Fire Me Boy!
10-13-2006, 11:21 AM
Gibbs: those aren't my plays
When Joe Gibbs said he would no longer be calling plays, he really meant it.
Gibbs hired Al Saunders to run the offense and call the plays this season for the Washington Redskins. But the Hall of Fame coach made some remarks early this week that seemed to indicate he might have input on play selection when the offense gets deep into the opponent's territory.
Not true, Gibbs and Saunders said.
"I've called every play since the beginning of the season," Saunders said. "Some I wish I could have had back to change."
Gibbs clarified his remarks by saying he is more proactive in the red zone in advising Saunders on what the team might do on fourth down, which in turn might influence what Saunders will call on third down.
"When it comes to going for it on fourth down or kicking a field goal, anything like that, certainly that's my call," Gibbs said. "Al's the one calling the plays."
Saunders said Gibbs wouldn't have time to veto a play even if the coach wanted to.
"When that ball's set, I've got 10 seconds to call the play," Saunders said. "I call the play, it goes to our quarterback coach, who relays it into the quarterback, who tells the players."
Saunders, who calls the plays from the upstairs booth, said he and Gibbs do get a chance to have give-and-take about overall strategy during timeouts.
"We always have discussions between the series," Saunders said. "It's always a discussion about what we should go to, or what looks good, or what we're feeling."
<HR SIZE="3">
STAY IN TOUCH: The man at the top of the NFL is only an e-mail away.
During his visit to Cincinnati, new commissioner Roger Goodell urged Bengals players to contact him directly if they have any concerns. Then, he told them how.
"He's an accessible commissioner," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "He said if there are any questions, if you guys want to talk, here's my e-mail address. Call me, and I will get back to you."
Goodell officially replaced Paul Tagliabue as commissioner on Sept. 1. He's been visiting NFL cities, talking to players and coaches firsthand about his vision for the league. He's also handing out his e-mail address.
"From a player's standpoint, you feel like if you do have something you're concerned about, you can get a hold of him," said Palmer, who didn't have Tagliabue's e-mail address. "I think that's important and shows a lot about what type of person he is."
After he left, Goodell showed the Bengals that he's not going to put up with any nonsense.
Two days after linebacker Odell Thurman was arrested and charged with drunken driving, Goodell suspended him for the rest of the season. Then, he suspended receiver Chris Henry for two games for violating the league's substance abuse and conduct policies.
Henry has pleaded guilty in marijuana and gun cases, and has two other criminal cases pending. He started serving his suspension this week.
The Bengals noticed that Goodell didn't hesitate to punish.
"It's his first year and he's going to have to say: This is what I'm going to stand," center Rich Braham said.
<HR SIZE="3">
ENDURING WIDEOUTS: Keyshawn Johnson was the first player taken in the 1996 draft. Joe Horn was 135th. Between them were eight other wide receivers who not only are enduring well into their 30s, but thriving.
Five weeks into the season, those 10, all in their 11th season, had combined for 214 catches, 2,845 yards and 14 touchdown receptions.
Plus one TD rushing – by Keyshawn last week for Carolina.
In order of selection:
– Keyshawn Johnson, Carolina (first round, first overall by Jets): 27 catches for 373 yards and two TDs.
– Terry Glenn, Dallas (1, 7 overall by Patriots): 20-290-3.
– Eddie Kennison, Kansas City (1, 18 by Rams): 13-187-1.
– Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis (1, 19 by Colts): 32-442-1.
– Eric Moulds, Houston (1, 24 by Bills ): 18-230-1.
– Amani Toomer, New York Giants (2, 34 by Giants): 24-288-3.
– Muhsin Muhammad, Chicago (2, 43 by Panthers): 26-334-1.
– Bobby Engram, Seattle (2, 52 by Bears): 18-198-1.
– Terrell Owens, Dallas (3, 89 by 49ers): 17-232-1.
– Joe Horn, New Orleans (5, 135 by Chiefs): 19-271-0
Only Harrison and Toomer remain with the teams that drafted them, an indication of how things work in the free agent/salary cap era.
