SMCowboy
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I was unable to watch the whole game on Thursday, so I recorded it, and I just got done watching the first half, and re watching most of the plays several times to watch several players.
The only great fantasy options on out offense may well only be Tony Romo and Jason Witten, but I could easily see Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tachard Choice, Patrick Crayton, and Martellus Bennett all being solid fantasy options. The number of weapons for Romo to choose from on offense this year is beyond insane.
Our D should be much better this year. Brooking, Olshansky, and Sensabaugh all look like upgrades. And it looks like we are easily 4 deep at CB where we don't get burned consistanly (Newman, Scandrick, Jenkins, and Ball).
Anthony Spencer was solid, though not spectacular. With us not ever really blitzing much, it was difficult to know if Spencer was struggling and lost. Or if he was playing what he was supposed to play, and he seemed to be reading off it appeared the RB alot. To give a good assessment of Spencer, I would need to know his assignment on each play, and Rogers seemed to play alot of the same way, playing more pass defense and run support and not rushing the passer very often. The few times that Spencer did rush the passer, he seemed to do a solid job, but I don't recall him ever rushing right from the snap, he seemed to read if the RB was going to go out on a pattern to his side before starting to rush.
Doug Free had a very solid first half. I saw one play where Bennett did stay in and block on a pass play, but, he didn't initially help Free, Free actually came back to help him. Free locked up with one defender, but the defender followed the flow with Kitna scrambling to the right, and Free passed him to the guard, and peeled back and helped Bennett. Free will never be a Flozell Adams at LT, that we can feel confident in running behind in short yardage as he never seemed to drive his guy several yards back, but he seemed to always do a solid job of keeping his guy engaged, and I never saw him getting driven back in the first half. He seemed to get beaten one time, in the first half, but even then, it wasn't bad, as Kitna still have a few seconds in the pocket and enough time to get the pass off although he did seem to be a bit rushed.
Pat McQuistan didn't have a bad first half, he was solid in pass protection, but he did seem to struggle with run blocking, although some of the trouble could have been more from the guard.
I tried to watch the guards and Proctor, but I had a hard time following them from the TV angle. One thing I did notice, is that the one time that Kitna was sacked, and the only time that pass protection really seemed to break down in the first half, the sack was 100% on Tashard Choice, not on the OL at all. All the OL were locked up on there guys, Choice just wiffed on his assignment, the blitzing LB.
Kitna was definitely struggling in the first half getting the snap from Proctor threw out the whole first half. I was watching the Cowboys broadcast of the game, and one thing that they did mention, is that Kitna has been struggling getting the snap all training camp, no matter who the center is. So they seemed to indicate the the issue is probably more Kitna's than Proctors.
Sam Hurd looked like a man playing against a bunch of kids out there in the first half, he was always getting open, and making the catch.
Victor Butler is definitely raw, but he was always getting pressure on Gradkowski in the first half, but he does need to learn how to finish the deal and actually find the QB, not just get into the backfield. He needs to work alot on his run defense from the OLB position, as he like all the rookie LB's seemed to want to try and run around the linemen instead of stepping up and filling the holes and taking on the blockers.
Bobby Carpenter was certainly very solid. He is certainly not near as physical as a Brady James and is not a physical presence at LB. But, he did a much better job in the first half of attempting to fill holes and not always trying to run around the blockers. He also seemed very solid in pass protection. The Raiders didn't complete any passes to the RB's or TE's in the middle of the field, and they do have some very good TE's and RB's. Carpenter certainly didn't play like a monster, or like a first round draft choice, but based on his play in the first half, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable if he had to fill in for Brookings or James for a few games. Would there be a drop off, absolutely, but he wouldn't be a black hole and the Achilles heel of the D.
Courtney Brown was horrible in the first half, every Raiders WR made him their personal whipping boy. Mike Mickens struggled as well, but not near as bad as Courtney Brown.
All the rookie LB's definitely did seem to struggle with not stepping up and taking on blockers instead trying to run around them. Which accounted for most of the trouble with our run defense. The only LB that seemed to step up and take on any blockers in the first half was Bobby Carpenter.
Junior Siavii, seemed to be solid, except for the one big run by McFadden where he was completely manhandled by the Center. He was certainly not a Jay Ratliff, but did seem solid to me, except for the one play. He never made any plays, but did a solid job of holding the line and really only getting beat badly on the one big run by McFadden.
Bowen and Hatcher were solid on the DL as well, they seemed to always hold the line, with Bowen getting a good push and forcing Gradkowski to threw one pass without being able to step into his throw, causing it to come up short.
Minus the first kickoff from the Raiders, our kickoff return was very solid in the first half, although we still desperately need to find a punt returner. Kickoff coverage looked very solid, and the one punt return certainly was solid against one of the better if not the best punt returners in the NFL.
