Kolb, Vick impress in Eagles’ win over Jaguars

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Kevin Kolb(notes)  threw crisp passes, Michael Vick(notes)  made tacklers miss and even rookie Mike Kafka(notes)  contributed.

Playing their first game without Donovan McNabb(notes), the Philadelphia Eagles showed they have capable quarterbacks.

Kolb was impressive and Vick displayed flashes of his old self before Kafka rallied the Eagles to a 28-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason opener Friday night.

“We know we’re talented,” Kolb said. “We know there’s talent on the field all over the place. We just have to execute. We’re doing our own thing. We don’t need to force anything. We’re a young bunch. We’re excited about the way we started things today and we just need to keep moving forward next week.”

Pro Bowl kicker David Akers(notes) made all five of his field goals, including a 36-yarder that gave the Eagles a one-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Jaguars backup Luke McCown(notes) picked apart Philadelphia’s junior-varsity secondary, throwing for 244 yards and three touchdowns.

But the focus was on Kolb, anointed the starter and given a contract extension after McNabb was traded to Washington in April.

Kolb was 6 of 11 for 95 yards. Vick was 11 of 17 for 119 yards and ran for 50 yards. He made a couple spectacular plays, but also lost a fumble and threw an interception.

There’s certainly no quarterback controversy here. It’s Kolb’s job.

But Vick, a three-time Pro Bowl pick with Atlanta, gives the Eagles insurance. He’s entering the final season of a two-year deal he signed following his release from federal prison last summer.

“I”m in a system that helps you be comfortable and make good decisions and get the ball to guys who can make plays,” Vick said. “It’s a good opportunity for me to learn from great coaches.”

McNabb led the Eagles to five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl during 11 seasons in Philadelphia, but the organization felt it was time to move on with Kolb. There might be no drop-off. Kolb played well in two starts last year, and was sharp in one quarter against the Jaguars.

While the Eagles managed a pair of field goals from their starting offense, Jacksonville’s first-team unit couldn’t get going. David Garrard(notes) was 5 of 10 for 35 yards. Maurice Jones-Drew(notes) had only two carries for 0 yards.

“It wasn’t what we needed at all,” Jags coach Jack Del Rio said. “Couldn’t run, didn’t convert.”

The Eagles will need to work on their red zone offense, though. They reached Jacksonville’s 14, 11, 10 and 13 on their first four possessions and ended up with nine points.

“We’ve got to get better in the red zone,” Kolb said.

Helped by a 46-yard pass interference penalty, the Eagles scored on Kafka’s first drive. Martell Mallett(notes) ran in from the 3 to cut it to 27-25 early in the fourth quarter. The 2-point conversion failed.

Kafka’s 57-yard pass to Chad Hall set up Akers’ go-ahead kick.

Vick ran in from the 10 to give the Eagles a 16-7 lead in the second quarter. He showed a burst he seemed to be missing last year after sitting out two seasons because of his involvement in dogfighting.

Vick was intercepted by Michael Coe(notes) in the final minute of the first half, setting up Josh Scobee’s(notes) 36-yard field goal that gave the Jaguars a 17-16 lead.

McCown threw TD passes of 73 yards to Troy Williamson(notes), 30 yards to John Matthews(notes) and 55 yards to Tiquan Underwood(notes).

But Garrard and the rest of the starters got just one first down in three series.

“We’ve got to do a better job of getting first downs and keeping the offense on the field,” Garrard said.

Kolb connected with DeSean Jackson(notes) for 21 yards on his first pass. Then he showed his scrambling ability, running 6 yards to prolong the opening drive. Kolb connected with Jeremy Maclin(notes) for 29 yards and nearly finished off the drive with a TD pass. However, Brent Celek(notes) dropped Kolb’s toss and Akers kicked a 29-yard field goal.

On Philadelphia’s second possession, Kolb hit Jackson for a 26-yard gain. Then Vick entered on second-and-2 and tossed a 6-yard pass to Celek. But the drive stalled and Akers kicked a 32-yarder.

Kolb and the rest of the starters left mid-drive after Jackson’s nifty 17-yard run ended the first quarter. On the next play, Vick threw a beautiful deep pass to rookie Riley Cooper(notes), who made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 46-yard gain to the Jaguars 10.

But Vick fumbled after he was sacked by Derrick Harvey(notes). Anthony Smith(notes) recovered and ran 19 yards.

“You can’t have the turnovers, but he did some good things in there, too,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said of Vick.

(Yahoo)

McNabb throws TD pass; Redskins top Bills 42-17

LANDOVER, Md. (AP)—Donovan McNabb(notes)  needed one series to shake off the newness of his surroundings. Mike Shanahan pronounced himself pleased with his Washington Redskins  debut. And Albert Haynesworth(notes)  played second-string nose tackle, then actually talked about it.

McNabb went 5 for 8 for 58 yards in two series Friday night and hit first-year player Anthony Armstrong(notes) for a 4-yard touchdown in the Redskins’ 42-17 rout of the Buffalo Bills. It was a first-glimpse preseason game that shows Shanahan is quite a bit further along in his rebuilding project than counterpart Chan Gailey.

“It was a good first game,” Shanahan said, “and hopefully we can build from here.”

The new-look Bills, meanwhile, looked like the same old Bills, making lots of mistakes and adding two running backs to their already lengthy injury list. Fred Jackson(notes)  will miss the rest of the preseason with a hand injury, and Marshawn Lynch(notes)  has an ankle problem that new coach Gailey hopes is “more short-term than it is long-term.”

“Thank goodness it’s preseason,” Gailey said. “When we get to early September, it’s going to be 0-0 on the win-loss column and thank goodness for that. But we’ve got to find who can do what in these next three ballgames and get ourselves ready for that first one.”

It’s been four months since the Easter Sunday trade that brought McNabb to the Redskins, and it’s still a jarring sight to see No. 5 in something other than a Philadelphia Eagles uniform. After a couple of wayward throws on his first series, he went 4 for 5 for 47 yards on his second drive and showed he still has some speed in his 33-year-old legs by scrambling to convert a third-and-1.

“When you play your first game, obviously, with a new ballclub, it takes you back to the first game you played,” McNabb said. “Your adrenaline is high, and you have to settle down a little bit. The second time we went out, after our first drive, it led to us putting up some points.”

McNabb’s favorite target was tight end Chris Cooley(notes), who caught three passes for 33 yards—a surefire harbinger of the regular season, especially with the Redskins still trying to figure out their receiver corps. McNabb’s last throw was the TD to Armstrong, who has made a surprisingly strong case for a roster spot.

Clinton Portis(notes), with more competition than usual at camp, got more than his usual work for a first preseason game, carrying six times for 22 yards. Brandon Banks(notes), an undrafted rookie receiver from Kansas State listed at 5-foot-7, made some look-at-me noise with a dynamic 77-yard punt return down the right sideline for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Haynesworth, who ended up on the short end of a monthslong showdown with Shanahan, skipped offseason workouts because he wanted a trade to keep from playing in a 3-4 defense. He wasn’t allowed to practice at camp until passing a conditioning test. When he finally aced the test on the 10th day of camp, he was told he’ll have to play with the reserves until he earns a spot back in the starting lineup.

Haynesworth played two series Friday, both with the second unit in the second quarter, and he drew plenty of attention. Buffalo’s offensive line committed two false starts while he was in the game, and he did exactly what a nose tackle is supposed to do—occupy multiple bodies—while rookie Perry Riley(notes) blitzed unencumbered and forced Trent Edwards(notes) to rush a throw.

Haynesworth was the last player to head to the locker room at halftime, walking slowly behind his teammates. After the game, he took questions from reporters for the first time since last season. He said he has grown to like the Redskins’ version of the 3-4 and is confident he can be a playmaker in the defense.

