NFC East: Champ Bailey
Kevin in San Jose, Calif., what's on your mind? Is it reasonable to hope and wish for a Champ Baily-Washington reunion this coming offseason?
Mosley: I realize that Mike Shanahan seems to value veteran players more than most head coaches, but I don't see him committing a lot of money to Bailey at this point in his career. Bailey's been one of the best cornerbacks in the league for years, but he's a declining player at this point. The Redskins would be better off identifying a cornerback in the draft. I think LSU's Patrick Peterson might be gone by the time the Skins pick at No. 10 (Now No. 4 on Mel Kiper's Big Board), but he's certainly someone to keep in mind. I tried to focus on Peterson in last night's AT&T Cotton Bowl, but a freshman named Tyrann Mathieu kept stealing the show. It looked like Mathieu was the best defensive back on the field in the win against the Aggies, but it's not like I've watched a ton of LSU football this season. Bringing in aging players (see Donovan McNabb and Larry Johnson) didn't exactly work out for Shanahan in his first season, so I'd be surprised to see him make a play for Bailey.
Al from High Point, N.C., has two New York Giants questions: 1. Do you see [defensive coordinator] Perry Fewell as being interviewed by certain teams for a head-coaching job more as a legitimate concern for the Giants or are the other teams making him more of a Rooney Rule candidate? 2: How come the Giants do not find a way to keep coordinaters from becoming head coaches some other place by trying to make one of them a successor to Tom Coughlin?
Mosley: That whole coach-in-waiting thing rarely works out at any level. Ask the University of Texas about that strategy. Coughlin sees himself coaching for several more years, so he wouldn't be pleased with that type of scenario. The Redskins had Gregg Williams as their coach-in-waiting to Joe Gibbs, but that didn't work out for him. Fewell did some nice things this season, but it's too early to overreact and make him a coach-in-waiting. Jerry Jones basically did that with Jason Garrett by making him the highest-paid assistant in the league following the '07 season. And the plan of succession didn't go off that smoothly, with Wade Phillips getting fired eight games into the 2010 season. Regarding your first question, I think Fewell has a legitimate chance to be a head coach. I think owners and general managers across the league have a lot of respect for how he handled the interim job in Buffalo, and I don't think the Rooney Rule's the only reason he's getting a look right now. Ultimately, though, I think he'll be with the Giants for at least another season. And it's not a bad thing when teams want your assistants to be head coaches. It normally means a team is having a lot of success. You can't really say that about the Giants right now, but the defense certainly took some positive steps.
Jason from Bryn Mawr, Pa., is one of our most prolific mailbag participants. He has an Eagles thought: "Can the Eagles Flip the Switch?" is a great article, providing well-balanced information. Everyone seems to be concerned with only the Eagles' performance against the Vikings, but let's not forget they had not played very well in the weeks prior to that game. I believe the "Miracle in the Meadowlands II" has masked our recollection of prior events. They were then blown out by the Bears (final score is no indication) and required fourth-quarter come-from-behind TDs to beat both the Texans and Cowboys.
Mosley: Jason, I agree with you that teams have sort of caught up with Michael Vick a little bit since that first game against the Giants. But I'm afraid that Vick was so brilliant through the first 10 games that we sort of developed unreasonable expectations for him. He'd had enough near-interceptions earlier in the season to indicate that he'd eventually have some turnovers. But the fact that he has nine fumbles in his past six starts is pretty remarkable. But if Vick is close to 100 percent from that quad contusion suffered against the Vikings, he's capable of making the Packers' defense pay. I think Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg have spent a lot more time getting Vick ready for some of those cornerback blitzes that the Vikings used with a lot of success. And I can promise you that Jason Peters will have some help at left tackle to make sure that Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews doesn't take over this game. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers will try to be aggressive with the blitz early in this game. And if the Eagles can pick it up, they'll have a shot at a big play on that first drive. I'm told that Reid and Mornhinweg have emphasized a quick start on offense all week. That's why I wouldn't be surprised to see Vick dial up DeSean Jackson on one of those double moves on the first play from scrimmage.
Steve in Philadelphia wants to talk about Jason Garrett's decision-making power: Jerry Jones did not say that Jason Garrett would have final say on picking players. He said that no one would be on the team that Garrett doesn't want on the team. I believe that this may mean that while Jones continues to function as the GM, he would merely shy away from major free agents or draftees that Garrett has some apprehension about from a character perspective, like T.O. I do not believe this is the same as "final say" on all personnel decisions. Do you agree?
