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FLASHUPDATE WEEK 1 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 3 September, 2014
Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris
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ARIZONA CARDINALS
As theSports Xchangenotes, in year two of theBruce Arians'coaching era, the Cardinals could look much different than they did in year one.
A defense that ranked sixth overall in the league has suffered significant losses. But an offense that struggled to score throughout 2013 could be significantly better.
Indeed, the offense looked much improved throughout training camp. QuarterbackCarson Palmerlooked comfortable, and while the offensive line remains in flux, it protected Palmer well.
Overall, the unit looks more like a vintage Arians offense. The difference is speed. ReceiverJohn Brown, the third round pick, looked great in preseason and has big-play capability. The addition ofTed Ginn, also gives the Cardinals a deep threat they lacked a year ago.
Combine those two with the big, physical receivers such asLarry FitzgeraldandMichael Floyd, and Palmer has plenty of weapons at his disposal. The tight end spot also should be better, with the signing ofJohn Carlsonand the drafting ofTroy Niklas.
While Brown was the team's brightest star in training camp,ESPN.com'sJosh Weinfusssuggests the newcomer might not make a huge impact his first season. His production dropped a little toward the end of camp and he still needs to be challenged more going across the middle. Indeed, in anESPN.com Insiderpiece,Profootballfocus.com'sMike Claynotes that having worked 63 percent of the team's 54 preseason first-team snaps, "as long Fitzgerald and Floyd are healthy, Brown should be viewed as a WR5. ..."
But the news on second-year running backAndre Ellingtonis very good from a fantasy perspective. The Cards have been lining him out wide a lot, and his overall production -- both as a runner and especially as a receiver -- is expected to significantly increase from a year ago.
He could very well secure double-digit touches, just not in the traditional sense.
"He can do it all," running backs coachStump Mitchellsaid. "He's a great route runner. He's excellent in terms of vision and the ability to catch and the ability to cut. He's very serviceable as a pass blocker. He can stay in and be an every-down back, which a lot of teams don't do nowadays."
Ellington, who is 5-9, 200 pounds, hears the question about his ability to handle the load. He dismisses the concerns, pointing to his accomplishments at Clemson, his added strength and his understanding of how to prepare a body for a long season. And with an improved offense, from Palmer's greater understanding of Arians' system to a line that is practicing stronger and smarter, he could be even better than last season.
He also has a complementary group of running backs to help keep the defense guessing.Jonathan Dwyerlikely will be the short-yardage and goal-line back. Dwyer has shown he can run inside, but he's also made smart decisions about when to bounce outside.Stepfan Tayloris a more versatile back who could spell Arrington at times.
Meanwhile, asArizona RepublicstafferKent Somersreminded readers on Monday, no player in team history has made more plays than Fitzgerald. He is the franchise leader in receptions (846), receiving yards (11,367), touchdowns (87), 100-yard receiving games (36) and consecutive games with a reception (149).
Even though Fitzgerald is only 31, this is his 11th season, and he already has a strong resume for Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors to one day examine.
He's made eight Pro Bowls in 10 years and is one of just five players in NFL history to record at least 1,400 yards receiving four times.
In 10 years, Fitzgerald has missed four games. Luck has played a big role in his durability, but so has his work ethic and fastidious devotion to nutrition and fitness. Nothing about that has changed for the past several years.
"I just stick with the same routine," Fitzgerald said recently. "Acupuncture, massage and rest. That's the biggest thing. I keep my legs elevated when I sleep and I get 10 hours of sleep a day, at least. I'll go nap right now for 1 ½ hours. I sleep nine hours every night and then I lay down every once in a while and just let my body recover."
In training camp, there is a lot from which to recover. Fitzgerald and other receivers were among the players who wore GPS devices that tracked their movements. In a single practice, Fitzgerald might sprint 6,000 yards, or about 3.4 miles.
"We're getting good work in," Fitzgerald said. "You have to do everything you can to make sure you have high energy levels."
The only question for Fitzgerald this season is whether he can keep up with Floyd. Given the younger player's solid 2013 season, nobody should be surprised if there's a changing of the guard here. Nor should you be surprised if Fitzgerald is up to the challenge and the two men wind up providing high-end fantasy production that keeps owners of both more than satisfied.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB:Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas
RB:Andre Ellington, Jonathan Dwyer, Stepfan Taylor
FB:Robert Hughes
WR:Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown, Ted Ginn, Jaron Brown, Walt Brown
TE:John Carlson, Darren Fells, Robert Housler, Troy Niklas
PK:Chandler Catanzaro
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ATLANTA FALCONS
According to theSports Xchange, the Falcons know that in order to rebound from a 4-12 season they will need a rushing attack to blend with the precision passing of quarterbackMatt Ryan.
