topic Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!! in Wellness

Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:17:24 GMT

It's dress rehearsal week in the NFL! This is the week when teams give us all a glimpse of what to expect when the real games start. Most teams will play their starters more this week and prepare as though it's a regular season game. They'll actually game-plan for the opponent and prepare as if it's a real game. A good showing this week can give you cause for optimism. A bad showing this week can be scary.

The Eagles have made a couple of roster moves. They cut linebacker Jason Phillips who was trying to come back from a torn ACL last year and traded for Kenjon Barner the former Oregon Duck running back. Barner was acquired from the Panthers for a conditional seventh round pick next year. We've got a stable of young running backs in camp, but most are injured, so Barner gets a chance to come in and show what he can do. Chip Kelly knows him well and wanted him on the team, so that says a lot. I suspect we'll see a lot of him next week in that final preseason game. His stats with the Panthers (8 yards on 8 carries so far in the preseason) weren't all that impressive, but he looked pretty good at Oregon.

The Eagles play the Steelers this week and it should be a good test for them. It looks like the starting offense will all be together for the first time all training camp and we'll get a chance to see how well they perform. It'll probably be the last chance for any of the starters to get any meaningful playing time as that fourth week of the preseason is typically devoted to the backups.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

yellowrose — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 21:07:06 GMT

Looking forward to seeing more of this Zach Minter. Last week he was literally just off the bus, but looked promising. Now we need to see him play against a starting offense. Hoping he ends up being a good find for our defense.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 21:47:15 GMT

And the Eagles and Colts have made yet another trade. The Colts had cut their rookie kicker (Cody Parkey) last night and the Eagles had cut their rookie running back (David Fluellen) this morning, but both GM's had their eyes on the kids who got cut and decided to revoke the waivers and trade them instead. The Colts need another running back and the Eagles could use another kicker and neither player was likely to make it all the way through waivers for either team to claim, so they traded them instead. It's a win for both teams that way. The waivers wouldn't go through until four PM today, so they had a window to work out the trade and they got it done. Fluellen's a decent little running back who has a chance to help the Colts. With the Eagles getting Kenjon Barner yesterday, there was a surplus at the position for the Eagles. Our current kicker is good on field goals but iffy (at best) on kickoffs, so Parkey could end up making the Eagles as a kickoff specialist. Having two kickers is a bit of a luxury, but all you need is for your kicker to grab a hamstring while warming up pregame to make it look a lot less like a luxury and more like a necessity.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:15:37 GMT

That was about as perfect a third preseason game as you could hope to see from an Eagle fan's perspective. Our first team offense and defense absolutely dominated the Steelers on the way to a 17-0 halftime lead. We pulled the first teamers and the second team Eagles still did a nice job against the Steelers first line guys. It wasn't until our third and fourth team guys took the field that the Steelers were able to do anything.

There were a couple of scares in LeSean McCoy leaving with a thumb injury and Jeremy Maclin collapsing and grabbing his knee, but both players are fine and should be ready for the season opener.

Nick Foles only threw one interception and that wasn't his fault. He was trying to throw a screen pass to Darren Sproles and Sproles and the offensive lineman pulling in front of him collided and knocked each other down just as Foles released the ball.

All in all it was a game to make Eagle fans very optimistic. Many of the local/national press had gotten off the Chip Kelly bandwagon after the first two preseason games, but they were hoping right back on during/after that game. One writer went from having the Eagles being 8-8 this year to saying they were more likely to go 12-4 now. It's amazing how one good game can influence those guys.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

Sheltie Mom — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 15:55:55 GMT

Hi all, just jumping back in, late again, lol! Well, we already have star WR Sammy Watkins out with a rib injury with no deadline for when he can come back. Nonetheless, we are headed off to the game this afternoon to see if the Bills can actually score a touchdown once they get in the red zone, and to see the new and improved Ralph Wilson Stadium! Go Bills!!

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

teganslaw — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 02:52:50 GMT

The Colts are looking out of sync tonight. Halftime with New Orleans leading 20-10. Andrew Luck has been off with many of his throws, and he had an interception. The defense is leaving holes open for Drew Brees (who is out of the game for the second half.) Luck is taking some hits, also.

