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Dallas
Jan. 15, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Greater needs lie on defense for Cowboys
There is little debate that the offensive line didn’t play up to expectations or that the wide receivers underachieved in Dallas this season. But with an eye on offseason improvements, it appears there is a greater and more immediate need to improve the defense — on all three levels. On the line, depth is a concern, especially behind NT Jay Ratliff, and DE Chris Canty, a free agent, might not return. With ILB Zach Thomas and reserve Kevin Burnett set to hit free agency, the team needs at least one more inside guy, and there’s a chance that both players will walk in search of better situations. At outside linebacker, Greg Ellis might be too expensive to keep in a reserve role. In the secondary, safety needs immediate attention, and even if the team moves Anthony Henry there, that probably opens the door for another cornerback to be added, given that Adam Jones has been cut and Mike Jenkins has yet to show he can play.
View all WWHI for Dallas
NY Giants
Jan. 15, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Giants' coaching comes into question in loss to Eagles
It’s hard to find too much criticism for the Giants’ coaching staff since it guided the team to a Super Bowl win last season and a division title this season, but there was evidence last Sunday that the coaches might have made some serious missteps in the playoff loss to the Eagles. Head coach Tom Coughlin took the blame for the second of two failed fourth-down conversions, but a more egregious error was not using the swirling winds more to his advantage. Instead of deferring to start the game (the Giants won the coin toss) and taking the wind in the second and fourth quarters, he opted to take the ball. (The Giants did score a field goal on their first drive.) Both coordinators’ approach also must be called into question. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride failed to adjust to the Eagles selling out to the run, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was able to pressure Eagles QB Donovan McNabb seriously only once (on a safety) and struggled to adapt to their passing game in the second half.
View all WWHI for NY Giants
Philadelphia
Jan. 16, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Mikell becomes key cog in Eagles’ secondary
People in Philadelphia don’t want to think about the post-Brian Dawkins era, and understandably so. But a new star has emerged in the secondary who likely will help transition to the day without Dawkins, whether that’s after this season or not. Quintin Mikell has emerged as an outstanding player over the past few months, and coordinator Jim Johnson has had nothing but praise for him after Mikell struggled to see the field his first few seasons. “I think he struggled a little bit [before the 2006 season], just knowing the system,” Johnson said. “The safety really has to know a lot of the system more than the other players, besides the linebackers. All of a sudden, you just saw this confidence, about two years ago. Once he got that, he was making plays. He’s a tough guy. He really is a tough guy, has good speed and good quickness. We knew we were going to play him, we just didn’t know if he was ever going to be a starter. All of a sudden, he started and he showed us he could handle everything and, of course, he’s become a very good player right now.”
View all WWHI for Philadelphia
Washington
Jan. 16, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Jansen says he’d like one more go with Commanders next season
ORT Jon Jansen, like many of his teammates from last season, faces an uncertain future in Washington. He is due to count $4.5 million against the salary cap next season — not an exorbitant number, by any means — but he also is due a $1 million roster bonus and is on the back side of his career at age 33, which he turns at the end of January.
But Jansen says he would like to be back next season, coming off a year in which he was demoted to the second string to start the season in favor of Stephon Heyer but later regained his starting spot and played well.
“My thought is that I will be back playing another year with the Commanders. And that’s what I plan on doing,” Jansen told PFW from his offseason home in Michigan.
Jansen said he has not received word from the team about where he stands in their mind, but with no clear replacement on the roster other than Heyer — who some people feel might never become a quality tackle — Jansen feels confident he and the team can keep their tenure going.
Jansen considers last season to be one of his best, all things considered.
“I think any competitor’s going to look back at their season and say, ‘I wish I had done this or that better,’ ” he said. “But overall, I was extremely happy with how I was able to come in, get an opportunity and never really look back. I think I played as good of football as I have ever played.”
That said, the way things went down with his benching still mystifies him.
Said Jansen: “What happened at the beginning of the season was, and will always be, a question in my mind as to why it happened. But given the opportunity to get back in there again, I wanted to go in and say, ‘I am still the guy, I am still the right tackle and still one of the best that there is.’ And I think I was able to do that.”
Still, he knows he doesn’t have a lot of time left, like many of his fellow offensive linemen. OLT Chris Samuels and OLG Pete Kendall turn 32 and 36, respectively, in July, and ORG Randy Thomas is a few days older than Jansen and has had a serious injury history. Jansen said it would be no shock if the Commanders draft an offensive lineman with their first-round pick (13th overall).
“I wouldn’t be shocked,” he said. “I try to look at those things as if I was the GM or if I was the coach and say, ‘What would I do?’ and try to remove my own, personal motive from it. You look across the line and, yeah, we do have an older offensive line. With age comes a lot of experience and guys that can still play. But you also have to understand that over a 16-game season, it might be tough for five guys who are over 32, 33 to make every game.
“You have got to have someone who can step in — whether it be at right guard, left guard or tackle — and never miss a beat because it is a long season. Every game is important. You can’t just have a drop-off in talent. I really think they’ll look for a guy that they see as a future starter, a future go-to guy, who, for the time being, might be a swing guy who can back up at about every position.”
