Even though the games are more or less meaningless, let's take a look at the 5 most impressive offensive performances from the first week of preseason action.
Jay Cutler: Cutler, the 11th pick of this year's draft, finished 16-of-22 for 192 yards and a touchdown. There's absolutely no chance Cutler will play unless starter Jake Plummer gets injured, but Cutler showed some of the tools that scouts were so high on. Adam Vinatieri : The Colts believe Viantieri may be the missing piece to their championship puzzle. I'm not convinced, but the Super Bowl MVP showed why folks in Indianapolis are more optimistic than ever. His first kick ever as a Colt? A successful onside kick. He also converted a 52 yard FG with room to spare, and had both of his kickoffs reach the endzone for touchbacks. Kurt Warner: Warner played most of the first half in the Cardinals 21-13 defeat of the Steelers, completing 9-of-13 passes for 118 yards and 2 TDs. The Steelers didn't offer much in the way of a pass-rush, and Warner made them pay for it. When not hurried, Warner can still be awfully effective. However, once the blitzes starting coming, I expect Warner to turn the ball over and perhaps get injured. For a day though, Cardinals fans had every reason to think that this may be the year they finally turn things around. Tony Romo : The D-1 AA product out of Eastern Illinois went 19-for-25 yards for 235 yards and 1 TD. Romo played the entire game in the Cowboys 13-3 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night. This is good news for Cowboys fans, as Bledsoe perhaps can not be relied upon to remain healthy for another full year. Father time may be catching up to Drew and it's no secret that he has trouble avoiding the big hit. Romo did fumble two snaps, but those kind of mistakes are correctable. Phillip Rivers : Rivers did all that he could Saturday to make fans forget about the departure of the immensely popular Drew Brees. The third year QB out of NC State finsihed 15-of-21 for 169 yards and 1 TD. Rivers made all the right reads, threw the ball away when necessary, and led the offense in and out of the huddle with poise and efficiency. If Rivers can maintain this kind of performance in the regular season, the Chargers should once again contend for a playoff spot out of the competitive AFC West. Those are my top offensive performers for week 1. Any additions?Filed under: