Preseason Game 2 @ Denver Broncos

[vegas492]

1 hour ago, Lodestar said:

The game sucked and the team's performance was pretty uninspiring, but generally I agree with this approach.

For me the only real head-scratcher was the decision to sit Morgan. Several times this offseason MLF has talked about the need to see the young guys in game action. That's why LVN and Brooks played so much against Cleveland and even saw a bunch of snaps against Denver.

With Morgan practicing in full, it doesn't seem like injury held him out so much as they're fully committed to him as starting RG and didn't want to risk it. Which on one hand I understand, but on the other I'm surprised MLF wouldn't want him to get him a few in-game reps.

LVN/Brooks.  Kind of tells you that Brooks is behind Clark/Slaton/Wyatt.  LVN is behind Gary/Preston.  And LVN is young, reps are good.

Could be that Morgan needs a little more time before he's 100% to go for full game contact.  Or...if reading tea leaves, he's earned a top 5 starting spot for right now, as you stated above.

Either way....we were vanilla.  I'm sure the guys will be graded/coached up based on their approach to the game and the little things in their technique.  It made for a poor game for us fans to watch, but I'm happy that we are healthy.

[OneTwoSixFive]

I do agree that team health this year has been good. Several injuries (as there always are) in preseason have kept some guys out - but nothing that seems either long-term or to a key player.

I'm expecting both Tom and Cooper, who are quite important players and have been nursing injuries, to both start week 1. Tom has already stated last week he is close to 100% now. Edgerrin Cooper has a groin injury that shouldn't keep him out for long.

Injuries are inevitable in a regular season, you need a little luck there, but so far so good. The worst scenario is a cluster of injuries within one position group, fingers crossed there, toes crossed as well that it doesn't happen on the O line.

Edited August 19 by OneTwoSixFive

[NFLGURU]

1 hour ago, vegas492 said:

Falcons are in a "win now" mode.  Signing Simmons and getting Judon indicate that.  

I don't see them carrying 3 QB's on the roster, they are in the same roster boat as the rest of us.  They ain't cutting Kirk, they ain't cutting Pennix. So........

If you want Taylor, you either try to send them a good player that you may cut, for a good player that they may cut.  Not sure who that is.  Could be Toure/Melton/Dubose/Heath.  

Guess I don't see them getting anything higher than a 6'th for Heinicke.  I wanted to say 5'th, but I usually overestimate these things in terms of comp value.

The Packers should pursue him when  he gets put on the PS, then get rid of Clifford or Pratt and put the other one on the PS.  Heineke has some experience, he'd be a decent backup.

[Mazrimiv]

15 minutes ago, OneTwoSixFive said:

I do agree that team health this year has been good. Several injuries (as there always are) in preseason have kept some guys out - but nothing that seems either long-term or to a key player.

I'm expecting both Tom and Cooper, who are quite important players and have been nursing injuries, to both start week 1. Tom has already stated last week he is close to 100% now. Edgerrin Cooper has a groin injury that shouldn't keep him out for long.

I'd put the odds of Cooper starting week 1 at about 0.01%

[PackerLegend]

6 hours ago, GHARMON9 said:

Oladapo had a great open field tackle. 

I really liked what I saw from Oladapo. 

[craig]

Yeah, Cooper isn't going to be starting.  

[thrILL!]

9 hours ago, Gopackgonerd said:

Idk if steno is calling the plays but we ran it so much on 3rd down and if didn't work.

Steno called plays for the entire game.  MLF is trying to give some assistants experience that will help them advance.

[Mazrimiv]

56 minutes ago, thrILL! said:

Steno called plays for the entire game.  MLF is trying to give some assistants experience that will help them advance.

MLF giving play calling to Steno is MLF's way of making sure nobody ever wants to hire Steno away from GB.

[{Family Ghost}]

21 minutes ago, Mazrimiv said:

MLF giving play calling to Steno is MLF's way of making sure nobody ever wants to hire Steno away from GB.

No doubt .. it was the most unimaginative game plan ever. 

[OneTwoSixFive]

2 hours ago, Mazrimiv said:

I'd put the odds of Cooper starting week 1 at about 0.01%

He has had too much time out to expect him to start - but I'm betting he is eased in over the first few games in spot duty -  and from there his progress (and snap count) is dependent on how well he handles that.

