Nfc south preseason reports

PANTHERS

Dwayne Jarrett will be on the team, no questions asked. I don't know where on the depth chart but he will be on the final roster. I was thinking about this during the 7 on 7 drills realizing what little experienced depth we have at WR. While I now know most of the players names and numbers, I realize how much of a struggle it was to get there. Many of the fans around me keep wondering who this and that player was. Despite the hard time we give Jarrett (well deserved as it is) besides Smith he's been with the team the longest. He's really is a veteran as much as we don't view him that way. Hopefully even if he doesn't get it this year he can help those around him do so. Yet, It has to be hard on him as all the other receivers know they are vying for his spot and he doesn't have it looked up. You would think this would motivated him but not everyone responds to pressure the same way. Time will tell.

Steve Smith, on the other hand, seemed to be working out the whole time. Out of all the players on the PUP list, you would look over at them and you would be hard pressed to see him not doing something. As another fan pointed out (actually our very own Deuceklinco) as we talked on the sidelines, it's hard to wonder why all pro-athletes don't take their jobs as seriously. Yes Smith is an ultimate competitor but most players have very little time to prove themselves on the field. Here's a life lesson to learn, it's not always about the money. You can't through money at a problem and make it go away. The person has to want to do something about it.

As little depth as we have at WR, we have plenty of depth at TE. We have three capable guys that fit very nicely into the team chemistry. As Darin posted this afternoon:

Maybe we're taking our eye off the ball, rather than worry about WRs, just throw to the TEs. They're better.

There very well could be a lot of truth to that. Three experienced players, all have been with the team a few years. Yes we have pointed out their specialties, but in the end they all have been used to catch down field as well. It will be very interesting to see just how much they will be used but I do know one thing, it seriously felt all 4 QB where finding them consistently during team drills.

Unlike earlier this offseason when I wrote that the 4th string TE, Jamie Petroski, wasn't likely to make the roster, that after watching them all practice and working the autograph line, I really feel bad making those blanket statements, even if they are very likely scenarios. They are out there busting their butts to help this team get better and they have to know their chances are slim but they still work hard. I'm happy to say that my son does have Jamie Petroski's signature on his football and even if he doesn't make it the team, we will proudly display his name as a member of the Carolina Panthers football team.

I really didn't pay much attention to what the running backs where doing outside of team drills. Although I guess since we know the depth chart is pretty much set, that anything other than team drills doesn't provide much insight. I do intended to pay more attention to the defensive line over the next few practices and hopefully get a better understanding of how the running backs are fairing against them. From today it does appear that DeAngelo Williams was his usual self, but I would also add that with the D's limit on contact, I'm thinking he might have looked a little better than he actually performed. With Stewart and Sutton out today, we did see a more of Mike Goodson, Tony Fieametta, and training camp bodies Josh Vaughan (#40), and RB Rashawn Jackson (#38). Goodson did look improved. While he did drop a ball once, he reminded me why we were so high on him after last years draft. If, and that is a big if, if he can put the fumbling troubles behind him, he can definitely be a nice addition to the RB group. He'll stick around as one of those promise guys we just hope matures before his rookie contract runs out. He's quick and elusive once he gets into the open field and would be a great change of pace back. Again, if practice Goodson shows up as game day Goodson then he will be fun to watch.

Matt Moore is the starter, I have no question about that. He looked confident and generally played well. All the talk about Jimmy Clausen pushing him should pretty much stop. I know its early but I just don't seem it happening this year. However, I not sure about the 2nd string QB. They have Hunter Cantwell and Clausen switching between 2nd and 3rd string. I can note that during warmups that Clausen is lined up with the 3rd string players, so at this point I have to assume that's where he is on the depth chart.

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/7/31/1597821/notes-from-day-1-2-of-the-panthers

SAINTS

1-on-1 Passing:
By our count, the cornerbacks outshone the receiver 6-4 in this one. We didn’t count quick hitches or slants, where the receiver has the decided advantage because the CB gets no help from the linebackers or the defensive line.

The nicest play was WR Lance Moore redirecting his pattern to fit QB Drew Brees’ throw. It came over CB Randall Gay, who had nearly perfect coverage on Moore, but not help over the top from a safety because they weren’t included in the drill.

CB Jabari Greer came out the best, going 3-0 in the period, stopping passes to WR Devery Henderson, WR Larry Beavers and WR Adrian Arrington.

Punt Return Issues:
In an attempt to beef up the punt return unit, Payton opened up the return position to open camp. Until Monday morning, everything looked good there.

But it all came unhinged in the heat of the morning.

WR Reggie Bush, Moore and CB Tracy Porter all fumbled punts. Porter dropped two in a row and on the second one, he threw the ball back in frustration to the managers. Bush wasn’t much better, missing two of his own

Team 1:
(DE Bobby McCray and LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar were both working the first-team.)

Brees didn’t have his best period or his best day. In the first four plays, the Saints offense ran twice, Brees scrambled on the third play and threw incomplete to WR Courtney Roby after CB Jabari Greer batted the ball down.

QB Patrick Ramsey took the second-team snaps and had his first pass fly right through the hands of TE Tory Humphrey. On the fifth play, Ramsey had possibly his best pass of camp. He rolled to his right and found WR Montez Billings on the sideline.

Pass Skele (7-on-7):
Not much of note here. It was third-down work for the second day in a row.

The nicest play was on a third-and-11 from the plus-45. Brees pump faked, allowing Roby to get behind S Pierson Prioleau, who bit on the fake. Brees hit Roby in stride for a 45-yard touchdown.

Ramsey threw to RB Reggie Bush with LB Jonathan Casillas lunging in front of the running back. Bush displayed nice concentration to bring the ball into his hands despite Casillas’ attempt to knock it away.

Team 2:
Brees continued his less-than-great day in the final team period. With third-down the specific thing to work on, here are the first-team plays.

3rd-and-5 @ 40: Brees to Moore, one-handed grab, but Gay stops Moore a yard short
3rd-and-6 @ 40: Brees pump fakes as Bush clears his defender, but the pass sails a bit too far and Bush can’t corral the pass.
3rd-and-10 @ 40: Brees throws incomplete
3rd-and-10 @ 40: Brees under pressure can’t quite get ball accurately to Roby, who was behind secondary.
3rd-and-12 @ 40: Bad snap that Brees can’t get to; LB Marvin Mitchell recovers for defense
3rd-and-5 @ 45: RB Pierre Thomas quick give left for first down
3rd-and-5 @ 45: Brees short left to Bush, who can’t get ball into his hands as he’s running backwards
3rd-and-10 @ 45: Brees checks down to Thomas, who gains only six yards.

http://www.wwltv.com/sports/black-and-gold/Practice-Observations-Brees-has-down-session-punt-return-needs-work-99776989.html

BUCCANEERS

Gerald McCoy, the team’s first round draft pick this past April, is signed, at training camp and improving daily. Former Buccaneers standout defensive lineman, Warren Sapp, can be thanked partially for his early development. Sapp gave the former Oklahoma Sooners pointers one day this offseason during the Bucs’ OTAs, including things like what to expect at training camp.

“I worked out with him a little bit while I was still here at OTAs. Everything he showed me, I went and worked on it, worked on it and worked on it,” said McCoy, who is being counted on to plug a hole that’s existed in Tampa Bay’s defense since Sapp left the Bucs following the 2003 season.

“He showed me a lot of minor things. He said personally, he can’t do it in one summer. We have to keep working and keep working to get where he thinks I can be – just like he did. He just kept working, and eventually he got better until he was unstoppable. That’s where he wants me to be, but he said it’s going to take time.”

http://tampabay.sbnation.com/2010/7/30/1596148/tampa-bay-buccaneers-training-camp#tampa-bay-buccaneers-training-camp

PANTHERS

Stock is Rising:

WR Brandon LaFell - LaFell is quickly looking like the Panthers top candidate for impact rookie of the season. We knew he could block and had an NFL-ready body. What we didn't expect was such smooth route-running and nimble hands. The kid is going to make a serious run at #2 WR and you won;t find me betting against him

OG Mackenzy Bernadeau - Mac-Bern is the early leader for the RG position given his competition has yet to get on the field at RG much less mount a serious challenge. Geoff Schwartz continue to fill in for RT Jeff Otah as he completes his injury rehab and Duke Robinson showed up out of shape. Mac-Bern on the other hand has impressed since being drafted in the 7th round and looks and sounds ready to play the position:

"The right guard spot's what I'm looking to do, what I want to do," he said. "If coach feels differently, that's whatever it is. I'm ready to compete and take care of business, because I want that spot."

WR Kenny Moore - We didn't talk much about Moore during the offseason, other than the fact he was working hard during OTA's. By all accounts Moore is flat out getting it done, both in his zest for blocking and his crisp route-running. Moore could also provide the deep threat from the slot the Panthers have sorely needed. Moore is the leader for the slot position.

...more after the jump...

Star-divide

DE Greg Hardy - Hardy has been the talk of camp. The highly athletic 6th round pick looks like a first rounder with his size, speed and strength. If it translates to the field we could have the best 6th round pick since Tom Brady.

LB Eric Norwood - Though the Panthers haven't decided whether he is a LB or a DE Norwood is impressing with his ability to grasp both positions. He's a pass rushing LB at this point:

"Right now his base position for us is linebacker. We’ll see how that goes," coach John Fox said. "He spent a lot more time with his hand in the dirt in college. He definitely has those skills, so he can be a designated pass rusher as well as an every-down linebacker and we’ll evaluate that as we move forward."

Stock Is Falling

OG Duke Robinson - As mentioned earlier Robinson showed up out of shape and over weight just when many thought he would be competing for a starting spot. He must be content just being a back-up because his stock is in the tank. Fortunately for him the Panthers haven't given up on him:

Robinson might be the best long-term answer. When in shape, he's a monster in the run game, and paired with Otah would create a mammoth wall for the backs to get lost behind. But until he can drop some weight and get on the field, there's no opportunity for him to prove himself.

"Duke, we know about; we've just got to get him fit," Fox said.

WR David Gettis - Gettis has nice size and speed but he has been plagued by drops and looks slow getting out of his breaks. I did see a nice catch from Gettis on a deep ball but otherwise he doesn't look NFL-ready.

WR Dwayne Jarrett - I debated whether to put Jarrett on this list because honestly his stock has never been really that high since being drafted by the Panthers. He looked bad at the first couple of practices but has improved in the last few practices. Still until Jarrett starts to look like the #2 WR he should be at this point in his career he will receive extra scrutiny.

WR Armanti Edwards - Edwards is a very popular Panther in his short time with the team and I'm sure many will not be happy with me putting him on this list. But the truth is any player that switches positions when jumping to the NFL is going to need time to adjust and Edwards is no exception. He has been plagued by bobbles and drops in the kick return game and lacks the polish shown by fellow 3rd round pick Brandon LaFell. Edwards may well be a factor in 2010 but I'm thinking it will be later in the season.

CB CJ Wilson - For a 4th year player the Panthers expected to see a solid back-up CB looking to compete for a starting job. Instead they have seen soft coverage and a lack of aggressiveness required by DC Ron Meeks. Wilson's saving grace could very well be the fact the Panthers don't necessarily have anyone better to take his place.

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/3/1602027/panthers-training-camp-week-1

BUCCANEERS

*aqib talib looks fantastic they really never went at him
*front 7 looks much better...mccoy and price were quick as hell off the ball in the one on one drills
*arrelious benn runs some of the crispest routes i've seen,he cuts like he's in a video game
*freeman was up and down,but made some nice stick throws
*kareem huggins looks by far the fastest and shiftiest back everytime he got the ball he was MOVIN
*Mike williams is lookin like a stud,he beat ronde like he stole something in the one on one drills
*the o-line looked o.k. in pass protection they could be better
*the linebackers look to be more aggressive (probably due to being comfortable in this d) they were flying around.
*piscitelli looked o.k but sean jones i think will win out the job
*derrick ward was meh
*no d end really stood out to me,kyle moore flashed a few times but thats all really that i saw

http://www.pewterreport.com/forum/index.php?topic=59970.0

FALCONS

Other than that, Kerry Meier continues to win hearts with his steady pass-catching and bristly facial hair, Corey Peters is making a case to get heavy snaps in his rookie season and Harry Douglas and Peria Jerry keep right on improving. It's almost all sunshine (no, not you, Kerry) out of training camp, and I couldn't be happie

http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2010/8/6/1608374/the-atlanta-falcons-training-camp

PANTHERS

With wide, sculpted shoulders outlining a super-athletic 6-foot-4, 277-pound frame, Greg Hardy looks remarkably like a certain defensive end who once wore No. 90 for the Carolina Panthers. He runs fast -- certainly faster than any lineman on the field -- just like his predecessor did. He’s extremely quick off the ball, explosive. And he happens to play the same position.
But that's about where the comparisons to Julius Peppers end.
At least for now.

Peppers was the 2nd overall pick in 2002 NFL draft and has 81 career sacks and five Pro Bowls to his name. Hardy was selected 175th overall this past April and has not yet played a down in the NFL.
And yet, there’s something intriguing about Hardy that has some in the organization wondering if they’ve unearthed a diamond in the rough in the sixth round, a potential long-term replacement for Peppers they sorely need. Perhaps it’s his raw athleticism. Maybe it’s his motor that just didn’t quit. Maybe it’s his explosive burst.
"We’re seeing what we hoped we saw when we drafted him -- big, explosive, active kid who brings a lot of energy,” says defensive line coach Brian Baker. “The way he finishes plays is really pleasant.”
Baker says there’s nothing timid about Hardy.
When he’s out on the field it’s pedal to the metal for two hours.
"If he makes a mistake, he makes it a hundred miles per hour," Baker says. "Usually he’s around the ball when he makes a mistake. He’s very conscientious, wants to understand exactly how we want things and why we want them that way. So I’m pleased with him."
Which, of course, beckons the question: If he's so talented why did he fall to the sixth round?
Therein lays the great mystery of Greg Hardy.
After his junior year at Ole Miss some draft experts had Hardy ranked as a sure first-round draft pick. In fact, in their preseason publication last year, Sports Illustrated ranked Hardy as the No. 1 NFL prospect in the country. But his decision to go back to school turned out to be a huge financial blunder. His stock plummeted after he developed a reputation for having a poor work ethic and a guy who simply disappeared for long periods of time. He missed a number of team meetings – some say as many as 20 – and continually challenged his coaching staff. He developed reputation as being a problem child.
When Hardy’s on, he’s on.
It’s hard to argue with his production at Ole Miss, where he registered 26.5 career sacks, forced seven fumbles (recovering four) and posted 39.5 tackles for a loss despite playing in the best football conference in America. But his disappearing act caused scouts to question his work ethic, his motivation and desire for greatness.
Baker admits he heard rumors about Hardy before the draft.
But after working with him for a few months, he’s convinced they simply aren’t true and that the kid does have the desire.
“I was a college coach for 12 years before I came to the league, and in the 15 since then it’s the same thing -- guys get labels on them sometimes,” Baker says. “Sometimes it’s legit and sometimes it’s not. In his case it hasn’t been legit.”
To Hardy it’s all a bit perplexing
He prides himself on his work ethic.
Maybe that’s why he seems like a caged animal fighting for his freedom every day on the field.
Case in point. On the final day of OTAs every year, the Panthers run conditioning tests. Hardy ran against the rest of the team’s linemen, four times back and forth across the width of the football field. It wasn’t close. Hardy blew away the competition by more than 20 yards. Then he did it again. And again.
“That’s one of the things a lot of people don’t think I have, but I’m going to constantly prove that I do,” Hardy said of his work ethic. “I’m going to be more in shape. I’m going to be more physical. I’m going to be faster because I’m out here grinding. I came to camp like that and I’m going to leave camp like that. That’s me in general every day of the week, all year long – high school, college and the NFL.”
Hardy admits falling to the sixth round stung his ego.
And when asked if he regrets returning to Ole Miss for his senior season, he shrugs his shoulders in a should-of, would-of sort of way and says, “I could have been paid a whole lot more.”
But he’s moved on.
He’s motivated to not only prove he belongs in the NFL, but he can be one of the league’s elite. He says he’s happy Peppers isn’t here because it will give him more playing time. “I feel like I’m in a position where I can come in and play and contribute and hopefully even start if the opportunity presents itself,” Hardy says with a determined look. “It’s a situation that I feel like I’m going to come out on top of.”
Like a diamond in the rough.

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/6/1608632/carolina-panthers-training-camp

SAINTS

* Pierre Thomas with strong, good running this afternoon. He looks to be totally healthy and is really looking impressive in camp. He did get bottled up by the entire defensive front though on one play for only a two-yard gain.
* Drew Brees went 3 for 3 in the first 11-on-11 drills with a dump off to Lynell Hamilton, a screen pass to Thomas, and another pass in the flat to Hamilton.
* Ramsey again looked better in practice during his turn behind center. He went 2 for 3 with the only incompletion being batted down in tight coverage by Usama Young. My personal opinion is that this is the best Ramsey has looked thus far in camp.
* Play of the Day: Chase Daniel was only under center for two plays, but he made it count. The pocket began to collapse and Daniel had nowhere to throw so he ran out of the pocket and down the right sidelines. Daniel went a full eighty yards with a cut back at the end to get into the end zone. Tremendous speed shown for a quarterback here as it was a great run.
* Sean Canfield continued to look sub-par as he was 2 for 3 but his incompletion right into the arms of Jo-Lonn Dunbar that should have been an interception but the linebacker bobbled and dropped it.
* No real punt return work, but the punting unit was out on the field to get some practice. Lance Moore, Reggie Bush, Tracy Porter, and Rod Harper were back catching punts.
* The end of practice saw the "two-minute" drill work that began with the first team offense led by Brees and driving down field, but only getting close enough for what would have been a 52-yard field goal attempt by Garrett Hartley.
* Rod Harper did go down with a hurt left hip after making a diving catch during the two-minute drill. No word yet on how he is, but they believe it isn't serious.
* Lots of blitz packages shown here by Gregg Williams' defense with Jonathan Vilma and Usama Young getting into the backfield on a few occasions.
* Daniel got his offensive unit furthest down field ending with a 20-yard touchdown to pass to Courtney Roby in the corner who then spiked it with authority.

http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2010/8/6/1609662/saints-camp-day-8-porter-returns

BUCCANEERS

- A lot of attention has gone to fourth-rounder Mike Williams and rightly so. But rookie wideout Arrelious Benn showed today why the Bucs spent a second-round pick on him. During practice today, Benn made a beautiful diving catch in the redzone and coach Morris gave Benn some love after practice.

"Arrelious Benn is really starting to come into his own," said Morris. "He is making splash plays. He is really playing big, physical, and strong... The extra time that he has put in with Yarber has been fantastic for him. He has been putting in extra time on the jug machines. He is just a guy that wants to be better and I am very proud of what he has been do for us."

- Coach Morris seems to have a nickel package conundrum on his hands. LB Geno Hayes typically plays alongside MLB Barrett Ruud in nickel defense, but LB Quincy Black took reps during the nickel today in practice and Morris likes having two guys who can both play during nickel situations.

"These two outside backers in Geno Hayes and Quincy Black - they make plays," said Morris. "They make splash plays. They make tackles for loss. They make sacks. They are violent... I love the competition. Geno is one of those guys that you hate to take off the field because he might go out there and make a splash play for you. But you look at Quincy, he is starting come and starting to grow and he is becoming this leader. I don't want to take him off the field either. But I'm going let those two guys go out there and fight it out and let the best man win."

- Morris also gave the fans a little preview of what they can expect at tomorrow's night practice at Raymond James Stadium.

"We are going to have fireworks. It's going to be a little fan-friendly, said Morris. "We will have a little Oklahoma . We will have some one-on-ones. We will a jug shooting competition. We will have a quarterback competition, bring back the old school. We will put some table out there and let the quarterbacks put some chalk on the balls and throw at some targets...this our FanFest, but we are practicing."

- Quote the day from Morris came when he was discussing rookie DE Erik Lorig.
"He's a (Teenage Mutant) Ninja Turtle," said Morris. "He has great base and movement. He really is. He is a little freakish when it comes to his movement and some of things he can do."

http://www.pewterreport.com/articles/view/7244

BUCCANEERS

TAMPA — The Bucs are committed to playing young receivers this season with quarterback Josh Freeman, who barely is out of the bubble wrap himself.

With newbie wideouts, you get fresh-legged guys who won't miss practice, have open minds and a competitive spirit.

You also get players who are shocked by the speed of the game, hit the rookie wall about Week 12 and occasionally run wrong routes.

An NFL team willing to live with the mistakes might perish by them as well.

"I kind of got on Mike Williams today," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said of the team's fourth-round pick from Syracuse. "He messed up a play, he had an error, he was on the wrong side. It was supposed to be a play for Sammie (Stroughter)."

The bloom is not off the rose for Williams, who was so impressive during the offseason he began training camp as the starter at X receiver (on the line of scrimmage, opposite the tight end). Arrelious Benn, a second-round pick from Illinois, has not risen as quickly on the depth chart but the Bucs believe he could develop into a Anquan Boldin-like player.

It's not unusual to see a veteran quarterback with young receivers or a young quarterback with veteran receivers.

But this?

"That's the direction we're taking here," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. "Because of the potential of these guys, we feel like, hey, there may be some growing pains along the way, but the payoff down the road we think is going to be great because of the growth of the group. Being able to keep these guys around here. The contracts are about the same years. If we can just keep them around here, keep a good, solid group of young guys around here.

"… A lot of times, as you see when guys get older in this league, you struggle to have guys practicing, you struggle with injuries. We're probably banking on these guys staying healthy throughout the season. They're young, fresh-legged kids and eager to learn and eager to play."

On many occasions, Morris and general manager Mark Dominik have referenced the model in Indianapolis with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.

But when Manning arrived as the first overall pick in 1998, Marvin Harrison already had played two seasons and had 137 catches for 1,702 yards and 14 touchdowns. And Manning still threw 28 interceptions as a rookie.

Certainly, the Bucs needed to invest at receiver. In 2009, tight end Kellen Winslow's 77 receptions were more than their top two receivers combined (Antonio Bryant had 39, Stroughter 31).

Williams and Benn appear to have all the tools to succeed. They're big (6 feet 2), physical receivers who can gain yards after the catch. But early fame can be fleeting.

Sunday after practice, Michael Clayton spent three hours watching tape with Williams and showed him every game from the 2004 season, when Clayton led all rookies with 80 catches for 1,193 and seven touchdowns. But in the past five years, Clayton never has had more than 38 catches in a season and had a career-low 16 in 2009.

