of attack.

Myers or Smith will almost definitely start at center in week one. Biscuit has also gotten some reps at center but I can not imagine the team actually plans to strengthen the offensive line by starting a guy with a bad foot at a position where he has zero experience. Speaking of Brisiel, he has looked fine in drills and in the team activities but he is still not fully recovered from his foot injury. He even acknowledged that he is still dealing with quite a bit of pain. Of course, that became apparent watching him limp around during the first week of camp. By the way, his right leg is severely atrophied and he already had a bit of a “Big Bird” body. My guess is they are considering using Brisiel to backup center and guard when they only dress seven offensive linemen on gameday.

Chris Myers looks alright. I saw he and then Studdard get absolutely abused by Earl Mitchell in a two minute span of time. I feel strongly that those two guys will not line up together to start the season. If Smith wins the LG spot, then Myers is more likely to start. If Smith wins the center position, then Studdard may start over Brisiel at LG until Brisiel is 100%. The Texans were too committed to improving the interior offensive line this off-season to roll into 2010 with the identical three guys starting week one: Studdard, Myers, Caldwell.

I am very much looking forward to the competition for these spots as the preseason gets going.

http://www.texansbullblog.com/training-camp-review-week-contoline/news/

CB

Dunta Robinson, oh Dunta, how you hurt my heart! If you are a passionate Texan fan, odds are good that Dunta was among your favorite Texans for most of his six years in Houston. He was intense. He spoke his mind. He was a little guy that hit and tackled with vigor. He loved football and we loved him. As fans, we turned a blind eye to his very pedestrian cover skills. I was in total denial of that reality for years. Then, he was gone. Earl Cochran ron dayned his knee and hamstring in Cleveland in 2007 and we didn’t know if our 175lb hero would ever return to the NFL… and, to my way of thinking, he hasn’t. Instead, wearing the same dreadlocks and #23, we suffered through a self-centered, uninspired CB that all of a sudden couldn’t even make a tackle. Now, that shell of his former self has left for more money and even worse rush hour traffic (Atlanta). Some fans are terrified of the impact of his exit. Myself, I am overjoyed. This group will be the best group of CBs we have ever rooted for as Texan fans.

Kareem Jackson- Man, he’s been torched more than a few times in training camp. Credit 60% of those whippings on Andre Johnson, but I saw him give up a long TD to Andre Davis as well. He has struggled in coverage but has proven to be a physical presence with a great work ethic. It will be very interesting to see how he handles the opposing WRs early in the preseason. The coaches really believe in the guy and I am more than willing to let this thing play out for awhile.

Glover Quin- He has become one of my favorite Texans. The guy is very physical and is always in position. Supposedly he lacks speed to excel at CB, but I don’t see evidence of that on the field. He was a big part of last season’s defensive turnaround. This camp, he has looked excellent against every WR this side of Andre Johnson. I am very excited to see his development heading into year two. The coaches are big believers in the guy.

Brice McCain- This guy is fast, quick, and is rarely fooled in coverage. He has a ton of ability and seems to understand the nuance of the game. His only weakness is that he is quite short. His height limits him to a nickel CB and is lack of size can be a concern. However, he is excellent in coverage and a perfect fit for that role. Early in camp, when the defense has gone to nickel, McCain has played LCB and Quin has moved inside to the slot. I think this is an effort to utilize McCain’s great speed and also highlight Quin’s physicality. I look forward to Quin blitzing the QB quite a bit in nickel from the slot position, though I doubt we will see much of that in the preseason.

Antwuan Molden- First of all, he is healthy. He looks very good in zone coverage and has excellent recovery speed. He has struggled, IMO, in press coverage but is otherwise quite impressive in camp. His great speed and athleticism along with his value as a gunner on punt coverage solidifies his spot on the roster if he can stay healthy. If Jackson struggles badly in the preseason, he will have an opportunity to take the starting job.

Mark Parson- Parson has been a camp star. He was on the practice squad last year. In the first two days of camp, he had three interceptions. He plays extremely physically and rarely gets beat badly. BigRon, from Chron.com/sports, told me that he doesn’t have great speed. However, the guy can play some football, seems to have very good awareness, and will make the roster if he performs well in the preseason.

Fred Bennett- (I just vomited in my mouth) Bennett is awful! Wow! In the two practices I attended, I saw him turned around and beaten badly by Dorin Dickerson, David Anderson, Andre Davis , and (of course Andre Johnson)… I never saw him in position nor did I see him make a single play. His technique is sloppy and he has no recovery speed. “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out!” I will need two days of mourning if Bennett makes the final roster.

Jacques Reeves- He’s the silent soldier. He doesn’t get picked on. He doesn’t make a ton of plays. He’s never out of position. He is there and he is solid. The fact that he will likely be reduced to a dime back and could end up being inactive on gameday, says more to me about the ability of the CB group than it does about being disappointed in him. He is an adequate #2B CB and is an excellent 4th or 5th CB.

Sherrick McManis (read the rookie watch portion. you may need to scroll down)- Anytime Gary Kubiak talks glowingly about guys that did not attend Colorado State, I get excited. McManis was still recovering from his hamstring injury when we attended practice. But, accounts have been very good and it is worth reading what Kubiak has said about him here. I think he makes the roster but it is too early to tell for sure.

**Parson and McManis would both qualify for the practice squad but I anticipate they may both make the roster… that would doom Fred Bennett for sure. Parson is #38, watch him closely next week!

http://www.texansbullblog.com/traing-camp-week-review-cbs/news/

COLTS

* From Javarris James: "Just got done with the mock game had a good first week in camp got the rest of today off bout to head to indy and chill."
* Pat McAfee continues to boom punts. Some were 70-plus yards.
* Sam Giguere returned kicks. Anthony Gonzalez returned punts.
* Brandon James worked with the wide receivers, as he has done all camp.

Star-divide

* In warm-ups, Reggie Wayne burned Deshea Townshend for 40 yards.
* Brandon James continues to get in with the first team offense as a specialist.
* Tony Ugoh sat out today, as did Charlie Johnson. Still no word yet on CJ's injury.
* Jeff Linkenbach played left tackle, and did not do well. Defense was able to get consistent pressure on Peyton Manning and the other QBs.
* Because of pressure, Manning had a pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Gary Brackett.
* Mike Newton had himself a day: Three INTs. All of them were on Curtis Painter, who was awful today. Simply awful. And yes, I'd say that in front of his mom as well.
* O-line for first unit today was Linkenbach, Jamey Richard, Mike Pollak, Jeff Saturday, and Adam Terry.
* Mitch King played fullback on offense and caught a pass from Manning. If King is playing FB, this means the Colts likely do not foresee Brody Eldridge as a FB or H-Back.
* Speaking of Eldridge, several fine catches today, including one along the sideline.
* Secondary really impressed, with Jacob Lacey standing out along with Mike Newton.
* Defense defeated offense 52-24. QBs threw 4 INTs.
* From Robert Mathis: "Great day today at practice...Defense getting better and better!"
* Adam Vinatieri showed a string long, but made only one of three FGs.

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/8/7/1610944/2010-colts-training-camp-notes

JAGUARS

While the Jaguars offense technically "won" tonight's scrimmage, it's clear that the defense is easily the superior of the two units as of right now. The scrimmage was opened up with a 40 yard bomb from David Garrard to Mike Thomas, which led to a touchdown shortly thereafter.

However, after that the offense came apart at the hinges for awhile. First, David Garrard was sacked by Walter Curry on a play that had plenty of blame to go around. Then Garrard was intercepted for a touchdown by Sean Considine. Things didn't get much better when Luke McCown stepped in, as he was promptly sacked, fumbled, and Considine returned the fumble for a touchdown as well.

Star-divide

Things did pick up once the offense went into two minute drills. Both McCown and Garrard seemed more in sync and on point and led the offense to a few touchdown drives.

Overall, this was simply a continuation of training camp and the David Garrard saga as a whole. Just as he threw a gorgeous ball to Mike Thomas to open up the scrimmage, it was face palm worthy that he didn't see Considine just a few plays later. Luke McCown wasn't immune to this either and threw a terrible ball that should've been picked by Reggie Nelson.

The interior of the offensive line is still clearly an issue. There was consistent penetration from up the gut. Considering players like Tyson Alualu and D'Anthony Smith weren't playing, it makes the O-line's play that much more concerning.

On the bright side, Aaron Kampman played a good deal of the scrimmage and played extremely well. He made Eugene Monroe look silly on one play of note. It is going to be interesting to see how much Kampman plays during the preseason. Although he's generally just been doing one practice a day, he has been going 110% when he is on the field.

Deji Karim continued to show why many are speaking so highly of him during camp. He had several nice gains and showed an excellent burst.

Another play worth noting was UDFA QB Trevor Harris connecting with Kaasim Osgood for a 30 yard pass during the 2nd half of the scrimmage. Both of these players were having underwhelming camps so it was nice to see them have their moment in the sun.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/8/6/1610236/offensive-roller-coaster-ride

TITANS

Superficially, today was just like yesterday: started with punt drills on field three, O-Line individuals with Coach Mike Munchak, and D-Line individuals with Coach Jim Washburn. As I'll likely continue doing, I started my afternoon at camp watching Washburn work with his guys. Their enthusiasm was noticeably higher today. I even saw a patented Dave Ball Celebration Move™: invisible basketball figure-8 between the legs to pull-up jumper.

Before individual drills finished I moved over to field three to watch the Linebackers and Safeties work coverage drills against the Running Backs and Tight Ends with Quarterbacks throwing. A short time later the QBs and skill position players moved into 7-on-7 drills, which should really be called 6-on-7 drills because there is no center snapping the ball, just an assistant.

As Paul Kuharsky notes here, the defense did well in the drill given their disadvantage. Incidentally, if you aren't reading Kuharsky's AFC South blog on the Mothership, then you might be a Ravens fan.

As the team moved into 11-on-11, I noticed one very vocal fan to my far right. I'm sure this individual was well intentioned, but, in my experience anyway, human beings respond to positive reinforcement much better than they do to negative criticism.

So when this fan began yelling at Nate Washington to catch the ball this season, Mr. Washington became irritated and responded to the fan. This exchange led to was I'm going to call the EPIC FAIL quote of the day. Said Nate Washington, "I make too much for you to get to me." This said, of course, after the fan had clearly gotten to Mr. Washington.

You'll be happy to know that 11-on-11 started well for the offense. The defense sent a Chris Hope blitz, and the offense had the perfect play called: RB Screen to Chris Johnson on the SS side. CJ took it to the house. I'm telling you now, the offense is going to be good.

The 11-on-11 period was the source of the EPIC WIN quote of the day. That now-storied exclamation was from my hero, Jim Washburn: "Go on! Strip it! He won't punch you!" This is why you need to be at training camp if you can. Jim Washburn is a national treasure.

