Camp Practice Update 8/10 P.M.
August 10, 2009 - Bob Gretz |
From River Falls, Wisconsin
The Chiefs defense ruled the day during the team’s afternoon practice session at UW-River Falls.
Whether it was the seven-on-seven drill, the team work drill or the two-minute drill, the defense really stood up and played well. About the only spot portion of practice they lost to the offense was in the half-line run drill. There, the Chiefs running game was far more dominant than the run defense.
Rookie S Ricky Price had a pair of interceptions in the team work portion of practice, grabbing passes from Brodie Croyle and Tyler Thigpen. Earlier in seven-on-seven, CB Ricardo Colclough grabbed an interception.
But the defense really stood up in the last 10 minutes in the two-minute drill. The Chiefs offense had 120 seconds, three timeouts and 80 yards to score a touchdown. QB Matt Cassel was able to get a pair of first downs, but the next four plays went like this: sack by LB Derrick Johnson, incomplete to WR Mark Bradley as CB Brandon Flowers broke up the play, completion to WR Devard Darling that just as easily could have been a sack for Mike Vrabel. On fourth down, Cassel found RB Javarris Williams short for what would have been a first down, but FS Jarrad Page leveled Williams with a big hit and the ball came out and was ruled incomplete.
With the second units, Brodie Croyle got five plays and produced one first down, hitting WR Dwayne Bowe on the first play for 12 yards. After that it was incomplete, a sack by CB Donald Washington on a blitz, an incompletion across the middle t o TE Jake O’Connell and then a sack on fourth down by DE Glenn Dorsey. Too bad to, because Croyle got the throw off and Bowe made a great catch on the sidelines, getting his toes in bounds.
Some other moments and nuggets from the practice, that went down in full pads under partly cloudy skies:
– Todd Haley says there are no starting jobs locked down so take this note with that caveat, but Dwayne Bowe no longer runs with the first team offense. All through the P.M. practice, Darling and Bradley were with the first team. When the No. 1 offense went out for the two-minute drill with four receivers, it was Darling, Bradley, Bobby Engram and Terrance Copper. When the No. 2 offense hit the field, Bowe joined them.
– Who needs Tony Gonzalez? In the seven-on-seven drill, in the span of about five plays, O’Connell made a great diving catch, Sean Ryan caught a deep pass down the middle and Brad Cottam caught a short pass and then ran through the secondary untouched.
– Draft choice Colin Brown spent the whole practice working at right guard and looked good doing it. In fact, he looked more comfortable in pass protection inside than outside at tackle.
– K Ryan Succop was four-for-four on FGs, hitting from 37, 37, 42 and 45 yards. Succop also had nine kickoffs, with only one landing in the end zone. He averaged the five-yard line, but was kicking into a light wind.
– Working as kick returners in the practice were WR Rodney Wright, WR Quinten Lawrence and RB Dantrell Savage.
– During a special teams segment early in practice, the quarterbacks work with centers taking snaps and practicing pass drops. Working with them snapping the ball in this practice was RG Mike Goff.
– Eight players sat out the workout; it was the same group as the A.M. practice, with ILB Zach Thomas the only starter.