"His first year, he thought he was All-Everything," Williams said. "All-Rookie, led all rookies in receiving, the fifth-best rookie receiving performance ever. He just thought he was the man. He said he came back his second year and it all went away. So he had to adjust to things like that and he just wanted me to be ready for that."

Clayton, whose $3 million salary is guaranteed this season, isn't sure if he will stay with the Bucs this season. But he says his role is to mentor young receivers.

"Basically, I gave him my whole life story," Clayton said. "It was about handling the ups and downs, the mentality that every yard matters. When you catch the ball, get vertical. Take care of the football. It wasn't about boasting on my rookie year but teaching everything matters. Whether I'm here or not, that's a part of my title, being there for him.

"He's a guy who is capable of being great. I really believe that."

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/tampa-bay-buccaneers-relying-on-youth-at-wide-receiver/1112706

SAINTS

1-on-1 (N.E. WRs/QBs vs. N.O. DBs)
Not a lot really stood out in this one, honestly, as Tom Brady and his backup Brian Hoyer completed a lot of slants and quick hitches. Those are nearly impossible to defend in this drill.

That said, there were a couple of standouts.

* CB Patrick Robinson showed exactly why the Saints have confidence in him to be a solid first-round draft pick. Going up against Brady and receiver Randy Moss, Robinson made a nice move to catch up to Moss on the sideline and batted the ball away for an incompletion. Then, with Hoyer as quarterback and tight end Rob Myers as the receiver, Robinson made another good play to keep the Patriots from a completion.
* Not that this needs to be said, but CB Jabari Greer continues to impress since his signing with the Saints last offseason. Tuesday, he kept Brady from completing passes to receiver Rod Owens and Moss.
* CB/NB Randall Gay shut down Patriots receiver Wes Welker during the 2009 game in New Orleans. He did it again Tuesday in Foxboro several times.

Team 1:
(Saints O vs Pats D)
First down: QB Drew Brees play-action to open TE Jeremy Shockey deep right for 20-plus yard gain
First down: RB Pierre Thomas left tackle for 4 yards
First down: RB Reggie Bush up middle for 2-3 yards
First down: Brees play-action to WR Marques Colston over middle. Pass dropped
First down: QB Patrick Ramsey to WR Adrian Arrington
First down: Ramsey to Arrington in tight coverage
First down: RB Chris Ivory right end for 3-4 yards

(Pats O vs Saints D)
First down: RB Laurence Maroney middle give for 4-5 yards
First down: QB Tom Brady to WR Randy Moss in between CB Jabari Greer and S Usama Young for 60-yard completion. Brady has tons of time in pocket
First down: Brady to RB Fred Taylor for a short gain

(Saints O vs Pats D)
First down: Bush slips through the middle for 5 yards
First down: Brees to Bush right flat for 10 yards
First down: Brees to Colston for 10-plus yard gain
First down: flag – hard count by Brees brings Pats offside
First down: Brees incomplete to WR Lance Moore in front of CB Darius Butler
First down: Thomas breaks around left end for 10-plus yard gain

(Pats O vs Saints D)
First down: Brady incomplete
First down: Brady to receiver Brandon Tate in front of CB Tracy Porter
First down: Brady to Tate on a crossing route for 20-plus yards
First down: Brady incomplete to Moss

Team 2, Red zone:
(Saints O vs Pats D)
First-and-10 @ 17 – Bush bounces outside right for 3-5 yards
Second-and-10 @ 17 – Thomas left, flag – false start
Third-and-10 @ 15 – Brees to Shockey at goal line, but S Brandon Meriweather bats away ball
First-and-goal @ 7 – Brees to WR Courtney Roby slant left, spins past CB Darius Butler for TD
Second-and-goal @ 5 – Brees throws high to TE David Thomas in end zone
Third-and-goal @ 3 – Brees checks out of play at line, throws to Shockey for TD.

(Pats O vs Saints D)
First-and-10 @ 17 – Maroney right end
Second-and-goal @ 8 – Brady to Moss in back of end zone, but S Usama Young tipped the pass away
Third-and-goal 2 7 – Brady to TE Aaron Hernandez in front S Roman Harper for TD
Third-and-goal @ 5 – Brady to TE Rob Gronkowski for TD

http://www.wwltv.com/sports/Practice-Observations-Robinson-stands-out-Shanle-returns-100364524.html

PANTHERS

1. The Panthers dumped undrafted rookie OL Kurtis Gregory and Noah Franklin (both disappointed on Saturday) and replaced them with OT Jason Capizzi and G Andrew Crummey. They claimed Crummey off waivers from the Jaguars. Capizzi is a big guy at 6-foot-9 and 315 pounds. The newcomers have more experience than the previous two.

2. Five players returned to practice today — RB Tyrell Sutton, TE Jamie Petrowski and DL Hilee Taylor, Eric Moore and Nick Hayden.

3. Eleven players remain out of action including RB Jonathan Stewart, OT Jeff Otah, WR Steve Smith, CB Chris Gamble and LB Thomas Davis. Davis, of course, isn’t likely to return until much later in the season, if at all.

4. The first fisticuffs of camp occured when FB Rashawn Jackson and LB Sean Ware mixed it up for a few seconds.

5. QB Jimmy Clausen struggled with his snaps (he dropped two) but also completed a couple of nice touchdown passes during team drills, including one on a slant route to TE Dante Rosario. On the other, Clausen lofted a ball over the head of a linebacker and nicely into the arms of RB Dantrell Savage, who was running down the right sidelines.

6. When asked about the surprises of training camp, coach John Fox mentioned WR Trent Guy’s performance (before he got hurt), Matt Moore’s comfort zone, the emergence of WR Brandon LaFell and the play of CB C.J. Wilson at Fan Fest.

7. The coaches were very loud this morning, no doubt trying to make sure the players were back on the field mentally after getting a day off on Sunday.

8. The Panthers are admittedly completely undecided on what they’re going to do at DT. The first team changes almost daily, although some of that has to do with injuries and who’s on the field. Right now, Louis Leonard, Tank Tyler, Ed Johnson and Derek Landri are getting looks there. I’m not sure exactly where that leaves Corvey Irvin, last year’s third-round draft pick. But they certainly won’t give up on him before they ever see him play. He’ll likely stick around.

9. RB DeAngelo Williams had the ball stripped by DE Everette Brown and CB Marcus Hudson early in practice. A rare mistake for Williams.

10. Marcus Hudson and Wallace Wright were running down punts on Monday while Armanti Edwards, Captain Munnerlyn and Brian Witherspoon were receiving them. Hudson made a great attempt and saving one punt from landing in the end zone, leaping to swat the ball back into play. He nearly did it, but it hit the goal line and would have been ruled a touchdown. Still, some nice effort there.

http://reederstake.freedomblogging.com/2010/08/09/ten-observations-from-monday-mornings-practice-2/5811/

FALCONS

It has been awhile since Brian Finneran has heard his name announced with the starting lineup.

But with the Falcons down a receiver because of Michael Jenkins‘ shoulder injury, Finneran is up to the task if needed.

He's listed on the team's depth chart as Jenkins' backup. However, coach Mike Smith said that he expected Finneran and Eric Weems to get most of practice repetitions while the team waits for Harry Douglas to fully recover from knee surgery.

Finneran started two games last season, but has not been a full-time starter since 2003. He started seven games in 2005, but started 16 in 2002.

He has battled back from two gruesome knee surgeries to keep his career going. Finneran, who missed the entire 2006 and 2007 seasons with knee injuries, believes he can fill the starting wide receiver role.

"I've been there before," Finneran said. "It's been a while since I've been asked to do it, but you just go out there and play football. I've been on the football field for a long time now. Whether if you are a two, three or number one , you go out there and play."

Finneran, who has 219 career receptions for 2,927 yards and 16 touchdowns, caught only 11 passes for 111 yards and no touchdowns last season.

Jenkins is scheduled to miss four to six weeks, as of Aug. 8. He could return a week before the season opener, or he could miss as much as the first two weeks of the season.

The Falcons open at Pittsburgh on Sept. 12 and play their home opener against Arizona on Sept. 19. Finneran is gearing up for at least an increased role, but possibly the starting assignment.

"A lot of times, the number of the world, you know who they are, the Roddy Whites and Larry Fitzgeralds of the world," Finneran said. "But from two through four, those guys get to step up and make plays every week. So you just go out there and do it."

Finneran had a tough start to training camp, missing a few practices with back spasms.

"We are very familiar with Brian and what he's capable of doing," Smith said.

Waiting on Robinson

The projected starting secondary has yet to play together much in training camp, but secondary coach Tim Lewis remains pleased.

"I'm the eternal optimist," Lewis said. "I always seem to see the bright side of things."

Cornerback Dunta Robinson, the team's big free-agent acquisition, went through three days of training camp before suffering a tight hamstring. He hasn't practiced with the defense since Aug. 2.

Lewis has juggled Christopher Owens, Brent Grimes and Chevis Jackson at cornerback. Owens and Grimes are set to start Friday against Kansas City in the exhibition opener.

Brian Williams, who opened last season as a starter, is battling back from knee surgery.

"We've had our ups and downs in our battle with the offense," Lewis said. "It's been a great battle for them to try to learn some of the things I presented to them that may be a little different than what they heard before."

Young defensive backs

Cornerback Daylan Walker and safety Rafael Bush, both undrafted rookie free agents, are expected to play a lot Friday night.

"I'm looking forward to watching them play," Lewis said. "Walker, I think he had an interception and two pass breakups ."

Bush also has made some nice plays.

"He's making calls, and he's generally in the right position," Lewis said. "He struggled a little bit in the spring, but he's made tremendous improvement."

QB rotation

After Matt Ryan starts against the Chiefs, the Falcons will hand the offense over to Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson.

"It's very important for Chris and JP simply because the backup quarterback, once the season starts, does not get a lot of repetitions in practice," Smith said. "I think you get a feel for how your backup quarterback can handle certain situations."

No pads

After four practices against Jacksonville, Smith gave the team a break Wednesday and let them practice without their pads.

"We would like to get our guys some rest," Smith said. "They've been going long and hard for the last 12 or 13 days."

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/brian-finneran-ready-to-590151.html?cxtype=rss_falcons

PANTHERS

The Good

Offense - Matt Moore's stat sheet may not have been impressive (4/7 for 32 yards), but he wasn't that bad in his first game back. The offensive line didn't do a good job of protecting him and two long completions of Moore's were called back because of penalties. DeAngelo Williams looked like he was in midseason form with five carries for 33 yards, as did pretty much every other Panthers' running back. Tyrell Sutton gained 52 yards on seven touches and undrafted rookie Josh Vaughn ran the ball 11 times for 48 yards.

Kenny Moore had a spectacular 25-yard catch and Dwayne Jarrett snagged a bullet at 18 yards that was called back due to penalties. Jimmy Clausen looked confident and poised in the pocket, cementing his spot as the No. 2 QB. He was the only quarterback able to move the ball consistently and caused the ESPN announcers to gush over him for the better part of an hour.

Defense - The pass rush was a big question mark for the Panthers entering the preseason, but if their D-line keeps playing like that, it won't be. They sacked the Ravens' QB six times and forced three fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Veteran starter Tyler Brayton beat Michael "The Blind Side" Oher for a sack twice, as did rookie Greg Hardy later on against the second-stringers.

