Jason LaCanfora Live Online

[Isifhan]

Don't think this was posted yet:

http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/04/sports_redskins091604.htm

Jason LaCanfora: Hello everyone. Thanks for joining in on the chat. I look forward to ansering your questions and will get right to it.

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Alexandria, Va.: I'm sure Coach Gibbs has the team focusing on the NY Giants and nothing else. With that being said, I just don't see how the 'Skins lose against a team that seems ready to revolt against their new coach.

Jason LaCanfora: Well, I think anything can happen in the NFL and the Giants have a lot to prove. I think the first quarter is key, because if New York is sloppy and uninspired for any reason, those fans will let them hear about it. The G-men still have a lot of offensive weapons and moved the ball well last week against Philly. I think it will be a tight game.

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Arlington, Va.: Are you concerned that the euphoria of the Win over TB is covering some serious blemishes that might be exposed vs. NY? Only TD on a single break-away run. NY offense can challenge Williams' defense in ways TB could not. Arrington hurt, Shockey better?

Jason LaCanfora: Like you, I believe there is much room for improvement, for the offense in particular. I look for them to try to spread the field more and for Brunell and Coles to finally hook up on some longer patterns against a secondary that got scorched last week.

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Brooklyn, N.Y.: Did Patrick Ramsey get any extra work in practice this week? I know Gibbs wouldn't actually pull a switch for some time, but I thought Brunell was the weak link in the offense against the Bucs. His mistakes cost us at least a field goal.

Jason LaCanfora: We do not get to watch practice, so I can not attest to that for certain, but I would imagine Brunell again got 80 percent of the snaps. Mark is not going to look like John Elway every week - he is being asked to rely on his smarts, limit turnovers, manage the game and make big plays when they are there; I think the opportunity for more of the deep stuff will be there this week. Tampa's defense looks much better than New York's at this point.

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New York, N.Y.: Who has been coaching the recievers with Stan Hixon tending to his son?

Jason LaCanfora: They have been watched by the other offensive coaches during practices and are sitting in on the QB meetings.

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Kensington, Md.: I've always thought Antonio Pierce was a good player since his rookie season and it seems Coach Gibbs and Def Coordinator Williams like him too. With that, do you see Mike Barrow supplanting him when he becomes healthy?

Jason LaCanfora: I actually do not seen Pierce coming off the field much at this point. When Barrow is ready to go I think he will be eased in on a few packages with the majority of the reps going to Pierce.

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Washington, D.C.: What happened to Darnarien McCants? Is he going to play this weekend? Also, who's the fastest player on the skins?

Jason LaCanfora: My guess is he will be inactive again this week. Gardner seems to be a good possession option at this point and having Jacobs as the 4th reciever puts more of a speed element in play, although Taylor did not get on the field last week despite dressing for the game. I figure Gibbs won't mess with a winning lineup too much.

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Arnold, Md.: Has Shawn Taylor shown a bad attitude? What is the real reason he isn't playing?

Jason LaCanfora: I think Sean has shown a lot of maturity over the last month and will be used in ways to best take advantage of his athletic gifts while shielding him from areas in which his inexperience could hurt him. I figure he again plays on 40 percent of the snaps or so often in packages that call for additional DBs. He has a long prosperous career in front of him and will play a lot this season, but there is a learning curve to his position and they won't throw him to the wolves just yet.

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Urbana, Ill.: I'm a little worried about that little dump off screen play that the Giants run with Tiki Barber, especially with Greg Williams blitzing so much. Is there any way the Redskins can continue to go after the quarterback like they did against the Bucs and still be able to defend that screen pass?

Jason LaCanfora: Great point. Barber in the open field can create big problems and I do not think the Skins will blitz like last week (70 percent of the snaps if you can believe that). I think the LBs will have to spy on him more and perhaps Washington and Arrington won't be lined up at DE quite as much. The goal is still to rattle the QB and there will be pressure, but I think it will come in less overt forms than it did last week.

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Glenn Dale, Md.: Hi Jason, I am a diehard Redskins fan and have been for quite some time. I've seen alot of positives out of redskins park this year but most notably the teamwork. It has been a long time since I have seen this Redskins team play as one unit and I think last week was a testimate to that. Is this team for real this year or are they gonna fold in a few games when the likes of TO and the Eagles come to town?

