The battle between Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals

Will the Running Game Be Effective?

You can't judge anything from Matt Forte's 89 yard run the other night.  It was one play in a year that will be full of plays. 

But it did show us two very important things. 

The first is that the Bears are getting better at run blocking, as we saw in the Oakland game.  That's usually the easiest to attain (between run blocking and pass blocking), so the line does have that basic fundamental down it appears.

The second thing that was noticed was the speed that Forte has.  Heading into this training camp, cheap Forte jersey was completely healthy and relatively well rested, and he showed it during his long run against. 

He even seemingly kicked it into an extra gear and gained significant separation from those defenders chasing him.  As long as he can stay healthy (and with a running back like Chester Taylor there to help he should), he could have a great season

Can the Bears Still Succeed on Special Teams?

This is a great question, seeing as the special teams have suffered so far this preseason.

However, one thing that we must keep in mind is that the special teams (aside from the long snapping issues that they had against Oakland) is going to be made up of the best first team unit people on this team. 

Typically this preseason, when mistakes have been made, it's been made with a lot of second unit players.

Special teams coach Dave Toub will not let his special teams unit play like they have so far this preseason.  We have seen these kinds of problems rear their ugly head in the past and Toub has managed to fix them and make the Bears special teams units one of the best in the NFL. 

So don't worry, things will get better on special teams and this unit will continue to be one of the best.

Stop opponents on Third Downs

Not being able to keep opponents from converting third and long situations killed the wholesale Bears jersey last season.  As we saw in the Raiders game, they were right back at it, allowing opponents to convert long third downs, so what's changed? 

It looks like the same old defense from a year ago even though Julius Peppers is there and Rod Marinelli is calling the plays.

The thing that will solve the Bears problem here is to get more pass pressure on the quarterback. 

That's always been an issue with this team (in recent years) and that is why they brought in Peppers.  He is there to put pressure on the quarterback, sack him or force him to make mistakes. 

Can Peppers live up to his billing? Will he be able to help a defense that was horrible against third down offenses last season? 

We shall soon find out.

Protect the Quarterback

This is a given and the Bears aren't really doing much of it.  In their game against the cheap Raiders jersey , starting quarterback Jay Cutler was sacked five times in one half.  If the Bears continue to play like that, Cutler isn't going to make it through a full season. 

The problem lies mainly on the left side, where third year offensive tackle Chris Williams sits.  Williams, although a three year player, still hasn't had a ton of starting experience and doesn't really understand the nuances of the system.

He will get better as the season goes on, but do the Bears have the time it's going to take for him to get better?  No. 

He will get help blocking during the season, but as offensive line coach Mike Tice has stated, the Bears aren't really going to give Williams any help to see how he does, but even with help, can he and the rest of the team get the job done?

Is the Coaching Staff Willing to Try Something New?

This is a huge question. 

We know from conversations that have been printed or broadcast on the airwaves that some players (in particular Chris Harris) have stated that the defense really hasn't changed much. 

Harris, a former safety who was brought back from the team that he was traded to, had been gone three years and said that the defense really hadn't changed that much.

Three years and the defense hasn't changed?  A defense can't not change from year to year, but the proof is there. 

Head coach Lovie Smith really has a lot of faith in his defense, so he's run it consistently since he's been in Chicago. And now that most teams have already figured out the cover two defense, why does Smith keep using it and why doesn't he change?

 

Conclusion

The Bears are a team that could be stuck in the never ending mire of mediocrity and playoff absence if they don't get things moving in the right direction soon. 

Granted they are, for the most part learning a new offense and getting their defensive calls from a new coordinator, but you would think that after all of this, they would have been able to at least show some improvement this preseason. 

But so far they have failed to do so.

Their next preseason game against the cheap Cardinals jersey is critical.  In order to prepare for the season properly, this game, the third game of the preseason, is generally looked up on as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming season.  The starters play well into the third quarter on both teams, giving us a preview of how this team should look in the regular season.

If the Bears end up playing bad football, this could be a bad omen for fans, as well as coaches.  It may signal what many of us have feared, which is that things may not be working right in Chicago.