Nick Hayden and Eric Norwood each got a sack and a fumble, in addition to Eric Moore's TD-causing strip. The second and third string defenses held the Ravens' backup offense for most of the night and were solid against the run.

Special Teams: John Kasay made two field goals from 37 and 45 yards, respectively, as Jason Baker pinned multiple punts inside the ten.

The Bad

Offense - The offensive line was flagged for six penalties totaling 45 yards (Jordan Gross was responsible for three of them) over the course of the game and showed their rust in pass protection by allowing seven sacks. No receiver caught more than two passes, leaving the competition for the second receiver slot wide open.

Tyrell Sutton fumbled the ball on the one-yard line and robbed the Panthers of a potential score. Armanti Edwards dropped several passes while Dexter Jackson caused a pick by falling down during a route. Backup quarterbacks Cantwell and Pike were inconsistent and ineffectual.

Defense - The Ravens first-team offense dominated the Panthers' top defense and marched down the field twice for a quick 10 points. The linebackers couldn't stop the screen plays and the secondary struggled mightily without Chris Gamble. Captain Munnerlyn gave up a long TD pass to Mark Clayton, but it was probably Charles Godfrey's fault for not getting over there sooner.

Jon Beason was caught out of position a couple of times and looked like he's still adjusting to his new role on the weak side. The backup defense was solid but had some struggles in the secondary.

Special Teams: Jason Baker had a Tony Romo-esque bobbled field goal snap while the young special teams unit allowed a 57-yard punt return that set up a score.

1. Clausen looked very NFL ready, at least until the rain started. He made some nice throws and seemed to have a good sense of awareness. But let’s remember a few things. Clausen was playing against Baltimore’s backups and the Panthers pretty much decided Moore’s performance at the end of last season earned him the right to open this regular season as the starter. Clausen landed some jabs, but nothing close to a knockout punch.

2. Moore was far from horrible. He wasn’t spectacular, but he did some nice things. Something else to keep this in perspective -- Moore was playing against a very good Baltimore first-team defense. He also was doing it without receiver Steve Smith, right tackle Jeff Otah and running back Jonathan Stewart. All three are expected to be ready for the start of the regular season and they will make Moore a much better quarterback. Moore would have to absolutely bomb to lose the job now and he didn't do that.

3. What was the deal with Jordan Gross? The left tackle got called for three penalties in the first 12 minutes and that didn’t help Moore. I wouldn’t be too concerned with this and I doubt the Panthers are. Gross is one of the best left tackles in the league. He’s not going to have games like that in the regular season.

4. The pass rush is very much a work in progress. When it mattered with the first and second teams, the Panthers had stretches when they didn’t generate any pressure on Joe Flacco and Marc Bulger. But they also had a few flash plays where they did. The good news is veteran Tyler Brayton had two sacks on Flacco. The bad news is Brayton suffered some sort of ankle injury on his second sack. We don’t know the extent of that injury yet. The most encouraging news is rookies Greg Hardy and Eric Norwood showed some real flashes. If I’m John Fox, I let Brayton sit for most (or all) of the rest of the preseason. The Panthers know what they can get out of Brayton. They need to find out more about what they can get from Hardy, Norwood, Charles Johnson and Everette Brown.

5. Whoov? Like a lot of Carolina fans, I was more than a little concerned when the Panthers let fullback Brad Hoover go after last season. It was hard to find a fullback more dependable than Hoover. But I liked what I saw of replacement Anthony Fiammetta. He blocked well and looked good as a receiver out of the backfield.

6. Backup running back Tyrell Sutton had a few nice plays. But I wouldn’t go drafting him for your fantasy team. As long as DeAngelo Williams and Stewart are healthy, they’re going to get almost all of the carries. Besides, Sutton fumbled at the goal line and Fox isn’t big on giving the ball to guys who fumble.

7. Rookie Armanti Edwards will be a factor on offense, but not immediately. Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski both talked about how the former college quarterback is adjusting to playing wide receiver and implied it might take until about midseason for him to have much of a role in the offense. That’s the exact word I got from the Carolina brass when I visited training camp. But don’t be surprised if Edwards is handling punt returns sooner than that. That’s a new task for Edwards, too. But he showed he can catch punts, even in the rain, and the guy has the dynamics to make things happen in the open field.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/11840/observation-deck-carolina-baltimore

FALCONS

HIGHLIGHTS

* Fear Kroy Biermann. He was a monster in very limited action, nearly catching Matt Cassel at least once and planting him in the turf another time. As a matter of fact, he hit Matt Cassel so hard that he forced a fumble. Also, I'm pretty sure Matt Cassel's head popped off like a Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robot.
* Loved the effort by our ground game. Michael Turner looked effortlessly good and even managed to haul in a pass. Jason Snelling had a couple of nice runs in between his two yard grinders. Antone Smith looked elusive. And then there was my boy the Rushin' Russian, Dmitri Nance.

The six carries for six yards isn't super impressive, but he found the end zone twice and had a long, speedy touchdown called back by a penalty. He also hauled in a couple of passes for 26 yards. Nance definitely turned a few heads tonight.
* Chevis Jackson has become an afterthought in the cornerback corps, but he managed to force a fumble, pick a pass and pile up three tackles tonight. I don't know if the Chiefs' backups are just bad or if a light is coming on for Jackson, but he needs performances like this to hold off Brian Williams and Dominique Franks.
* Speaking of interceptions, Shann Schillinger had a very nice one. For a guy with such a weird name, he has great instincts for the ball.
* The linebackers all played pretty well. Sean Weatherspoon was quietly efficient, Spencer Adkins was flying all over the field and Stephen Nicholas produced a couple of nice stops. The extremely encouraging moment for tonight was the sight of Curtis Lofton getting a sack to go with his four other tackles. We could use a Lofton who is more effective against the pass and at the point of attack against quarterbacks, so that was pretty cool for The Police.
* Eric Weems may hold on to the return job yet. Special Weems scampered around for a 31 yard kick return and a 9 yard punt return, a surprisingly effective performance. It's too bad we still don't know if he can catch all that well.
* Tony Gonzalez, Kerry Meier and Troy Bergeron all had a couple of nice grabs. Kudos to them.
* Last but not....okay, last and most likely least, we present to you John Parker Wilson. JPW couldn't throw a pass 50 yards downfield if God Himself willed it, but he showed flashes of being an effective game manager in this one. Most impressive was his ability to avoid pressure without the cartoon happy feet that Matt Ryan still sometimes gets.

LOWLIGHTS

* As has been noted by Adam and others, the pass protection for Matt Ryan was godawful. It was so bad that I have a hard time judging Ryan himself too harshly, since he was given no time to throw against a woeful Chiefs front seven. Let's pray this was just a fluke, and our boy Sam Baker's useless T. Rex arms aren't shrinking by the minute.
* The kicking game is making me very nervous. Matt Bryant nailed a 30 yarder but missed a 50 yarder wide right. Steve Hauschka hit a 37 yarder but missed a 53 yarder that was just short but dead on. I maintain that Hauschka has the stronger leg, as can be seen by his booming 70 yard kickoff tonight, but despite his accuracy on the long attempt he did fall short. Bryant has much more experience and the steadier mindset of the two, but his leg just isn't what it used to be.

This will be one to watch closely, or at least cover your eyes closely for.
* I know we had two picks, but some really mediocre quarterbacks had quite a bit of success against our secondary tonight. Let's nervously chalk that one up to rust and move on.
* Roddy White had a couple of drops. If we're being totally honest with each other, friends, we'd probably admit that White is always going to drop a few passes. It's the only thing preventing him from being considered an elite among elites.

THE WRAPUP

Game MVP: We'll give this one to Biermann, because he's awesome and it's the pre-season and gosh darn it, I feel like it. Dmitri Nance would also be an excellent choice.

Game Theme Song: I think this describes, in some weird way, what we did to the Chiefs last night. Hopefully we can make this a theme song for the season.

One Thing To Take Away: It's going to be one hell of an interesting pre-season. The competition for a handful of jobs is really heavy.

http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2010/8/14/1622532/falcons-and-chiefs-recap-battle

SAINTS

Otherwise, the New Orleans Saints' late-summer visit to New England was fairly forgettable.

It wasn't as disastrous as, say, the Griswolds' trip to Wally World, but it wasn't exactly "Little Miss Sunshine" either.

In their four-day road trip to the great Northeast, here's what the Saints managed to lose: a football game, a running back, a punter - at least temporarily - and perhaps a touch of their Super Bowl swagger.

Whatever championship aura the Saints carried with them over the offseason disintegrated in the discouraging opening minutes of their 27-24 exhibition loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

Here's how the game started: a 1-yard run by Reggie Bush; an incompletion; an 11-yard sack; and a 40-yard punt return by Julian Edelman in which punter Thomas Morstead injured his left shoulder while making the touchdown-saving tackle at his own 10-yard line.

Before the Saints' first-team offense mustered its first first down, the Patriots led 10-0.

Quarterback Drew Brees and the rest of the league's top-ranked offense in 2009 managed to save face with a monster 20-play scoring drive on their third series, but New England quickly quelled the Saints' momentum with a touchdown of its own. On their first three drives, the Patriots gained 175 yards and got 11 first downs.

Saints players and coaches afterward called it a wake-up call, and that's a good way to describe it.

"We were rusty and have to execute better in all aspects of the game, but that will come with time, " cornerback Tracy Porter said.

"It was our first live action on the field, and as you could see we have a lot of work to do, " wide receiver Marques Colston said.

They can start by working on their tackling. The Saints made Edelman look like a modern-day Red Grange for most of the night. The shifty receiver consistently made the first Saints defender miss during a six-catch, 90-yard performance that helped Patriots fans forget about Wes Welker's absence.

The Saints also have work to do in pass protection and on kick coverage.

At the same time, it's important not to overreact. This is, after all, the preseason.

You might not remember, but the Saints opened the 2009 preseason in exactly the same way, with two three-and-out drives followed by a touchdown march. The Saints' offense will get it together.

And there were some definite bright spots.

Linebacker Jonathan Casillas led all defenders with 10 solo tackles, including a sack.

Rookie end Junior Galette showed speed off the edge.

Receiver Adrian Arrington made a strong case for roster spot with a team-high 87 receiving yards on four catches.

And Larry Beavers, who had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Patrick Ramsey, Jeff Charleston and Chase Daniel all had their moments.

"This is a business trip, and we didn't get our business done tonight, " fullback Heath Evans said. "It's preseason and there are chinks in the armor, but that is what these games are for."

Of more pressing concern is the loss of running back Lynell Hamilton to a torn ACL on Wednesday He'd enjoyed a strong offseason and was slated to fill Mike Bell's short-yardage and "closer" roles.

Now, the Saints are in the market for veteran running back. They like young backs Chris Ivory and P.J. Hill, and both had their moments Thursday night. Ivory had 30 yards on six carries, including a touchdown. Hill added 30 yards on nine carries. And the duo will get long looks next week in practices and the home exhibition opener against the Houston Texans.

But the club clearly could use some size and experience in its young backfield. Think about it: Do you really want to entrust game-clinching handoffs to a running back who has never made an official carry in an NFL game?

"We're looking, " Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said before the game. "It's discouraging, because Lynell is a good player and had worked hard for this opportunity. We'll consider all of our options."

