Preseason Week 1: Things We Learned
By Editorial Staff
- Colt McCoy is the real deal. Against one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL, McCoy made it look like he was conducting his own target practice. He was rolling out well and fitting the ball into the smallest of windows. He even made Josh Cribbs look like a viable receiver option. The former QB from Texas is fitting in well with the west coast offense and passing lanes will be opened with the help of Peyton Hillis. While McCoy still has a lot of work ahead of him, look for him to make the most of what he has, and succeed.
- Chad Henne better start looking over his shoulder. In his limited time on the field, Henne managed only eight passes, two of which went to the other team. Although he did manage to throw a touchdown pass, it did little to make up for his horrible play. His backup, Matt Moore, former starter for the Carolina Panthers, did much better. Moore completed 11 out of 18 passes with two touchdown passes and gave the Dolphins fans a little more hope for the season. Listen for the “We want Moore” chants at practice this week.
- Larry Fitzgerald will be a force to be reckoned with……again. Kevin Kolb and Fitzgerald seemed to have bonded quickly over training camp and showed that on Thursday. Although he only had two receptions, those two receptions went for 60 yards. If Fitzgerald would have stayed on the field a little longer, maybe Kolb could have hooked up with him in the end-zone a couple of times. Kolb will get plenty of opportunities to get Fitzgerald the ball. With the rushing attack being put solely on the shoulders of Beanie Wells and rookie Ryan Williams, look for the Arizona Cardinals to light up the skies once again.
- The Detroit Lions have the potential for a very high-octane offense. In a matter of one quarter, the usually lethargic Lions offense took a 14-0 score. Matt Stafford showed that when healthy, he can put up the stats with the best quarterbacks in the league. Calvin “Megatron” Johnson will surely enjoy having his young signal caller back, and the two could prove to be one of the greatest QB/WR combos in the league. Surely losing Mikel Leshoure will sting for a while, but it will give Jahvid Best the second chance to return to his pre turf toe injury form.
- Jake Locker had the best week amongst rookie quarterbacks. Going 7-10 and 89 yards and a touchdown, Locker showed he could beat you through the air, or on the ground. Lockers poise was also on display. After fumbling a snap while under center, Locker picked the ball up and heaved it down field to Yamon Figurs for a 45-yd touchdown pass. Although he did tend to tuck the ball and run a little pre-maturely, that is to be expected with a rookie quarterback. Don’t jump to any conclusions, barring injury, Matt Hasselbeck is the starting quarterback for the Titans.
- Jay Cutler better learn how to throw on the run. The Chicago Bears offensive line picked up right where it left off in the NFC championship game last year. The Bears allowed nine sacks Saturday night to a Bills defense who hasn’t been known for their pass rush. I can only imagine when Chicago plays the Detroit Lions or the Packers, Cutler is going to be seeing a lot of turn this season. Look for screens and dump off passes this season if the offensive line is not fixed.