Jason LaCanfora: I think they are very much a team and their entire mentality has changed under Gibbs and his staff. They will lose their share of games and have some ups and downs, but the effort and dedication seem to be things you can count on from week to week. That's not a bad place to start.

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Helena, Monn.: I'm still confused about why Coach Gibbs' ex-nfl official didn't advise him to challenge the horrible spot the officials gave on Brunell's goal line rush. The staffer (whose name I forget) stated that the replays he saw were inconclusive. Well, I live 2,000 miles away, and the replays I saw were very conclusive. How could he haved missed something so obvious? Somewhere down the road, a challenge could be absolutely critical.

Jason LaCanfora: According to Larry Hill, the replay official, the views they use in the NFL replay booths do not have the yellow first down line on them and in his opinion it would have been too close of a call. He is a former NFL replay offical and this is his area of expertise, so I would have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

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Alexandria, Va: Let's see if I have this right. Patrick Ramsey proved he couldn't run Gibbs' offense in a preseason game in which he completed 5 of 10 passes for 83 yards while the other two quarterbacks were 5 of 9 and 5 of 8, both passing for about 25 yards. This was in a game in which Gibbs wasn't using plays he would use in the regular season so as to not tip off the Bucs, even though he's basically just going to use the plays he used 12 years ago, updated to get off 5 seconds faster. I don't know, I'm just going by the coverage in the Post.

Jason LaCanfora: I don't think Patrick proved he couldn't run the offense and surely was not judged on any one game alone. Based on 4 games and weeks of practices it was determined that Brunell had out-performed him and was better positioned to lead the team into the regular season given his experience and comfort in the system.

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Washington, D.C.: Is Lavernes Coles happy with this offense? He made a few comments about the offense running so much. I know it is harder for him to get open with double teams and only 2 wide receivers on most plays. Has anyone suggested he speak with Gary Clark about how to get open in this offense?

Jason LaCanfora: I think there is alwasy the possibility that Coles could grumble a bit if things are run heavy, and I believe this week's game plan will be more to his liking. The coaches surely want to establish him in this offense, but the bottom line is this is a run-first team now and that will be especially true in close games.

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Raleigh, N.C.: Is there a possibility that Arrington's knee strain is more serious or permanent than he is letting on?

Jason LaCanfora: I think it is a concern but not a major one at this point. LaVar played through it last week and practiced much of the week on it as well. Should he tweak it again Sunday then obviously it would take on more significance.

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Nashville, Tenn.: It may be nitpicking after what we saw last year, but I saw a lot at the beginning of the week about how few mistakes were made by the Skins against Tampa. While that's true, the few mistakes they made really cost them. Without Brunells trip-fumble fiasco, the Bucs were never in the game, but the Skins let them back in. What do the Skins need to do to further tighten up?

Jason LaCanfora: They are working hard on the QB/Center exchange and I would be shocked if it continued to be an issue (although it was a problem often in the preseason as well). On the bright side for Skins fans, there were very few penalties on either side of the ball, Portis protected the ball well and Brunell rarely throws INTs. That all bodes well for success in this system.

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Richmond,Va.: We have alot of depth at certain positions.Saftey for draft pick?

Jason LaCanfora: I don't see them making any trades like that at this point. They want NFL players who can get out there every Sunday with a long season ahead and don't seem to care much for stocking up on picks in general. Usually, they are willing to part with them, whether via trade or as part of signing restricted free agents.

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Bronx, N.Y.: Have the Redskins had any interesting quotes about the Tom Coughlin situation here in New York? I think he's even worse than Marty was for the Skins in 2001. At least Marty's rules made sense. Coughlin has rules just to torment people.

Jason LaCanfora: The Skins have said all the right things about that situation and done nothing to give the Giants any bulletin board material. Several players did relate the process to what they went through early in Marty Ball, but also pointed out how strong they finished that season after they adjusted to him.

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Philadelphia, Pa.: How is this for a theory: Spurrier's system ruined Ramsey's chances of playing this year by causing him to take on a number of bad habits. When Gibbs took over the team he quickly realized that Ramsey wouldn't be able to run his offense yet and would need some time to unlearn some of the bad things that he learned under Spurrier. That is why he got Brunell and thats one reason why Ramsey looked so bad in the preseason. Whaddya think?