The leaves haven't changed in New England yet, and already the Saints have work to do

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/08/new_orleans_saints_preseason_l.html#incart_mce

BUCCANEERS

The preseason opener has come and gone, but we've had an entire day to soak in and chew on what we witnessed Saturday night. To be certain, there were some eye-opening performances, by the starters and reserves alike, as guys began to showcase what they've got for roster spots and positions on the depth chart. With the nickel CB, strong safety, return men, 3rd down back, nose tackle, left DE, and flanker/split end positions up for grabs this preseason, there may not ever be a more open competition for roster spots than this year......meaning there might not ever be a more compelling and can't-miss preseason than this one.

Although some fans prefer to change the channel after the first-teamers put on their baseball caps and call it a day, the true battle emerges thereafter. Second-teamers. The guys who, if they ultimately lose out to the first-teamers, will almost certainly see the field sparingly this fall and who will be called on to step in and contribute should a starter go down, which is a near-certainty for at least one or two positions at some point during the season.

So who put a good foot forward in some of these roster battles? Who soiled the proverbial bed? Stay with me through the jump.........

Star-divide

Four Up

1. EJ Biggers - was tight in coverage and effective agains the run, tallying four tackles. He was johnny-on-the-spot with a fumble recovery on the Bucs' 7-yard line to thwart a late first-half scoring drive. Definitely gave the coaching staff a good first impression in the race for the nickel CB spot.

2. Kareem Huggins - Hugs ripped off the longest play of the night, a 35-yard run where he exploded through the line, made a move, and dashed down the sideline. He hit the holes quickly, much more so than Derrick Ward did. It might be early in the preseason, but if he can continue to impress like this, it'll be nearly impossible to keep him off the 53-man roster.

3. Josh Freeman - He was composed and played within himself, avoiding making any rushed or forced throws. He displayed tremendous touch on the deep sideline route to Mike Williams. The TD pass to Stroughter was a product of Freeman being patient and going through his progressions. All in all, he looked good, albeit during a brief appearance. Nice tone-setter to start the year.

4. Brent Bowden - Forget the 35-yard average. Bowden can boom the football. The average was a product of where he was kicking the ball on the field. Brent flashed some of the control he's been billed to possess, killing two 30-yard punts inside the ten yard line and giving his defense a shot in the arm.

Four Down

1. Derrick Ward - 20 yards rushing on 12 carries. Ugh. That was a performance to forget. Ward had next to no explosiveness to the line and he seemingly was gobbled up by whatever lineman he got near when he got there. He was clearly outshined by Kareem Huggins against a similar level of defensive competition.

2. Josh Johnson - Definitely not a performance Buccaneer fans were looking for to quash concerns about not signign a veteran backup QB this offseason. Johnson treated the football like a 4th-grader treats his notebook, putting it on the ground twice and losing it once. On the one he recovered, he pulled a Clint Stoerner, slipping and bracing himself with the football. He also sailed a go route and threw an interception in the first half. Such a litany of mistakes can't happen in the regular season, regardless of weather. We'll see if Josh can step his game up the rest of the preseason.

3. Chris Brooks - When you're a relatively unknown player fighting for a roster spot, you have to separate yourself and make a name for yourself. Dropping a potential game-winning touchdown is probably not a good way to do it. Brooks' drop of the football on a wide-open, perfectly-thrown go route in the Dolphin red-zone on a certain TD with 2 minutes to go was a bad first impression that he'll have to bounce back from.

4. Clifton Smith - Yes, I know he didn't play, but the impressive performance by Huggins makes it that much more difficult for Smith to make the roster as a 3rd back. Spurlock showing some relevance in the passing game and his already proven quality skills in the return game give him a solid shot to make the roster.

http://www.bucsnation.com/2010/8/16/1624916/four-up-four-down-who-impressed

In a low-scoring and sloppy game, as is proper for a first pre-season game, the Dolphins beat the Bucs 10-7. The Bucs walked onto a field to face a real opponent for the first time in many months.With rain pouring down in the first minutes and the mud from the baseball game on the field the field was pretty bad. Luckily, the rain cleared up fairly quickly and it got better after that.

Freeman opened the scoring on a 13-yard strike to a wide-open Stroughter, after driving the team down the field on a drive featuring some good runs by Cadillac and a beautiful strike to rookie Mike Williams for 30 yards. Before that, the Dolphins offense looked bad and out of sync, but the Bucs defense looked good and was quick to the ball, including a spectacular pass break-up by Geno Hayes behind the line. However, the pass rush was still lacking and Roy Miller was underwhelming, with McCoy facing constant double teams and not making much of an impact. EJ Biggers looked good in nickel duty and 2nd team defense, both in coverage and on tackles. The downside there was that Maurice Stovall was carted off the field with an ankle injury. Michael Clayton got a few looks when Stovall went down, but stood out by dropping the ball.

After that, the second string came in on offense and defense, though Gerald McCoy was in for most of the first half. The second-team offense looked really bad, with Josh Johnson looking his usual skittish self and Derrick Ward looking a lot worse than expected. Ward gained only 20 yards on 12 carries, and while his blocking was pretty bad, he missed holes and gained no yardage when hit and even fumbled the ball twice. Josh Johnson looked bad with a lost fumble where he just dropped the ball out of his hand and a bad pick on an underthrow to Reggie Brown, But showed he still had the ability to make some good plays with his legs and even threw a good 18-yard pass to Sammie Stroughter, who made a great catch. Arrelious Benn got two looks here - one deep overthrow by Josh Johnson where he had beaten the corner and an end-around that got sniffed out so quickly that he had 5 guys on him almost immediately after crossing the line of scrimmage. Aside from 2 kick-off returns that went nowhere, Benn got no other looks. TE Ryan Purvis got a couple passes, and had a decent performance.

The second string defense played well against the 2nd string Dolphins offense, with Michael Bennett getting a sack and a near-sack later on in the game making a good impression. EJ Biggers jumped on a bad Dolphins snap to get the ball back, but after a 3-and-out by the offense Brent Bowden hit a short punt (his only bad punt of the evening, he looked really good on other punts especially in directional punting). The Dolphins got a field goal off that good field position because Sabby gave them a first down on a late hit.

The second half saw Kareem Huggins coming in. Kareem Huggins stood out by grabbing a few great runs, including a 35-yarder and gaining some good yardage on a screen. He looked faster than the other RBs, and had some real burst. He really made a statement this game. On the same drive Josh Johnson got a ball off to Spurlock at the last moment, who made a spectacular catch along the sideline. When Rudy Carpenter came in, they managed to drive down field a bit into field goal range, but Hunter Lawrence missed a 49-yarder.

After that, Tyler Thigpen managed to shred our 3rd-team defense to get into the red zone, where Hilliard scored the TD. Cody Grimm and Corey Lynch, who blocked a punt later on, looked decent as safeties, but the 3rd-string defense as a whole looked bad and no one stood out. That more or less meant the end of the game, as neither side could get anything done. One play stood out where rookie WR Chris Brooks got wide open 30 yards down ball and caught the pass, but was hit and immediately fumbled the ball too, and after Corey Lynch's blocked punt the Bucs didn't turn that field position into points after going for it on 4th down.

Star-divide

The Good:

First team offense is looking sharp, Cadillac Williams looking good and Josh Freeman seemed comfortable, making no mistakes and not trying to fit the ball into spots it doesn't fit. Mike Williams looks like the real deal.

The first team defense looked quick, swarmed to the ball and was not burned for any plays.

Sabby Piscitelli made no real mistakes, except for his penalty.

Preston Parker looked good returning punts.

Brent Bowden looked good punting the ball, directional punting is a real strong point.

Kareem Huggins looked spectacular, although he was playing against a 3rd string team.

Michael Bennett made some good pass-rushing plays.

Our Special Teams are still really really good.

The Bad:

Maurice Stovall injured his ankle early in the game and did not return.

Josh Johnson and Rudy Carpenter look bad.

Derrick Ward had a horrible game.

Roy Miller was disappointing - did not get much done even against single blocking.

No real pass rush from our starting front 4.

Depth is atrocious at a lot of positions. We can't afford to lose anyone to injury if these players are going to be coming in for them, with a few exceptions.

Bunch of sloppy, needless penalties.

The Ugly:

The field.

Arrelious Benn not getting any good looks.

http://www.bucsnation.com/2010/8/14/1623612/preseason-week-1-bucs-dolphins

FALCONS

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons secondary had to face New England quarterback Tom Brady without their top two corners backs in the first practice on Tuesday morning.

Dunta Robinson, who signed a six-year $57 million free agent contract, has been out with a hamstring injury. Brent Grimes, who’s been working with the first team defense at left cornerback, did not practice because of a groin injury.

Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss connected for two touchdowns. He caught one that appeared to be over Christopher Owens. He caught another and then went behind the Falcons players on the sidelines and told them “that’s two today.”

Falcons coach Mike Smith spent the morning watching his defense.

“I thought it went well,” Smith said. “The guys did what we asked them to do. They stayed on their feet when they were in shells like that. That’s the thing you want to have happen. I thought the guys worked extremely hard.”

The Falcons finished 28th against the pass last season and are seeking to improve in that area. It must be noted that there is no pass rush in the 7-on-7 passing drills and the defensive backs have to stay in coverage longer.

“They are a talented offense,” Smith said. “They have a great quarterback and a great wide receiver. I saw our guys out there competing and that’s what we have to do.”

Moss later dazzled the crowd with a one-handed grab with Brian Williams in coverage.

“Yeah, I saw his one-handed grab there,” Smith said. “He had a nice catch. I thought it was a spirited practice.”

Grimes, who is battling for a starting spot, suffered an untimely injury.

“Unfortunately he wasn’t able to go with us today,” Smith said. “We’ve got to get our guys healthy.”

The Falcons did strike back offensively.

Matt Ryan connected with Troy Bergeron on a touchdown pass and backup quarterback Chris Redman tossed a nice touchdown pass to Harry Douglas, who will play on Thursday night.

“Harry is really progressing well,” Smith said.

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/2010/08/17/practice-report-secondary-faces-brady-to-moss-barrage/

BUCCANEERS

TAMPA - You know how hot it was Tuesday, so you can imagine the scene at One Buc Place for the men running at full speed during one of the final practices of training camp.

Think: molten lava.

Standing safely to the side as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sweated through the workout, Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon looked out to where top draft choice Gerald McCoy was willing his 295-pound body to the finish line.

"I am so impressed with him," Selmon said. "He is very talented, but I'm so impressed with him as a person. You can tell he's a guy of great character. You know he's going to be there and you can depend on him.

"He has the ambition to be the best he can be, and he'll work hard to do that. He wants to learn as much as he possibly can, absorb as much as possible."

The process of absorption for Gerald McCoy continues daily. Double-team blocking is a fact of life for defensive tackles in the National Football League and Miami introduced McCoy to that concept Saturday during his 19 snaps in the Bucs' exhibition opener.

A 3-technique tackle – lined up between the guard and tackle – isn't the spot for glory hounds.

"They should get doubled," Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. "If they don't get doubled, it's a sign of disrespect."

The game was played in slop, partly on the dirt baseball infield at Sun Life Stadium. That's hardly the ideal place for a coming-out party, but McCoy introduced the Dolphins to something too. During one of the double teams on McCoy, defensive end Michael Bennett was able to shake loose from single blocking for a sack.

"A lot of snaps were in the mud. We saw him play quick and tough, but we didn't see his quick explosion like he might do because of that. I'm really looking forward to him getting a bunch of snaps on grass so he can run around and use his quickness," Morris said.

