AP: 'Skins Lobby Gibbs to Go No Huddle

[jimster]

'Skins Lobby Gibbs to Go No-Huddle

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=293&sid=1292585

November 15, 2007 - 4:46am

By JOSEPH WHITE

AP Sports Writer

ASHBURN, Va. - It must have taken quite a bit of lobbying to persuade conservative Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs to start using the two-minute offense in the middle of a game.

"We were asking for it, and we got it," receiver Keenan McCardell said Wednesday. "The coaches let us be able to go out and execute it. And there's the old saying in the locker room, 'If we want it, we've got to make it work.' So we went out and made it work."

The offense looked as good _ if not better _ than it has all season when it started spreading the field with four wideouts and running the plays without a huddle during Sunday's 33-25 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The mid-game no-huddle attack helped produce drives of 92, 68 and 47 yards. The first two went for touchdowns, and the third appeared headed for the same result until Ladell Betts fumbled in Eagles' territory.

"We felt like we couldn't be stopped," left tackle Chris Samuels said. "We were moving the ball."

Jason Campbell went 8-for-11 for 88 yards in the mid-game no-huddle, using an approach that was strikingly different from the usual Gibbs philosophy. Instead of emphasizing the run and taking the occasional deep shot, the quarterback moved the team down the field with a mixture of runs and short passes, borrowing a page or two from the West Coast offense.

"He got it done," center Casey Rabach said. "And hopefully that's a sign from the coaches that he's ready to take that next step and give him more things to do in the offense. It's hard for (the defense) to substitute players when you're in the no-huddle. It's hard for them to call different blitzes and dogs and whatnots, and at the end of it we just kept on wearing them out. As an offensive line, we love that."

Campbell especially loves the aggressive approach. The Redskins have been mostly cautious with their young quarterback _ he's yet to throw for 250 yards in a game _ but now he has 16 starts under his belt and is ready for more freedom. In the no-huddle, he can choose from several running and passing plays at the line of scrimmage, although he often gets a quick piece of advice from the coaches via his helmet transmitter while the players are lining up.

"You have the opportunity to be in charge and make a lot of decisions and play the game," Campbell said. "All the guys are very confident in running it. The reason so I think is that everyone gets involved. Everyone feels like they can get the ball at any given time. It keeps everyone's head in the game."

Assistant coach Al Saunders said the no-huddle offense is essentially the same as the two-minute offense used at the end of the half or the game. The coaches started tinkering with the no-huddle as a mid-game change-of-pace strategy in practice a few weeks ago, and the players were pining to do it for real.

"We lobbied good enough," receiver Antwaan Randle El said.

Saunders and Gibbs said the use of the no-huddle had less to do with the pleas of players and more to do with the fact that it might work, particularly against an Eagles defense that likes to be creative. Also, they've taken notice of Campbell's success in running the two-minute offense at the end of games _ and his growing overall maturity as a quarterback.

"He had been in a number of situations late in the games where he kind of took it, and he handled those extremely well," Gibbs said. "When you see that and see how he handles that, it gives you the feeling that he can handle other things too."

So does this mean the no-huddle is going to become the main staple of the offense? Certainly not. As Rabach said, the Redskins will remain "a rush football team, first and foremost." After all, running back Clinton Portis is finally in a groove, having rushed for 196 and 137 yards the last two games. Also, the receiving corps is stretched thin because of injuries to Santana Moss (heel), James Thrash (ankle) and now Brandon Lloyd, who broke his collarbone during practice Wednesday.

But, as Gibbs had to concede, the no-huddle did look pretty good. If nothing else, the Redskins have given the Dallas Cowboys something new to consider as the teams prepare to meet this weekend.

"It might be something where we do some no-huddle from time to time," Gibbs said. "This is the first time. It was pretty successful, I'd say."

[Loxley]

Nice find and a good thing for sure. Heres to hoping he pans out like that other guy who runs a lot of no huddle offence. I forget his name, wears a horse shoe on his helmet though I think.

[authentic]

you mean to tell me that the players had to literally beg for the a no-huddle? The coaches couldn't see the advantage of doing this after nine weeks? This is insane! However, i truely hope that this is something that the staff will consider going down the stretch. We can't afford to keep playing footsies with the playbook any longer.

[demoonda]

That would be so nice....

