The football dork community sat down as one at 1:30 p.m. ET on a Sunday in the middle of August. Healthier fans spent time with their family, they exercised, or (gasp) they watched the Olympics.
For football dorks, Andrew Luck's debut with the Indianapolis Colts was the only thing going on.
We want to say it means nothing because it's only the preseason, but we can't help ourselves.
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah got a one-word text from a general manager. It said: "WOW."
Jeremiah, a former NFL scout, wrote that Luck displayed, "Unreal poise, accuracy, pocket awareness and athletic ability."
Any quarterback could have thrown the flip to running back Donald Brown that went for a 63-yard touchdown on the first play of scrimmage. It was the little things Luck did that were so impressive.
Luck escaped an onslaught of rushers multiple times to throw the ball away or find a receiver. He converted third downs after his receivers made repeated drops. He put extra zip on an out route when he needed it. He knew what the defense was going to do before the snap. He showed great touch and accuracy.
It was only one game -- a preseason game. But football dorks like us are allowed to get excited about the preseason. It's still football.
A Good Weekend For ...
- The Carolina Panthers didn't have to choose between DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. It's great news for Stewart that he got a huge contract extension; not so much for his fantasy owners. It wouldn't be a total shock if the Panthers moved on from Williams' big price tag eventually. Stewart is the better long-term bet.
- Former Colts first-round draft pick Jerry Hughes might have found a home in Chuck Pagano's defense. While Andrew Luck wowed everyone, Hughes sacked the St. Louis Rams' quarterbacks two times. That's more than he's done in his entire regular season career.
- Not to be outdone by New England Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones, New York Jets rookie Quinton Coples was sensational in his preseason opener. His performance got lost in all the Tim Tebow-Mark Sanchez talk.
Position Battling
- While we're on the Jets, it appears that running back Bilal Powell has passed Joe McKnight on the depth chart. The Jets really could use help from Powell. McKnight, meanwhile, was the subject of one of those silly "questionnaire" graphics during the team's preseason game. His favorite food: "Everything." I wish that were a joke.
- It's fair to wonder if Green Bay Packers running back James Starks will ever be a true lead back. His latest injury (turf toe) tends to linger. We expect to see a lot of Alex Green and the newly signed Cedric Benson in the Packers' backfield this year.
- Chad Johnson's depressing end with the Miami Dolphins should benefit Roberto Wallace in the short term. The wide receiver ran with the first-team offense Sunday.
Not a good weekend for ...
- The No. 4 overall pick of the 2009 draft, linebacker Aaron Curry, is in danger of not making the Oakland Raiders' roster because of knee problems (among other things). Curry was viewed as one of the "safest" picks in years when he was taken by the Seattle Seahawks. They said that about offensive lineman Robert Gallery, too.
- Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett is in danger of not making the Philadelphia Eagles despite being their second-round draft pick in 2011. We warned you about this before training camp, and now he's slipped to the third team.
- David Garrard probably will wind up starting some games this season in Miami, but it would be shocking if he was the Week 1 quarterback after his knee surgery. Unless Ryan Tannehill plays absolutely lights out in the preseason -- and he got off to a nice start -- we'd expect Matt Moore to get the call.
On the Agenda
The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders go at it tonight, the fifth night of football in a row. My life loves this. We'll have a look back at all the rookie quarterbacks and what every team is concerned about after Week 1 of the preseason later Monday on Around the League. Thanks for reading.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