"He played physical, he played tough, he was able to split some double teams and do some good things out there."

And there you have it, sports fans. He figures to attract much attention from opponents, so one way we'll measure McCoy's impact this season is by how well the linemen around him do.

"If you're a guy who has to be accounted for, the advantage goes to your defense. That allows other people to be in better situations to make plays. It's a selflessness to make plays that you have to have," Selmon said. "Your game stats might not show up, but coaches know. And opposing coaches know. That's what you really want."

The game stats show no tackles, no sacks for McCoy.

No matter.

"He was consistent. The surface had a lot to do with him slipping a couple of times, but he did what we asked him to do," defensive line coach Todd Wash said. "He has to control the line of scrimmage, stay on the line of scrimmage when he gets doubled, and when he gets single-blocked he needs to change the line of scrimmage."

McCoy's film grade for the first week was 78.

"As a defensive lineman, it's good if you're above 75," Wash said.

Back on the practice field, the workout was winding down. McCoy, normally an ebullient sort, stopped to talk as he moved slowly toward the locker room and the blessed relief of air conditioning.

"It was all right," he said of his debut. "The weather didn't help out that much, but you can't use that as a crutch, you can't use it as an excuse. You have to play through it. Things are not always 100 percent in this game, in this league. But you have to adapt to your environment."

Besides great physical gifts, McCoy is blessed with self-awareness. He may be the third overall draft pick in the NFL with a contract that guarantees him lifetime security, but last weekend he was just another jittery rookie.

"It was nerve-wracking the whole time, but I'll let it go this week," he said. "When I have a chance to make a play, just make it and take advantage of my opportunities."

Moments later, he was off, seeking respite from the heat. Ironic, since much of the Bucs' success this season could hinge on just how much heat McCoy brings.

"He's going to be a good one," Selmon said.

"He's going to be just fine."

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/17/171928/stats-might-not-show-it-but-mccoy-makes-impact/sports-bucs/

TAMPA - The Buccaneers went out of their way to draft receiver Arrelious Benn in the offseason.

Tampa Bay sent a fifth-round pick to the Raiders and moved up three spots, then selected Benn in the second round with the No..39 overall pick. Benn, from Illinois, was expected to invigorate Tampa Bay's receiving corps.

Two rounds later, Tampa Bay took a risk and drafted Mike Williams, a Syracuse receiver with first-round talent whose off-the-field questions led to most teams passing on him several times. If Williams developed, great; if not, Tampa Bay had Benn.

Almost one month after both arrived at One Buc Place, Wil liams became Tampa Bay's rising star and Benn has yet to shine. Williams is a starting receiver, while Benn is still getting started.

Benn hopes to improve after training camp concludes today, and not only meet Tampa Bay's expectations, but his own.

"I am happy Mike is having that success," Benn said. "I know I'm behind him, but I'm doing little things and he's doing things. It's all coming together. It's going to become something great."

Benn might be overshadowed by Williams, but coaches say it is unfair comparison.

Williams is the "X" receiver and Benn is a "Z." Williams' responsibility is to beat double teams and make big plays, such as San Diego's Vincent Jackson and New England's Randy Moss. Benn is expected to run underneath routes and play physical, such as Baltimore's Anquan Boldin.

"You shouldn't compare those two," Bucs receivers coach Eric Yarber said of Williams and Benn. "They learn at different paces. … One (Williams) can see it on the board and take it to the field. One (Benn) has to see it on the board, has to see it on film, then practice it on the field.

"It's not fair to make a comparison of those two. I'm very pleased about where he (Benn) is at right now."

Bucs coach Raheem Morris is also pleased with Benn's progress.

"Mike Williams has shown more right now and done some spectacular things, but Arrelious has really come on everyday," Morris said. "(Tuesday) was better because he's physically tough. He's done some things on special teams for us that have been really good. We'll just have to see."

Morris previously criticized Benn for playing too slow in Tampa Bay's preseason loss against Miami, but Yarber defended his protégé, who had no receptions and was targeted once during the 10-7 loss.

Yarber said because Benn is still learning the intricacies of being an NFL receiver, he understands why the rookie was tentative.

"A lot of times it's paralysis by analysis where you can't play as fast as you want," Yarber said. "He's just got to get to that point where he's not thinking about everything, just reacting, and that's the point he's getting to right now."

Although coaches have valid points about Benn's methodical development, he wants to get past excuses.

Benn has worked hard in practice and on special teams to become a better player. Everyone around him is convinced his maturation will happen soon - Benn included.

Even if Williams is ahead, Benn said he expects them to lead this team mutually.

"We're two young receivers with a young quarterback (Josh Freeman). That's all you can ask for," Benn said. "It's not about him having success or me having success.

"We're going to have success together."

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/18/180428/rookie-benn-confident-better-days-await/sports-bucs/

PANTHERS

Today's practice was another hot one as a couple of interesting developments came out. Jon Beason gives an insight of how the LB rotation will play out, Charles Godfrey quietly handling his business, D-Lo back after leave for the birth of his child, and Steve Reed has a hunch about our kicker situation. Here are Steve Reed's Ten Observations and Gantts practice wrap up. Here are the notable tweets for the day:

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daringantt Been down here 3 weeks and haven't heard such a thing once. RT @DanielTDenny Read the coaches were impressed with Clausen more than Moore.

daringantt Rain's starting to fall. They're going full pads in Gibbs Stadium.

carolinagrowl Same thing as yesterday -- WR Steve Smith is running routes, but is in shorts instead of full pads

daringantt Nice pick of Pike deep ball by RJ Stanford. These two 7th-round CBs (him and McClain) have some talent, will create a tough call.

daringantt Working on kickoff returns: Goodson, Guy, Sutton, Edwards.

daringantt Nice center field interception by Charles Godfrey off Moore in two-minute. Godfrey's quietly gotten better.

daringantt FS Sherrod Martin on sidelines, left thigh wrapped. Marcus Hudson in his spot.

(apparently he strained his groin, Reed says he thinks its not to serious)

TSutt22 I wanna be like Brett farve when I get older...put a whole organization on hold, get all the media attn, get offered more money to play n show up at the end of camp...must be nice lol

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2010/8/17/1628368/panthers-tuesday-practice-review

Panthers who have helped, hurt status so far

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Carolina Panthers’ 16th training camp at Wofford College is in the books. Here’s a look at the guys who are rising and falling after three weeks on holed up on campus:
CAMP RISERS

Quarterback Matt Moore: Simply put, it has been his best camp. There were elements of the staff unsure if he was an NFL player last year at this time, but Moore has made a huge leap in terms of earning the confidence of his peers. If you had taken the names and numbers off the jerseys of the quarterbacks and graded them each day, you’d have picked Moore every day.

Defensive end Greg Hardy: Looks like an excellent pass-rusher who’s stout enough to play the run too. Keep him healthy, and he’s a sixth-round steal who gives them a legitimate second-wave rusher.

Tight end Jeff King: They keep trying to replace him and it keeps not working. King has evolved into the wise man of the locker room, but also into a trustworthy target in the passing game. He’s in better shape than ever, and since he’s still the best blocker of the three they’ll keep, he figures to retain most of the snaps.

Defensive tackle Derek Landri: A late-season line-filler last December, he’s impressed coaches with his motor, and his ability to get to the right place at the right time. He may not be a guy you want to start, but he’s certainly a guy you trust as a backup since he knows his assignments cold.

Cornerback C.J. Wilson: Was passed by a rookie last year when he was supposed to ascend, but has consistently made plays throughout camp. A long defender with good ball skills, he’s making it impossible to overlook him.

CAMP FALLERS
Five players who may have hurt themselves with uneven camp performances:

Defensive tackle Louis Leonard: Can be a powerful force inside, but he also can’t stay on the field. They really need him to show up, but he hasn’t so far. It’s a little surprising, because he was one of the mainstays of offseason conditioning, but a June knee injury set him back

Wide receiver Kenny Moore: Came to camp on even footing for the second starting job, but has disappeared after a good first week to the point there may not be a roster spot for him. Roster math is not in his favor, as he’ll be fighting for a sixth-wideout job that may not exist.

Linebacker Jamar Williams: It’s hard to blame him for getting hurt, but if he was on the field, he could have pushed for a starting job. Now with camp gone, it’s hard to see him making a late push for such a role.

Right guard Duke Robinson: You can tell they’d love him to earn the starting job, as his power next to right tackle Jeff Otah would truly make it the strong side of the line. But coming in overweight and getting trucked in pass protection makes it hard to trust him at the moment.

Quarterback Tony Pike: It’s not his fault he missed two and a half weeks of OTAs, but the time off dropped him to fourth in line in the eyes of the coaches. He has something about him they like, but it’s hard to tell if it will be enough to keep him on the 53-man roster.

http://blogs.charlotte.com/panthers/2010/08/panthers-who-have-helped-hurt-status-so-far.html

SAINTS

Looks like Carl Nicks spent the day in the dog house. He was demoted to the 2's as the coaches sent a clear message to him and the others that mental mistakes and errors won't be tolerated. This looks to be only a temporary move aimed at getting his attention. Team sloppiness has been so frequent that coaches have reportedly resorted to having players run laps whenever they drop passes or commit pre-snap infractions. Wake up, fellas. The season is almost here.

Other notes include reports from the first day of joint practices with the Texans, Dave "The Baconator" Thomas stands out, the Shockmeister celebrates his birthday, and the never-ending saga of the old man from Mississippi who yells at clouds continues. Ya ever see the movie Groundhog Day? Well, the sequel to the sequel to the sequel is currently being filmed in Minnesota. Links, tweets, transcripts, and video after the jump.

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TWEETS:

drewbrees Just finished first practice against the Texans. Pretty good work for the first one.

JonVilma51 it was a good, physical practice today, i was glad to see all my boys from the "U!" doing their thing for the texans..

JeremyShockey Thx for all the birthday wishes!! Your the best Tweet FAM..

T_Porter22 RT @bobbymccray: Happy Birthday!!!! @JeremyShockey

bobbymccray Happy Birthday!!!! @JeremyShockey

bobbymccray RT @T_Porter22: Had a good team practice today vs the Texans..but not too many of the #whodats came out to support. What happened guys?

jeffduncantp Very true. Smallest crowd of camp. RT @T_Porter22: Had a good team practice vs Texans.but not too many of the #whodats came out to support.

Adam_Schefter So who in the office pool had 49ers RB Glen Coffee retiring before Brett Favre?

DougTatum RT @McClain_on_NFL: Andre Johnson gives a lot of credit to Saints WR coach Curtis Johnson for helping him be where he is.

HeathEvans Welcome back Brett Favre. Thurs night Sept 9th just got a lot more interesting! The Dome is gonna be rockin!!

jeffduncantp Terrence Metcalf started at left guard in place of Carl Nicks. It's only temporary, folks. http://bit.ly/c7tBUa

jeffduncantp Terrence Metcalf replaced Nicks in the starting line. It's only temporary. They're just sending him a message. But Nicks was clearly miffed.

