Rich Hofmann | Linebackers need to turnover a new leaf
THE EAGLES once had a really rugged defense, and it wasn't only when Buddy Ryan was the coach. In 2001 and again in 2002, they led the NFL in forced fumbles. If it never was a knock-'em-down-and-then-laugh-at-'em defense - the old Ryan dictate - this Eagles defense under this Eagles coaching staff used to be a physical handful. It really did.
The physical trend has been downward since then - as, honestly, more and more of the Ray Rhodes holdovers have retired or gone elsewhere. On the ruggedness scale, the forced-fumble scale, they went from elite to mediocre in recent seasons. This year, even as the defense has carried the 2-3 Eagles so far, mediocre has slipped to something worse.
They have only three forced fumbles so far this season, which is tied for the third-worst total in the NFL. The linebackers have none. The Eagles' defense has been sound and it has come up big in some big spots, and that is what matters most. But the game-turning, field-flipping plays have been almost non-existent through five games, especially among the linebackers. This is not a crisis but it is a fact.
So, at another weekly press conference, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson gets asked about his linebackers - all of whom are new either to starting (Chris Gocong), or to their position (Omar Gaither), or to the team (Takeo Spikes) - in a random series of questions spaced out by a couple of minutes. Johnson's answers are printed here, in full. Notice the undercurrent.
On Gocong, he said, "I think he's OK. I still want to see, like last week, he had a great chance for a sack but wasn't quite there. I tell Chris all the time, 'You need to make a couple of big plays. You need to get that confidence and spark.' But he's sound. He's solid. I'd just like to see more production out of him. That's just being honest with him, too.''
On Gaither, he said, "I'm comfortable. He's handled the defense well. He handles the front well. He handles the 2-minute situation. He's done a good job as far as that. I think he can be even more productive and physical but, as far as the overall handling of the defense, he's done a really good job.''
Finally, on Spikes, Johnson said, "He's played well, and the thing about Takeo is, the more he's around here, the more leadership we're going to see. I think he's still - and he'd probably admit it - learning some things with the system. He's feeling his way a little bit but he's gaining more confidence and has great leadership ability. I think you'll see more and more of that as the year goes on."
. . . like to see more production . . .
. . . can be even more productive . . .
. . . feeling his way a little bit . . .
You get the point. Johnson has never been very interested in camouflaging his feelings, and he made them pretty plain here. This defense needs to make more big plays and these linebackers need to make more big plays. So far this year, the three starting linebackers have no forced fumbles, no sacks and one interception. That's it. That isn't enough.
"That's something we've been stressing this week,'' Spikes said. "More turnovers, more big plays when the opportunity presents itself. There comes a time when you really don't want to press because when you start pressing, that's when things start going wrong. Continue to do the little things right and, when that time presents itself, the play will come to you. The only thing you have to do then is make the play.''
But when will it happen? Talking to Gaither, if you choose to take the line of inquiry that this is a new batch of linebackers and that it would be a natural progression from getting comfortable in the defense to then making big plays, he will pretty much knock that down.
"I don't think it's like, 'In 2 weeks, then you make plays,' '' he said. "You can make plays in Game 1.''
But, still . . .
"It's like that with anything - the more comfortable you are, the better you can play,'' Gaither said. "But a lot of times, plays like that come with instincts, and guys getting pressure on the quarterback, and he's forced to get the ball off fast, and you just make a play.''
Whatever the reason, the Eagles' defense needs more of those big plays, starting Sunday afternoon against the Bears. (Truth is, the Eagles' struggling offense needs those defensive big plays most of all.) *
Send e-mail to hofmanr@phillynews.com.
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