As you probably already know, Marc Mariani, #83, has been the surprise of camp thus far. There's been but one catch he hasn't made. He's caught every punt and every other pass thrown his direction, including one sideline layout catch that was jaw-dropping. He will play on Sundays, guaranteed.

http://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2010/8/2/1600229/titans-training-camp-report-1

TEXANS

Head Coach Gary Kubiak
(on DE Mario Williams' status) "Basically, all the reports were good. We're expecting him to get back on the field shortly. So he's on his way back."

(on why DE Mario Williams go to Philadelphia to get his injury looked at) "It was just a second opinion."

(on if they found anything different in DE Mario Williams' injury from the first opinion) "I wish I could tell you from a medical standpoint. But all I know is that it reaffirmed everything that we thought and received from our group. It's just a matter of getting a second opinion and know we're doing the right things."

(on how soon DE Mario Williams will be back from injury) "It was our thought that he would be out here today, but then they wanted the second opinion so they moved until Monday. I'm not going to sit here and tell you he's going to be on the field tomorrow. We'll bring him back and see how he'll recover from his visit there, see how he's doing, but we're expecting to see him on the field shortly."

(on if the location of DE Mario Williams' injury in the hip area) "It's a combination groin and pelvic region site. I would be wrong to try to tell you exactly."

(on Owner Bob McNair supporting LB Brian Cushing 100 percent) "I think it's tremendous. It's what our game is about. He believes in his players and his players play hard for him. What more could you ask for? For anything, not just business, anything. You could work your tail off for somebody everyday and regardless of what you do for a living, you would like to know the guy up top has your back. He definitely has this football team's back."

(on the progress of CB Kareem Jackson) "I think he's doing really good. He's gaining more and more confidence each day. He's in the grind of training camp. Obviously, having to line up against number 80 (WR Andre Johnson) makes it very difficult. I like his composure. He's like a one keel guy. Nothing ever really changes. There are no highs and no lows. He just kind of keeps going."

(on how much he enjoys watching his young cornerback unit play off the line of scrimmage) "Well, that's the whole team. Like today, we started working with noise. You find out a lot about the composure of your team. They're tired and they're worn out. We turn on noise and they have a long hard practice where they have to concentrate when it's really difficult as it could be. That's when you find out a lot about players."

(on RB Chris Henry) "The place that he shows up to me is when the team is really dragging like today. His conditioning level is tremendous. He's a physical player, so when everybody else seems to get a little worn out, he seems to get better and better. So we're hoping to get a good look at him through the preseason, but obviously he's been a flash for us throughout this camp."

(on if RB Chris Henry can help on special teams) "He should be able to. He's physical and he can run. What can you ask for in a special teams player?"

(on WR Dorin Dickerson) "First of all, he's got his weight down a little bit. Obviously he's sitting there thinking he's a tight end coming out. Then we ask him to be a 222-pound wide receiver. So, I think he's got that under control. His conditioning levels are better. When you could run 4.3 something and be that size in this league and learn what you're doing, you could get dangerous real quick. He's got the body and the tools to be a one or two in this league. He's got a long way to go. He's flashed very early in this camp. He has slowed down a little bit. So hopefully he could come back here and do some good things against Arizona."

(on SS Troy Nolan) "I think I see a kid that thinks he belongs in one of the two (safety positions). When you're a backup in this league and you watch guys practice. Some guys may be a backup and you may see them handling themselves like, ‘that's what I am.' This kid acts like he wants to be a one or two in this league and if he keeps working, he'll get his chances."

(on the progression of the offensive line) "I was disappointed in it today. We came out sloppy. We're obviously playing a lot of people inside. I think our guard position is wide open. I don't think anybody has taken the job from the two that are starting nor have they solidified their situation. I think our two guard spots are wide open. I think it'll work itself out over the next few weeks."

(on if the inconsistency in the offensive guard position has surprised him) "I wish it was a little more locked in right now, but there's inconsistency in a lot of things that all of them are doing. We're going to keep rotating them and see who'll step up."

(on S Torri Williams) "Well, he's got all the physical tools. Free agent-wise you're sitting there looking at height, weight, speed, and all that stuff. Maybe he wasn't good enough to get drafted during the draft, but he had all the measurables. He's taken to what (defensive backs coach) David (Gibbs) is doing and then all of a sudden he stepped up the other day in a nice setting to say that, ‘Hey, I could make some plays.' You get noticed and you tend to stay around."

The team practiced in the afternoon, and after, Kubiak answered questions from the media.
on the matchup against the Arizona Cardinals) "They're a good football team and a playoff football team. They are very explosive on offense. They were a big turnover team defensively last year. It will be a good test for us and good to go on the road and find out if we can concentrate."

(on having DE Mario Williams back on the field) "Obviously, you just want to get him back out here as quick as they can. So, he's on his way back from Philly. I'd love to tell you he's going to be out here tomorrow morning, but I'll wait till he gets back to see where's he's at."

(on if the news on DE Mario Williams injury is good news) "Yeah, basically everything we‘ve thought we were working with, they said the same thing. It's just the matter of us getting it calmed down which we thought we had it pretty well calmed down until the weekend. That's what we were working for today, but the second opinion was wanted and we got that done. So, confidence for him and confidence for everybody. Mario should be back on this field very quickly for this team."

(on if there were any concerns of DE Mario Williams' injury being a sports hernia) "I think there's always concern when a guy misses some time until he gets back out there. Mario has dealt with this a little bit in his career, but one thing about Mario Williams, he has showed up and played for this organization whether he's 100 percent or 90 percent, he's going to play. I know Mario has got his mind in the right place. We'll make sure he's good and healthy before he goes out and plays."

(on what he's trying to accomplish in this weekend's game at Arizona) "Well, I think being equal in what we're trying to be doing. Everybody is going to play in this game. We've got a few numbers down from an injury standpoint. I think when you start talking about a big issue, we got to make sure that all these backs are all looked at real hard. It's hard to say you could play five backs in a game. So we've got to figure out a plan where we're getting most of them this week and whoever doesn't get in, the following week gets his time. So that's important. We got to figure out our rotation inside the offensive line is very important. We've got a young secondary that needs to play more than a normal first group, that they will probably play against the first group in Arizona. All those issues we have to talk about as a coaching staff."

(on QB Dan Orlovsky's playing time this preseason) "He needs to play a bunch. For backup quarterbacks, preseason is their season. So he'll have to play a lot of football. I want to look at JD (QB John David Booty), he will play. But obviously, (QB) Dan (Orlovsky) is going to play a great deal."

(on the growth of QB Dan Orlovsky this training camp) "Well he's a better player than he was last year. He still has some lapses at times and things that are slowing him down a little bit. He's an improved player. Now he's got to take it to the field and show the football team, but I like his work ethic. The way he goes about his job, we have to eliminate the mistakes with (QB) Dan (Orlovsky). He's got the ability to make some big plays."

(on CB Kareem Jackson's absence from practice today) "He's got a little (hamstring) tightness that was bothering him a little bit. He also had a death in his family this morning. So, it's a combination of a couple of things, we've decided to give him the afternoon off. We'll work with him in the next few days."

Defensive Coordinator Frank Bush
(on SS Bernard Pollard being so loud and FS Eugene Wilson being so quiet) "You said it. They're the odd couple. You know, they're a good group. We like our guys to talk and communicate and whatnot. (FS) Eugene (Wilson) is more of a guy that wants to signal. (SS) Bernard (Pollard) really likes to talk so he does all the talking."

(on FS Eugene Wilson coming out of his shell because of SS Bernard Pollard) "You know, in spurts. He'll have some moments but for the most part but Bernard is really loud, so he kind of takes over. You really don't hear Eugene a whole lot."

Offensive Line Coach John Benton
(on how his line is progressing) "I think we're moving along nicely for the most part. You know, we have our ups and downs and that's what we're really working on now is consistency as we pick the right five to go into the game for us."

(on the role last year's injuries on the offensive line played) "Of course you lose some guys, but some guys who normally wouldn't get experience got experience. So now we're looking at a situation where, really, the guys who ended the season, the players who ended the season, are now competing. You know, one case was someone who got injured last year and another one with the free agent we brought in, so, particularly in those inside three spots, particularly the guards' spots, is where the main focus is today with the two starters at those positions."

(on the running game and shots taken at the offensive line) "No question. That's what every offensive lineman wants to do and that's something we know we've got to improve. We've earned that and we've got to earn it the other way."

LB Brian Cushing
(on the support he's received from Texans owner Bob McNair) "It means a lot. That's the kind of owner you really want to play for. I've noticed and learned in these last couple months that I'm in the perfect situation with the owner and just an organization like this. I couldn't be playing anywhere better in the world, that supports me like this."

(on what Texans owner Bob McNair has done to support him) "He's just backed me 100 percent in everything. He's believed me since day one and that's meant a lot to me. I think everyone in this organization has. They know the kind of worker I am, the kind of player. They take my trust and that means the world to me."

(on his comments to Sports Illustrated's Peter King on Overtrained Athlete Syndrome) "I think that's the final diagnosis we came up with and a lot of doctors have supported why this has happened."

(on clarifying what Overtrained Athlete Syndrome is) "The Overtrained Athlete Syndrome, you know, is basically where anytime you take a leave of absence, you kind of get a hormonal spike; not very high at all. That's as far as I can go right now."

(on why his situation is different than other people who over train) "I think every individual is different. I think every individual is genetically different. I had a unique situation where something like this occurred. We have, really, the science to back it up. It's taken months. It's really beyond what we ever thought and I think it's beyond the regular medical doctor. We've gotten in-depth and there's been a lot of money spent on the research and there's been a lot of interesting results that I think are going to help us."

(on how difficult the situation has been on his family) "It has (been difficult). I feel bad for them. This is something that no one should ever have to go through. If anything, it's just going to make me more mentally tough of a person. There have been a lot of people going through this with me. But, you know, I'll respond. I'll make them proud again."

(on if he would like to look back 12-15 years from now and see this situations as a "blip" on the radar screen) "Sure. That's my goal. There is no question about it. I'm going to play this game for a long time. There is no doubt in my mind about that. I got 12 games I have to get ready for; whatever the decision is made today. I have to respect the decision of the commissioner. I'm playing in his league. Like I said, I have to help this team get ready for Week One. I have to get ready for whenever I'm back on the field."

(on what he thinks his chances are of having NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell overturn his suspension) "I don't (know). I'm staying open-minded today. I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm not getting too down on myself. It's been an up-and-down kind of couple months. I haven't been really sure exactly what to expect of anything. I have to keep an open mind. My biggest concentration is my 1:30 meetings this afternoon and my 2:25 practice."

(on if he's expecting to hear something back from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell today) "I'm not sure. I just think there's a lot going into it. There's so much science and medical info going into it; there's so many decisions with the league office and the commissioner and then Mr. McNair. It's just something that's completely out of my hands right now."

(on if he wanted to go and meet with the NFL Commissioner's Office and why he didn't go) "I have to be here for the team. Like I said, this is out of my hands. With the data and the evidence we have, there's nothing I'm going to say or prove to that's going to help turn anything over. Mr. McNair has been so generous in order to go up there, for what he's done. Basically my responsibility right now is to help this team get ready for Arizona and Week One against the Colts."

