Yes, it is only preseason. Yes, the offense will be very basic. Still, it is our first opportunity to see RG3 in a Skins uniform against another team. Even though it will be basic, there is no question players on both teams are excited to get out on the field and take reps against another team. Guys will be amped up and it will be fun to watch.
The things to watch for include:
1. RG3 - obviously. He's who everyone will be focusing on. Hopefully he maintains composure and plays within himself and doesn't try to do anything too crazy. Last thing we need is for him to improvise and get hurt. Keep things simple, stick to the plan, and execute.
2. O line - three out of five starters are hurt on this unit. However, many of the guys starting tonight saw plenty of action last year so we'll see how they perform, particularly Polumbus at RT as he will probably see a lot of action there this year with Brown's ailing hip. It's a banged up group going against a very tough Bill D front. We'll see how well they can protect RG3.
3. RBs - it's an open battle. Hightower seems to be the starter but I thought I heard that Royster moved passed Helu on the depth chart. Even the 4th stringer guy seems to be impressing so this is anyone's position to win.
4. Cooley - I like him but Davis seems to be the better option at TE. Niles Paul has bulked up and should provide competition at the TE spot. Cooley has had his fair share of injuries so it'll be interesting to see how he looks out there as he tries to reclaim his top spot at TE and vie for more playing time.
5. WRs - it's a revamped corps this year and there is a lot of competition. Clearly, Garcon is the #1 but it should be fun to watch Hankerson back and a much more trim Moss work out of the slot. Not sure if Morgan intends on playing but I'm looking for him to have a break out year. Banks has to make the team as a WR because we can't afford to give him a roster spot just as a return guy.
6. D line - specifically Jenkins and Carriker. Jenkins was impressive before going down in the preseason last year. Will be interesting to watch how he plays and how he pushes Carriker for the starting position. Who ever wins the starting job it won't matter much as both guys will see plenty of action this year. Also, there is some guy in the backup NT spot that seems to have supplanted Neild as the backup. Will be interesting to see how he performs.
7. Secondary - this is a big question mark for us this year. D. Hall has moved from the starting corner to a nickel back and a guy that will have more responsibility (coverage, blitzing, etc.) when he is in there. Griffin will take the starting role opposite Wilson. Safeties is a huge question mark. Can Meriweather ressurrect his career? I think he is better suited for this defense particularly at the SS position. We'll see how he produces. Madieu Williams has the top spot at FS but Tanard Jackson is right on his heels so we'll see how these guys perform.
8. Cousins - I'm interested in watching Cous. I'm impressed when I hear him talk and he seems like a guy that certainly wants to prove he is capable to start in this league. Frankly, the training camp practice I went to see, I thought he out performed RG3. Granted he is going up against second stringers but still he looked sharp and seems like a good guy. We'll see what he can do out there.
I'm pretty much interested in all the positions as I think there is a whole lot better depth on this team in previous years and there are still battles/positions to be won. Frankly, I'm just happy that there is football.
HTTR!
2 comments:
Preseason football or not, it was great to see America's real favorite pastime again.
1. RG3 - He showed accuracy, decisiveness and a quick release - 3 attributes that the other RG on the team doesn't possess. As you said, as long as he plays within himself and doesn't try to play like Michael Vick, we're going to have a lot of fun watching Bob grow into his role.
2. The O line played well for the most part. Buffalo's front four are really good. Our running game was shut down early, but the pass protection was very good. If nothing else, it shows that we have some depth here.
3. Alfred Morris, the 6th round pick in the draft, looked like the best of the bunch. He is a bigger guy and he showed good balance and he seemed to always fall forward for an extra yard or two. Honestly, I don't care who emerges from this group as the starter. They all appear to be competent and hopefully one will show star potential.
4. Cooley seems to have been relegated to the HB role. It's odd to see him get hand offs in the backfield, but maybe he can prove to be the next Mike Sellers and provide another option for RG3 as a receiver out of the backfield.
5. Garcon looked good and I'm developing a man crush on Hankerson. I think we're in good shape here with Moss, Morgan, and possibly Banks and Aldrick Robinson or Terrance Austin. I think Armstrong's chances of making the team are slim given his inability to compete due to injury.
6. The D line looked good. No one really stood out other than the new #92. Chris Baker was stuffing the middle of the line all night and looked a lot better than the other #92 we had not too long ago. Chris Nield showed some serious speed and got a sack in the 3rd quarter. All in all, the group looked solid.
7. Secondary - I have mixed reviews for this group. D. Hall gave up some catches on slant routes early on. Merriweather let an easy pick slip through his hands. Aside from that, they didn't give up any big plays. This group is going to take some time to jell. Hopefully Raheem Morris can speed the process up.
8. Cuz - Cuz looked pretty good out there. There's an obviously huge drop off in talent between him and RG3, but Cuz looks like he could easily replace RG1. I'm glad we picked him up in the draft. Our QB position needed to be uprooted to get a fresh start.
HTTR!
One other thing...The Kerr in Kerrakpo seems to be moving ahead of the Akpo in terms of playmaking ability. Nancy seems to be able to use his upper body strength to fight off blocks better whereas Brian tends to rely on speed to get around blocks. I want Brian to become an elite pass rusher in this league, but if Nancy continues to improve, I don't have a problem with it.
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