1. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said he wasn’t bothered by coach Mike Shanahan saying Monday that he needed to help the defense be better prepared. Shanahan said, “I have to make sure I put them in situations more times than not to make sure they feel very comfortable in every look they see.”
Haslett said, “Obviously he’s a great offensive mind and he knows how to defend these types of things. It’s good to have a guy you can go in and talk to and say, ‘How do you think this should be played.’ That’s what I do with him a lot.”
2. I’ll have a little more on that in my Friday email report. Sign up here. I’ll also have more from Russ Lande, ex-NFL scout who now analyzes college football player.
3. Corner DeAngelo Hall did not practice for a second consecutive day because of a hip injury that flared up Tuesday. Fullback Mike Sellers injured his back lifting weights before practice and had to go to a local hospital, where Shanahan said he would stay overnight. Linebacker London Fletcher (hamstring), quarterback Rex Grossman (illness) and corner Phillip Buchanon (neck) and free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe (knee) were limited.
4. Shanahan on the possibility of Fletcher not playing: “It’s hard to even think about a guy like that being out. He’d have to be out there on one leg, but you have to look at him and say, ‘Can he perform? Can he be productive? Those are always the questions. London’s not the type of guy who would go out there if he couldn’t be productive.”
5. Here’s the Chris Cooley story from earlier Thursday. It’s too bad the full video is not on-line yet; Cooley was very sincere in his passion for the franchise and for what he thinks he can do in the future. No doubt it will further solidify his standing with fans. This isn’t surprising, but Cooley was reflective in many ways and adamant in others about what he can do in the future. The Redskins would be smart to bring him back, though one NFL source said he would only do so at a reduced salary. Still, he remains a capable player and this offense doesn’t have enough of those kind of guys.
“I envision him in the same role,” offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said. “Cooley didn’t get to do as much this year, but that wasn’t because of Fred [Davis]. That was because of Cooley missing training camp and him being slowed down by his knee. But what we asked him to do, he did a good job of. I’m excited to get him back and get him healthy and Cooley has a great future here and you need two tight ends.”
6. One reason Haslett said corner DeAngelo Hall did not just cover Steve Smith vs. Carolina on Sunday? Because the Panthers provide so many looks, they wanted to lessen the confusion in the secondary by just sticking to one side.
7. Haslett said corner Kevin Barnes did not play his best game last week. We’ll second that notion. As for his play in the slot, Haslett said, “I like Kevin when he’s aggressive because he’s got long arms. When he puts his hands on people, that’s when he’s most efficient. I don’t like him when he’s playing off so much or he’s playing in space because he’s got those long legs. He’s better when he’s more aggressive.”
8. Linebacker Rocky McIntosh has been “outstanding all year,” Haslett said. Have to agree that McIntosh has made a major jump from last season. Also think he’s been a little more consistent than Fletcher, who had issues the past two games with running backs cutting inside him, in terms of tackling.
9. Linebacker Brian Orakpo compared Buffalo running back Fred Jackson to Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy.
“He’s very good, he’s a shifty guy,” Orakpo said of Jackson. “He’s like an every-down McCoy. He has the same quickness and speed. On film he broke away from a lot of guys. He’s a lot bigger and shifty just like him, so it’ll be a tough challenge.”
10. One of the Bills’ best offensive weapons? Coach Chan Gailey. One of his strengths, multiple people say, is creating mismatches. Haslett worked with him in Pittsburgh, when Gailey had Kordell “Slash” Stewart.
“Chan’s creative and they do a great job of utilizing their personnel,” Haslett said. “They spread the field and try to get you one-on-one with a mismatch.”
11. Yes, they’d like Orakpo to chop down more on quarterbacks when he’s going in for a sack. Yes, they work on that in practice. But one reason they say Orakpo struggles with this is that he’s left-handed, so chopping down is not natural. Of course, it’s probably also a mindset and if you’re used to jarring the ball free with your hits, why chop?
“It takes time and practice,” he said. “If I was on Kerrigan’s side I could do this all day. … My technique is not quite there yet. As I progress it will get better.”
Besides, he said, his goal is to just get the QB on the ground. Orakpo has four forced fumbles on 24 career sacks.
“I never want to miss a sack,” he said. “I remember one game where someone went for the ball and missed the guy and the guy ran for the first down. You always want to make sure you make the tackle.”
