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And ok, I'm a DMac fan, so I'll include him, Dawk, TKO...liking this team, man, we got character guys.....
I like what Dawk says about Bunkley. Good thing, 'cause that DL needs to be better......also about Kearse. Even if his sacks don't show it, he'll alter what the offense does because you need to account for him. Sorta like (gag) Deion Sanders not getting a pick, but the offense will throw the other way to stay clear of him.
Owning up to 'D' blame
Dawkins says defense is reason Eagles lost in playoffs
By LES BOWEN
[email protected]
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Eagles defensive players weren't surprised, cornerback Sheldon Brown said yesterday, when All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins stood up at their first gathering of training camp to remind his mates of a bitter truth: It was the defense's fault the 2006 season ended in a second-round playoff loss in New Orleans. They were the ones who couldn't get off the field as the final minutes ticked away. They were the ones who let the Saints bulldoze them to the tune of 208 rushing yards.
Brown said no one was surprised because Dawkins said much the same thing in the locker room at the Superdome, just after the Birds' playoff quest fizzled. Tuesday night, Dawkins was just reminding them, nearly 7 months later, of their need to redeem themselves.
"After the game he was disturbed and disappointed we couldn't get off the field," Brown said after the Eagles' revamped D dominated the first day of full-squad training camp practice with pads, swarming to the ball with gusto. "We already knew what to expect when he arrived. He would have given the speech earlier, if he had been here during [minicamps].
Dawkins missed the minicamps, attending to his wife and their premature twins. But he is back now, and so it seems, is the defense, with a little more depth and swagger than when we last saw it.
"It was a strong message. It was an amazing situation, because he stood up and had the respect of everyone. Everyone's eyes were turned on him. It's just a great feeling knowing you're on the field with a guy like that. I'm looking forward to the season," said slimmed-down second-year defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley.
Last season, Bunkley was the first-round rookie who showed up late and out of shape, the guy the coaching staff thought would help plug the middle but didn't. Bunkley said yesterday he is down to 290, about 30 pounds lighter than a year ago. He begins this camp as a starter, lining up alongside Mike Patterson.
"He's ready - I believe he's ready. You have to wait and see," Dawkins said yesterday, when asked about Bunkley. "I'm not going to lift him up [as] 'Pro Bowl Man,' but I think he understands what we expect of him, what is expected of him in that position he's in, how much we need him to be what we thought he would be."
Dawkins acknowledged he had talked to Bunkley individually.
"I talked to him. I didn't get on him, but [I] talked to him. He was going through a tough rookie year, and I know he's happy to have that behind him. You can just look at his face and see how much more confident he is, in the scheme, reading his blocks, and what he has to do up front. I think he's a lot more confident and comfortable in doing that this year."
As for his address to the entire unit, Dawkins didn't want to share specifics. Asked why the defense needed to be challenged, he said: "I don't know if we needed it, but I felt like it was something I wanted to say."
After finishing 26th against the run last season, the Eagles' defense knows it will face about as many questions about that this training camp as Donovan McNabb will face about his knee. (In fact, those are the two biggest variables right now - if you could guarantee that McNabb will be healthy and that the defense will be significantly better, you could pretty much guarantee a decent playoff run, if not a Super Bowl appearance.)
It's early yet, but nobody on the defense seems to resent the questions.
"If people rush for 200 yards, that's going to be a question we're going to have to answer," Brown said.
Brown isn't claiming great improvement for the unit yet, by the way. As excited as he is to see new linebacker Takeo Spikes and new defensive tackles Montae Reagor and Ian Scott, along with might-as-well-be-new linebacker Chris Gocong, who missed his rookie season with a neck injury, Brown noted that "it's a hard defensive scheme to learn. If you're out there thinking, you can't let your physical ability take over. Hopefully, you can catch it all here mentally, and when you get in a game, you can just fly around."
Spikes didn't seem to be too confused yesterday; he looked fast and aggressive.
