rskinsfan10
09-16-2006, 12:52 AM
Nothing has changed. The man is still one of the hardest working men in the sports broadcasting business. He has made it perfectly clear to me that I am welcome to call him at anytime I choose to talk about whatever is on my mind, and I have taken him up on that plenty of times. This evening, I caught up with him as he was on the road to Blacksburg, Va. to prepare to do his thing for the Va. Tech-Duke game on Saturday (like I said, nothing has changed). Here's some of what we talked about . . . . . . . . . . .
rsf10- Before we begin, let me start off by welcoming you back for another year at hR.com. Our members have been clamoring for your insight, so we are glad to have you back in the midst of the hR family.
DW- Hey Kenny, it's great to be back man. I'm glad that the folks at hR appreciate what I bring to the table, and I'm pumped to get another year going. Let's Do This!!
rsf10- Alright. That was a tough, but IMO inexcusable loss to the Vikings on Monday night. For starters, what do you think about the offense, and more to the point the scheme that Al Saunders decided to implore?
DW- Well, the scheme was cute and fancy, but it wasn't enough power running for my blood. Minnesota really had the type of game plan that I was looking for from Washington. It wasn't pretty, but they committed to the run and they hit some big plays; they attempted big plays down the field. We looked organized, and it was refreshing after that pitiful preseason, but in the end our inability to score TDs in the red zone plagued us once again. I was pleased with a lot of the things that I saw, but I didn't see enough of Santana Moss as a deep threat. Now, they will tell you that because Minnesota started a rookie in the secondary, they played a lot of deep zone. Well, I say if that is the case then throw under them in the middle of the field and allow a playmaker like Randle El and Moss some freedom to make something happen.
rsf10- Well, our saving grace over the last couple of seasons has been Gregg Williams and the defense, but they didn't show up when the team seemingly needed them the most. Now, Williams has been getting some heat from many in Redskin land, including a lively exchange that you had on SportsTalk 980 during your post game show the other night with Charles Mann. Would you mind elaborating on that?
DW- Well, Charles, who is an expert and who played the game at a very high level, recalls the days back when they rushed and how they got pressure with their down four. Now, their down four included World Grant, Dave Butz, Dexter Manley and Charles. They could get pressure without blitzing. This group, well that is not their strength. This group is very good against the run, but they were going against a very physical offensive line. The left side of their line was able to neutralize probably our best player on the line, who is Cornelius Griffin with who may be the best guard in the business. McKinney is about 355lbs, so he had about 100lbs over Carter, and simply was a physical mismatch. So, their commitment and their size may have caught us a little off guard. I really think that it caught our fans off guard. Minnesota is a good football team, and without Springs and the ability to utilize a lot of the blitz packages that Coach Williams likes to use, we got popped. They exploited us deep, and thank goodness that they had three drops, otherwise it would have been uglier.
rsf10- You mentioned Springs. It seems as though a lot of people, including some Redskin fans, downplay his importance and how good he really is. They tend to think that his absence doesn't effect the defense as much as you, I and others tend to believe. You had an interesting back and forth with a fan on the John Thompson Show the other day who took issue with how highly you think of Springs. Why do you think that he gets so little respect from many?
DW- First of all, when he was in Seattle, Shann was a pro bowl player. He has the ability to take your best WR and cover him in man. Now, I will also say that there are no longer any man corners in the game anymore. You give me the best corner in the NFL without a pass rush, then he is going to be eaten alive. Now if you just want to throw out statistics, which don't always mean everything, then I will point out that he ranked #1 among all CBs in football based on how many times people threw at him and how many times he was successful. Well, part of that is people simply didn't throw at him a lot, and their is a reason for that. I don't expect fans to know that, but ask anyone around the league. I get my information from doing games and talking to GMs and scouts around the NFL. They will tell you that he is a top 5 corner in the league. Now, he may not be an ideal corner on another team, but for what Gregg does, he is immensely valuable to Washington.
rsf10- To follow up on that a bit, you mentioned that you yourself don't expect fans to know things like that. Having said that, does it bother you that many aren't knowledgeable about his true standing in the NFL while they may criticize you for the things that you know and say?
