Collinsworth on McNabb, Kolb and Asante
What kind of leap can the Redskins make with Donovan McNabb running the show? And how much have the Patriots missed Asante Samuel the last two years? Analyst Cris Collinsworth had some interesting thoughts on these topics.
Collinsworth on McNabb, Kolb and Asante
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
It's amazing how much an analyst can set himself apart when he does his homework and takes pride in his job.
That's the case with Cris Collinsworth, who in my opinion, is one of the best in the business.
Collinsworth, who calls Sunday Night Football on NBC, joined ESPN.com's Bill Simmons for a recent podcast to promote his new Web site, FootballProsLive.com.
The departure of Donovan McNabb will undoubtedly be one of the most talked-about topics nationally as networks and publications preview the 2010 season. And it was one of the topics Collinsworth discussed during the podcast. Count him among those who think McNabb's impact in D.C. could be huge.
"I thought that was one of the great additions to a team I've ever seen," Collinsworth said. "I mean, the Redskins were really in sort of disarray. No matter what anybody else says, they were just swimming out there. They really were. And then they bring in [Mike] Shanahan. And you bring in McNabb. People are going to always talk about McNabb and his accuracy, and I don't disagree with that. I don't think that he's a typical west coast kind of quarterback, and when you look at what it's going to mean for Philadelphia with Kevin Kolb, I think they'll get back to more of a classic west coast kind of offense. But now you're going to get in Shanahan's offense a big, strong, powerful guy that's going to bring a little fun, that's going to bring a little laughter back to the huddle, that is a dynamic personality."
Interesting how one of the things McNabb was criticized for so often here - smiling and laughing in the huddle - is one of the things Collinsworth expects to be an asset for him in Washington.
"It sounds weird to say that a quarterback's charisma can make a difference," Collinsworth continued. "But the Redskins just have been so beaten down for so long, and this whole thing with [Albert] Haynesworth and all the junk that's going on with him. I just think that you're going to see a different personality come out of the Washington Redskins and they've got a great coach now. They could very easily surprise a lot of people because their defense is pretty good."
Collinsworth really caught me off-guard later in the podcast when discussing the New England Patriots.
Guess which player departure he believes has had a huge impact on the Patriots the last two seasons: Asante Samuel.
"How much do the Patriots miss Asante Samuel?" he asked. "Asante Samuel was one of those X-factor guys. He was Troy Polamalu to me. No matter how much Bill Belichick may have coached that guy, nobody really knew what he was going to do on a play. He might take a chance and give up a big touchdown, and who knows, maybe he's not the greatest tackler in the world. But I'm telling ya, nobody knew what he was going to do on a play, and that included Peyton Manning a lot. He made a lot of mistakes to Asante Samuel over the years because he was just a little... I'm going to call him creative. I'm going to give him a euphemism. He was creative back there in the back end, and he creates problems. And there just hasn't been quite the same mystery to the Patriots' defense since he left."
Revealing nuggets there. I think Sean McDermott could probably relate to the part about how no matter how much he coaches Samuel, he doesn't know what he's going to do. That's a good thing when Samuel jumps a route, picks off a pass and takes it to the house. That's a bad thing when the Eagles are getting killed by wide receiver screens and Samuel doesn't play press coverage.
You can follow Moving the Chains on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
Comment removed.
CC is right, we wanted a playmaker and got one with Samuel, kind of like a power pitcher who strikes out a ton of guys but gives up a lot of hits— davi- 'Skins new coach makes all the difference. Ours never seems to learn nothing. Can't miss high, low, and behind with handoffs. I feel bad for Sean McDermott. He'll be held responsible when Chubby fails again.— mccloudmj
- People can blame McNabb all you want for the Eagles problems but he was just doing what the coach told his players to do. Pass, Pass, Pass, etc. Like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Everyone knew McNabb wasn't accurate, but fatboy refused to run the ball. But that's McNabb's fault? Scapegoat if I've ever seen one..— EaglesBleedMoney
- Comment removed.
- No air guitar reference yet? Color the Tonner disappointed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Collinsworth proves once again why he's the best in the business right now - smart, objective analysis without indulging in any of the "mean ol' Philadelphia fans" nonsense. He's right on target with this - McNabb is much more suited to the system I expect they'll be running in DC, and Kolb is much better suited to run our system. If (and this is a big IF) Kolb's fit in the system outweighs his relative lack of arm strength, the offense should be just fine. Shame it took our coach 11 years to figure out he was trying to jam a square peg into a round hole.— JLB
- I liked the article, plus the comments on the Reid/McNabb pas de deux. Andy now has no scapegoat to protect him, so this season is pivotal for the coach. Will he finally realize the "quick-strike" air attack wears down his own defense? Will he USE his versatile and gifted running backs? I doubt it--Big Red is too damned stubborn.— rad205
- CAN WE PLEASE START THE FIRE REID CAMPAIGN NOW?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- The Eagles had their chance when they were truly an elite team...made it to the Super Bowl...and...puke! They will be competitive, but will not go deep inot the playoffs. We have another year of a questionable D line and linebacker core...not to mention the secondary. Yike...they might not even make the playoffs!?— EagFlyPhilSix
- Comment removed.
- ooooh, gettin excited about training camp!— weir99
donnie leads redskins to playoffs, mark it down..my man..wolf out.— wolf 4
Follow
Sheil on Twitter. And become
a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.
Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for even more Birds
coverage, including app-exclusive videos and analysis. Download it here.