Mosley: Steve, I think you're on the right track. Jones did stunningly say that Garrett would have "final say" when it came to the hiring and firing of assistant coaches. But I don't think Garrett necessarily wants "final say" when it comes to player personnel decisions. Only Andy Reid and Mike Shanahan enjoy that type of power in the league right now. And it's not like Shanahan has a great track record when it comes to drafting players. I think Garrett's smart enough to know that he doesn't have the skins on the wall to demand complete authority on draft picks. I think what Jones was saying is that he won't release or sign a player against Garrett's wishes. It's still surprising that Jones made that statement Thursday, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll follow it.
I'll check in with you guys from Philadelphia on Sunday.
DeAngelo Hall honored for four-pick game
Only 19 players in league history have had four-interception games, and three of them played for the Redskins. Sammy Baugh ('43) and Dan Sandifer ('48) are the other Skins in the Quad Club. It's the second time this season a Skins defensive back has been honored by the league. Safety LaRon Landry received the same award in Week 5.
Beast players named to All-Decade Team
Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Eagles kicker David Akers were also named to the team. We'll wait to find out the rest of the list Sunday.
• If Tom Coughlin wasn't already planning to make changes on his defensive staff, surely he is now. The offense actually performed reasonably well this season, but the defense has been a huge disappointment. Panthers backup running back Jonathan Stewart gashed the Giants for 206 yards. This unit doesn't tackle particularly well and the pass rush has all but disappeared. The Giants still have some talented personnel on defense but they are old and slow at key areas. It's time to replace Danny Clark and Antonio Pierce on a full-time basis.
• I talked to Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell via phone this morning. I'm not sure he has ever taken that much punishment in a game. Campbell has refused to make excuses this season but he admitted that not being able to go through his progressions has made it virtually impossible to be successful. As I said last night, the Skins should protect Campbell's future and think about playing Todd Collins in the final game. They'd like to take a look at third-stringer Richard Bartel in a game situation, but they hate to throw him to the wolves at this point in the season.
• Jeremy Maclin made the biggest catch of his young career with 59 seconds left in Sunday's game. He was supposed to run a "go" route and Jason Avant ran a "corner." Maclin broke off his route and Donovan McNabb put the ball on his back shoulder. Maclin said the sideline drills the Eagles run in every practice came in handy. It's a tough adjustment for college receivers because they're only required to get one foot down. The 27-yard catch gave the Eagles the ball at the Broncos' 13-yard line and set up David Akers for the game-winning field goal.
• I thought Champ Bailey did an admirable job on DeSean Jackson for most of the game but he was caught out of position on a deep ball in the fourth quarter and called for pass interference. Even when he doesn't put up big numbers, Jackson is still the most valuable Eagles player on the field because he requires so much attention.
• I think the Eagles should think about locking right guard Nick Cole up for a few seasons. When center Jamaal Jackson left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter, Cole replaced him and the Eagles kept rolling. He and McNabb had trouble with a couple of snaps, but they can iron that out. The main point is that Cole has become a very valuable member of this team. Does anyone miss Stacy Andrews? If Cole wasn't playing so well, the Andrews signing would be getting a lot more attention.
• Did the Falcons know what they were doing when they let Michael Boley walk during free agency? I know he was signed to cover Brian Westbrook, but you'd like to see him be a little more physical. Way too many missed tackles if you ask me.
The Broncos have asked All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey to follow DeSean Jackson all over the field, and for the most part, he's done a decent job against the explosive receiver. But on the pass interference play on that drive, Jackson put three different moves on him before drawing the penalty. It was a borderline call because Bailey didn't make much contact with Jackson.
The problem was that Bailey never turned around and found the ball.
Cowboys' Williams misses practice Wednesday
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams told reporters Wednesday that he hopes to play against the Chiefs, but he wasn't able to practice today. Williams injured his ribs in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Denver Broncos.
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Williams said the altitude in Denver and his asthma prevented him from re-entering the game when the Cowboys had two snaps from the Broncos' 2-yard line at the end of regulation. Williams had been criticized in some circles for not being able to play through the pain when quarterback Tony Romo desperately needed another option in the end zone.
