My
on the game, for whatever they are worth:
MIAMI: Maybe it's because he is more familiar with the offensive personnel, maybe it's because he's the better QB, but
Frerotte showed much more poise and field intelligence out there.
Ricky didn't have a very impressive outing, true, but you know what? I am giving him all benefit of the doubt. You can practice and scrimmage, but these were the first full speed game-condition carries he's had for a while, and the fact that he didn't mess up is a huge plus. The pressure was enormous, but he handled it -- and that 1/2 hour Barbara Walters-esque interview, as well.
I give Ricky tons of props for handling his whole comeback in a mature fashion. I believe him when he says that the game wasn't too fast for him after taking so much time off, and I have respect for him for admitting his mistakes at the same time as not apologizing for doing what he wants in life.
He obviously has no illusions to his role on the team and to the work he has yet to do to earn his roster spave. He's starting with a truly clean slate: just as his pro-bowl years don't matter at this point, his time spent away from the team and all of its implications don't matter now either. I'm rooting for you, RW.
Miami's first unit
O-line just didn't seem to be able to punch open running lanes or seal the pocket against a four-man rus, let alone a blitz. That has me a little worried, although it is still preseason. Still, none of their first-quarter drives went over 5 plays, and all of them ended in punts.
Lamar Gordon is useless.
Sammy and Travis may be viable change of pace backs, but this is a Miami team that does need their rookie to sign, if only to give the running game some modicum of identity.
Chambers, Booker, and Boston all looked sharp with limited catches. My fear is that the Miami offense just won't have the potent punch at and behind the lines to truly take advantage of this trio.
Diamond, Glimore and Harris were impressive, and may be some diamonds in the rough. Of course, this was in the second half against the second and third units, but it was great to see them make a lot out of their playing opportunities.
I feel sorry for
Manny Wright. I really do. He's clearly not ready to play in the NFL. He looked like he was dogging it out there, when the reality is that he doesn't seem to have the tools to effectively hold up the left side of the D-line. Madden, for all his ridiculousness, nailed it: the guy has no motor, and you need a motor to play at this level.
CHICAGO
Grossman was middling, but the real story was the
Kyle Orton - Mark Bradley express. Both really shined in their opportunity against Miami's scrubs. Maybe it was just a factor of playing together in practice, but they certainly have chemistry. I haven't read a lot about Bradley, but given that the Bears #2 and #3 slots may at this point just be penciled in and are open as far as competition, he could be one to watch.
Grossman's wife is hot, but only in the sort of fresh-faced college bar-hopping way. She looked like any typical sorority girl on a big college campus. I will reserve my final judgements until I can see her in a bikini.
Muhammad's grab was very sweet, but I'm not ready to annoint him as the second coming just yet. I still think he's in for a "regress to the mean" type season. Still, it went a ways to prove to me that the issues many receivers have when shifting teams may be somewhat mitigated. Moose was brought in to elevate the offence, and he proved to me that he could do it last night.
Berrian's hands are too inconsistant -- he has Lelie type of ability in long ball playmaking, and I have a feeling that's the role he'll fill...and that's all.
Benson better get to camp quickly. For a number of reasons: one, quite obviously, is that Thomas Jones showed some nice explosive speed, great vision, terrific balance, soft hands, and playmaking ability. This job is solidly his until Benson can unseat him.
But the other reason is that the Bears may need a more aggressive runner, especially in the red zone. TJ may have had a nice shifty move to score, but he was absolutely stuffed on his first attempt, and even on the TD run, he was caught a little off-balance and was lucky to have daylight open up enough for him to sqeak through almost sideways.
I'm not saying Benson could fill a power runner role, as he is not that heavier or taller than TJ. But even with his own elusive running style, Benson seems to run with more authority between the tackles and with more power than his size or speed belies. TJ is fantastic working to the outside, as that big 3rd down gain showed. But I think Benson's strength is shifting laterally between the tackles, finding a hole, and accelerating through it -- and this may be a strength the Bear's running game is going to need.
Net/net, I think TJ is going to get the majortiy of the carries through the first half of the year, and he more than proved his readiness last night. But I can see the Bear's needing to establish an RBBC if only to give the team more of a multi-faceted running game.
the dude can play. he just needs some reps. he's got all the raw talent in the world.
bradley has just as much upside as matt jones and roddy white. good value in the 3rd round of your dynasty rookie drafts.
