Camp Report part 1 and 2..... O line just added
I got out to camp this evening and I absorbed quite a bit of info. I just got home so let me give a little teaser to get you people something decent to read.
First off the Qb's
Ferrotte is, like the coach said, getting more reps than anyone else with the first team. He hit Gilmore on a gorgeous deep in for a TD. Gilmore beat his man, and split the two safeties. Before they new what hit them Ferrotte hit Gilmore in stride for a 35-40 yard TD. He's comfortable, and showing it. Not a bad night for him.
AJ Feeley was looking a little pissed off tonight, or maybe he was frustrated. He was in with the second teamers, and even though he hit on a few nice passes, it was the ones he missed that stood out to me! One thing he was doing, was he was looking to his second and third receivers quite a lot. That was a problem though because the second string Oline could not give him enough time to connect. He got sacked on one play, and when the whistle blew he throws the ball to Gordon, who was about 7-8 feet in front of him. He threw it so hard it was almost impossible to catch it. Not one of them, he got his hands on it throws either. It was thrown out of pure frustration, and it was a very childish thing to do. He just turned back shaking his head like he was getting the short end of the stick. I counted four plays tonight where this kind of thing happened tonight. I was unimpressed with Feeley tonight.
Sage got more reps than he has been. He was working with the second, and third teams. Nothing great, but I'll be very interested to see how much he plays against the Steelers on Saturday, and if he gets in some plays against their seconds.
Brock drew some cheers tonight when he connected with none other than Maurice Mann for a nice over the shoulder 20 yard out. He still made some throws that were really off target, but he is showing how much he's learned since he started. Before it was almost every pass that looked terrible when in fact most of it was because he was throwing it to the wrong places. He even made a couple of good passes from UNDER CENTER. Well, he made me write about him for the first time this Camp. Way to go Brock.
Now, I'm going to post this up just to tease, and continue writing the rest. Feel free to ask some questions, and I'll keep checking back while I rewind my brain tape.
One last thing. There were two fights tonight. One of them almost turned into a brawl. A bench clearing, more than two men get together. The crowd was standing up on their seats trying to keep an eye on the punches. Punches were thrown, and someone even swung with his helmet. A defensive lineman dove on top of someone as well.
How about some O line
I always like going to a practice after they've played a game or two.
From day one until tonight there is one thing that is like night and day. You can clearly see that the zone blocking scheme is taking shape. The movement backwards upon the snap was in unison tonight. Especially early on, but only with the first team. It's really nice to see a pocket last for more than 3 seconds.
Lets start with Vernon Carey. He was lights out tonight. Dropping back very smoothly, and held his own thruout practice. Taylor is not giving him any slack either. He was using hand slaps, outside, inside moves, quick rushes to the outside, and Veron was right with him on every single play. Once Taylor had him to the outside, just enough to make a sack but Ferrotte saw it coming, and stepped up in the pocket while he threw it.
Rex Hadnot was beaten once by Carter tonight. A nice uppercut bull rush with an outside in move by Carter. It had Hadnot out of his mechanics from the get go. He was looking good most of the early part of practice. I'm noticing that they're using Hadnot and McKinney very close together on a lot of the pass protections. He played RG only.
McDugal, well I'm not 100% sure of who's fault but the RT side of the line was beaten a few times tonight. One play was a blitz between the DT, and DE, where McDougall took on the blitz, and McMike was left with the DE. McMike forgot to block him though, and the play lasted all of one second. I thought McDougall should have just chipped the blitzer, and went out to help McMike, but that was one of them kill the Qb plays.
Jeno James was looking better tonight. Hopefully he is getting back his strength because he and Carey were working pretty good together in the early parts of practice.
McKinney was actually pretty good tonight, but what I see is he's getting a little help from one of the guards if he needs it. Not all the time though, but thats part of the zone scheme Houcks using. Make a wall, and no matter what it takes, don't let it be broken.
Alonzo Ephraim is the backup Center, and what I noticed about him is the way he sets up. When he first gets a hold of the ball, he has his legs almost locked at the knees, then when the ball is about to be snapped he squats lower. That to me is a telegraph. The defense was catching onto it as well. They got called for offsides once trying to beat it though. Ephraim was involved in the second fight of the night, with none other than Matt Roth. Roth likes to get his hand under the face mask, near the throat, and he don't like letting go either. This fight did not come to blows like the first one, but is was close.
I'm sure I missed a few so ask away
more to come in a little bit.....