WR Andre Johnson
(on being happy with his ratings on Madden 2011) "I don't think anyone is. Me personally, I really don't care. It's not like I really play with myself anyway. I play with different teams. I really don't play with us in the game. It's a lot of fun. It's real competitive between you and your friends when you do stuff like that. And then it makes things competitive with your teammates. It's a lot of fun. It's something to do when you have some down time."

(on what team he plays with on Madden 2011) "I play with random teams. When I'm playing by myself, I'll play with us. You know, when I start the season, I'll play with us and see what happens. I'm not one of the guys to mess around and lose. I just go out and play it. It's fun. It's just something for me to do in my down time. Some guys play it every day all day. I'm not really like that."

(on cheating in Madden 2011) "Well, there are a lot of glitches in the game. I don't see how some guys find them out. You know, you'd be surprised with what guys find. They play the game almost 24 hours a day. They're up all night playing the game. I'm not an online guy because those guys have things that can help them, like tricks."

(on getting off line of scrimmage and hand work) "We all watch each other and I think that's the best thing to help everybody get better as a group. Because if you have somebody watching you, they can tell you what they think that you're doing wrong. When you watch it on film, you can see it. When guys do stuff wrong or when I do something wrong, they tell me or I tell them. Even if they did get a good release, you can tell them what you think can make it better. I think that's something that makes our receiver group a little better as a whole."

(on how much the cornerbacks are helping him) "Well, we talk about it every day. Once we leave the field, and we're in the locker room, we're talking about plays that happened in practice or something that we may have seen on film. Like today, me and (CB) Fred (Bennett) were over there doing one-on-one drills and he was talking about some things that he felt he was doing wrong that he has corrected. That has helped him play better. He came to me at the beginning of training camp and he was like, ‘Hey man, you've been working on a new release.' So, it's just stuff like that that we try to keep each other on because it helps us out on the field on Sundays. "

(on doing handwork activities) "I did the MMA training like two seasons ago. I haven't really gotten back into it since then. Sometimes in the off-season, I'll do things like that where you do a lot of hand stuff. It all helps out when you do. At first you think, ‘Why am I doing this?' But, once you get out here on the field and guys shoot their hands and stuff at you and you're able to grab them and knock them down, then you'll realize that it all paid off for you."

QB Dan Orlovsky
(on what he is looking to accomplish in Saturday's pregame) "Really just going out and playing the way I should and playing the way I feel like I had at camp. Going out and running the team, executing the offense and just going out and playing as well as I can. I'm really confident going in. I'm just going to transfer things that we've been able to do on the practice field over into the game."

(on any pressure he feels to go out there and play his game) "Not really. I'm excited about it. I know that I have to prove some things, but I'm not going to think about those or really worry about those. I feel like camp has given me enough confidence to go out there and play confidently and run the team. That's my thing, I'm not going to go try and run up the scoreboard or anything. I'm just going to go run the offense, run the plays, execute them the way they should be and let things take care of themselves."

CB Glover Quin
(on whether or not he is more vocal after his rookie year) "I try to stay within myself. I never try to do things I don't normally do. I try and help the guys out in any way that I can, but I don't forget that I'm a year two guy. I'm still trying to learn everything myself, so I try and step up a little bit, but at the same time, I don't want to lose sight of the things that I need to work on."

(on getting more reps when CB Jacques Reeves got injured last season) "Getting thrown in the fire is always a good thing, experience is the best teacher. Getting in the game, getting live reps, and just going week to week helped a whole lot."

(on the difference between the speed of the game in college versus professional football) "The game moves really fast. It's a lot faster than the college game. Being able to adjust quickly, being able to recognize things, and being able to react and run quickly are the biggest adjustments I've recognized. Guys are running a whole lot faster, and the pace is moving a whole lot faster, so that's a huge adjustment from college football."

(on any moment that will remain with him forever this far in his career) "I had a lot of good moments; my first start, my first NFL play, and playing against some of the best quarterbacks were all great for me. I can already look back at my whole rookie year and I enjoy every minute of it, the good and the bad."

DE Antonio Smith
(on how training camp is going) "I've learned that camp is camp. It's going to be camp. It's designed to be hard, we've just got to work on perfecting the technique, knocking the cobwebs off, and getting ready for Sunday. That's my whole mind frame on it. I've just got to do what I've got to do to get my skills on defense."

(on the difference this year as opposed to his first year with the Texans) "It's a little bit better, I know what's going on, I know what's expected of me and what I need to do. Only difference is, is I think it's a tad bit hotter than it was last year."

(on how much better the defense can be this year) "I think it could be a lot better. I think that if we put our hearts in it and keep our mind focused on the goal at hand that we could be a top ten defense. I think it's right there in our grasp, we've just got to go and get it."

(on the defense attacking) "This defense is always attacking. This defense is designed for that. The players in this defense like it that way, so we're going to attack and read on the run."

(on the defense setting the tone for the team) "I think so, I think we've bettered that mind frame now. I think it's a mind frame we've got to stay focused on, and not just being a defense that maintains for our offense. You've got to get in the mind frame of a defense that wants to go out and dominate, that wants to gout and be one of the best defenses. I think when you get that, along with the offense that we've got, it'll be a good thing.

WR Bobby Williams
(on how head coach Gary Kubiak's praise made him feel this week) "It kind of went in one ear and out the other. I appreciate the recognition; I'm just playing within the system and trying to find something else to do to impress him."

(on things he is doing well during training camp) "I'm catching the ball, learning within the system, learning from the veterans, and just coming out and waiting on my opportunity and going hard with it."

(on a few ways he can help the team out this year) "Any way I can, I'll be willing to help. I'm just looking for a role to play. I'm just getting in here I can fit in pretty much."

(on routes he feels like he has excelled on running) "I think I ran all of them pretty well but there's always room for improvement. I don't think I've had problems with any of them. My favorite one is the deep ball though."

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=6265

TITANS

Here’s a quick post-practice update:

* Defensive back Cortland Finnegan (muscle strain) and defensive end Jacob Ford (muscle pull) sat out. Finnegan had missed Friday’s practice and only saw brief action on Saturday, while Ford had missed Saturday’s workout.

* Cornerback Tye Hill (hamstring) practiced for the first time in training camp. He was limited to individual drills, but felt good afterward.

* Rookie wide receiver Damian Williams (hamstring) and safety Nick Schommer (hamstring) look like they’re getting close to practicing. Williams did some warm-up drills with the team for the first time in training camp. Still not much progress to report for first-round draft pick Derrick Morgan (calf).

A few plays of note:

* Rookie cornerback Alterraun Verner put a big pop on tight end Sean Ryan and knocked the ball loose after a completion. He seems to make a big play every day.

* Wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins got open for two straight sizable receptions, one from Vince Young and one from Kerry Collins. Hawkins has to be considered one of the better offseason stories.

* Jason McCourty picked off a long Young pass intended for Hawkins. McCourty also broke up another Young pass intended for Hawkins. He’s done nothing to hurt himself in the race for a starting corner position.

* Young connected with Kenny Britt on a long pass down the sideline. Britt appears to have bounced back after suffering from some hip flexor tightness over the weekend.

* Defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks broke through the line to stop Chris Johnson on a rushing attempt. Marks looks like he’ll press for more time this season.

http://blogs.tennessean.com/titans/2010/08/09/titans-practice-update/

COLTS

* If there is one player who stood out today in both practices, it's Mitch King. On one play in the afternoon practice, he penetrated through the line and hit Javarris James for a loss.
* Just like in the morning, Jeff Saturday did not practice this afternoon.: And now we know why.
* Offense worked on screen passes.
* Pierre Garcon, according to Eric, put on a show. More after the jump...

Star-divide

* Several impressive grabs by Garcon, especially one in the corner. On one play, he burned Kelvin Hayden pretty good.
* Brandon James' hands are simply not consistent. He drops too many passes.
* Tony Ugoh, Reggie Wayne, and Joseph Addai did not practice.
* Nice play by Robert Mathis on one play to penetrate the line and stop Mike Hart.
* Peyton got pissed after Gary Brackett tipped a pass that was intercepted by Kelvin Hayden.
* Later in the practice, in 7 on 7 drills, more impressive receptions by Garcon.
* Ervin Baldwin was "abusing" new Colts tackle James Williams.
* Colts used John Chick at DE with first unit.
* From Mike Marot at Associated Press: "Two guys to keep an eye on in preseason: DL John Chick and DT Fili Moala. Both have looked good so far."

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/8/10/1616527/2010-colts-training-camp-notes

JAGUARS

Jaguars Defense vs Eagles Offense

Last year, the Jaguars traveled to Philly when Michael Vick made his return to the NFL vs the Jags. This year, Kevin Kolb begins his journey to replace Donovan McNabb as the Eagles QB. Kolb looked impressive in short stints as the Eagles starter in 2008 and 2009. However, there have been plenty of other QBs who looked good in stints put bombed as a starter. Although no definitive answers will be answered Friday night, it will be one of the main story lines in the NFL this season.

Although the names may have changed, Andy Reid's offense has remained the same. It's the heavy passing West Coast Offense it has always been. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are a dynamic duo that will provide a good test for the Jaguars secondary.

The main thing to watch will be the defensive line, particularly DE Derrick Harvey and Aaron Kampman. Along with Joe Cullen, they have been the stars of training camp so far. Seeing them against another offensive line will be an excellent measuring stick.

In addition, the safety position will begin to take shape. While Gerald Alexander has one position locked up, the other is entirely a guess at this point.
Jaguars Offense vs Eagles Defense

After berating the Jaguars offense for an entire off season, they will have the chance to go against another defense.

Maurice Jones-Drew and Mike Sims-Walker are the clear stars here and I expect them to get the least amount of time from the first team. Besides that, it wouldn't surprise me to see the rest of the first team get some extended reps.

In addition to that, expect to see alot of Troy Williamson and Mike Thomas. Thomas has been having an excellent camp, while Williamson has also been practicing with the 1's.

The offense line is another major position on interest. Outside of Eugene Monroe, no one else has installed much confidence. How will they react in a major game situation?
Player On The Hot Seat

Derrick Harvey, DE

Harvey is going to be in the spotlight here. It's his first showing against another team. Will all of this offseason be smoke blown up our butts, or will he show why he was the eight pick in the draft?

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/8/10/1616251/game-preview-jacksonville-jaguars

TEXANS

At this point, Texans RBs Arian Foster and Steve Slaton have separated themselves from rookie Ben Tate in the competition for playing time in the Texans' backfield. Foster, who finished the '09 season strongly and has sustained that momentum, is listed as the starter, with Slaton, likely to contribute in passing situations and frequently play, as the second-team back. Tate, whom the Texans drafted in Round Two, is the third back on the depth chart and is "up and down right now," head coach Gary Kubiak told Houston reporters on Aug. 10. Kubiak said Tate, who missed time during OTAs with a hamstring injury, is talented but "learning to be a pro." Said Kubiak: "He's working and he's giving us what he's got. He could help this team if he continues to grow up." Further down the RB depth chart, fourth-year pro Chris Henry has played well at the outset of camp.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/2010/08/11/tate-behind-in-texans-rb-competition

TITANS

Good afternoon. Let’s get through this, I want to watch the golf tournament.

