The cosmic gods must know that the number13 is an unlucky number. As soon as practice began, gale force winds picked up, shooting sand into eyes and field goal attempts wide left.
D.J. Williams was once again in orange and Eddie Royal didn’t participate in the fully padded practice.
As the players warmed up, the loud speakers belted out a mix of country and classic rock. Among the songs chosen were “Cowboys Like Us” by George Strait, “Between Jennings and Jones” by Jamey Johnson, and “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins.
Mark Schlereth was standing by watching the running backs and fullbacks hit the sled, making sure to keep their “hips in front” as running backs coach, Eric Studesville, instructed.
There were a slew of players handling kick returns during special teams drill. Among those players were Britt Davis, Cassius Vaughn, Perrish Cox, and Matthew Willis.
As positions broke down into specified drills, new RB Justin Fargas could once again be found working with Coach Studesville on an individual level, getting to know plays and technique better.
During 11-on-11 drills, the sound system was put to good use once again to simulate stadium noise during a game. At one point, Josh McDaniels waved his hands indicating that he wanted the music louder.
As 11-on-11 continued, Brian Dawkins stood out on defense. As the team prepares for the Bengals, two receivers wore red jerseys with the numbers 81 and 85, posing as Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. Dawkins had one INT and broke up two passes thrown by Kyle Orton. I suspect the Bengals’ dynamic duo will have a very difficult time on Sunday.
Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd stood out in the two minute drill. Orton threw two nice passes to Lloyd along the sideline, effectively gaining a chunk of yards while stopping the clock. Matt Prater lined up to kick the field goal from about 30 yards out and converted.
To end practice without sprints, Prater had to convert on a long field goal while his teammates and fans tried to distract him. As he lined up to kick, Brandon Stokley was spraying water from his water bottle on him, the defense was waving their arms, and fans screamed. The snap was good, the hold was good, and the kick was even better as the wind threatened to take the ball wide. Practice over.
Josh McDaniels spoke to the media before practice while Brandon Stokley and Tim Tebow spoke after practice, so stay tuned in.
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