Jason LaCanfora: I think there is a little something to that, probably. Patrick has talked openly about having to forget some of what Spurrier instilled in him and this is certainly a new process for him. He is still a very young QB and is learning a lot by watching Brunell and working with the coaches after practices at this point. Everything points to him being the long-term option at QB.

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College Park, Md.: What a weekend WVu vs Terps and Skins vs. Giants! I'm a lucky man but I'll be even luckier if you could give me a predicition as to who wins those games?!

Jason LaCanfora: Wow. That's a lot of pressure. For purely entertainment purposes only, I would go with the Skins and WVU, but I'm far from being any sort of swami.

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South America: I agree that NY will come out on fire at home and with a chip in their shoulder to prove they are better than the team that played last week against the Eagles. With that being said, what will be the biggest challenge for the Redskins going against a tough NY giants team?

Jason LaCanfora: If they can make Barber fight for tough yards and keep him from breaking anything big I think the Skins will be a great position to win this game. The Giants will show much more commitment to the run than the Bucs did.

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Fairfax, Va: After watching the game it seems that the special team coverage of kick-offs was not up to par. Has any adjustments been made for this?

Jason LaCanfora: They are really harping on this point and I think you will see some different players involved in kick coverage this week - more of Antonio Pierce, maybe? - and players taking more succesful angles of attack.

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Herndon, Va.: I think the Skins are rolling towards 6-0. The Giants, the Cowboys, Browns, Ravens, and Bears... that ain't murderer's row. Every one of those offenses is, well, offensive. Every one of them finished in the bottom half of the league, offensively, last year. If they're 6-0 heading into their bye week, it's the story of the year! (And, of course, Joe's the story)

Jason LaCanfora: 6-0! Hmmm. I don't know if I am ready to make that leap just yet. But if that happens I can only imagine the hysteria around here. People would be going nuts, eh?

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Hutchinson, Kan.: Clinton Portis looked really good last sunday, How much better well he be this sunday?? When well Sean Taylor start on a consistant basis? He's going to be a star!

Jason LaCanfora: I think Clinton has a chance to do some damage against a suspect defense. I am not sure if this is another 30-carry day for him but I think we may see him catch more than the 4 passes he got last week.

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Maryland: D.C. asked,"Who's the fastest player on the 'Skins?"

Well?

And thanks for the Chats!

Jason LaCanfora: Good question. I'll have to ask the coaches and/or trainers to find out for sure - ask me again when I do this in two weeks - but I would guess off the top of my head Coles or Jacobs.

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Alexandria, Va.: Do you think S. Taylor can match up with J. Shockey well? Do you also think S. Taylor will have the same impact he had in the preseason during the regular season?

Jason LaCanfora: It will be interesting to see how much Sean gets in there against his fellow Hurricane. Could be an interesting match-up, as Taylor has the size and speed to put a body on Shockey. Could be a lot of Marcus Washington on Shockey as well. My guess is Sean is not put in too many one-on-one situations like that and will be playing more centerfield back there, but Gregg Williams has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

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Falls Church, Va.: Do you think that Gibbs should have gone more play action and used Lavernaus Coles a little more?...or do you think he is still holding things back for say a Philadelphia?

Jason LaCanfora: I think he is conserving as much of his attack as possible each week and trying to sneak up on teams as much as possible. Not sure it's so much saving it for Philly as it is revealing things in drips and drabs. My guess is the motion will continue to increase each week and we'll see more reverses, flea-flickers, etc. as the season rolls on and players get set in the system.

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Washington, D.C.: The game plan was outstanding, the execution can only improve. If we shut down a Super Bowl winning quarterback in our first game the McNabbs and Testeverdes don't stand a chance do they?

Jason LaCanfora: McNabb and Vinny do things differently than Brad Johnson. TB and Philly both run the West Coast offense, but Donovan's athleticism and improvosational skills make him tough. Vinny can get the ball down field better than Johnson can. We'll see how it goes. Each week is a new challenge and it's tough to base too much on one game.

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Jason LaCanfora: Well guys, that seems to be all the questions. Thanks for sending them in and I look forward to catching up with all of you in two weeks. Enjoy the game and have a great weekend.

