Zone Blocking- What it is, and why the Eagles can't stop it

Zone blocking is becoming more and more popular among Offensive Line coaches, Coordinators and everyone who has something important to say about offense on teams of all levels. It’s easy for linemen to remember, very effective and can give defenses fits if executed correctly. The Broncos have been experts at the philosophy for years, and now more teams are adapting it in the pros. The Golden Gophers run a similar scheme at the collegiate level, and have produced pro RBs such as Marion Barber and Laurence Maroney.

In the Broncos model of the scheme, athletic linemen are needed. The Broncos line is small compared to many others, but they’re quick, and very good at getting to the next level.

For this, I’m going to use the Colts’ players offensively and the Eagles’ players defensively. This was inspired from the massacre of a few weeks ago in which rookie Joseph Addai ran for four touchdowns against the Eagles, and completely dominated.

The Colts call this the “stretch” play, a term which has become common among fans discussing zone blocking. The Quarterback extends the ball as far as he can to get it to the RB, and the RB finds a seam among his linemen and Tight Ends blocking. Two uncovered linemen, which will be the Right Tackle Charlie Johnson, playing for an injured Ryan Diem, and the Center, Jeff Saturday, pull to the right. The remaining linemen and Tight End(s) all step right, and either block, or get up to the next level to get a Linebacker if nobody is there, which is also called fire blocking. Here’s a picture of an offense running the play against a stand-still defense.

Here it is with the QB-HB exchange.

Against this play, possibly the most important defensive player on the field is the end at the point of attack, in this case, Trent Cole. If he gets pushed off the ball by his man, who will be Tight End Ben Utecht, there’s a huge lane for Addai to pick up big yards.

Obviously Johnson and Saturday would meet the Eagle Linebackers, Dhani Jones and Jeremiah Trotter closer to the hole, but it opens up a huge lane for Addai, and he only needs two blocks to get a huge gain. To make this play, the end has to use his strength to engage his man and fight upfield. However, he can’t rush upfield uncontrollably. This creates a seam for Addai.

If he engages his man and doesn’t fly upfield out of control, he’ll be in position to disrupt the play, and either make the tackle or let someone else clean up.

Here, Trent Cole at the very least earns a stalemate with Utecht, and that forces the pulling Johnson and Saturday to alter their paths, which makes it more difficult to find Linebackers, who have more time to get to the hole and engage them. Addai has to bounce it farther outside than he would like, and either the WIL Linebacker Matt McCoy or a safety can come clean up, if Cole, Trotter or Jones don’t get off their blocks and make the hit in the backfield.

The Defensive Tackles need to get upfield and penetrate into the backfield. Against zone blocking, DTs have a great chance to make plays because it’s slow to develop, and they can run down the back if they get into the backfield quick enough. If the strong-side DT gets penetration, it throws Saturday off his path, and makes the blocking take longer to develop. If the weak-side tackle gets penetration, he can shed his block and have a chance to slow down Addai. It also gives the Linebackers an easier time reading the play and gives them a clear path to the back. Another way for the tackles to have a positive impact against zone blocking is to get on the hip of the pulling linemen. I won’t picture it, but when a tackle sees a lineman lined up across from him pulling, he should attempt to follow him to the ball. This will be mentioned again later.

If the DTs, Mike Patterson and Darwin Walker, get blown off the ball, Addai is going to be running free. Huge lanes are created for him. Not only are the tackles taken out of the play, they get pushed back into the Linebackers, preventing them from diagnosing the action and making the tackle.

The backside DE, Darren Howard, has a chance to make plays. His first responsibility is to close down on the play. That means when he sees Tarik Glenn trying to get to the second level, he has to give the tackle a shove to knock him off his path, get off his hip into the backfield, and redirect flat down the line of scrimmage, take a good angle and have a shot at making the tackle.

Darren Howard is a nice player, but he simply doesn’t have the athleticism of Dwight Freeney. In an athletic explosion in which he’s hell bent on getting to the Quarterback, an athlete like Freeney can loop around the tackle, and chase down runners from behind on the opposite sideline. Howard can’t do that. He has to rely on technique and being in the right position to make plays on the other side of the ball.

The Linebackers need to study film and have an idea of what the Colts are going to do. Their run plays are basic. Everyone steps in one direction, and two linemen pull. There’s no misdirection. Peyton Manning can’t run, there are no bootlegs. The play is what it looks like. The pulling linemen take you to the ball. There aren’t any false pulls. Follow the lineman, meet them in the hole and blow things up.

Why can’t the Eagles stop zone blocking? Because they don’t have players that can do these things, or the coaches that can help them do these things. Trent Cole is a small guy and can’t fight blockers. Patterson and Walker can’t get off blocks and get driven back. Dhani Jones and Jeremiah Trotter can’t get off blocks. Trotter in particular is bad at reading the play and finding the ball, and takes himself out of a lot of plays by taking bad angles.

A lot of the problems against the run come from coaching. Jim Johnson simply isn’t doing the best job at preparing his players. That’s not to say he has the pieces he needs, but Johnson needs to do better with the guys he has, not the guys he should have. Of course, this is a lot more difficult than I’m making it sound, but that’s why I’m not coaching in the NFL.

This was a complete pain in the ass to put into this site. It was nearly impossible to get the font to be right and for the pictures to go in the right place, so if there's mistakes, I tried my best to arrange this the way I wanted to.