DW- No, because the average fan is not supposed to be an expert, he's supposed to be what he or she is, which is a fan. That's why he isn't being paid to discuss it for a living. It's like me watching hockey or any other sport. You basically have to rely on other people that have been at that level, played at that level or who may have studied the game. A fan may see different things at a game. A guy sitting at that the 50yd line isn't going to see as much as another fan saw who was sitting in the end zone. Now, if a fan played the game at any level, then he would have a feel for it. If he or she didn't play, then it is virtually impossible for them to pickup a lot of the nuances of the game. It would be like me watching an operation on General Hospital; I'm going to be lost. I even could have had the operation performed, but what does that mean? This game looks a lot easier then it really is. If you played this game, especially in a good system, even on the high school level, then you would understand things like angles, coverage, pursuit to use as examples. The game is not that much more advanced, but you do have to watch more then just Washington. Most fans are just stuck on watching the Skins. That's why I encourage fans to spend a lot more time on the NFL Network and watch the repeat of games and the different angles that they show. Watch ESPN and The Edge where you are able to watch actual coaches film and then talk to people without the emotion involved in it. That helps a lot, but then again having said all of that, that takes a lot of the fun out of being a fan. The key to being a fan is going out, having a couple of Miller Lites while being with friends and having a ball.
rsf10- John Hall. When I mention his name along with Coach Gibbs' unwavering support for him, what comes to mind?
DW- Right now, inconsistency. It could have been due to the injury a year ago, but if he's well then say he is well and he needs to regain his form. You shouldn't have to baby a guy with his talent if he's well. Now, if he's injured then all bets are off. For him to say that was confused because he thought that Randle El may have gotten the first down, that says to me that he simply didn't want to kick. He wasn't ready for that kick. He should have been over their slobbering at the mouth waiting for a chance to tie the game up. Now, let's be clear; John Hall didn't lose that game. He lost an opportunity to take it to overtime, but that game was lost when they failed to score a TD in the red zone, and on third down on defense giving up 9/17 conversions.
rsf10- Well the most interesting news out of Redskin Park today is that according to Gibbs, Clinton Portis will not play at all on Sunday night. This news seemed to be a surprise to Portis himself, who says that he first learned about it from the media essentially. What are your thoughts on what seems to be a lack of communication between the coaches and the player in this instance?
cont........
rsf10- Before we begin, let me start off by welcoming you back for another year at hR.com. Our members have been clamoring for your insight, so we are glad to have you back in the midst of the hR family.
DW- Hey Kenny, it's great to be back man. I'm glad that the folks at hR appreciate what I bring to the table, and I'm pumped to get another year going. Let's Do This!!
rsf10- Alright. That was a tough, but IMO inexcusable loss to the Vikings on Monday night. For starters, what do you think about the offense, and more to the point the scheme that Al Saunders decided to implore?
DW- Well, the scheme was cute and fancy, but it wasn't enough power running for my blood. Minnesota really had the type of game plan that I was looking for from Washington. It wasn't pretty, but they committed to the run and they hit some big plays; they attempted big plays down the field. We looked organized, and it was refreshing after that pitiful preseason, but in the end our inability to score TDs in the red zone plagued us once again. I was pleased with a lot of the things that I saw, but I didn't see enough of Santana Moss as a deep threat. Now, they will tell you that because Minnesota started a rookie in the secondary, they played a lot of deep zone. Well, I say if that is the case then throw under them in the middle of the field and allow a playmaker like Randle El and Moss some freedom to make something happen.
rsf10- Well, our saving grace over the last couple of seasons has been Gregg Williams and the defense, but they didn't show up when the team seemingly needed them the most. Now, Williams has been getting some heat from many in Redskin land, including a lively exchange that you had on SportsTalk 980 during your post game show the other night with Charles Mann. Would you mind elaborating on that?