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Washington, DC: I'm disgusted that the Capitals finally land a No. 1 overall draft pick, Alexander Ovechkin, and now there will be no hockey this winter. Is there any chance Gibbs could be persuaded to pick up Ovechkin for some special teams' play? I think he owes it to his fans in Washington.

Jason LaCanfora: I'm back .... Didn't see those new questions come in, so here goes:

I'm sure Gibbs would give Alex a look but there's no chance his agent will let him over here any time soon. I don't see him getting over here until 2006 between the lockout, getting a new CBA done and then agree to a few with his Russian team and a new contract with the Caps.

Will be a long winter without the sticks and pucks, though. At least we got the World Cup, but even that format was not that great, I thought. Wish it was at least best 2 of 3 in the semis and finals.

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Bend, OR: Jason--

Glad you got this Skins gig, now that it looks the NHL season won't happen. I was worried you might not have enough to do...

What's the story with McCants? Are the Skins only going to activate 4 receivers each week, leaving one out all the time? What's the trade off? What other position are they bolstering by activating only 4 WRs?

Jason LaCanfora: Thanks buddy. Don't worry about me; I've got more than enough to handle on the Skins beat and I loved covering hockey as well. Will be great to be able to go to games as a fan with my friends again and have a few soda pops at the game - that is if they ever start playing again.

As for McCants, I think he'll have to really show something in practices, and unfortunately we in the media do not get to watch so it's difficult to evaluate the situation.

The 4 WR allow them to bring in extra H-back/TE, and with the focus on the running game I don't see that changing. If Kozlowski gets activated this week thinsg could shake up even more.

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Gambrills, Md.: I've been hearing a lot of talk on the radio concerning Coach Gibbs' health. Is he working like the old days, i.e., sleeping on the couch, working until 3:00 a.m.? There has to be a happy medium between Gibbs' work habits of old and something like Spurrier's phoning it in from the 7th tee the last two seasons. Has this been raised with him?

Jason LaCanfora: Coach is working his tail off, no doubt about it, and he has looked beaten on some days - last Friday and after the game Sunday, for example. That's to be expected. He is ultra competitive and has a lot at stake and takes each win and loss personally.

But Wednesday, for example, he was down right jovial. Spent a lot of time joking around with us after practice, telling stories about the good old days and rehashing his favorite liens from his favorite movies (a lot of Young Frankenstein talk). It was a lot of fun and Joe was in great spirits and looked totally refreshed.

It will be a grind at times and given his diabities and late nights I am sure there will be some bad days along the way. He and his staff have been through this before and I think they will be fine. Maybe he will cut back on the hours a bit at some point, but somehow I doubt it.

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Philadelphia, PA: Jason, I've been reading you since you were writing about the Capitals. Thanks for your great work. It is my belief that the NFL is more of a coaches league than any other major sport. By that I mean that a coach has more impact on his team in football than in baseball, basketball and hockey. This is why I think the Redskins will win ten games this year. Am I wrong?

-Matt

Jason LaCanfora: Hey Matt, thanks so much for the kind words.

I agree with you completely. Gibbs alone is worth 3-4 wins in my opinion. Coaches more directly impact wins and losses in this league than any other.

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South America: With Portis getting 30 carries last week, will he be able to hold up like that all season? He is a very talented back but not exactly the ground pounder that Gibbs is use to. I wonder if the coaching staff wiil consider Portis's durability as the season wears on and factor that into their weekly preparations?

Jason LaCanfora: I will be watching this one very closely. Clinton has only carried 30 times or more twice in his career prior to this season and last season never went over 26 carries, I believe. He is not a big back and will take a beating this season. Clinton is adament that he can take a big load and the coaches are very aware of the import of keeping him fresh for the 4th quarter, but my guess is we will see him spelled more by Betts in the second half and I still would not surprised if a bigger veteran like Lamar Smith is signed at some point for depth.

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Coughlin discipline: More of a comment but I find it interesting that Gibbs gets discipline out of the team without resorting to Coughlin like rules and regulations. Good leaders seem to inspire more than regulate...

Jason LaCanfora: Great point. Joe takes a very different tact with his team and has a very personal touch with his players. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.