Johnson Doesn't Baby His Blitzers

[PhillyPhreak54]

Johnson doesn't baby his blitzers

By LES BOWEN
bowenl@phillynews.com

JIM JOHNSON wasn't always so focused on blitzing, the Eagles' defensive coordinator recalled this week. It was only about a decade ago, when the West Coast offense really took over the NFL, that Johnson decided there just wasn't any way to cover all those receivers for very long; the only way to stop it would be to force the quarterback's hand.

"People would just dink and dunk, and whatever coverage you play, all of a sudden you're giving up 6 or 7 yards," Johnson said. "Any time you put four or five receivers out, it puts pressure on the defense. You have to try to combat that."

As Johnson enters his seventh season with the Eagles, his reputation is as the mad scientist of blitzing; Johnson isn't entirely comfortable with the tag, always stressing that his defenses remain fundamentally sound and pride themselves on not giving up big plays. Cumulatively, since the start of the 2000 season, when the Eagles began their current run of five successive playoff appearances, Johnson's defenses have ranked first in the NFL in fewest points allowed, sacks, third-down efficiency and red-zone touchdown percentage.

But even his players see him mainly as an exacting blitz technician.

"The blitzes are Jim's babies," safety Brian Dawkins said this week. "He wants his babies to run. We work on that all the time... He's one of those coaches that will put in a new blitz, he'll say that he knows you're going to make a mistake on it, but he'll still get on you for making a mistake, even though it's a new blitz he put in, because he wants them to run perfectly every time. He doesn't want to waste a step. He'll get on you for a wasted step.

"Those are the things that you take heed to as a player. You see what he's trying to do, how he's trying to attack a team. He's been doing it for so long... I have nothing but respect for him. If he says the gap is going to be open, I believe it's going to be open."

Johnson said he spends so much time on the details because they determine whether a blitz works.

"To me, in blitzes, the key is timing and making sure everybody's in the right gaps," he said. "Those gaps change as the blocking changes. That's why we spend so much time with it. It's not always easy, but we're always trying to get that perfection."

Dawkins has spoken repeatedly during training camp about Johnson asking his defense to be "nastier," when the players convened this year at Lehigh. Johnson doesn't embrace that term. He has said he was talking mostly about creating turnovers, pressuring the quarterback, ripping the ball away when possible, swarming to the ball.

"It's a swagger they have to develop," he said.

Johnson, 64, is the most vocal of the Eagles' coaches on the practice field, especially when it comes to correcting mistakes.

"Jim Johnson is a crotchety old [bleep]," joked defensive end Hugh Douglas. "When you [bleep] up his defense, he'll definitely let you know. When you do something good, hey, that's your job, that's what you're supposed to do."

But Douglas has been around Johnson long enough to develop a deep respect for the coordinator, crotchetyness and all.

"All our blitzes look about the same, but they're all different," Douglas said. "He wants to confuse the quarterback... the thing you have to respect about him is, he knows his personnel. He knows their strengths, he knows their weaknesses. He exploits their strengths, to not put 'em in bad positions. He's a great guy at doing that."

Defensive end Jevon Kearse laughed when told of Dawkins' "blitzes as babies" analogy.

"It is kind of like that. He doesn't like to see his babies mess up, either," Kearse said. "In some schemes, you'd expect the position coach [to handle the details]. Jim is saying something about everybody on every play."

Cornerback Lito Sheppard made the Pro Bowl last year in his first full season as a starter. Sheppard recalls that he and Johnson got off to an unpleasant start, when Sheppard arrived as a 21-year-old first-round draft choice who was used to relying on his athleticism and doing things his way.

"We had a problem at first," said Sheppard, who played behind second-round rookie Sheldon Brown that year. "I didn't understand what it took to play in this league. I didn't understand how detailed things needed to be. As a rookie, coming into such a sophisticated scheme, that was a little much; there was a lot going on."

Sheppard said Johnson usually compliments players only after games. He said he feels that's as it should be; it doesn't matter if you did something right in practice, if you don't do it right in the game.

"I want to make sure they know that I know" they made a mistake, Johnson said.

Johnson said he knew things were tough for Sheppard, after leaving Florida for the NFL after his junior year.

"He is a good player. He's got natural ability. Sometimes you have to corral that natural ability, to make sure he's doing the right thing. Which he doesn't like all the time," Johnson said.

Getting on the same page "was a long road," Sheppard said. "It took some actual game-time situations, to see how I would react, for him to just sit back and learn me as a player, I guess. It took a lot of studying and discipline on my behalf, wanting to do the right thing... Once he figures out what his players are capable of doing, it allows him to come up with better blitzes, better schemes.

"He knows what blitzes are going to get there no matter what they do, he knows which blitzes are just going to get pressure... He's very particular, and very detailed about where every player needs to be for his blitz to work. I guess that's why he's so good."

I love Jim Johnson. I'm glad he got that 4-year extension and the sad thing is - it will probably be his last 4 years here.

This defense is going to be excellent this year.

[T_Section224]

he's one of the main reasons i get so pumped for the games to begin.

[SunMo]

that's great to read about Lito.  Lito had a rough start to his career, but instead of acting like a spoiled 1st round pick, he buckled down and learned about what it takes to be a starter.