(on Stafon Johnson’s surgery)

It went very well. I was just talking to Brad (Brown) and he just spoke with the doctors a bit ago and it went well. They got it all put back together.

(on disclosing the extent of Stafon Johnson’s injury)

I never do that. He had a dislocated ankle and when that happens there is typically a fracture involved. There was a fracture involved, it was in his fibula. And then to accompany the dislocation, it is typically compounded by a high ankle sprain. Sometimes a deltoid ligament is involved and they have to reattach that, but they did it. They got him put all back together and it looked good.

(on how much time Stafon Johnson is likely to miss)

It’s hard to say. This could be eight to 12 weeks, we just don’t know.

(on whether he was amazed that Stafon Johnson was able to stand up before realizing he was injured)

Well that gives you a sense of how intense the game is and how the emotions are going and the contact. You can get caught up and you don’t know. When I looked I thought his shoe had come off, because of the spatting. There was some separation there. He settled down. We spent a lot of time with him in the locker room. He came back with us last night, obviously. He was in good spirits and has an amazing pain tolerance and wants to get back on the field as fast as he can.

(on how he feels about Stafon Johnson’s injury)

You know I didn’t mention this last night. I had told officials before the start of the game that I wanted to get a ball. I wanted the ball from his first touch in the game. I wasn’t sure when that would be, whether it would be late in the second quarter or start of the third quarter, or whether it would be a catch or run. I wanted that ball so I could give it to him after the game for his comeback from what happened down at school. So I did. I had the ball. I had the ball in the locker room. And then this happened. It’s difficult. As I told them, sometimes our game is not fair. It’s not just fair. Life is fair, but this game is not fair sometimes. You have to work through it and he will. He’s a outstanding young man. You can tell by the response of his teammates and they have only known him for a short time. He’s just an outstanding young man. He will get his opportunity again. He showed last night that he can play in this league.

(on whether he still gave Stafon Johnson the ball after the game)

I gave it to him last night, yeah.

(on the emotional nature of Stafon Johnson’s injury)

Well I just think that everybody is pulling for him. How can you not pull for him considering what he has gone through? To have that happen in his first preseason game is difficult. You know, injuries are part of it. You overcome them. He will put this one behind him. It’ll be great to have him around as he works through the rehab process. We’ll keep him busy.

(on the performance of Ryan Mouton, Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner)

They all played well. They all made plays. They tackled well. They got their hands on balls. I thought that the improvement that we’ve seen on the practice field through camp and through the offseason carried over in the first preseason game.

(on Ryan Mouton giving up a touchdown pass)

He missed a tackle. He didn’t come to balance and missed a tackle. That’s part of playing corner. At that position you have to have a short memory or no memory whatsoever. He came back and made an interception. It was good to see him respond like that.

(on what he thought about Verner’s interception)

Yeah just to maintain possession of the ball was difficult. Most receivers drop that ball. That was really a great example of hand-eye coordination and concentration.

(on traveling 2,500 miles to play a preseason game)

You know, I will say this: I am very, very proud of the guys. We prepped them beforehand. We told them it wasn’t going to be easy; we’re not going to go out early. We’re going to go out there and take care of business and play. We told them they’d be playing after midnight our time, and they were. And we’d get in after the sun was up, and we did. We have to bounce back. I’m sure there are other teams that are doing it. It’s the 10 p.m. Eastern kickoff for the teams that are coming from our time zone or the Eastern time zone that creates problems.

(on if there’s a better system for scheduling preseason games)

You’d like to think so. I know Miami’s having a rough go because they play Tampa and Jacksonville back to back. The other deal is that the way we’re wired, we say, ‘OK we’ve got a couple long trips.’ So this is how you do it. It’s part of the training camp preseason experience.

(on his assessment of the three quarterbacks’ performances)

Vince (Young) got the ball in the end zone with the drive, and I thought he did well. I’d like to see him run for the first down, which he said he would if it were a regular season game. With Chris (Simms) and Rusty (Smith), as I mentioned to you last week, we didn’t game plan against their defense. We said, ‘This is what we’re going to use.’ We didn’t know what to anticipate out of them. We, behind closed doors, thought the worst and got a lot of it. We got a lot of unique things, a lot of pressures, a lot of stuff. So the down-the-field passing game wasn’t there because of what they were doing. We ended up doing a lot of three-step and quick things, and I thought we did OK. Chris got frustrated because of the sacks and his fumbled shotgun snap. But he made some good decisions. Rusty made some good decisions, and if Rusty puts air underneath that first ball, he might’ve had his first touchdown pass. It was Rusty’s first game, and I thought he handled things well. He handled his offensive coordinator well, considering the circumstances. And we’ve just got to continue to work.

(on Chris Simms missing Kenny Britt and Jared Cook on his passes)

All quarterbacks throw incomplete passes. You don’t see what he sees. You can sit upstairs or we can go on the sideline and say, ‘You should’ve hit Cookie.’ Well, when you’ve got two defenders in the throwing lane, you’ve got to put air on it. So I think he made the right decisions.

(on Vince Young becoming more mature and taking responsibility for his mistakes)

We’ve talked about his legs. We’ve emphasized that during camp, and that was an opportunity. He probably wouldn’t take a hit. It looked like we had a flat defender already walled off; that would’ve been the only guy that would’ve gotten to him before he got out of bounds. But I thought he would’ve gotten out of bounds and got the first down. He was throwing the ball well, and he was completing passes, and at that point I don’t think he’d thrown an incomplete pass yet, so he probably figured he could fit it in.

(on what he is least pleased about from the game)

I don’t think there’s anything I’m upset about. Let me just say this: Number one, I’m pleased with the rookie class. There were no wide eyes in the locker room or before the game. They were focused, they had fun, they played really hard. They didn’t play perfectly, but they played hard. Sometimes it takes a few weeks, maybe even longer, to get a younger player used to that big environment out there. But they were not intimidated whatsoever. They went out and played. I thought our defensive line was very, very active. It was great to get J.J. (Jason Jones) back. Sen (Sen’Derrick Marks) played good. They rushed well. There were many times when we had 10 guys on the pile, which was good to see. Our tackling was good for the first preseason game. But we still have a lot of room for improvement. This coming week is going to be a big challenge for us. It ends up being the last week of camp, if you will, because we have the extra days between the Saturday and the Monday game. That’s a long period of time. We’re going to have to do a lot of different things. We’re practicing at noon one day, at night one day, at 8:30. We’re all recovering. We have to get a lot in because of the Monday game, and the short week is going to be a challenge. We also have players that we expect to come back this week that haven’t been with us. Damian Williams should be back. Nick Schommer will be back. I think Vinny (Vincent Fuller) has a chance to get back by the end of the week. Tye Hill has a chance. I saw William Hayes walking down the hall, and he was smiling ear to ear because the swelling’s out and he feels good. So we’ve got guys that will return to the practice field this week. With the exception of Stafon (Johnson) in the ball game, we got healthier. The guys that didn’t play are going to be closer to returning. So big week for us. We’re going to correct this and move on and see if we can win a game on Monday night.

(on how close Cortland Finnegan is to returning)

He’s closer than he was before we left. I don’t know when his day is.

(on Mark Mariani’s performance during Saturday’s preseason game)

Mark was one of those guys that just went out there and played and had fun. I think he made good decisions in the return game. The balls were all over the place. He got to the right place with the kickoffs, and he was in the right spot on offense, made a couple catches. And he forced the fair catch as a gunner.

(on his approach with Raheem Brock in Saturday’s preseason game)

Yeah, he got in a little sooner, particularly because we were playing a lot and rushing a lot. He was moving around a lot, had a couple pressures and a couple plays in the run game. Having just practiced once, both he and Chris (Harrington) got an opportunity to play. They were much needed. They helped us.

(on downfield blocking being a point of emphasis)

It is, but we can’t ever be satisfied there. We have to keep throwing (blocks) downfield, stay alive and work and work and they did. Even Javon’s (Ringer) run was an exceptional run and he had a lot of help down field. That is something that the receivers understand, they can be in press coverage running off the DB, and all of a sudden the DB responds and wheels back they know CJ (Chris Johnson) is probably on his heels. They have to engage, they have to keep their feet working, at the same time they can’t grab cloth and have a penalty and have a potential big run called back.

(on bringing in another running back due to injuries)

No, I think we’re going to be okay. I’ve excused LeGarrette (Blount) for personal reasons; he left today and he will be back on Wednesday. So he won’t be here and we’ll be down to three but we’ll watch it. Ahmard (Hall) can move over, we can do some things.

(on faking another punt this preseason)

We’re one of those teams who will potentially fake it every time we punt it.

(on the progress of Tony Brown, Derrick Morgan and David Thornton)

Tony is better, I spoke with him a while ago. Derrick is better too. DT increased his activity, but I don’t expect any of those three to play this week, but I wouldn’t rule them out for the following week.

(on what time they left Seattle and arrived in Nashville)

We landed at 6:30 a.m., so we got back to the facility around 7-7:15. We left Seattle, it was a four-hour flight—do the math, I don’t remember.

(on punter P Brett Kern’s throw on the fake punt)

It was cautious, it was wide open and I know he was thinking ‘don’t miss this layup, its wide open’ so he just laid it out there. But yeah, Brett’s a good athlete and he can do that, he adds that dimension to us. He put a couple good balls down as the holder and hit the ball well. Ricky (Schmitt) did a great job kicking off and punting as well.

(on if Jason McCourty gained separation in the cornerback battle)

I wouldn’t say there is separation, but I was pleased with his play. He was very consistent, made plays on the ball, came up and tackled well and was just much more comfortable than he’s been in the past. But same thing with Ryan (Mouton), he knocked down a skinny post to start the game and then has the unfortunate play with the missed tackle and comes back with an interception. Then AV (Alterraun Verner) you saw what he is capable of doing; he showed up and made plays in the nickel, made plays on special teams and came up with the great catch.

(on Stephen Tulloch’s play in the pass coverage)

He actually made some plays in both phases. He wasn’t in very long, but he was active and enthusiastic and it was good to have him back in the middle and in charge of things.

(on if Kareem Brown will practice tomorrow)

Yes he will.