[HighCalebR]

I'll see if I cant tally good-bad plays for the 1st half OL. Group+ would mean the unit created a positive situation - would be a losing situation No marks would leave it up to QB/RB to make a play. Group is only OL. summary at bottom. HCR grades if you will, now I can fight Herman.

DRIVE 1 Dillard-Newman-Rhyan-Monk-Telfort G1

Play 2. Telfort-Monk misplay a double team. Thinking its on Telfort as he shoots straight to 2nd level and gets nowhere close to a block. Monk abandons after contact to go 2nd level. their guy makes play. Rhyan Newman get movement but the play is ****ed. Rhyan+ Telfort-

Play 3 Solid pocket, Newman gets beat off the line . Group+ Newman-

Play 4 borderline early movement from telfort uncalled. Newman dies slow. Pocket stays intact for a 40 yard bomb. Group+

Play 5 good blitz pickup from Wilson. Solid reset from Dillard against bull. Monk gets ran through, good job of staying engaged and getting back up. the first part sucked, 2nd part pretty impressive resilience. 2.67 seconds from snap to throw, thats good enough. 40 yard bomb Group+ Monk-

DRIVE 2 G1

Play 1 duos zero movement, dont like that. 3 double teams all stalemated. 3 yard gain. Group -

play 2 Rhyan and monk no communication. its slide right but monk offers no resistance vs the 3T while rhyan is lending a hand to the nose. Im putting fault on 62 play ends up being first down monk -

play 3 duo this time were moving left. Newman kinda flashes into the hole so wilson cuts back, if he continues through theres a lane outside. Rhyan gets his and newmans guy 3 yards out the way. Monk Telfort finish a guy. Nobody gets 2nd level Linebackers clean it up 3 yard gain. Im not 100% what our rule would be here, think monk should disengage and pick up a lb once they get movement. have a hard time giving a negative grade on this one with so much movement. but lets say Newman -

play 4 so close to being a solid off tackle run Dillard gets under cut and starter Singleton makes a pretty solid play. 99 handles newman. Davis cant hold point and holds. Dillard- Newman- Davis-

play 5 2nd 17 clean pocket to dump off with guys all over it. For sure couldve extended this play. Group+

play 6 3rd and 17 screen set up alright. Monk blocks back newman gets a hat on Rhyan slow plays and theres now where to go.

DRIVE 3 Dillard-Monk-Rhyan-Newman-Glover G2

Play 1 Davis gets ****ed on. Dillard washes his guy down to RG. If wilson cuts this on the *** of Dillard think its a real healthy play Group+ Davis- Wilson-

play 2 2nd 8 Davis gets ****ed on. Newman gets the business end on his pull. Davis- Newman-

play 3 3rd 9 Newman gets trucked through the pocket. about 2.5 seconds to bail, the rest do a real solid job Ends up being a 10 yard sack Group+ Newman-

play 4 (bailed by punter roughing) TELFORT>DILLARD clean pocket to throw drop dubose Group+

play 5 Melton ****ed on busted play 38 makes the guy miss and takes it outside for a few

play 6 3rd 5 calling a run here sucks. Telfort gets enough of his guy to create a lane. Davis ****ed on and this plays dead. hot start though (starting to see a real trend here) Telfort+ Davis-

DRIVE 4 G3 Telfort-Monk-Rhyan-Newman-Glover 4 minute drill

Play 1 own 4. Telfort collapses his DE. Sims gets a real nice block. Davis takes one for the team. Wilson gets a 1v1 vs corner!!! gets tripped up gain of 6. Group+

play 2 tight formation trips 2nd 4 Melton is inserted at HBack and takes the most of a collision with the safety in the hole. Glover turns his guy inside but doesn't get movement still a win. Newman lets 97 across his face. Rhyan whiffs and gets a little lost but hes backside here anyways. if wilson just goes forward here instead of bouncing it its at least 2-3 yards though. gain of zero. Glover+ Newman-

play 3 3rd 4 Glover will be beat around the edge here but balls out first. 1st down throw. Group+ Glover-

play 4 zone right Glover gets Davis' guy moving should be able to have a handle on it Glover gets 2nd level. Davis' guy crosses back and makes stop. Monk gets out reached and crossed up. Glover and Rhyan both lock on 2nd level Davis- Monk-