"Don't act like I didn't want to be out there," Williams said. "I would go at Champ [Bailey]."
Asked about his role in the offense, Williams repeated his familiar refrain, "I'm just a coachable wide receiver."
He admitted to being concerned about his limited role in the offense, but he said he wouldn't complain a bit if the Cowboys were winning games. He reminded reporters that a 2-2 record "wasn't the end of the world." You'll recall that Williams spent a good portion of the '08 season on an NFL team that didn't win a single game. He seemed amused by all the panic over a .500 record after four games.
In other news, Marion Barber (left quad) was able to practice after having limited touches (1) in the second half of Sunday's game.
What was Romo thinking on final two throws?
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
DENVER -- In the aftermath of the Cowboys' 17-10 loss to the Broncos on Sunday, everyone wanted to know why in the world Tony Romo was throwing to Sam Hurd on the final two plays from the 2-yard line. Hurd was covered by All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey on both plays.
You can bet that Roy Williams would have been an option on a fade route, but he was on the sideline with bruised ribs. Tight end Jason Witten is Romo's favorite target, but the Cowboys kept him in to block along with running back Tashard Choice.
Romo told a couple of us after the game that he saw Hurd cross Bailey's face and knew that he was open. He's not sure how Bailey deflected the pass without interfering, but Hurd said he didn't think it was interference.
After watching both plays several times, it looks like Miles Austin flashed open in the back of the end zone. Of course, Romo was simply trying to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible.
The play that really hurt was when the clock didn't stop when Romo hit Hurd for a 5-yard pass at the 8-yard line. Hurd was pushed out of bounds, but by NFL rule, the clock kept ticking. The Cowboys were forced to take their final timeout, which took away the threat of a running play.
OK my plane is taking off from Denver. We'll catch up later.
Cowboys lower expectations with Mile High loss
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| Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE | |
| Quarterback Tony Romo and the Dallas offense had no answer for the Broncos defense Sunday night. |
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
DENVER -- If you looked at the schedule in April and chalked up Sunday as a win for the Cowboys, at least you have company. But this team took a 17-10 loss to the Broncos in stride, perhaps because no one in charge expected anything more.
Maybe it's time we forget about the immense potential that the '07 team displayed and realize that the current Cowboys were fortunate to even stay on the field with the 4-0 Broncos. That's right, Josh McDaniels has put his team in the playoff conversation the old-fashioned way: by alienating and then trading his bonus-baby quarterback for a bus-driver with a prominent neckbeard.
"There's a reason they're 4-0," Jones kept repeating as he sucked on an orange. "The Broncos are better than what anybody would have thought."
Jones didn't seem one bit surprised the Cowboys would surrender a fourth-quarter lead and lose to a team from the AFC West. Judging by his reaction, the Cowboys would've uncorked champagne at Invesco Field had they been able to escape with a win. As it stands, the Cowboys are a 2-2 team in search of an identity.
In their previous two games, the Cowboys appeared to have one of the most dominant running games in the league. And on Sunday, they fed off the energy of Marion Barber, who was returning from a left quad injury. He delivered blows to Broncos defenders in the first half and then did forward rolls in celebration. Barber had 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown in the first half, helping the Cowboys take a 10-7 lead and wearing down the Broncos' front seven.
Then in one half, the Cowboys' offense pretended it was December (it was brisk) and pretty much fell all over itself. After touching the ball 12 times in the first half, Barber only had one carry the rest of the way. Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett indicated that Barber's injury was a concern, but the head coach and owner acted as if that was news to them.
The Cowboys only ran the ball seven times in the second half, with limited success. Through 14 quarters, Garrett had been remarkably balanced with his play calling, then for no apparent reason he abandoned the running game. It wasn't as if the Broncos were putting eight players in the box to stop the run. They brought their fair share of blitzes, but they also stayed back in coverage for most of the game in an effort to take away the deep ball.
The Broncos sacked Romo five times, but at least three of those were coverage sacks. He was 14-of-18 for 134 yards in the first half because he was simply dumping off the ball to his running backs. He made a good throw to Roy Williams on the sideline to set up the Cowboys' only touchdown, but that was the longest throw he made.
