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John Smallwood: As preseason games loom, it's harder to focus at Eagles camp
BETHLEHEM - Comparatively, this training camp has been shorter than most of the ones the Eagles have had under Andy Reid.
But the last week of training camp at Lehigh University is always the time when the dangers of fatigue and lapses of concentration can lead to steps backwards in a team's progress.
And considering the Birds will break camp on Wednesday to get ready for Thursday's preseason opener against the New England Patriots, Reid wants to make sure his players understand the importance of focus over these next 2 days of two-a-days.
"We've got situations that drive the practice - whether it's a backed-up situation or a 2-minute situation," he said. "So it's important that the guys stay focused as they finish up camp, and it's important that we get all that in before we play a game, whether it's special teams, offense or defense."
Reid said he understands how players can start to look ahead to playing that first game against a real opponent, but added, "About a day-and-a-half before we play New England, then we'll start worrying about New England.
"Not that [the players] are not thinking about it, but we won't actually start putting things in and working, from an offensive standpoint on the 3-4 front and on the defensive standpoint of their offense game, until a day-and-a-half before."
It's mostly a mental battle the players will have to contend with over the next couple of training camp sessions. It's only natural that the first preseason game being so close might occupy thoughts.
For the veterans, breaking camp means it's time for them to finally get an evaluation of where the team is by going against somebody else at NFL game speed. It's a chance to learn where they are and how much farther they need to go.
For rookies and free agents, the anticipation of the game against New England has to be dominating their thoughts because it's their first shot - for some, maybe the only shot - at impressing the coaches with what they can do in a real game, not just a simulated one.
The problem with both of those situations is that looking ahead can lead to mistakes in the present, and the last thing Reid wants is for the Eagles to take a couple of sloppy practices into the first preseason game.
"I think it's more important to concentrate right now," said veteran defensive end Darren Howard. "The first 3 or 4 days that you come out here, you're really just trying to knock the rust off. You start realizing areas that you need to work on. For me it was the run defense that I was struggling with.
"But now it's time to just get better. We've only got a couple of more days of camp and one more day of pads. As far as the contact part of training camp, that's almost over.
"Anything you don't have sewed up now, you better get done in the practices. You don't want to go into the first preseason game trying to work it out against somebody else.
"You have to keep focus and keep going."
For all the talk about lost leadership and who will step up, the next couple of days could be telling.
Again, the natural inclination is to look ahead, especially by younger players, and it will take some leadership to pull things back together and keep everyone focused on the task at hand.
"You know what, it's going to be us as wily vets," fullback Leonard Weaver said. "We have to come out and show these young guys how to be pros, especially with that game just around the corner. Everybody is getting a little jittery, but there's still stuff to be done here.
"I think by [the veterans] stepping up and walking them through this process, they will see this is how you handle this situation as a pro and this is how you deal with it."
Howard said having a short training camp has been both a good and bad thing.
"It seems like we just got out here, and now we're getting ready to go," he said. "So we're going into this first preseason game with not as much work as we've had in the past. But I think the good thing is that aside from the injuries we've had on the team, you're not as beat up.
"I remember my first camp here was something like 4 1/2 weeks. That was tough. Now, your body isn't as tired, so we'll go into the preseason fresh. We can get focused on some of our opponents and go into the season trying to get on a roll in those first couple of games."
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