Detroit Lions’ Offensive Line: A Pleasant Surprise?

I was perusing through some news articles on the Detroit Lions and came across Tom Kolwalski’s article.

His first paragraph gives most Lions fans the hope we’ve been looking for over the past decade: An offensive line that actually works!

Last season, the Lions attempted to incorporate a zone blocking system that relied more on finesse than pure strength. In the zone blocking system, the idea was to hold the line of scrimmage and stretch out the defense and hope the running back finds a crease to run through.

Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan has done away with the zone blocking system and is incorporating more of a “smash mouth” blocking system. Here, the line surges forward, pushing the defense back on it’s heels two yards back. Instead of waiting and reacting to the defense, the idea is to allow the offensive line attack the defense and dictate where the play is going to go.

Both coaches, Linehan and Offensive Line Coach George Yarno are stressing the running game. Makes sense since a successful running game controls the clock, keeps the opposing defense on the field longer and allows for big plays in the passing game.

The Detroit Lions offensive line has been the one area of their offense that has garnered the most criticism over the past decade, more so over the past three seasons as they allowed 166 sacks in that time frame. 

But much of that had to do with the Mike Martz offense which didn’t allow any help from the tight-end or running backs to block on passing plays. They were sent out in pass patterns and the quarterback had to be nimble enough to avoid sacks, a connection not often used in describing a Lion quarterback.

Collectively, the Lions’ offensive line has made a pretty good connection with Yarno who played guard in the NFL for 10 years, eight of them with Tampa Bay from 1979 to 1987. 

In the article, center Dominic Raiola is quited as saying “I like our group, and we’ve got a great line coach. He’s played the game, and I think that means a lot.  He knows how things should operate. You have a different respect for a coach who’s getting you up for a game and he’s been there.”

So far this preseason, the line has allowed only one sack, a far cry from the near 3.5 sacks allowed over the past three seasons. Granted, they haven’t been playing against elite defenses and the real proof will begin when the regular season starts.

But if the offensive line can hold it together, the Lions will have finally have a strong foundation to build on.

Buccaneers-Dolphins: Tampa Bay Gets a Mixed Bag in Rain-Soaked Loss

In between the rain, the lightning, the penalties, and a second half that could cure insomnia around the world, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a 10-6 yawner Thursday night in Tampa to the Miami Dolphins, but this third game of the preseason proved a mixed bag for this young, developing football team.

There was some great news amidst the 60 minutes of football.

Cadillac Williams came out of the garage and got his motor running, early and often.

Yes, there was the surgically “restored” Cadillac, looking like the rookie sensation he once was, churning around and through the Miami Dolphins defense. He put some life in the rain-soaked crowd and perhaps gave head coach Raheem Morris some reason to feel that his team may actually be able to run the football in the season opener against Dallas.

Cadillac, whose double-whammy knee injuries threatened to send him to the “cash for clunkers” program, ran with a vengeance. He finished with 54 yards, carried the ball eight times, and ripped off a 19-yarder in the process. You could envision him going for 150 if he played all night.

Earnest Graham broke through as well with 39 yards on five carries and broke one for 29 yards.

Those runs by Williams and Graham were sparked by the return of the offensive line intact. Tackle Jeremy Trueblood was back, as was center Jeff Faine.

The unit looked effective in creating the opportunities for the runners.

Which now leads us to the multimillion-dollar question:

What about that quarterback race?

The only thing that really helped that answer was Caddy and Earnest. If they can show what they showed Thursday night, then it might not matter who wins this never-ending quarterback contest.

“Slowfoot” Byron Leftwich was unexciting at best. Sure, he completed 9-of-17 for 100 yards, but he again proved he can move the ball between the 30s and stall as he gets close to the red zone.

Leftwich often overthrew open receivers but did manage to help Maurice Stovall move up the receivers ladder. Stovall hauled in a half-dozen catches from Leftwich for 73 yards and actually looked like a candidate for the third receiver slot.

But still, Leftwich was no ball of fire.

No touchdowns were proof enough.

Poor Luke McCown never had a prayer with his playing time. His 0-for-4 start sent him into an evening of mediocrity and perhaps pushed Leftwich toward the starter’s job.

