2011 Pre-season; week 2 (Thursday)

So, two games from pre-season week 2 in the books. Let's have a look.

It started with the Patriots at the Buccaneers and boy did the Buccaneers get a wake up call. Their firsts versus the Patriots firsts resulted in a game that wasn't even close as the Pats put up 28 unanswered points as their offense cut through the Buc's D, while their defense poured all over the Buc's O-line. It was the footballing equivalent of a massacre.

Tom Brady finished 11/19 for 118 yards and 2 TD's, having a few miscues, but nothing serious. Chad Ochocinco got his first action in a Patriot's jersey, scoring a TD and taking a major hit along the way. Rookie QB Ryan Mallet was 9/14 for 71 yards and 1 interception. Naturally people were crying about the fact that he threw a pick, but shit, seriously? One pick and other than that he's looked very solid, certainly the best among this years crop of quarterbacks.

The Patriots running game got motoring again, largely due to the fact that the Buccaneers D-line was getting handled just as roughly as its offensive line. On defense, Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo had two sacks and looked every bit the lynch pin of that defense.

As for the Buccaneers, I think it's a case of try again next week? Josh Freeman went just 5/10 for 33 yards. Josh Johnson did slightly better, 6/17 for 105 yards and a pick. C'mon Johnson, you're better than this. Third year backup Rudy Carpenter was 6/10 for 68 yards.

But the Buc's have little to be pleased about. The simple fact is that they were man handled at every turn throughout the game by a clearly superior side. They may be "Youngry", but the young aspect definitely stands out more than the hungry part. Lots of coaching work to do in the coming season.

Next the Philadelphia "Dream Team" Eagles visited Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers and were in for something of a shock. Recently the Eagles players have been trying to play down the "Dream Team" moniker and Thursday night we perhaps found out why.

Mike Vick; 5/12 for 47 yards and 3 INT's. Wow. That was pretty bad. Part of the issue was - as you might expect - the Steelers pass rush. But a big chunk of it was just Vick making bad decisions (no jokes please). One of the interceptions was just ridiculous, as Vick tried to thread the needle between about five defenders. And that seemed to be the major problem. Instead of just occasionally eating a sack or throwing the ball away, Vick was determined to make plays happen that just weren't there.

Still, he got a sweet hit in after a pass was tipped and then picked off by Troy Polamalu. Not sure if Andy Reid will be quite as impressed.

His replacement was Vince Young, who went on to finish 5/8 for 34 yards and an interception. Finally the situation was partially rescued (albeit against the third string) by Mike Kafka, who threw 14/19 for 160 yards and 2 TD's. Running back Ronnie Brown got in on the action late and had some effect, as did rookie Dion Lewis (ahhh!) with 2 carries for 19 yards and 2 receptions for another 48.

On defense some new arrivals made their impact, with Jason Babin, Cullen Jenkins and Anthony Hargrove all recording sacks, but outside of that the Eagles D didn't look all that impressive, being victimised by a succession of Steelers quarterbacks.

It started with Ben Roethlisberger, who went 8/12 for 125 yards and 2 TD's, while looking every bit like a hall of fame quarterback. Yeah. He just seems to have such a command of that offense, while bringing great strength and calm under pressure to the table as well. Next up was Byron Leftwich; 4/7 for 67 yards and a TD. Then Dennis Dixon; 8/11 for 90 yards.

Of note outside of the quarterback position for the Steelers was new receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who ended with 2 catches for 49 yards and a TD. On defense the Steelers actually produced just one sack, but the elusiveness of Michael Vick had much to do with that. The pressure was there and it forced mistakes, notable not least because of the defense's four interceptions total. Will Allen also produced a forced fumble.

Dream Team? More like "Dream On" at the minute, but its early days yet. I am wondering though, after my post the other day about the pressure that comes with the hype, will the Philadelphia media start to go rabid already? We'll see.

Right then, we'll round off this post by having a look ahead at the Friday night action.

Which begins with the Redskins at the Colts. The Curtis Painter saga continues! More of interest though will be the defense, which got over run by St. Louis of all people last week. If Manning doesn't come back 100% this year then the Colts will need a very strong showing from their defense just to make the playoffs. For the Redskins this is another chance to see where they stand with Rex Grossman and perhaps give that rushing attack a kick up the backside.

The Chiefs get a repeat of their playoff match up from last year, but this time they'll be on the road against the Ravens. I'm actually quite intrigued by this. I want to know whether Head Coach Todd Haley trusts his running game this time or whether he's going to stick with testing out his back up quarterback situation. The Ravens need to find their groove offensively and really give Joe Flacco a decent spell.

Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns next, and two teams that had pretty good starts to the pre-season, offensively at least. Looking forward to seeing more Colt McCoy in action and also finding out whether Matthew Staffords resurgence in week 1 was just a fluke or if he's finally starting to build a sense of rhythm with his receivers.

The Cam Netwon show rolls into Miami as the Panthers face the Dolphins. This one is all about the quarterbacks, as Newton and Clausen battle for the starting role in Carolina, and Chad Henne tries to convince the Miami coaches he's the right man for the job this season.

The Cardinals get a trip to a slightly cooler Green Bay for their week 2 game. For Green Bay its about building on a pretty good showing by the first stringers last week while a lot of attention will be on Arizona in this one. More specifically, the mess that is otherwise known as their quarterback situation. It'll also provide a nice test for what is a defense in some disarray, having still not stopped the rot at the linebacker position from last season.

Finally, the Falcons nip across to Florida to take on Jacksonville. I'm interested to know just how tough that Falcons defense will be this year. Specifically I'm looking for sacks from the Falcons D-line. For the Jaguars all eyes will doubtless be on Blaine Gabbert, but a more important question in my book is how their revamped linebacking corps gets on.

See you tomorrow.

2011 NFL Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

So finally we round out the NFC South, by looking at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa did ok with last years lot and with free agency, so I was expecting (perhaps unfairly) big things from Tampa this year. I think they lived up to the reputation.

It all begins in round one with Adrian Clayborn. I love this kid, I really do. I think it was a great pick, especially at 20th overall. Great value. Clayborn is a seriously talented Defensive End who could finally help the Buccaneers get the pass rush that they need to start taking advantage of what is an increasingly talented young team.

Probably Clayborn's greatest attribute is that of block destruction. I wouldn't go so far as to say he's unblockable, but he does have a real talent for using his hands to get unstuck. In particular he is very adept at fending off cut blocks while keeping his eyes up and in the backfield.

If I had one knock on Clayborn it's that his speed isn't great, but I think he makes up for that with his other skills, like his awareness against the run. If he finds himself on the backside he does a great job of sticking to the hip of the last blocker and making sure he plays his proper run contain assignment. Now there are a lot of pros who struggle with that, so I always find it impressive in a rookie.

It's a core skill for defensive ends and it gives you an insight into his maturity. See, my experience has been that players don't do the fundamental things unless you ram them home. If you want a DE to play backside contain, you have to relentlessly tell him and show him. If he does it, it means he actually listens. All too often it's too tempting for a young player in that position to crash down the line and go chasing for the highlight reel play.

Seeing him playing his run responsibility pitch perfect is impressive. When you couple that with the way he plays the run as it comes towards him, keeping his shoulders square to the line and tracking the running back across the field while fending off blocks, it tells me that Clayborn already has a very solid base of skills to work from and will listen to his coaches to learn everything he can.

When you consider all that, it makes Clayborn a tantalising prospect. My hope is that the Buccaneers will put Gerald McCoy on one side as a DE - a position he had some success with last season - then insert Clayborn opposite him. With those two coming off the edges and causing havoc, that could push the Buccaneers defense to a level it hasn't reached since the days of Warren Sapp.

Of course there's still the chance that the Buccaneers will want to keep McCoy at defensive tackle and that's made more likely by their second round pick; Da'Quan Bowers.

Bowers, a defensive end from Clemson, fell into the Buccaneers lap at number 51 overall. It was something of a miracle that he made it this far down, but then that's what knee surgeries in the off season can do to a kids draft stock. The risk with knee surgery is that you never know how it's going to pan out. It might get better and the player returns to normal, as we saw with Wes Welker in 2010. Or it can go decidedly down hill and the player never fully recovers their speed and agility.

The Buccaneers have taken a gamble, but a calculated one.

Bowers is a mixed bag if I'm honest. He plays pretty smart and seems to have a good grasp of everything going on around him. He sniffs out reverses well and has the speed and determination to pursue plays from the backside.

But generally speaking if you can get your hands on him then Bowers gets locked up. And that is quite an issue for a defensive end. If you can't beat the blocks, how are you supposed to get to the QB? My overall impression then of Bowers was that he often seemed to luck out.

