From: rjk@dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu (Raymond K)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Re: Randall benched for WEEK TEN
Date: 5 Nov 92 15:41:07 GMT
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Organization: X-Ray Crystallography / Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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In article <1992Nov4.211105.729@cbnewsm.cb.att.com> jmd@cbnewsm.cb.att.com (joseph.m.dakes) writes:
>
>Kotite has gone mad.  Not only has he named McMahon as the starter for
>the Raiders game on Sunday, but he has named Cunningham as the starter
>for the next game at Green Bay.  Kotite stated, and I quote, "Randall
>is still our number one guy and he will be the starter against Green Bay
>no matter how McMahon performs against the Raiders."  Not only that, but
>Kotite said, and I quote again, "I just want Randall to sit and watch."
>This is the most assinine thing I have ever heard.  And I think it is a
>big reason why the Eagles offense is having the problems that they are.

I'm no Randall Cunningham fan, but I think the guy should be in there.
Sure, he's not a great passer or a great leader (two things McMahon
is noted for), but Randall can do so many unconventional things to
help his team win.  Still, I have respect for Kotite's decision for
several reasons.  If you look back at the seasons since Randall became
a starter for this team, you'll see many wins directly attributable to
Cunninghams' improvisations.  Call them wacky, call them lucky, call
them unconventional, it still counted for a win.  During the Buddy
Ryan years, nobody questioned the makeup of these wins, they just
enjoyed them.  Ryan, himself, used to say that Randall will come up with
four or five "big" plays a game to make something happen.  Then, when
the playoffs rolled around, things got more basic, the quality of the
opponent went up, and the Eagles tried to "gameplan" it.  Randall suffered
miserably and so did the team.  Since Kotite took over, he has tried to
do something that Ryan didn't care to do, follow a gameplan.  Last season,
any controversy with Randall was avoided when he was injured one quarter
into the season.  This season, that controversy has manifested itself.
Which brings me to the point about respecting Kotite.  He actually believes,
whether ignorantly or foolishly, that he can "gameplan" this offense with
success according to the players (Cunningham excluded) he has.  Kotite is
putting his coaching future in Philly on the line with this move and I
respect him for following through with his beliefs.  The second reason
I respect his decision is the "unknown information" factor.  None of the
fans know the backroom facts that went into this decision.  Some implica-
tions have oozed out throught the media this week that bear mentioning.
One is the notion that Cunninham has (apparently) accidentally erred in
reading the plays that are signalled in from the sideline and then calling
the same play.  He's thought the called the right play, but he hasn't.
He's also messed up the calls on blocking schemes, receivers routes, etc,
sometimes putting things together that completely are not in the playbook.
Another rumor is that Cunninghma is "impaired" in some form, maybe his
knee is causing him more problems than he's letting on.  One member of
the radio media, who himself is a recovering drug addict, even went so
far as to suggest that Cunningham is acting like a man with a substance
abuse problem.  After being warned by his radio partner that this was a
pretty heavy charge to level, he stated that it was his opinion only,
based on his own drug experiences of how people act in that state.
Also, Randall has made some pretty weird statements since Sunday, bringing
up his religion, a possible trade, and the meaning of his benching in the
grand scheme of things, since according to Randall, the world is going to
end (a reference to the election results).  There is also the notion that
many members of the team aren't crazy about Randall and this might have
affected the team's attitude.  Cunningham also spends a lot of time off
the field working on his "image" - his candy bar, his gold tipped shoelaces,
his mouthpiece with the gold tooth in it, rather than studying the playbook.
Kotite might know something that the fans don't know about Randall and this
situation, and he has refrained from badmouthing his QB in the press.  He
could take a lot of heat off himself by suggesting there's a "problem" of
some sort, but instead he's passed it off as just a slump that Randall will
have to get through by "backing off".

>The Eagles have the most dangerous QB in the league for opposing defenses
>to defend against.  He has a strong arm and has developed a great touch
>on his passes.  Not only that, but he is the best scrambling QB to ever
>play the game.  But Kotite wants him to watch how a classic drop-back,
>stay-in-the-pocket-QB like Jim McMahon runs the offense?  Uh, excuse me,
>Rich, but they are two entirely different QBs.  You don't enter a mule in
>the Kentucky Derby nor do you use a racehorse to pull a tractor.

As I stated above, Kotite sincerely believes that his "system" can win
games for the Birds, rather than Randall and a offense that has thrived
on broken plays for years.

>Why make Randall stay in the pocket when it is collapsing all around him?
>Why not allow him to roll out and throw on the run?  That also frees up
>Byars or Walker to run short passing routes rather than keeping them in
>the backfield to help the OL block.  Or how about some 3-WR sets now that
>Roy Green is activated?  There is no TE to throw to anymore.

I don't know what Kotite specifically has in his playbook, but I'm sure
he isn't against Randall leaving the pocket if it's collapsing around
him.  The problems surface when Randall doesn't have a free ticket to
just pull it down and run.  Kotite has always stated he wants "more
discipline" and I take one meaning of that to be following the gameplan.
It's becoming apparent to him than Randall, for some reason, has trouble
doing that.  Kotite must be hoping some time on the bench can make 
Randall realize that the gameplan CAN be successful and that if you do
your homework it isn't that tough to master.

>Granted, Kotite isn't forcing Randall to one-hop the ball to receivers or
>throw wounded-duck passes, so it isn't enttirely Rich's fault.  But the
>offense has to put in a few new wrinkles to keep the defenses guessing.
>Kotite's decision to replace Randall with McMahon shows that he is not
>about to come up with anything new on offense.  Which means that he isn't
>taking any blame for the problems plaguing the offense the past four weeks.

Which goes back to what I've stated, Kotite believes his "system" can
be successful, even with a relatively immobile QB like McMahon.  Sure,
the Eagles' offense can use a few new wrinkles, but give Kotite some
credit, if he's going to get the accolades for taking this team to the 
"next level" or if he's going to get the axe for taking them down, he's
going to do it HIS way, not Randall's.



Ray        GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro