Ex-Cowboys and Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson gets a chance to see every team as an analyst on FOX NFL Sunday, a job he’s held for 12 years. He won two Super Bowls with Dallas and a national title at the University of Miami. Here’s his take on the Redskins and Giants, though it’s heavier on coaching philosophy and what he’d want to fix first: the O-line or QB.
On Giants QB Eli Manning: “Eli has made believers out of everybody this year. He’s been inconsistent with turnovers until this year. He’s really playing well in the clutch right now. With some of their setbacks on defense, the offense has been able to carry them. Right now they’re in the catbird seat as far as winning the division. The biggest difference in Eli is avoiding the turnovers. He’s always going to be a quarterback that will take some chances. That opens it up for turnovers. But he’s been able to avoid the big turnover this year and that’s a reason for his success. Eli is allowing Victor Cruz to show his talent. That’s one reason why he’s making the plays he’s making. But he also has talent.”
On the Giants’ defense: “The injuries affected them early, but some players have stepped up. Jason Pierre-Paul has been outstanding lately and giving them some pass rush. They’re still a solid defensive team. They still have talent and that’s why I think they’re the front-runners.”
On the Redskins offense: “You look at Rex Grossman and he’s been a streaky player his entire career. I’ve seen games where he’s come out and you say, ‘This guy is pretty good.’ And the next week he’ll have three or four interceptions. But if he avoids turnovers, he’s got the talent. And now with Roy Helu rushing, it gives them a running game. Helu fits into what Mike wants to do and can run the stretch play. So they’ve got a chance to put points on the board.”
On how long it takes to repair a program: “Mike’s an outstanding football coach. The main thing is they have to get the right players to fit what they want to do. There are a couple ways to go about it. When I went to Dallas I cleaned house and started from scratch [and eventually won Super Bowls]. When I went to the Dolphins, they had a bunch of veteran players and we had to incorporate them. Even though we went to the playoffs three straight years it still wasn’t as good as what I wanted. So it just depends how you approach it.”
On building an offense: “It all starts with quarterback and you don’t have to have a franchise guy, but you have to have a winning quarterback, a quarterback who knows how to manage the game and doesn’t turn it over and makes good decisions. You have to have a winning quarterback. Now, if you don’t have that franchise quarterback you have to be that much better in all other areas. But you can win a championship without a superstar quarterback….You’ve seen what Alex Smith has done in San Francisco and everyone had given up on him. But the biggest thing is the turnovers. Grossman has the ability, but you can’t have those games where he goes out and turns it over three or four times.”
On if a team should fix the OL first or get the QB: “I know some will disagree with me, but No. 1 you’ve got to have the quarterback and then really the skill positions is where I would always go. The biggest thing with the line is that you’ve got to have continuity. They have to work together. You’ve got to have the talent, but you have to have continuity. They have to work together for a period of time.”
On the defense: “With Jim Haslett, they’re an aggressive defense that puts a lot of pressure on their secondary. But it allows them to make plays and forces an offense into bad situations.”
On DeAngelo Hall: “Hall has shown he can make plays in the league, but he’s also somewhat of a free spirit, independent thinker and sometimes he’s got to curtail some of his activities and make sure he fits within the team mold. The players are the ones who are voting [on captains] but as a head coach sometimes I might monitor those votes. I don’t mind a guy being a captain and being a free spirit, but anytime he hurts the team then I’m going to come down hard on him.”
To sign up for my Friday email report, click here. Today: Subtle improvements in Ryan Kerrigan’s game; Dan Shonka on Roy Helu and Brandon Banks talks returns.