[APBT]

bout time............

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

Indeed, about time!

[GOSKN5]

you know this should be something that we do a lot against Dallas.... we need to mix things up big time in this game to have a shot... if we could throw in this wrinkle and maybe a trick play from ARE or something we might hang with them...

Especially if we can get the running game going a little bit before throwing in the tricks and wrinkles....

[laxpck]

Damn people

We have a rookie QB. You would think we got Peyton Manning back there.

News flash

Peyton Manning didnt start running his patented no huddle offense til 5 years ago. His 3-4 year in the league.

I am all about folding this into JC's attack....the training wheels are coming off.

One step at a time though. It is pretty exciting though. We got ourselves a gem of a young QB.

[RDSCNZ20]

Welcome to modern day football GIBBS!!!!!!

[Heidenreich]

Welcome to modern day football GIBBS!!!!!!

Amazing.

You act like every team runs a no huddle offense.

You can count the teams who do a no huddle on one hand. And you can count the last TWENTY YEARS.

[tr1]

Frankly, this is the best way to beat the pukes. We shouldn't waste time on trying to run the ball. That defense is 8 in the box by default.

What we need is quick releases and a bit of separation by our WRs...not an impossible task against that secondary.

[herrmag]

Amazing.

You act like every team runs a no huddle offense.

You can count the teams who do a no huddle on one hand. And you can count the last TWENTY YEARS.

Quoted for truth.

But I sure would like to become one of those teams you can count on one hand.

[SKINZ33]

you mean to tell me that the players had to literally beg for the a no-huddle? The coaches couldn't see the advantage of doing this after nine weeks? This is insane! However, i truely hope that this is something that the staff will consider going down the stretch. We can't afford to keep playing footsies with the playbook any longer.

I think the no-huddle approach was more of the offense that Saunders invisoned when he came here (open sets, quick to intermediate passes). I like the idea and it was useful against the Eagles, but I would also like to see some of those formations come out of the huddle as well. Campbell growing into his own, the more he does that the more the coaches will entrust him with the O.

Also, if Portis can continue his recent hot streak then we should be getting a lot better.

[Dick Edds]

this could have been BLlyod's game to show that he was not a complete waste, and you gotta figure at least no other teams have any game tape on him, so he could have been that element of surprise. tis a shame that he broke his collar bone, diving for a ball in practice (I wonder if tat is how it really happened?).

believe me, I am just as ready as everyone to kick him out the door, but with injuries to Moss, Thrash ... he might have had some use this weekend.

So we have ARE, McCardell and Rechce ... something tells me their secondary is licking their chops knowing they are going against a 5'9 return man, a 40 year old and a WR that has been inactive for most of the season. They WILL lock down on Cooley.

Someone has to step up, and we need the defense to put points on the board. not just get turnovers, but score off of them!

Campbell, this is where big time QB's make their names. he has to be the x factor ... dammit, he needs to scramble more if that's what he needs to do to keep the chains moving.

Hail to em! Scalp the cowpokes!

[tone_dubbz]

JC did look good running that offense against the eagles. I know the coaches had to wait to build up enough confidence to let JC handle that, but I just wish we could have opened things up earlier in the year. I hope Gibbs realize, a long with the players having to execute, that opening up the playbook and allowing the passing game to develop without the use of playaction will help our production out on the field tremendously.

[Oldfan]

And overlooked by many in the firestorm about clock management after a stupid loss-- a Joe Gibbs team used the Shotgun on 23 of 58 plays (40%)!

[#98QBKiller]

Nice find and a good thing for sure. Heres to hoping he pans out like that other guy who runs a lot of no huddle offence. I forget his name, wears a horse shoe on his helmet though I think.

Yep, I can't remember that guys name either but JC looked a lot like him on Sunday

[jimster]

Dallas is exactly the type of defense we need to wear down early. In the Eagles game we were still able to keep the ball for decent chunks of time even when doing it, so the defense will still get their rest.

I really don't want to see us doing ball control until late in the game with a lead.

[Gregpeck99]

Desperation move now ... should have been used a long time ago. What idiots.

[Forever21]

I think it's a great idea against Dallas...would tire out their speed rushers faster...and seriously...what have we got to lose? if we go cautious against Dallas we're going to get stomped...let's go out and run and gun it...no huddle their ass and make a game of it!