CBSsportsline.com: Best on paper vs. paper cuts: Injuries dictate success

[Oldskool]

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7613642

Aug. 25, 2004

By Clark Judge

SportsLine.com Senior Writer

Tell Clark your opinion!

Shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles opened training camp, team president Joe Banner was asked to assess the club assembled in front of him. He nodded and proclaimed it the best of the past five years -- with one important qualification.

"It's the best on paper," he said. "Hopefully, we can stay healthy."

Newcomer David Boston was going to add a new dimension to Miami's offense.

Well, they haven't, and the best team on paper is suddenly minus a couple of significant starters: defensive end N.D. Kalu and running back Correll Buckhalter. It's a painful reminder that while you can crown preseason favorites like Philadelphia and New England on paper, titles are more likely to be decided in trainers' rooms.

I know, I know, a year ago New England overcame nearly 90 games lost by starters and won the Super Bowl, but that's not rare; it's downright unheard of. Philadelphia overcame the losses of key defensive linemen and cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent, too, to make it to the NFC Championship Game.

But they were the exceptions. The New York Giants were more the norm, losing three-quarters of their secondary as they dropped their final eight games. Denver was 9-2 when it had quarterback Jake Plummer and 1-4 when it didn't. The Jets were OK, as long as Chad Pennington was around ... which he wasn't for six games.

That doesn't mean you can't overcome losses; it just means it complicates the process. And it's getting complicated for some unfortunate clubs out there. I don't know who will suffer the most this season, but I have an idea who's suffering the most now.

Will the few, the proud, the crippled please sign in?

1. Philadelphia Eagles: Two weeks ago Vincent said the Eagles would miss running back Duce Staley most, and now you know why. For the second time in three years the club will play without Buckhalter, which was OK in 2002 because Staley was around. Now he's not, and the Eagles were reduced to re-signing veteran Dorsey Levens, who knows the system and played with the club but is way, way past his prime. Without Buckhalter, out for the season with a knee injury, the Eagles are reduced to Brian Westbrook, Levens and Reno Mahe. Westbrook is versatile but can he hold up for 16 games? He couldn't last year, and he was part of a three-man rotation then. Buckhalter's injury came within days of the loss of Kalu, who produced 13½ sacks the past two seasons. He's out for the year with a torn ACL, and that's a blow for a club looking to upgrade its pass rush. It's also an all-too-familiar story in Philadelphia, where the Eagles last year started subtracting defensive linemen in training camp and two years ago won without starting quarterback Donovan McNabb.

2. St. Louis Rams: Uh-oh, the Rams just lost their top cornerback. Travis Fisher broke his arm in Monday's loss to Kansas City and may be out for the season, and that's trouble when you're trying to win a division with Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck aiming at you ... or, rather, at Kevin Garrett or DeJuan Groce. "Tell you what I'd do," said an NFC player personnel director. "I'd move Aeneas Williams there for some plays. They're going to need help." What makes the Rams' situation more difficult is that their offensive line is unsettled, partly because Orlando Pace isn't there and partly because Kyle Turley is hurt. Yep, that's another injury that might determine what happens to this team. Turley was bothered by a sore back that required offseason surgery, and he re-injured himself in camp. "There are some things that could be seriously wrong," he said at the time. No one's sure what's going on with Turley, but all indications are that he could miss the season. If and when Pace returns, Grant Williams takes over for Turley; if he doesn't the Rams are minus two premier tackles.

3. Arizona Cardinals: Dennis Green says he can win with this year's Cardinals, and if he's right you can make him your coach of the year ... correction, coach of the decade -- right now. This team wasn't much when he signed on, and now Green is minus his best back and receiver. Running back Marcel Shipp is out for the season with a broken leg, while Anquan Boldin -- last year's offensive rookie of the year -- is lost until at least the end of October with a knee injury. Without Shipp the Cardinals are left with Emmitt Smith, which would be great if this were 1994 instead of 2004. It's not. Boldin and rookie Larry Fitzgerald would have made a solid 1-2 punch at wide receiver. Now you drop down to Bryant Johnson, and good luck. But why stop there? You can subtract defensive tackle Kenny King, too. King, who broke his right wrist, isn't exactly a household name, but he was good enough in practices that Green was willing to move Darnell Dockett to defensive end to make room for him.

4. Washington Redskins: OK, so they lost only one starter, but that one starter was indispensable: right tackle Jon Jansen. All he does is cover quarterback Mark Brunell's back. One of the game's top tackles, Jansen was lost for the year when he ruptured an Achilles' tendon in the preseason opener. The Redskins moved Kenyatta Jones into the starting lineup, but let's face it: They will struggle to replace Jansen, who would have blocked Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse and the New York Giants' Michael Strahan. Jones started 11 games for New England in 2002, but he's no more than adequate, and recently signed Marcus Spriggs won't help. "There's a dropoff and a big dropoff," said an NFC scout. "I mean, in run blocking, pass blocking, the works. I look for them to use a tight end over there to chip guys and try to help out that position."

5. Miami Dolphins: I don't care what you think of Dave Wannstedt; you have to feel for the poor guy. First he lost Ricky Williams when the Pro Bowl running back decided he'd rather listen to Bob Marley than Paul Tagliabue; then, it was former Pro Bowl receiver David Boston who dropped out with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. He's out for the year. Wide receiver Kendall Newson, the offensive star of training camp, soon joined him by rupturing his Achilles' tendon in the preseason opener, a game where Miami also lost reserve defensive back Alphonso Roundtree for the year with a broken ankle. The Boston and Newson losses had a huge impact on the club, forcing it to trade for wide receiver Marty Booker in a panic move. Question: Which would you rather have: The AFC leader with 15 sacks or a possession pass catcher accompanied by a third-round draft pick? I thought so.

[Gilgamesh]

Sounds like more underestimating what Buges can do for an O-line...even with injuries

[JoeSkins]

Hoping that Bugel can help Jones be an above average talent, because six games against Strahan, Kearse, and Greg Ellis scare me. Not too worried about the run blocking though.

[afparent]

They fail to give any credit to having the best offensive line coach and best Head coach!!!

[Henry]

Jansen's a huge loss. Bugel may find a way to overcome it, but that doesn't mean it's not a big hit to our line.

[kappaluvacee]

Adequate personnel excel with the proper leadership. Let's face it, a strong running game isn't extremely hard to master with decent coaching. It's the passing schemes that are the hardest to master. We all know what does plan is for Mr. Portis so this article is almost meaningless.

[GIBBS LIVES]

Our offensive line is the strength of this team. We have Dockery and Jones plus the rookies we drafted will only be better by year's end.

With Gibbs and Bugal looking over the O-line, they are seriously underestimating us. That's just the way I like it.

[Henry]

Guys, did you skip over this part of the article?

That doesn't mean you can't overcome losses; it just means it complicates the process. And it's getting complicated for some unfortunate clubs out there. I don't know who will suffer the most this season, but I have an idea who's suffering the most now.

I think it's safe to say losing Jansen for the year is falls under the 'serious loss to injury' category. I don't see hating on the Skins or underestimating them in this article.

[Chachie]

The loss of Jon Jansen is NOT going to bite us in the preseason, people. Kenyatta Jones only has to look "Jansen-like" for one quarter or one half. The defenses are ALSO running "vanilla" schemes right now, just like our offense. When we get into the REAL games (and especially the 2nd halves of those games) you will all see how improtant Jansen was to our o-line. I'm not saying Kenyatta can't do a solid job. He IS coached by the best. I'm just saying alot of Skin fans are already thinking that just because Jones has looked okay in preseason means the position is completely covered and we can move on. Not so.

[TheDoyler23]

Gibbs #1 priority on offense is protecting the QB. Expect many roll outs to the left and blocking TEs. Hopefully Jones will step up.

[RabidFan]

no offense to any but to put Greg Ellis in the same breath with Strahan and Kearse is laughable......Glover is the beast on the Dallas Line and Thomas or Dockery will face him

[JoeSkins]

Ellis notched eight last year, which is no bye week for an OT.

[Skins11]

The loss of Jansen is huge, and it is bigger than the loss of Buckhalter and Kalu for the Eagles. This is especially true since our entire team and o-line haven't had sufficient time to jell together, while the Eagles are running the same system with a lot of returning starters.

All I can say I am very glad we did not trade Samuels during the offseason, because that would have slaughter to our o-line.

[Pocono]

The Boys moved Ellis to the right side so it will be Wiley going against Jones. I don't think the loss of Jansen will show up in a lot of sacks because as someone said Gibbs protects the QB. It will be a more subtle hinderance to the O because it will result in fewer people out on patterns which is harder to notice. I've never seen Jones runblock but Jansen was very good at it so I'm guessing it will be a downgrade in that aspect.

[cphil006]

I think we can overcome Jansen's loss.

[inmate running the asylum]

I dont think the loss of Jansen is going to make that much difference in the Redskins success. As someone said, if the Redskins go down the tubes because of Jansen's injury, then they weren't a very good football team to begin with. During the old Gibbs era, the team routinely lost players for the season on the OL, and still were successful.

Lets face it, Jansen was a good player, but he has never been all-pro or all-world.

Kenyatta Jones bench presses 500 lbs., and is stronger than Jansen, so at least he should be able to run block. On passing downs the Skins will probably give Jones help against Kearse or Strahan, but then again because Gibbs believes in maximum protection anyway, he probably would have helped out Jansen too.

[Guest Westbrook36]

The funniest thing about the article is how the author recognizes that NE and Philadelphia both overcame the most injuries in the league then quickly glosses over it while writing his article.

[Oldskool]

Originally posted by Westbrook36

The funniest thing about the article is how the author recognizes that NE and Philadelphia both overcame the most injuries in the league then quickly glosses over it while writing his article.

It wasnt glossed over, it was given an explanation; He noted that it was an aberration and that most teams cant and wont be able to overcome such injuries.