play 5 2nd 8 Glover just misses the assignment on the edge and its a duos right so idk what he was doing. The duos got movement tho. Glover-

play 6 3rd 10 Telfort whiffs with his shoot. Glover gets dipped. Stunt inside gets Rhyan. Monk passes stunt pretty well Newman is caught lookin 2.2s to bail first down scramble Group-

play 7 duos. Monk ends up on the ground Rhyan trips on him, the middle is a muddy mess The broncos are selling out vs the run here, no respect to the pass at all. Group-

play 8 PA all day to pass. Group +

Play 9 PA Sims gives up a pressure on an extended stay in the pocket. Clifford fires towards grass. (roughing the passer eh) Clifford- Group+

Play 10 Telfort beat on a spin inside giving up pressure Clifford lobs an int. Group+ Clifford- Telfort-

DRIVE 5 30 seconds left in half G3

play 1 Pratt through progressions dumps to flat clean pocket. group +

play 2 duos. telfort gets his guy into a + position with Monk but as Telfort goes to LB the DT wipes monk off. Monk-

HALF

Group 1 +4 -1

Dillard-1 Newman-3 Rhyan+1 Monk-2 Telfort-1

Group 2 +3 -0

Dillard+0 Monk+0 Rhyan+0 Newman-2 Glover+0 Telfort +1

Group 3 +4

Telfort-1 Monk-2 Rhyan+0 Newman-1 Glover-1

After this little exercise I can surmise grades are dumb and require too much work to actually make it make sense. and theres too much grey area anyways. Shouldnt have evaled by group obviously but i didnt want to go through each play 10 times without the 22. Also the all 22 popped available halfway through but i wont restart lol.

SUMMARY: Davis ruined a lot of our drives #1 culprit of why our offense sucked, he's a ST body or let him toss a cut block. Melton isnt a lead blocker. I really dont think the OL was hot trash. they for sure had some rough spots, couple rookies being rookies and missing assignments. Newman should be replaced as soon as possible he has no power and no real anchor, where he's supposed to be but struggles to hold the block. I'd like to see Glover inside, struggling with bend speed outside. Telfort wasnt as bad as I originally thought recurring problem matching hands and feet spin move got him real bad 1 time got swiped around the edge another. Still think Rhyan maybe a little inconsistent but also at center. Monk isnt ready for Guard snaps, not totally sure he'll ever be a guy there plays at 100 miles an hour though backup center. Dillard is fine for spot duty or emergency starts misses landmarks at 2nd level but shows the ability to reanchor against a bull.

After the first series we dont stretch the field again at all and the broncos just start to suffocate us. gotta keep them honest.

Edited August 20 by HighCalebR

[HighCalebR]

Wooden still cant handle a double team with the added weight. 

Hopper, not a Tampa 2 MLB lol

Edited August 20 by HighCalebR

[{Family Ghost}]

8 hours ago, craig said:

Yeah, Cooper isn't going to be starting.  

It won't take him long to lock down a major role .. if he can get and stay healthy.  Too talented to languish on the bench. 

[Old Guy]

17 hours ago, NFLGURU said:

The Packers should pursue him when  he gets put on the PS, then get rid of Clifford or Pratt and put the other one on the PS.  Heineke has some experience, he'd be a decent backup.

Interesting the Falcons gave him a 3.2-million-dollar SB on a 1-year deal. Also, Michael Panics did not play in the second preseason game and is not playing in the 3rd one. That is a very odd decision when he's not injured. 

He sounds like a guy they are going to wrap in bubble wrap and not unwrap until offseason workouts next year. The dude is already 24 years old. Cousins has 40 million guaranteed next year between SB and salary so he's going to be there next year too.

They only save 1.2 million is they waive Heineke. Based on how they are dealing with Panics, sounds like Heineke is in their plans for this year.

Atlanta is a very odd organization. 

Edited August 20 by Old Guy

[Old Guy]

11 hours ago, HighCalebR said:

I'll see if I cant tally good-bad plays for the 1st half OL. Group+ would mean the unit created a positive situation - would be a losing situation No marks would leave it up to QB/RB to make a play. Group is only OL. summary at bottom. HCR grades if you will, now I can fight Herman.

 

If this were golf and a - was good, Newman would be leading the tournament. 

Assume he doesn't make your 53 at this point? 

Edited August 20 by Old Guy