MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Colts G.M. declares Andrew Luck “good to go” for training camp

Good news for Colts fans: Andrew Luck is “good to go” for training camp. That’s the word from Colts General Manager Chris Ballard, via Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star.

Thus, the quarterback will not have to begin next week on the physically unable to perform list.

Luck will have no limitations, according to Ballard, but the Colts will monitor the former first overall pick and give him scheduled days off to rest his surgically repaired shoulder.

“He’s throwing the ball pretty well,” Ballard says.

The Colts likely give Luck some reps in the preseason as Ballard declared that Luck “needs to play.”

Luck has not taken a snap in game action in more than a year since injuring his right shoulder.

 

Colts plan on playing Andrew Luck in preseason opener

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has not played in a game of any kind since Week 17 of the 2016 season, but the plan is for that to change on August 9 in Seattle.

Colts coach Frank Reich said on Wednesday that the plan is for Luck to play against the Seahawks in the first preseason game of the summer. Reich didn’t get into how much Luck is going to play, but even a series would represent a significant step back toward the lineup after Luck missed all of last year with a right shoulder injury.

The Colts had already said that Luck would avoid a stay on the physically unable to perform list to start camp and Reich said the quarterback will be “full go” once the team starts practicing. Reich also said that he watched video of Luck throwing in California during the pre-camp break and that he thought Luck looked “really good.”

Assuming all continues to go well, Luck should make his long-awaited return to regular season action at home against the Bengals on September 9. (PFT)

 

Carson Wentz won’t go on PUP...

The most likely scenario didn’t happen, and for that, the Eagles are celebrating. Carson Wentz will not begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.

The Eagles’ starting quarterback will be limited as he works his way back from knee surgery, but at least he will be practicing.

Wentz tore the LCL and the ACL in his left knee during the December 10 game against the Rams. Since his rehab began, Wentz has targeted a return for the season opener, and it appears he is on track for that.

Wentz, 25, was having an MVP season before his injury. He went 11-2 with a 101.9 passer rating. (PFT)

 

Ravens’ first depth chart shows RGIII ahead of Lamar Jackson...

The Ravens are planning to put rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field a lot this season, but they’re going to make him earn it.

That’s why, when the Ravens published their first depth chart of training camp today, they listed Jackson as the third-string quarterback. Joe Flacco is first, of course, and Robert Griffin III is second.

By the time the season starts, Jackson is a near-lock to have moved ahead of Griffin. (In fact, Griffin may not even make the 53-man roster.) But the Ravens are favoring veterans over rookies, in a sign that coach John Harbaugh wants the rookies to prove themselves.

Jackson’s fellow first-round rookie, tight end Hayden Hurst, is actually listed as the fourth-string tight end. And third-round pick Orlando Brown Jr., who has a good chance at earning the starting right tackle job, is for now listed as second string.

At this time of year, teams’ official depth charts don’t mean much. The Ravens’ depth chart says more about the way the team motivates its rookies than about the team’s actual plans for its rookies. (PFT)

 

Carson Wentz might not play in the preseason...

The Eagles are taking it slow with Carson Wentz‘s return from a knee injury. He has participated in every practice of training camp, but the Eagles have held him out of full-team drills since July 28.

“It’s frustrating,” Wentz said after practice Tuesday, via Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Obviously, getting a chance to get out there and everything, I felt great, it was fun to be out there, but again just trusting what the doctors are saying.

“But without a doubt it’s tough to just sit there and watch. I did it last season and now getting your feet wet and going in and out, it’s not what I’d like. But I’m making the most of it.”

Wentz, who tore the LCL and ACL in his left knee in a Week 14 game against the Rams, expects the Eagles to hold him out of team drills next week, too. He participated in the first three 11-on-11 sessions of the summer before the team put him in bubble wrap.

All signs point to Wentz sitting out all four preseason games, too, according to Frank.

“I don’t think it’s a big hurdle for me,” Wentz said. “Would I love to be out there on Thursday? Absolutely. I’d love to be out there every day. But I think for me personally, I think I’ll be fine if I don’t get out there for preseason.”

Since his injury, Wentz has targeted the season opener, and he still expects to do just that. (PFT)

 

More talk that Sam Darnold is closing in on the Jets’ starting job...

Since rookie quarterback Sam Darnold ended his brief holdout and signed with the Jets, there’s been a steady drumbeat of talk that he has a good chance of earning the starting job in Week One. Now Darnold is looking like not only does he have a chance, but he’s the favorite to start when the Jets open the regular season against the Lions on Monday Night Football.

