When we got on the air for Monday's practice session at the Houston Methodist Training Center it was 73 degrees. 73! I almost reached for a pullover as if I was at the Greenbrier.
The cold front from last night blew in a cooler day and an outdoor padded practice that had us harkening back to those mild days in West Virginia a couple of years ago.
Bill O'Brien talked about the fact that there are about three weeks to get ready for the Chiefs on September 10. Being a Thursday road game, that Tuesday would be like a Friday and Wednesday, September ninth is a travel day.
I can put it in even more urgent terms. After all, my wife's nickname for me is Jack Bauer (from the show 24. "THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME!" You know, that guy).
I digress. Game week for opening night is two weeks from Friday. This is where John Harris gets mad at me. For a Thursday night game, Friday is like a Monday. That's because Thursday is like a Sunday. That's why Bill O'Brien said Tuesday is like a Friday. Got it? There will be a quiz on this later.
Things that stood out to me Monday (the real Monday. August 17):
David Johnson – He's big, fast and can catch the ball. John Harris showed how he can improvise, in the Telestrator of a Cardinals play with Kyler Murray pulling the trigger.
Even though Lamar Miller and then Carlos Hyde weren't known as prolific receiving backs, they had some highly memorable moments (Like Miller against the Colts on SNF in '16 or Hyde taking a lateral pass from a would-be-sacked Watson in London last season and turning it into a first down). Johnson's ability to adjust and make plays as a receiver should mix well with Watson doing his typical magical things on the field.
Jordan Thomas – Bill O'Brien would probably say right here to not 'put him in Canton' but he's definitely off to a good start and looks more chiseled than in last season's camp.
The defense – They came up with a couple of big picks and also made it so the offense didn't totally win the day in late game and late half situational work. It's a work in progress but it was a nice showing on this day.
The numbers – As the play by play man, I just got used to Duke Johnson wearing Kareem Jackson's old 25 and now Karan Higdon is sporting JJoe's old 24. Oh, and there's rookie Jan Johnson wearing 56 while old 56, Brian Cushing, is helping in linebacker individual drills.
John Reid wearing 34 is going to take some getting used to and props to Isaiah Coulter for wearing an old school 82. Wide receivers wearing numbers in the 80s are an endangered species. Although he might have only done this because all the teens were unavailable. I promise to ask him at some point.