I will post a second half review when I have a chance to watch the whole second half a little bit later.
The only great fantasy options on out offense may well only be Tony Romo and Jason Witten, but I could easily see Roy Williams, Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tachard Choice, Patrick Crayton, and Martellus Bennett all being solid fantasy options. The number of weapons for Romo to choose from on offense this year is beyond insane.
Our D should be much better this year. Brooking, Olshansky, and Sensabaugh all look like upgrades. And it looks like we are easily 4 deep at CB where we don't get burned consistanly (Newman, Scandrick, Jenkins, and Ball).
Anthony Spencer was solid, though not spectacular. With us not ever really blitzing much, it was difficult to know if Spencer was struggling and lost. Or if he was playing what he was supposed to play, and he seemed to be reading off it appeared the RB alot. To give a good assessment of Spencer, I would need to know his assignment on each play, and Rogers seemed to play alot of the same way, playing more pass defense and run support and not rushing the passer very often. The few times that Spencer did rush the passer, he seemed to do a solid job, but I don't recall him ever rushing right from the snap, he seemed to read if the RB was going to go out on a pattern to his side before starting to rush.
Doug Free had a very solid first half. I saw one play where Bennett did stay in and block on a pass play, but, he didn't initially help Free, Free actually came back to help him. Free locked up with one defender, but the defender followed the flow with Kitna scrambling to the right, and Free passed him to the guard, and peeled back and helped Bennett. Free will never be a Flozell Adams at LT, that we can feel confident in running behind in short yardage as he never seemed to drive his guy several yards back, but he seemed to always do a solid job of keeping his guy engaged, and I never saw him getting driven back in the first half. He seemed to get beaten one time, in the first half, but even then, it wasn't bad, as Kitna still have a few seconds in the pocket and enough time to get the pass off although he did seem to be a bit rushed.
Pat McQuistan didn't have a bad first half, he was solid in pass protection, but he did seem to struggle with run blocking, although some of the trouble could have been more from the guard.
I tried to watch the guards and Proctor, but I had a hard time following them from the TV angle. One thing I did notice, is that the one time that Kitna was sacked, and the only time that pass protection really seemed to break down in the first half, the sack was 100% on Tashard Choice, not on the OL at all. All the OL were locked up on there guys, Choice just wiffed on his assignment, the blitzing LB.
Kitna was definitely struggling in the first half getting the snap from Proctor threw out the whole first half. I was watching the Cowboys broadcast of the game, and one thing that they did mention, is that Kitna has been struggling getting the snap all training camp, no matter who the center is. So they seemed to indicate the the issue is probably more Kitna's than Proctors.
Sam Hurd looked like a man playing against a bunch of kids out there in the first half, he was always getting open, and making the catch.
Victor Butler is definitely raw, but he was always getting pressure on Gradkowski in the first half, but he does need to learn how to finish the deal and actually find the QB, not just get into the backfield. He needs to work alot on his run defense from the OLB position, as he like all the rookie LB's seemed to want to try and run around the linemen instead of stepping up and filling the holes and taking on the blockers.
Bobby Carpenter was certainly very solid. He is certainly not near as physical as a Brady James and is not a physical presence at LB. But, he did a much better job in the first half of attempting to fill holes and not always trying to run around the blockers. He also seemed very solid in pass protection. The Raiders didn't complete any passes to the RB's or TE's in the middle of the field, and they do have some very good TE's and RB's. Carpenter certainly didn't play like a monster, or like a first round draft choice, but based on his play in the first half, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable if he had to fill in for Brookings or James for a few games. Would there be a drop off, absolutely, but he wouldn't be a black hole and the Achilles heel of the D.
Courtney Brown was horrible in the first half, every Raiders WR made him their personal whipping boy. Mike Mickens struggled as well, but not near as bad as Courtney Brown.
All the rookie LB's definitely did seem to struggle with not stepping up and taking on blockers instead trying to run around them. Which accounted for most of the trouble with our run defense. The only LB that seemed to step up and take on any blockers in the first half was Bobby Carpenter.
Junior Siavii, seemed to be solid, except for the one big run by McFadden where he was completely manhandled by the Center. He was certainly not a Jay Ratliff, but did seem solid to me, except for the one play. He never made any plays, but did a solid job of holding the line and really only getting beat badly on the one big run by McFadden.
Bowen and Hatcher were solid on the DL as well, they seemed to always hold the line, with Bowen getting a good push and forcing Gradkowski to threw one pass without being able to step into his throw, causing it to come up short.
Minus the first kickoff from the Raiders, our kickoff return was very solid in the first half, although we still desperately need to find a punt returner. Kickoff coverage looked very solid, and the one punt return certainly was solid against one of the better if not the best punt returners in the NFL.
I will post a second half review when I have a chance to watch the whole second half a little bit later.