That's why they were elated to welcomeSteven Jackson, who returned from a right hamstring injury, back to practice last week, but were also happy with the continued fine play ofAntone SmithandDevonta Freeman. When they face the New Orleans Saints in the season opener, the Falcons will present running by committee that will include Jackson, Smith,Jacquizz Rodgersand Freeman.
"It will be a great way to kick off the season against a division opponent, a very good football team," head coachMike Smithsaid. "I know our guys will be focused about starting the regular season. It's about to get real here, real quick."
Smith continued to shine with more playing time. He took a screen pass 66 yards for a touchdown against Jacksonville in the exhibition season finale.
"I think this goes back to December of last year and we talked about how we had to find a role for Antone because when he touches the ball he makes plays," Smith said. "When he gets into the open field, he's a guy who can make something happen."
He's earned some carries alongside Jackson.
Freeman, a rookie fourth-round pick, also played well. Pass protection concerns may limit his carries early on.
"The big thing for Devonta is going to be getting pass protection in the NFL," Smith said. "Running backs in the NFL have to be involved in protection. But in terms of when the ball is in his hands, he's been a very dynamic player in the preseason. He's been explosive. He runs well behind his pads and he's got very good vision."
Freeman rushed for a game-high 42 yards on 12 carries while adding 45 yards on five receptions, including a 21-yard gain against Jacksonville.
He finished the preseason as the team's leading rusher as he posted 134 yards on 32 carries (4.2 yards per carry) with one touchdown on the ground. Freeman was also the club's leading receiver, with 146 yards on 11 catches, including a 57-yard catch and run against Miami. ...
Meanwhile,Julio Jones, coming off last year's season-ending foot surgery, was cleared for training camp and made it through a regimented practice schedule before playing in the second exhibition game in Houston. In the third game against Tennessee at the Georgia Dome, he flashed his speed and play-making ability on a 52-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.
Last season, he had 41 catches through five games, a pace for 131 catches. That total would have been second only toMarvin Harrison's143 catches for the Indianapolis Colts in 2002.
AsAtlanta Journal-ConstitutionstafferD. Orlando Ledbetterreminded readers, in October Jones underwent a cutting-edge surgery that was performed by renowned foot specialistDr. Robert Anderson. He took bone marrow -- fluid and cells -- from Jones' hip and injected them into his foot to aid the healing process. In addition to the bone marrow procedure Jones had a second and bigger screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal. Also, Jones had some specially made shoes to aid his recovery.
Jones admitted that there was some apprehension before he played against the Texans on Aug. 23, 10 months after the surgery. He passed that first test.
"It felt good," Jones said. "No pain. I'm still getting treatment."
After Jones took his first big hit, he was happy. "Hitting is football," Jones said.
The Falcons were elated after the Tennessee game. Jones' touchdown was the type of play they envisioned him making when they traded five picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up 21 spots to select him sixth overall in 2011.
"He looks great to me," Ryan said. "He's done a great job for us during training camp."
Jones believes the Falcons offense can be lethal.
With Jones,Roddy WhiteandHarry Douglas, the Falcons can throw three 1,000-yard receivers on the field. They also haveDevin Hesterfor four-wide receiver formations. The Falcons plan to use three- and four-receivers formations in the passing game to help offset the retirement of tight endTony Gonzalez.
"Devin Hester is a great weapon for us," Jones said. "When he's running those slants one-on-one, he's a smaller guy, but he's fast. He can make two or three guys miss and take it to the end zone. Can't nobody really stop us, but us," Jones said. "That's the attitude that we have to have. We know what we have to do."
According toESPN.com'sVaughn McClure, coaches have been pleasantly surprised with how Hester has performed as a receiver, which is why he'll be another weapon out of the slot with Jones and White outside. Hester scored two touchdowns in eight targets during the second and third preseason games, with both scores including runs after the catch. For teams in deeper leagues, he's worth keeping an eye on. ...
For the record, Jones said he "probably could give you 65 plays or so" right now. That's about a full game's worth. ...
Other notes of interest. ...Pro Football Focusgraded last year's Falcons line as a bottom-10 run-blocking machine and the third-worst pass-protecting outfit in all of football. Atlanta was pushed around at the line of scrimmage from wire to wire, but the early returns on this year's overhauled group have assistantMike Ticeencouraged.
"I'd lose a lot of sleep if we were getting our ass kicked in pass protection, but we're not," Tice told McClure. "We're not going to be a run-first team, so we'll get the runs cleaned up. We've just got to keep protecting that quarterback."
AsNFL.com'sMarc Sesslernotes, losing veteran bookendSam Bakerto a season-ending knee injury didn't help, but Atlanta held opponents to just two Ryan sacks over 79 pass attempts in August. That came after Falcons blockers allowed Ryan to suffer a career-high 44 takedowns last season.
