The Shutdown Corner Interview: Eric Winston (Part 2)

Note: You can find part 1 of my interview with Houston Texans right tackle Eric Winston(notes) here. In the conclusion, Eric talks about myths and misconceptions, the toughest players he faces, what Brian Cushing(notes) has been up to, and what the Texans need to do to hit the next level.

Shutdown Corner: Do you think zone blocking teams get a bad rap when it comes to overall power?

Eric Winston: It's such a fine line - it really is. When you have teams that do some different things ... the thing we've seen, especially from 2008 to 2009, is some very different ways to attack zone blocking schemes. Whether it's pinching ends (inside), or running linebackers over the top, putting guys in different gaps or just taking guys out of the play and just shooting them upfield as hard as they can to set some sort of edge, we've seen some different ways to combat what we're doing. And now, it's our turn to come back and one-up them.

I've seen guys ... if you don't teach the mentality as well as the zone scheme, you do get a little bit soft. Just because you're not always firing right off the ball. You have to be an athlete - you have to go sideways and get those hips squared. You have to know when it's okay to get parallel with the line of scrimmage and get width on a guy. And at what point do you need to push guys forward? When you juggle players in as we did last year - the zone scheme, more than anything else,  is all about playing together and being a part of it. That's something I have learned in the last couple of years; even though it's a great system, I have to understand not just who I have and what combination I have, but what are we really trying to do here? Toward the end of the year, the new guys started to understand that even if the ball was going the other way, they were really still the point of attack and they had to start getting some push. As a result, I think you saw our run stats go up toward the end of the year, more where we like it.

SC: You face the Colts twice a season and you're going up against their speed rushers - is Robert Mathis(notes) your biggest challenge, and who are a few more of the better pass-rushers you've faced?

EW: He's a guy I'm definitely not excited about playing, let's put it that way. I will say that I think I have played him well, and better than most of the right tackles I see playing him on film, but he's a tough guy to play. And the Colts, overall, are a tough team to play. They're like that pitcher you never really see ... they're like Jamie Moyer (laughs). Nobody else in Major League baseball throws 78 miles an hour - and I'm not saying the Colts are soft or anything - but that's how they are. It's so hard to get ready for them, because nobody else does what they do. Nobody else runs his offense like Peyton Manning(notes). Nobody else plays defense like they do, with all those undersized guys just going really fast. That's why I think that us, Jacksonville, and Tennessee - we play them the best. We haven't had a ton of success against them, and nobody else in our division has, but if you look at their toughest games over the last few years, we've given them everything (we could). Knowing them helps, as opposed to, "Holy crap, this defensive tackle is really running - I'd better go wider here!"

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This week's guy who should wash Gilbert Brown's jockstrap

By MJD

Reviving an old favorite, this Friday we look back at some of this week's poor behavior and nominate one gentleman who should has earned the distinctly unappealing task of hand-scrubbing Gilbert Brown's jock strap.

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Vince Young gets in a fight at a strip club, and there's video

By MJD

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young punched a guy at a strip club, and like all strip-club crawls, it started for a really good reason: because someone flashed an upside-down "Hook 'em Horns" gesture.

At least, that's the story we have for now. From various reports, the story seems to go like this: Vince Young(notes) wanted to withdraw some money at the "cash cage," but got upset about a surcharge. Young went back to the strip-club's "office" to complain, and he talked to a guy, and things seemed to end amicably.

That's when a gentleman going by the name of Creiton Kinchen, according to ESPN's report, "insulted Young and made a derogatory sign referencing the University of Texas."

That's when people stopped using their words, and started using their fists. Fortunately for us, it's all on video:

Now, Young hasn't said anything yet, so it's probably a good idea to withhold judgment until we hear his side of the story. But really, what can the man say to convince people that it was a sound and logical decision to get in a fight at a strip club?

Kinchen suffered a bloody lip and required no medical attention. Now, something like this isn't the end of the world — Young received a citation from police and legally, the worst that can happen to him is a $500 fine — but myself, I look at it from the point of view of someone who's interested in Vince Young's growth as a person and a leader. In that sense ... it's not good news.

He's coming off a very good year on the football field, and I was so impressed with his personal efforts to raise money for Nashville flood victims.

And again, this isn't the end of the world. From what I can gather, the only thing that was ever endangered here was Kinchen's lip. I just hate to see any kind of a step backwards for Young.

He's been through some weird things in his career, and has been questioned so harshly along the way. I just want the Vince Young we see on the football field and in public to be the best version of Vince Young that Vince Young has to offer.