Maybe the Colts will come back, but they have to stop NO first. It is nice to see Reggie Wayne back and healthy. I'll see how the second half plays out, but so far not very impressive showing by the Colts.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 13:05:43 GMT

Other than the Eagles, the NFC East is looking like a bit of a mess this year. The Redskins first team offense still hasn't scored a touchdown. The Giants have had basically one successful drive by their first team offense. The Cowboys aren't looking all that impressive. Yikes! It might be a good year to be an Eagles' fan.

The press seems to have decided to turn on EJ Manuel this year. I've seen quite a few negative stories popping up about the kid this past week. I'd thought he was doing okay for a second year guy, but the press is trying to kill him.

A lot of negative QB stories are popping up all over the league this week. I'm thinking the rumors of Mark Sanchez heading someplace might not be so far fetched. He's had a brilliant camp and preseason and the Eagles are happy with Matt Barkley and GJ Kinne too, so Sanchez could be gone if the right deal came along. He's only on a one year deal in Philly, so some teams might just wait another year and pick him up in free agency, but he's looked pretty impressive so far and I suspect quite a few teams are watching him on film and trying to decide if they want to take the gamble on him. If they get the Mark Sanchez we've seen in camp, they'd be getting a top ten to top twenty NFL QB. Those guys don't pop up on the open market all that often.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

Spurt — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 16:51:23 GMT

On 8/24/2014 gardenman said:
Other than the Eagles, the NFC East is looking like a bit of a mess this year. The Redskins first team offense still hasn't scored a touchdown. The Giants have had basically one successful drive by their first team offense. The Cowboys aren't looking all that impressive. Yikes! It might be a good year to be an Eagles' fan.

The press seems to have decided to turn on EJ Manuel this year. I've seen quite a few negative stories popping up about the kid this past week. I'd thought he was doing okay for a second year guy, but the press is trying to kill him.

A lot of negative QB stories are popping up all over the league this week. I'm thinking the rumors of Mark Sanchez heading someplace might not be so far fetched. He's had a brilliant camp and preseason and the Eagles are happy with Matt Barkley and GJ Kinne too, so Sanchez could be gone if the right deal came along. He's only on a one year deal in Philly, so some teams might just wait another year and pick him up in free agency, but he's looked pretty impressive so far and I suspect quite a few teams are watching him on film and trying to decide if they want to take the gamble on him. If they get the Mark Sanchez we've seen in camp, they'd be getting a top ten to top twenty NFL QB. Those guys don't pop up on the open market all that often.

Hey GARDENMAN,

I bet your heart stopped beating a couple times there didn't it .....well glad no serious injuries......

TEGAN---I think your Colts will bounce back and just be thankful you have a really good QB.....

SHELTIEMOM -- how are ya---saw your old QB Fitzpatrick and he played decently for the Texans in the game against the Broncos.

As for my REDSKINS---let's say the O line was shaky and Robert was PATHETIC---Robert took off running too early, held the ball too long, and looked like he regressed to last year's performance.....I'm sure he will tweet again about us "doubters"..... And there seems to be a growing consensus among the media types that Kirk Cousins has outplayed Robert in the preseason.....A concern with rookie OT Moses with right knee injury MRI will be performed just what we did not need....he did walk off the field although limping.., On D Rak suffered a minor ankle injury.......the defense is being more aggressive and Jason Hatcher made his debut and played well....Keenan Robinson (Fletch's replacement) had a nice game as did David Amerson....overall the first string D did a good job.

It doesnt matter if we have good receivers, good tight end and a good running back it all boils down to the QB play....If this was the DRESS REHEARSAL---OY!

And if misery loves company Eli is really struggling too.....

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

ccassaday — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 16:59:04 GMT

The colts never have very good preseason then always have a great season.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 22:36:18 GMT

And a new market has just developed for Mark Sanchez and/or Matt Barkley. The Rams have now announced that Sam Bradford tore his ACL again yesterday and is out for the year. They've suddenly got a big hole. Do they give up on the upcoming season, get a high draft pick and draft a kid next year like Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston (the Indy approach,) or do they trade for a good QB and hope to get lucky and eke out some wins?

