NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Deon Butler carried Seattle’s offense.  Louis Rankin, the team’s special teams.  However their efforts weren’t enough to overcome an early 14-point deficit in Oakland Thursday night as the Seahawks lost on the road 27-24.

Getting the start at quarterback for the Seahawks, backup Charlie Whitehurst looked for Butler early and often.  The second-year wide receiver out of Penn State was the only player thrown to during the team’s opening possession, hauling in one of his two targets for 11 yards.  The next time Whitehurst threw to him, Butler broke a tackle near the left hash mark and scampered 26-yards down the field for the team’s first touchdown of the game.  The touchdown and an Olindo Mare extra point cut the Oakland lead to four at 17-13 with 7:43 to go in the first half.

By the time the 5-foot-10 wideout's night ended in the third quarter, he was the game’s leader in targets (10), receptions (7) and receiving yards (101).

Less than three minutes into the fourth quarter Seattle found itself 11 points behind Oakland, but one play from Louis Rankin changed that.  The third-year reserve running back took a Swayze Waters kickoff from near the goal line and bolted up the middle.  Nearing the Seattle 40-yard line, Rankin had one man to beat.  Getting behind the kicker, Waters, Rankin capped off his 99-yard return with a score.

Looking to get within three points, J.P. Losman successfully found Ruvell Martin for the two-point conversion.

The Seahawks (1-3, preseason) would get just one opportunity to take the lead late in the fourth quarter after the Raiders (3-1, preseason) milked over seven minutes off the game clock.

After getting the ball on their own 2-yard line, Seattle marched 41 yards downfield in two plays.  That’s all the team would get on the drive though as Losman wasn’t able to connect on any of his ensuing four passes, resulting in a turnover on downs with 2:17 to go.

The Raiders got out to an early lead and never looked back thanks to backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski.  Gradkowski threw two touchdowns in the game’s opening quarter, connecting with Manase Tonga and Johnnie Lee Higgins for 32- and 9-yard scores, respectively.

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Jclombardi reviews final Chiefs preseason game.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com 

Summary: Thursday evening, in the final exhibition game, the Packers offense, without QB Rodgers and many starters who didn't suit up for the final preseason game,  struggled getting only one touchdown as the Packers fell to the Chiefs 17-13.  Chiefs QBs Cassel and Croyle each led touchdown drives leading the Chiefs past the Packers. 

Headlines: Chiefs 17, Packers 13.  Several starters sit, offense struggles in loss. McCarthy on roster cuts: Its the worst time of year.  Notebook: Flynn Replaces Rodgers.  Notebook: Shields gets longer look with Woodson out.  Backups get the call in lackluster preseason finale. Last chance for Packers' bubble players. Trade talk centers on Spitz. Insider: Starters didnt miss much. Packers hardly bother in last exhibition game.     

Quick Hits:

Sam Bradford led off the game for the Steven Jackson-less first team offense against the Baltimore Ravens 2^nd team defense and his performance was nothing less than perfect.  Bradford led the Rams to a touchdown by going 6-6 for 68 yards and a TD pass to Billy Bajema. 

Then as the rest of the first team offense left the field so did Sam Bradford.  It would be hard to consider Bradford's audition for starting quarterback anything less than a success.  Just like the Rams selecting Sam Bradford with the 1^st overall selection in the 2010 NFL draft was the worst kept secret at Rams Park, the fact that Sam Bradford will be starting week 1 for the St. Louis Rams becomes more obvious every time Sam Bradford takes the field.  Sam Bradford got treated like a starter and pulled with the rest of the first team; it will not be too long until he is also named the starter.

Other than Sam Bradford, there were a few highlights for the Rams in a 2^nd and 3^rd string game.

George Selvie made a great play on the final play of the first half, knocking the pass from Troy Smith up in the air before he could release the ball allowing Chris Chamberlain to intercept the pass.  Chamberlain would have run for a touchdown if he was not caught from behind by the Ravens running back.

Jermelle Cudjo had a great knockdown on Ravens QB Troy Smith as he went airborne to get over and past the running back that was attempting to block him.

Brandon McRae caught a quick smoke screen pass from Thaddeus Lewis in the 4^th quarter to put the Rams up for good.  McRae made a great run after the catch, but it was only a touchdown because of the impressive block by fellow wide receiver Dominique Curry.

The story of the night was the continued development of Sam Bradford and the ease in which the Rams first team offense moved down the field (albeit against the Ravens second string defense, but a Rams offense without franchise cornerstone Steven Jackson). 

Bradford looked as calm and collected as a veteran during his last two starts in the preseason.  It is still obviously the preseason, but Bradford has impressed in this interim step between college and the regular season NFL game. 

With the Rams offense rolling, that takes less pressure off the Rams defense which wilted late in games in 2009 with the Rams offense failing to hold the ball for more than a few minutes of game time before punting. 

Each side of the ball does not exist in a vacuum and the success of one side of the ball aides the other side.  Especially with the Rams playing ball possession and the short passing game, the Rams defense will be needed to step up when they are fresh.

The Rams went 3-1 last preseason before winning 2 less games in 14 more chances in the regular season, so the preseason results come with a huge dose of salt.  But, if anything, this preseason has given Rams fans hope and a reason to look forward to watching Rams football again. And that is a huge deal.

More bad news for rookie running back Montario Hardesty. The Browns back will have an MRI tomorrow and is on crutches following the game, this after he hurt his knee in the second quarter of the Browns 13-10 win over the Bears at Browns Stadium Thursday night.

"I hurt my knee making a cut," a dejected Hardesty said. "I really don't know what it is. I can't say it's not frustrating. I want to stay positive, get as much information as possible and return my focus to getting better. I'm hopeful whatever it is, I can get back as soon as possible."

