Sports

[Spurt]

@yellowBeetle

Gee, even the Patriots had a bad games........

The NFL has talked about the preseason games for years---shortening the number OR doing away with them altogether and adding a game to the regular season to recoup some of the money. But players dont want to play extra regular season games.  There's been compromise proposals bantered about saying to go with 2 preseason and 18 regular season games, but no one player can play more than 16 games.  Boy that would create a nightmare for coaches....and GMs as far as backup players....Some players and the NFLPA argue that the presason games were they only way they even made a roster.  But cutting the preseason games hasnt been mentioned by Goodell at all this year, as it was in previous years.

Maybe the NFL needs to take a clue from the MLB and NBA and go with a developmental league......

[yellowBeetle]

I'm going to contradict myself a little from my above post and give an obvious reason why preseason games are valuable, imo! 

I think preseason games are obviously valuable in rooting out and exposing big picture problems with both the defense and offense.

For example in the first two preseason games for the Eagles, the defense was committing tons and tons of penalties!! They were a real mess! Very sloppy overall. And they allowed 31 and 37 points to be scored! But a correction was made by Jim Schwartz and in the third game the defense looked like the defense from last year! So that's an example of the preseason games being a valuable wake-up call to root out and try to correct a big picture type problem like overall sloppiness and tons of penalties ... before the regular season.

On the offense for the Eagles, in preseason games two and three there were a whopping 14 sacks of Foles and Sudfeld. I wrote yesterday that GMF's Peter Shraeger said that it was so bad that Foles and Sudfeld were literally like sitting ducks! Well obviously this is an ongoing major problem that has to be fixed!! Something other than not having Jason Peters there is going on because Peters was not there in the playoffs or Super Bowl and they did not have this problem with sacks! I can only imagine the sleepless nights Doug Pederson must be having imagining putting Wentz out there with the thought that he will be repeatedly sacked! So that is an example of a big picture type problem ...dealing with the offensive line ... that has been exposed in the preseason that still needs major work!

[teganslaw]

Good game by Indy today: they won 23-17. Andrew Luck looked sharp, extended plays, fast release of the ball, velocity on throws. The other two QBs, Brissett and Walker also looked good. 

Defense played well especially in the red zone.  Linebacker Darius Leonard and DE Ryan Delaire were outstanding. If he continues this type of playing, Delaire will gain a roster spot. 

John Simon left the game with a neck injury. He is a good player, but is hurt quite often. Unfortunately, I'm not sure about his future in Indy.

There were too many openings on the field for SF rb, Alfred Morris. He got close to 90 yards. 

Backup kicker, Mike Badgley, made his debut. He must have gotten mentoring from Vinatieri, as he made some nice field goals, including a 51 yarder. 

They go to Cincinnati on Thursday. That will be the time to see who makes the roster and who gets cut. 

[sunshine45]

we are now 4/4 in preseason.......we will see the redskins on thursday.

LOL, i feel like we are wasting all of our wins on the preseason! :smileywink

good win against miami.

the more i see the QBs playing, the more i think we COULD use three.

we may have lost a safety tonight.....he was our 6th round draft pick. deshon elliott. we also had an offensive tackle leave the game with a foot injury. greg senat.

[gardenman]

If I were the Ravens I'd keep all three as neither RGIII nor Lamar Jackson strike me as being durable. If Flacco went down for four to six games, could either of them stay healthy until he came back? You don't want to have to scramble to find a guy midway through the season.

[Spurt]

Interesting Wentz still not cleared for contact---

JJ Watt got some tackling in and felt good about his first game since last October.  I hope he can stay healthy all season!!!---Go JJ 

Luck looked good!

I know its just preseason, but those Saints looked pretty darn good, especially on defense!

@sunshine45

Please tell your Ravens to be "kind" to my Redskins in that game.  RGIII will certainly be motivated.  Like @gardenman said I think your team should keep 3 QBS for the reasons he stated!

@teganslaw  

Glad Alfred got picked up! Maybe the Redskins should have brought Alfred Morris back, only time will tell....!  Even the Redskins second and 3rd options havent looked so good! 

[teganslaw]

SPURT, the Colts' running backs haven't done much, either. Most of the scores have been by kickers, receivers or defense, like interceptions and fumbles. Nyheim Hines hasn't produced as expected. Wilkins looked OK, but nothing spectacular.

RB Josh Ferguson was released. The Colts also traded LB Antonio Morrison to GB for CB Lenzy Pipkins. Morrison wouldn't have made the roster and couldn't work well in the new scheme. I don't know much about Pipkins (although that's a cool name) , but a GB fan mentioned that he did quite well at the end of last season.He will provide depth for the Colts, and GB needed a lineman , so it's a win-win situation for both teams. 

[gardenman]

I suspect Wentz will be cleared for full contact just before the week one game. The longer you wait, the less time you give the Falcons to prepare. If they have to prep for Foles and Wentz, it can distract them a bit.

[yellowBeetle]

It was almost funny yesterday when Doug Pederson met with reporters. He got really exasperated with the numerous questions about Wentz ..."will he or won't he play on Sept. 6" ... "when will he be cleared for contact by the doctors?" ... ""how often is he being evaluated?" ... etc., etc. Numerous news reports described Pederson as testy and chippy. He finally cut off the questions by simply saying that when the doctors clear him, he will be cleared! 

Pederson did say a couple of days ago that he wants a full week to get Wentz ready to play ... both physically and mentally ... after he is cleared. So that would mean he needs to be given the green light by about this Thursday in order to play Sept. 6. 

The way Wentz is looking on the field ... (especially in recent footage released from last Thursday in Cleveland where he practiced some) ... he definitely appears to be ready to go! So hopefully he will be cleared for contact by the doctors this week in time for Pederson to have his seven days to get him ready for the season opener!   

[gardenman]

The Philly media is very good at annoying coaches. I thought Doug handled it well. (At least compared to how I would have.) I'm 99% confident Wentz will be cleared to play. ACL injuries heal fairly quickly, but the slow part is regaining the full range of motion and strength. That's what typically slows everything down. The actual surgery typically is fully healed in six to eight weeks. Wentz has been working like a madman to get his strength and range of motion back. I'm nearly certain he'll be fully cleared to play.