Or in the cases of Johnson and Owens, how tempestuous personalities can wear on coaches and teammates.
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GOING BANANAS: Ray Rhodes has always been an intense coach. Irascible even. But few have ever accused him of going truly bananas.
Until now.
The veteran Seahawks defensive assistant and former NFL head coach will be eating more bananas during Seattle's trip to St. Louis for Sunday's showdown for the NFC West lead.
Two weeks ago, on the Seahawks' way home from a blowout loss at Chicago, the team plane made an emergency stop in Rapid City, S.D., because Rhodes "felt faint," according to coach Mike Holmgren. Rhodes was taken in an ambulance from the airport to a hospital. He stayed there overnight with a team physician and returned to Seattle the next afternoon on a commercial flight.
Rhodes, who turns 56 next week, had a stroke in September 2005. The former Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles coach had a second, strokelike episode last fall. That history is what prompted the Seahawks to make the stop on their way home from Chicago.
Doctors found that Rhodes had a low potassium level that night. That – and not anything related to his stroke history – caused him to become dehydrated and feel faint.
So Rhodes is back on Seattle's road trip roster for this weekend and beyond, provided he changes his diet.
"I told him to eat a lot of bananas on the plane," Holmgren said this week.
"For those of you who went to college and took a couple of those classes, when the potassium level drops, there are certain things that happen to your body. Some of us have to be careful with that, and Ray's one of those guys ... particularly on the day of a game. By his own admission, he wasn't very smart with that.
"Really, he was dehydrated," Holmgren said. "It had nothing to do with his previous situation."
Rhodes, in his 26th year as an NFL coach, will continue his role as adviser to defensive coordinator John Marshall and will again be sitting behind Marshall in the press box on Sunday.
Rhodes was Seattle's defensive coordinator from 2003 until his strokelike episodes last year. Many Seahawks defenders still call their schemes "Ray Rhodes' defense."
"He's a valuable guy," Holmgren said. "We haven't changed anything that way."
When Joe Gibbs said he would no longer be calling plays, he really meant it.
Gibbs hired Al Saunders to run the offense and call the plays this season for the Washington Redskins. But the Hall of Fame coach made some remarks early this week that seemed to indicate he might have input on play selection when the offense gets deep into the opponent's territory.
Not true, Gibbs and Saunders said.
"I've called every play since the beginning of the season," Saunders said. "Some I wish I could have had back to change."
Gibbs clarified his remarks by saying he is more proactive in the red zone in advising Saunders on what the team might do on fourth down, which in turn might influence what Saunders will call on third down.
"When it comes to going for it on fourth down or kicking a field goal, anything like that, certainly that's my call," Gibbs said. "Al's the one calling the plays."
Saunders said Gibbs wouldn't have time to veto a play even if the coach wanted to.
"When that ball's set, I've got 10 seconds to call the play," Saunders said. "I call the play, it goes to our quarterback coach, who relays it into the quarterback, who tells the players."
Saunders, who calls the plays from the upstairs booth, said he and Gibbs do get a chance to have give-and-take about overall strategy during timeouts.
"We always have discussions between the series," Saunders said. "It's always a discussion about what we should go to, or what looks good, or what we're feeling."
<HR SIZE="3">
STAY IN TOUCH: The man at the top of the NFL is only an e-mail away.
During his visit to Cincinnati, new commissioner Roger Goodell urged Bengals players to contact him directly if they have any concerns. Then, he told them how.
"He's an accessible commissioner," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "He said if there are any questions, if you guys want to talk, here's my e-mail address. Call me, and I will get back to you."
Goodell officially replaced Paul Tagliabue as commissioner on Sept. 1. He's been visiting NFL cities, talking to players and coaches firsthand about his vision for the league. He's also handing out his e-mail address.
"From a player's standpoint, you feel like if you do have something you're concerned about, you can get a hold of him," said Palmer, who didn't have Tagliabue's e-mail address. "I think that's important and shows a lot about what type of person he is."
