1. The Redskins once more have a lot of players listed as questionable; this time it’s eight: TE Chris Cooley (head), CB DeAngelo Hall (back), S LaRon Landry (Achilles), LB Rocky McIntosh (head), CB Carlos Rogers (shoulder), FB Mike Sellers (heel), RB/KR Chad Simpson (hamstring) and LT Trent Williams (knee/toe).
2. As usual, most if not all of these guys will play. Landry said he would, as did Sellers. And coach Mike Shanahan said Cooley would play as well. The only players were were limited today were Landry, Sellers and Simpson.
3. For Chicago, CB Zackary Bowman (foot) and G Roberto Garza (knee) are out. LB Lance Briggs (ankle) and S Major Wright (hamstring) are questionable. Both were limited in practice today. If Briggs misses, that’s a big blow. He’s adept at run-blitzing and a very solid linebacker.
4. Yes, Donovan McNabb’s footwork was a topic this week and with good reason. He’s not the most accurate thrower so it’s good to see why that is and the best place to start with anyone who throws a ball – be it quarterback or a pitcher – is their base.
5. McNabb had one throw in the Colts game in which he had a very narrow base and strode as he threw, like a pitcher. But that happened maybe a couple times. The bigger problem is that he often leaned to his left as he threw, or he threw as he backpedaled on his third step. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning had an excellent base almost all the time and delivered one strike after another. But they are two very different quarterbacks; McNabb will run more, obviously. But he’s also more accurate when he’s on the move. When McNabb had a good base and stood in the pocket, he was very accurate. But, on his interception for example, in addition to being a bad decision given that Santana Moss did not have the advantage, he was leaning to his left as he threw. It’s just too hard to be accurate when throwing while leaning.
6. On one throw, McNabb missed low on a 25-yard pass. It bounced in the grass. McNabb was standing straight up in the pocket, his feet were together and then he strode into the pass. Bad technique.
7. Quarterbacks coach Matt LaFleur said, “Quarterbacks in general, when you have a base, there’s a lot less moving parts and it allows you to throw more accurately.”
8. And that’s the problem. When McNabb is off, his base isn’t great and his shoulders fly open a little.
9. More LaFleur: “This is something we’ve been working on since he got here, we’re trying to refine it all the time.”
10. Give McNabb credit for allowing them to work with him on this.
11. LB Brian Orakpo knows the Bears have some youth on their line (especially the right side). That’s why they’ve struggled with stunts and blitzes. “They’ll see things they’re not accustomed to seeing, so obviously that comes with a lot of growing pains when you have new guys in the lineup. We have to take advantage of it. We have to keep doing what we’ve been doing, moving around, guys being relentless.”
Recommended Stories
Follow me on Twitter @John_Keim
To read today’s Redskins Mailbag, click here.