No matter how strong team will have problems like Arizona Cardinals

Strong team again again good anyway would still have problems. Like the strong Arizona Cardinals. Awesome, the Cardinals beat the Texans, but that clearly was not the story of the game. Only one thing came clear from the Cardinals quarterback situation and that was that Derek Anderson is not very good. A strong team Texans but Arizona Cardinals unexpectedly beat it. This serves to show how powerful cheap Arizona Cardinals jerseys. After the first wholesale Arizona Cardinals jerseys preseason game, more questions were thrust upon the Cards roster than answers.

The former Brown was 13-for-22 with two interceptions. Some will say that I am overreacting; it was just a meaningless game. I tell those people to get a clue and stop drinking the Kool Aid.

Derek Anderson had three touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. Derek Anderson had a game he went 2-for-17. 2-for-freaking-17. I think you have to intentionally throw incomplete passes to pull that off.

Anderson is still living off his 2007 season when he threw 29 TDs and 18 INTs and led the Browns to a surprising 10-6 record.

When you look at the season more closely, it wasn't really as impressive as it seems. In week two, he threw five TDs and one INT against the Cincinnati Bengals. Take that game away and the rest of the season, he threw 24 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. In the last seven games of the 2007 season, he had nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

We know what Derek Anderson is, but we still don't have any idea what Matt Leinart can be.
Coach Whisenhunt challenged Matt Leinart this week by bringing up Kurt Warner's name on multiple occasions.

I understand what Whiz is trying to do, but I think it is unfair.

Leinart was a tackling dummy for Mario Williams and friends as the Cardinals offensive line couldn't have blocked a D-line that consisted of my sister, mom, dad, and me.

When Leinart was given time to throw the ball, he made a couple solid throws.

This doesn't mean Leinart is going to be the answer at QB, but it also doesn't mean he is going to be a bust. The former Heisman Trophy winner needs to be given a chance to succeed and if his offensive line doesn't give him time to stand tall in the pocket, there is nothing he can do. God gave Matt good looks and the ability to pull hot chicks, not Vince Young's legs and elusiveness.

The question the Cardinals got an answer for in preseason Game One was not a good one.

Encounter a problem to solve problems only then will constantly ahead. I very like cheap Arizona Cardinals jerseys, I wish they would have Cardinals better result, the more exciting game. I was expecting the football game by their excellent performances.

Top-ten tackles from 2009 struggle in their second seasons

Many league insiders believe that there's only one way to find a high-end left tackle -- at the top of the draft.  With some exceptions (like Jason Peters, a converted tight end who was undrafted), teams that need a quality left tackle have to rely on the first round of the draft, usually the top half of it.

Compounding the reality is the fact that, once a team finds a quality left tackle, the team rarely if ever lets him go.

With the success rate for most other positions a crapshoot in round one, left tackles typically represent safer picks, with guys like Robert Gallery (a bust at left tackle who has become a decent interior offensive lineman for the Raiders) being the exception not the rule.

But something happened in 2009.  Three left tackles heard their names called within the first eight picks.  Two of them -- Jason Smith and Andre Smith -- already have been moved to the less critical (and less lucrative) right side.  The third, Eugene Monroe, played left tackle in 15 games as a rookie, despite being benched at one point for Tra Thomas.

This year, Monroe is injured, Andre Smith is badly out of shape, and Jason Smith returned from a toe injury to be beaten repeatedly by Vikings second-string defensive end Jayme Mitchell on Saturday night.

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo doesn't sound too concerned, yet.

"He's behind everybody else in that regard and all of a sudden you put him out in a game and the speed of the game is completely different," Spagnuolo said, in comments distributed by the team.  "So I think he'll smooth that out.  I don't think there's any concern there.  He played well there over on the right side about four or five games in the middle of the season last year so hopefully he can get back in that groove."

Still, the failure of Jason Smith to become a cornerstone left tackle underscores the challenges faced by a perennially bad team.  With the No. 2 pick in two consecutive seasons, neither Smith nor defensive end Chris Long have panned out.  And that only makes it harder for the Rams to eventually draft much lower in round one.

It remains to be seen whether Jason or Andre Smith can fulfill their potential, and whether Monroe can become the kind of anchor that Tony Boselli once was on the Jacksonville offensive line.  Either way, this trio from 2009 are tending to undermine the notion that great left tackles can be found at the top of the draft -- and their teams currently look more than a little foolish for not pouncing on Michael Oher, who fell all the way to the Ravens at No. 23.

