Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on August 20, 2011, 3:32 PM EDT
We know not everyone was home on Friday night, watching the six preseason games. So we’ll try to summarize what you missed below. You can also check out our review forThursday night’s two games here.
Redskins 16, Colts 3
1. Mike Shanahan may not admit it publicly, but John Beckall but ended the Redskins quarterack competition with a solid performance.
2. The Redskins run game has been one of the stories of the preseason. They dominated for a second straight week, with Tim Hightower andRoy Helu ripping off 50+ yard gains.
3. Colts backup Curtis Painter and No. 3 quarterback Dan Orlovsky both looked awful again, creating some mild panic in Indy. Maybe it’s all a plot to let Peyton Manning know how valuable he truly is.
Ravens 31, Chiefs 13
1. Lee Evans showed what a big impact he could make on the Ravens, catching three passes for 68 yards in limited work.
2. Baltimore did a much better job protecting Joe Flacco than they in the first preaseason game.
3. Chiefs second year player Dexter McCluster looked pretty useful now that he’s primarily a running back. He had 51 yards on eight touches.
4. Chiefs coach Todd Haley doesn’t like running up the score, even in the preseason.
Lions 30, Browns 28
1. It appears that an injury to Lions running back Jahvid Best won’t be too serious.
2. The Lions had nine penalties and trailed 21-13 when their starters left the game.
3. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy continued t0 look sharp, with three first half touchdown passes. He’s done a nice job creating when the play isn’t there.
4. Detroit’s running game has looked lackluster in successive weeks.
5. Cleveland running back Brandon Jackson left with a turf toe injury.
Dolphins 20, Panthers 10
1. Reggie Bush looked terrific in his Dolphins debut, even showing an ability to run between the tackles.
2. Cam Newton left the door open for Jimmy Clausen to take the starting job, but Clausen didn’t take advantage.
3. Chad Henne enjoyed a strong performance, leading Miami to 17 first half points. That should quiet any talk about Matt Moore getting snaps with the starting unit. Moore looked decent too.
4. Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess combined for 10 catches in one half to help Miami control the ball.
Packers 28, Cardinals 20
1. Cardinals rookie running back Ryan Williams will miss the season after rupturing his patella tendon. Arizona will look for running back depth now.
2. Green Bay’s offensive line struggled again, especially rookie Derek Sherrod.
3. Packers backup QB Matt Flynn lived up to his training camp hype with another great preseason outing.
4. Kevin Kolb had an uneven performance for the Cardinals. They scored six points in his three drives.
5. Cardinals linebacker O’Brien Schofield flashed some pass-rushing skills, which Arizona can desperately use.
Jaguars 15, Falcons 13
1. Blaine Gabbert looked like a rookie. He’ll probably take over for David Garrard during the year, but it’s hard to make the case for Gabbert right now with his YPA under 5.
2. Jaguars rookie receiver Cecil Shorts looks like a keeper. They needed someone to step up in that receiver group and he has.
3. Julio Jones is a huge addition to the Falcons offense, but don’t overlook No. 3 receiver Harry Douglas. A year further removed from knee surgery, Douglas looks like a big-time weapon. He flashed terrific speed on a 76-yard score.