Although there was little comfort for Raheem from his quarterbacks, the defense gave him and the Tampa Bay faithful hope that this team can compete.

The defense totally dominated the early going. The Dolphin offense looked lousy at best. The Buc defenders found a pass rush, stopped the run, and made life miserable for Miami starter Chad Pennington, a frustrated quarterback.

The bad news was the great performances were interrupted by lightning, and after the 45-minute delay and then halftime, the second team Buc defense fell into a mire of mistakes and poor performances.

Josh Freeman got the mop-up duty, and by the fourth quarter he was getting mauled by the Dolphin defense and took multiple hits that surely made his head coach nervous.

He took one shot on his knees that could have been disastrous, but the big specimen of a quarterback showed his toughness and survived.

Yes, the Buccaneers survived all right, but showed the good and the bad.

There is still much to be resolved, but at least on that rainy night, a Cadillac rolled out and showed his “all weather” tires and restored transmission.

The K-Gun Reloaded: Buffalo Bills Shooting for Respectability with New Offense

In 1989, after losing to the Cincinnati Bengals coached by Sam Wyche in the AFC Championship Game, the Buffalo Bills knew that they needed to make a change.

Led by third-year quarterback Jim Kelly—the 1984 USFL MVP—and equipped with versatile running back Thurman Thomas, wide receivers Andre Reed and James Lofton, along with speedy Don Beebe in the slot, and a sure-handed tight end in Pete Metzelaars, the Bills were ready to install a new offense under fourth-year head coach Marv Levy.

So was born the K-Gun—the no-huddle offense in Buffalo.

Four Super Bowl appearances and 20 years later, the 2009 Buffalo Bills are bringing back the K-Gun, or what some like to call the T-Gun, to resurrect a deceased offense.

The names are different, but the skills are comparable.

Like Levy, head coach Dick Jauron is heading into his fourth year.  

Third-year quarterback Trent Edwards is no Kelly yet, and the UFL is no USFL, but he has the intelligence and accuracy to employ what is to many a complicated offensive scheme.

Each one of the three running backs in blue and white are versatile, from Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch to Fred “Shake ‘n’ Bake” Jackson and championship-tested Dominic Rhodes.

The three receivers: Lee Evans, the sure-handed franchise receiver; Terrell Owens, the veteran who consistently performs on the field; and Roscoe Parrish, the speedy “break your ankles” receiver coming out of the slot.

The Bills have not determined who will be their go-to tight end, as they have four capable players in Derek Fine, Derek Schouman, Jonathon Stupar, and rookie Shawn Nelson out of Southern Miss.

Nelson is more of a hybrid WR/TE who performed well as a four-year starter in college with 157 receptions for 2,054 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“The no-huddle lends itself to guys that are big-play guys,” said Wyche after it was reported in April, “because if you get a defense that’s just a little fatigued, just a little off their first-step quickness, and you get the explosive guys, they can hit the home run.”

Throughout OTAs and training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, NY, the Bills put their planned no-huddle offense on full display. For the duration of practices entire weeks straight, they would not set up in a huddle even once.

Then the football world, or at least the 7.9 million viewers of the NFL Hall of Fame Game, got a glimpse of the T-Gun. 

“If we huddled up, I seriously wouldn’t know where to stand,” left tackle Langston Walker said before the game against Tennessee. “The only time I see us huddling is timeouts and change of possession. That’s about it.”

They didn’t huddle up one time in that game, and although the first drive ended in an interception, the first unit showed some promise in the system, converting a couple of third downs with throws to its newly acquired All-Pro receiver.

“Owens operating in no-huddle inspires fanciful notions in the minds of Buffalo fans,” said Buffalo News writer Jerry Sullivan.

“They remember how the K-Gun rolled up points and staggered NFL defenses during the Super Bowl years. The offense has been dull and ineffective for years. The no-huddle would give the offense an identity, and afford the fans much-needed hope.”

 

Strength at Offensive Line?

What helped the ’90s K-Gun offense click was the fact that its offensive line had spent a season together, and other than right tackle Howard Ballard, the other four had created a bond for more than three years.

The 2009 Bills: three new offensive linemen, two rookies, all five in new positions.

Maybe this is a reason the Bills made the decision to revive the classic O.

