First practice impressions

[Uncle Buck]

Here is a good article by Jim Ducibella of the Va. Pilot:

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/st ... ran=154070

Gibbs says he’s pleased with first impressions of his new team
By JIM DUCIBELLA, The Virginian-Pilot
© March 27, 2004
Last updated: 11:21 PM

ASHBURN, Va. — The only 63-year-old cornerback in NFL history challenged the Washington Redskins to use their brains as well as their bodies Friday afternoon.

Seeking to demonstrate one way of determining whether a secondary is playing man-to-man or zone, Joe Gibbs decided to pull double duty. In his first practice as Redskins head coach since retiring after the 1992 season, Gibbs consistently lined up as a cornerback in receiver vs. secondary drills.

If he backpedaled, it meant an opponent was employing one type of defense. If he backpedaled, then charged toward the receiver, it meant something different. If he backpedaled and ran left, it represented something else entirely.

The receivers’ job was to run into the secondary, read Gibbs’ movement, then run one of three or four routes devised to counter his action.

“OK,” Gibbs said at one point. “When the defense does that, you can run a hitch, five or nine route. You’ve got three routes to choose from when that man fires to the center of the field.”

“Kindergarten,” new quarterback Mark Brunell called the first of three minicamp workouts this weekend at Redskin Park. “Heaven,” would have been closer to Gibbs’ description of the business-like two-hour session.

“I was really pleased with my first impressions,” Gibbs said. “I like our guys. You can already tell that they’re going to be fun to work with. I was pleased with their attitude out there.”

At times, practice seemed better than anyone could have hoped for. Receivers ran good routes, there were some fine catches, and offensive line coach Joe Bugel could be heard bellowing congratulations when his unit fired off the ball in unison.

At other times, there were disturbing signs of the ineptitude that’s marked the recent past. There were four illegal-motion or offside penalties in a nine-play sequence. A couple of catchable balls were dropped. Receivers often had to slow down waiting for passes to reach them.

And, Gibbs joked, there were times when he wondered what he had just done and what he should do next.

“The players were pretty good; I was way off,” Gibbs joked. “For me, it was good because it had been a long time. A little bit of amnesia set in. Sometimes, I’d get a flashback and I’d say, 'Oh, yeah, that’s what we did.’ ”

If Gibbs and the coaches were impressed with the talent on hand, the feeling was mutual. More than one player commented that the difference in professionalism from Steve Spurrier and the 2003 staff to Gibbs and these coaches was profound.

“He was the leader of a team that was a success not just one year, but when people talk about the football dynasties, they talk about the Redskins in his era,” offensive tackle Jon Jansen said. “Obviously, that sticks with anyone who knows football. Last night, and throughout today, you could see why: the organization, the attention to detail, treating people like professionals. All those things make up a total package and you can see why he was successful. I’m going to enjoy this.”

Cornerback Fred Smoot said what he liked most about Gibbs was the no-nonsense philosophical approach.

“It was a 1980 s practice, straight, hard up, none of those gimmicks or tricks from last year,” Smoot said. “It was smash-mouth football, and we’re a smash-mouth football team. That’s what we do now.”

New cornerback Shawn Springs said the only hint he had that Gibbs had been away from the game for more than a decade came when the coach “told a story from, like, 1974.”

“Other than that, you’d never have known he wasn’t out there last season,” Springs added.

Brunell said he was “thrilled” with what he had learned about Gibbs’ offense in the two weeks the quarterbacks and coaches have met.

“Coach Gibbs commands respect instantly,” Brunell said. “These players know what he’s done during his career. He’s a good man, too. He pushes you, you can tell that already. But you also know that he does it to make you better. And that’s what players want.”

Gibbs apologized to the team for what he called his bad memory for names.

“I told ’em that I don’t know who they are yet and that it’s going to take me a while,” he recalled. “But I also told them that sooner than that, I’ll know everything about how you walk, how you line up and how you get in your stance.”

Reach Jim Ducibella at 446-2364 or at jim.ducibella@pilotonline.com