A lot happened in the first week of preseason. New coaches, of which there are ten this August, did very well in their debuts, especially at home. There weren't a lot of key injuries, with the exception of Washington RB Clinton Portis. If you look carefully, you can find a lot of tidbits that can be revealing about teams. For instance, the Eagles and longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson have put in a lot of new wrinkles, including some new nickel packages. Johnson has said this defense has more speed than any he's had since coming here with head coach Andy Reid in 1999. His intent has been to create more confusion for opposing offenses. Among the most noticeable changes have been six defensive backs and only three down linemen and one true linebacker. The formations are designed to set up more effective zone blitzes and better attack angles to the quarterback. Philly is 2-0 under the total thus far in preseason, so the defense is deep and improved. They were 23rd in total defense in 2005, quite a drop for a Super Bowl team in 2004-05. Also, notice what LB Jeremiah Trotter said this week: "We're hungry. Everybody is hungry. Obviously we're embarrassed by last season and sometimes it takes a butt-kicking to get you back and going again. A lot of guys worked hard this off-season, and I think it's showing." If they keep going under the total, you will know why. Speaking of quotes, here was one this week from NY Giants coach Tom Coughlin: He called his defense "soft" after the preseason opener, and refused to take it back a day later after watching film! Pay careful attention to the performance of the Giants defense this weekend (at home against KC) to see if they are angry, too. The Browns have two huge weaknesses on offense. One is that there is almost no QB experience, with Charlie Frye, Ken Dorsey, and Derek Anderson. Secondly, the offensive line has been decimated this preseason, with the loss of center LeCharles Bentley, their star free agent signing, and several other linemen. They were shut down in Philly over the weekend and could struggle the rest of the preseason. Another team with a preseason QB concern is the Patriots. They did not bring a veteran backup into camp this season, for the first time in a long while, because they feel young Matt Cassel can be the No. 2 QB. Don't be fooled by Cassel's 13-for-26 for 229 yards and as TD against the Falcons. All that came late. Against the second and third stringers, Cassell struggled badly. A team that appears to have a very deep QB rotation is Atlanta. Michael Vick, Matt Schaub, Bryan Randall and D.J. Shockley played well in the opener and the quartet gives defenses very different looks and problems. Vick, Randall and Shockley are great runners, while Schaub is a fine passer. Throw in rambunctious rookie tailback Jerious Norwood, who was impressive, and Atlanta seems to have a lot of preseason tools on offense. Their first game went over the total. |