I got out to camp this evening and I absorbed quite a bit of info. I just got home so let me give a little teaser to get you people something decent to read.
First off the Qb's
Ferrotte is, like the coach said, getting more reps than anyone else with the first team. He hit Gilmore on a gorgeous deep in for a TD. Gilmore beat his man, and split the two safeties. Before they new what hit them Ferrotte hit Gilmore in stride for a 35-40 yard TD. He's comfortable, and showing it. Not a bad night for him.
AJ Feeley was looking a little pissed off tonight, or maybe he was frustrated. He was in with the second teamers, and even though he hit on a few nice passes, it was the ones he missed that stood out to me! One thing he was doing, was he was looking to his second and third receivers quite a lot. That was a problem though because the second string Oline could not give him enough time to connect. He got sacked on one play, and when the whistle blew he throws the ball to Gordon, who was about 7-8 feet in front of him. He threw it so hard it was almost impossible to catch it. Not one of them, he got his hands on it throws either. It was thrown out of pure frustration, and it was a very childish thing to do. He just turned back shaking his head like he was getting the short end of the stick. I counted four plays tonight where this kind of thing happened tonight. I was unimpressed with Feeley tonight.
Sage got more reps than he has been. He was working with the second, and third teams. Nothing great, but I'll be very interested to see how much he plays against the Steelers on Saturday, and if he gets in some plays against their seconds.
Brock drew some cheers tonight when he connected with none other than Maurice Mann for a nice over the shoulder 20 yard out. He still made some throws that were really off target, but he is showing how much he's learned since he started. Before it was almost every pass that looked terrible when in fact most of it was because he was throwing it to the wrong places. He even made a couple of good passes from UNDER CENTER. Well, he made me write about him for the first time this Camp. Way to go Brock.
Now, I'm going to post this up just to tease, and continue writing the rest. Feel free to ask some questions, and I'll keep checking back while I rewind my brain tape.
One last thing. There were two fights tonight. One of them almost turned into a brawl. A bench clearing, more than two men get together. The crowd was standing up on their seats trying to keep an eye on the punches. Punches were thrown, and someone even swung with his helmet. A defensive lineman dove on top of someone as well.
How about some O line
I always like going to a practice after they've played a game or two.
From day one until tonight there is one thing that is like night and day. You can clearly see that the zone blocking scheme is taking shape. The movement backwards upon the snap was in unison tonight. Especially early on, but only with the first team. It's really nice to see a pocket last for more than 3 seconds.
Lets start with Vernon Carey. He was lights out tonight. Dropping back very smoothly, and held his own thruout practice. Taylor is not giving him any slack either. He was using hand slaps, outside, inside moves, quick rushes to the outside, and Veron was right with him on every single play. Once Taylor had him to the outside, just enough to make a sack but Ferrotte saw it coming, and stepped up in the pocket while he threw it.
Rex Hadnot was beaten once by Carter tonight. A nice uppercut bull rush with an outside in move by Carter. It had Hadnot out of his mechanics from the get go. He was looking good most of the early part of practice. I'm noticing that they're using Hadnot and McKinney very close together on a lot of the pass protections. He played RG only.
McDugal, well I'm not 100% sure of who's fault but the RT side of the line was beaten a few times tonight. One play was a blitz between the DT, and DE, where McDougall took on the blitz, and McMike was left with the DE. McMike forgot to block him though, and the play lasted all of one second. I thought McDougall should have just chipped the blitzer, and went out to help McMike, but that was one of them kill the Qb plays.
Jeno James was looking better tonight. Hopefully he is getting back his strength because he and Carey were working pretty good together in the early parts of practice.
McKinney was actually pretty good tonight, but what I see is he's getting a little help from one of the guards if he needs it. Not all the time though, but thats part of the zone scheme Houcks using. Make a wall, and no matter what it takes, don't let it be broken.
Alonzo Ephraim is the backup Center, and what I noticed about him is the way he sets up. When he first gets a hold of the ball, he has his legs almost locked at the knees, then when the ball is about to be snapped he squats lower. That to me is a telegraph. The defense was catching onto it as well. They got called for offsides once trying to beat it though. Ephraim was involved in the second fight of the night, with none other than Matt Roth. Roth likes to get his hand under the face mask, near the throat, and he don't like letting go either. This fight did not come to blows like the first one, but is was close.
I'm sure I missed a few so ask away
more to come in a little bit.....
