Notre Dame finally finds the end zone in Blue-Gold game
Notre Dame's offense finally found the end zone in the annual Blue-Gold spring game.
After drives stalled out due to penalties and sacks, quarterback CJ Carr, who is fighting Steve Angeli and Kenny Minchey for the starting job, found Elijah Burress -- son of former NFL star Plaxico Burress -- for a two-yard touchdown pass. Burress needed to lunge for the goal line, and according to the officials, he was just barely in.
Carr has looked effective at QB so far in the Blue-Gold game, though both Angeli and Minchey have been able to move the ball, too. The problem is that the offense has committed penalties or allowed sacks when knocking on the red zone.
No matter who wins the starting QB job, the offensive coaching staff will have work to do. But the fact that Fighting Irish offense finally got on the board has to be encouraging.
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NFL preseason Week 2: Players to watch, including an Eagles-Browns QB flying under the radar
We finally had some preseason football to react (and overreact) to. Preseason is always interesting — OK, interesting maybe for the sickos — and this weekend was no different. Full of standouts, surprises, and outlandish statements and predictions. I wanted to highlight a handful of players that stood out to me during our first weekend back, even if it was exhibition play, and what we can see out of the rest of the preseason and going forward. Starting with a quarterback in Philadelphia that I think has become one of the more interesting characters in the NFL right now. And it's not the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Tanner McKee, QB, Philadelphia Eagles McKee is stacking impressive performances and looks like a starter Even with whatever is happening over there *gestures toward the Browns' quarterback room/medical tent*, Tanner McKee would have remained the most fascinating signal caller in Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon. McKee has made preseason showcases an annual tradition now; like a starting MLB pitcher on a minor league rehab assignment, McKee's polished play, strong arm, and consistent ball placement leads to a passing bonanza against overmatched second-and-third stringers deploying vanilla schemes during August. In Week 1 of this year's preseason, McKee again overwhelmed an opposing defense. This time it was the Bengals' unit, which even featured a good chunk of their projected starters. McKee finished 20 of 25 for 252 yards with two touchdowns while being sacked twice on 13 pressures. It was an extended run and indeed a showcase for the NFL and the always quarterback-needy market, a market that general manager Howie Roseman can exploit yet again because of McKee's talents. McKee, a 2023 sixth-round selection, plays with a good sense of timing when the Eagles let him drop back. Again, there are preseason caveats with his performances (although McKee impressed in his Week 18 start against the Giants last season). But on just the eye test, McKee can push the ball to the outside and down the field with notable ball placement, with a knack for back-shoulder throws. McKee is actually a pretty good athlete considering his size at 6-foot-6, 231 pounds. You're not going to design runs for him (though he did handle the tush push for a touchdown last week), but he has enough burst and the flexibility to consistently throw off-platform and on the move. I have to emphasize his ball placement again, because McKee will let the ball out early and out in front of his teammates. Or aim low and away from defenders. Everything with McKee is consistent, with the right times to rear back and be aggressive down the field or up top on high-low concepts. (He also lets his teammates make plays. There were some great plays on the ball from second-year wide receiver/sky scraper Johnny Wilson.) McKee keeps impressing every time he touches the field. Positive training camp reports are one thing, but he has now stacked up several years of strong preseason performances and a regular season one to boot. They're impressive enough that I am confident to say that he is a starter-quality player at this point in time, or at least a player that deserves a real shot at starting. And while there have been reports that teams made inquiries about McKee, it's the middle of August and almost all teams feel settled enough to not doing something as drastic as trading for a new starting quarterback. But it isn't unprecedented, especially with Roseman involved. There's the Sam Bradford trade to the seemingly never-rebuilding Vikings for two draft picks (a first and conditional fourth) on the eve of the 2016 season after Teddy Bridgewater suffered a freak knee injury in practice. Kevin Kolb is another comparison. A second-round selection in 2007, Kolb was showcased and dangled as trade bait for what felt like a decade by Roseman and Andy Reid before they anointed him as the starter in 2010. Where an early injury led to Michael Vick overtaking Kolb in the starting role, Kolb was then traded the next year to the Cardinals for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round pick before not doing much in Arizona. And then there's the whole Carson Wentz saga. The point of this history lesson is that this isn't Roseman's first go at juggling a starter (of varying levels of establishment), an interesting backup, and an always starved market. I really do think McKee is worthy of a real level of interest. Why Rams, Browns should consider trading for Tanner McKee But would a desperate team offer a juicy first-round selection or some package to entice Roseman? Essentially all of the quarterback seats are already taken. And teams that I think have the biggest quarterback questions marks and injuries — the Rams with Matthew Stafford's back odyssey, and, again, *gestures towards the Browns' quarterback room/medical tent* — are on different points of the contention timeline. The Rams looked like they were ready to make a push in a fairly wide open NFC behind a strong offense and young pass rush. But that path becomes a little more wobbly with the possibility of Davante Adams' favorite quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, behind center. And there is absolutely no path if Stetson Bennett was asked to start. McVay is a gameplanning maestro but I think he can only take Garoppolo so far. So, if there is a real feel to make a run this year (remember, this is the Rams, with Les 'F Them Picks' Snead and Sean McVay we're talking about), I think it makes sense for the Rams to be aggressive. They have a strong collection of skill players in Adams, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, their funky bunch of tight ends, and an offensive line that should at least be above board in 2025. The defense has questions, but a pass rush that has some real teeth to it can help a team go on a run. If they believed in McKee, I actually think he could be a good fit for what McVay's offense has turned into, and he could be an actually viable answer to bridge a chance at a playoff run this year and a path going forward. Even if Stafford can play this season, I don't think there's a disruption of any parties' timelines even considering contracts. And, perhaps because the football gods have a sense of humor, the two teams that I think could be interested are the two teams with two first-round selections in 2026. After spending a third and two fifth-rounders to build out their 2025 quarterback room, the Browns might be out of darts in this round of quarterback cricket. However, where's the fun in that? Look at this room! They currently have two quarterbacks with hamstring injuries (which I've been completely flabbergasted by), Joe Flacco is still 40, and now Shedeur Sanders will likely miss Saturday's game because of an oblique injury (again, what is going on in that room?) and hinder any chance to climb up the depth chart. (By the way, my review of Sanders' preseason opener is that his own grade of a C+ was accurate.) The price might never be higher for McKee, but he could still be an interesting dart to throw for a Browns team that is constantly looking for their next hope at the position. And, in my opinion, McKee has a way higher chance of actually turning into a viable starter than what they currently have in the room. He even fits the preferred offensive system of Kevin Stefanski like a glove. 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Against mostly backups on the Dolphins' offensive line last weekend (there were a handful of snaps against the starting group, but still not exactly a bunch of world beaters to begin with), Booker terrorized Miami's group of jittery quarterbacks, finishing with six pressures, three sacks and a run stuff thrown in for good measure. Booker has put on some notable weight and strength from his rookie season, which has really helped him stay off of blocks and become a better run defender and get more push into the pocket on passing plays. The Dolphins' offensive line is weak this season, but it's good to see Booker consistently overwhelm them as opposed to just flashing. He is projected to be used as a rotational player at first this season, but could earn even more playing time, especially on passing downs, if he continues to ascend this preseason. 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