By Johnny Hilton
It is not that important who wins or loses during the preseason games. However,
it is critical for a player to show his ability to play in the NFL. For some
players, preseason will be their only chance to play in an NFL game. Once
it is time to cut the roster to the league's minimum, players will have to
pack their bags and go. There is no exception for the starters.
In the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings, there were a few
surprising players that showed top notch ability. The player that impressed
me the most was QB Aaron Brooks. Aaron had little playing time in the first
half. Within the first quarter, he showed excellent self-confidence. Aaron
showed quick maneuvering in the pocket and superior awareness finding a man
open. He threw a flawless 10-for-10 for 129 yards and converted a 23-yard
touchdown pass to Willie Jackson. Aaron should most definitely be the starting
QB in New Orleans in 2001.
WR Willie Jackson had a great night. Willie performed positively and he showed
his awareness on his routes. His talents shined when making the big plays,
no doubt. Willie most likely will see a portion of playing time with the
Saints.
TE Lamont Hall was impressive. Making outstanding catches from QB Aaron Brooks,
he gained the needed yards for the first downs.
QB Jake Delhomme is not one to forget about. The way he played in the second
half, it seemed he sure wanted to send that message to Jim Haslett. Right
when you thought the Saints will not covert, Jake pulled out his bag of tricks.
Jake played his best up until time expired with an incomplete pass into the
end zone. Jake had 2 touchdown passes, one to RB Deuce McAllister and the
other to WR Onome Ojo. He played outstanding, unlike QB Jeff Blake, during
the second quarter. Jake may move from third QB to second QB.
QB Jeff Blake was lousy, plain and simple. He threw 4-of-9 for 41 yards.
Also, he had an interception that converted into a Viking touchdown and was
crushed by four sacks. Jeff will most likely get cut from the roster. The
room will be nice for the salary cap, considering that a key player may still
need to be added on to the roster. The defense was burned by WR Randy Moss
and by QB Daunte Culpepper, and the running game was generally in the backfield.
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