“I know I’m a good player,” he said, “and eventually I’ll be with the first team.”

Haynesworth spoke highly of defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, but didn’t have much to say about Shanahan.

“He’s the head coach. I’m a player,” Haynesworth said. “That’s what it is.”

Buffalo had a horrible preseason a year ago—the starting offense scored just three points over 15 series in five games—and Gailey and his players are hoping to use this August to get it right.

They’re not off to a good start.

The Bills scratched 13 players due to injuries, including five linebackers and four offensive linemen. Then Jackson and Lynch both went down on the offense’s opening drive. Buffalo also committed three morale-sapping third-down penalties.: holding on tight end Jonathan Stupar(notes) that killed a drive; roughing the passer on linebacker Aaron Maybin(notes) that kept one Redskins’ touchdown drive alive; and illegal contact against Andra Davis(notes) that led to another Washington touchdown.

“We have a lot of work to do. A lot of work,” Davis said. “We’re still learning this defense. We’ll learn from this.”

Edwards, in a three-way competition for the starting job, completed 6 of 12 passes for 58 yards and had an interception returned 33 yards by DeAngelo Hall(notes), setting up a Redskins score. Another mistake for the lowlight reel: Ellis Lankster(notes) muffed a punt for a turnover in the third quarter.

Buffalo trailed 35-3 before Ryan Fitzpatrick’s(notes) 5-yard pass to rookie David Nelson(notes) late in the third quarter. First-round pick C.J. Spiller(notes) debuted with four carries for 16 yards.

The Redskins scored their most points in a preseason game since 1988.

(Yahoo)

Falcons’ rookies better than Chiefs 20-10

ATLANTA (AP)—Matt Ryan(notes)  can check off a couple of preseason goals.

The Falcons quarterback watched with delight Friday night as holes opened for running back Michael Turner(notes) on Atlanta’s opening drive. He ran efficient no-huddle formations on the second drive and avoided direct hits on both possessions in a 20-10 victory over Kansas City.

“It felt good to finally go in a game-type atmosphere with the game speed and pass rush and everything like that,” Ryan said.

Ryan and Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel(notes)  both lacked solid protection in the preseason opener, but the Falcons got better play from their rookie reserves.

Dexter McCluster(notes), a second-round pick, made a few dazzling moves as a tailback and a slot receiver for the Chiefs. But Dimitri Nance(notes) and Shann Schillinger(notes) helped put the Falcons ahead to stay early in the third quarter.

Nance, an undrafted rookie free agent from Arizona State, ran for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 10-3. Schillinger, a sixth-round cornerback, set up the score by picking off Brodie Croyle’s(notes) throw and returning it 29 yards.

Kansas City safety Eric Berry(notes), the No. 5 overall pick, was credited with one tackle.

The Chiefs had a winless preseason in 2009, then no victories in the first five weeks of the regular season. They finished 4-12 under first-year coach Todd Haley.

“We’re just trying to make progress,” Cassel said. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

Atlanta is coming off a 9-7 season that ended a 44-year franchise history of never achieving consecutive winning records.

The first half was a dud despite McCluster’s speedy bursts and a few timely defensive plays by the Falcons.

Five of the first eight drives ended with field-goal attempts. Matt Bryant’s(notes) 30-yarder on Atlanta’s first possession made it 3-0, but the next four tries all missed from 50 yards or more.

Falcons running back Michael Turner, a 2008 Pro Bowl selection trying to come back from an ankle injury last year, gained 29 yards on four carries.

“We kind of wanted to go out there and set the tone early,” Turner said. “I thought we had a couple of big runs. I thought the O-line had a great push at the beginning. We just didn’t come up with a touchdown.”

