Updated Aug 31, 2009 - 10:23 am

Salk: What I Saw on Saturday Night

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by Mike Salk

Brock will have some extended thoughts on the game shortly, but I'll offer a couple of quick ones to whet your appetite.

DEFENSE

-I continue to be impressed with Brandon Mebane and Colin Cole (pictured) inside. Loved their pressure on the first sack of the game. Now, let's see that on a more consistent basis. They don't need to be Pro-Bowlers in this defense, but they better be consistent. I think they can do that.

-I think this team defense could excel in short yardage situations when they move Cory Redding inside to help. Loved his stop on 3rd and short late in the second quarter.

-I've been told Lofa Tatupu is a phenomenal tackler and a standout middle linebacker. So far, I haven't seen it. I'd like to (in the regular season).

-We have barely talked about Patrick Kerney this entire pre-season and it might be time to do that. Other than the sack (which showed off his speed in space), I haven't really noticed him. I've also been told that his conditioning allows him to shine on the second half - I hope that's true.

-The secondary will be better if/when Marcus Trufant returns, but I haven't had a problem with Ken Lucas and Josh Wilson. Are they stars? No. But they seem to be solid and that's what I want from my cornerbacks. If Trufant can return, this team should be three-deep at a position where depth is vital in dealing with the multiple receiver sets.

-I continue to be impressed with Darryl Tapp. I just like him.

-I also like Aaron Curry, but he seems to be more effective the closer he is to the line of scrimmage. Maybe Wyman can explain?

OFFENSE

-Deion Branch didn't do anything to get himself cut, but he didn't shine either. I watched him in his prime in New England and I know he can be a valuable asset. But I can't tell if he wasn't open often or if Matt Hasselbeck just doesn't look at him often. Any thoughts?

-Speaking of Hasselbeck, that guy can run a 2-minute offense, huh? Wow. He seems to be in complete command going down the field. Great to see he is comfortable enough in this offense to do that.

-The timing between Hasselbeck and TJ Houshmandzadeh seems to be improving. TJ looked awesome. Really awesome.

-Huge improvement this week for Sean Locklear. He was nearly invisible at left tackle - that's a good thing! In fact, pretty good protection by the first team O-line (which seems to include rookie Max Unger at RG).

-Lots of talk about John Carlson after this one and for good reason. 5 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown stands out. But I also liked his blocking in the running game. Seems like a guy making the leap.

-How many big passing plays came off play action? Seemed like all of them! That's the benefit of a commitment to the running game early. I thought Julius Jones ran well. He doesn't need to be flashy, just effective. And he has hung on to the ball!

SPECIAL TEAMS

-Do we have to talk about the kicking in this game? Ich.

-Jon Ryan can flat-out punt.

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• CougHawk wrote...

  Totally agree on Lofa and Kerney

  Couldn't agree more with you more on Lofa and Kerney. Lofa has looked terrible and Kerney has been invisible. I sure hope this is just Vets coasting in pre-season but I think that is just wishful thinking.

  August 30, 2009 9:30 pm

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• TimLeise wrote...

  Agree with Salk

  I felt the same way throughout the first half from Lofa. He picked it up a bit on some second half plays but overall i was not impressed. The same with branch. i dont know what its going to take to get him going but i think i would rather see DButler in there developing chem with matt. I could be wrong but i think that Butler will have a more productive year and be more of a contributor that Branch. I think its time for Mike Salk to bust out his objectivity on Lofa this week to see if there is anyone else ready to say that he's not taking good angles and missing tackles.

  August 30, 2009 11:10 pm

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• JohnnyC wrote...

  feedback for you

  Salk, A couple things for you. Lofa is a very good linebacker, but a tackling technician he is not. His arms aren't very long, and his chest is full, so its not his strength to get people to the ground. He thumps them and knocks them over usually, pretty well. This is why he'll never be an outside linebacker. He just isn't a great tackler. Add to his slate that the defense is new for him, and you have a not-so-great performance in the preseason. He is a great player though, and you'll see his value through the season as he leads the defense. Kerney- He wasn't very strong in 2007 preseason either. He had a great year. So, I think he's just warming up. Add to that he's playing a different position, so I'll give him a mulligan. D-tackles: I see the value of rotation. But the great players shouldn't come out of the game unless they NEED a break. Red Bryant is okay off the bench. But the other guys just aren't ready to replace Mebane. Too big of a drop-off there. I look forward to seeing Branch as a depth player this year. He's not a star. Perhaps the role he can play on this team will be more suitable for him. Housh is certainly a stud and its very clear he's the best WR we've had here in quite some time.

  August 31, 2009 10:47 am

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• Stevo's wrote...

  Pat Kerney

  "We have barely talked about Patrick Kerney... Other than the sack (which showed off his speed in space)" So why not talk about him? I think Pat Kerney is a huge story this offseason. The guy quickly rehabbed from two surgeries and already looks like he is 100% ready to go. This is huge for us. Maybe he has only flashed a few times in preseason games, but (a) the coaches need to see the backup DEs compete, not Kerney, and (b) I really don't think most veterans take these games very seriously. All I had to do was watch Kerney in a couple of practices to see that he was in shape, showing aggression, and using his shoulder with full range of motion. What he showed me was that he is still the leader among the D linemen and sets the example in practice. Kerney is a phenomenal athlete and I think you will enjoy watching him go to work once the real games begin.

  August 31, 2009 10:48 pm

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