View all WWHI for Washington
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/default.htm?mode=nfceast
Jan. 15, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Greater needs lie on defense for Cowboys
There is little debate that the offensive line didn’t play up to expectations or that the wide receivers underachieved in Dallas this season. But with an eye on offseason improvements, it appears there is a greater and more immediate need to improve the defense — on all three levels. On the line, depth is a concern, especially behind NT Jay Ratliff, and DE Chris Canty, a free agent, might not return. With ILB Zach Thomas and reserve Kevin Burnett set to hit free agency, the team needs at least one more inside guy, and there’s a chance that both players will walk in search of better situations. At outside linebacker, Greg Ellis might be too expensive to keep in a reserve role. In the secondary, safety needs immediate attention, and even if the team moves Anthony Henry there, that probably opens the door for another cornerback to be added, given that Adam Jones has been cut and Mike Jenkins has yet to show he can play.
View all WWHI for Dallas
NY Giants
Jan. 15, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Giants' coaching comes into question in loss to Eagles
It’s hard to find too much criticism for the Giants’ coaching staff since it guided the team to a Super Bowl win last season and a division title this season, but there was evidence last Sunday that the coaches might have made some serious missteps in the playoff loss to the Eagles. Head coach Tom Coughlin took the blame for the second of two failed fourth-down conversions, but a more egregious error was not using the swirling winds more to his advantage. Instead of deferring to start the game (the Giants won the coin toss) and taking the wind in the second and fourth quarters, he opted to take the ball. (The Giants did score a field goal on their first drive.) Both coordinators’ approach also must be called into question. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride failed to adjust to the Eagles selling out to the run, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was able to pressure Eagles QB Donovan McNabb seriously only once (on a safety) and struggled to adapt to their passing game in the second half.
View all WWHI for NY Giants
Philadelphia
Jan. 16, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Mikell becomes key cog in Eagles’ secondary
People in Philadelphia don’t want to think about the post-Brian Dawkins era, and understandably so. But a new star has emerged in the secondary who likely will help transition to the day without Dawkins, whether that’s after this season or not. Quintin Mikell has emerged as an outstanding player over the past few months, and coordinator Jim Johnson has had nothing but praise for him after Mikell struggled to see the field his first few seasons. “I think he struggled a little bit [before the 2006 season], just knowing the system,” Johnson said. “The safety really has to know a lot of the system more than the other players, besides the linebackers. All of a sudden, you just saw this confidence, about two years ago. Once he got that, he was making plays. He’s a tough guy. He really is a tough guy, has good speed and good quickness. We knew we were going to play him, we just didn’t know if he was ever going to be a starter. All of a sudden, he started and he showed us he could handle everything and, of course, he’s become a very good player right now.”
View all WWHI for Philadelphia
Washington
Jan. 16, 2009 By Eric Edholm
Jansen says he’d like one more go with Commanders next season
ORT Jon Jansen, like many of his teammates from last season, faces an uncertain future in Washington. He is due to count $4.5 million against the salary cap next season — not an exorbitant number, by any means — but he also is due a $1 million roster bonus and is on the back side of his career at age 33, which he turns at the end of January.
But Jansen says he would like to be back next season, coming off a year in which he was demoted to the second string to start the season in favor of Stephon Heyer but later regained his starting spot and played well.
“My thought is that I will be back playing another year with the Commanders. And that’s what I plan on doing,” Jansen told PFW from his offseason home in Michigan.
Jansen said he has not received word from the team about where he stands in their mind, but with no clear replacement on the roster other than Heyer — who some people feel might never become a quality tackle — Jansen feels confident he and the team can keep their tenure going.
Jansen considers last season to be one of his best, all things considered.
“I think any competitor’s going to look back at their season and say, ‘I wish I had done this or that better,’ ” he said. “But overall, I was extremely happy with how I was able to come in, get an opportunity and never really look back. I think I played as good of football as I have ever played.”
That said, the way things went down with his benching still mystifies him.
Said Jansen: “What happened at the beginning of the season was, and will always be, a question in my mind as to why it happened. But given the opportunity to get back in there again, I wanted to go in and say, ‘I am still the guy, I am still the right tackle and still one of the best that there is.’ And I think I was able to do that.”
Still, he knows he doesn’t have a lot of time left, like many of his fellow offensive linemen. OLT Chris Samuels and OLG Pete Kendall turn 32 and 36, respectively, in July, and ORG Randy Thomas is a few days older than Jansen and has had a serious injury history. Jansen said it would be no shock if the Commanders draft an offensive lineman with their first-round pick (13th overall).
“I wouldn’t be shocked,” he said. “I try to look at those things as if I was the GM or if I was the coach and say, ‘What would I do?’ and try to remove my own, personal motive from it. You look across the line and, yeah, we do have an older offensive line. With age comes a lot of experience and guys that can still play. But you also have to understand that over a 16-game season, it might be tough for five guys who are over 32, 33 to make every game.
“You have got to have someone who can step in — whether it be at right guard, left guard or tackle — and never miss a beat because it is a long season. Every game is important. You can’t just have a drop-off in talent. I really think they’ll look for a guy that they see as a future starter, a future go-to guy, who, for the time being, might be a swing guy who can back up at about every position.”
View all WWHI for Washington
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/default.htm?mode=nfceast