They've got about two weeks before their first game so they could get a guy in and get him up to speed in two weeks, but will they? I'm pretty sure the Eagles would want at least a second round pick for either QB, and maybe a bundle of picks. Sanchez has history behind him but Barkley has potential. We could even see the Redskins move Cousins to nip any QB controversy in the bud, but I'm not sure how sold they are on RGIII and trading away the better of your two QB's is usually a bad idea. Would the Redskins even consider trading RGIII? I doubt it, but who knows.

This will be interesting to watch and see what the Rams do. They've had a ton of high picks over the last few years and have a pretty deep roster except for at QB. They've been betting on Sam Bradford staying healthy and that's now looking like a very bad bet. I'm thinking if I was the Rams I'd be more likely to trade for a Matt Barkley/Kirk Cousins with a cheap contract and some potential over a Mark Sanchez, even though Sanchez gives you the best chance to win now. Get one of those guys halfway cheap and hope he turns into a solid pro.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

teganslaw — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 23:55:35 GMT

I don't see Kirk Cousins going to the Rams. There is too much criticism of RG111 right now; it would be a mistake to trade the back up who has done a better job. I'm not sure how good a quarterback Shaun Hill is. He couldn't carry the team? But then the Rams would still need another back up to replace him, so maybe that wouldn't work out. I wonder if Bradford will eventually be forced out of the NFL due to all the injuries. Maybe he's just not cut out for the NFL.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 00:32:38 GMT

And forget Mark Sanchez to the Rams. His camp has made it clear he'd rather stay with the Eagles this year. Matt Barkley is still a possibility, but I'm thinking the Rams will more likely try to ride out the season, get a high pick (ideally first or second overall) and draft a kid. Sam Bradford's never really lived up to the expectations and he's getting on a bit to keep him around. I think his cap number next year is $16 million, so he's not likely coming back under that contract. They might resign him to a one year, "prove it" contract, but at some point they've got to move on. They may try to swing a trade somewhere, but every team in the league knows the situation they're in, so they'll have to overpay to get a guy. Shaun Hill's not a bad option, but it's been a while since he was a starter and it's not like there are a lot of good starters out there.

If Jerry jones is right and Kyle Orton still wants to play, but not for the Cowboys, then he could be an option. He wouldn't be overly pricey and is a competent fill-in starter. The Rams reportedly have less than $2 million in cap space so they've got an obstacle there. They can't trade for anyone who will put them over the cap without clearing cap space, so that limits their options even further.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

yellowrose — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 22:43:08 GMT

Haven't watched my copy of the game yet, but I hear even with three Miami turnovers, Cowboys still found a way to lose their 3rd game. All in the preseason game plan - don't reveal too much. I have to think they are hiding the good stuff for opening day.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 22:58:57 GMT

On 8/25/2014 yellowrose said:
Haven't watched my copy of the game yet, but I hear even with three Miami turnovers, Cowboys still found a way to lose their 3rd game. All in the preseason game plan - don't reveal too much. I have to think they are hiding the good stuff for opening day.

For the fans' sake I hope you're right. I've got a bad feeling about this year's Cowboy team though. Of course, you never know what will happen when the real games start.

The NFC East looks a bit less than impressive right now. The Giants look to get off to a bad start as they try to figure out their new offense. That Giants' offensive line is a mess too. RGIII isn't likely to survive a whole game if he keeps running around and taking hits like he has been. The Cowboys defense was a weakness going into camp and they've lost guys to injury and suspension, so that's even more of a weakness now.

These first few weeks will be interesting to watch.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

yellowrose — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 03:40:54 GMT

And I have a bad feeling that your bad feeling is right on, Gardenman.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 13:51:49 GMT

Yeah, it looks like the Cowboys really, really need Tony Romo to have an amazing year to be competitive. The good news is it could happen. Dez Bryant is playing well. Romo's looked okay coming back from the back surgery. The offensive line is pretty solid though young. There's some reason for cautious optimism, but that Cowboy defense is scary in a bad way for Cowboy fans. You'e probably going to see a lot of shootouts in Dallas this year like that Broncos game last year.

