Post-Game Wrap-Up: Preseason Game One

Given that it’s late on a Saturday night, I considered pulling a Chiefs offense and no showing. That’s not how we roll here at Arrowhead Addict, though. Here’s my thoughts on tonight’s game against the Browns…

Donnie Edwards still has it, folks. Preseason game one and he’s already in Pro Bowl form. The Bolts made a huge mistake letting him go. Seriously, it seemed like he was in on every defensive stop that he was on the field for. And, boy, did he bring the wood on that third-and-short stop he and Jared Allen had.

Speaking of Jared Allen, he might have been the most dominant player on the field tonight. Other than a few times that he went too far upfield or down the line, his play was flawless. Even on those plays he couldn’t be blocked. Jared looks the best he’s ever looked by far. I can’t wait to see what kind of year he has after he returns from his suspension.

Will Svitek consistently got beaten around the corner tonight. I was not impressed at all. In fact, you can probably chalk up both Brodie’s fumble and interception at least partially to Svitek.

Chris Hannon caught a case of alligator arms during the first half and dropped what would have been a big catch. He did catch some big passes during the last drive of the game, all delivered by Casey Printers. Brad Eckwerekwu also had a couple of nice catches, but dropped a catch that would have been an easy first down.

Printers started slow, but his play really picked up late. He can really move and throws bullets. He did a pretty good job, especially considering the line he was playing behind. I would probably give him the highest grade of any of the three QBs, really. He didn’t turn the ball over as a result of making good decisions, and moved the chains some despite no running game whatsoever. That fumble at the end of the game was more Rob Hunt’s fault than it was Printers, too.

Dimitri Patterson played a helluva game. The Tuskegee Airman was all over the place tonight, looking good both against the pass and the run. Keep an eye on him, because he might end up being our nickelback.

Second-year linebacker William Kershaw also looked pretty damn good. He’s definitely a guy who will bring it on every play.

Both Keith Willis and Michael Allan had big receptions. Allan picked up a first down and it took three Browns defenders to force him out of bounds. Willis nearly picked up a very long first down on what would have been a helluva play.

Keyaron Fox definitely played well. I feel very comfortable with him as our fourth linebacker.

Tyron Brackenridge impressed me to some degree, but it’s obvious why he plays defense — he dropped two sure INTs.

I don’t even really want to talk about the struggles of Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard. Talk about pathetic. Brodie made a rookie mistake on his pick, panicking and throwing the ball right to a defender. Huard just overthrew Willis on his INT, an inexcusable mistake considering he had all the time in the world and is has been in the league forever. Even though Michael Bennett and Eddie Kennison looked sharp, it will be hard to evaluate the offense until Boomer Grigsby, Dwayne Bowe, Kris Wilson and Larry Johnson all return. And, yes, I purposely left out Priest Holmes. I believe that he’s actually back.

Ean Randolph might actually be a pretty good little return man. His play tonight was reminiscent of Dante before the happy feet. Justin Phinisee also had a nice kick return.

We didn’t hear from Turk McBride much tonight, but when I was watching the highlights on the NFL Network I noticed something. The crew was discussing the play of Browns rookie T Joe Thomas, and on one play Turk beat him with an inside move so badly that Thomas had to tackle him. I just thought his domination of the number three overall pick was worth mentioning.

Turk’s partner in crime, Tank Tyler, really looked pretty good. He did a solid job clogging up the middle, and his wheels are actually a lot better than I assumed they were. Mark my words — by the end of this season he’ll be a force.

Benny Sapp showed why he plays. He may be diminutive, but he brings it. The fumble he returned for a touchdown was a headsy play that not everyone would have made.

Jon McGraw put on a tackling clinic all night long, both on defense and special teams. One way or another, he make his mark in ’07.

Patrice Majondo-Mwamba is more than just a mouthful to say. He made a great play that kept the Browns from scoring at the end of the first half, and recorded a safety in the second half.

Last but not least, Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page didn’t necessarily look bad, but they didn’t really shine either. Page was aggresive and didn’t get burned, but he missed several tackles. Pollard flat out got pancaked on another play.