Ryan, whose final month of ’09 was affected by a turf toe injury, connected on a pair of third-and-long completions to tight end Tony Gonzalez(notes), for 16 and 12 yards. He otherwise went 1 of 4 for 6 yards.

Cassel, who completed 6 of 8 passes for 25 yards, suffered from worse protection.

After a three-and-out, Cassel’s second drive ended with Kroy Biermann’s(notes) sack and John Abraham’s(notes) fumble recovery.

“As a defense, we seem to be playing a lot better,” Abraham said. “I think it’s just coming to maturity. Being in the defense three years now, I think a lot more of the guys understand their role and understand the concept of the defense we play.”

Nine plays into his third drive, Cassel was sacked by middle linebacker Curtis Lofton(notes) for a 6-yard loss.

Lofton, the heart of Atlanta’s defense, limped off the field before halftime, but Falcons officials said he only had a leg cramp.

“Yeah, no concerns at all,” Lofton said. “If this had been the regular season, I would’ve never come out.”

McCluster, a second-round pick from Mississippi, ran five times for 25 yards and caught three passes for 22. He needed only limited space to run past the first level of Atlanta’s defense and into the open field.

“All preseasons are just to see where you are, and I think we are improving,” McCluster said. “I think we can be a very dangerous team.”

Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop(notes) twice tried field goals from 53, hitting the left upright and missing wide right. His 20-yarder with 2 seconds left before halftime made it 3-3.

Haley started Thomas Jones(notes) ahead of Jamaal Charles(notes) at running back. Jones played one series, gaining 2 yards, before Charles played the rest of the first quarter and into the second, running five times for 33 yards.

Croyle was 8 of 16 for 65 yards. Third-string Chiefs QB Tyler Palko(notes) completed 7 of 10 passes for 62 yards, but Falcons cornerback Chevis Jackson(notes) picked him off and ran the ball back 26 yards to set up Steve Hauschka’s(notes) 37-yard field goal and a 20-3 lead.

Palko ran for a 1-yard TD in the final minute.

“Our club has a bunch to work on,” Haley said. “We had some really good situations to work from and we left a couple of them on the wayside. There were some positives.”

(Yahoo)

Rezultati za 14. avgust 2010. godine. Pobednici utakmica su podebljani 

                            
   Tampa Bay    7    0    0    0    7     
      
   Miami    0    3    7    0    10         
        
                       
   Detroit    0    7    0    0    7     
      
   Pittsburgh    3    10    3    7    23      


   Cleveland    14    7    0    6    27     
      
   Green Bay    7    7    7    3    24      

                       
   Houston    10    3    3    0    16     
      
   Arizona    0    0    0    19    19      

                       
   Minnesota    0    14    7    7    28     
      
   St. Louis    7    0    0    0    7      


   Chicago    3    7    0    0    10     
      
   San Diego    7    7    8    3    25      


   Tennessee    7    0    0    11    18     
      
   Seattle    0    10    10    0    20      

         

15. avgusta 2010. godine su odigrane samo dve utakmice u predsezoni. Pobednici utakmica su podebljani 

            
   San Francisco    0    20    7    10    37     
      
   Indianapolis    10    0    0    7    17      

        

   Denver    14    3    0    7    24     
      
   Cincinnati    0    17    6    10    33      

Jedna jedina utakmica danas ( ponedeljak ) na programu

     NY Giants      7     3     7     14      31       
      
   NY Jets    10    3    3    0    16     

Pobeda Giants-a u derbiju NY-a

Napred Patriote 






Prosle godine nisam odgledao ukupno 3 utakmice posto su presli na Arenu sa Sportkluba. Prvi put u poslednjih 6-7 godina da nisam ispratio celu sezonu. Sad je operater konacno ubacio Arenu1 pa se nadam da nisam maler da ovu sezonu prebace na neku o ostalih Arena pa ga opet izduvam. 

O Yeah 

E gledao sam to malo, razbise glavu Ilaju Meningu

i to zesce ...