(on Michael Roos getting beat for a sack)

That is what preseason is for, he kicked out and got on his heels and got beat inside and that won’t happen again. I thought, for the most part, that the starting offensive line did good—that’s a good (defensive) front. The linebackers are good, they strike and shed and take on blocks, it’s an active front. When you don’t know what to anticipate out of a defense—I think considering the circumstances they held up pretty well.

http://www.titansonline.com/news/article-1/Coach-Fishers-Sunday-Training-Camp-Report/911dfc5a-484e-40f0-a80c-d61652d6a917

COLTS

Helped themselves:
Devin Moore, RB

On a day where the running game looked abysmal, Devin Moore was on of the few bright spots. He ran for 26 yards on four carries, and for a 5'9, 200 pound player, he did so with impressive authority. He had burst through the hole and had some 'shake' when trying to elude tacklers. He did not get a chance to showcase any return skills, which is the area he has the best shot to make the club. However, as a running back today, Devin looked good.
Blair White, WR

Chris Polian's favorite rookie made a case for himself, big time. He was physical. He was precise in his rout-running. He was clearly the only receiver Curtis Painter and Tom Brandstater trusted. The fourth quarter grab to set-up the Jacob Tamme touchdown was the kind of playmaking coaches want to see. With a defender shoving his fingers into White's eyeballs, he still managed to come down with the reception and draw the interference call. White caught four passes for 38 yards on the day.
Javarris James, RB

He wasn't as good as Moore was today, but Javarris showed that he could run for tough yards and could play physical. He finished with 4 carries for 17 yards, but the yards he got were after one, two, sometimes three people hitting him. He also showed some good pass blocking skills in the fourth quarter.

Hurt themselves:
Curtis Painter, QB

Painter's name is here not because he had a terrible game. He's here because he's had a terrible camp in addition to having a terrible game. You might recall that Painter three INTs during the team's annual Blue v. White scrimmage last week. In pretty much every camp report I've read, people have told me Painter has looked tentative, is making bad throws, and just looks lost. On Sunday against the 49ers, he looked as bad as he's done all camp, only this time there were fancy cameras pointed at him, recording his inept quarterback skills. If we follow Bill Polian's own mantra ("You can get something from the practice field, but not everything. They don't keep score at practice. They only keep score when the lights go on."), can anyone tell me what Painter has done to earn the confidence of the Colts? What has he done ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD to warrant staying on this team? The answer is very little. If Painter continues playing this way, I cannot see him making the final roster. If he continues to struggle but still makes the team, Bill Polian is a hypocrite.
Taj Smith, WR

Like so many other players, Smith has been wonderful in training camp. He's caught every ball thrown and him; run every route like a seasoned veteran. Today, with 'the lights on,' he was awful. Smith finished the game with 3 receptions for 38 yards. He should have had 6 receptions for 100 yards and a score. There were far too many dropped passes by Smith today, including what would have been a beautiful TD throw from the before-mentioned Curtis Painter. Smith had beaten his man and was streaking to the endzone. Painter put the ball right into Smith's fingers... and he dropped it. Smith also had a bad holding penalty on special teams that nullified a good kick return by Brandon James.
Mike Newton, S

I know Newton looked good in the scrimmage last week, but apparently Curtis Painter has a way of making defenders look better than they actually are. Newton was the one who picked off Painter three times in that scrimmage, but in his first preseason game for the Colts, he looked lost. On Anthony Dixon's five yard TD run in the fourth quarter, Newton was pretty handily stiff-armed and dropped by Dixon as he strolled into the endzone. That was Newton's chance to make a play, an he was owned by Dixon.

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/8/16/1624804/colts-preseason-2010-who-helped

#

Blair White- definitely moved up in the depth chart yesterday, maybe moved up to that 5th or 6th receiver spot.
Tom Brandstater- out perfomed Painter by a landslide, he needs to be our backup
Lindholm- I guess he didn't do bad....but does he honestly have any chance of beating out Vinateiri?
Kavell Conner- is it too early to call him a draft steal??
Pat Angerer- defintiely impressive
Ricardo Matthews- I did see him out there a bit, didn't really see too much of him though to make a call
Jerry Hughes- didn't do too much, but he did get some good breaks on the ball
Brandon James- I think we found our kick returner
Javaris James, even though he had minimal looks he seemed to do fairly well surprisingly.
Ray Fisher- didn't see enough to make a fair judgement, but I do remember him getting a tackle and I believe he received one pount

Any other rookies I missed?

oh how did I forget Brody Eldrige- another late draft pick we got that looks very impressive, had some good catches and his blocking abilities are great

http://forum.colts.com/showthread.php?56543-Which-rookies-impressed-you-the-most-yesterday

TEXANS

Remember the drill: Kubiak’s quotes are in black but his thoughts are listed in red italics. The link at the bottom of the article will take you to the video of the press conference. It isn’t up right now (6pm) but will be posted there tonight, at some point.

(on rookie RB Ben Tate’s injury status) “Well, he obviously has a very significant ankle injury. It’s still under evaluation at this point. I know that it’s going to need surgery. It’s going to require surgery. So we’ll probably have a definite answer for you sometime tomorrow. Very unfortunate. It doesn’t look good. That’s the best I can describe it for right now.”

Ben Tate is going to be out of the year but we will wait until we formerly place him on the IR to make the announcement. It’s just how we do things here.

(on his overall opinion of his team’s play) “Kind of like what I said after the game. I thought our ones were very sharp on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively. I thought our twos played pretty good, too, especially on the defensive side of the ball. We made a lot of plays, got turnovers. Offensively we moved the ball with the twos. (QB) Dan (Orlovsky) moved the group. We didn’t finish those drives, we turned the ball over and kicked a few field goals. But you know, there in the third quarter, we didn’t make any plays offensively to keep the defense off the field and they give up a few drives. Just kind of what I said last night. We needed to finish the game and find a way to win, offensively, holding the football a little bit in the fourth quarter and couldn’t do it.”

I’m very excited about the season. The guys we are counting on look good and we’re finally entering the season without the defense being a liability. Chris White almost single-handedly lost the game for us in the 3rd quarter, but I don’t like to call players out like that.

(on what impressed him about QB John David Booty in the two-minute drill) “Well, he had struggled the previous six plays; they had been three-and-out and three-and-out. He watched a game get away from his team. I was impressed with the fact that he went right back out there and I think he was seven-for-seven on the two-minute drive and had us in position to possibly tie the game. That’s what you have to do as a quarterback. You got to have a short memory. You have bad plays; come back and have good ones. He did some good things.”

That last drive doesn’t make up for the first two series when he played horribly.

(on the interior line play from his first and second teams) “Well, the first group I thought was very solid. (RT) Eric (Winston) and (LT) Duane (Brown) were very solid. (C) Chris Myers the same. Our guards, I’m sure you all noticed, we really rotated. (G) Kasey (Studdard) played a whole half because (G) Mike Brisiel did not play. Then we rotated on the other side with Gump (G Antoine Caldwell) and (G) Wade (Smith) for three quarters. They played a lot of football. We’ve still got a good battle going on (with) who’s going to be our starting guards. I think you’re going to see us continue to move some guys, probably, until we get to the Dallas week and settle down. They’re all doing some good things. We’re looking for more consistency from all of them. Obviously we think Mike has a chance, a good chance in the battle to start but he’s been sick and had some issues going on. Hopefully he’s back on the field this week.”

I’m very happy with the play of the offensive line yesterday. I think we are settling on Chris Myers as the starting center. So, the battle is really at LG. Caldwell will start at RG but, he’s a young guy that has responded well to the competition, so I’m going to continue the impression that he hasn’t won the job yet. I’m just not sure, out of Studdard, Brisiel, and Wade Smith, who will start at LG on week one.

(on if WR Trindon Holliday was overly cautious in the punt and kickoff return game) “I think we need to do a better job from a coaching standpoint on getting him lined up on some punts. He got himself in some bad positions, as far as his depth a couple times. Kickoff-wise, you could tell the first kickoff return he was really locked in to what we wanted from him. Then after that, I thought it got a little confusing for him. You know, it’s his first time out there. Lots of things happen. Probably the only thing I was really disappointed was picking up the ball on the five-yard line. That’s how you get beat. He’s got a lot to learn from that standpoint.”

Holliday looks headed to the practice squad. We have already dismissed the idea of him contributing at WR this season and we have lowered our expectations of him as a returner, right now. Still, though, it would be nice to have Jacoby concentrate solely on WR.

(on the play of rookie LB Darryl Sharpton and the defense as a whole) “I thought the defense played good all night. Like I said, we had a hard time holding up in the fourth quarter. (LB Darryl) Sharpton made a lot of plays. He did that at Miami, continued to do it here. (SS) Troy Nolan, very good. (DT) Earl Mitchell inside, very good. A lot of good things going on. (CB Antwaun) Molden, a lot of plays being made by the second group defensively and some young players on offense doing some things, too. Shelley Smith, a guard, played a whole half, was very impressive. (WR Dorin) Dickerson to me continues to make some strides with this football team. So we’re going to get some young help. We’ve got some good young players out there. The guys who were kind of stepping to the forefront as we were going through camp are the same guys who showed up and did it last night.”

Sharpton was good. But, man, Molden, Mitchell, and Troy Nolan were great! The best thing about that is those were guys we really thought and hoped would step up for us. They are talented guys and are at positions of relative weakness for us. Add Shelley Smith’s performance at guard last night and we have four rookies that not only can make the roster but can play well for us in positions I had real concerns in. Oh, and Dickerson is so good we have to put him on the roster. The only problem is that we don’t need WRs right now. But, he’s damn good!

(on RB Jeremiah Johnson stepping up when RB Ben Tate was injured) “He really did. He’s got a lot of running ability. He’s shown that in camp; obviously he showed that at Oregon. We’ve got to get him comfortable, so to speak, in the pass game and pass protection, picking up blitzes and those things because he has got some ability to run the football. An opportunity came about last night because of an unfortunate situation, and it’s fixing to come about for a period of time now, so we’ll see how he does. Obviously, he’s moved up the depth chart. He’s going to play more this week. We’ll see if he continues to grow.”

We knew Johnson was an explosive runner. Nothing has changed our minds about that. However, he’s 5th on our depth chart for a reason. He is going to have to improve dramatically with his understanding of the offense, blocking, and pass catching/route running or he’ll be signed to the practice squad again.

(on the play of QB Dan Orlovsky) “I thought he was steady. Since he’s been here with me, I thought it was probably his best outing in the preseason. He protected the ball; he moved his group. He had two big, long drives; one came from being backed up. His group didn’t finish the drive. That wasn’t his fault, but I thought he was steady protecting the football. He can still play better, and I think he will, but I think it’s important that Dan just continues to show this team that he’s taking steps forward and he took one last night.”

He has yet to meet my expectations. However, he showed enought last night that I’m not going to go searching for another backup QB… at least, not this week. This had better be his worst performance of the preseason for him, though. He needs to actually score some points and make plays without committing turnovers.

(on whether he would keep four running backs on the 53-man roster) “Yeah, that’s always an option. Obviously you’ve got three active all the time and you usually keep four. If not, one of them may be on your practice squad. But gosh, they’re all so young, so that’s a big possibility that we do. There’s also a possibility if we’re going to lose (RB) Ben (Tate) for a period of time that we could be looking, too. We’ve got a long way to go. There’s a lot of training camp left, preseason games left just to get to opening day and we’re sitting here staring at four young backs right now, so it’s kind of scary.”

We’re already down to four RBs. Slaton doesn’t look right and there is plenty of opportunity for another RB to get injured. Rick Smith needs to work his magic and get a good, veteran back in here… and, hopefully he does that very soon!