With a no-huddle offense that keeps defenses on their toes and off guard, they can get the ball out of Edwards’ hands quickly, requiring less blocking time.

Sure-handed RBs and WRs will provide Edwards with some quick options once the ball is snapped.

With T.O. and Evans on the outside, teams will have to at least consider double-teaming one of the two, leaving speedy Parrish or sure-handed Josh Reed open in the middle. Edwards can dump the ball off to the backs and let them make a play.

“The people who love the no-huddle most are the offensive linemen,” said the Bills’ offensive coordinator from the ’90s, Ted Marchibroda, “because of the fact the no-huddle tires the defensive line out tremendously very quickly.”

Second preseason game: The first stringers get more snaps, and Edwards goes 10-for-10, showing improvement and getting the ball out of his hands quickly in the no-huddle.

Jim Ritcher is a former left guard for the Bills who played on the ’90s Super Bowl teams. He noted how the no-huddle can wear out an opposing team.

“Every 20 seconds we were getting off a play,” Ritcher said. “It’s not really difficult, but you have to be in good shape. Defense is so much tougher than offense anyways, when you’re running all over the field like a defensive player has to do. It’s much more tiring.”

 

Owens Gets Key to City, Give Edwards Key to Success

Another reason the no-huddle offense was so effective for Kelly and the ’90s Bills was Kelly’s freedom to call the plays. Offensive coordinator Turk Schonert for the ’09 Bills has yet to relinquish those duties to Edwards.

After the Hall of Fame Game, the third year QB mentioned his reasoning for throwing an interception on the Bills’ first stringers’ only drive.

Getting the play call in late didn’t help, and because of that, Edwards said that he probably should have checked down. If No. 5 called his own plays, they wouldn’t have that problem.

The T-Gun took a step back after a third preseason loss to the Packers, in which Edwards threw an interception and was sacked twice with a fumble in five series.

“You’ve watched the games just like I have,” Edwards said after practice Monday.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen any throws I could have made down the field. If you want to call the plays and throw the ball down the field, that’s fine. I’m taking what the defense is giving me and continuing to go through my reads, and that’s the way I’m coached.”

Fans who like the implementation of the Bills’ new offense are rallying for Edwards to get the freedom he needs.

Besides, if the Bills are going to trust the Stanford alum with such a scheme, why not give him the tools he needs to be successful?

In the end, it comes down to the performance on the field. Like the great Marv Levy said after a ’96 win when asked if he was bringing back the no-huddle:

”A system did not win this game tonight,” Levy said. ”People and execution win games.”

Patriots-Redskins, Packers-Cardinals: Preseason Odds and Predictions

Whether you’re an NFL odds aficionado or just a die-hard football fan, you’ve probably heard the old saying that the preseason “means nothing,” or that you “shouldn’t bet on preseason NFL football because it’s so unpredictable.”

The truth, however, is that you can properly forecast preseason games if you know what to watch for. Let’s put this theory into effect and make picks for Friday night’s NFL games.

New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins

Friday, Aug. 28, 8 p.m. EST

Favorite: Patriots -3

One of the tricks to betting on preseason football is asking yourself, “What, if anything, do these teams have to play for?”

The Patriots are solidly established already this preseason. Tom Brady looks healthy, having posted big yardage in his first preseason game and having shrugged off some big hits last week.

Now that the Pats know Brady is ready to go, they have nothing more to learn or prove. They know they’ll have a running-back-by-committee approach and that Randy Moss and Wes Welker will be the focal points of the passing game.

The Redskins haven’t played as well as the Pats in the preseason, but I like them to pull off the upset this week, because they’ll have more motivation to win. Quarterback Jason Campbell is struggling, perhaps distracted by trade rumors surrounding him over the summer; he was just 1/7 against Pittsburgh last week.

His No. 2 receiver still isn’t determined, as Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly are reportedly neck-and-neck for the job. Don’t you think, then, that the Redskins’ passing offense will (a) play a few more series than Brady’s unit and (b) work extra hard? Toss in a stingy defense and Washington looks good Friday night.

NFL pick: Redskins +3

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals

Friday, Aug. 28, 10 p.m. EST

Favorite: Cardinals -3.5

Here’s a game that would’ve been tough to predict a couple of weeks ago, but now gives us plenty of hints based on the first two preseason games. The Packers look razor-sharp on both sides of the ball.