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson put move after move on second-year cornerback Glover Quin

Andre Johnson: After back-to-back 1,500-plus-yeards receiving seasons, Johnson has finally made it to the top of the receiver rankings. Currently unhappy about his contract which makes him very underpaid, Johnson has been the utmost professional and said he will not hold out at all this year. Others may not have Johnson ranked as high as we do, but he is a WR1 every week, even if Matt Schaub misses time with an injury. And now that Johnson got a nice little raise a few days ago, a happy Johnson will be a highly productive Johnson.

Roddy White, 3. Reggie Wayne, 4. Miles Austin, 5. Larry Fitzgerald, 6. Randy Moss, 7. Calvin Johnson, 8. DeSean Johnson, 9. Marques Colston, 10. Greg Jennings

I guess a rankings article wouldn't be complete if I didn't at least discuss the DeMeco Ryans tight end spot. This year's No. 1 tight end has been a hodgepodge of a couple different players. Between Dallas Clark, Vernon Davis and Antonio Gates, there really hasn't been a true knockout/No. 1 guy. And because of this there really isn't, or shouldn't, be many chuckles when you opt to take one of these guys as your fantasy starter.

I will give a quick glance as to why FantasyFootball.com feels Dallas Clark should be the king of the mountain: "Clark squeaks into the No. 1 spot. 2009 was clearly the best in Clark's career after catching 100 balls, 1,106 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Don't expect those numbers with Anthony Gonzalez coming back and both Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie expected to get work as well. Regardless, Clark is Peyton Manning's favorite target, so still expect big numbers again in 2010."

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson put move after move on second-year cornerback Glover Quin.

Quarterback Matt Schaub was desperate to pass to Johnson who was practically wearing Quin. After several pump fakes, Schaub gave up on the pass and was chased out of bounds by defensive end Connor Barwin.

Quin's tight coverage every day in practice against last season's most productive passing combination in the NFL has coaches believing he can become a shutdown cornerback in the league.

"He's bringing a lot of smarts to the table this season," Texans defensive coordinator Frank Bush said. "And he always goes unnoticed at practice, which means he's doing a great job."

A year ago, Quin was a fourth-round pick out of New Mexico. He took the starting left cornerback position from Fred Bennett in Week 4 against Oakland.

"At first, everything is coming at you like a whirlwind," Quin said. "Your head starts spinning and things start running together. But I just wanted to prove to my teammates that I was accountable. Whatever the team asked me to do, I was willing to do to help us win."

In his first start, the defense made a dramatic turnaround. After allowing Brian Cushing an average of 436.3 yards of offense in the first three games, the defense allowed only 165 yards in the 29-6 victory. In his debut, Quin not only proved to his teammates but to offenses around the league that he was a serious presence opposite veteran cornerback Dunta Robinson.

In his rookie season, Quin was targeted by quarterbacks 80 times and never allowed a touchdown. Denver's Champ Bailey was the only other regularly starting cornerback in the NFL to accomplish such a feat. Robinson was targeted 83 times and allowed four touchdowns. Quin also led the Texans with 11 passes deflected.

"He had a year to go through the fire, and now, he spent the offseason really taking care of his body, getting in great condition," Bush said. "Because of that hard work, he's looking really sharp right now."

Quin has made his presence felt around camp this month. He has shown the quickness and concentration to play conservatively and gamble at the same time.

Curiosity has always been his nature. While riding out Hurricane Katrina in his home state of Mississippi, he watched the storm make landfall from the second-floor window of a home instead of playing it safe with the rest of his family in the basement.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker drops fried chicken and cookies habit to lose weight

 Baltimore Ravens sack specialist Terrell Suggs put his love for fried chicken and cookies on hold during the off-season in an effort to cut his weight and increase his speed.

It worked.

The outside linebacker lost 20 pounds, and his sleeker, 263-pound frame has not escaped the notice of the coaching staff and his teammates.

"He's going to be quicker and more explosive on the pass rush. We've seen that out here," coach John Harbaugh said Friday. "I don't think it will hurt his run-stopping ability at all."

Defensive lineman Haloti Ngata said, "He lost some weight, but he's also gotten stronger. That's tough to do. That's when you know someone worked hard in the off-season. He put the team before himself."