Darnold was working with the first-string offense in practice this week, and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that it would be an upset if Darnold doesn’t start the opener.

According to the report, the Jets’ decision makers are getting happier and happier with their decision to take Darnold third overall with each day of practice they see.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said he has been impressed with both Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater, and that it’s a three-way quarterback race. But the Jets didn’t draft Darnold to stand on the sideline holding a clipboard. They drafted him because they think he’s their franchise quarterback. (PFT)

 

Bills QB AJ McCarron injures right shoulder vs. Browns...

Another wrinkle has been thrown into the Buffalo Bills' quarterback quagmire.

The team announced that AJ McCarron suffered a right shoulder injury during Buffalo's 19-17 preseason win over the Cleveland Browns on Friday night.

Bills coach Sean McDermott offered no update after the game on the severity of McCarron's injury, telling reporters the team "will know more as we get to Buffalo tomorrow."

McCarron started the game and played four series, all of which were three-and-outs, before exiting for rookie gunslinger Josh Allen. He went 3-for-6 for 12 yards with a 56.3 passer rating.

The injury to McCarron alters the quarterback landscape in Buffalo. The fifth-year veteran has been battling for the starting position with the rookie Allen and second-year player Nathan Peterman. McCarron and Peterman split most of the first-team reps during training camp with Allen playing with the third string.

In the preseason opener against Carolina, the Bills' quarterback order went Peterman, McCarron, Allen. But on Friday night, Buffalo switched it up, starting McCarron before bringing on Allen and then Peterman in the second half.

With McCarron likely sidelined for a bit, the Bills will have to decide whether Allen or Peterman will start the all-important third preseason game. The Week 1 starting gig is still up for grabs, though Allen is gaining ground. (NFL.com)

 

Hairline collarbone fracture for McCarron. Peterman or Allen.

 

Patrick Mahomes’ TD pass to Tyreek Hill traveled farther than any TD pass in 2017...



The strong arm of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is going to be a treat to watch in 2018.

Mahomes gave a preview of what he can do in Friday night’s preseason game, hitting Tyreek Hill for a beautiful touchdown bomb. According to the NFL’s NextGen Stats, that pass traveled 68.6 yards in the air, which is farther than any touchdown pass traveled in the air in any game in 2017.

It’s that arm talent that made the Chiefs decide to trade two-first round picks to move up and draft Mahomes in 2017, and it’s that arm talent that made the Chiefs decide to trade Alex Smith to Washington this offseason. Although Smith is a more polished quarterback, he can’t make the throws that Mahomes can make.

With Hill’s speed and Mahomes’ arm strength, opposing defenses are going to be stretched in a way that they’re not accustomed to being stretched. On the touchdown pass last night, Hill raced past three Falcons defenders, who looked surprised that they were getting beaten deep nearly 70 yards downfield. (PFT)
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Guy's got a cannon!

 

And it's deadly accurate deep down the field -


I'm a big believer in Patrick and I think he has the best chance to become a top 3 quarterback in the league out of all the young guys out there right now. His pre-draft score represents the third most confident total I've given a prospect, with the other two being Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson.

 

**copied from another thread -

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Allen should get the week 1 start over Peterman.

If I had a say in the Cardinals roster decisions, I would be pushing for Rosen to start week 1.

If I'm the Jets, I play Bridgewater and Darnold as much as possible for the rest of the pre-season and then trade Teddy before week 1. Sam Darnold gets the start.

If I'm the Bengals, I offer a 2019 second and a 2020 3rd for Bridgewater with the intention of him taking over as the starter in 2019 (a trade or cut of Dalton in 2019 saves just over $16mil in 2019, close to $18mil in 2020).

Some other teams that should consider going after Bridgewater -
LAC
NO
MIA
NYG

The rest of the rookie throwers ride the pine and develop. All of the premiere names from the 2018 class are starting for their respective teams no later than 2021 (Mayfield, Jackson, Rudolph and I'll add Lauletta).

 

Jets may be torn over veteran-versus-rookie approach at quarterback...

A persistent rumbling has lingered throughout training camp and the first half of the preseason, as it relates to the quarterback decision for the Jets. And, if anything, the noise is growing as Week One approaches.

The Jets can go with two different approaches. They can throw rookie Sam Darnold onto the field, having him take his lumps (and lose some games) as he gets toward his ceiling, wherever it may be. Or they can go with one of the veterans — Josh McCown, who has yet to play in the preseason, or Teddy Bridgewater, who has played and played well — and try to win as many games as they can, in the hopes of contending for the postseason in a conference that isn’t nearly as top heavy as the NFC.