GregBensel Coach Payton and his long time high school coach and mentor JR Bishop with NFL Films interview today

T_Porter22 Had a good team practice today vs the Texans..but not too many of the #whodats came out to support. What happened guys?

jeffduncantp New disciplinary measures for pre-snap infractions, dropped passes, etc. RT @DKDragon: @jeffduncantp Why was Hargrove running a lap earlier

jeffduncantp #Saints FS Darren Sharper just smiled when asked if he's concerned Malcolm Jenkins will beat him out for the starting job. "I'll be fine."

jeffduncantp #Saints FS Darren Sharper said today he hopes to return for the 9/2 exhibition game vs. Tenn, if not the reg. season opener vs. Minnesota.

jeffduncantp I asked Carl Nicks how they let him know he was on 2nd team. Nicks: "I don't want to get into that. You'll have to ask Coach (Aaron) Kromer"

jeffduncantp Saints are trying to light a fire under Carl Nicks. Demoted him to 2nd team today for morning practice and was not happy about it afterward.

jeffduncantp New Saints RB Ladell Betts is working for the first time today.

reggie_bush Big scrimmage today against the Houston Texans! Ready to go to work! Who dat!

alexbrown96 Good morning tweeters!!! Headed to practice where the Houston Texans are waiting to practice against the world champs !

AUGUST 18th PRACTICE WITH HOUSTON TEXANS:

New Orleans Saints are sending a message to guard Carl Nicks | NOLA.com
"It has to be one of two reasons, (either) they feel I'm not good enough any more or they feel the guy behind me is better," said an obviously miffed Nicks afterward. "You've got to ask coach about that."

Camp 2Dat: Houston Texans visit fight-free New Orleans Saints training camp
They may be the defending Super Bowl champions but the 2010 version of the Black and Gold certainly are not your battlin’ New Orleans Saints. In other words, there has been no "Brawlin’ in N’Awlins.’’

Saints Welcome Texans To Practice

New Orleans Saints RB Ladell Betts on the practice field Wednesday; LB Jonathan Casillas | NOLA.com
He worked out against Houston

Houston Texans visit New Orleans Saints for intra-squad practices today | NOLA.com
The Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints will kick off a series of three intra-squad practices today at the Saints' training facility in Metairie. The morning practice begins at 8:50 a.m. and is open to the public. The afternoon workout at 4:20 p.m. will be closed to the public Texans players told The Houston Chronicle on Tuesday that they're...

Ladell Betts hoping to join the New Orleans Saints on the field soon | NOLA.com
He is still recovering from ACL surgery

ALSOVIDEOCamp 2Dat: Running back Ladell Betts hits field for fist time with New Orleans Saints
The former Redskins, who will be 31 on Aug. 27, won’t play in the preseason game against Houston on Saturday in the Superdome.

Fights break out when tempers flare on the football field | Houston Texans Football | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
When the Texans practice with the New Orleans Saints two times today and once Thursday, tempers are expected to be short as they were the last two training camps when the two Gulf Coast teams came together.

Texans notes: Leaving on a bad note | Houston Texans Football | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Keep up with Houston sports news, schedules, scores and stats.

New Orleans Saints backup TE David Thomas looks sharp Wednesday morning | NOLA.com
New Orleans Saints backup tightend David Thomas, whom the franchise signed to a new deal in the off-season, looked particularly sharp Wednesday morning as the team went through the first of three scheduled joint practices with the Houston Texans.

New Orleans Saints training camp updated schedule | NOLA.com
With the announcement that both of Saturday's New Orleans Saints training camp afternoon workout is at 3:15 p.m., here is the complete schedule as of Aug. 18.

MORE NOTES ON YESTERDAY'S PRACTICE IN THE DOME:

New Orleans Saints get first look at the refurbished Superdome | NOLA.com
It was the first time back in the dome since the NFC Championship Game

Practice Observations: Drops stand out during practice | wwltv.com | WWL Sports
The Saints practiced inside the Superdome on Tuesday morning. WWL-TV reporter Bradley Handwerger was there and filed this practice report.

Saints add RB depth, sign Betts to one-year deal - NFL - CBSSports.com Football
The New Orleans Saints have signed former Redskins running back Ladell Betts to a one-year deal.

Payton Wrap Up At Superdome
New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton met with the media following Tuesday morning's practice at the Louisiana Superdome. During his session, Payton discussed the acquisition of RB Ladell Betts, practicing at the Superdome and the progress of rookie CB Patrick Robinson

Betts Talks About Joining New Orleans

Betts Adds Depth To Saints Backfield
Betts joined his new teammates for a two-hour practice at the Superdome, but didn’t wear shoulder pads and was held out of team drills as he continues to work his way back from surgery last fall to repair torn left knee ligaments. Coach Sean Payton said Betts will not play against Houston on Saturday night in the Superdome

http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2010/8/18/1629715/fleur-de-links-saints-camp-day-21

FALCONS

I've seen the Falcons play some very bad football games in my lifetime.

Rarely, however, have I seen them play such uninspired football. To put it bluntly, nobody really looked like they gave a rat's ass about that game. It's pre-season. I get that. But when Mike Smith is saying this, you know something's not quite right.

I'm not going to hit the big red panic button. I'm not even going to hit the much smaller, burgundy colored high concern button. But I will say that this team did some truly bizarre things on the football field against the Patriots, and there's apparently some weird things going on behind the scenes. When Smith says with an apparently straight face to the AJC's D. Orlando Ledbetter that Kroy Biermann is making "a push" for a starting job, you have to wonder if he's been engaging in motivational tactics or if he seriously thought Jamaal Anderson should start at defensive end over Biermann.

If it's the latter, then I'm afraid our coach has lost his mind.

But perspective is important, so let's keep in mind that even if there are real issues with this team, there's weeks still left to iron them out. Unfortunately, we also have a football game from last night to cover, so let's do that. Follow after the jump...or something.

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HIGHLIGHTS

* Kroy Biermann is truly awesome. When he was a rookie, he was an undersized defensive end with a motor who looked like the second coming of Josh Mallard. Now that he's got some time under his belt and some extra weight, he looks like a starting defensive end in the NFL to me. Three tackles, another sack and a jarring hit that forced a fumble. He's the real deal, folks.
* Speaking of real deals, Lawrence Sidbury showed he can really put some pressure on the quarterback. He's a very agile end who will always rely more on that than raw power to get in the backfield, but El-Sid is more than capable of getting around hulking offensive tackles and doing some damage. He had a nice sack last night, too. I think he's John Abraham's heir apparent.
* Antone Smith looked excellent. Admittedly, he's playing against backups, but his speed is no illusion. With Dmitri Nance looking fairly pedestrian, Smith is making a very strong case to stick on the roster as a fourth back. He can even catch a few passes! Still doubt he beats out Jerious Norwood unless he's hurt, though.
* Eric Weems was a guy I dismissed at the very beginning of training camp. It's hard to argue with what he's doing in the return game, though. With Dominique Franks looking so-so at best when the ball's kicked at him, Special Weems may well ride again.
* Speaking of guys who won't make the team, Troy Bergeron looked very good again in limited action. It's too bad the depth chart's so crowded, because I really think he could be an effective backup for the Falcons.
* Michael Turner was solid in limited action. Good to see him healthy and productive.
* Matt Ryan looked solid. Less happy feet in the pocket this time around, which was good to see. Speaking of quarterbacks....
* On the Jekyll side of things, John Parker Wilson looked composed, rolled out and threw some nice short passes. But unfortunately....

LOWLIGHTS

* JPW couldn't throw his way out of a paper bag. His lack of arm strength really, really hurts him at times, and it was very apparent on the interception he threw in this one. At his best, he's an effective game manager who could be a capable backup. The thought of him ever starting for this football team scares the hell out of me.
* Injuries reared their ugly head in this one. Chris Owens hurt his hand, though it's probably not serious. Kerry Meier got hurt, though it's probably not serious. The big deal here is that Corey Peters felt a "pop" in his knee, and he's scheduled to go in for an MRI tomorrow. The depth chart would take a real hit if he was to miss extended time, even though we've got solid options behind him. Hope with me.
* Our makeshift secondary made every quarterback on the Patriots' roster look awesome. Chris Owens' explosive tackling skills aside, this was a pretty pathetic effort. That'll happen when you've got your fourth-string cornerbacks logging time, though.
* Everyone off the Dmitri Nance bandwagon! The 6 carries for 6 yards he managed last game looks to be a more accurate representation of his skill level at this point than the 30 yard blast he powered to before a penalty called it back against the Chiefs. This time, he managed only 3 yards per carry, and he lost a fumble. Not so good.
* Sean Weatherspoon's coverage skills may need just a teeny bit of work. Just a bit.
* I'm totally lost as to why the Falcons thought it was a good idea to just hand Matt Bryant the kicking job. That's not to say Steve Hauschka was the answer, but there's gotta be kickers out there looking for a job or booting it in the CFL who the Falcons could match up against him.

Yeah, he only missed one of two field goals tonight, and it was beyond 40 yards. The other one he made was also beyond 40. He's a wonderful person, and he's not a terrible option. But he's 71% from 40-49 yards for his career, a 20 percentage point drop from 30-39 yards. He only makes 25% of his kicks from 50 and beyond. That's not the mark of a great kicker by any means, and I'm tired of settling for mediocrity and bandages at the position.

But hey, it's pre-season. Hopefully, Bryant will shut me up by drilling every single one of his field goal attempts in the regular season. He's certainly not going anywhere.

http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2010/8/20/1632769/falcons-and-patriots-recap-good

SAINTS

Now that's more like it!

The Saints got back on track last night, coming out full force and dominating the first half of play against the Texans on both sides of the ball. The first team offense got into a nice rhythm while putting together two well-balanced, clock-eating scoring drives. Just beautiful. And the defense showed signs of improvement by shutting down Houston's running game, causing turnovers and even tackling better. It wasn't all sweet unicorn farts and double rainbows though, as the Saints still have some work cut out for them in the remaining two pre-season games.

As a fan, it was great to be back at the Dome for the first time as Super Bowl champions. Things look a little different around the outside of the stadium but I'm a fan of the change. Slowly but surely, as it is prepared for the 2013 Super Bowl, the Superdome will attempt to rise to a higher level of stadium experience more fitting with the championship-caliber team that plays inside its walls. Just need to ask Jerry Jones where to get one of them big screen scoreboards.

It's the pre-season and this is my first "View from" post of the year, so excuse me while I work out the kinks in my blogging game. You know the deal...make the jump for more details in the bullets. Comment away below. Check back later today for pictures.

