DP: Musgrave hopes to add a West Coast feel to Redskins' offense

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Musgrave hopes to add a West Coast feel to Redskins' offense

BY MICHAEL WRIGHT

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/12429163.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

LANDOVER, Md. - (KRT) - Bill Musgrave kept quiet at coaches meetings during his first two or three weeks on the job.

Musgrave, hired as the Washington Redskins' quarterback coach after spending two seasons at Jacksonville, came to the club in January to help overcome a 2004 campaign of offensive ineffectiveness.

But Musgrave had to do his homework first.

First, he confined himself to the film room, spending most of his time watching 21 Redskins games preseason and regular season getting familiar with the offense.

"After two or three weeks, after I thought I could speak their language and forget my terminology in Jacksonville, we would start having meetings," he said.

Then extensive research started on aspects of the club's offensive performance including how it fared in goal line, short yardage, red zone and third down situations.

"We studied who was good, what we did well and what we want to do better," Musgrave said. "You get immersed really quick."

Musgrave, who spent 2001 and 2002 as the University of Virginia's offensive coordinator, brings a background in the West Coast offense to Washington.

He played a significant role in coach Joe Gibbs adding shotgun formations. Musgrave says this season the Redskins plan to meld the quick-hitting aspects of the West Coast passing game with Gibbs' background in Don Coryell's wide-open downfield passing system.

"Most teams have a blend of both languages," he said.

"We all want to move the football, keep our defense off the field and get into the end zone."

Musgrave, a former NFL quarterback, played behind Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Steve Young and John Elway in stints with San Francisco and Denver.

He's even backed up Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.

"Bill has come from some great systems," Redskins offensive line coach Joe Bugel said. "He's been around some really good football people."

LOCAL FLAVOR

Greg Scott, a former Hampton University standout, was on the field playing defensive end for Cincinnati.

Scott, an all-MEAC performer in 2001, is currently No. 3 on the Bengals' depth chart fighting for playing time behind Justin Smith and Carl Powell.

Having spent most of the past two years on Cincinnati's practice squad, Scott was put on the team's active roster in 2004 for one game. The Redskins drafted Scott in 2002 after he finished a senior campaign at Hampton that included 128 tackles and 11 sacks.

Scott played defensive tackle his first two years with the Bengals before switching to end.

QUICK KICKS

Marcus Washington, Randy Thomas and Rock Cartwright were named captains for Friday's game. S Ryan Clark (knee), CB Walt Harris (calf), S Tony Dixon (hamstring), CB Artrell Hawkins (knee), S Matt Bowen, LB LaVar Arrington, OL Mark Wilson (back), DT Brandon Noble (knee infection) and WR Taylor Jacobs (toe) didn't suit up against the Bengals.

[Snagletooth]

Rock named special teams captian? Sounds like there will be room on the roster for him after all.