(on how important winning games is during preseason) “It’s very important… The football team has got a group of guys playing really well, dominating the football game for three quarters, and then have to walk in and be disappointed in getting beat, but we’ve got to keep it in perspective, too, from the standpoint of the good things that were going on the field. Our first groups felt very good about themselves when they walked off the field last night. That’s important, and that’s all they got to play. It’s not their fault they didn’t play the fourth quarter; that’s on me. That’s how much I had them scheduled to play, but any time you step on the field, you compete, you want to find a way to win and we should have found a way to win the game but we didn’t.”

It’s not important at all! Did you see how dominate our starters were? They were great on both sides of the ball. And, our second-stringers were quite good as well. Why would anyone obsess over the final score of the first preseason game? I could’ve put the ones or twos in the game at anytime in the 4th quarter and iced that thing if I had wanted to. Sometimes fans and the media can be pretty silly about stuff.

(on RB Chris Henry’s performance) “He looked good on special teams. Offensively, he’s inconsistent with some assignment stuff and things that we’re trying to get him settled down on, but he’s very aggressive. He showed up for (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano) and he will get more time at the (running) back position as we move forward now with (RB Ben) Tate being out. So we’ll see, but he did some good things. He showed up.”

I was hoping for much more from him. Especially once Tate was injured. Before I panic, we’ll see how he runs the ball with the second team. We like him on special teams enough that he can make the roster as our 4th RB.

(on CB Sherrick McManis’ performance) “He played really well. He played a lot of plays. I think he played 39-40 plays, which is a great deal for a first preseason game. You’ve got to think about how far he’s come. He did nothing in OTAs; he was injured. He came to camp, at the start of camp he was doing basically nothing but individual (drills). Five or six days into camp, they start to cut him loose, so in a week and a half’s time, this kid has gone from just getting back on the football field to playing 40 plays in an NFL game and played very well and did some good things, so we’re encouraged. That’s the player we drafted, and we knew if we could get him healthy he could help this team, so hopefully he continues to go that way.”

Oh yeah! That’s another rookie at a need position that looked amazing. Man, Rick really outdid himself with this year’s draft. Last season, Fred Bennett was our starting CB in week one… This year, he doesn’t have a prayer of making the 53 man roster. Boy, I’m excited about our defense!

(on if DE Connor Barwin has given them more options with how he has played) “I think what’s happened is Connor is turning into one of our top football players. You’re going to put your best eleven on the field and I think (defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush) has done a great job of finding ways to get him involved with our defense. He gives us some flexibility because he can drop in coverage and do those types of things. He can lock onto a back, a tight end. Frank has some packages that involve him. As long as he keeps progressing, we need to keep him on the field. He’s doing some really good stuff.”

Connor can make plays and I’m really excited about being able to add some wrinkles to the defense this year. He’s going to make a lot of plays in our nickel packages. We are going to really get after the QBs this year and be able to use Barwin to confuse them and create turnovers.

(on if DT Earl Mitchell showed up on tape at all) “Yeah, he did. He did some fine stuff. He’s another guy that had thirty-something snaps very quickly. We were worried about Earl’s conditioning going into camp. We didn’t like it in the offseason, but he’s found a way to get that better and he played very fresh and very fast last night.”

He’s so good that we are having to look for areas of criticism. We are so excited about him that we think he will immediately be heavily involved in the DL rotation. There was some concern about his ability to handle all those snaps, but he’s in excellent shape now.

(on what the status is of RB Ben Tate’s ankle) “It’s a significant ankle injury. That’s the best I can tell you right now. We’re still evaluating the surgery process. We know he needs surgery. It’s going to happen sometime soon. It could be Tuesday or Wednesday. I hope they have a final answer for you in the next day or so. It’s a pretty severe injury.”

Didn’t I already tell you crypticly that he’s going to the IR?

(on the kicking competition between Kris Brown and Neil Rackers) “I think it was even for what they did as far as kicking off and kicking field goals. They both did their job. As far as the last play, that’s just on us. We didn’t execute. We were going to throw a go route and if we didn’t complete it, we were going to kick a field goal. Taking a chance like that and something bad happening to you like the quarterback and a back running into each other with no timeouts, you get no chance to kick it. Just a bad situation that we didn’t get executed.”

This is Neil Rackers’ job unless he botches it. I feel bad for Kris Brown but I’m not going through that agian! If Rackers can kickoff like he did last night, everything is good!

(on how his secondary did against Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald) “(Fitzgerald) didn’t play much. I think he was only out there 10 or 12 plays. Like I told you, we didn’t go into that game matching up against people or anything. We just played our base stuff. He’s a great player; doesn’t matter where he’s at. He’s going to make plays. You just try to keep him contained.”

Eugene put a hit on him! Secondary looked great. Who cares about Fitzgerald right now and what was even the point of that question? oh John… dealing with the media would be funny if it wasn’t so exhausting.

(on the overall physical nature of the defense and if he’s seen improvement) “Yeah, I think so. I think that comes with confidence. Our camp has been very physical. We’ve hit probably more than any time before since I’ve been here. It transferred onto the playing field last night. When we talk about being physical, we’re talking about doing it as a team. It’s all around and I think the defense is leading the charge right now in how they’re going about their business. They’ve been very consistent all throughout camp.”

HEHEHEHEHEHE… Our defense is looking great!.. and they’re nasty too!

(on RB Steve Slaton starting the preseason with another fumble) “He did some really good stuff in the game. I know it’s tough because that’s what held us back and him back last year. To have it happen again in the first preseason game is obviously disappointing. If it’s going to happen, I’m sure glad it happened there and not three weeks from now. It’s something that’s got to be corrected for us to be successful. Steve knows that. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do in practice to tighten him up and hang onto the football because he did some good things as a player last night and obviously had to end his night with that one. It’s unfortunate.”

Why can’t we resolve these persistent issues with health/depth at RB. Maybe Steve will straighten himself out…maybe?

http://www.texansbullblog.com/coachspeak-kubiak-arizona-game/news/

The Good:

1. Mario Williams- looked healthy and active. 2 sacks, including an impressive bull-rush on a 3-man rush is very reassuring.

2. DTs- looked very good with one exception (clears throat, OKAM). I thought Mitchell and Sheppard showed a little sloppiness as rookies playing in their first game. However, they both were very active, able to penetrate, and seemed solid at the point of attack. VERY ENCOURAGING!… Amobi Okoye looked pretty good as well. He was able to penetrate a few times, helping create a pass as well as a pass defensed. He also appeared strong at the point of attack despite his off-season weight loss.

3. Arian Foster… WOW! He looked amazing. Quick, powerful, decisive. Clearly he is our starting RB.

4. Matt Schaub and the starting WRS- Little needs to be said. Schaub has full command of the offense and is lethal when the pocket holds up. The WRs make plays and don’t drop passes.

5. The secondary outside of Fred Bennett. I was very impressed with McCain’s ability to secure the edge on a couple running plays. I thought Molden had some nice moments and McManis appears to be a genuinely instinctive and physical football player. Also, Troy Nolan looked very good, even beyond his interception.

6. Shelley Smith- by the third quarter, I was needing to see some good things from the LG position. Studdard… UGGGH! Shelley Smith looked very, very good. He got to the second level. He had a key drive block on the Ben Tate 11 yard run and was solid in pass protection. He certainly earned an opportunity to steal some of White’s and Studdard’s reps next week.

7.Dorin Dickerson!- It’s hard to believe this guy hasn’t played WR before. His routes were good. He caught the ball, naturally, with his hands and had very good awareness where he was on the field. He just looked fluid and in his element. Oh, and he had an excellent inline cut block early in the third quarter. This guy makes the roster without a doubt!

8. Garrett Graham- looked quite good blocking in the run game. He sealed and then drove a DE towards the sideline on one good off-tackle run and had a couple other nice blocks.

9. Sharpton and Bing- Flowed and moved well. I did notice any overpursuit and they each tackled well. I think Sharpton, particularly, justified the 4th round pick many of us found so puzzling in April.

10. Barwin showed some good things. He held up reasonably well on run plays… or, at least was able to recover after being washed. He was able to attack the edge a few times, including a beautiful spin move that caused the first interception.

11. Jamison and Nading- both guys looked good rushing the edge. Assuming they are fighting for one roster spot, those guys earned themselves more reps for next week. It will be a difficult decision. Though, I am personally more impressed with Jamison.

12. Rackers’ kickoffs- It is my impression that the coaches are concerned about his kick offs. He was able to drive each kickoff to the 5yd line or better and also got sufficient air under his kicks… at least, at first glance.

The BAd
1. Chris White- was awful at center in the second quarter. I’m vomiting in my mouth just thinking about it.

2. Kasey Studdard- Got destroyed a number of times, leading to many of the offense’s negative plays in the first 30 minutes. This guy can’t be our starter heading into week one!

3. Frank Okam- If you have a DVR of the game, watch his first snap. He gets driven 8 yards, spun around, and driven head first into two LBs and the field turf. It wasn’t much better after that.

4. Fred Bennett- makes Petey Faggins look like Champ Bailey. He can’t be cut soon enough.

5. Dan Orlovsky- his statistics aren’t too bad and I thought he did some good things, but he struggled with timing, accuracy, and decision-making at times.

6. John David Booty- He looked like a 3rd string QB

7. Ben Tate’s leg- Hopefully it won’t keep him out more than a couple weeks.

8. Steve Slaton- I commented to Barrett 3 carries before he fumbled about how he was running very upright and exposing his upperbody and the ball, while leaving himself in awkward positions. It looked very much like his ‘09 season and the fumble seemed inevitable. He is not someone that can be counted on right now but hopefully a couple games more of live action will get him confident and back to form… At this point, he should be a candidate for IR or waivers.

9. Chris Henry- I almost fell for all they practice hype. He simply isn’t an instinctive football player. He looked lost on special teams and totally confused when trying to pick up a blitz (see the last play of the game) or running a screen pattern. He’s just not a football player. He’s a workout guy. I look for him to be cut and the Texans will be searching the waiver wires for RB depth, particularly if Tate is out for long.

http://www.texansbullblog.com/postgame-commentary-arizona-game/news/

JAGUARS

I've re-watched the match up between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars multiple times now, and not all is lost. While we must remember after all, it is only the first preseason game, there are still some observations that can be made, good and bad. Today, we'll look at some of the things that went right.
David Garrard

There were a couple plays I noted where David Garrard made the correct decisions and reads, despite not always getting the desired result. I re-watched all of Garrard's series multiple times and gave my play by play on Twitter early Saturday morning. For those who don't follow me on Twitter, I've been using player numbers to save space.

On the second drive under pressure Garrard made the correct decision under pressure:

* Shotgun, 3-wide, 3 step drop. Pressure up the middle, 9 dumps it to 32 for 6. Right decision. Trent Cole pushed Jordan Black into Garrard.