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* I purposely planned my walk to the game to make sure that I passed Champions Square on my way into the Superdome. What I didn't realize was how big it was actually going to be. I guess I just wasn't expecting them to have torn down as much of the New Orleans Centre as they did. We arrived just shortly before the game so we didn't see the space getting used to it's fullest but I can definitely see it becoming a popular attraction, especially with a band playing in the corner. I think my favorite part is the new staircase that leads up to the Dome where the old Bud Bridge used to be. It's definitely sure to put fans in the right mind as they ascend the stairs en masse passing brass bands while more and more of the Superdome appears right before their eyes with each step.
* This was the definitely the loudest pre-season game I can ever remember attending. More specifically the opening introductions. Things calmed down a bit further into the game. There were a fair amount of people taking it way more seriously than they should have, however.
* Are we all feeling way more comfortable about our backup quarterback situation now? Other than that incredibly ugly interception - it seemed like he was trying to throw it to the Texans - Chase Daniel looked spectacular, leading four scoring drives. And did you see that screen pass to Pierre for the touchdown? Spitting image of our boy Drew.
* The awesome quarterback play didn't stop with Daniel, however. Did you see how well Sean Canfield took a knee on those final three snaps? He really raised his stock last night. Seriously though, what gives with putting Canfield in just to kill the clock? Is there something that I'm missing or is it really as silly and pointless as I think?
* One of the most positive aspects from last night was how much better the Saints run defense looked. Houston was limited to just 49 yards on the ground. That may not be as impressive a feat against a team like the Texans but it's a darn good start.
* Jabari Greer got burnt on that long Kevin Walter catch down the right sideline. He was staring into the backfield the entire way and hesitated on the route just long enough to let Walter get away. Greer seems off to a slow start so far this pre-season but knowing what he's capable of, I've got no reason to worry.
* Shockey and Bush spend a lot of time together on the bench.
* Did the Saints even need to bring in Ladell Betts? I am loving this running back battle we've got going on. Chris Ivory again looked like the guy this team should keep. At one point he ran right into a wall of men at the line of scrimmage. I thought for sure that was the end of the play but there he was, somehow darting right out the other end of the srum like he was shot out of a cannon and ready to take on the next level of tacklers. And when Ivory wasn't in the game, it was P.J. Hill keeping the chains moving not only running but catching. I still like what Ivory brings to the table more and think he remains the front-runner to make the final roster based on the teams needs.
* Reggie looked superb last night in one quarter of action. A wonderful job of making the right decisions and running north-south. It feels like a switch was flipped on Reggie sometime toward the end of the 2009 season and since then, he's been the running back we've all hoped he could be on a much more consistent basis. I also don't wonder if the USC sanctions have got him more motivated than ever. One of the questions a lot of fans have been asking is, "Who will get Mike Bell's carries?" Bush has never been considered a possible answer to that question but I'm here to raise my own question: How 'bout we give some of those carries to Reggie?
* All of the great running back performances owe a lot to the great run blocking by the offensive line last night, both first team and second team.
* Adrian Arrington picked up right where he left off last week. At this rate the Saints just have to find room for him on the roster. Me likey. Me really, really likey.
* Great to see the Saints defense and special teams come up with some turnovers. It makes all the difference in the world and it's a huge reason why they were able to get ahead early in this game. A second season chock full of turnovers will prove to the naysayers that last year wasn't just a fluke and that the Saints are a team who take the ball from you, not hope that it falls into their hands.
* Just as I had feared, Casillas didn't have nearly as impressive a performance as he did last week, finishing the game with only one tackle. Junior Galette was nowhere to be found either.
* Speaking of players gone missing, my boy Rod Harper was a ghost. To be fair, he never really got much opportunity. He was back to return a kickoff but the Texans kicked a worm-burner so P.J. Hill wound up taking it. Then he was back to return a punt but wisely let it fly over his head into the endzone for the touchback instead of attempting a return. Harper finished the game with only one kickoff return for twelve yards. It's not looking good.
* Patrick Robinson really needs to show me something before I say anything nice about him.
* Special teams still needs a good bit of work. The tackling didn't look nearly as sloppy but they still gave up a significant chunk of yardage in kick returns.

http://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/2010/8/22/1635861/houston-texans-20-new-orleans

BUCCANEERS

TAMPA — The Bucs' defense had a roller-coaster night Saturday against the Chiefs.

It had rough moments in the first quarter, including an eight-play Chiefs drive (sparked by starting field position on the Bucs' 47-yard line) that ended with Jeremy Horne's 6-yard touchdown catch. Also, the Chiefs were able to run the ball early and controlled possession for nearly 10 of the first 18 minutes.

But the defense bounced back and settled in, including getting a solid performance from the second unit. It forced the Chiefs to end a lengthy second-quarter drive with just a field goal.

"I think we came out and played fast but had a couple of missed assignments that led to (Kansas City) scoring," S Tanard Jackson said. "I think we rebounded well."

Tampa Bay had some big plays, including a fumble recovery by LB Geno Hayes (forced by DL Kyle Moore) to end the Chiefs' first possession. LB Quincy Black picked up a sack in the second quarter, dropping QB Matt Cassel to force a punt by rushing up the middle on a blitz.

The Bucs also finally got to see first-round draft pick DT Gerald McCoy and second-round pick DT Brian Price line up alongside each other. Price, who missed the first preseason game against the Dolphins due to a hamstring injury, entered in the second quarter.

McCoy had a nice night, including stuffing Cassel for a 1-yard gain early in the second quarter to force a punt as Moore, who also played well, sealed off the pocket.

BACK IT UP? RB Derrick Ward, who had a disappointing game against Miami (20 yards on 12 carries with two fumbles), guaranteed he'd have a "great game" against the Chiefs.

It turned out to be anything. Ward rushed for 11 yards on five carries and left in the third quarter with a head injury. His status had not been determined.

RB Kareem Huggins continued to impress. The Bucs wanted to get a better look at him by getting him some reps with the first-team offense. And Huggins responded with 44 yards on eight carries. Huggins, a second-year pro who went undrafted out of Hofstra, rushed for 55 yards on eight carries against Miami.

MEDICAL MATTERS: WR Maurice Stovall (ankle) sitting out was expected. But the absences of KR Clifton Smith and T Demar Dotson were surprising.

Smith has a hamstring injury but practiced during the week. Dotson's injury was unclear.

TE Kellen Winslow, recovering from offseason knee surgery, warmed up before the game but did not suit up.

LOCAL Guys: Saturday marked a homecoming of sorts for Chiefs KR Javier Arenas (Tampa's Robinson High) and RB/WR Dexter McCluster (Largo High).

Arenas had a 54-yard kickoff return to the Bucs' 47 to help set up a touchdown. He also returned one punt for 1 yard. McCluster lost a yard on his only carry and caught one pass for 17 yards.

MISCELLANY: DE Michael Bennett lined up at defensive tackle during the second quarter. … CB E.J. Biggers was the first defensive back to appear at nickel corner, ahead of CB Elbert Mack, with whom he is competing. … LB Adam Hayward got some snaps at fullback in some non-short-yardage situations during the third quarter.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/article1116783.ece

TAMPA - Buccaneers RB Derrick Ward made a bold promise several days ago.

Unfortunately for Tampa Bay fans, sometimes promises are meant to be broken.

Ward pledged to have a "great" game against Kansas City after a dismal performance the previous week against Miami. He blamed his showing in the preseason opener on muddy conditions in Miami and having to play with Tampa Bay's second-string offensive line.

Cadillac Williams started against the Chiefs, but Ward played half of the first quarter, all of the second and part of the third. He finished with five carries for 11 yards before leaving with a head injury.

Last week he gained only 20 yards on 12 carries and fumbled twice.

"I've been in this league for a while and I feel I know what it takes to win and get back on track," Ward said prior to Saturday's game. "That was just a fluke game, but I guarantee you this weekend I'll have a great game."

Ward's struggles have opened the door for Kareem Huggins to possibly be Williams' backup.

Huggins has taken advantage of his opportunities. He rushed seven times for 44 yards heading into the fourth quarter against Kansas City after running eight times for 55 yards in Miami.

Tampa Bay signed Ward to a four-year, $17 million deal in 2009 after he rushed for 1,025 yards and two touchdowns with the Giants in 2008. The Bucs expected Ward to contribute to their running game last year, but he carried 114 times for 409 yards and one touchdown.

Returner Smith suffers another setbackBucs return man Clifton Smith fell victim to one of the oldest and rarest of medical conditions — gout.

Described as a crystallization of the fluid in joints, tendons and surrounding tissues, gout kept Smith from participating in the first two preseason games.

General Manager Mark Dominik said the Bucs are confident they've found a treatment for Smith's problem. Smith was one of three players made inactive Saturday night.

Smith, who missed time last season because of two concussions, has missed several workouts during training camp this year and admitted this week he's in a fight for a roster spot.

In addition to Smith, the Bucs have WRs Micheal Spurlock, Arrelious Benn, Sammie Stroughter and Preston Parker available to return kickoffs and punts.

Bay area homecomingWR Dexter McCluster and CB Javier Arenas might have been the only Kansas City players who felt at home at Raymond James Stadium.

They both attended high school in the Bay area.

McCluster played for Largo before attending Ole Miss. He was selected by Kansas City in the second round of this year's draft.

Arenas played for Robinson and collegiately at Alabama, winning a national championship last season. He also was selected in the second round of this year's draft.

Both made splash plays Saturday. Arenas returned a kick 54 yards to set up a touchdown drive in the first quarter, and McCluster had a 17-yard reception in the second quarter.

Extra pointsBucs WR Maurice Stovall and T Demar Dotson were inactive for Saturday's game. WR Reggie Brown started in place of Stovall. … DT Roy Miller started instead of Ryan Sims. … Chiefs DB Maurice Leggett was carted off the field after trying to tackle Huggins in the third quarter. … The Bucs will play one more preseason game before having to make their first cuts. Tampa Bay will have to reduce its roster from 80 to 75 players Aug.31, three days after the third preseason game against Jacksonville. Final cuts are Sept.4.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/21/212316/so-much-for-guarantees-ward-ineffective-again/sports-bucs/

TAMPA — Among the Bucs' most scrutinized units during this preseason is the receiving corps, also among the team's most inexperienced groups.

What more did the Bucs learn about this group in their second preseason game, Saturday's 20-15 win over the Chiefs? Not a ton.

It was reinforced that fourth-round draft pick Mike Williams is a potential star and that Sammie Stroughter is doing his best to prove he was not a one-hit wonder during his rookie season last year.

But as for the rest of the group, questions linger. When will rookie Arrelious Benn make his presence felt? What will veteran Reggie Brown add to the offense? And can Micheal Spurlock be more than just a return man?

Williams continues to impress. He had the highlight of the game against Miami in last week's preseason opener, and Saturday he built on that performance with three receptions for 44 yards. The difference in his performance was that rather than pick up his gains by hauling in deep balls, as he did against Miami, Williams got the bulk of his yardage after the catch.

"Like I said after the first (game), I was a little bit nervous, and now I'm getting more confidence," Williams said.

Stroughter also proved reliable with his two catches for 27 yards, including a 16-yard pickup.

But when a converted college quarterback comes out of nowhere to steal the show at receiver, one could argue that's not good. That's what Spurlock did in his latest bid to make the final roster.

Spurlock had the play of the game, a 53-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Josh Johnson. Spurlock hauled in the pinpoint pass, then shook Kansas City starting left cornerback Brandon Flowers, who missed the tackle and allowed Spurlock to sprint down the right sideline untouched.

He finished with three receptions for 75 yards.

Spurlock was a quarterback at Ole Miss and is mostly known for scoring the first kickoff-return touchdown in franchise history in 2008. He has never been given real consideration at receiver until now.

"I just want my name to be in the hat," Spurlock said. "We want to make that job (of picking the final roster) as hard as possible."

But if Spurlock is dominating the conversation, that means the Bucs aren't getting much from the likes of Benn, a second-round pick this year who hadn't caught a pass in his first two preseason outings until midway through the fourth quarter Saturday. Benn played mostly on special teams before that. He said after the game he felt much more at ease this week than in the previous game.

Michael Clayton, who remains on the bubble, caught one pass for 5 yards. Brown caught one pass for 12 yards. Terrence Nunn caught one pass, 5 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

None of those performances was notable, meaning the dropoff after Williams and Stroughter remains sizable.

Unless you look at things a different way.

"Everybody's competitive," Stroughter said. "We know all 10 of us can't make it, but we're building something."

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/article1116791.ece