As for my pick for the game tonight, I take San Francisco (+10) over Seattle.

NFL Power Rankings- Week 15

Thanks to the anonymous reader. Thanks for checking this out.

1. San Diego Chargers- There aren’t many weaknesses, if any, in this team.
2. Baltimore Ravens- The Ravens can hang with any team in the league with this defense.
3. Chicago Bears- When Rex Grossman doesn’t turn the ball over, there’s no stopping the Bears.
4. New England Patriots- For once in the Belichick era, the Patriots can’t find any consistency.
5. New Orleans Saints- Payton really did a number on NFC favorite Dallas in primetime.
6. Cincinnati Bengals- These guys just look stronger and stronger every week.
7. Dallas Cowboys- They really took one on the chin against the Saints, and now they have to hang onto the division.
8. Indianapolis Colts- This team is fatally flawed, plain and simple. Another wasted year for Manning.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars- If Garrard doesn’t turn the ball over and they run the ball well, they could be a sleeper in the playoffs.
10. Kansas City Chiefs- I don’t know what it is about the Chiefs, but they can never hang on at the end of the season.
11. Seattle Seahawks- Losing to the Cardinals isn’t pretty.
12. New York Giants- It’s nice to win again, but things don’t get any easier against the Eagles next week.
13. Philadelphia Eagles- This game against the Giants is the toughest test of the season.
14. Denver Broncos- You can say Cutler isn’t doing good all you want, but he didn’t get lit up for 48 points.
15. Tennessee Titans- Vince Young continues to help the team win games and show improvement week to week.
16. New York Jets- You can’t lose to the Bills if you want to make the playoffs.
17. Atlanta Falcons- They played a good game against a team that usually beats them. Now they need to get another one this week.
18. Miami Dolphins- Saban has this team doing the exact opposite of what they used to.
19. Carolina Panthers- Poor Sports Illustrated Super Bowl prediction.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers- These guys just keep hanging around.
21. Buffalo Bills- The Bills continue to play hard and show promise for the next few years.
22. Minnesota Vikings- This team would be good with a threat of a passing game.
23. Arizona Cardinals- Matt Leinart is the real deal. Get a line and some more defensive playmakers and you’ve got a force.
24. Green Bay Packers- Favre was probably pretty happy with the game against the Niners.
25. St. Louis Rams- They did a great job against the tough Bears’ D, so at least we know the offense is fine.
26. San Francisco 49ers- Alex Smith will be a great QB in this league. He just needs time.
27. Cleveland Browns- The Browns looked dreadful against the Steelers.
28. Houston Texans- I still agree with the choice, but they were really burned by Vince Young on Sunday.
29. Washington Redskins- Campbell looks like a pretty good player. Joe Gibbs however, does not look like a good coach.
30. Detroit Lions- You have to be able to run the ball to win.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Division champs to chumps in one season. Gruden has some work to do.
32. Oakland Raiders- Ouch.

And now, on the last day of voting, my official Pro Bowl ballot.

Quarterback:

AFC- Palmer, Manning, Rivers

NFC- Brees, Bulger, Romo

Halfback:

AFC- Tomlinson, L. Johnson, Parker

NFC- Westbrook, S. Jackson, Gore

Wide Receiver:

AFC- Wayne, C. Johnson, Harrison, A. Johnson

NFC- Holt, D. Jackson, Driver, R. Williams

Fullback:

AFC- Neal

NFC- Strong

Tight End:

AFC- Gates, Gonzalez

NFC- Crumpler, Shockey

Kicker:

AFC- Kaeding

NFC- Gould

Punter:

AFC- Moorman

NFC- Baker

Guard:

AFC- Goff, Bell, Naeole

NFC- Thomas, Andrews, Wahle

Tackle*:

AFC- Roos, McNeill

NFC- Tauscher, W. Thomas

Center:

AFC- Saturday, Mawae

NFC- Hangartner, O’Hara

Cornerback:

AFC- Bailey, Clements, Robinson

NFC- Barber, Winfield, Tillman

Strong Safety:

AFC- Hope

NFC- A. Wilson

Free Safety:

AFC- Rhodes

NFC- Hamlin

Defensive End:

AFC- Taylor, Thomas, Mathis

NFC- Kampman, Peppers, Little

Inside Linebacker:

AFC- Fletcher, Ryans

NFC- Urlacher, Pierce

Outside Linebacker:

AFC- Bulluck, June

NFC- Briggs, Hawk

Interior Linemen:

AFC- Warren, Kelly, Holliday

NFC- Pickett, Dockett, Patterson

Kick Returner:

AFC- Miller

NFC- Hester

Special Teamer:

AFC- Izzo

NFC- Reese

*Tackle play this year has been generally underwhelming.

Look below for my Eagles-Redskins recap.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins Game Recap

It wasn’t pretty, but at this point, a win is a win. If the Eagles want to make the playoffs, they have to beat the teams they’re better than (Washington,) and play hard and beat a team or two that’s on their level (New York and Atlanta.) This is just one more step towards the postseason.

Were the three keys successful?

1) AVOID A LETDOWN. Success. They won, didn’t they? Still, they did everything mentioned earlier this week. Flat offense? Not the case. They finished poorly, but in the first half, they put up 14 points, and put the game almost out of reach. There weren’t any turnovers by the offense, and only a couple of penalties, which is way down from last week. The defense and special teams had a pretty rough week, but overall, they did what they had to do to win. That effort only beats the Redskins though. The whole team needs to step it up another notch when they travel to the Meadowlands next week, and then again after that, and again after that. They need to stay focused, and come ready to play each week.