If you don't block him on the blitz then he has the speed to get through, but you're kind of relying on the generosity of other people for that which isn't exactly a recipe for success. This problem is compounded by the fact that the Buccaneers are a 4-3 team who aren't going to be regularly calling on linebackers to bring pressure, confusing or tying up the blockers.

Left to face an offensive tackle one on one, I'm not sure if Bowers has the technical ability to make things happen for himself. I just see him getting wadded up on the outside and not really being able to be of much use. And I'm not even talking sacks. I can't even see Bowers bringing much in the way of QB pressure.

Onwards and upwards then, into round 3 and the 84th pick overall, linebacker Mason Foster. Not a lot to say here really. Foster is a pretty good tackler, but his pass coverage is a definite weak point. That's problematic not just because he's a linebacker in a 4-3, but because the Buc's play a fair amount of "Tampa 2" coverage, which means their linebackers are needed to drop back and fill zones over the middle. That might expose Foster I feel.

Round four saw the Buccaneers take tight end Luke Stocker. An understudy to Kellen Winslow II it would seem. Stocker isn't very quick, but he is strong and has good balance, both of which aid good run blocking. He has good hands which is always a plus, and even though he's not all that fast his strength allows him to fight for extra yards. Not a bad pick in the fourth round.

In round five the Buccaneers went with Florida safety Ahmad Black. Black is a good tackler, who reads the plays really well. His range is pretty good and he breaks on the ball well, playing it well in the air. The Buccaneers made progress at the safety spot in 2010, but the addition of Black gives them that extra boost.

In round six it was running back Allen Bradford from Southern California. Bradford is very much in the same mold as LaGarrette Blount. He's big and strong, but also has a surprising turn of speed in the open field. His agility is also pretty impressive. That's a bonus because it makes him a legitimate second back to Blount, where he'll bring many of the same skills which should help his coaches blend him into their scheme without having to make special dispensations on his account.

In round seven the Buccaneers had two picks, courtesy of a compensatory selection. The first of these they used was on Florida international cornerback Anthony Gaitor. Now I warn you that I'm a confirmed fan now of Anthony Gaitor, so expect this to be glowing to the extreme.

Gaitor had a fast 40 time at his pro day, but I'm always a little wary of 40's in general and especially at pro days. On the field, Gaitor can sometimes look a little sluggish in pads, but don't let that fool you. Gaitors play and route recognition are absolutely superb. He's a great tackler and he plays the ball really well in the air.

Now I had a suspicion he would fall this low and I also mentioned in my cornerbacks post that I feel Gaitors late round evaluation is a huge mistake that shows everything that is wrong with scouting. For my money, I think Gaitor dropped because of where he played (at Florida International). If he was playing for a bigger college, he would have been much higher ranked.

The film is there. You can clearly see that Gaitor is a quality corner. He displays all of the skills that you would expect and also has safety potential in there. He easily looked better on game day than guys like Amukamara and Peterson. His intelligence and vision are plainly superior, yet he ends up in the seventh round.

I don't get it?

Lastly was Daniel Hardy, the tight end from Idaho. I first came across Hardy while looking at Nathan Enderle. Hardy has good hands and great route running technique. Speed is good, if not exceptional. In particular, Hardy seems to thrive in the rough and tumble world of catching over the middle. I really like Hardy. Is he an elite guy at the next level, like a Vernon Davis? I'm not sure. But I can see him on the same level as guys like Hernandez and Gronkowski in New England.


So that's it, the entire Buc's draft class done. Personally I think they had a pretty good draft. Clayborn to start was a great pick. Then came Bowers. I might not be a big fan of him, but the Buccaneers obviously are and importantly they got great value out of him because he was a projected first rounder who dropped to them in the second.

Mason Foster is another question mark for me, but other than that it's all good. The two tight ends they acquired have a lot of promise I feel. They got another good young back to share the workload with Blount and I think they really hit a home run with their selections of Black and Gaitor.

I like what the Buccaneers have done here for their defense. They've improved the defensive line and the secondary all in one go. Perhaps they didn't need two tight ends, but I can live with it because of the development potential there and because it's more weapons for Josh Freeman. An extra wide receiver would have been a nice addition, but the Buc's should do well regardless.

2011 is starting to shape up nicely for the Buc's. They'll be looking to reap the fruit of last years impressive rookie class, mixed with this one. On the basis of what I've seen, I think we'll all have to keep an eye on Tampa Bay this year.