Set to face New Orleans on Sunday, Tice already likes what he sees from first-round pickJake Matthewsat left tackle and free-agent additionJon Asamoahat right guard.
Both are physical movers with a mean streak, giving the Falcons a better chance to hold off a Saints pass-rushing group led byCameron JordanandJunior Galette. Atlanta's run-blocking has been a work in progress all summer, but Tice is confident he'll see improvement after New Orleans dialed up eight sacks and 16 hits on Ryan in two meetings last season.
"The one thing they won't be, they won't be punked over by anybody," Tice said of his line. "That's encouraging. ..."
According to PFF'sMike Clay, tight endLevine Toilolowas on the field for 86 percent of the 80 snaps run by the first-team offense during the preseason. He lined up at wide receiver 55 percent of the time, which isn't too steep a drop from retiredTony Gonzalez's67 percent last season. Clay summed up: "Toilolo is not just a blocker."
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB:Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree
RB:Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Devonta Freeman, Antone Smith, Patrick DiMarco
WR:Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Devin Hester, Courtney Roby, Eric Weems
TE:Levine Toilolo, Bear Pascoe
PK:Matt Bryant
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BALTIMORE RAVENS
As the Baltimore Ravens prepare for their season-opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, the running back position is in focus -- at least for fantasy football owners.
Ray Riceis about to begin serving his two-game suspension for violating the NFL personal-conduct policy, a punishment stemming from his high-profile felony aggravated assault case.
Rice didn't play against the Saints in the exhibition closer, which didn't come as a surprise considering the Ravens didn't want to risk a potential injury to their three-time Pro Bowl running back. He's eligible for reinstatement for the Ravens' third regular-season game Sept. 21 against the Cleveland Browns.
Bernard Pierceis slated to replace Rice for the first two games, but there is some concern within the organization about his health. He suffered a mild concussion in the third preseason game, which only increased talk about his durability issues. Pierce didn't make the trip to New Orleans for the preseason finale. Although Pierce is back on the practice field this week -- and he has passed mandatory baseline neurological exams under the NFL concussion testing protocol, veteran journeymanJustin Forsettwill move into the starting role if there are issues.
The Ravens didn't play Forsett in the preseason finale to make sure he didn't get hurt.
As for how Rice deals with the next few weeks?
"It's a challenge for any player on suspension," head coachJohn Harbaughsaid. "We have two guys that will be going into that type of situation; different circumstances, but similar challenges. [He needs to get] to work and keep focusing on what's important, which is what's coming down the road.
"You try to take the situation and make the most of it, make the best of it and make it right in the end. From a football perspective, that's what both those guys need to do."
On a more positive note,ESPN.com'sJamison Hensleyreminds us that history suggests the Bengals are going to have a tough time beatingJoe Flaccoin Sunday's season opener.
Since Flacco entered the league in 2008, only one quarterback has won more Week 1 games than Flacco. That'sTom Bradyand he's a perfect 6-0.
Flacco is 5-1 in season openers, and he's been unbeatable when he starts the year off at home. He's 4-0 at M&T Bank Stadium with a 100.8 passer rating. Flacco has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 959 yards (an average of 239 yards), throwing eight touchdowns and one interception.
The Bengals know first-hand about Flacco's fast starts to a season. Flacco used a no-huddle attack to rout Cincinnati, 44-13, in the 2012 season opener. His first throw was a 52-yard strike to wide receiverTorrey Smith. Flacco finished 21-of-29 for 299 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Flacco's first start came against the Bengals. In 2008, he led the Ravens to a 17-10 win over Cincinnati, beating the Bengals more with his legs than his arm. His 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter proved to be the difference in the Week 1 victory.
Flacco has brought more than just season-opening wins to the Ravens. He's given them stability.
This is Flacco's seventh consecutive season opener. Before Flacco,Kyle Bollerhad the most season-opening starts for the Ravens with three. The Ravens had eight quarterbacks start the first 12 openers in team history.
Turnover at quarterback is a frequent occurrence in the NFL. This year, a quarter of the teams will have a different quarterback starting this year's season opener than last year's one.
Flacco is in a select group of quarterbacks in terms of longevity. There are only nine quarterbacks scheduled to make their seventh straight season-opening start since 2008: Flacco, Brady,Aaron Rodgers,Drew Brees,Eli Manning,Jay Cutler,Matt Ryan,Philip RiversandTony Romo. ...
This week, the Ravens need to establish the run and offensive coordinatorGary Kubiakneeds to keep receivers Torrey Smith andSteve Smithhappy as well as tight endDennis Pitta.
According to theSports Xchange, Pitta has regained his old explosiveness after fully recovering from a fractured, dislocated hip that sidelined him for all but four games last season. He was signed to a five-year, $32 million contract in March and had an excellent training camp.