DW- Well, Charles, who is an expert and who played the game at a very high level, recalls the days back when they rushed and how they got pressure with their down four. Now, their down four included World Grant, Dave Butz, Dexter Manley and Charles. They could get pressure without blitzing. This group, well that is not their strength. This group is very good against the run, but they were going against a very physical offensive line. The left side of their line was able to neutralize probably our best player on the line, who is Cornelius Griffin with who may be the best guard in the business. McKinney is about 355lbs, so he had about 100lbs over Carter, and simply was a physical mismatch. So, their commitment and their size may have caught us a little off guard. I really think that it caught our fans off guard. Minnesota is a good football team, and without Springs and the ability to utilize a lot of the blitz packages that Coach Williams likes to use, we got popped. They exploited us deep, and thank goodness that they had three drops, otherwise it would have been uglier.
rsf10- You mentioned Springs. It seems as though a lot of people, including some Redskin fans, downplay his importance and how good he really is. They tend to think that his absence doesn't effect the defense as much as you, I and others tend to believe. You had an interesting back and forth with a fan on the John Thompson Show the other day who took issue with how highly you think of Springs. Why do you think that he gets so little respect from many?
DW- First of all, when he was in Seattle, Shann was a pro bowl player. He has the ability to take your best WR and cover him in man. Now, I will also say that there are no longer any man corners in the game anymore. You give me the best corner in the NFL without a pass rush, then he is going to be eaten alive. Now if you just want to throw out statistics, which don't always mean everything, then I will point out that he ranked #1 among all CBs in football based on how many times people threw at him and how many times he was successful. Well, part of that is people simply didn't throw at him a lot, and their is a reason for that. I don't expect fans to know that, but ask anyone around the league. I get my information from doing games and talking to GMs and scouts around the NFL. They will tell you that he is a top 5 corner in the league. Now, he may not be an ideal corner on another team, but for what Gregg does, he is immensely valuable to Washington.
rsf10- To follow up on that a bit, you mentioned that you yourself don't expect fans to know things like that. Having said that, does it bother you that many aren't knowledgeable about his true standing in the NFL while they may criticize you for the things that you know and say?
DW- No, because the average fan is not supposed to be an expert, he's supposed to be what he or she is, which is a fan. That's why he isn't being paid to discuss it for a living. It's like me watching hockey or any other sport. You basically have to rely on other people that have been at that level, played at that level or who may have studied the game. A fan may see different things at a game. A guy sitting at that the 50yd line isn't going to see as much as another fan saw who was sitting in the end zone. Now, if a fan played the game at any level, then he would have a feel for it. If he or she didn't play, then it is virtually impossible for them to pickup a lot of the nuances of the game. It would be like me watching an operation on General Hospital; I'm going to be lost. I even could have had the operation performed, but what does that mean? This game looks a lot easier then it really is. If you played this game, especially in a good system, even on the high school level, then you would understand things like angles, coverage, pursuit to use as examples. The game is not that much more advanced, but you do have to watch more then just Washington. Most fans are just stuck on watching the Skins. That's why I encourage fans to spend a lot more time on the NFL Network and watch the repeat of games and the different angles that they show. Watch ESPN and The Edge where you are able to watch actual coaches film and then talk to people without the emotion involved in it. That helps a lot, but then again having said all of that, that takes a lot of the fun out of being a fan. The key to being a fan is going out, having a couple of Miller Lites while being with friends and having a ball.
rsf10- John Hall. When I mention his name along with Coach Gibbs' unwavering support for him, what comes to mind?
DW- Right now, inconsistency. It could have been due to the injury a year ago, but if he's well then say he is well and he needs to regain his form. You shouldn't have to baby a guy with his talent if he's well. Now, if he's injured then all bets are off. For him to say that was confused because he thought that Randle El may have gotten the first down, that says to me that he simply didn't want to kick. He wasn't ready for that kick. He should have been over their slobbering at the mouth waiting for a chance to tie the game up. Now, let's be clear; John Hall didn't lose that game. He lost an opportunity to take it to overtime, but that game was lost when they failed to score a TD in the red zone, and on third down on defense giving up 9/17 conversions.
rsf10- Well the most interesting news out of Redskin Park today is that according to Gibbs, Clinton Portis will not play at all on Sunday night. This news seemed to be a surprise to Portis himself, who says that he first learned about it from the media essentially. What are your thoughts on what seems to be a lack of communication between the coaches and the player in this instance?
cont........