The Cowboys pretty much have to play a high risk game on both offense and defense. I don't really think they can ever count on their defense making a stand going head to head, so they've got to attack recklessly and pray they get a few breaks. Send lots of blitzers, hope to jar a ball loose and recover it. They're likely to give up a lot of big plays, but they're not really likely to stop the other guys anyway, so they might as well throw caution to the wind and hope for the best. That defense is seriously lacking in talent right now and talent is kind of important.

On offense they can't really afford to meander down the field. They pretty much have to score every time they get the ball. To do that they'll have to get chunks of yardage. It's a shame for Romo that this isn't a contract year as he's likely to put up some incredible numbers this year. I'm just not sure if his numbers will translate into wins.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

Spurt — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 17:03:17 GMT

TEGAN and GARDENMAN---It's a shame about Bradford, he seemed to have talent, good work ethic, and nice enough guy, but he just can't stay healthy. I don't think Cousins will be going any where especially when Robert showed vulnerability and inability to escape or slide---and then add in his play has not been very good, while Cousins has played decently. And I don't see the Redskins trading Robert either---I think the whole QB situation will have to play itself out.....

I don't think the Rams will sell the farm this season to get just an interim QB, they will want to wait until next year to get their long term starting QB in the draft.....Fisher concentrated on defense and perhaps should have done more to beef up the line to protect their fragile QB.....they did take Robinson but then went defense and waited until later rounds to get another OT and C.....

STUPID STUPID STUPID Brandon Meriweather has been suspended for 2 games for another helmet to helmet hit---and that's an area on defense that we cannot afford to lose a player either...."thank you" Brandon

To trim the roster Redskins cut G Adam Gettis a 5th rounder in 2012 and undrafted free agent CB Bryan Shepherd....and TEGAN we cut former Colt Mike McGlynn who the Redskins signed as a free agent.....he has not looked good in camp and struggled in one on one drills, they had tried him at several spots along the line, he had said that center was his best spot, but he did not play well at center either.....a surprise move is the cut of WR Rashad Ross who has played well on special teams....but it could just be a numbers crunch with regard to the competition at WR......

OMG here we go with Incognitio looking to get back into the NFL---Bucs seem to be front runners.....at least Lovie appears to be a coach that could keep him in check.....

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

yellowrose — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 17:31:13 GMT

Gardenman, doesn't seem like Romo has participated in enough practices to really get in sync. Watched the first half of the Miami game, and he looked sloppy and unsure. Sacked 3 times and coach gives him Monday off from practice. I read that he's missed something like 11 practices. Think it's time to lay off the TLC. Much as I would hate to have a terrible season, I hate the thought of going 8-8 again even more. If we're going to be bad, lets be really bad and get that 1st draft pick. Not wanting to be negative, but these mediocre seasons have gotten really old.

I'm actually looking forward to seeing Philly play. From what I'm hearing, this just may be the year of the Eagles. I guess I wouldn't mind that too much. It could be worse. LOL Philly is a little more likeable now with Chip Kelly coaching. Now don't think I'm converting. I'd NEVER put on a Eagle shirt, but I can appreciate watching a talented team.

Re: Week Three of the NFL Preseason!!!

gardenman — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 22:10:17 GMT

Yellowrose. Having a horrible season to get a good draft pick isn't a bad strategy if you need a new QB, but I don't think the Cowboys will be looking at a new QB unless Romo's back fails again. I could see the Rams and Browns leading the league in losses, but the Cowboys have enough weapons on offense that barring a Romo injury they should pull out at least six wins. I'm not very high on the Giants or Redskins. I'd assume the Cowboys could at least split those series and might even sweep them.

The Eagles will be fun to watch this year. Last year at this time we had no idea what the Eagles were going to be, but now we've had a year of experience, the defense should be better, the offense is deeper, Chip Kelly knows the league better. There's potential for things to go very well in Philly. Two big early tests will be the Colts (week two) and Niners (week four.) Those games will tell us a lot about how the Eagles' year will go.