Brief Thoughts On Monday Practice
August 8th, 2011
Joe doesn’t usually post after 11 p.m., but what the hell? It’s training camp and as Ahmad Black told Joe tonight, it’s game week.
Just a few brief thoughts on practice:
* Josh Johnson was pretty damned accurate. Later, Joe has a video from “Old School” who ripped Johnson for checking down way too much. Joe wasn’t looking for that. The plays Joe watched, Johnson was getting the ball right to where a receiver wants it.
* Joe noticed the following but read Shaun King Twitter this as well: Earnest Graham was “explosive.” King was right. Joe can’t remember the time Graham was running like this in practice much less a game. He really stood out.
* Kregg Lumpkin is getting a boatload of carries and is doing a decent job. Sadly, Joe kept mistaking him for Allen Bradford because Lumpkin had his jersey rolled up and Joe could only make out an “8.”
* Josh Freeman was sick today. Just sick. He was rifling balls through the defense, just carving up the defense at will. Not only was Freeman accurate, lethally so, he was putting the ball where defenders had no prayer of making a play. Joe has never seen a Bucs quarterback slice through a defense like Freeman did today.
It nearly took Joe’s breath away, but we all know only Rachel Watson could render Joe speechless.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
Just an FYI but ESPN is featuring Freeman on their E-60 show tomorrow night at 7:00PM ET. Say what you want about the network but that show is actually pretty good.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:54 pm
I’ve been singing Lumpkins praises since his UGA days. (I’d still rather have cadillac in the backfield) but i have faith in Kregg. I do understand Joe’s hesitation to believe Dom’s high praises though and until the kid proves himself i’ll stick to being the one of the only fans who truely believes in him! haha and later when everyone is pointing at Dominik saying, “damn he did it again!” ill be the one to say i told ya so 🙂
August 9th, 2011 at 1:10 am
Joe- Well your both right about Josh Johnson. You want your backup QB to at the very least be semi accurate at the dink and dunk stuff to give your offense some kind of a chance with your starter out. But at the end of the day a starter has to be able to throw the downfield bombs to be a consistent winner in the NFL.
August 9th, 2011 at 8:37 am
Please Joe, with those Josh Freeman comments you are just killing me. We are still a whole month away from real football. Want football NOW!!
ლ(ಠ益ಠ)ლ
August 9th, 2011 at 11:36 am
I’d bet Graham’s explosiveness has more to do with an extremely short offseason than anything else.
The older a back gets, the less intense their training should be. With a long offseason they can lose their legs, so to speak, and with an older back those camp legs can last through the season without adequate rest.
No wonder the veterans were absolutely loving the lockout. They’ll be fresh for the season instead of worn out. The new rules about offseason training and not allowing two-a-days is a good thing in my opinion.
August 9th, 2011 at 11:49 am
My only fear is a little over confidence in trying to fit a ball somewhere…. something I like to call Brett Favre-itist.
All greats do it, but you have to limit the chances and no when to take them.
I just don’t want to see Josh suddenly have 15+ INTs this eyar (unless there are 45+ TDs to go with it, then I could live with it )
August 9th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
@Dave Brett Farve never threw a TD/INT rating like Freeman until he went Minnesota. I don’t think we have to worry about Freeman ending up like that. He looks even better this training camp.