Bears
- Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake talks to Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune about how the Bears wide receivers have improved in running routes:
“‘[Johnny Knox is] really learning how to set guys up,’ Drake said. ‘Just using his head and his eyes and not breaking stride.
“‘Body language tells everything from a receiver running routes. When you can control that body and not allow that guy to read where you’re going … the biggest thing in young receivers is they have a tendency to look where they’re going, look down at the ground. Now, these guys are playing with their eyes up. When that DB sees you looking at the ground, he’s sitting on steps. That’s something these guys have done a tremendous job of learning.”’
- Packers cornerback Tramon Williams makes an interesting point in the same article:
“They obviously don’t have one big-name receiver. But do they need one? I think they work pretty well together.”
I do, too. Though this might be a topic better left to closer to the draft, I think you can, in fact, make the case that the Bears don’t need one. For instance, in this video former Patriot linebacker Tedy Bruschi makes the point that the Patriots might actually be better without Randy Moss for reasons other than simply the loss of his attitude in the locker room:
Elsewhere
- ESPN’s Ed Werder reports that Brett Favre has passed his preliminary concussion tests but still has to pass some more of them. He’s still unlikely to play but you never know.
- Chief’s head coach Todd Haley has, indeed, managed to run off Charlie Weis as he will head to Florida to become their offensive coordinator according to multiple sources (via Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com). Florio agrees with my own assessment while bringing up another factor I hadn’t thought of:
“The move raises obvious questions regarding the relationship between Weis and head coach Todd Haley, a coach of the year candidate regarded by some as a first-class pain in the rear. The potential for a lockout that would reduce dramatically the salaries of NFL assistant coaches also may have been a factor, although Weis presumably is getting the bulk of his compensation from his Notre Dame buyout.”
- As Giants fans call for the head of head coach Tom Coughlin, Judy Battista at The New York Times provides an interesting look into the mind of team president John Mara, one which manages one of the most stable franchises in the NFL:
“Mara declined interview requests last week. But he will not fire Coughlin, win or lose Sunday, unless the Giants’ performance is so unfathomably embarrassing that it would prompt Mara to rethink Coughlin’s future.”
“The Giants simply do not do knee-jerk. They do not fire 9-win — or perhaps 10-win — coaches. They do not issue statements of support, only to retract them a few hours later, as happened with the Denver Broncos this season. They do not operate a coaching carousel, as they do in Washington, with the circus music on a loop. And most critical to the current crisis, they do not conflate what happened to them last year with what is happening now.”
- I have to say that I’m becoming a Battista fan. Here the Times writer does a really well-thought out article on the growth of the passing game in the NFL. The article ends with this debatable point by Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman:
“I still hear people say, ‘We’ve got to run the ball and stop the run,’ ” Aikman said. “No, you don’t. I don’t know when that cliché is going to die. If you’re playing the Giants or Steelers, that’s pretty important. When you’re playing the other teams, you can stop the run all you want and they’ll still score 40 on you. If I had my choice, I’d rather be able to stop the pass.”
One Final Thought
Former All Pro linebacker Carl Banks gives a classy response as he concentrates what’s important when commenting on not being included in the Giants’ Ring of Honor. Via Joe Brescia at The New York Times:
“I didn’t spend much time on it. The Giants have a legacy of great players. I know without a doubt that my contributions have always been greatly appreciated by the organization. In due time, if there’s another opportunity, I’m sure they’ll consider it. But I didn’t feel slighted. If it doesn’t happen, I know the organization appreciates my contribution to its success.”