Tony McGee on Rams & Eagles

[Gmanc711]

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is having a good week.

There is not a whole lot to say about the game last Sunday against St. Louis. To me, it’s very concerning because I did not think the Redskins took the Rams lightly. It was a bad game on both sides of the ball, bad on offense, bad on defense. I really don’t have much more to say on the game so I’ll get to some questions.

Is there any way to modify the defense as the players are clearly suited better for the 4-3? I mean I think if you really look at the formations on each play, on second and third down you see them playing a little bit of the 4-3 style. They’re bringing the linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage; they just don’t have their hands in the dirt. I think if you go back and watch the 43 yard TD from Steven Jackson, I think that was out of a 4-3 type of an alignment as well. I think that you can attribute some of the problems to the scheme and guys playing out of position… but as a whole they just need to play better.

My thoughts on Portis being out in the second half? And him going to the ground untouched? Portis said that he did not have full security of the ball and was worried about a turnover in the situation. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt on that one, and I’ll actually give him credit for doing that. He was not going to go much further on the run as it was, and if he’s doing that to take care of the football, I think he should do that every time he is in that situation if he is not feeling comfortable with his handle on the ball. I am not sure why he was not playing towards the end of the game, I know he’s scheduled to start again this week. I thought Ryan Torrain played well in limited action, but they could just be looking for a spark in the run game .

That brings us to our next question, regarding the zone blocking scheme and why coaches stick to it the way that they do. It’s really hard to say what’s plaguing the Redskins running game right now. These offensive linemen have not played together very long, and now that Derrick Dockery has been demoted to #2, Casey Rabach is the only player from last years offensive line who is starting right now. If you remember back to 2004 when the Redskins first put their line together, it took a lot of time for them to gel. In 2005 & 2006, the line played extremely well after they had some time together. I personally think that’s the bigger issue than the scheme right now.

With regards to cut blocking, you have to remember that I was on the defensive line and I do not want to see cut blocking at all. I remember back when I played the New York Jets would do it all the time, and you really felt like you were in harms way every play. It does put the defense on their heels a bit, because you feel like it could end a career, but as a former defensive linemen, I’d rather not see anyone do it.

Looking ahead to Philadelphia, Mike Vick has obviously been the catalyst for an Eagle team which is playing very well right now. I think when you look back over the past two years, you have a lot of new coaches and a lot of new players who have not really seen a guy like Mike Vick even play before. I think he’s playing a bit differently than he was 2-3 years ago when he was last in the NFL, and I think teams have not been able to prepare for him well enough at this point. I think after teams start to realize some of his tendencies and what he likes to do, he won’t have quite as much success as he has the first two weeks. I think the Redskins need a guy, maybe LaRon Landry to spy Mike Vick and keep him in check and force him to throw the ball in the pocket. If the Redskins can keep Vick off the field, and stop the run, they’ll have a chance here in Philadelphia this weekend. If not, it could be another long Sunday.

Thanks everyone!
Tony




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Be sure to watch Tony McGee's Pro Football Plus this Saturday at 11:30am as Tony answers this weeks' "TheWarpath.net Fan Question of the Week"

Tony McGee's NFL career started in 1971 where he was a starting defensive end for the Chicago Bears. In 1974, Tony began a 7 year stint with the New England Patriots and earned the nickname, "Mac the Sack." His unique ability to swarm opposing quarterbacks helped coin the phrase, "designated pass rusher." Tony's career as a Washington Redskin began in 1982, and included a Super Bowl championship. Tony ended his spectacular career in 1985 with 106 career sacks and played in over 200 games -- a feat achieved only by a select group of NFL defensive linemen.

[takethecake]

Agreed about it only being a matter of time before people figure out michael vick. Remember how unstoppable the wildcat looked in its debut?

[Lotus]

Thank you so much for your time and insight, Tony.