Hardesty said it felt nothing like any of his previous injuries. A bone bruise on his right knee led to Hardesty missing 27 days of training camp and three preseason games. That’s the knee on which Hardesty had surgery to repair the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament tear as a freshman in 2005.

The injury to his left knee occurred on his seventh carry in his preseason debut against the Bears. That’s the knee that reportedly received an arthscopic procedure in 2006.

The Houston Texans second and third string players put up a good effort against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Reliant Stadium Thursday.  While there were many of mishaps, the Texans were able to salvage a first half beating into a 24-17 loss.

In the first half, the Texans had zero points, 46-yards rushing, 113-yards passing (159 total yards) for 9 first downs.  Orlovsky threw bonehead two interceptions to the same safety.  , 2 dan orlovsky interceptions, 0 pts.  The Buccaneers, on the other hand, produced 56-yards rushing with rookie Kareem Huggins, 96-yards passing for 9 first downs and 17 points.  

Kicker Kris Brown helped the Texans make their decision after he missed a 56-yard kick with :04 seconds on the clock.  The first half also brought great showings from the players you're beginning to expect to show up: Earl Mitchell, Darryl Sharpton, Troy Nolan.  

James Casey also had a great game and proved very reliable, although he missed a one-handed fingertip grab that would have been a touchdown. On a down note, third string running back Jeremiah Johnson strained his big right toe.

In the second half, running back Chris Henry showed his aggressiveness and ability to square up downfield and take off.  He finished with 15 carries for 50 yards.  Third string quarterback John David Booty was fighting for his job, and he put up a great effort tonight.  

Booty had his misunderstood routes, but he was able to connect on accurate passes to tight ends Garret Graham and Derek Fine, who scored his first touchdown of the preseason.  Booty was also able to hit receivers Bobby Williams for a touchdown and Dorin Dickerson for the preseason's best catch yet.  Williams' touchdown was a vertical route right along the sideline for the touchdown.  

Dickerson's catch was a one-handed grab in coverage along the sidelines, showing Dickerson's ability to separate from the coverage, even when its an arm's length extension.  The Texans attempted to push for overtime, while their defense really applied the pressure to the Buccaneers in the fourth, only allowing seven points in the quarter.  

However, the Texans offense wasn't able to push in a score from the Buc's 40 yard line with a 1:40 remaining on the clock.  Overall, it was a good second half and the third string offense definitely outplayed the Texans second team players tonight.

The two players who draw the most attention heading into Saturday's roster trim are kickers Kris Brown and Neil Rackers.  The kickers' preseason stats ended with Rackers outing Brown by one kick:

Rackers: 5/5 FGM/FGA   and 3/3 XP.  Rackers made a 52 yarder.

Brown: 4/5 FGM/FGA and 3/3 XP.  He missed a 56 yarder.

While the Steelers wrapped up the final preseason game with a rather convincing 19-3 win over the Panthers, the bigger story remains the same as it has been from the moment they knew they would not have Ben Roethlisberger the first part of the 2010 season.

Who starts at QB for the weeks Ben is gone?

That question is more cloudy than ever, as Thursday night in the preseason win Byron Leftwich went down with a knee injury. The injury took place after Leftwich hit a pass to rookie Emmanuel Sanders. He was 2 of 4 passes for passes for 43 yards.

If Leftwich can’t go against the Falcons, it opens the door more than ever for Dennis Dixon, who rebounded nicely after a horrid outing Sunday night in Denver. He threw a touchdown on his only pass, a 23-yard TD to Sanders that gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.

The story of the game was the Steelers D, which punished the weak Panthers offense all night, holding them to 123 yards and three points. They allowed 9 first downs, 72 yards rushing, and 4-for-16 on third downs.

The Steelers rushing controlled the game, going for 175 yards on 39 carries, a 4.5 yards per carry average. Rookie Jonathan Dwyer likely cemented a spot on the roster with 93 yards on 20 carries, including a 36-yard run in the 4th quarter that ended with a Jeff Reed field goal to wrap up the scoring at 16-3.

Roethlisberger went 4-for-6 in the game for 39 yards, and Charlie Batch, who may have played his last game with the team, went 3-for-4 for just 10 yards. Reed hit for four field goals in the win. The team will now sit back, wait on Leftwich’s knee, and have to make a number of roster moves, cutting possibly up to 22 players by Saturday’s deadline.

With just days to go until the deadline for teams in the National Football League to trim their rosters from 75 to the regular-season limit of 53, the Seattle Seahawks have a high-profile player they wouldn’t mind getting rid of.

According to sources cited by Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network, the Seahawks are shopping veteran wide receiver T.J.  Houshmandzadeh.

With the emergence of free agent signee Mike Williams along with solid play from second-year pro Deon Butler, rookie Golden Tate and veteran Deion Branch, Houshmandzadeh and his sizable contract have become unnecessary.  Houshmandzadeh is set to make over $7 million guaranteed this season.

The sources used by La Canfora indicate a desire by Seattle to ship their wide receiver for money.  The news comes two days after the team sent veteran cornerback Josh Wilson to the Baltimore Ravens for a conditional draft pick.

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Len Pasquarelli of The Sports Exchange reports the Cardinals have granted permission for quarterback Matt Leinart to seek a trade partner. The Cardinals were reportedly attempting to do the same, contacting the New York Giants earlier this week.

The 10th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft out of USC, Leinart has started 17 games over the last four seasons, completing 57.1% of his 595 pass attempts for 3,893 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, compiling a 70.8 passer rating.

Most of Leinart’s game action occurred during the 2006 and 2007 seasons before giving way to Kurt Warner. Leinart has apparently lost his training camp competition for the starting job to Derek Anderson, who was signed to a two-year, $7.25 million contract in March.