Not only is Suggs in peak condition, but he's also sporting a healthy attitude. A year ago, after finally resolving a sticky contract issue with a new six-year deal in mid-July, Suggs promptly hurt his toe in an early training camp practice and hobbled through the off-season.

He recovered in time to start the opener, but a questionable chop block to the right knee from Haloti Ngata Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn forced him to miss three games. Suggs finished with a career-low 4½ sacks and entered the off-season determined to bounce back in 2010.

"The only thing that really propelled me to this year was I just wanted to be a better teammate for my team, a better professional," he said. "I just wanted to be the best player for the Baltimore Ravens. That was kind of the motivation, just to get back to what you all are used to seeing me as."

Ravens fans are used to watching Suggs scoot around the outside and collar the opposing quarterback. He was the Associated Press defensive rookie of the year in 2003 after he recorded 12 sacks. The following season, Suggs earned the first of his three Pro Bowl invitations, and in 2008 he had a career-high 102 tackles, eight sacks and two interceptions.

Last season, however, was different.

"What a difference a year makes," Suggs said. "You know, last year I didn't get the luxury of participating in training camp. Therefore, I didn't get to play at my desired weight. But this year I'm taking full-fledged advantage of it, and I feel good. I feel really good."

To drop the weight, Suggs had to give up his beloved Popeye's fried chicken and cut back considerably on his cookie consumption. He still ate some cookies, but only after he adhered to the diet prescribed to him by the team nutritionist.

"It was kind of a reward once we started getting the weight down. It was like, OK, if you reach a certain goal, then you can have a cookie," Suggs said. "But then you have to work hard in practice. She did a good job helping me, especially down the stretch."

The result has been on full display at camp. Suggs is again flashing his trademark smile, especially after working his way into the offensive backfield.

"He's not worrying about anything," Ngata said. "He can just come in and work. Everything's behind him now. He got the contract he wanted, and he's not worried about any of the aches and pains that slowed him last year."

It's too late for Suggs, 27, to do anything about his disappointing 2009 season — except to use it as a reason to excel in 2010.

"Last year is last year," he said. "You live and you learn. We're 0-0 now, and we're going straight forward."

Kansas City Chiefs' new training camp

Being a Kansas City Chiefs' fan the last three years has been an unpleasant experience to say the least. The loyalists must feel like they are forced to watch a movie about the Titanic and they keep hoping in vain for a different ending. 2010 should be different for those fans. There is actually hope this year won't be as bad as the last three. Some of that hope came from not signing free agents of having a top pick in the draft. The hope begins with the hiring of Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel as offensive and defensive coordinators this season. The duo were integral parts of the coaching staff that lead the Patriots to three Super bowl wins. Todd Haley has already turned the offensive reigns over to Charlie and will allow him to call the plays in 2010. Crennel gets the same treatment on the defensive side as well, allowing Haley to be the head coach and not a coordinator as well.

However, will there be enough talent on the team to avoid another 4 win season in 2010? Surprisingly the answer is yes. The Chiefs do have enough players on this roster to be better than 4-12. Let's start with the offense. Matt Cassel will be the starter. Like Trent Green when he came to KC, the second year should see marked improvement. He'll be running a system he is familiar with and Weis should know how to use him. If Matt goes down to an injury, the new Freddy Kruger of NFL QB's, Brodie Croyle will step in since I see no other QB on the roster that has any major experience at all. Chief's fans have gotten rid of Brodie so many times in their minds that his presence on the roster seems supernatural. Yet here he is in 2010, clearly the only choice for backup. He has put on weight and stayed healthy for the first time in 2009. Here is an area that probably has Haley and Weis scouring the waiver wires constantly. I have to think another backup is a priority for the team.

Running back should be strength in KC this season. Jamaal Charles came on strong the last 8 games of 2009 and Thomas Jones is a young 32 and coming off a 1400 yard rushing season. Both complement each other and Jones presence should keep Weis from overusing Charles. Jamaal is not a 25 -30 carry per game back. If Charles gets around 20, and Jones 15, this will be a very effective running game and will improve from their 11th place ranking in 2009. The fullback will be Tim Castille in all probability. He is an adequate blocker and has good hands out of the backfield. Second round pick Dexter McCluster will see some time in the backfield too, my guess in certain passing situations. Dexter has speed-a-plenty and will also get work at WR and kick returner. Might even see a little Wildcat with him as well, if Charlie is so inclined to use it. This area should be one of the strongest ones on the team.

