McCoy's improvement as a blocker
How did Eagles running back LeSean McCoy improve as a blocker during his rookie season? And can Kevin Kolb count on him to pick up opposing blitzers this year?
McCoy's improvement as a blocker
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
One of the major questions about LeSean McCoy as a rookie was if he'd be able to do a good enough job as a blocker.
McCoy always appeared willing to improve that aspect of his game, but did that mean he always did a good job?
Of course not.
Marty Mornhinweg was quick to acknowledge earlier this week that McCoy made mistakes in games last year, but he was quick to correct them and maintained a good attitude throughout. Mornhinweg said the difference between his blocking in Week 1 and the end of the season was "night and day."
Just quickly checking my notes from last season, I noticed McCoy did a poor job in protection in the playoff loss to the Cowboys, allowing a blitzing linebacker to get in the face of Donovan McNabb, who threw an incompletion.
And in Week 17, he was called for holding in the fourth quarter against Dallas.
McCoy is in a different role this season. He's not the young rookie looking to learn from the veteran and contribute when possible. He's the guy. With the interior of the Eagles' offensive line a major question mark, it's crucial that he continues to work on knowing his blocking assignments and executing properly.
Kevin Kolb showed during his two starts last season that he is willing to stay in the pocket and absorb a hit, but obviously he's no good to the Birds if he gets injured.
Other links and thoughts:
* Donovan McNabb spent a few minutes on 97.5 The Fanatic with Gonzo and Vai Sikahema this morning, but he wasn't in the mood to say much. He apologized to Eagles fans for not bringing a Super Bowl to Philadelphia, but had only good things to say about Kolb, Andy Reid and his new opportunity with the Redskins.
* Quick thought on the 3-4 discussion. Do the Eagles have more hybrid guys on their roster now than in years past? Yes. But do we know if any of them can play? No. Was there a single linebacker last year whose play you would describe as above average or exceptional? I would put Akeem Jordan in that category when he was playing the WILL before he got injured, but no other name comes to mind. I believe Sean McDermott when he says he'll play whatever package gets his most effective players on the field, but we'll have to see who exactly those guys are.
* CBSSports.com's Clark Judge lists the Eagles as one of the five most intriguing QB situations in the NFL:
For the past 11 seasons Donovan McNabb was the face of the Eagles' franchise. But now he's gone and not because he did anything wrong; the club simply decided it was time to make a change. And change, we're told, is good. Let's see. McNabb's successor, Kevin Kolb, allows coach Andy Reid to run more of a traditional West Coast offense, with more short to intermediate passes, slants, crosses and curls. But the question is: Will it allow the Eagles more success than they had with McNabb? That will be difficult. He led the team to the playoffs eight times, including five conference championship games in five years and one Super Bowl. Still, the Eagles thought they had gone as far as they could with him and wanted a new approach. This is that new approach.
Become a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
I guess if you are from Oakland, getting rid of McNabb seems crazy when he takes you to the playoffs. BUt here in Philly, we aren't satisfied with the playoffs. It would be nice to be the best one year.— Deano97- If the offensive line can't block, and McKoy can't block, it won't mater how accurate Kolb is.....and Mckoy will see his playing time reduce as we now have a real fullback....— nuggett
- Before long we will be happy to just appear in the playoffs-remember before Mcnabb— TYMcNabb
- nuggett...we had a full time fb last year too. what is your point?— crohnkiller
- nuggett his name is McCoy— sasquatches
Thanks Clark Judge for that nothing paragraph.- I don't feel McNabb 'led' the birds to playoffs. He was there with the rest of the team, but at no time in his 11 years did he seem to 'lead' them anywhere. His demeanor on the sidelines (at least what was obvious to us fans) was appalling and certainly not that of an interested leader. Time to try something different.— J Ziggy
- We will have to see what Kolb is, if he can't play, say good bye to Big Red!— CrashTestCorzine
- ziggy, if he didn't 'lead' them to the playoffs, if it was a team thing, then why did he take so much flak for not leading his team to the super bowl?— vinni
- Can't understand why everyone is treating McCoy like some superstar RB. He didn't even manage a 100 yard game. Don't get me wrong, he did fine as a rookie--but without a surprisingly strong performance from L. Weaver, the RB situation in Philly was one step up from horrendous. If MM's offense requires 5 seconds of frantic scheme reading and searching by the QB...no line or RB blocking will be sufficient. It must go 1-2-3 throw...that makes everyone's blocking look super...just like Peyton Manning's blockers!!!— Smashmouth
- McCoy is a good player with some terrific potential that he showed last season. He doesn't have to be a superstar and it's unfair to expect that of him. He will be improved this year.— Bob1
- Sweet comment, vinni. You be right!— Bake McBride
- the thing about mcnabb and the failure of the team to win the sb was not that he failed... it was how he failed... he didn't have "it" when he needed "it"... yes he did throw the famous 4th and a million yd pass to freddie mitchell but why did he have to??? because he managed to go three and minus 16 to set up the situation... the reason he's disliked by so many fans is not because of all the wormburners but because he was so hollow... there was no substance to the man.... he had no game when it mattered...he was terrible in the redzone... worthless under pressure... he was a fake... what we want and what we fans beleive kolb is capable of is simple honest performance... someone who isn't afraid to fail... my guess is that he will become a philly legend before his career is over... mcnabb on the otherhand will always be remembered as an eleven year disappoitment.— elmeaux_b
- elmeaux_b: Way to not give credit to McNabb for things he did well, like the 4th and 26th pass. And McNabb had a winning playoff record, so you can't honestly claim he shrunk under pressure. Let's look at the key losses. In 2001, they played away at St. Louis in a dome against a superior, more experienced team. Against Tampa Bay, the Eagles lack physicality at WR allowed TB's defense to key on the run and pass rushing; that wasn't McNabb's fault. The Carolina game was similar to the TB game - the receivers were blanketed, making the Eagles too dependent on Westbrook. In the SB against the Patriots, the Eagles simply were beaten. McNabb wasnt'stellar, but he played decent. And the story about him puking is a myth. Against the Cardinals, Mcnabb brought the team back from an 18 pt. deficit, only to have the defense cough up the lead again. That wasn't his fault.— p-diddy
- p-diddy- watch the Superbowl film again - you can clearly see McNabb pull his helmet up and puke his guts out. Not much of a myth! And I seem to remember on that last drive where he was walking around with less than a minute to go with Fraley (sp?) waving him to the line! How many games did he choke on the last drive of the *big* game to lose. Uh, lets see as recent as last 2008 playoffs when he couldn't drive down the field against Arizona. No heart, definitely no stamina, no leadership! It was time to move him.— gdibig
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.
