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| Sean Gardner/Associated Press |
| Lions RB Kevin Smith had 22 yards rushing in his first preseason game. |
What we learned …
You can't forget about Calvin Johnson: Going into the 2007 draft, Calvin Johnson had as much hype as any receiving prospect in years. He had a decent, if unspectacular, rookie season, but he showed in the preseason opener why he was so acclaimed, catching four passes for 78 yards in just a quarter of play.
OT Gosder Cherilus plays like a rookie: The Lions' first-round pick out of Boston College was yanked after committing two penalties in the first half and then he had a third infraction in the fourth quarter. He did show his ability as a run-blocker, however, springing fellow rookie Kevin Smith for a couple of nice rushes.
Giants' reserve QB battle is tight: The competition between Anthony Wright and David Carr to be Eli Manning's backup remains inconclusive. Both quarterbacks played extremely well, with Wright throwing for 116 yards and leading the Giants on their first scoring drive (a field goal) and Carr completing 8-of-9 passes and leading New York to its only touchdown.
Kenny Phillips is for real: The rookie safety from Miami (Fla.) earned praise for his play in training camp and was similarly impressive in his preseason debut. He made a series of big hits and finished with a team-leading six tackles.
