PM PRACTICE OBSERVATIONS
August 10th - 5:08 PM
Coach Haley pulled the switch on us this morning by going with a shoulder pads and helmets practice. This afternoon…it’s back to the full gear.
5:37 PM - I just caught up with Chiefs Hall of Fame T John Alt today during PM walk-thrus. He told some great training camp tales and shared some memories of D.T. The entire interview will be featured on Camp Life tonight (front page on Chiefs TV).
5:49 PM - A real crowd pleaser here in River Falls, the double bucket drill has returned for some QB competition. If you aren’t aware of this drill yet, it consits of two trash cans stacked on top of each other in the left corner of the end zone. Each QB takes turns throwing arching passes towards the buckets from about 20 yards out. It’s extremely difficult to put a football in the bucket and when a QB does accomplish this task, the crowd gets going. Today QB Brodie Croyle looked to have the only make of the day until QB Matt Cassel got the crowd roaring with a make at the end of the period.
6:04 PM - Today’s 7-v-7 period consisted of all third-down situations. By my count the defense, led by several nice plays from LB Derrick Johnson, won the session handedly. WR Rodney Wright did turn in a big play for the offense (it seems he’s turned in a lot of them this camp) by getting loose on a post route that moved the chains.
6:18 PM - The D kept the momentum rolling into the red zone portion of 7-v-7 drills, getting two INTs from CBs Brandon Carr and Ricardo Colclough (Colclough had a pick in the scrimmage on Saturday as well). The offense did get on track late, though, with TDs on each of the final two plays of the segment (WR Quinten Lawrence and TE Brad Cottam).
6:20 PM - Cottam’s TD on the final play of red zone 7-v-7 must have gotten the tight ends jacked. TE Jake O’Connell opens team 11-v-11 period with a fully-extended diving grab on a 10-12 yard out. Easily the catch of the day, O’Connell paid the price with a hard landing and was visibly shaken. The standing ovation from the crowd helped him fight through it though. If that wasn’t enough, TE Sean Ryan joined the tight end party just a few plays later with a diving catch on a seam route for a big gain.