The following drive against the Eagles number twos, Garrard's best play occurred and was followed up by a good throw away:

* Hurry up offense. Shotgun, 3-wide with 32 out wide, 33 next to 9. 3-step, steps up in pocket fires to Thomas for 16. Easy play.
* Shotgun, 3-wide, 32 lined up wide behind 11. Quick screen, pumps and it's covered, thrown away. Good throw away.

On all three of these plays, Garrard made the correct reads and correct decisions. Even on his throw away, it was the correct throw away. The Eagles sniffed out the quick screen to Maurice Jones-Drew and stepped in the path, so wisely David chucked the football out of bounds.

Even on the final play, where Garrard sailed the pass to Mike Sims-Walker who dropped the football after getting hit by Kurt Coleman, Garrard felt the pressure coming from rookie Brandon Graham after he ran past Paul McQuistan who looked like he was standing still. Garrard knew he had limited time to throw and got the football out. He wound up rushing the pass however, and it sailed and fell incomplete, but he felt the pressure and got the football out.
Terrance Knighton

Knighton was targeted earlier over the weekend as my game MVP, even over Luke McGowen. His play was nothing short of fantastic.
Derrick Harvey

Derrick Harvey wound up with a sack and force fumble on Michael Vick. Harvey rushed wide and then ripped back inside punching the ball out on quarterback Michael Vick. Aside from that play, Harvey had a couple of other plays where he was able to get some pressure and effect the quarterback. I still believe with a healthy Aaron Kampman on the other side, Harvey is poised to have a very nice season.
Justin Durant

It appears Justin Durant has finally learned to control his speed, at least after a single pre-season game. Durant was all over the field being back at his outside linebacker position. He was able to break up a touchdown pass and showed nice awareness throughout the game.
Reggie Nelson

Reggie Nelson? Yes, Reggie Nelson. While overall his play was up and down, he showed some nice plays Friday night. There was a play in which Rashean Mathis was playing a trail technique knowing Reggie Nelson would be helping over the top, and Reggie Nelson broke on the pass and nearly intercepted the football. Nelson was also able to come up and support the run on occasion.
Kevin Haslam

The undrafted rookie out of Rutgers got a lot of playing time at both right tackle and left tackle, and I thought had a really good game. He had his brain-fart moments, but overall Haslam held his own and I believe showed why the coaching staff is so high on him.
Deji Karim and Scotty McGee

Both rookie return men were fantastic. Unfortunately, neither really got much opportunity returning punts, but both looked excellent returning kicks and look like they will be threats on special teams. Both averages over 30 yards per kick return, Karim with a long of 68 and McGee with a long of 46.
Adam Podlesh

The much maligned by the fans punter actually had a really good game. Podlesh, with the help of Kassim Osgood, was able to pin the Eagles inside the five yard line, and finished with an average of only 37 yards, but four of his six punts were downed inside the 20 yard line.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/8/16/1625168/jacksonville-jaguars-monday

TEXANS

Now that we have some actual gameplay to analyze, let's look at the updated scoreboard for roster battles. You hate to base things on one pre-season game, but there were some noticeable winners and losers from Saturday night.

Hit the jump for stats, thoughts, and where I think the battles are as we head into week two of the pre-season.

Star-divide
Back-Up Quarterback: Dan Orlovsky versus John David Booty
Game Performance: Orlovsky was 12-21 for 129 yards while Booty went 8-12 for 59 yards including 7-8 for 56 yards on the two-minute drill drive to set up a long field goal if Kubiak had wanted to attempt it.
Thoughts: Dan-O looked slow in his decision making and wasn't that accurate. If the pass-blocking wasn't so good, Dan would've been sacked multiple times. He failed to complete any of his screen pass attempts and couldn't hit anyone that wasn't wide open. People will give Dan-O credit for leading two 15-play drives that consumed 16+ minutes, but he contributed to the red zone struggles with four incompletions down there. Booty struggled at first, but was great in leading the two-minute drill at the end of the game.
Current Standings: There are positives from both, but I'm not sold on the insurance yet. I'd be interested to see how Booty would handle the second-team considering how he performed at the end.

Running Back: Arian Foster versus Steve Slaton versus Ben Tate versus Jeremiah Johnson versus Chris Henry
Game Performance: Foster had 31 yards, averaged 7.8 yards per carry, and every one of his runs were for positive yards. Slaton got 10 carries for 22 yards and a reception for another 21 yards. Oh, there's also the fumble at the one-yard line. Tate is injured. Better luck next time, Ben. JJ2 finished second on the team with 6.6 YPC. Chris Henry had a total of 20 yards in three touches and allowed the sack to end the game.
Thoughts: Arian Foster just won the starting job. He ran hard, ran forward, and held onto the ball. He played well while Slaton struggled. Yes, Steve's speed is back, but his technique resembles 2009 as opposed to 2008. He ran high, didn't attack the hole hard, and there's the fumble. Slaton's great at receiving, but he needs to show improvement in running the ball. As for JJ2 versus Henry, 6.6 YPC show that Jeremiah has the leg up.
Current Standings: Foster's clearly the starter with Slaton and Johnson backing him up at this point.

Wide Receiver 4 & 5: Andre Davis versus David Anderson versus Dorin Dickerson
Game Performance: Davis came up with one 12-yard reception, Dickerson had three receptions for 38 yards, and the Comedian snagged three balls for 15 yards.
Thoughts: Anderson is great in the slot as a safety valve. We all know he's really the fourth WR. Dickerson's progression is further along than I thought. He looked great in blocking and his route-running was solid. I would like to see him out there with the second-stringers some. I liked what I saw from Dorin. There's nothing really to say about Davis as he apparently bruised his tailbone and will miss some time this week.
Current Standings: Anderson and Dickerson should be ahead of Davis on the depth chart now. Anderson's reliable and Dickerson's upside is tantalizing.

Interior Offensive Line: Kasey Studdard versus Chris Myers versus Wade Smith versus Mike Brisiel versus Chris White versus Shelley Smith
Game Performance: Any lineman who pass-blocked did exceptionally well. The QBs had plenty of time to throw the ball. The lone sack allowed was a missed blitz pick up by a RB. In the first half, when most of these guys played, there were only three negative runs. Studdard got beat in two of those plays.
Thoughts: I can't really recall seeing Wade Smith out there. Brisiel was sick and missed the game. Myers did very well against Dan Williams. Studdard with the obvious mistakes. White got beat some. Shelley was surprisingly decent considering the bad reports from camp.
Current Standings: Myers is leading the race for center, but Studdard's position shouldn't be safe whatsoever.

Strong-side Linebacker: Wide-open
Game Performance: Xavier Adibi and Danny Clark missed the game due to injuries. They might have allowed this battle to be blown wide-open. After Cushing left the game, the Texans played Zac Diles out there with Darryl Sharpton. Sharpton led the team with seven tackles, broke up a pass, and even had an interception. Darnell Bing was average in coverage and made some nice tackles. Kevin Bentley was solid as well.
Thoughts: I want to see more Darryl Sharpton. He was everywhere. He has great tackling technique and looked good in coverage. I know the coaches have spoken against moving Diles to SLB for four games, but if they want the best three LBs out there then Sharpton may force their hand. The kid was phenomenal and we know that there's no problem with starting a rookie LB (see: Defensive Rookies of the Year Brian Cushing and DeMeco Ryans).
Current Standings: I could live with a line-up of Diles, Ryans, and Sharpton. Sharpton earned more snaps this week. Diles looked good in coverage against Arizona, so this line-up is one I want to see in week two. Oh, one more thing: Rick Smith, I apologize for criticizing the Sharpton pick.

Cornerback: Brice McCain versus Antwaun Molden versus Jacques Reeves versus Sherrick McManis versus Mark Parson versus Fred Bennett
Game Performance: McCain did a great job with his work on the 1s and 2s and had three tackles. He definitely is pushing for the third spot on the depth chart. Molden's still healthy and made some tackles. McManis broke up a pass and had some tackles. Reeves didn't do much. Parson and Bennett were the 4th quarter CBs when the Cardinals began their comeback. Bennett committed the big pass interference penalty and constantly got picked on and burned.
Thoughts: I feel a bit better about the pass defense with how the young guys performed. It doesn't hurt that they had help from the defensive line. We'll know more after the New Orleans and Dallas pre-season match-ups. I know this much right now: Fred Bennett needs to be cut. A rookie QB and undrafted WR made him look downright foolish.
Current Standings: At this point, Bennett probably doesn't make the roster, but he'll be a camp body to take the abuse. As for the other corners, the New Orleans game will be a big measuring stick as they prepare for another talented WR corps. Yes, you will probably continue to see Fred get abused by third and fourth teamers.

Kick and Punt Returns: Trindon Holliday
Game Performance: Holliday got every return in the game as Kubiak promised, which is why he's the only name listed. He had a nice 30-yard return to open the game followed up by a heads up play to fall on the ball that had touched a blocker. Trindon was more timid in the second half on his kick-off returns. His sole punt return attempt saw him pick up a dangerous ball at the five-yard line and get immediately tackled.
Thoughts: I need more of the first half and less of the second half. Overall, he averaged 21.5 yards per return on kick-offs. In 2009, Jacoby averaged nearly 27 YPR and Andre' hit 24 YPR.
Current Standings: Holliday needs to pick it up in game two against New Orleans.

Kicker: Kris Brown versus Neil Rackers
Game Performance: Brown went 2-2 on FGs (31 and 26 yarders) and 1-1 on extra points while Rackers nailed his lone FG from 24 yards. Both men looked good in kick-offs in terms of hang time and distance.
Thoughts: The coaches alternated on FGs and kick-offs and would've on XPs if there were more TDs. That was their plan coming into the game. It's a wash really, since they were all chip shot FGs. I would've liked to have seen someone attempt the 50-yard game tying FG though.
Current Standings: Still even, but that means Brown is a step closer to retaining his job. I could do without the Houston broadcast team's blatant cheering of Kris Brown. Call the competition down the middle.

http://www.battleredblog.com/2010/8/16/1624633/position-battle-recap-week-one

COLTS

Tonight was the twenty-third practice for the 2010 Indianapolis Colts at the University of Anderson. It was also the final night scrimmage (the last of three offered at camp), and Colts fans turned out in droves. It's only fitting that both Eric Hartz of ColtPower.com and Brett Mock of Coltzilla were there to Tweet all of the scrimmage goodness.

Side note before we get into the details (skip all this if you don't want to read me praising Brett Mock and Eric Hartz); I'd like to thank everyone who sent me emails, made FanPosts, and Tweeted their experience at training camp. A special thank you goes to Eric and Brett. Their Tweets from camp were essential reading; more so than anything written by Peter King, Paul Kuharsky, or anyone else.

* Not practicing this evening were Ramon Humber, Dallas Clark, Dwight Freeney, Keyunta Dawson, Jaimie Thomas, Kyle DeVan, Adam Terry, and Jerraud Powers.
* Starting offensive line: Tony Ugoh, Adrian Martinez, Jamey Richard, Mike Pollak, Ryan Diem.
* Both Mitch King and Eric Foster worked at fullback. Neither impressed.

