Ron Jaworski likes the Redskins. Or, at least, he likes them more than publications such as Sports Illustrated (6-10) and The Sporting News (4-12).
“I think they’re underrated,” Jaworski, the ESPN MNF analyst, said in a conference call. However, he is only picking them to win eight games so he’s not exactly expecting a White House visit after the season.
Still, he does like what they have, starting with coach Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen, both of whom have been part of Super Bowl teams. And Jaworski loves the leadership provided by Donovan McNabb and London Fletcher.
“It’s absolutely critical to have those guys in the locker room,” Jaworski said. “You win in the locker room first, where guys will fight for each other because they respect each other. That’s how you win games.”
And he likes the McNabb-Chris Cooley combination.
“I don’t think their wide receiver corps will strike fear in the hearts of anyone,” Jaworski said. “But [McNabb] has always had success using the tight end. There’s a warrior side to McNabb. Even though he may have an ankle sprain, you know on opening day he’ll be out there.”
Meanwhile, fellow ESPN MNF analyst Jon Gruden likes the Redskins – just not as much as Jaworski. Seven wins is about as high as he’ll go (which is my prediction as well).
“They made improvements,” Gruden said. “They have a lot of veterans on defense. They still have as much in the tank as they did last year. I like Haslett’s 3-4 defense. It’s very good and sound. It gives the Redskins opportunities to create more turnovers.
“I don’t know about this receiving corps through a 16-week season. But I like their tight ends. I don’t know who their back is, either. Is Clinton Portis the back of three or four years ago? Is Larry Johnson the Larry Johnson of three or four years ago? Is Willie Parker the Willie Parker of three or four years ago? That remains to be seen behind an offensive line that has a lot to prove. I like their team and I like their coach and Donovan McNabb is one of the best quarterbacks in football. [But] they do have a lot to prove against a difficult schedule.”
Who do they like in the division? Sounds like Jaworski favors Dallas while Gruden has his eye on the Giants.
Jaworski: “Dallas may be the most talented team in the NFL. I do have concerns about Romo; he has a tendency to play fast and get himself in trouble. I saw two Tony Romo’s [in the postseason]. When the Eagles came with a high-percentage blitz, he was magnificent reading the blitz and getting the ball out of his hands. The Vikings took a different approach. They went with a coverage-based scheme and confused Romo. He has to make that next step, can he handle that in pressure situations. He didn’t do it last year.”
Gruden: “If they can stay healthy, with the improvements they made and the emergence of the young wide receivers, I like the Giants to outright win the division. They’re that talented.”
Follow me on twitter @John_Keim
Recommended Stories
