Apparently, the offense still performed well, which is really encouraging. But, the WR part of it really does worry me. We really need KG to take a big step, for example, and it's tough when you've been hurt all off-season.
Kids Day Practice
- Thread starter oldnewkirk.0
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Cooper was holder on two of 15 FGs. Will be interesting to see who does it once games start. I agree it brings a threat that other teams will have to practice and prepare
One perspective I read said Petras looked very sharp. Had some nice throws. Go figure.
Per the head coach, they did. Plus throwing 2 ints also weighed some. 🙂
Since there are no KGs on the team, I am assuming he meant KJ, Keagan Johnson. 😕
Kevin Garnett never went to college so he may be eligible. Getting him out for hail mary jump balls and field goal blocks
SIAP but in the pros if you wear the hair long and out of the helmet it is on you.
College, not sure, but to me if the hair is hanging down your back over your numbers it is ok to grab it, but maybe not to pull it, as there is a difference
how the hell did polamalu survive in the nfl all those years? edit: i suppose it was not a problem since he was on the defensive side of things...
I want to thank the Iowa players for taking the time for the kids. Some of the posted pictures are terrific. You can see the kids idolize them. w
Well played Hawks!
Well played Hawks!
I was at the open practice as well. I have been to the last 5-6 year (that they have had them) and the one big thing that stood out to me is this year was the most clean/crisp the team looked OVERALL compared to other years. There were not a lot of noticeable mistakes/errors and all of the groups seemed to play reasonably well.
As was mentioned by many, the Kicking looked outstanding. Both kickers were money. It seems as if Stevens might have a slightly bigger leg than Blom but maybe not that much difference. It just seemed on Stevens kicks there was a little more juice on the longer ones.
As a few of the Iowa media members have alluded to on Twitter and other platforms, it was a nice surprise to see the run blocking/game look somewhat solid, especially with how strong Iowa's D is and with the OL missing a few people. All the RB's looked good and really like the way Leshon Williams runs downhill. There were not any real "big" runs but there were a lot of nice 4-6 yards carries, which I think will help the QB's/Offense a lot. While I know Goodson had some big play ability, I think last year he danced way too much and was too hesitant hitting the holes. With the Williams (Leshon & Gavin), I think their ability to get 3-4 yards a pop most of the time will put the Offense in a much more manageable 3rd down situations.
At WR/TE, the TE's looked really good (as expected) and Bostick had a couple of nice grabs, including one in heavy traffic with 3 defenders around him.
I will differ a little on the QB's. I don't think Petras or Padilla did much to differentiate themselves. They actually both looked very similar. They both seemed in command and confident and had a few nice throws while not doing anything to hurt the team. I remember both having a really nice 3rd down conversion throw. Petras had a beautiful deep pass to Bruce that Bruce should have caught for a TD but he alligator-armed it a little and went off his fingertips.
Labas is definitely behind them in "running the offense". As mentioned, he did have a play where he improvised and looked pretty athletic but he did force some throws.
Like I said, overall the team looked good all-around. If the OL can open holes for the run game and help out Petras/Padilla, I think there is no reason to think Iowa won't compete for the West Division Championship again.
This was my first time attending with my 2 year old son, a little young to really get anything out of it, but I’ll take any excuse to get to Kinnick and take in some football. Gotta start him young!
Appreciate the added insight as I was admittedly preoccupied at times. Definitely excited to see the more traditional physical down hill running style that our RBs exhibited. Also in agreement that the OL as a whole seemed to look pretty solid, especially considering the quality of the D they’re lined up against. Don’t really recall seeing too many plays completely blown up by missed assignments or players not being on the same page. Hoping that the depth and perceived quality of our TEs might make up for some of the depth and injuries we have at WR.
All in all, I’m cautiously optimistic that our offense has taken a step forward. Only a couple more Saturdays to go until we can see if this comes to fruition.
Thanks to all who reported their observations to us fans starving for new info.
Go Hawks!
The O supposedly performed okay last year too. While I expect the Hawk O to be better than it was last year (overall) ... like many Iowa fans, we're kinda trained to expect the worst unless we observe otherwise.
Thanks for answering the question. Was hoping May would get an opportunity to beat out Petras but it appears it will not happen.
Of course he's getting an opportunity to beat out Petras (and Padilla) ... however, he's also a brand new QB who only just arrived this summer.
If May were already practicing at a level higher than the other guys ... then he would be the camp sensation and would have received a ton of reps during Kids Day.
Such an scenario and/or expectation isn't reasonable - nor is it necessarily even fair to May.
Let's just let him develop at the best pace he can manage ... and hopefully he climbs the proverbial ladder and can contribute sooner rather than later.
Notice that Labas saw the most reps in the practice because the coaches already knew what they'd see from Padilla and Petras. They wanted to see what Labas could show when he received more reps. That's a credit to Labas that they wanted to get such a good long look at him.
The Graves Digger (#95, making the tackle) was working with the 1's yesterday.
And a reminder after Kid's Day:
And a reminder after Kid's Day:
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This is only good news and this is rare air for Kirk, normally with a younger player he says something like "he's pretty young, just learning the ropes and the transition to college, yadda, yadda, yadda." Instead, we hear this...new Kirk or Graves could potentially be that good already on a very deep and talented D-Line..The Graves Digger (#95, making the tackle) was working with the 1's yesterday.
And a reminder after Kid's Day:
May didn’t get reps in kids day practice scrimmage for whatever reason. He has been seen in pics practicing with team
I was at last years and I could be wrong (getting old) but I thought this year's O was a little more clean. Petras/Padilla - while not explosive or flashy - did both look solid this year and didn't really make any mistakes and as I mentioned, I was pleasantly surprised at how the OL & RB's looked in the running game in not taking any losses and churning out 3-4 yards per play.
That's good to hear, thanks!
If the O can exceed expectations and the secondary minimizes how much of a transition there is (or may be) ... then the 2022 season really could shape up to be one where the Hawks could surprise.
I remember back in 2009 ... folks had fairly measured expectations for the Hawks that season because the schedule was perceived as so difficult. So many of our toughest games that season were on the road ... and boy did that team end up being "road warriors." Obviously, the Hawks exceeded expectations then ... and were a Stanzi injury away from an even more impressive finish!
I don't really possess such lofty expectation for the '22 season ... but it's possible!
I am worried about Keagan Johnson. He did not practice in the spring. Now the fall... Not good.
Brody Brecht with the hammy injury is not good either
While we remain hopeful, even if this happens, they've missed a ton of work. Especially Brecht who needs the reps with the QB, and the rest of the team. It's hard to see him contribute much in Sept anyway...
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