Former NFL coach Brian Billick never shied away from a thought when he was with the Ravens. And he’s certainly not going to do that now that he’s an analyst with FOX. Billick also breaks down games with Jim Mora on the NFL Network’s The Coaches Show. He also goes into detail on particular plays on Playbook. He also was ananlyst for NFL Network at the scouting combine and the draft.
And now he’s sharing a few thoughts on the Redskins and Cardinals.
On Rex Grossman: “I’ve been critical of Rex. I’m not a huge Rex Grossman fan in terms of his ability to take a team to a championship. But I was as impressed with his performance as anybody’s. I thought they’d play good defense, run the ball and let Rex orchestrate the offense. Well, they didn’t run well and it fell onto his shoulders. I was very impressed with Rex and his ability to take that on.”
On what he learned about Rex: “He was very efficient. He was very accurate. Anytime you do that and you avoid the big mistake… he had a very solid game.”
On if a QB can change: “There comes a point where it’s like a fingerprint; you are who you are. You can grow and learn and you can find another level of efficiency. With Rex, looking back at the big year he had, there’s a limited amount of data on him. But yeah he had a lot of touchdowns and interceptions. If you duplicate those numbers [16 touchdowns, 16 interceptions] and maybe be in the 20’s in terms of touchdowns, but diminish the interceptions then yeah maybe he has made that late career change.”
On Arizona’s defense: “They’re in flux defensively. Ray Horton is trying to install the Steelers style and that takes a while. I don’t know if they have the personnel to match it just yet. You saw a little of that last week. I’m sure Washington’s plan is to go in with a certain amount of balance and when needed, Rex can step up and do things throwing the ball and run a nicely orchestrated game. I’m sure this is what draws them to him; he can orchestrate the offense efficiently.”
On where Arizona is lacking: “The perfect example is their defensive tackles. Now, Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett are very good, but they’re not the style of tackles you have in that system. I love Adrian Wilson, but he’s a different style than Troy Polamalu. Joe Porter is coming off the edge with Clark Hagans. They understand the system, but they’ve seen better days. They have a ways to go defensively.”
On Cards corner Patrick Peterson: “I love Patrick Peterson. He was the best player in the draft last year. He’s an elite corner. He could also play safety – but I wouldn’t play him there. He’s a great return guy. Great personality.”
On Kevin Kolb: “I love Kevin Kolb. Because of Cam Newton’s debut, Kevin’s day was swept under the table. But at the end of the day his team won and he had a lot to do with it. He’s a complete quarterback and they didn’t have that last year. They can orchestrate the offense. He’s a smart player.”
On if it’s easy or hard to blitz Kolb: “He’s a good, smart quarterback. He should be hard to blitz and now he has assets to throw to. So I’d imagine they’ll do it, but you have to do it with some concern. The key is if they can hold up on the outside. But the good quarterbacks invite that strategy because they know it’s an opportunity to make big plays.”
On Todd Heap: “Heap was a big pickup for them. But they have to get to where they can run the ball. They too have questions. It’s a tall task. I know Ken Whisenhunt wants to the run the ball, no question about it. Chester Taylor could be a factor for them eventually. We had him in Baltimore and this guy is good. He’s a complete back, a great pickup on their part.”
On what it comes down to: “It comes down to Washington’s ability to run the ball or at least to try to run the ball and Rex staying away from mistakes. I’m not sure Arizona will be able to run the ball against Washington so they can put pressure on Kolb.”