2) TACKLE. Fail. Oops. I said if they don’t stop Betts they’ll lose, but I was wrong. They didn’t stop Betts, but they squeaked out the win. The defense was back to its old ways again, but some clutch plays by Dawkins and the pass coverage and a decent job by the offense bailed them out. Walker and Considine were the biggest perpetrators today. They missed tackles in the backfield, downfield, and all over the field, really. Betts ran free all game long, and no one could touch him. The run defense was absolutely awful, and I fear what Tiki Barber might do to them next week. The defensive line failed to get penetration again, the Linebackers didn’t get to the ball, and there were too many bad tackles. It was ugly, and it’ll only get worse.

3) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WASHINGTON’S SECONDARY. Success. Garcia threw for two touchdowns, and the passing game hit on a couple big plays. Although Troy Vincent didn’t play much due to injury, Vernon Fox stepped in and did a good job of being ineffective. Carlos Rogers was picked on quite a bit, and gave up a couple big plays. Sean Taylor actually did a pretty good job this game. He wasn’t bad in coverage, and he wrapped up and delivered some nice hits. Springs seemed to have a pretty good game, so really, Carlos Rogers was the only victim. The secondary allowed just enough for the Eagles to get out in front early, and give them a nice lead to play with that turned out to sustain them for the second half.

How did the matchups turn out?

1) SANTANA MOSS VS. EAGLES’ SECONDARY. Moss did next to nothing, and the Eagles did a good job of keeping two guys on him almost every play. They seem to have the right formula for shutting down number one receivers, and hopefully it carries over to next week against the Giants and Burress. When Moss had his success (2 catches) was when he got to the middle of the defense in a soft zone coverage with no pass rush. By having a corner run with him step for step in front of him and a safety coming over the top, it takes out where Santana is most dangerous, deep down the sidelines. Overall, he had a pretty unproductive day, and with Moss virtually being taken out of the game, Washington’s passing offense was out too.

2) LADELL BETTS VS. OMAR GAITHER. Betts had a career day against the Eagles, which isn’t a surprise to anyone who watches the team. Betts ran through, around, over, under, and probably a number of other prepositions against the Eagles. He could do no wrong. The Redskins Offensive Line opened up huge holes all day, Betts found them, got into the secondary and had himself a nice game. Whether it be spinning away from tackle, dragging someone five yards or making someone miss, he just embarrassed the defense. That’s not to say Omar didn’t have a good game though. He continued to show improvement and show that he could be a good Linebacker in this league. Gaither is just one player though. The other ten, and anyone else that substitutes in on defense, all have to step it up or this season will be over before we know it.

3) AL SAUNDERS VS. JIM JOHNSON. I was legitimately disappointed by how this game turned out. The screens were conspicuously absent from Washington’s offense, and Johnson’s trademark blitzes were few and far between. Both of these guys came in with a game plan that’s the polar opposite as their usual plan, and the game just didn’t have the same feel as it usually does. Saunders did exactly what he had to do to have his offense prepared. He mixed in runs, short passes, runs, a trick play or two, runs and a well timed deep ball plus some more runs. There was some poor execution from Campbell, which probably took some points off the board, and some suspect play calling and personnel packages that hurt the team too. On Johnson’s end, he continued to prove why the Eagles defense needs a new direction. No pressure on Campbell, a defense that continues to get embarrassed by the run… it’s bad.

How about the key players?

PHI:

1) Jeremiah Trotter- Didn’t do much at all. Not a good game.

2) Donte Stallworth- Caught a touchdown, and a key third down pass at the end of the game.

3) Lito Sheppard- Hardly saw him all game, which can only be a good thing.

WSH:

1) Sean Taylor- Wrapped up and made some nice hits, wasn’t a liability in coverage.

2) Jon Jansen- Completely dominated.

3) Carlos Rogers- Gave up a couple big plays, he struggled.

Key Injuries:

PHI- QB Donovan McNabb

PHI- DE Jevon Kearse

PHI- LS Mike Bartrum

WSH- RB Clinton Portis

Garcia and Dorenbos continued to do a good job in place of our Pro Bowlers, and we continue to miss Kearse badly.

Betts did a great job filling in for Portis. I can’t imagine what he would’ve done to the Eagles, ouch.

Number to remember:

3. It’s the number of times Santana Moss will catch some sort of screen pass.

None, surprisingly. Saunders didn’t bring the screen game to the stadium this week.

Final Score:

24-14 Eagles.

Pretty close. Got the winning team right this time, at least.

Garcia- 250 yards passing, 2 TD, 1 INT.

Westbrook- 150 total yards, 1 TD.

Stallworth- 80 receiving yards, 1 TD.

The Eagles offense was simply on the sidelines for a good portion of the game, and that accounts for the overestimated yardage stats. Garcia and Stallworth got the right amount of TDs.

Campbell- 200 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 INT.

Betts- 140 total yards, 1 TD.

Moss- 5 catches, 65 yards.

Betts ripped us up and besides the turnovers, Campbell had a nice game. Moss was a non-factor.