Wide receiver is a different story. This could be a good group led by 2007 first round pick Dwayne Bowe and uber-veteran Chris Chambers. They could be good comes from a propensity to allow the football to somehow elude their grasp at key times. If this duo can somehow channel their inner Freddy Biletnikoff and catch the pigskin, (or if the NFL rescinds their ban on stick-em) Matt Cassel can have a good year and the offense can be very effective. If they can't, you'll be seeing a lot of Dexter McCluster (in the role Dante Hall filled in 2002-05), Jerheme Urban (the Cardinals fourth receiver last year), Lance Long, TE's Leonard Pope and Tony Moeaki, and a lot of prayers for Mr. Cassel.

Speaking of prayers, Matt will be saying a lot of them for a better performance from the offensive line this year. If they play like they did the last half of '09, they will be adequate. They seem to be able to run block well enough. Can they improve enough at protecting the QB though? Veteran Casey Weigmann is back in KC and that should help at center. Brian Waters is long in the tooth now but having Casey back should help him with his guard duties. Jon Asamoah, a third round pick from Illinois should be able to earn a guard spot by midseason or at least some playing time. Ryan Lilja, a hometown player, should step in at guard right away. His experience should be a Glenn Dorsey big help to a line that has little real depth. The tackles will be Branden Albert and Ryan O'Callaghan. There is only one other true tackle listed on the roster at this time. Look for KC to scour the waiver wires to add some depth here. This line is not deep, but they do seem to be improving. If they can give Cassel some time to throw and continue to open holes, they'll be fine, but a mid pack line at best. Any injuries or players having bad seasons will hurt the offense considerably. This is the weakest part of the offensive equation for 2010 and they need to be better than last year for Weis to have an effective offense

Greenwood joined the Chiefs last week as they opened camp in their new $15 million training facility at Missouri Western State University. It is the first time in 20 years that the Chiefs have trained in their home state.

Greenwood was joined by four other University of Alabama players at the camp. Brodie Croyle (#12) quarterback; Javier Arenas (#30), Wallace Gilberry defensive tackle (#92), Tim Castile (running back #46) and Greenwood (#74) are the Tide players on the roster.

The Chiefs have two other players with Alabama ties on the squad; both are from Troy University. Cameraon Sheffield (#55) is a linebacker, and Dion Gales (#70) is a defensive end.

The Chiefs will open their preseason schedule with a battle in Atlanta against the Falcons on Friday, Aug. 13 with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Greenwood is currently running second team behind former LSU All-American Glenn Dorsey. He continues to impress the Chiefs coaching staff. A second team position would mean Greenwood would make the squad after spending a year on the taxi squad.

"So far, everything has been positive for me. I have had couple of excellent days working out, and I feel I am on the track to earning playing time," he said Saturday night from St. Joseph.

"I haven't had any injuries and have put on some weight, and feel that I am in the best shape of my life. I'm really excited about this opportunity," he added.

When asked about the Alabama connections on the Chiefs roster, Greenwood was upbeat about the Tide connection.

The Bills' top pick

The Bills' top pick, running back C.J. Spiller, remained without a contract Tuesday, and his holdout continues a recent trend for Buffalo.

Spiller, the ninth overall pick, is one of just two first-round draftees still without a deal. The only other unsigned first-rounder late Tuesday was No. 6 pick Russell Okung of Seattle after No. 2 Ndomakong Suh agreed to terms with Detroit on Tuesday evening.

Last summer, Bills top pick Aaron Maybin was the second-last first-rounder to sign. In 2008, Bills top pick Leodis McKelvin was the fourth last to sign. In 2006, Bills top pick Donte Whitner was third last.

Only Maybin had what could be termed a problematic holdout. He missed 27 days of practice and went on to have an unproductive rookie season. McKelvin missed only the first weekend of practice and was on the field for the first workout in pads. Whitner had an eight-day holdout but still was able to see a lot of action in preseason and started 14 games as a rookie.

