We finally are getting the drip of football games to watch and respond to (and re-respond to, and re-re-respond to, and ...
). Wasn’t it great? Now that the dust has settled on our first preseason games, I took a gander around the NFL and what stood out and what has me reevaluating and confirming prior takes. Those first games were a reminder of how fun football is, and how sloppy preseason football is.
It also was a stark reminder of the downsides of this great game. Like, say, injuries that come out of nowhere to a team’s first-round quarterback! throughout the scouting process. His limited sample size checked the boxes for those into the strict fare, but his actual play had more flashes from which to extrapolate his NFL potential than you’d first expect.
He has a pro-ready arm (that he sometimes has to hitch into more than you’d prefer) with a loose athleticism that allows him to get creative with how he places the football, plus a real understanding for playing quarterback, something that showed up at the Vikings training camp practices I attended. The best aspects of McCarthy’s game showed up during his : the pocket movement, live arm, athleticism and willingness to stand and fire on his throws all popped up against the Raiders. nice throw and cheers — Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) It wasn’t perfect.
He still could move through his reads at a quicker rate and eliminate an extra hitch (both things that should and will improve with more live reps — which, ya know ..