After he left, Goodell showed the Bengals that he's not going to put up with any nonsense.
Two days after linebacker Odell Thurman was arrested and charged with drunken driving, Goodell suspended him for the rest of the season. Then, he suspended receiver Chris Henry for two games for violating the league's substance abuse and conduct policies.
Henry has pleaded guilty in marijuana and gun cases, and has two other criminal cases pending. He started serving his suspension this week.
The Bengals noticed that Goodell didn't hesitate to punish.
"It's his first year and he's going to have to say: This is what I'm going to stand," center Rich Braham said.
<HR SIZE="3">
ENDURING WIDEOUTS: Keyshawn Johnson was the first player taken in the 1996 draft. Joe Horn was 135th. Between them were eight other wide receivers who not only are enduring well into their 30s, but thriving.
Five weeks into the season, those 10, all in their 11th season, had combined for 214 catches, 2,845 yards and 14 touchdown receptions.
Plus one TD rushing – by Keyshawn last week for Carolina.
In order of selection:
– Keyshawn Johnson, Carolina (first round, first overall by Jets): 27 catches for 373 yards and two TDs.
– Terry Glenn, Dallas (1, 7 overall by Patriots): 20-290-3.
– Eddie Kennison, Kansas City (1, 18 by Rams): 13-187-1.
– Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis (1, 19 by Colts): 32-442-1.
– Eric Moulds, Houston (1, 24 by Bills ): 18-230-1.
– Amani Toomer, New York Giants (2, 34 by Giants): 24-288-3.
– Muhsin Muhammad, Chicago (2, 43 by Panthers): 26-334-1.
– Bobby Engram, Seattle (2, 52 by Bears): 18-198-1.
– Terrell Owens, Dallas (3, 89 by 49ers): 17-232-1.
– Joe Horn, New Orleans (5, 135 by Chiefs): 19-271-0
Only Harrison and Toomer remain with the teams that drafted them, an indication of how things work in the free agent/salary cap era.
Or in the cases of Johnson and Owens, how tempestuous personalities can wear on coaches and teammates.
<HR SIZE="3">
GOING BANANAS: Ray Rhodes has always been an intense coach. Irascible even. But few have ever accused him of going truly bananas.
Until now.
The veteran Seahawks defensive assistant and former NFL head coach will be eating more bananas during Seattle's trip to St. Louis for Sunday's showdown for the NFC West lead.
Two weeks ago, on the Seahawks' way home from a blowout loss at Chicago, the team plane made an emergency stop in Rapid City, S.D., because Rhodes "felt faint," according to coach Mike Holmgren. Rhodes was taken in an ambulance from the airport to a hospital. He stayed there overnight with a team physician and returned to Seattle the next afternoon on a commercial flight.
Rhodes, who turns 56 next week, had a stroke in September 2005. The former Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles coach had a second, strokelike episode last fall. That history is what prompted the Seahawks to make the stop on their way home from Chicago.
Doctors found that Rhodes had a low potassium level that night. That – and not anything related to his stroke history – caused him to become dehydrated and feel faint.
So Rhodes is back on Seattle's road trip roster for this weekend and beyond, provided he changes his diet.
"I told him to eat a lot of bananas on the plane," Holmgren said this week.
"For those of you who went to college and took a couple of those classes, when the potassium level drops, there are certain things that happen to your body. Some of us have to be careful with that, and Ray's one of those guys ... particularly on the day of a game. By his own admission, he wasn't very smart with that.
"Really, he was dehydrated," Holmgren said. "It had nothing to do with his previous situation."
Rhodes, in his 26th year as an NFL coach, will continue his role as adviser to defensive coordinator John Marshall and will again be sitting behind Marshall in the press box on Sunday.
Rhodes was Seattle's defensive coordinator from 2003 until his strokelike episodes last year. Many Seahawks defenders still call their schemes "Ray Rhodes' defense."
"He's a valuable guy," Holmgren said. "We haven't changed anything that way."