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ESPN INsider...Turkey Day Games!
<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Bears vs. Cowboys
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Bears and Cowboys. Now they're back with a
second look.
Some will tell you that starting QB Drew Henson on Thursday, on a short
week of preparation, is not a good idea. However, it may actually be a
perfect week to throw him into the fire. In a short week of preparation
the offensive game plan gets simplified, which would make the play calling
and reads a lot easier for Henson. In addition, the Bears defensive game
plan could be simplified for the same reasons and he could see more basic
formations and schemes. It could be the perfect week to get him to play.
The Cowboys are effective in the red zone because all of their passing
weapons. TE Jason Witten, WR Keyshawn Johnson and RB Richie Anderson, are
short to intermediate route runners that continue to be productive even
when the field shrinks. The Bears may have to decide if they want to
double Witten or Johnson, but they can't double both of them. This will be
a tough matchup for the Bears when the Cowboys are in scoring position.
The Bears will likely come out and try to establish the run with RB
Thomas Jones, but not necessarily for ball control purposes. This is a
game where their anemic pass offense actually has a chance to make some
plays downfield and they will try to do it off play action. The Cowboys
corners are not very good to begin with and if they bite on some play
fakes it makes them even more vulnerable.
The more film you see on the Bears, the more you like their defensive
front four as pass rushers. They are an attacking, on gap penetrating
group that can get to opposing quarterbacks without a lot of help from the
blitz. The Cowboys passing game could struggle as the Bears pressure from
their defensive front four allows them to drop seven into coverage and
stay in their cover-two. However, the front four is not as adept at
stopping the run game right now and they can get caught out of position
when they over pursue and the Cowboys may be able to take advantage in the
run game.
TaitIt is still difficult to understand why ROT John Tait is not playing
left tackle for the Bears. Current LOT Qasim Mitchell has struggled versus
speed rushers and he lacks the range and athletic ability to play the
position. Tait played left tackle in college and has excellent edge
skills. You would think that switching the two, would get them in
positions that fit their natural abilities better and improve the
offensive line.
JonesCowboys RB Julius Jones carried the ball 30 times last week versus
the Ravens, but his 81 yards tell us that the offensive line simply did
not give him any room to work. He has good speed and if he can get to the
second level he can break some big runs. With Bears MLB Brian Urlacher
out, Jones could have a breakout day, if the offensive line can get him
past DTs Tommie Harris and Ian Scott.
The Bears have been using more of their cover-three defense with a safety
in the deep middle of the field and the two corners on the edges. It gives
them better matchup capabilities outside, but it makes them a little less
physical and vulnerable versus the run. The Bears may stay in the
cover-two versus the Cowboys, because they don't go deep a lot which
enables the Bears to bring their corners closer to the ball, allowing them
to squat and jump short to intermediate routes.
The Cowboys defensive backs are struggling in coverage and are doing a
poor job of tackling. They are not wrapping up receivers in the open field
and opponents are having success turning short passes into big plays with
yards after the catch.
The glaring lack of depth the Cowboys have in the secondary is affecting
everything they do schematically. A year ago, they used a lot of zero
coverage and trusted their corners to do the job on the outside without
any help. This allowed the safeties to attack and force opposing
quarterbacks to get the ball out quickly. This year, they are forced to
keep their safeties back to protect the corners and they are playing more
soft cover-two schemes. With the safeties back it weakens their ability to
stop the run with their undersized defensive front seven.
Special Teams
The Bears have stayed in some games with their special teams play,
especially PT Brad Maynard. With an offense that struggles to sustain
drives, field position becomes critical and Maynard's directional punting
has been excellent as he has placed 20 kicks inside the opponents 20-yard
line.
If you want to see a player that takes pride in playing on special teams,
look for the Cowboys' Terrance Copper. He does an excellent job on cover
teams and is also returning kickoffs.
Prediction: Cowboys 14, Bears 13
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<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Bears vs. Cowboys
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Bears and Cowboys. Now they're back with a
second look.
Some will tell you that starting QB Drew Henson on Thursday, on a short
week of preparation, is not a good idea. However, it may actually be a
perfect week to throw him into the fire. In a short week of preparation
the offensive game plan gets simplified, which would make the play calling
and reads a lot easier for Henson. In addition, the Bears defensive game
plan could be simplified for the same reasons and he could see more basic
formations and schemes. It could be the perfect week to get him to play.
The Cowboys are effective in the red zone because all of their passing
weapons. TE Jason Witten, WR Keyshawn Johnson and RB Richie Anderson, are
short to intermediate route runners that continue to be productive even
when the field shrinks. The Bears may have to decide if they want to
double Witten or Johnson, but they can't double both of them. This will be
a tough matchup for the Bears when the Cowboys are in scoring position.
The Bears will likely come out and try to establish the run with RB
Thomas Jones, but not necessarily for ball control purposes. This is a
game where their anemic pass offense actually has a chance to make some
plays downfield and they will try to do it off play action. The Cowboys
corners are not very good to begin with and if they bite on some play
fakes it makes them even more vulnerable.
The more film you see on the Bears, the more you like their defensive
front four as pass rushers. They are an attacking, on gap penetrating
group that can get to opposing quarterbacks without a lot of help from the
blitz. The Cowboys passing game could struggle as the Bears pressure from
their defensive front four allows them to drop seven into coverage and
stay in their cover-two. However, the front four is not as adept at
stopping the run game right now and they can get caught out of position
when they over pursue and the Cowboys may be able to take advantage in the
run game.
TaitIt is still difficult to understand why ROT John Tait is not playing
left tackle for the Bears. Current LOT Qasim Mitchell has struggled versus
speed rushers and he lacks the range and athletic ability to play the
position. Tait played left tackle in college and has excellent edge
skills. You would think that switching the two, would get them in
positions that fit their natural abilities better and improve the
offensive line.
JonesCowboys RB Julius Jones carried the ball 30 times last week versus
the Ravens, but his 81 yards tell us that the offensive line simply did
not give him any room to work. He has good speed and if he can get to the
second level he can break some big runs. With Bears MLB Brian Urlacher
out, Jones could have a breakout day, if the offensive line can get him
past DTs Tommie Harris and Ian Scott.
The Bears have been using more of their cover-three defense with a safety
in the deep middle of the field and the two corners on the edges. It gives
them better matchup capabilities outside, but it makes them a little less
physical and vulnerable versus the run. The Bears may stay in the
cover-two versus the Cowboys, because they don't go deep a lot which
enables the Bears to bring their corners closer to the ball, allowing them
to squat and jump short to intermediate routes.
The Cowboys defensive backs are struggling in coverage and are doing a
poor job of tackling. They are not wrapping up receivers in the open field
and opponents are having success turning short passes into big plays with
yards after the catch.
The glaring lack of depth the Cowboys have in the secondary is affecting
everything they do schematically. A year ago, they used a lot of zero
coverage and trusted their corners to do the job on the outside without
any help. This allowed the safeties to attack and force opposing
quarterbacks to get the ball out quickly. This year, they are forced to
keep their safeties back to protect the corners and they are playing more
soft cover-two schemes. With the safeties back it weakens their ability to
stop the run with their undersized defensive front seven.
Special Teams
The Bears have stayed in some games with their special teams play,
especially PT Brad Maynard. With an offense that struggles to sustain
drives, field position becomes critical and Maynard's directional punting
has been excellent as he has placed 20 kicks inside the opponents 20-yard
line.
If you want to see a player that takes pride in playing on special teams,
look for the Cowboys' Terrance Copper. He does an excellent job on cover
teams and is also returning kickoffs.
Prediction: Cowboys 14, Bears 13
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11-24-2004, 09:02 PM <!-- / status icon and date --></TD><TD class=thead style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" align=right> #2 </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt2 width=175>glaken<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_1630403", true); </SCRIPT>
Beach House On The Moon
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 1,136
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Colts v. Lions
<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Colts vs. Lions Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Scouts Inc. Previews
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Colts and Lions. Now they're back with a second
look.
You get the feeling that QB Joey Harrington may be on a short leash with
head coach Steve Mariucci. He is not providing enough big plays and
back-up Mike McMahon has been getting quality snaps with the first team
during practice the last couple of weeks. Don't be shocked to see McMahon
if Harrington's struggles or the game becomes a blowout.
RogersLions DT Shaun Rogers is playing at a high level and may be headed
for his first Pro Bowl. He is big, strong and a quick inside penetrater.
He is doing an excellent job of occupying blockers, which not only frees
up the linebackers to make plays, but it also gives the defensive ends
good one-on-one matchups on the perimeter in their pass rush. He is a good
player that is in his contract year, but it is unlikely that the Lions
will let him get to the free agent market.
Lions rookie RB Kevin Jones had a respectable 100-yard rushing performance
last week versus the Vikings, but it was a deceiving performance. He
rushed for 95 yards in the first half and only five yards in the second
half on four carries. The Vikings made some adjustments at halftime by
bringing a safety up into the box and they also used some up the middle
blitzes on first and second down. The Lions could not adjust to the
Vikings change in philosophy and you can rest assured that the Colts have
seen the film and know they can do the same, especially with Harrington
not being a huge passing threat.
The Lions are struggling in third and long situations because
Harrington has a tendency to look for Roy Williams in these situations.
Defenses know it, and they are rolling their coverage that way. With the
Lions not running the ball well, it will be important for them to get
positive yardage on first and second down so they have more third and
short yardage, where they have the option to run or pass.
As bad as the Colts defense is, the Lions offense is no better. They have
only scored 21 points or more three times this year, which is not a good
sign when you are facing one of the highest scoring offenses in the
league.
The Colts are looking better on defense lately. DEs Dwight Freeney and
Raheem Brock are providing great pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the
overall team speed of the defense looks better, as they are flying to the
ball.
The Lions match up well at corner with Colts WRs Marvin Harrison
and Reggie Wayne, so keep an eye on No. 3 WR Brandon Stokley. Manning has
complete confidence in him; he has underrated deep speed and knows how to
beat press coverage. The Lions don't have an answer for Stokley and
Manning will go to him early and often.
This is a big game for the Lions offensive line, in terms of pass
protection. They have given up 24 sacks and in a game where they will
likely have to throw more than they like, the Colts pass rush will "tee it
up" and come after Harrington. The Lions OTs Jeff Backus and Stockar
McDougle must neutralize Freeney and Brock for Harrington to have any
chance.
Last week versus the Vikings, the Lions sat back in coverage preventing
the big play, but the Vikings exploited them with the underneath passing
game and nobody does this better than Manning. If the Lions play back on
Manning, he will use short crossing routes by the receivers and tight
ends, while using dump-offs to backs, to keep the passing game going.
A subtle advantage that the Colts may have is a little extra rest and
fewer dings for their starters. In their blowout win last week, most of
the starters did not play in the fourth quarter and in a short work week
it could serve them well.
The Lions are loaded with speed, athleticism and are more talented all
around than last year, but they still do not have any guys that step up
and make big plays when the game is on the line. They are starting to slip
back to their old ways of mental mistakes and penalties. This is not what
you are looking for out of your team with the high flying Colts in town.
Special Teams
The Lions best chance to stay in this game may come on special
teams. RS Eddie Drummond has returned two punts for a touchdown and two
kickoffs for touchdowns. He is averaging almost 14 yards per punt return
and 27.2 yards on kick returns. The Colts cover teams are unspectacular
and are yielding 21.3 yards per kick return. Drummond should get his
chances as the Colts score often and on kickoffs, only four of their 48
kickoffs have gone for touchbacks.