My last thoughts to put the Redskins season sweep in the books:

- Jeff Garcia has to be one of the best backup QBs in the league. I take back everything I said about him. This guy can play. Give me Garcia when McNabb’s still out next year too.

- Westbrook is five yards away from 1000 on the season. Who said he couldn’t do it? This guy should start in the Pro Bowl.

- Speaking of RBs, where on earth is Buckhalter? I don’t get it.

- It was tough to see the drops come back this week. Gotta get those balls, Donte and Reggie. L.J. Smith made a nice move on that touchdown.

- I was at Wawa for the beginning of the third quarter, and I come in to see Nick Cole at Center. What happened to Jackson? Glad to see him return though.

- Where is the pass rush? Howard? Cole? Someone, please? Juqua Thomas is going to be a helluva pass rusher from Outside Linebacker for a team like the Patriots or 49ers next year.

- Darwin Walker should hang em up after getting embarrassed by the Betts spin. Whoever got owned by Westbrook should join him.

- Omar Gaither is going to be a good player. I called this in preseason, and his two games have reinforced it. I wouldn’t mind going into next season with him starting. Jones-Trotter-Gaither next year however, is unacceptable. Gocong being in one of those places is slightly less unacceptable. Jones has to go, Trotter has worn out his second welcome, and changes have to be made.

- What the hell happened to Sheldon Brown? He’s had a bad year. While I’m on the corners, William Peterson blows. I remember when he and Allen were supposed to be the next great corner duo. Oops. The Eagles defense used to pride themselves on being disciplined and not falling for those dumb trick plays. He screwed it up.

- I wish we still had Ron Rivera. It’s too bad we’ll have to fire Andy Reid to ever get him back here. Let me call it now. Ron Rivera will be the Eagles’ next head coach.

- Brian Baldinger is the worst. He states the complete obvious, doesn’t provide good analysis, and just sucks at his job. The whole broadcasting team, really. Their production crew did a bad job.

One third of the gauntlet is done, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The Wild Card could come down to next week in the Meadowlands.

And yes. I find the huge spaces between everything to look ridiculous.

Philadelphia Review 12/9-12/22

Philadelphia Flyers (8-16-4, 20 points)

5^th in the Atlantic

15^th in the Eastern Conference

28^th in the NHL

Next two weeks:

12/9 vs. WSH

12/12 vs. NYR

12/13 @ PIT

12/16 @ WSH

12/19 vs. CAR

12/21 vs. MON

The Flyers continue to flounder at the bottom of the league. It’s painful to watch these guys. Defensively, they’re just awful. There’s no aggressiveness, it’s almost as if they’re lazy. The Defensemen are too slow, and without the quickness, they can’t challenge passes and shots, but most importantly, they can’t get to the puck, clear it, and spend more time in the offensive zone. There are too many turnovers, particularly in front of the net. They give away goals, and for a team with an up and down offense as they have, they can’t afford to give away games.

Peter Forsberg continues to have problems with the foot. I thought that when he didn’t have to have the second surgery this off-season, things were fine, and we were going to see 75 games of Forsberg this year. That’s not the case. He’s gone from specialist to specialist trying to find a solution to this problem that was supposed to be fixed! I’m still glad he didn’t get the surgery though. Imagine how bad this would be if Forsberg wasn’t playing a few times a week.

In other injury news, Jeff Carter will still miss a couple weeks with his broken ankle, Esche is still out after his surgery, and Gauthier and Rathje won’t be playing for a while. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Right now, the Flyers have to take it one game at a time. Look at the young guys, and try to get an idea of what they might have going into next year. Some teams should be calling about some of the veterans, and it would be wise to bolster a weak farm system.

Philadelphia 76ers (5-13)

T-4^th in the Atlantic

T-13^th in the Eastern Conference

T-27^th in the NBA

Next two weeks:

12/9 @ ORL

12/11 vs. POR

12/13 vs. BOS

12/15 @ DAL

12/16 @ SA

12/20 vs. IND

12/22 @ BOS

What can I say? The Sixers are just bad this year. Everyone assumed they wouldn’t be any better than last year after an off-season in which nothing was, or could be done. This is bad though. The Sixers are close to the bottom of the league, with little to no hope in sight. With bad contracts and an overall lack of young talent, there’s a lot of rebuilding to be done.

Of course, Allen Iverson demanded a trade recently. After missing some practices, some games, a team event, and overall being a pain in the ass to Mo Cheeks this year, both sides have had it. AI is frustrated with the losing atmosphere, and Billy King is frustrated with the antics. It’s time for both sides to move on and get a fresh start. Problem is, there’s no way King can get a fair return for Iverson. I’m already looking forward to complaining about it.

The situation has started off ugly, and it’ll probably get worse. If the Sixers don’t get a trade done immediately, AI is probably just going to be sitting around, not doing anything. The team doesn’t want him around anymore, and like Ron Artest last year, he’s just going to be out of things until he’s traded. Stay tuned, folks.

Philadelphia Phillies

- Traded prospects Gavin Floyd and Giovanny Gonzalez for Freddy Garcia.

- Signed Adam Eaton to a three year contract.

- Signed Wes Helms to a two year contract.

That basically sums up the off-season to date. My thoughts on it, and baseball in general to come next week.

