EARLY SUNDAY QUICK HITS
The 2009 overall number one draft pick, quarterback Mathew Stafford, made his debut Saturday afternoon for the Lions. He was 7 of 14 for 114 yards & a touchdown. He also threw an interception Atlanta's Tony Gilbert ran back 42 yards for a touchdown. But what you can't see in these stats are how well Stafford threw the ball. Lion wideout, Kerry Colbert dropped 5 catchable balls, five. He was on time, on target & could be the starting QB sooner rather than later. Third teamer, Drew Stanton, also threw a pick, but he scrambled for 59 yards, threw a touchdown & led the 0-16 Lions on a late drive to kick a game-winning field goal. Detroit's Calvin Johnson did not play, wait till he & Stafford get hooked up on a regular basis. The confidence & leadership he displayed in his pro debut was impressive. Don't pencil Detroit in for the payoffs, they weren't winless in '08 just because they needed a quarterback, they have a lot of needs, but Stafford looks to be the real deal.
Something else stood out in this contest, Atlanta's total lack of a pass rush. Hey, I'm a Chiefs' fan, I know what no pass rush looks like. The 191 yards the Lions gained on the ground should concern the Falcon coaching staff as well. Atlanta has assembled some outstanding skill position players on offense but they'll only go as far as their defense takes them.
The Bear/Bills game featured 47 points & eight turnovers in a really sloppy game(and it didn't even rain). The totally revamped Bills' offensive line has a long way to go before opening day. It may be a work in progress all season. They got very little push on the Bears' defensive line & Bills QBs were flushed out of the pocket too often. Buffalo's 27-20 win was without that T.O. guy, who sat out with a sore toe.
In the 4th game I watched Saturday, the Chargers looked to be going thru the motions, no more, in their 20-14 loss to Seattle in San Diego. I have a hunch this team believes it can sleep walk thru their schedule & still win the AFC West. After watching their lack of effort last night, I saw nothing to change my mind. Yes it's the first exhibition game, yes this team might just coast thru this awful division to win 9 or 10 games, but the Chargers just don't scare me. Let me clarify please, yes they should handle K.C. twice as well as the Raiders & Broncos. But I don't see them beating Pittsburgh or New England & by January, Tennessee, Indy & Baltimore might be in that group as well.
The Saints signed 45-year old kicker John Carney Saturday. The 4th all-time leading scorer made the Pro Bowl last season with the Giants, converting 35 of 38 FG attempts, scoring a career high 143 points. Carney had been New Orleans' kicker from 2001-06.
Denver fans can utter a sigh of relief as #1 pick, running back Knowshon Moreno, underwent an MRI Saturday morning & it was determined he suffered a sprained MCL. Moreno may be out for 10-14 days.
Today's real name of the day: Mister Alexander, linebacker, Florida State.
Something else stood out in this contest, Atlanta's total lack of a pass rush. Hey, I'm a Chiefs' fan, I know what no pass rush looks like. The 191 yards the Lions gained on the ground should concern the Falcon coaching staff as well. Atlanta has assembled some outstanding skill position players on offense but they'll only go as far as their defense takes them.
The Bear/Bills game featured 47 points & eight turnovers in a really sloppy game(and it didn't even rain). The totally revamped Bills' offensive line has a long way to go before opening day. It may be a work in progress all season. They got very little push on the Bears' defensive line & Bills QBs were flushed out of the pocket too often. Buffalo's 27-20 win was without that T.O. guy, who sat out with a sore toe.
In the 4th game I watched Saturday, the Chargers looked to be going thru the motions, no more, in their 20-14 loss to Seattle in San Diego. I have a hunch this team believes it can sleep walk thru their schedule & still win the AFC West. After watching their lack of effort last night, I saw nothing to change my mind. Yes it's the first exhibition game, yes this team might just coast thru this awful division to win 9 or 10 games, but the Chargers just don't scare me. Let me clarify please, yes they should handle K.C. twice as well as the Raiders & Broncos. But I don't see them beating Pittsburgh or New England & by January, Tennessee, Indy & Baltimore might be in that group as well.
The Saints signed 45-year old kicker John Carney Saturday. The 4th all-time leading scorer made the Pro Bowl last season with the Giants, converting 35 of 38 FG attempts, scoring a career high 143 points. Carney had been New Orleans' kicker from 2001-06.
Denver fans can utter a sigh of relief as #1 pick, running back Knowshon Moreno, underwent an MRI Saturday morning & it was determined he suffered a sprained MCL. Moreno may be out for 10-14 days.
Today's real name of the day: Mister Alexander, linebacker, Florida State.
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