Prediction: Colts 34, Lions 13
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Beach House On The Moon
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 1,136
</TD><TD class=alt1><!-- icon and title -->
<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Colts vs. Lions Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Scouts Inc. Previews
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Colts and Lions. Now they're back with a second
look.
You get the feeling that QB Joey Harrington may be on a short leash with
head coach Steve Mariucci. He is not providing enough big plays and
back-up Mike McMahon has been getting quality snaps with the first team
during practice the last couple of weeks. Don't be shocked to see McMahon
if Harrington's struggles or the game becomes a blowout.
RogersLions DT Shaun Rogers is playing at a high level and may be headed
for his first Pro Bowl. He is big, strong and a quick inside penetrater.
He is doing an excellent job of occupying blockers, which not only frees
up the linebackers to make plays, but it also gives the defensive ends
good one-on-one matchups on the perimeter in their pass rush. He is a good
player that is in his contract year, but it is unlikely that the Lions
will let him get to the free agent market.
Lions rookie RB Kevin Jones had a respectable 100-yard rushing performance
last week versus the Vikings, but it was a deceiving performance. He
rushed for 95 yards in the first half and only five yards in the second
half on four carries. The Vikings made some adjustments at halftime by
bringing a safety up into the box and they also used some up the middle
blitzes on first and second down. The Lions could not adjust to the
Vikings change in philosophy and you can rest assured that the Colts have
seen the film and know they can do the same, especially with Harrington
not being a huge passing threat.
The Lions are struggling in third and long situations because
Harrington has a tendency to look for Roy Williams in these situations.
Defenses know it, and they are rolling their coverage that way. With the
Lions not running the ball well, it will be important for them to get
positive yardage on first and second down so they have more third and
short yardage, where they have the option to run or pass.
As bad as the Colts defense is, the Lions offense is no better. They have
only scored 21 points or more three times this year, which is not a good
sign when you are facing one of the highest scoring offenses in the
league.
The Colts are looking better on defense lately. DEs Dwight Freeney and
Raheem Brock are providing great pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the
overall team speed of the defense looks better, as they are flying to the
ball.
The Lions match up well at corner with Colts WRs Marvin Harrison
and Reggie Wayne, so keep an eye on No. 3 WR Brandon Stokley. Manning has
complete confidence in him; he has underrated deep speed and knows how to
beat press coverage. The Lions don't have an answer for Stokley and
Manning will go to him early and often.
This is a big game for the Lions offensive line, in terms of pass
protection. They have given up 24 sacks and in a game where they will
likely have to throw more than they like, the Colts pass rush will "tee it
up" and come after Harrington. The Lions OTs Jeff Backus and Stockar
McDougle must neutralize Freeney and Brock for Harrington to have any
chance.
Last week versus the Vikings, the Lions sat back in coverage preventing
the big play, but the Vikings exploited them with the underneath passing
game and nobody does this better than Manning. If the Lions play back on
Manning, he will use short crossing routes by the receivers and tight
ends, while using dump-offs to backs, to keep the passing game going.
A subtle advantage that the Colts may have is a little extra rest and
fewer dings for their starters. In their blowout win last week, most of
the starters did not play in the fourth quarter and in a short work week
it could serve them well.
The Lions are loaded with speed, athleticism and are more talented all
around than last year, but they still do not have any guys that step up
and make big plays when the game is on the line. They are starting to slip
back to their old ways of mental mistakes and penalties. This is not what
you are looking for out of your team with the high flying Colts in town.
Special Teams
The Lions best chance to stay in this game may come on special
teams. RS Eddie Drummond has returned two punts for a touchdown and two
kickoffs for touchdowns. He is averaging almost 14 yards per punt return
and 27.2 yards on kick returns. The Colts cover teams are unspectacular
and are yielding 21.3 yards per kick return. Drummond should get his
chances as the Colts score often and on kickoffs, only four of their 48
kickoffs have gone for touchbacks.
Prediction: Colts 34, Lions 13
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