I have to admit, up front, that my heart is not in this one. But you know, after the Dallas game, that people are now going to be asking the question if Brian Dawkins is done. I don't think he is -- but I honestly can't decide if my judgment is being clouded by the fact that this is a conversation I just don't want to be having. But here we are. Again, I don't think he is done. But the conversation is a fair one at this point.
Dawkins had a poor individual game in pass-coverage against the Cowboys. The game was a track meet and nobody on that defense covered himself in glory -- and that means Dawkins did not, either. He was beaten downfield on a couple of passes to Dallas tight end Jason Witten, and he was abused in a goal-line situation by Terrell Owens for a touchdown. It all happened. There is no sense denying it.
On the Owens play, where he somehow was isolated on the wideout by himself in a goal line situation, TO ran a slant route in front of him and scored easily. Dawkins said later, "I was anticipating the fade route (to the back corner of the end zone) and he ran the slant. It was a good move by him."
As for the rest of it, Dawkins said, "I don't like the fact that I gave up a couple of big balls down the field. I took a couple of bad angles on the football today. I went for the interception on one and the other one, I wasn't quite in position. That wasn't good enough. I hold myself to high standards and it wasn't good enough."
He is a Hall of Fame caliber player, but he isn't not as fast as he once was. He still gives you a lot in the run game, and he's still a significant hitter. But the speed was an issue last year and it is an issue this year. It is becoming painfully obvious in some passing situations.
Again, I hate this conversation -- but we all have eyes. Dawkins can still be an effective player but it is almost more as an in-the-box player now, as a quasi-strong safety rather than as the human rocket/centerfielder of old. It looks as if they are trying to stick him down there in the box now when they can. Again, he can still play that game at a high level, I think.
But you get caught sometimes. Safeties have to be interchangeable in the NFL in 2008. Everybody has to be able to run and cover. Dawk talks about bad angles but they look like they are a product of getting there late. I don't know. I will say that it is complicated. One of the main complications on Monday night was Witten, a Pro Bowl caliber tight end who will abuse a lot of secondaries before the season is over.
This obviously bears watching now. We all sensed that this was going to be the final season for Dawkins anyway, and we were all preparing ourselves to mark the passing of an era. But now, this. If anybody deserves a smooth landing, it is this guy. At this point, we can only hope.
Posted by Rich Hofmann @ 11:20 AM
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93 comments
i said in the other blog and i will say it on this one, how come the eagles don't swap the safety positions. move dawk to ss and mikell to fs. i think it plays to the strength of both players at this point.
Rich,
John Lynch played until this year by using his head. Dawkins was fundamentally flawed last night. He seems to have expressed this in your article. He continually took his eyes off the receiver to take a peek for the ball. This would'nt be so bad if he followed the receiver a bit closer then took a peek. I think he knows the quaterback is trying to throw to his guys. At least we should hope as fans!
Rich thanks again for your prediction on the game, way to go out on a limb. No B-Dawk is not done. Like you said, last night was track meet, not necessarily the best marker of how the Eagles will perfrom the rest of the year. It's early in the season anyway. I take away more positives than negatives here. The Birds win that game w/o the late fumble. Look for the D to pick it back up at home vs. Pittsburgh.
While I was watching the game last night, I came to the realization that Brian Dawkins will not retire as an eagle. The Birds will need t olet him go at the end of the year and he will think he can continue to play but he is just a shell of a player right now. Not only is he a step slow but he is taking bad angles and his defense is just launching himself at the receiver which offers great hits when he connects but when he doesnt connect fully, the runner gets open field to run. I love Dawkins, I have his jersey (and I am anti-jersey) because I respect everything he has offered the fans of Philadelphia. He is the heart and soul of the defense but moving forward, the defense will need a body and he doesn't offer that.
He was a "shell of the player he once was" LAST YEAR!
Most of the above comments are on point - even possibly switching spots with Mikell, however in the end, he was and continues to be a significant liability in the secondary. If he won't hang 'em up, the Reid has to do it. PLEASE!!
BDawk will have a monster year, please be patient.
Dawkins has never been able to cover witten. It is plain and simple. Mikell can't cover either...My suggestion: Give Lito a new contract, Move Sheldon to FS and Dawkins to SS. Mikell plays in the dime and Considine gets cut.
Dawkins and Considine were picked apart like last Thanksgiving turkey. Jim Johnson HAS NOT been the same without Spagnola.
subsonickharma - That isnt true, dawkins used to cover TE very well until the last few years. I believe Dawkins can still play but not in the way he used to be used by the Eagles. They can't depend on him to be that sideline to sideline cover Safety anymore... he needs to play deep or up close.
Comment removed.
That's an interesting suggestion, timm2. That would work. But Dawk is not done just yet. We put him in a tough spot last night asking him to cover Owens on the goal-line and Witten down the field. Let's not forget that Dawk is only 5'10, 200 pounds; how is he able to match up with a 6'3, 225 and 6'5, 250 guy. We don't even have anyone to cover Witten. JJ has to do a better job coming up with the schemes so that Dawk doesn't draw tough assignments like that. Now, if he starts coming over late from his safety spot in help situations, I would declare him done, but he had a good play there where he forced an incompletion along the sideline. His role needs to be just that and being utilized as a blitzer.
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its over trade asap.
prez - I'm not talking about all TE's just Witten. thats why i say:
S. Brown for FS! and move Dawk to SS. cut Considine!
I know guys have bad games but he was burnt all night. He'll bounce back this week cause Pitt like to run but he is a major issue with team that like to go down field, like last night. Andy has to make a move now to sure the D up or we will see more of last night.
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