"I haven't felt this good in 2 years," said Spikes, who suffered an Achilles' tear in September 2005. "It just takes time. Now, I'm officially back. I felt good - my steps feel solid, explosive. I felt strong, didn't get fatigued at all."
Spikes said Johnson's defense is similar to the one he played in Buffalo before the 2006 season, when the Bills went to Cover 2. "I love [the Eagles' scheme]. This is a good fit; you're being proactive, instead of reactive," Spikes said.
Equally positive was defensive end Jevon Kearse, whose 2006 season ended in September because of a knee injury. Kearse said Spikes approached him and Patterson on the sideline, just to tell them how much he appreciated the chance to play with them. Kearse said he understood how Spikes felt.
"Playing with a lot of 'dawgs' out there on the field, you don't feel like you've got to put everything on your shoulders," Kearse said. "You're able to play free and to have fun out there, instead of thinking, 'If I mess up, no one else is going to stop 'em.' That's not the situation on our team."
Kearse is often perceived as a disappointment because his 18 1/2 sacks in 31 Eagles games over three seasons, since signing an 8-year, $66 million contract, are not superstar-level. And he certainly isn't a run-stuffer. But Dawkins said Kearse's presence is important, just the same.
"There are certain blocking schemes you can't use against the Eagles when Jevon is in the game," Dawkins said. "That's just being honest. You can't slide away from him. You have to have someone to make sure they know where he is at all times."
Dawkins was asked why he thought this team, which was pretty talented even after Kearse went down in Week 2, couldn't stop the run last season.
"I don't know," he said. "I know we had a lot of guys hurt last year . . . That still doesn't take away the fact that we gave up too many yards in certain games, and not being able to get off the field. We can't do that as a defense. You can't be a top-ranked defense and not be able to get off the field sometimes.
"I think with healthy guys, the new additions we have on the defensive side of the ball, and the maturity of 'Bunk,' that it's going to be a better year. I'm not going to make any predictions or stuff, but it's going to be a better year." *
I like what Dawk says about Bunkley. Good thing, 'cause that DL needs to be better......also about Kearse. Even if his sacks don't show it, he'll alter what the offense does because you need to account for him. Sorta like (gag) Deion Sanders not getting a pick, but the offense will throw the other way to stay clear of him.
Owning up to 'D' blame
Dawkins says defense is reason Eagles lost in playoffs
By LES BOWEN
[email protected]
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Eagles defensive players weren't surprised, cornerback Sheldon Brown said yesterday, when All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins stood up at their first gathering of training camp to remind his mates of a bitter truth: It was the defense's fault the 2006 season ended in a second-round playoff loss in New Orleans. They were the ones who couldn't get off the field as the final minutes ticked away. They were the ones who let the Saints bulldoze them to the tune of 208 rushing yards.
Brown said no one was surprised because Dawkins said much the same thing in the locker room at the Superdome, just after the Birds' playoff quest fizzled. Tuesday night, Dawkins was just reminding them, nearly 7 months later, of their need to redeem themselves.
"After the game he was disturbed and disappointed we couldn't get off the field," Brown said after the Eagles' revamped D dominated the first day of full-squad training camp practice with pads, swarming to the ball with gusto. "We already knew what to expect when he arrived. He would have given the speech earlier, if he had been here during [minicamps].
Dawkins missed the minicamps, attending to his wife and their premature twins. But he is back now, and so it seems, is the defense, with a little more depth and swagger than when we last saw it.
"It was a strong message. It was an amazing situation, because he stood up and had the respect of everyone. Everyone's eyes were turned on him. It's just a great feeling knowing you're on the field with a guy like that. I'm looking forward to the season," said slimmed-down second-year defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley.
Last season, Bunkley was the first-round rookie who showed up late and out of shape, the guy the coaching staff thought would help plug the middle but didn't. Bunkley said yesterday he is down to 290, about 30 pounds lighter than a year ago. He begins this camp as a starter, lining up alongside Mike Patterson.
