Last night, preseason football truly kicked off and we witnessed many of the great teams begin their year. The Patriots, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Broncos, Eagles, and Bears were in action among other teams. Below are my thoughts on some things I saw:
- Peyton Manning returned and looked good. I know he had an interception... but it hit his player in the pads despite being slightly under-thrown. So it wasn't like it had anything to do with his arm strength or anything. What I saw was a QB that controlled the offense like he always had, and marched down the field 60 yards on his only drive. After a couple more dress rehearsals, this guy will be great once more.
- The Bears should have addressed their offensive line. Again it's early, but the group looked bad. Webb will get torched all year on the left side. They couldn't run or protect last night. The organization continually denied this issue in the offseason as they drafted elsewhere and attacked free agency at different spots. They messed up. This was and is their biggest need.
- Star QB's start slow. Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Vick, and Rivers all showed major rust last night in their first action. Rivers threw the only TD of this group, although he also threw an interception. Rodgers threw a pick as well. Vick hurt his hand on his final pass (minor injury probably). Brady and Brees matched up against each other but neither did much of anything. Don't worry though, I am sure all these guys will be ready to roll come week 1.
- RG3 is the real deal. The quarterback that looked the best last night was the rookie in Washington. He drove straight down the field and ended the night 4 for 6 for 70 yards and a TD (20 yards to Garcon). If last night is a reflection of this coming year, he will be as good as advertised. Maybe he will live up to the Cam Newton comparisons.
- Julio Jones will be a breakout star. Atlanta has said they will begin to throw it more and more. Late last year Jones emerged. Even with Roddy White there, Jones will see plenty of targets, especially in the redzone. Last night, he caught 6 passes for 109 yards and a TD. He was impressive! This year should be a massive year for the second year wideout.
- Ryan Mathews can't be trusted. Despite being one of the more talented young backs out there, Mathews hasn't lived up to expectations yet. This year that was supposed to change. Coach Turner has said he will be a star in 2012 and could lead the NFL in rushing. Then last night, he got injured like he has constantly over the last couple years. This time it was a broken clavicle. Surgery will take place today, but he'll miss 4 to 6 weeks. He is too brittle to be a star. Sorry.
- Will Flacco play elite like he claims? Last night he looked good. He went 9 for 12 for 88 yards and a TD. The Ravens are a conservative play calling team in their run to pass ratio, but maybe Joe can handle more. Last night was a good night for him I think. They should continue to open things up.
Last night just got my blood pumping as I am fully ready for football season. I can't wait for real games in a month! I know you feel the same way.
Andrew
I should add that Andrew Luck looked mighty impressive. He and RGIII showed why they were 1 and 2 in this past draft. They look the part of stars and should have great careers based on their first performances. But one performance (particularly in a preseason game) doesn't mean anything. It was fun to watch though!
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