Aaron Rodgers is firing lasers, Ryan Grant is running with purpose, and the new 3-4 defensive scheme may be ahead of schedule.  This was evident when the Pack shut out Cleveland in their opener and were ball hawks in their win over the Bills, sacking them four times and picking them off twice.

The normally potent Cardinals offense seems out of whack. Whether it’s because they can’t establish a running game with Chris Wells on the mend or because Kurt Warner is battling hip pain, they’re not themselves.

It’s smarter betting management to go with another upset here and pick the Pack.

NFL pick: Packers +3.5

What About Bob (Sanders)?

Okay, so we have all seen the great comedy What About Bob (1991) starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. But in the last few seasons, the Indianapolis Colts have their own Bob who has been absent more than present.

Bob Sanders.

The seemingly unthinkable question that many Colts fans and analysts have been asking as we enter the 2009 season has started to spur my own thought process as well: 

Is  Sanders’ contribution to the Colts worth the hype and his salary?

In his five years with the Colts, Sanders has only played in more than six regular season games twice (2005 and 2007), and even in their Super Bowl year, he only played four games during the regular season.

Drafted in 2004, the former Iowa Hawkeyes standout safety drew comparisons to the great Ronnie Lott. But after a lengthy holdout and what would be the first of many injury-riddled seasons, he would only play in six games, starting only four of those six.

His best season by far came in 2007, when he started and played in 15 games, making 96 tackles, three-and-a-half sacks, and two interceptions. The 2005 season was a similar year in which he took the field in 14 games, netting 91 tackles and one interception.

In January of 2008, Sanders inked a five-year $37.5 million contract with $20 million in guarantees, making him the highest paid safety in the NFL. In fact, he makes over $1 million more than Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Ravens safety Ed Reed.

There’s no doubt that when on the field, Sanders’ leadership, charisma, and destructive power strikes fear in the hearts of all who enter his realm.

BUT…

The key word here is WHEN he is on the field.

Even the 2009 season has begun inauspiciously for Sanders and the Colts, as Bob is not likely to even cast a shadow on the field until week two or three.

So the question is: What About Bob? Is he worth the money the Colts dish out to him every season to play six games? Does his presence in those games make up for all of the games he sits on the sideline, injured?

I will tell you this, when he is in the game I am a huge Bob Sanders fan. But as much as he is injured it begs the question: is it a workout issue? Is he just injury prone?

The Colts need to make a decision, and one that I’m not even sure where I stand on. $37.5 million will—and should—buy you a lot more than six games a year in this league. Perhaps it’s time for Indy to move on.

Or, perhaps, after week two or three, Sanders will prove me wrong. I certainly hope so.

What do you think?

Has Kurt Warner Established a Legacy Comparable to Brett Favre’s?

As Brett Favre emerges from his second retirement, the press, doubters, and most of the NFL nation breaks out whispers and questions whether or not the 39 year-old still has “it.”

“It” would be defined as the three MVPs Favre won, the 10 Pro Bowl appearances, the seven All-Pro selections, and one big Super Bowl ring.

Favre’s 269 consecutive starts, 169 wins, 464 touchdown passes, 65,127 passing yards, and yes, his 310 interceptions are all NFL records.

The quick, short answer is no.

The 38-year-old Kurt Warner has had an incredible and magical career and is a future Hall of Famer, but sports a resume that falls way short of the one Favre has accumulated.

Nonetheless, Warner has demonstrated abilities and qualities that we all should learn from and respect.

His latest lesson is how to successfully finish a career, a trait that has escaped Favre miserably.

In 2008, Warner started the season as the second string man but was handed the reins midway through preseason when Matt Leinart struggled.

Warner started on opening day and never looked back, guiding the Cardinals to their first division title since 1975, first playoff victory since 1998, and first Super Bowl appearance.

For Warner, it was a welcome feeling he had experienced nine years earlier.

The improbable run Warner and the Cardinals went on in 2008 takes a back seat to the other feats Warner has accomplished.

For Warner, just getting to college was a stretch.

He did not start in high school until his senior year.