Big Five + One Basketball

Drexel Dragons (5-2, 0-0)

5^th in Colonial Athletic Association

Next two weeks:

12/9 @ VILL

12/19 @ #21 CUSE

12/22 @ TEM

La Salle Explorers (4-2)

7^th in Atlantic 10

Next two weeks:

12/16 @ CCSU

12/20 vs. MORG ST

Pennsylvania Quakers (5-3)

3^rd in Ivy League

Next two weeks:

12/9 vs. FORD

12/21 vs. ILL-CHI

St. Joseph’s Hawks (5-2)

T-5^th in Atlantic 10

Next two weeks:

12/9 @ LOUIS

12/10 @ OHIO

12/19 vs. MARY’S

Temple Owls (3-2)

8^th in Atlantic 10

Next two weeks:

12/9 vs. CIN

12/16 @ TOW

12/19 @ BALL ST

12/22 vs. DREX

Villanova Wildcats (6-1)

T-5^th in Big East

Next two weeks:

12/9 vs. DREX

12/20 vs. RIDER

It’ll be another exciting two weeks in the Big Five + One. Drexel is right in the thick of things, being featured in both City League match-ups and playing the only ranked team on the schedule. This is a huge test for an experienced Dragons team looking to turn around the program.

Penn looks to continue its Ivy League dominance this year and is in pretty good position nearing the end of out of conference play. With Mark Zoller and Ibrahim Jaaber, two of the best players Penn has seen in a while, they’re doing a good job of working in a new coach and continuing the prestige of the program.

In the Atlantic 10, La Salle and Temple are starting over, after they each lost their best player to the NBA and in the case of Temple, also their coach. Both teams are playing well right now, and look to compete with St Joe’s, another young team, for position in the A10.

Villanova got a nice road win at Oklahoma this week. After losing three of the country’s best players to the draft following a disappointing end to the 05-06 season, they look to rebuild with seniors Mike Nardi and Curtis Sumpter providing leadership for an otherwise young team. There are going to be some growing pains this year and the team won’t make much noise in the Big East, but they’re a young team that will return to the top in a year or two.

Look below for my preview of this Sunday’s game between the Eagles and Redskins.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins Game Preview

From FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, the Washington Redskins (4-8) host the division rival Philadelphia Eagles (6-6). The game will be aired on FOX at 1:00 PM, with Kenny Albert, Brian Baldinger and Chris Myers making the call.

Three keys for the Eagles to continue the fight for playoff position:

1) AVOID A LETDOWN. The Eagles can’t afford to let a game against a team they should be slip away. Every win is crucial, and the Redskins cannot be taken lightly. This means the offense can’t come out flat, they can’t take dumb penalties, and they have to avoid all mistakes. Despite the Redskins’ poor record, they’re still a very good football team. Jason Campbell isn’t making many mistakes, and Ladell Betts has done a great job of filling in for Clinton Portis. Although the defense has been lacking in health and a pass rush, which was supposed to be much improved, Gregg Williams will always have something up his sleeve. The Redskins have nothing to lose, and they’re going to be playing all out, since many of them have jobs on the line this offseason.

2) TACKLE. This will probably be a point of emphasis up until Opening Week 2007. Ladell Betts fits the bill of someone the Eagles will have trouble stopping. He’s pretty big, hits the hole hard, and in the receiving game, he can create mismatches against our Linebackers. Guys have to wrap up. They can expect a heavy dose of the running game as they continue to ease in Jason Campbell, and why not? Betts showed he can run all over the Eagles before, why not try it again? If Betts has success again and gets his yards, the Redskins will be able to put up points, control the clock and keep the Eagles offense off the field, which is the last thing the team needs to make the playoffs.

3) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WASHINGTON’S SECONDARY. Their best player, Shawn Springs, is banged up again. They have two young guys in their secondary in Carlos Rogers and Sean Taylor that are prone to making mistakes. Troy Vincent is very old and has clearly lost a step. The passing game has to work on all cylinders for the Eagles to put up a lot of points on Sunday. The Offensive Line needs to give Garcia time (shouldn’t be difficult,) so he can find receivers downfield for big plays. Reggie Brown and Donte Stallworth both had success going deep and using double moves, and making big plays against the secondary. Although the Eagles still need to make sure they control the football and stay on the field, Washington is a team they can use their athletic ability to take advantage of.

Three key matchups that will decide the outcome:

1) SANTANA MOSS VS. EAGLES’ SECONDARY. Moss has been rejuvenated with Jason Campbell in the lineup, and with Clinton Portis out, Moss is now their most explosive player. After doing a pretty good job on Steve Smith, the Eagles should put in a similar defensive game plan. Smith and Moss are nearly identical players, and they should be defended the same. The Eagles DBs need to keep him in front, and don’t let him make the big play. As always with Joe Gibbs, they can expect a number of quick screen passes to him, and they should be ready for that.

2) LADELL BETTS VS. OMAR GAITHER. This should really be Omar Gaither against the entire offense, but this is more convenient. He had a pretty good game last week, and it’s important that he continues to be better than Matt McCoy. Gaither is a young player and mistakes are to be expected, but as long as he shows improvement every game, then he can stay in the lineup. The Eagles obviously need a new direction at Linebacker, particularly on the outside, and any chance they get to evaluate young talent from within without jeopardizing the current season, it’s a plus. Gaither needs to use his decent size to shed blocks, get to Betts and wrap him up. No missed tackles.

