Thinking Skins Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Morton is MAD!!!!! http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/apmethods/apstory?urlfeed=D7T0LBN01.xml Morton frustrated by special teams play By JOSEPH WHITE AP Sports Writer ASHBURN, Va. Chad Morton caught the kickoff, started upfield behind the wedge and didn't like what he saw. "This ain't working, man," Morton said, shaking his head as walked back to the goal line after the drill. Nothing seems to be working lately for the Washington Redskins special teams, who gave up two long kickoff returns and accounted for four of the team's 13 penalties in Saturday's night 20-13 loss to New England. "We're horrible right now," Morton said after Monday's practice. "But we'll get better. Guarantee it." He's got his work cut out for him. Special teams have been a problem for the Redskins for years, and two free agents from the New York Jets _ Morton and kicker John Hall _ are the upgrades that had coaches excited entering training camp. Morton is doing his part. Signed to add some sizzle to the return game, he is meticulous at practice. He's the first to point out the details gone wrong, not waiting for coaches to tell blockers if they are late to get in position or out of formation. "I take it real serious _ to make sure everybody's right, including myself," he said. Morton did it right for the Jets last season, leading the AFC with a 26-yard kickoff return average. He's averaged 24.4 yards per kickoff return and 9.2 yards per punt return in his career, and he ran back two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game last year. The Redskins were impressed enough to sign the restricted free agent to a five-year, $8 million offer sheet. The Jets wanted to keep him, so they matched the contract dollar-for-dollar _ but threw in a voidable years clause. The case went to an arbitrator, who awarded Morton to Washington after deciding the extra clause meant New York's offer wasn't a sufficient match. Morton was thrilled with the decision, mainly because the Redskins promised him playing time at running back _ a chance he never got with the Jets. "I was very surprised," Morton said. "I didn't think I had a chance. I just really didn't want to go back there." At the start of training camp, special teams coach Mike Stock figured Morton would get something no Redskins return man has had since Brian Mitchell: respect. "I don't even know how many he's going to catch to return," Stock said. "There'll be some guys that might say 'We're going to kick the ball to this guy.' Well, I don't know if that'll work a whole lot. "Most of those guys are going to try to put the ball somewhere else. They'll make us work for the return yards." That theory goes by the wayside if the Redskins don't start playing better. Morton is averaging just 20 yards per kickoff return in two exhibition games. "Even though we're playing a whole bunch of guys, they should be busting their tail," coach Steve Spurrier said. "They should be playing better." At least Morton is getting his opportunities in the backfield, mostly in third-down passing situations that can take full advantage of his speed and agility. At just 5-8 and 203 pounds, he's not going to be barreling through the line on 3-and-1 _ unless the defense loses track of him. "I can hide behind those big linemen," Morton said. "I use my shiftiness as a weapon to get away from bigger guys." Morton voiced no ill feelings toward New York, saying he enjoyed the big-city life there. The southern California native doesn't feel the same about New Orleans, where he played his rookie year in 2000. "Coming from California and going to the South was a horrible experience," Morton said. "I don't eat seafood. I'm not into jazz music. It's not the cleanest down there, and the weather is kind of bad. It's not my city." Now Morton is back in the South with the Redskins, who are located in a sedate Virginia suburb nowhere near the city lights. What does Morton think of his new home? "No comment," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. D Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 can someone tell me why we have crap for special teams year after year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldskool Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Originally posted by Dr. D can someone tell me why we have crap for special teams year after year? Probably coz we dont have a special teams coach thats worth his wait in salt. Ive never understood why the ST coach has been such an overlooked position by this team. ST can make or break a game as we all saw last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoCalMike Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Memo to Morton: The fans didn't like your wide open dropped pass that went RIGHT TO YOUR HANDS. Ok rant done, let's move on. Morton actually seems commited to make the Special Teams better rather than just complain that everyone else is not up to his par, hopefully Morton whips them into shape by the time the regular season starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy-the-Greek Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 coaching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cskin Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Call be dense.... but just what is Mike Stock's pedigree in terms of special teams coaching? I'm just not familiar with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glorydays Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Yeah, I say it's coaching and some players trying to live another day till the season starts. When on the field, you have to trust and play. Injuries often occur when some party isn't as careful ( which is hard when bodies are flying around). If you worry too much about injury, that's what will happen. Morton sees the lack of continuity among the assignments and if he sees it, then the coach should have seen it "first". I believe, Mitchell and some others will follow his lead. Mitchell knows the routine and along wih Hall should lend their leadership and support to Morton. In the meantime, trust, that Spurrier has talked about field position to the ST coach and what the first 5 games were like last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Stock's pedigree includes being a RB for the Saskatchewan RoughRiders, a college assistant for Buffalo, Northwestern, Wisconsin, twice with Notre dame, head coach of Eastern Michigan. his pro coaching career inculdes stints ith the Bengals (87-91 Bengals Super Bowl year in there), and KC 1995-2000.. moved to the Redskins in 2001. The thing I notice most is... the longest he's kept any job is the 5 yrs with KC... other than that it's a bunch of one to two year stops. So far i am not impressed, and, pardon me, but his Stock is dropping like a stone. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riggins44 Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Was thinking the other night while watching the game we can't get our special teams blocking down. Thought Spurrier was going to be more involved. Our overall special teams have been horrible for a number of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeletor The Invincible Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Yeah, ST need a real overhaul, and have needed it for many a year. I was hoping that this year Stock might show us why we're paying him, but I'll give him this year to judge. He has the return men, devise some blocking schemes eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 I seem to remember a Chefs fan stopping by the board back when Marty Kool Aid was our favorite beverage. He commented that Stock was a lousy ST coach with the Chefs and he'd be lousy for us. So far, I haven't seen anything that proves him wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinker Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Morton is 203 pounds? More like 180. Ken Harvey talked about the poor return defense fundamentals in Saturday's game when he said the cardinal rule of coverage is force the returner inside. On the 98 yarder and I think also on the other long return the Skins defenders crashed the middle, didn't wrap up the returner and left the side line open. Coverage is all about maintaining your position and I think all the guys on the bubble wanting to make the team on a "great hit" forgot about being disciplined. Returns are also the part of the game that is toughest to practice because you can't really simulate the speed and intensity in practice. I can't say I miss L'Charls though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrangeSkin Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 There was a marginal improvement in Stock's first year here, under Marty, and that's keeping him alive. Thing is, virtually anything would've been considered an improvement, coming off the embarassment of our special teams under LeCharles "I'm a retard" McDaniel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridironmike Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Where in the world is Eddie Mason???? I know he's in the freakin DC area becasue my dad sold him a security system. Why do they always wait until it is painfully evident our coverage lacks before signing him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowtrain Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 After losing Morton, Jets fans debated incessantly whether his success was due to Westhoff's blocking schemes or Morton's own return skills. Some pointed to Morton's speed and vision, while others looked at the success that has followed Westhoff throughout his career. In truth, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle - as evidenced by the Jets attempt to match the offer sheet (thanks NFLMC). I've personally watched the way Westhoff runs his special teams practices - he's absolutely insane, but effective. If Morton's blocking isn't up to snuff, he'll still pull off a few great plays, but for the most part, his value to the Skins will be self-neutralized. I recognize that I'm probably stating the obvious. But it's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security just because a stud returner is lined up on the goal line. Without the dirty work and people putting hats on hats, it's like having a great stereo with sh!tty speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aREDSKIN Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 From redskins.com- Coaching: Mike Stock returns for his third season with the burgundy and gold, with a number of new players filling out the special teams units. He is charged this season with the continued development of young players including fullback Bryan Johnson and safety Ifeanyi Ohalete, as well as newcomers kick returner/running back Chad Morton and kicker John Hall. This will mark his 39th year in coaching, and the Redskins will look to his leadership and experience to help mold together the many new talents in this year’s special teams lineup and throughout the roster. Last season, Redskins special teams battled through a number of injuries and personnel changes to make a solid contribution to the team’s success. Running back Ladell Betts emerged as the Redskins’ primary returner, and ended the season averaging 26.4 yards per return (28 returns), finishing as the NFL’s leading rookie kickoff returner. Bryan Johnson and linebackers Eddie Mason and Kevin Mitchell led the way in special teams tackles, each showing great improvement and leadership in their second season working with Coach Stock. Stock joined the Redskins in 2001, and made an immediate impact in his first year with the team. The Redskins special teams units improved drastically from the 2000 season with Stock’s guidance. By the end of 2001, Washington led the NFL in yards allowed by kickoff coverage, permitting only 945 yards on 54 kickoffs. The team finished second in kickoff return average (or average starting field position after kicking off), with opponents lining up at the 25.7 (avg.) yard line, an improvement from 14th overall in 2000 with a 31.0 average start. Stock’s work cultivated stellar performances from a number of special teams standouts including kicker Brett Conway, punt returner Eric Metcalf, kick returner Michael Bates and fullback Bryan Johnson. Prior to joining the Redskins, Stock served as special team coach in Kansas City for six seasons (1995-2000). His units consistently ranked among the league’s finest, particularly in the return phase of the game. Under Stock’s guidance, the Chiefs posted eight TDs in the return game, four on both punts and kickoffs. Kansas City amassed 706 punt return yards in 1999, snapping its all-time mark of 612 set in 1979. The Chiefs tied the franchise record with 58 punt returns in 2000 and returned two punts for scores, just the fifth time in team history. In 1997, Stock was named Special Teams Coach of the Year, an award voted on by his NFL counterparts. Stock also coached with