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Johnson raising level of Redskins' D
Posted: Tuesday October 19, 1999 05:51 PM
Is Washington quarterback Brad Johnson so good he has improved the Redskins' defense, too? Before Sunday's game against Arizona, veteran cornerback Darrell Green told me that Johnson has put some much-needed pressure on the defense. "If we don't get the defense to his level," Green told me, "we'll become the scapegoat on this team." Well, on Sunday, thanks in part to some new direction from 72-year-old defensive specialist Bill Arnsparger, Redskins' cornerbacks picked off three passes, returned one for a touchdown and the D knocked Arizona quarterback Jake Plummer out of the game. Eagles still trying to flyThe Eagles finally snapped their 19-game road winless streak with a win in Chicago on Sunday, thanks in part to a halftime talk by cornerback Troy Vincent who reminded his teammates that they had blown far too many games by relaxing after leading at the break. Unfortunately for Philly, another, even uglier streak, is still alive. The Eagles have now gone 25 games without a 100-yard receiver. Robinson starting to shine for BearsOne bright spot for the Bears in Sunday's loss was the play of wideout Marcus Robinson. After leading NFL Europe with 811 yards receiving this spring, Robinson came to Chicago and started dropping everything in sight. But Bears coaches knew they had a raw gem in this former South Carolina track star. So they took Robinson back to the basics -- how to look passes in and position his hands to correctly catch the ball. The work has paid off. In the last two weeks, he has 12 receptions for 226 yards and two TDs. Chicago quarterback Shane Matthews told me that Robinson seems to get better every time he steps on the field. Short shots around the leagueNow that he's back as the Jets starter, if Rick Mirer wants to keep his spot he'll need to vastly improve on his third-down passing. On 34 opportunities on third downs so far in '99, Mirer has thrown three interceptions for a passer rating of 7.2. Not 72. But single digits, as in 7-point-2. The 49ers have many more problems than just a sidelined Steve Young. Besides suffering a rash of injuries, over the last three games the San Francisco defense has given up 22 plays of 20 or more yards. Tennessee is one team in this bizarro season that is hard to get a handle on. The Titans may be 5-1, but they have four wins by eight points or less against teams with a combined 9-13 record. The mystery should be over soon, though. The Titans next two opponents, St. Louis and Miami, have a combined 9-1 record. Finally, the Bears, to a man, credit new coach Dick Jauron with their turnaround this season. Football just seems to be in Jauron's blood. After all, his middle name is Manual, after Manual High in Peoria, Ill. Jauron's father used to be the football coach at the school. Sports Illustrated staff writer David Fleming covers the NFL and appears regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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