3) AL SAUNDERS VS. JIM JOHNSON. Saunders is considered by many to be one of the best in the business and Jim used to be, but he’s on the downside of his coaching career. Saunders is known for his screen plays, and Johnson has to have his boys ready to stop them. After the Panthers scored on a broken screen on Monday Night, Saunders must have been licking his chops. The Eagles have to be prepared for them, and they have to be able to stop them. With shedding blocks being a huge problem for the Eagle LBs, they have to be able to identify and blow up the screen plays before they can develop. Otherwise, expect Betts to have a 250+ total yard day.

The three players for each team that need to play well.

PHI:

1) Jeremiah Trotter

2) Donte Stallworth

3) Lito Sheppard

WSH:

1) Sean Taylor

2) Jon Jansen

3) Carlos Rogers

Key Injuries:

PHI- QB Donovan McNabb

PHI- DE Jevon Kearse

PHI- LS Mike Bartrum

WSH- RB Clinton Portis

Number to remember:

3. It’s the number of times Santana Moss will catch some sort of screen pass.

Final Score:

24-14 Eagles.

Garcia- 250 yards passing, 2 TD, 1 INT.

Westbrook- 150 total yards, 1 TD.

Stallworth- 80 receiving yards, 1 TD.

Campbell- 200 yards passing, 1 TD, 1 INT.

Betts- 140 total yards, 1 TD.

Moss- 5 catches, 65 yards.

And my NFL picks (0-1):

Kansas City (-3) over Baltimore- The Chiefs will bounce back in their own tough home environment.

Tampa Bay (+3) over Atlanta- The Bucs seem to have Atlanta’s number, and they won’t get shut out twice in a row.

Minnesota (+1) over Detroit- The Lions never beat the Vikings… not to mention, they suck.

Houston over Tennessee- Vince Young will stumble in front of his loyal Texas fans.

New York Giants (+3) over Carolina- Chris Weinke? Not on my watch.

Philadelphia (-1.5) over Washington- Garcia is actually helping a team build momentum.

Oakland (+11) over Cincinnati- Not even Oakland will take one on the chin that hard at home.

New England (-3.5) over Miami- The Dolphins tend to play the Pats close, but Joey Harrington is Joey Harrington.

San Francisco (-4.5) over Green Bay- Only the Packers could be underdogs against the Niners.

Seattle (-3.5) over Arizona- The Seahawks are really peaking at the right time, and the Cardinals are ready for next July.

New York Jets (-4) over Buffalo- The Jets keep hanging around in the playoff race, waiting for someone to slip up.

Denver (+7.5) over San Diego- No rivalry game is this lopsided.

New Orleans (+7) over Dallas- The Saints are still hot, and could get Colston back.

Chicago (-6.5) over St. Louis- This is a big line to take the points, but the Rams stink.

Player Report: Reggie Bush

Name: Reggie Bush

College: Southern California

Position: HB/PR

Team: New Orleans Saints

Height: 5’11

Weight: 203

Age: 21

Experience: R

Strengths: Outstanding quickness. Can cut on a dime and make the best of them miss. Has great straight line speed and can outrun most NFL defenders. Very dangerous in open space. Is very creative with the ball in open space trying to make the big play. Versatile. Has the ability to score from any place on the field. Dynamic punt returner with good moves in the open field. Catches the ball was well as any other Halfback, either lining up as a receiver or on screen passes out of the backfield. Makes opposing defenses find out where he lines up every play. High character athlete.

Weaknesses: Pretty small. Faces questions about his durability because of both his size and his workload at USC. Split carries in college. May not have the strength to run between the tackles. Tries to do too much at times. Wants to score on every play. Doesn’t always follow his blockers and stick to the play design. Isn’t always careful with the ball. Sometimes leaves it unprotected while carrying, and can make poor decisions trying to score and make the big play.

There’s not a football fan on the planet who doesn’t know who Reggie Bush is and for good reason. The dynamic athlete contributed on two national championship winning teams, and won the Heisman his junior year as he ran, caught, juked and spun his way past the competition into the National Championship game again before losing to Texas in the final minutes.

With a combination of great production, being part of a winner, great workout numbers and dozens of highlight reel plays, Reggie Bush was being hailed as the next great one. Some compared him to Bears’ legend Gale Sayers. Some said he would immediately be a top five Halfback in the NFL, before even taking a snap. So with all of this excellence and hype, it’s pretty safe to assume he would be drafted first overall, right?

The Houston Texans added even more hype to the Bush machine by not selecting him first. Now he might play with something to prove after going to the Saints with the second pick (Mario Williams being the first.) He might be out to show that he should’ve been number one. Either way, Reggie quickly embraced the community. An area that was destroyed by natural disaster, Bush brought some life back into the city, both financially and by name recognition. There was a reason to cheer again, and Bush was ready to lead the Saints and the New Orleans community.

After a brief training camp holdout, Bush put the pads on and hit the field. It became clear that new Head Coach Sean Payton had a plan for his offense to utilize Bush and all the other weapons he had available to him. In the first preseason game against the Titans, Bush took the handoff on a running play designed to go to the left, reversed fields and took the play down the right sideline for a huge gain, it made people wonder. Is he for real? Is he this much more athletic than everyone else? It silenced the critics: “Maybe he can do this in the NFL…”

Come the regular season, Payton had even more wrinkles in the playbook to get defenses to pay attention to Bush: Constant play action fakes going to him, fake end-arounds, the whole nine yards. If the ball wasn’t in Reggie’s hands, he made sure the defense worried it was. The problem was when Bush did have the ball, the results weren’t there. He led the league in catches, but they weren’t getting the team anywhere. Teams were beginning to catch on to the plan, and beginning to contain the swings and dump off passes designed to get Bush in space. He wasn’t scoring touchdowns, but the offense was doing great, despite the early struggles.