the Cincinnati Bengals (1987-91), including Super Bowl XXIII, and the USFL’s New Jersey Generals (1983). In 26 years of college coaching, he helped numerous young athletes enter the NFL ranks. In coaching stints at Notre Dame (1969-74, 1983-86), he worked with Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown, All-American tight end Dave Casper, former New York Giants Pro Bowl tight end Mark Bavaro, and 1,000-yard running back Anthony Johnson of the Carolina Panthers. At Ohio State, where Stock coached from 1992-94, he groomed a talented trio of future NFL receivers: Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn and Chris Sanders. Stock was head coach at Eastern Michigan from 1978-82. He spent three seasons at Wisconsin, as running backs coach in 1975 and offensive coordinator in 1976 and 1977, after completing stints at Notre Dame (1969-74), Navy (1968) and the University of Buffalo (1966-67). Stock started his coaching career at Akron (OH) South High School in 1965. Playing: Stock played fullback under legendary coach Ara Parseghian at Northwestern. He led the Wildcats in rushing in 1959 and 1960. A knee injury halted his pro playing career with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. Personal: Stock spent three years in the U.S. Army. He earned a bachelor of science degree from Northwestern in 1961. A native of Barberton, OH, he and his wife, Peggy, have three children: Michael, Patrick and Cynthia, and three grandchildren. The Stocks live in Leesburg, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awesome Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 It looks like a lack of attention to detail and demanding that players be sound in such football basics as blocking, tackling and not committing penalties will again be the Redskins major downfall, which is f*cking pathetic and inexcusable if you ask me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldog Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Now Morton is back in the South with the Redskins, who are located in a sedate Virginia suburb nowhere near the city lights. What does Morton think of his new home? "No comment," he said. ____________________________________________________ well, Chad nobody said you HAD to take the money you could have stayed in NY with the Jets, but they wouldn't let you nurse the fantasy of being a running back in the NFL, would they? I think it is telling that on a team without a proven back Morton is no better than #3 right now and that is with Betts having missed the past 2 weeks of work. Chad, just concentrate on playing football and stop worrying about the food and the bright lights buddy :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Brown #43 Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 I remember B-Mitch complaining about the special teams play in front of him towards the end of his tenure in Washington. We can bring in all the great return men in the world, but at some point the blocking schemes and the ST coach have to improve or else our ST will continue to suck. George Allen would be turning over in his grave. :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinking Skins Posted August 19, 2003 Author Share Posted August 19, 2003 Originally posted by aREDSKIN From redskins.com- Coaching: Mike Stock returns for his third season with the burgundy and gold, with a number of new players filling out the special teams units. He is charged this season with the continued development of young players including fullback Bryan Johnson and safety Ifeanyi Ohalete, as well as newcomers kick returner/running back Chad Morton and kicker John Hall. This will mark his 39th year in coaching, and the Redskins will look to his leadership and experience to help mold together the many new talents in this year’s special teams lineup and throughout the roster. Last season, Redskins special teams battled through a number of injuries and personnel changes to make a solid contribution to the team’s success. Running back Ladell Betts emerged as the Redskins’ primary returner, and ended the season averaging 26.4 yards per return (28 returns), finishing as the NFL’s leading rookie kickoff returner. Bryan Johnson and linebackers Eddie Mason and Kevin Mitchell led the way in special teams tackles, each showing great improvement and leadership in their second season working with Coach Stock. OK, I know I'm probably late with this, but this just verifies that Redskins.com is not a viable source. What the hell do they mean 'to make a contribution to the team's successes'??? I guess we're supposed to ignore that we were like 20th in kickoff return average, like 25th in opposition punt return average, and like 20th in opposition kickoff return average... Yeah, our Special Teams did a great job helping us out last year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYC Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Looks like Chad is scared of becoming the same old no-name he was in New Orleans, Westhoff and the strong special teams of the Jets made him what he was. Rookies and quality depth make up most of your ST players so when Danny Boy throws all the money into the "Star" positions there's little left over for guys who do the dirty work, thus the lackluster special teams play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Spurrier never took SP teams all that serious at Florida. He had so much offense, sp teams wasn't a big deal. However, I believe he will become more involved. Above everthing else, Spurrier doesnt' like to fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Well he better take them serious because the comparisons of Norv will become louder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poidog22 Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 Originally posted by Flowtrain Without the dirty work and people putting hats on hats, it's like having a great stereo with sh!tty speakers. Great comparison Flow, I think that the young guys need some on-field direction...enter Eddie Mason. To me, it's inexcusable that Washington hasn't contacted that man. Clearly, the ST needs all the help it can get, and Stock's gimp a$$ shouting instructions from his golf cart obviously ain't getting it done. :mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirk Diggler Posted August 19, 2003 Share Posted August 19, 2003 I hate to agree with Flow and NYC but I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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