"He's ready - I believe he's ready. You have to wait and see," Dawkins said yesterday, when asked about Bunkley. "I'm not going to lift him up [as] 'Pro Bowl Man,' but I think he understands what we expect of him, what is expected of him in that position he's in, how much we need him to be what we thought he would be."
Dawkins acknowledged he had talked to Bunkley individually.
"I talked to him. I didn't get on him, but [I] talked to him. He was going through a tough rookie year, and I know he's happy to have that behind him. You can just look at his face and see how much more confident he is, in the scheme, reading his blocks, and what he has to do up front. I think he's a lot more confident and comfortable in doing that this year."
As for his address to the entire unit, Dawkins didn't want to share specifics. Asked why the defense needed to be challenged, he said: "I don't know if we needed it, but I felt like it was something I wanted to say."
After finishing 26th against the run last season, the Eagles' defense knows it will face about as many questions about that this training camp as Donovan McNabb will face about his knee. (In fact, those are the two biggest variables right now - if you could guarantee that McNabb will be healthy and that the defense will be significantly better, you could pretty much guarantee a decent playoff run, if not a Super Bowl appearance.)
It's early yet, but nobody on the defense seems to resent the questions.
"If people rush for 200 yards, that's going to be a question we're going to have to answer," Brown said.
Brown isn't claiming great improvement for the unit yet, by the way. As excited as he is to see new linebacker Takeo Spikes and new defensive tackles Montae Reagor and Ian Scott, along with might-as-well-be-new linebacker Chris Gocong, who missed his rookie season with a neck injury, Brown noted that "it's a hard defensive scheme to learn. If you're out there thinking, you can't let your physical ability take over. Hopefully, you can catch it all here mentally, and when you get in a game, you can just fly around."
Spikes didn't seem to be too confused yesterday; he looked fast and aggressive.
"I haven't felt this good in 2 years," said Spikes, who suffered an Achilles' tear in September 2005. "It just takes time. Now, I'm officially back. I felt good - my steps feel solid, explosive. I felt strong, didn't get fatigued at all."
Spikes said Johnson's defense is similar to the one he played in Buffalo before the 2006 season, when the Bills went to Cover 2. "I love [the Eagles' scheme]. This is a good fit; you're being proactive, instead of reactive," Spikes said.
Equally positive was defensive end Jevon Kearse, whose 2006 season ended in September because of a knee injury. Kearse said Spikes approached him and Patterson on the sideline, just to tell them how much he appreciated the chance to play with them. Kearse said he understood how Spikes felt.
"Playing with a lot of 'dawgs' out there on the field, you don't feel like you've got to put everything on your shoulders," Kearse said. "You're able to play free and to have fun out there, instead of thinking, 'If I mess up, no one else is going to stop 'em.' That's not the situation on our team."
Kearse is often perceived as a disappointment because his 18 1/2 sacks in 31 Eagles games over three seasons, since signing an 8-year, $66 million contract, are not superstar-level. And he certainly isn't a run-stuffer. But Dawkins said Kearse's presence is important, just the same.
"There are certain blocking schemes you can't use against the Eagles when Jevon is in the game," Dawkins said. "That's just being honest. You can't slide away from him. You have to have someone to make sure they know where he is at all times."
Dawkins was asked why he thought this team, which was pretty talented even after Kearse went down in Week 2, couldn't stop the run last season.
"I don't know," he said. "I know we had a lot of guys hurt last year . . . That still doesn't take away the fact that we gave up too many yards in certain games, and not being able to get off the field. We can't do that as a defense. You can't be a top-ranked defense and not be able to get off the field sometimes.
"I think with healthy guys, the new additions we have on the defensive side of the ball, and the maturity of 'Bunk,' that it's going to be a better year. I'm not going to make any predictions or stuff, but it's going to be a better year." *
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