The running was worse. Splitting carries with Pro Bowler Deuce McAllister, Bush was still getting a fair chance to carry the football. However, he ran undisciplined. He wanted to do everything himself. He wasn’t following his blockers, he was dancing in the backfield too much trying to get to the outside, and simply wasn’t getting north and south. It’s impossible to be a productive runner without reading blocks and hitting the hole hard. Reggie Bush hit minor crossroads in his early career. He could either continue to do what he was doing, try to get by with his outstanding athletic ability and not play a team game, or he could adjust. He could adjust his style to the faster NFL game and become an impact player. With a little help from his coaches, he is adjusting, and he’s about to take the proverbial leap.

In recent weeks, Reggie Bush is coming closer and closer to looking like the player everyone thought he would be. He’s finally finding a groove and his place in the offense. Instead of trying to make guys miss in the backfield, he would run the play the way it’s supposed to be run, and then use his great quickness to make guys miss at the second level. He’s running harder, and instead of trying to do everything himself like the old Reggie Bush, he’s letting the other great players on his offense help him, and the results could be a nightmare for defenses.

It’s easy to dislike Bush because he’s a very successful, rich athlete with a lot of hype surrounding him, but some people need to realize something. We could be watching a future great. He started out slow and people were ready to jump all over him, but improvement has been clear and noticeable in the past few weeks. So after his big day against the 49ers, instead of dismissing it because of the opponent, it’s time everyone sits back, and enjoy the fact that we can see something special.

NFL Picks

Cleveland (+7.5) over Pittsburgh- Crennel has his team playing tough, and Pittsburgh is up and down.

Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles Game Review

Before I get to my thoughts on the game, I'd like to let you know that below this entry are my NFL Power Rankings for Week 14. Enjoy.

That was a nice win. A lot of guys really stepped up and played well in front of a national audience. These guys look a lot better than the last couple weeks.

My keys to the game and how they turned out:

1) PLAY FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND DEFENSE. Push. It wasn’t pretty at times, but they improved. DeAngelo Williams had a nice game, but he was fairly inconsistent. His good YPC is mostly a product of a few big runs, but he definitely had a good game. I emphasized tackling, team defense, focus, getting off the ball, making good reads and playing sound coverage. There were mixed results. At some points, the Defensive Line got great penetration and looked like football players. Some of them still got driven off the ball a bit too much for my liking, and Delhomme still had a lot of time on most plays. They tackled a bit better and found the ball a bit better, and they showed signs of life. That’s what we were hoping for. There’s a couple individuals I want to point out, but I’ll save that for later.

2) PROTECT JEFF GARCIA. Success. Garcia was only sacked once, and except for a short period in the second half, didn’t take too many hits. I have to give the Offensive Line two thumbs up, particularly Jon Runyan. Carolina usually has one of the top pass rushes in the league, but they were completely neutralized. For the most part, Garcia had nice passing lanes, and only had one or two tipped balls, if any. He had time to make throws, and nice pockets were formed allowing him to step into his throws and throw better balls downfield. Excellent game by these guys.

3) AVOID MISTAKES. Success. Rousing success. No fumbles lost (and the only fumbles we had were when the ball bounced right back to Garcia, and when Schobel dropped a kick at the end of the half,) no interceptions, no blown protection assignments, good snaps, not too many missed tackles, the drops were way down, and we simply didn’t beat ourselves. There were a few too many penalties, but a few were ticky tacky calls, and two false starts I swear didn’t actually happen. The holding penalties need to be eliminated since those in particular can be drive killers, but overall, the Eagles played pretty disciplined. If anyone was going to beat the Eagles Monday night, it was going to be the Panthers, not the Eagles.

How about those matchups?

1) JON RUNYAN VS. JULIUS PEPPERS. This was a pretty nice battle all game long, and as I said earlier, Runyan did a great job. This was the Jon Runyan we all knew and loved from a few years ago. Peppers didn’t come close to getting to Garcia all night long, and Runyan really had a nice game. Peppers didn’t have a good game in general, and was even blocked one on one by L.J. Smith at times. Jon kept Garcia on his feet and opened up holes for Westbrook all night long.

2) PANTHERS’ O-LINE VS. EAGLES’ FRONT SEVEN. I have to plead ignorance here. I didn’t know these guys were missing two starters, and resorted to starting former Eagle Jeremy Bridges. That’s a dire situation if there’s ever been one. In the running game, the O-Line was off and on successful. There were a few plays where these guys really got off the ball and pushed back the Eagles’ line and Linebackers and dominated. There were also some plays where they allowed the Eagles to get penetration and blow plays up. In pass protection, these guys did an overall good job. There were a couple plays where they were flat out beat in one on one match-ups, but they picked up most of the heavy blitzes and helped out Delhomme.