For no apparent reason, Garrett basically put the game in Romo's hands in the second half. And despite a brilliant throw to Sam Hurd for a 53-yard gain on fourth-and-3 with 1:16 left, it should've never come to that. The Cowboys had the ball at the Broncos' 17-yard line early in the second half when Romo threw a pass to the sideline that was picked off by Champ Bailey. Several people in the locker room told me that Miles Austin turned the wrong direction on the route and that it wasn't Romo's fault, but it was still a huge play.
Romo was 11-of-24 in the second half and he kept hanging his receivers out to dry. Just ask Roy Williams, who took what he called the hardest hit of his life from Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams. He returned to make a clutch catch on the Cowboys' final drive, but he was on the sideline when Romo fired two passes into the end zone from the 2-yard line. Williams would've been a nice option on a fade route. Instead, Romo threw two passes to Hurd, who was blanketed by Bailey.
The Cowboys are obviously more explosive with Felix Jones (left knee) in the lineup, but I'm not convinced Garrett would've had him in the game. We somehow deluded ourselves into thinking that the Cowboys have a lot of weapons on offense. They appear to have three talented running backs and an excellent pair of tight ends. But there's no one at wide receiver who poses a consistent threat. Nothing against Hurd, but is he really the best option on consecutive plays from the 2-yard line?
The Cowboys' defense performed admirably for most of the afternoon, but it cratered at the worst possible moment. And if you're pinning your playoff hopes on the defense holding the opponent to seven points each week, you're dreaming. After putting 31 points on the board against the Giants, the Cowboys' offense has managed a combined 24 points against the Panthers and Broncos. It was a pitiful game plan in the second half -- and the execution wasn't any better.
"We had limited opportunities [in the second half]," Garrett told me after the game. "But you have to take advantage of those opportunities."
It did look like Garrett was ready to commit to the running game early in the fourth quarter, but a holding penalty on Martellus Bennett wiped out a 17-yard run by Choice. The Cowboys would've had the ball first-and-10 at the Broncos' 44. Instead, they were forced to punt and the Broncos tied the score on their next possession.
As he loaded up on Vitamin C, Jones kept repeating the Broncos' record as if that should explain everything. I guess we should've known that the Broncos' wins over the Bengals, Browns and Raiders had placed them among the NFL's elite. Jones even attempted to attribute the loss to the Cowboys' change in philosophy.
"That's part of the plan," he said. "There's more running and less depending on the pass."
And how's that working out for you, Jerry?
What do you think of our all-decade top 25?
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
I'm sad to report that ESPN.com's all-decade week has reached its conclusion. It's a week that most of us will cling to for years to come. On Friday, the incomparable Mike Sando, master of the NFC West database, delivered the top 25 players of the decade. Let's take a closer look at how the NFC East fared.
And special thanks to Bill Williamson (enjoy that three-week vacay!) for compiling the initial list. I'm sure some of you will disagree, but it's a pretty solid list. Honestly, I'm most bothered by the fact that Donovan McNabb's not on the list. The list was dominated by quarterbacks, and he's been one of the best of the decade. Also shocking that no defensive tackles made the final cut. OK, here's how the Beast finished:
6. Champ Bailey, Redskins and Broncos: The only cornerback in the top 25. Really?
8. Michael Strahan, Giants: One of the most prolific pass-rushers in league history. No argument here.
24. Terrell Owens: Eagles and Cowboys: Some folks will think he's ranked too low -- and you might be right. He's hell on a locker room, but he's put up monster numbers.
Wait, is that it? So only one tight end? Because I think Jason Witten should be knocking on the door. Ben Roethlisberger and Brett Favre both made the list, but no Drew Brees or McNabb. I could easily make the argument that McNabb has been more successful than Favre in this decade. And McNabb had a head start on Roethlisberger, although I guess the two Super Bowls were the trump card.
DeMarcus Ware might be ready to join the team after the '09 season. And Clinton Portis and Tiki Barber should've received more consideration. Same for Brian Westbrook. Actually, Barber should totally be on the list. It seems like he hasn't played in forever, but he walked away after the '06 season. He was one of the most prolific backs in the league over the first six years of the decade. Any arguments?
OK, I'm going to spend the rest of the day answering my "fan" mail.