NFC South Prospects

So I planned this going up earlier, but when you over sleep, you over sleep. Again, we'll do this alphabetically. Atlanta Falcons: Having stormed the regular season, it might be easy to think that Atlanta will simply come back next year and everything will be the same once more. Right? They won 13 games. 13!!! Surely that's not the kind of team you need to go toying around with? But it is. We can't get away from the fact that Atlanta did, at many times, ride their luck. Trust me, I'm a 49ers fan. We took a bitter loss early-ish in the season when we should have walked home safely with the win. Unfortunately our defensive backs are fond of carrying the ball on interception and fumble returns as if they were parading the Super Bowl around Candlestick Park. Now I should temper that by saying that you don't win 13 games purely on the back of luck. Nobody is that lucky. It does take some input for the players and coaches beyond just "show up, be lucky". But the stage is set for potentially a big fall in 2011, so free agency and the draft could be a dicey time for the Falcons this year. In free agency both the Falcons punter and kicker are up for unrestricted free agency, as are some other important names like; offensive linemen Justin Blalock, Harvey Dahl & Tyson Clabo, WR Brian Finneran, and running backs Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling. That's a big loss to the Falcons if those guys leave. The offensive line has been a consistent strength for Atlanta over the last few seasons, while Norwood and Snelling have been solid back ups to Michael Turner who has had some issues with injury. If all of those guys leave, expect the Falcons to take a big step back right there. On the restricted list is two names that are also worth mentioning. One is Brent Grimes, the cornerback who had an exceptional season for Atlanta this year. The other is receiver Eric Weems, who became a big impact player in the return game. As restricted free agents their departure is less likely, but don't forget for example that the Patriots are lurking and have two picks in every round. Belichick might just feel like parting with a pick to acquire a player of Grimes's ability to boost his ailing secondary. As for the draft? Even if the Falcons get most of their free agents back, their offensive line could use a lower pick for some depth, their linebacking corps could use one more key player to take the field with Lofton and Weatherspoon, and the defensive back corps badly needs upgrading. A shiny new receiver wouldn't go amiss either. Atlanta picks 27th overall in the first round. Looking ahead to 2011 it could go either way. The Buccaneers are on the rise. The Panthers may be too, depending on how well their off season goes. The Saints had another strong year in 2010 and so Atlanta's 13 win record is in serious danger this season. If they stumble in the off season it is perfectly foreseeable that they might finish 3rd in 2011. Still, they always have Matty "Ice". Yeah, don't hold your breath. Carolina Panthers: It's all change in Carolina after a shockingly bad season. Ron Rivera, former Chargers defensive coordinator, will be taking over the head coaching role this season. Good luck to you sir. Rob Chudzinski will run the offense, having previously served as the Chargers tight ends coach. That might be a surprise success (notice I said might) as the Chargers have done well at the tight end position recently and Rivera obviously knows the guy from working with him, so he must have some faith in his abilities. Sean McDermott, formerly of the Eagles, will take over the defense. Which is where things get interesting. Both Rivera and McDermott are more 3-4 pedigree guys. The Panthers are all about the 4-3. Will they take the same approach Washington did in the off season and try to make the switch to a 3 man front? They're certainly bursting with pass rush talent, so maybe they'll try and get some of those guys to take their hands out of the dirt and rush from a two point stance? It's not all doom and gloom though. McDermott may have come from a 3-4 lineage, but the Eagles have essentially been running 4-3 for the last couple of seasons so he has some experience handling this type of front. It's just the tools that pose the big problem, and how to get the best out of them. In free agency the Panthers have a long list to keep an eye on. Some of the names that jump out at me are tight ends Jeff King and Dante Rosario, whose departure would leave the Panthers with just Gary Barnidge. That's not good, especially as the Panthers have leaned on their tight ends a lot lately. King and Rosario (and Barnidge) don't get anywhere near enough credit for what they do for the Panthers. The big name on the way out of course is RB DeAngelo Williams. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I think the Panthers should let him leave. They have Jonathan Stewart, who is a very good back. They have Mike Goodson who is a pretty good back up. They really don't need Williams now. Better to let him go and use some of the free cap money to improve the rest of the team. Two other names that stick out from the list are Center Ryan Kalil and QB Matt Moore. Moore is the big one. Do they bring him back for another shot? Do they roll with Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike? Or do they hit the draft and bring in yet another QB fresh from the college game? Glad I'm not running the Panthers, that's all I'll say. Which brings us neatly to the draft itself. They have the number one pick overall and they have needs all over the shop. If they can, my guess is the Panthers will drop down the draft ladder. They seriously need the extra picks to start covering all these holes. Wide Receiver is a huge hole, defensive back is a huge hole. They could use another quality linebacker. They need a QB from somewhere. And they might need some new tight ends as well. Honestly, 2011 for the Panthers will center on rebuilding. Panther fans should brace for another crappy season, not because they can't compete but because it is time for someone to come in and stamp their mark on this team. That means saying "this is how we're going to play, but it'll take some time to get it right, even if we lose some along the way". Patience from the fan base will be required. More importantly, patience from the ownership will be required too. Good luck Carolina, I don't hate you really. Well. Maybe a little. New Orleans Saints: The Saints had the dubious honour of being the first NFL team to get dumped in the playoffs by a team with a losing record. Nice work guys. But they did us all a favour really. They proved that the "any given Sunday" rule can still happen in the modern NFL and that even a 7-9 team should be allowed in if it wins it's division. So where now for the Saints? Well, they've managed to keep hold of their coaching staff, but free agency is going to be all kinds of fun. By my maths they have 27 unrestricted free agents. Twenty seven. If you draw up the list of players at each position that will be left if all the free agents leave, it looks like a High School team where the offensive starters are defensive backups and vice versa. I'm just going to list some of the notables; Jermon Bushrod OT, Heath Evans FB, Jonathan Goodwin C, Anthony Hargrove DE/DT, Roman Harper S, Julius Jones RB, Kawika Mitchell LB, Lance Moore WR, Courtney Roby WR, Scott Shanle LB, Darren Sharper S and Pierre Thomas RB. Now as far as the running backs are concerned, that's not a huge issue for the Saints. They have spares so to speak. Wide receiver is an issue of sorts, given how wide open the Saints like to play. Charles Brown could fill for Bushrod, depending on how well he's developed since the 2010 draft. But linebacker and safety are two huge concerns for the Saints. Picking 24 in the draft, I see this being a very defense heavy approach. Unless they can bring some guys back or reach out into free agency and find some talent, the linebacking and safety corps are going to be barren come draft day. I imagine the Saints will prioritise their pass rush, given their tendency to jump ahead of teams in games and forcing them to pass to get back into the game. 2011 outlook then? Erm, grim I would say. Sort of. The Buccaneers are rising. Atlanta can come back strong. Carolina will be... Carolina. But the Saints defense is going to be holding its breath this offseason. If they can't recoup their loses then it's going to be a miserable year for the 2011 Saints. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ah Tampa Bay, the pirates that you can trust. Sort of. They had a resurgence in 2010 off the back of some exceptional work by Josh Freeman. Sort of. And some greatly improved defensive play. Sort of. Free agency offers up a mixed bag for the Buc's. Some names stand out at me; Ronde Barber CB, Quincy Black LB, Barrett Ruud LB and Jeremy Trueblood OT. Barber is a mixed bag. He's old, but he still seems to come up with plays now and again. Trueblood's loss will be a problem, but Black and Ruud are the main concerns. The Buc's have some talent at linebacker, but they need Ruud and Black back to support their defense. As for the draft, they pick at 20 which is almost unknown territory for the Buc's in recent years. Where will they go with this? I honestly am not sure. After last years performance in the draft and with signing undrafted free agents, the Buc's are in a nice spot. I imagine that the subject of running backs will eventually come up, as LaGarrette Blount can't do it all himself. A true pass rushing defensive end will probably top the list unless they decide to slide McCoy over (where he's shown potential). Another receiver would be nice, as well as another inside linebacker. Overall though, the 2011 Buccaneers have their sights on the playoffs. Their division could be in a very vulnerable state this year. If the Falcons lose their O-line and the Saints lose their defense, to free agency that is, then nothing is standing in the way of Tampa having a run at the division title. Even just a moderately good free agency and draft will set them up nicely. So with that, we come to the end of the NFC South 2011 preview thingy. Next up is the NFC West, which will be posted around Thursday or Friday. As for the CBA situation.... err, nothing has changed. We're still headed towards a delayed start to the 2011 season and honestly I've given up caring to some degree. The arguments being put forward by both sides are mundane in the extreme, neither side seems to really give a shit about the fans and their persistence in trying to convince us of how wonderful they are and how evil the other side is doesn't wash. As always in these things, it's all about the money and has nothing to do with the quality of the game and fairness. If it did, we could probably solve all this crap in a few hours with some strong coffee, swiss iced buns and a few well placed punches. Have a great day everyone.