3) NEW SNAPPER VS. PANTHERS’ KICK BLOCKING. Jon Dorenbos. There we go. Now that that’s out of the way, he did a good job. We were all afraid that we found a new Trey Junkin, but Dorenbos delivered good snaps, and didn’t cost us any points. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. We found a guy that’s pretty good at his job… so far. There was one that Dirk Johnson had to stretch for while punting and one that was almost in his chest while holding, but that’s just nit-picking. No complaints from the snapping game.

How did they key players do?

PHI:

1) Jeff Garcia- Made nice plays, didn’t screw up, and had a good game.

2) Jeremiah Trotter- Better than last week, didn’t take himself out of plays too much and made tackles.

3) Trent Cole- Didn’t see much from him at all.

CAR:

1) DeShaun Foster- Oops.

2) Thomas Davis- Made a few tackles, didn’t do anything too outstanding.

3) Jake Delhomme- The team went as he did last night. He got them an early lead, then couldn’t bring them back.

Key injuries:

PHI- QB Donovan McNabb

PHI- DE Jevon Kearse

PHI- LS Mike Bartrum

CAR- MLB Dan Morgan

Not having McNabb or Bartrum wasn’t a problem last night, but week in and week out this defense proves how good Jevon Kearse still is. I can’t wait until he’s back next season.

Dan Morgan probably would’ve helped last night. It’s too bad he may never play again.

Number to remember:

4. It’s how many times Tony Kornheiser will mention his fantasy team during the broadcast.

I heard it once, so it looks like he’s cut down on the Fantasy Football angle a bit.

Final Score:

24-10 Panthers.

I was wrong, and I’m glad I was.

Garcia- 180 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT.

Westbrook- 110 total yards.

Brown- 6 catches, 70 yards.

Garcia did a lot better than I thought he would, and except for missing the TDs, I nearly nailed Brian and Reggie’s statlines.

Delhomme- 200 yards passing, 2 TD, 1 INT.

Foster- 120 rushing yards, 1 TD.

Smith- 80 receiving yards, 2 TD.

Delhomme did almost exactly what I expected him to do, except proportionally more. The run defense for Philadelphia was better than I expected, and Williams didn’t do as much as I thought Foster would. The Eagles contained Smith pretty well.

And some final comments:

- I know there are tens of thousands of Philadelphia fans that can’t wait for the chance to jump on Garcia and ride him out of town, and believe me I’m one of them, but there’s just no reason yet. This guy is beating everyone’s expectations and playing great football right now. I hope he keeps it up.

- Westbrook is so good. It’s a shame more people don’t give him the credit he deserves. He’s great running the ball, and I think he’s the best in the league at catching at the Halfback position too. He’s carrying the offense on its back.

- The drops have dramatically decreased since Garcia stepped in. I don’t know what it is, but I’m relieved to see everyone catching the ball. Hopefully they can sustain it this year, and for when Donovan comes back too. Donte made a great grab. I hope we extend his contract, I don’t care about the 3^rd round pick.

- What happened to L.J. Smith in the second half? I saw a lot of Matt Schobel, too much for my liking. I know Smith hasn’t been the best, but has he really fallen this far that he can’t hold the starting position?

- I want to say Runyan had a great game again.

- Defensive Line, here we go. I think Trent Cole helps this team most as a pass rushing specialist that comes in on third downs. He’s most effective when he can just pin his ears back and get after the QB. Obviously with Kearse down this isn’t an option, but I hope that during his career here, we always have two guys that can play end every down, and be relieved by Cole when it’s 3^rd and long. Darren Howard needs to stay at end on third down. We’re not getting anything out of him at tackle, and it’s simply a waste of his ability. Just because he’s big doesn’t mean we need to bump him down. He’s not any better at pass rushing from the inside than a guy like Patterson is. Speaking of Patterson, his swim move in the first quarter was a thing of beauty. That was a great move. Darwin Walker has to be the most inconsistent player at any position in any sport. I truly believe that. There were some plays where he just fired off the ball, got great penetration and made plays, and looked like a true penetrating NFL tackle. There were others (specifically an 8-10 yard run by Williams in the second half in which Walker made the tackle while being blown up by one of the interior linemen) where he just sucks. I don’t get it. Brodrick Bunkley. What are we going to do with him? He didn’t play more than a handful of plays, and he didn’t look good. I don’t know what this guy is doing that keeps him out of the game, but we need to see more from him so we can get an idea of how good he is. The pieces for this line are here, we’re just using them in the wrong way. Some adjustments in the offseason could go a long way.

- Gaither was solid. He didn’t do anything great, but the defensive numbers got better, so I’ll assume he’s better than McCoy for now. I still think McCoy has potential to be a good player because he’s a great athlete, but he needs to hit the weight room this offseason. Gocong is not the answer next year. Upgrades need to be made at Linebacker. I don’t think I’ll be able to stand another season of Dhani Jones.

- Sean Considine can’t tackle. I’m not sure what redeeming qualities he has, but he’s not a starting player in the NFL. He makes me miss Michael Lewis, who didn’t have a great game himself.

- Jon Dorenbos. One more positive review for him.

- It’s time for Jim Johnson to go. I’m sick of our third corner covering the opponent’s best receivers on third down, I’m sick of Quintin Mikell playing and covering receivers, I’m sick of ineffective blitz packages and things just aren’t working out anymore. Not to say he has the best players, but the scheme isn’t working, and it’s time for a change.

Now back at .500, the Eagles begin the final countdown- the road gauntlet against the division. At Washington with the playoffs on the line, it’s time to play the best football of the season.