Classic reader feedback on all-decade team
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
Earlier today, I asked you guys to come up with an all-decade defensive team for the NFC East (2000-present). And as always, the response was overwhelming. Here's the all-decade story, which was written by NFC West stalwart Mike Sando. Three members of the team -- CB Troy Vincent, DE Michael Strahan, CB Champ Bailey -- spent their best years in the NFC East.
Now, let's take a look at what you guys came up with for our NFC East all-decade team. Many of you included players on offense, which is fine. Here's a sampling of what you guys wrote:
PiccoloKu9: If we were talking about eight games, I'd definitely take Portis
Padr321:
QB: Donovan McNabb
RB: Tiki Barber
WR: T.O. Amani Toomer
TE: Jason Witten
OT: Runyan and Thomas
G: Larry Allen and Shawn Andrews
C: Shaun O'Hara
DE: Strahan and Ellis
DT: Glover and Simon
LB: Ware, Pierce and Trotter
CB: Vincent and Bobby Taylor
S: Dawkins and Sean Taylor (RIP)
K: Akers
P: Feagles
JMick1215: I think Donovan McNabb would have to be the QB on this team, as he has been the most dominant over the past decade. I understand some would like to argue that he is not the current best QB in the division, but over the last decade as a whole, I don't see how there is any argument!
Zrots21:
QB: Donovan McNabb
RB: Tiki Barber (he did it longer; more durrable than B. West)
FB: Madison Hedgecock
WR1: Terrell Owens (Sad but true)
WR2: Plaxico Burress
TE: Jason Witten
LT: Tra Thomas
LG: Larry Allen
C: Shaun O'Hara
RT: Jon Runyan
RG: Chris Snee (Andrews probably more talent/now playing RT)
DT: Corey Simon, Fred Robbins
DE: Greg Ellis, Michael Strahan
LB's: Demarcus Ware, Carlos Emmons, Antonio Pierce (Can't have two MLB)
CB's: Troy Vincent, Champ Bailey
S: Brian Dawkins, Sean Taylor
PR: Brian Westbrook
KR: Brian Mitchell
P: Feagles
K: Akers
bigdjosh: Wow I wasn't going to post today, very slow and hung over from a weekend in the pool and drinking... but this is just nonsense!!
Ware is the MOST complete OLB (in the 3-4) and would be the the MOST complete DE (in the 4-3) hands down!!! He rushes the passer with the force of Reggie White, he has the speed and spin move of Charles Haley. If you watch Cowboys games he is regularly coming all the way across the field and running the running back down for a tackle. The weakest part of this game is his dropping into coverage. However, that improves year to year and he is MORE than decent at it now. He said after his rookie year that it was his major weakness and works to better it every offseason.
Anyone who thinks Ware is NOT a complete OLB simply doesn't watch him enough to know! every analist would tell you he is NO QUESTIONS!!!
mosley: I just read all 255 comments. That's 45 minutes I'll never get back. Let's do it again tomorrow -- when we announce the all-decade offense. All my best!
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
It's Day 1 of ESPN.com's all-decade week -- for this decade. Mike Sando, who spearheaded this summer project, leads us off with the all-decade defense. We'll unveil the starting offense Tuesday, and I'll be blogging on that topic throughout the day.
But for now, let's focus our attention on the defense. I was responsible for talking to numerous coaches, players and personnel types to come up with the best safeties of the decade. I made a strong argument for Brian Dawkins during those discussions, but it became very clear that Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu would prevail. I was a bit surprised that former Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent was named to the team, but he was a remarkable player in the first part of the decade.
Here are the players with NFC East ties who made the team:
DE Michael Strahan, Giants
DE Jason Taylor (I know, I know)
CB Champ Bailey, Redskins
CB Troy Vincent, Eagles and Redskins
The only name that really bothers me not being on the list is Dawkins. I think he's a potential Hall of Fame player, although the voters haven't been kind to safeties. But you could also make a very strong argument for John Lynch. At the start of the decade, he was the measuring stick for drafting safeties.
And I should mention that the late Sean Taylor was remarkable during his time in the league.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Dan Graziano
Graziano joined ESPN.com in 2011 after two years as a Senior NFL Writer for AOL FanHouse. He covered Major League Baseball, the Olympics and various other sports during his time at the Star-Ledger and the Palm Beach Post. A New Jersey native and author of two published novels, he now lives in Ridgewood, N.J., with his wife and two sons.