[rjs246]

Is JJ grooming anyone in particular to replace him? He's an old dude and will probably be gone sooner than later. I'd hate to see this defense leave with him.

[SunMo]

Fraiser and Rivera are already gone, but I would imagine that a DB's coach or LB coach would be learning from Johnson.   This is probably his last contract, so maybe they will start grooming someone in a year or two.

[Philly_Crew]

I like the idea of creating turnovers but I want to continue to see good fundamental tackling.  Sometimes when you go to strip the ball, they aren't able to bring them to the ground.

[TempleOwl]

Its a different perspective now with JJ.  I used to get pumped when we had the ball and worried when we didn't.  Now I'm just as escited when the defense is on the field because they can control a game better than the offense.  Wth our great offense, that is saying something.

[PhillyPhreak54]

We were talking about that up at Lehigh...who would replace him?

Tommy Brasher? Too old.
Trent Walters? Not here long enough

The only guy who is a likely candidate on the defensive staff is Steve Spagnuolo. He has coached the secondary and now coaches the LBs. Since he has coached 7 out of the 11 positions on the defense, I'd guess he is the guy who is the most likely.

Frazier has fallen fast. He went to Cincy as one of the up and coming guys and got fired by Marvin Lewis. Lewis likes a read & react scheme (why Trotter stunk in Washington) whereas Frazier was coaching like JJ taught him.

He's now a low level assistant for Ron Rivera in Chicago.

[ice grillin you]

i dont see why someone would have to be groomed...i think reid could easily sign someone from the outside...a veteran nfl guy (like johnson was) or even a big tim dc from a major college program

[PhillyPhreak54]

i dont see why someone would have to be groomed...i think reid could easily sign someone from the outside...a veteran nfl guy (like johnson was) or even a big tim dc from a major college program

He could. But then it would be a change in the scheme. Why change the scheme when you have drafted and/or signed guys who fit into a particular system?

That would be like Tony Dungy hiring a Bill Cowher disciple to run his offense in Indy with Peyton Manning.

You hire who fits your personnel...at least in my opinion.

[greenbleeder]

If there's one thing we know, its that the scheme is everything to King Andy. First of all, JJ will be here for quite a bit more (think JoePa, on a lesser scale), and second, when he goes, Andy will find his man, without compromise. This defense couldn't have me more pumped. Maybe I'm just getting worn down by 45-39 colts/packers games with 17 missed tackles a side, but I really prefer watching our D. Although nothing takes me out of my seat like Donnie unleashing one down the sideline.

[ice grillin you]

johnson doesnt have some unknown system...theres many people out there in the nfl and college that run a similar system to him...where he excels is in the size of his defensive playbook and the amount he adds in to each game plan that differs from the previous week

you are never going to find someone that can do that like he does...but it would be fairly easy to find someone who runs the same type of scheme as jj

[MURP]

classic line by Hugh.   He should do standup about the Eagles after he retires.   Les Bowen gets his first geh gold star stamped on his forehead for finally digging up some info we hadnt heard before concerning Lito and JJ.   


I remember readind an article about JJ where he said he would be out to eat with his family and start thinking of a new blitz.  he would draw it on a napkin at the dinner table.   Other times he would be in the shower and think of a new blitz and have to get out to draw it up.  ha. 

[PhillyPhreak54]

classic line by Hugh.   He should do standup about the Eagles after he retires.   Les Bowen gets his first geh gold star stamped on his forehead for finally digging up some info we hadnt heard before concerning Lito and JJ.   


I remember readind an article about JJ where he said he would be out to eat with his family and start thinking of a new blitz.  he would draw it on a napkin at the dinner table.   Other times he would be in the shower and think of a new blitz and have to get out to draw it up.  ha. 

I thought the same thing about ol' Les. Enjoy it now because we're now going to be subjected again to Captain Obvious for the rest of the year.

I'd love to be able to look through the defenses playbook or sit in during a meeting.

Up at Lehigh he is vocal for sure. I don't remember who he was yelling at one day, but I was watching an "install" period and JJ is standing about where the umpire would stand on the field during a game. It's all quite and the position coaches are doing their thing and out of the blue you hear "Are you farging kidding me? Run it again. That was terrible! Get the lead out of your asses dammit!"

[Munson]

classic line by Hugh.   He should do standup about the Eagles after he retires.   Les Bowen gets his first geh gold star stamped on his forehead for finally digging up some info we hadnt heard before concerning Lito and JJ.   


I remember readind an article about JJ where he said he would be out to eat with his family and start thinking of a new blitz.  he would draw it on a napkin at the dinner table.   Other times he would be in the shower and think of a new blitz and have to get out to draw it up.  ha. 

I thought the same thing about ol' Les. Enjoy it now because we're now going to be subjected again to Captain Obvious for the rest of the year.

I'd love to be able to look through the defenses playbook or sit in during a meeting.

Up at Lehigh he is vocal for sure. I don't remember who he was yelling at one day, but I was watching an "install" period and JJ is standing about where the umpire would stand on the field during a game. It's all quite and the position coaches are doing their thing and out of the blue you hear "Are you farging kidding me? Run it again. That was terrible! Get the lead out of your asses dammit!"

I wonder what Andy thinks of that language.