Star-divide

* Interesting Tweet from Eric for the Tom Brandstater fans: "First unit d looked pretty good. On final play Mathis and Muir pressure Brandstater. Tom throws into a crowd. Painter-esque." Interesting that Brandstater is working against first unit defense.
* Tom Hiller made a few nice throws to tight ends Jacob Tame and Colin Coherty.
* Anthony Gonzalez looks healthy (again) and sharp.
* Philip Wheeler made an interception. Guess who it was against?
* Answer: Curtis Painter.
* Sam Giguere still dropping catchable balls.
* Prior to the Wheeler INT, Painter was looking good.
* Fili Moala continuing to impress. Strong practices mixed with an excellent start to preseason for him.
* Brandon James and Ray Fisher practiced punt returns. Giguere and Devin Moore worked on kick returns.
* Robert Mathis with tremendous rush against Peyton Manning. Would have had two sacks.
* Speaking of Mathis: "I wanna be the 1st to say that Anderson Indiana loves their Colts. thanx for all the love yall showed.....We Noticed!"

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/8/17/1628746/2010-colts-training-camp-notes

TITANS

• Tuesday’s practice took place under the hot sun at noon. Players were in full pads.

• The Titans brought in free agent running back Samkon Gado before practice Tuesday. Running back Stafon Johnson was waived injured to make room on the roster for Gado. Johnson will be placed on injured reserve Wednesday if he clears waivers.

• During the seven-on-seven drill, linebacker Stephen Tulloch broke up a Vince Young pass up the middle. The pass was intended for tight end Bo Scaife.

• In the team drill, Vince Young aired out a 50-yard pass to Nate Washington down the right sideline.

• Cornerback Tye Hill looked impressive today, deflecting a pass during the one-on-one drill and showing good coverage throughout practice.

• Tight end Jared Cook made an athletic, one-armed grab on a Vince Young pass down the left sideline during the team drill.

• In the last play of practice, linebacker Will Witherspoon picked off a Vince Young pass intended for Javon Ringer to end a two-minute drive.

• Wide receiver Justin Gage sat out of practice Tuesday.

• With Cortland Finnegan and Ryan Mouton out, Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner were first-string cornerbacks.

Off the Field Q&A with Jed Collins

What’s your favorite thing to do in Nashville?

“So far during training camp, my favorite thing is to go back to the hotel and sleep. The only time I’ve gotten to see downtown is going up and down the elevator. But it looks nice, so I’m looking forward to actually seeing the city.”

What did you do during the offseason?

“I got married, had my wedding in Seattle, went to Jamaica for our honeymoon. The rest of the time, I spent time with my newlywed’s family and my family back in California.”

What’s your favorite hobby off the field?

“It might be journaling. I really enjoy writing down my experiences the last couple years in this league and just kind of remembering the good and the bad.”

What are your plans after football?

“I have an accounting degree, so I’m going into the business world, maybe as an accountant. My dream would be to do financial planning and help some of the guys in the league deal with the fortune that they get so young.”

Who’s your favorite musical artist?

“Right now my favorite music artist would be A.F.I. It stands for ‘A Fire Inside.’ I’ve listened to them since I was in high school, and I always get ready for games with their music.”

What’s your favorite holiday?

“I’ve never been asked that. I’d have to go Christmas because of what it represents to me and to my family. Being people of faith, it’s the foundation of our religion. It’s always a good time; nobody has a bad time around the holidays. Christmas is a fun day.”

If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

“Just off the top of my head, it would have to be Jack Black. People tell me I remind them of him, so it’d be fun to sit down and kind of pick his brain. He’s a musician, he’s a comedian and he’s an actor, so that’s a pretty neat triple threat.”

What was the last movie you saw in theaters?

“I see a lot of movies. I think it was ‘Inception,’ starring Leo DiCaprio. It was pretty good. I thought it could’ve been better, but it was a cool idea.”

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

“People thinking that they can outsmart me or get the best of me. My wife can attest to that. I hate when somebody thinks that they’re taking advantage of me or out-thinking me. That really gets to me.”

Jeff Fisher Quotes

(on his plans for Stafon Johnson)

He’s been estimated to be out anywhere from eight to 12 weeks. We’ll wait. You’re in a situation where if you go to 12 weeks with him and you carry him on your active roster, it counts against your roster. We don’t have that luxury right now. So he’ll go on major IR, we’ll get him healthy and get him ready for next year.

(on what he sees in Samkon Gado)

Well, he’s experienced. He’s carried the ball in the league before. He’s stayed in shape, and he’s a quick learner. We checked him out, and he’s a nice young man and wanted the opportunity.

(on if he prefers to bring in experienced players, as opposed to relying on rookies)

Well, you prefer that. In a perfect world, you prefer a guy that’s been in the training camp. We all pay attention around the league. People are looking for backs and signing backs. We decided to go with him because he’s played before and knows what to expect.

(on whether he likes the intensity of his players during the scuffle)

I like the intensity of the practice. I like the purpose of the practice. The intention of the practice was to get out there and not stay a full three hours like you would on Sunday in September but to get out there for about two hours and deal with the heat and get used to it because that’s what we’re going to play in.

(on what he would say to fans who feel like he has given up on Stafon Johnson)

We have not given up on Stafon Johnson. It is the opposite of that. We are going to put him on injured reserve for the year so that we can have him next year. In order to do that during training camp, you have to release the player. He is subject to waivers. He can be claimed. It is unlikely that someone would claim a player that just had major reconstructive surgery on his ankle, so he comes back to us. Once he is cleared, he goes on injured reserve for the year.

http://www.titansonline.com/news/article-1/Tuesdays-Training-Camp-Notebook/8cf9bc69-68bd-4c92-b94c-1063f9d7963d

JAGUARS

Each week, we're going to take a look at how the Jacksonville Jaguars rookies are performing and progressing.

Click the jump to find out more.

Star-divide
DT - Tyson Alualu

DNP - Alualu has a calf injury and did not play.
DT - D'Anthony Smith

DNP - Smith suffered an achilles injury and will be out for the entire season.
DE - Larry Hart

2.0 tackles

Hart finished with only two tackles, but he was able to get pressure on some plays. He was also pushed around quite a bit on running plays, but that was to be expected given his size.
DE - Austen Lane

DNP - Lane suffered a hamstring injury in camp and did not play.
RB - Deji Karim

2 carries, 9 yards

2 receptions, 5 yards

4 kick returns, average of 38.0 YPR with a long of 68 yards

Karim didn't do much running the football or catching out of the backfield, but he did show his explosiveness returning kicks.
CB - Scotty McGee

1 asst. tackle

2 punt returns with a long of 10 yards

3 kick returns, average of 34.0 YPR with a long of 46 yards

Like Karim, McGee showed why the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him to be a kick returner. He didn't get many chances returning punts, which is his forte, but on kick returns he was decisive and explosive.
DT - Ko Quaye

2.0 tackles

Quaye looked adequate when he was in the game, but didn't quite show the power he'd show in training camp leading up to the game.
CB - Josh Gordy

1.0 tackles

I don't really remember Gordy doing anything. That is both good and bad for Gordy.
LB - Jacob Cutrera

1.0 asst. tackle

1.0 sacks

Cutrera got some playing time and had a sack, but he really didn't stand out much at all to me.
OT - Kevin Haslam

Haslam saw quite a bit of playing time at both right and left tackle. Despite struggling in training camp, Haslam had a very good first pre-season game.
C - John Estes

Like Haslam, Estes made the most of his extended playing time at center. He's made a lot of strides in training camp and was able to carry that onto the pre-season.
OT - Daniel Baldridge

Baldridge is a massive offensive tackle, but he's a project player. He struggled quite a bit.
RB - Chad Kackert

1 carry, 2 yards

Kackert didn't get a to of playing time, but he's a player I expect to see a lot of in the future pre-season. He flashed a lot in training camp.
TE - Mike Caussin

2 catches, 25 yards

Caussin made the most of his playing time, catching a great pass from Luke McCown while he was covered up. He made the tough catch for 15 yards.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/8/17/1626561/cbs-fantasy-football-jacksonville#storyjump

Leger Douzable is actually taking a road that's more common than most people think in the NFL. Most players who make up the meat of a roster aren't stars and sometimes bounce around team to team. This is the path of defensive lineman who recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Leger Douzable.

Star-divide

Douzable was signed by the Jaguars on August 8th after being waived by the Detroit Lions. Originally he signed as an undrafted free agent by the Minnesota Vikings in 2008, waived in final cuts and signed to the New York Giants practice squad. He was brought up to the Giants active roster, but didn't play in a single game. The following season Douzable was signed by the St. Louis Rams playing in 12 games with one start, ending the season with 16 total tackles, five tackles for a loss, and four quarterback pressures.

Leger Douzable played his college football at the University of Central Florida, where he was a two-time Academic All-Conference USA honoree. In his final season at UCF, Douzable started all 14 games ending with 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.

In Douzable's first time in game action with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday night, he wound up with a sack and a forced fumble. Douzable actually had a very impressive pre-season game, and has been making waves in practice working with the first team defensive line. Even though first round pick Tyson Alualu is out with a calf injury still, it's impressive that a player who's been on the football team for less than a week has impressed the staff enough to the point that he's working as a starter.

Mark Long of the AP, who covers the Jacksonville Jaguars, took notice on Monday how impressive Douzable has been in practice on Twitter.

Newcomer Leger Douzable looks like Jaguars best d-lineman in drills tonight

Douzable is listed by the Jaguars as a defensive tackle at 6-4 284 pounds, which is a little light for a defensive tackle. Douzable however, hasn't just been playing defensive tackle. Douzable has also been working at defensive end and getting in lots of time with defensive line coach Joe Cullen. He's also been in the ear of veteran defensive end Aaron Kampman.

Douzable directed some of those questions at veteran defensive end Aaron Kampman. Friday in Philadelphia. Every time he came off the field, Douzable went straight to Kampman for a critique.

"I definitely can add to my pass-rush ability," Douzable said. "I'm going to do whatever the coaches ask me to do. I'm a guy that's going to play hard, play tough."

I think Douzable certainly has a chance to stick on the Jaguars roster, especially given the injuries to the defensive line. With Alualu likely out again on Saturday, Douzable should see plenty of playing time. The loss of third round pick D'Anthony Smithfor the season opens up a roster spot. The Jaguars now have Leger Douzable, Walter Curry, Jeremy Navarre(who's also worked some at defensive tackle), and Ko Quaye all competing for two roster spots. It's also possible Douzable could make coaches favorite but oft injured defensive lineman Jeremy Mincey expendable, as Douzable looks to be playing the same role. Both have been playing as defensive line "tweeners" and both excel at pass rushing.

Frankly, Douzable I feel has a leg up on everyone. While Mincey got a lot of playing time and looked how he usually looks, good not great, Douzable made an impact. Walter Curry was pretty invisible and undrafted rookie Ko Quaye is a player that could possibly be hidden on the practice squad.

Watch number 69 on Saturday, it's likely he'll be starting.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2010/8/18/1629239/jacksonville-jaguars-leger