I watched the replay of the Giants and Lions on NFL Network, and came away with these thoughts, in no particular order:
- Kenny Phillips was the best player on the field during the second half. Sure he was matching up with a lot of third stringers, but the number one pick really looks the part. Fine tackling and just playing like he belonged. Impressive.
- The battle for the backup QB spot got off to an interesting start. Both Anthony Wright and David Carr played well. You have to think that Andre Woodson will get the third spot, so something has to give with Wright and Carr. Speaking of Woodson, it was dissapointing not to see him get in the game.
- RB Danny Ware had a nice kickoff return and showed some ability when running the football. Does he give Reuben Droughns a run for his roster spot? Does the coaching staff go with a young, unproven player over a veteran?
- Speaking of unproven players, the most impressive individual play of the evening involved WR Brandon London. London, by all reports, has been a standout in practice. It translated to the field when he picked a ball out of mid air on a slant and then showed YAC ability with a nice 29 yard catch and run. Despite this, with all the bodies at WR, can he really stick on the 53 man roster?
- Sinorice Moss, having an average camp at best, showed some life with a big 46 yard pass play. It was good to see the Giants utilizing his speed down the field. Moss’ speed on fly patterns and comebacks should be an asset, but it hasn’t shown up during games (and I partially blame the coaching staff on this one).
- I don’t like Ahmad Bradshaw on KO returns, particularly in the preseason. Last year as an unproven rookie, yes. This guy is now way too valuable to risk there.
- Brandon Jacobs looked slow to me, even on that 27 yard gallop in the first quarter. I know that for a man his size, it’s still a damn good run. But I remember a long TD run during the 2006 preseason versus the Patriots where I swear he looked as fast as Tiki. BJ looked slower at the end of last year, which I attributed to some injuries. The thing that made this guys so unique was the combination of power and speed. I hope he hasn’t slowed down a gear. Just throwing it out there.
- In addition to Phillips, Bryan Kehl flashed from the LB position. The rookie from BYU looked very quick and was around the football, which fits his draft profile. Again, looks like the type of athlete that fits into our defensive scheme perfectly.
I failed to mention a personal favorite, Chase Blackburn. Everyone wants this guy replaced, and all he has is a nose for the football. Played extremely well on Thursday night. Reminds me of another guy I liked, Nick Greisen.