The thinking is that the coaching staff wants a veteran, because winning games will better secure the future for Todd Bowles and his lieutenants, and that the front office wants the rookie, because they want to prove that they did the right thing by trading up from No. 6 to No. 3 to snag Darnold.

Of course, this theory presumes that, if changes are made after the season, there’s a realistic chance that the front office would be spared. The last time the Jets opted for overhaul, everyone went.

But with Christopher Johnson currently running the show, maybe G.M. Mike Maccagnan would be permitted to do for a second time that which John Idzik didn’t get to do even once: Hire a new coach.

Regardless of how it plays out, the win-now versus justify-now-and-win-later conundrum is believed to be a very real dynamic for the Jets, one that will begin to formally play out in 22 days, when the Jets face the Lions in Detroit as the opening game for the first Monday night of the year. (PFT)

 

Andrew Luck “very, very encouraged” after sloppy night...

Even though it wasn’t much of a night to look at from a statistical standpoint, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck said he was “very, very encouraged” about where he was in his comeback after last night’s game against the Ravens.

In fact, one of the things he was happiest about was a thing most of the Colts organization was fearing.

Via Mike Wells of ESPN.com, Luck said he was “sort of happy” when Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs sacked him and pulled him down onto his surgically repaired right shoulder. He landed elbow-first, but popped up with no suggestion of pain and headed off the field.

“I told someone after the game, ‘I’m sort of happy to get sacked by Suggs, a legit sack,'” Luck said. “I landed on my right elbow sort of reminiscent of how I injured my shoulder a couple of years ago [in 2015 season]. I didn’t feel anything. Didn’t give it a second thought. That’s a big deal for me, being able to lose that thought bubble.”

Otherwise, his night was kind of a mess, as he was 6-of-13 for 50 yards and an interception, which led him to use the word “sloppy” a lot.

“We turned the ball over, [and] my experience tells me that protection at times was not great,” Colts coach Frank Reich said. “We just didn’t find a rhythm for him. I felt maybe there were one or two throws that weren’t his best throws, but overall, it’s usually not as bad as you think or as good as you think. Still have a confidence in a direction we’re headed offensively.”

Luck will have another chance to polish himself up Saturday night against the 49ers, at which point the long, physical test of his rehab will truly begin. (PFT)

 

Doug Pederson on Nick Foles’ performance: “It’s very disappointing”...

The Eagles somehow coaxed the best possible performance out of quarterback Nick Foles through three 2017 postseason games. Through three 2018 preseason games, it’s been a much different story.

Foles has played like anything but a Super Bowl MVP, but instead a lot like the guy who was a disappointment during donut-hole years with the Rams and Chiefs.

Asked by Erin Andrews of FOX whether Foles would enter the third quarter of Thursday’s preseason game against the Browns, coach Doug Pederson said, “I’m done. I’ve seen enough.”

Andrews asked Pederson to explain Foles struggles.

“I don’t know,” Pederson said. “It’s very disappointing. He was calm before the game, I thought he’d settled in.”

Foles completed 13 of 17 passes for 127 yards and two interceptions on Thursday night. Foles also lost a fumble.

The backup to Carson Wentz didn’t play in the preseason opener against the Steelers. Last Thursday, Foles completed three of nine passes with a lost fumble against the Patriots. (PFT)

 

...and now.

Pederson is disputing that he targeted Foles 'specifically' in his play.

 

Pederson used the pronoun “he” in response to the question about Foles.

“I thought he’d settled in.”

 

What I saw last night was the Nick Foles we have all come to know. Not the imposter wearing his jersey last year.

 

Yeah, despite Mayfield's pedestrian numbers, and lackluster performance, he still looked more poised than Foles did.

I think Pederson (and ANY other playoff contending team) expects to be able to beat down a 0-16 team, whether it's practice, preseason or the real thing. I'm pretty sure he was annoyed that the Browns defense looked as good as it did, even without the plethora of starters they sat in this contest. On the other side of the ball, I thought the Eagles defense looked very good, he shouldn't have too many bad things to say to that side of the room this morning.

 

Not sure if it's just the Browns game that had Doug cheesed. Birds offense - and Foles in particular - hasn't looked that great through three games.

 

It's been vanilla but a few individual performances have been disappointing. Vaitai has been ass where scheme shouldn't matter. Foles is either on fire or ice cold which is his M.O. He rarely has average performances. Either amazing or poor. There have also been a bunch of injuries to key players as well. Well more like they've been sitting out from former injuries. I'm not worried about the preseason as the performance issues have not come from the guys that should be starting... except possibly Foles.