Spiller missed his sixth day of practice Tuesday. If he isn't in camp by Saturday, he will have missed more than half of the training camp workouts. That will not be a good thing for a team looking to its top pick to be a significant part of the new offense coach Chan Gailey is installing.

"All I can tell you is we're all still working on it," Bills General Manager Buddy Nix said after Tuesday's practice. "Probably in a couple of days if he doesn't (sign), I will have something to say, but at this point we don't."

Spiller's agent, Gary Wichard, did not return calls from The News on Tuesday. A source familiar with the negotiations said the structure, more than the overall value, of the deal is the crux of the talks.

The general parameters for Spiller's deal are as clear as Donte Whitner  they can be. The eighth overall pick, Oakland's Rolando McClain, signed a five-year contract worth a reported $40 million overall with $23 million guaranteed. The 10th overall pick, Jacksonville's Tyson Alualu, came to terms Monday on a five-year deal worth $28 million with $17.5 million guaranteed.

Split the difference between those two, and Spiller would get $34 million total with $20.25 million guaranteed. There is a bit more of a gap in the deals of the first 10 picks than those taken in the rest of the round.

History indicates the Bills are conservative about committing to their first-round deals. They generally have waited until the players taken just before and after their pick reach a deal before closing their negotiations. They don't commit early at the risk of paying over market value.

Asked if it was too early to make a public announcement about negotiations, Nix said: "Well, it's not too early. It might be late even."

Drafted ninth overall out of Clemson, Spiller is one of three first-round picks who have yet to sign with their respective NFL teams. He's missed eight practices since the Bills opened training camp Thursday, which marks a considerable setback to the new offence first-year head coach Chan Gailey is installing.

Spiller's agent, Gary Wichard, has not returned messages left by The Associated Press.

Gailey and Nix have both spoken highly of Spiller's dynamic play-making ability as a running back and receiver. And Spiller, the ACC's player of the year last season, was already being counted upon to make a significant impact this season after finishing his four-year college career with 51 touchdowns, including 32 rushing.

"It hurts. He did a great job in minicamps. But being here now is a different game," Gailey said. "And it doesn't help anybody. It doesn't help him. It doesn't help us. We hope it gets resolved as soon as we possibly can."

Spiller would be part of a three-back rotation rounded out by Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch, who split the starting duties last season. Gailey has previously indicated that he's open to going with a two-back formation at times to get Spiller involved as much as possible.

Even Bills owner Ralph Wilson, a day after Spiller was drafted, praised the former Clemson standout. Wilson said Spiller was "one of the best players in the country," and someone who could provide a spark to what he called a "dull team." Buffalo's offence has ranked 25th or worst in yards gained in each of the past seven seasons.

Because of his versatility, Spiller has drawn comparisons to New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush. Spiller and Bush are the only two players to finish their college careers with 3,000 yards rushing, 1,500 yards in kickoff returns, 1,000 yards receiving and 500 yards in punt returns.

One potential drawback to talks is the wide gap in money going to the two players drafted immediately before and after Spiller was chosen.

Linebacker Rolando McClain, selected eighth by Oakland, reportedly signed a US$40-million, five-year contract that will guarantee him about $23 million. Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, drafted 10th by Jacksonville, signed a $28-million contact with $17.5 million guaranteed.

That leaves Spiller in the middle, as rookie NFL contracts are traditionally slotted in descending order of where the player was drafted.

"I don't want to get into that," Nix said, when asked about the gap. "He just hasn't signed."

Nix is in his first year as general manager, taking over in December after Russ Brandon was promoted to chief operating officer.

The Bills have had an inconsistent history in getting their first-round picks signed early in recent years.

Last year, linebacker Aaron Maybin, selected 11th overall out of Penn State, missed 24 practices and three of the Bills five pre-season games by signing nearly a month after training camp opened. Then there was safety Donte Whitner, selected eighth overall in 2006, who missed eight days of camp.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier

Quick, somebody send Jim Gray on location to interview the Spaniards who have taken over the world of sports. At least that part of it — World Cup, Wimbledon, Tour de France — that few of us care about.

We don't want Gray, of the recent LeBron infomercial, driving a rental around Chad Greenway the back roads of Mississippi in search of his latest effort in contrived journalism.

Today is August. That means football is back and it's time to pay attention again. Which brings us back to Favre.

