We are three weeks into the season and now we have our first bye. It has been a good start to the season with two wins, one of which was a shutout. Next week we are away in Scotland, the following Sunday we are away at Lancashire and then we have our second bye week.
The passing attack has looked good with the tight-ends making some long receptions and scoring some touchdowns, the receivers have caught several short passes. I believe there has been one interception thrown on a hitch route to a receiver and it was ran back for a score, but such is life.
The running game has looked good with a variety of backs to pick from, speedy ones to powerful ones and various shades inbetween. The quality of the backs combined with the tight-end corp in the bone-tight formation has been causing opposing defences problems. This is good for the team but not ideal for a receiver.
The defense has looked strong and safe with good depth at all positions. They appear to have been struggling slightly with run plays to the outside but that will be taken care of soon enough.
Special teams are doing well, lots of kickoffs going for touchbacks and deep punts. This season we are going for the extra-point more instead of the two-point conversion, more kicks have gone through the posts than have missed so that is a positive.
There is a good turnout for training, a few people are missing but nothing noticeable. The receivers, backs and tight-ends run routes on air for the first while, going through the passing tree. I think I drop 2 passes but I don't know for sure. After the passing tree, we put together a barebones offense and run through the playbook a little. Following that, the defensive backs are introduced and we run some seven-on-seven stuff. I have now been designated a slot-receiver and as such take most of my snaps there. I seem to get alot of hooks and 5 yard out routes combined with the occasional pre-snap motion, sometimes I get a rail route or a corner. I catch one pass on the right for about 5 yards, drop an outside slant on the left after getting hit and not securing the catch properly and also knocked the strong safety on his arse. Other than that there is just alot of running from my perspective.
After the seven-on-seven is concluded, we practise special teams. I stand in for one of the banged-up receivers as the left-side gunner on the punt team. It is a nice job, try and get an inside release on the corner and then run flat-out at the returner and try to kill him. Hopefully I can get some gametime at that position. The field-goal unit then has some practice and then the session is called dead. I carry a large tackle-bag back to the lock-up and return home. My groin is a little sore and needs icing. I call at McDonalds on the way home and have a chicken meal, KFC does nicer chicken. I think I am charged for a large meal although I receive a regular, I don't complain.
