Let's just get this out of the way; Shockley has been horrendous the past two preseason games, and not just against first team defenses. Going from the second quarter to nearly the fourth quarter against the Rams Friday night, Shock's stats shaped up thusly: 5/12, 63 yards, 1 INT, 1 FUMB.

That puts him at 8/20, 94 yards, 1 INT, 0 TD, 1 FUMB for the preseason. That's a dismal 40% completion rate. That's also a lowly 34.2 QB rating.

John Parker Wilson, the QB currently battling Shock for the third roster spot (because, let's face it, Redman's locked in as #2) has managed the following stats in his admittedly limited time on the field: 6/8, 55 yards, 1 INT, 0 FUMB.

That's only 8 attempts for the rookie out of University of Alabama, but he's looking at a 75% completion rate and a QB rating of 53.6. With just over 30 minutes of football this preseason (compared to Shock's 45 minutes), that stacks up very well. He is certainly not prolific and has been matched against the bottom feeders of our opponents' depth charts, so I hesitate to vault him over Shockley at present. I do, however, feel that his true test will come this weekend against the Chargers. 

With Redman sitting yesterday's game out, I'm 99.9% sure he's won the backup spot behind Matty Ice. Now, the rest of the preseason belongs to Shock and Wilson; Shock got his time to shine Friday, seeing nearly two full quarters of action. This week, I expect JPW to do just the same against what I consider a tougher team. I'm sure Matt Ryan and the 1st team will likely play till at least half-way into the second quarter, so I'm going to be looking for JPW to start in the third and get at least 20 minutes of play under his belt. If he continues to show poise and decent decision making when likely facing a hybrid 2nd/3rd team Charger defense, I do honestly feel he will pull ahead in the race for the number 3 QB slot.

For now, I'll still predict a Ryan, Redman, Shockley QB lineup. The next two preseason games will be critical in this contest. JPW's true test is yet to come. I believe Shockley got his against St. Louis and I'm not so sure the coaching staff gave him a pass.