Obviously, college interest was minimal and he attended Northern Iowa, a small in-state school.

Warner first came into the NFL in 1994 as an undrafted free agent of the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers already had Favre—as well as other quarterbacks they favored over Warner—and released him after training camp.

This is when Warner partook in his storied job of working in the back of a Cedar Falls grocery store for $5.50 an hour.

In 1995, after a year of hard work, Warner still had no NFL offers, but did sign with the Iowa Barnstormers, an affiliate of the Arena Football League.

In ’96 and ’97, Warner shined as he led his team to the Arena Bowl in both seasons and was consecutively named to the All-Arena team.

Meanwhile, just north and a little east, Favre was already tearing it up in Green Bay.

Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, although not to the consent of his coach, Jerry Glanville, who once said on record, “it would take a plane crash for him to put Favre in the game.”

After completing zero passes and throwing an interception on his first NFL pass, Favre was shipped by the Falcons to Wisconsin after just one season.

Little did they know the game’s most prolific passer was about to take off.

In 1995, Favre garnered his first MVP honor.

The next season, he led his team to a Super Bowl victory as the Packers knocked off the Pats, 35-21.

The year after that, Favre and company made another Super Bowl appearance, but lost to John Elway and the Broncos.

This would be the last Super Bowl Favre would play in.

As Favre became a national figure, winning three consecutive MVP awards, Warner had yet to be found on an NFL roster.

In the offseason after the Packers-Broncos Super Bowl, Warner signed with the Rams and assumed third string duties.

He also participated in the European league, where he led the league in passing touchdowns and yards.

In 1999, Warner became the main man for the NFL’s St. Louis Rams after starter Trent Green was injured.

Warner posted amazing numbers and became the central figure on an offense nicknamed “the greatest show on turf.”

Warner’s efforts, as well as the rest of the Rams’ talent, culminated in a Super Bowl win over the Tennessee Titans.

In Kurt Warner’s first year of starting, he won a Super Bowl and was named MVP.

Wow!

Warner led the offense to glory for two more years and earned another MVP award.

In 2002, after a terrible start, Warner broke his finger and missed most of the season.

In 2003, he fumbled six times on opening day and was released the following offseason.

After a one-year stint with the Giants, he wound up with the Cardinals, where he would be part of a revolving door at the quarterback position.

Warner, Josh McCown, and later first round draft pick Matt Leinart all contributed to the insecure, injury prone, and poor quarterback play that cost head coach Dennis Green his job.

Warner and Leinart received the bulk of the reps, but both were benched due to poor performance and were oft-injured.

In 2007, after Leinart broke his collarbone, Warner came on to throw 25 touchdown passes in just half a season.

Warner’s ’07 success translated into the Cardinals’ breakout 2008 campaign.

Since the Super Bowl in ’99, Favre’s best season was in 2007, his last with the Packers.

The Packers made it all the way to the NFC title game and had loads of young talent, but it was Favre who threw the game losing interception.

After ending his first retirement, Favre made a stop in New York.

The Jets started out well, going 8-3, but finished 9-7.

The skid cost Jets coach Eric Mangini his job and Favre’s teammates blamed him for the team’s losing and loss of coach.

Favre is now with Minnesota and there are accounts that the locker room is already divided into thirds.

While no one can question Favre’s legacy, heroics, and his overall burning passion for the game, Favre is losing credibility as we speak.

It’s not that he’s almost 40; it’s that he keeps playing a push-me pull-me game.

Obviously it’s a tough decision, but our society is based on decision, and indecision gets you nowhere.

The same goes for being an NFL quarterback.

Kurt Warner, on the other hand, is looking to build on last season’s success.

Warner has demonstrated ability like none other to never give up, always keep trying, and to be ready on a moment’s notice.

Having two of the game’s top receivers certainly doesn’t hurt either, but it is Warner who stirs the Cardinals’ cocktail, not Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin.

No longer does Favre have the talent he had in Green Bay, but he did have the chance to stay there.

The Packers gave him a choice, not an order to retire, and then they moved on.

If Favre had listened to his heart a little longer, he may still be in Green Bay and looking just like Warner.

But right now, Favre is doing his one-year sabbaticals while Warner is still earning the top dollar for his efforts.