He's had six months to decide if he wants to subject his body to the rigors of professional football. This is the same man who for two decades has proved to be among the best at making split-second decisions at the line of scrimmage after sizing up the defense.

This is the man among the upper rank all time at deciding on second Antoine Winfield and third options when his primary target is covered. His mind has been trained to a finely tuned trigger for immediate decision making.

At least while on a football field.

This much, too, about Favre's latest two-step with the NFL. If his recent observation merely is subterfuge for delaying his entry into training camp, why bother? Favre could arrive on the Mississippi River by Jet Ski the night of the Vikings' first exhibition game and be welcomed by the governor and a Norwegian color guard.

If it was a throwaway line to media members trying to perform their job, try something else.

Favre's absence is not exactly dividing the locker room like Albert Haynesworth's sabbatical with the Redskins. He has earned a degree of special consideration, and the Vikings surely are amenable, understanding that they are a Super Bowl contender with him and a wild-card contender without him.

But drop the nonsense that not even you can comprehend which way you are leaning. Give fans at least a shred of respect.

Otherwise they are left to wonder if it takes you a month to determine whether Brett Favre or not to ask your wife to dance. At least six weeks to fully comprehend whether the back 40 needs mowing. A full summer to pick between Coke and Pepsi.

Pity the poor slob standing behind Favre at a voting machine. Or the server waiting patiently as he scans a menu.

Fans and sportswriters never will fully fathom what it is like to subject Adrian Peterson the human body to the pounding it takes throughout an NFL season. In Favre's case, a body that already has taken that extreme beating in 19 other years.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier says cornerback Cedric Griffin definitely will miss the season opener against New Orleans while he recovers from offseason knee surgery.

Griffin tore the ACL in his left knee in the NFC title game against the Saints in January. Most expected that Griffin would miss at least the start of the season and Frazier confirmed that on Monday.

Johnny Knox continued to be a favorite target

Johnny Knox continued to be a favorite target, but Cutler also threw the ball to Devin Hester eight times Sunday. Hester caught five of the passes. He had no chance at one of them, a deep ball over the middle that was overthrown. Zack Bowman picked off the pass.

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The 6-2, 201-pounder flashed his big-play ability twice in team drills Sunday, Chris Williams hauling in deep Jay Cutler passes while angling toward the left corner of the end zone and also down the seam.

Aromashodu made plays just like those during the final quarter of last season, when his 22 catches and four TDs were topped only by Colts tight end Dallas Clark (23 catches and 5 TDs) among NFL receivers.

"It gave me a lot of confidence," Aromashodu said about last year's emergence. "I'm sure it gave the quarterback and the [coaching] staff a lot of confidence in me. It helped me a lot."

Aromashodu has been working in training camp as the third receiver behind Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. Regardless of who starts this season, all three of those wideouts are expected to be major contributors in coordinator Mike Martz's offense.

"I want to be a starter; everyone wants to start," Aromashodu said. "But if it doesn't work out like that, as long as I get the opportunity to play, that's the main thing."

Welcome back: On the first warm day of training camp—the temperature reached 87 degrees Sunday—middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, center Olin Kreutz and cornerback Tim Jennings returned to practice after sitting out Saturday night's workout. Safety Chris Harris (back) remained sidelined.

"I feel like this was the first day of training camp with a little bit of weather," said coach Lovie Smith. "The heat kind of cooperated a little bit with us. "It was good to get some of our players back, good to get Olin and Brian back out on the football field. I thought Brian Urlacher practiced today as well as he's practiced in a while."

Jennings intercepted a Caleb Hanie pass while defending a double move by Juaquin Iglesias in a 1-on-1 drill and later broke up a slant pass intended for Rashied Davis in 7-on-7 drills. Jennings remained on the field for 20 minutes after practice to run and work with fellow cornerback Charles Tillman.

Passing fancy: Cutler looked sharp in team drills Sunday, completing 9 of 12 passes in 7-on-7 drills and 15 of 18 throws in 11-on-11 work. He rifled deep outs to Knox and Earl Bennett and a deep slant to Hester. Knox caught the most passes from Cutler with seven, followed by Hester with five.

Too early: During an inside run drill early in practice, the offense jumped before the snap on five plays. Right tackle Frank Omiyale was replaced by James Marten after committing two false starts.