Please don’t let this mislead you. Favre is one of, if not the greatest quarterback to walk the earth, but he could take a lesson from Warner on how to finish a Hall of Fame career.

Seattle Seahawks Official 2009 NFL Preview

OFFENSE:

The offense was absolutely dreadful in 2008 and it can no longer be called the team’s strength. The overall offense ranked just 28th in the NFL in 2008 and it ranked just 29th in the passing game

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeckd is no longer a top 10 quarterback. He is approaching his upper 30’s and he is always at risk for an injury. A bulged shoulder disk is nothing to laugh about. He will probably go for about 3000 yards and about 20 touchdowns but the declining years have officially started. And with no proven backup, the team will be in major trouble if Matt Hasselbeck goes down again.

The Seahawks made another greedy effort to strengthen their receiving corp by giving TJ Houshmandzadeh a mega deal that will cost the Seahawks 40 million over the next five years. TJ brings consistency to the table and great hands. He is in his mid 30’s also.

The Seahawks offensive line has too many 30 somethings. With Mike Wahle retiring, they have lost that much more depth to the O-line. Second round pick Max Unger will step in at the guard position. Left tackle Walter Jones is a future Hall of Famer and one of the best tackles in the game. Even when he is playing at 90 percent he is better than 90 percent of the tackles in the NFL.

John Carlson is the future Jason Witten of the NFL and became the first rookie tight end in Seahawk history to led the team in receptions

OVERALL:

The Seahawks made a bold effort to shore up this shaky offense but with all the 30 year olds in this lineup, the team isn’t set for the future. Expect enough out of this unit to make a playoff run at the most. B-

DEFENSE:

This defense is now officially the strength of the team even though they didn’t show it last year. The addition of Aaron Curry makes this defense even younger and even better than before.

The linebacker crew is one that will strike fear into running backs. All 3 of their starters are under 25 and play a smash mouth style of football. Lofa Tatupu is a top 10 linebacker and is the captain of this defense.

The defensive line made major upgrades in the power department. They brought in 330 pound Colin Cole and 295 pound Cory Redding. This will insure that the defensive line won’t get pushed around as much as last year.

Patrick Kerney was injured last year but he is still one of the best defensive ends in the league. He will make more sacks under a bigger defensive line.

The defensive back group should make improvements over last year’s lackluster campaign in which they allowed the most passing yards of any team in the NFL.

Pro bowler Marcus Trufant is the captain of this unit and is a Pro Bowler. He continues to deliver consistent performances. This unit is undersized as they got beat by bigger, stronger receivers. Josh Wilson at 5-9 and Kelly Jennings at 5-11 are at the top of your depth chart which is not a good sign. Kelly Jennings looks to be one of the biggest busts in Seahawks draft history. Josh Wilson is the immediate starter.

DEFENSE:

This defense is still the strength of the team even with last year’s performance. Injury’s tore this unit to pieces but their back and hungry for some payback. B

Rams-Bengals: St. Louis Shows Signs of Life in 24-21 Victory

Rams fans had justifiable cause to be worried about their team after the first two preseason games. The offense couldn’t score. The defense couldn’t cover. It just wasn’t good.

 

But in Thursday night’s 24-21 preseason victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, we got a small glimpse at just what these guys have been working on the past few months.

 

Now we’re not fitting these guys for Super Bowl rings by any means. But there was enough positive from this game to give fans some hope the first few weeks of the season won’t be a complete catastrophe.

 

Here were some of the things that stood out:

* James Hall blew up Cedric Benson in the backfield for a four-yard loss on Cincinnati’s first offensive play after the Rams’ second touchdown. Hall was playing the right defensive end position with Chris Long moving over to the left side. Moving parts on the D-line is a hallmark of the Steve Spagnuolo defense, and it paid off handsomely on that play.

 

* Again playing on the left side late in the first quarter, Long was able to get past tight end Daniel Coats to bat down a ball and force a third and long. Then in the second quarter he was able to beat the right tackle on an inside move and force the quarterback to rush a throw that could have gone for big yardage.

 

Disruption—that’s what has been missing from Long’s game, and that’s what he provided in this contest.

 

* Another guy fans were looking to see some spark from was O.J. Atogwe, and they got that in the second quarter in the form of a strip of running back Bernard Scott that James Butler picked up for an 73-yard touchdown that put the Rams ahead 21-7.

 

Nothing picks up a team like causing a turnover and returning it for a touchdown, and that play (Atogwe also had two nice blocks on the return) showed why he was the Rams’ franchise player this offseason.

 

* I’ve been giving Kyle Boller all kinds of hell this summer, but he played like a backup should play against the Bengals—smart, safe, manage the game, and move the offense down the field. He finished the game having completed 14 of 20 pass attempts for 96 yards and one touchdown (the two-yard flip to Samkon Gado to score the Rams’ second touchdown).

 

I still wouldn’t want Boller as my starting quarterback, but he wasn’t anywhere near the disaster Thursday as he was against the Falcons.

 

(That’s as big a compliment as I can give him right now. Work with me.)

 

* It looks like Gado is the man for the backup job behind Steven Jackson. The offensive line gave him huge holes, and he hit them hard in the Rams’ second drive. Even when there weren’t holes to run through, Gado put his nose in there and ground out the yards that were there to be gotten.

 

As long as Gado keeps a hold of the ball and doesn’t make mistakes in pass protection, he should be in good shape.

 

(That of course leaves Antonio Pittman, Kenneth Darby, and Chris Ogbonnaya fighting for probably just two spots. Right now, it looks like Darby on the outs. I don’t think Spagnuolo ever forgave him for those two blown blitz pickups against the Jets.)

 

* Rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis sure seems to have a knack for being around the ball when things happen. Against the Falcons, Laurinaitis was in perfect position to intercept a pass that had gotten knocked in the air. Against the Bengals, after J.T. O’Sullivan fumbled the snap, there was Laurinaitis to fall on it. He was also only about a yard off being in position for another interception.

 

Laurinaitis still has some growing to do. The TV crew had a good look at him getting swallowed up at the goal line on Brian Leonard’s second-quarter touchdown run. But from what we’ve seen so far, the Rams nailed the decision to select Laurinaitis over Rey Maualuga and others with the 35th overall pick last April.

 

* When I wrote my things to watch column for this game, I mentioned I’d like to see Larry Grant get some time with the first-unit defense. He did, and he came through, stopping Benson for a three-yard loss early in the second quarter.

 

I wrote it the other day and it bears repeating—Grant is a player, and the more time he spends on the field, the better off the Rams defense will be.

 

* Since we’re talking about things I wrote that are coming true, Quincy Butler needs to get some more action with the top unit. In back-to-back plays in the third quarter, Butler came up and made a beautiful open-field tackle, and then intercepted a Jordan Palmer pass and almost took it to the house.

 

Considering the lack of progress by Justin King, Jonathan Wade, and Bradley Fletcher, Butler has more than earned his shot at the nickel corner job. Here’s hoping he gets to play major minutes in next week’s preseason finale against the Chiefs to prove he deserves a roster spot.

 

* I hate to end on a down note, but god were the special teams bad, especially early.

 

On the first kickoff, backup safety David Roach got called for a push in the back to set the Rams up at their own 11-yard line. Then after the offense’s three-and-out, the special teams gave up a 49-yard punt return to Quan Cosby for a touchdown (bad punt, bad coverage).

 

Then there was the missed field goal at the end of the first half, and then the 44-yard punt return by Tom Nelson in the third quarter,

 

You can bet Spagnuolo and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon will be breaking down the tape on those plays, and the culprits will soon find their way to the waiver wire (assuming there’s anybody better to replace them with).

Michael Vick Returns: Could It Mean Changes in Philly?

Ninja Prediction: Sleeper Wide Receivers You Want on Your Roster in 2009

Anyone who has drafted already can tell you that the middle-to-late-round wide receivers are as appealing as being a high school janitor during the peak of flu season.

No one in their right mind can, and should, feel good about staring Laveranues Coles or Deion Branch as their No. 2 wide receiver—or even to rely on them for spot starts off the bench.

Yet, there are some pass-catchers that always seem to fall between the cracks at many drafts. These are guys you can nab late who could produce some big numbers at a critical point for you this season.

Here are the two I’m targeting the most this summer.

 

Receiver sleepers

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