Clearly, clocking some guy in the back of a strip club doesn't fit that vision.

Related: Vince Young, Tennessee Titans, NFL Criminal Behavior

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Aikman and Bledsoe have a gizmo to clean up the oil spill

Troy Aikman and Drew Bledsoe(notes), both former Pro Bowl quarterbacks, are part-owners of a new technology that they claim can help clean up the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Their company, Ecosphere, has had meetings with BP. Bledsoe talked about the technology at a recent press conference. From FS Southwest:

According to Bledsoe, Ecosphere would set its filtration systems on barges in the gulf and on beaches to clean the water.

"This is not technology sitting on the shelf waiting for a disaster," Bledsoe said. "This is technology out in the field satisfying contracts for well over a year, so it's proven. ... When you watch it, it is magic seeing dirty, nasty water go in one end and then crystal, clean water out the other end."

Obviously, I have no idea whether or not the Ecosphere Ozonix Water Treatment Process can actually help in the Gulf, but why not be open to all options? I thought it was weird when Kevin Costner said he had a machine that could save the day, but here we are, and BP's about to deploy 32 of Costner's machines.

Good for Aikman and Bledsoe. I hope they're as good at cleaning up oil as they were at quarterbacking.

Gracias, PFT.

Related: Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Back in the Day

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NFL Titans QB Young sorry for role in fight Revis sits out some plays in protest Jets limit Sanchez to morning practices Titans LB McRath suspended 4 games Saints: Bush probe won't be distraction Broncos' Dumervil inks restricted tender Vikings DE Edwards signs $2.5M tender Saints RB Thomas inks tender, wants more Bucs' Winslow expects to be OK for camp Cardinals G Lutui signs qualifying offer More NFL News 25 Comments Post a Comment

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Aaron Rodgers: Still unimpressed with ESPN

Less than a month ago, we brought you the tale of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes) and his Twitter battle with ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay. Rodgers opined that McShay should take his challenge and watch some game film with him, ostensibly in order to prove his expertise. McShay was the only guy that Rodgers called out by name, but his shot at "some of ESPN's experts" was merely a lead-in to his most recent comments. On ESPN's own Milwaukee station, Rodgers mercilessly bashed "Monday Night Football" broadcaster Ron Jaworski and former MNF cohort Tony Kornheiser. First, his take on Tony:

You know who was better than Tony Kornheiser? Dennis Miller was ten times better. Dennis Miller was a great comedian, but one of the worst Monday Night Football guys ever. And he was ten times better than Tony Kornheiser. His stuff was actually funny. Tony stuff wasn't funny at all. He did no research. We'd sit in those production meetings and he would add absolutely nothing to the conversation. I'd be like, ‘What are we doing here? This is stupid.'... You get in there with Tony and he's asking you all these dumb questions that have no application to the game you are playing or anything you are doing. He's terrible... I don't think he's funny. I don't think he's insightful. I don't think (he) knows anything about sports.

And Jaworski?

I like him, but, when I was coming out, he did the worst segment in the history of TV about me talking about my fundamentals. It was not even close to anywhere near my fundamentals. The first time I met him, someone introduced me to him and I said, ‘Yeah I know him. He's the guy who ripped me before the draft.' The rest of the night he told me how great I was. I was like, ‘I know your song and dance.' And now he loves me. I like Trent (Dilfer). He does a good job. He's had success at the position. You look at Marcellus Wiley(notes) up there talking about quarterback play. The guy was a defensive end for a few years in the league. He's not any good.

Wow. I get the Kornheiser-bashing — I don't think you could find anyone outside of Bristol, Conn., and Kornheiser's immediate family, who would agree that his time in the booth was a success. And the 2009 hire of Jon Gruden, after Kornheiser cited "fear of flying" as the reason he woudn't continue on the broadcasts, showed that even the execs in charge realized the need for more football-smart announcing. But Jaworski, who watches a ridiculous amount of tape at NFL Films in preparation for his work on "Monday Night Football" and "NFL Matchup," is rightfully perceived to be about as good as it gets when it comes to player breakdowns. I'd be interested to see Rodgers and Jaws discuss their differences and come to an agree-to-disagree compromise — I think he's earned more respect than Rodgers gives him. As for Kornheiser ... well, it's tough to argue Rodgers' point. The only thing I'd say in Kornheiser's defense is that he was hired to be the outsider and the contrary voice, and that's what he did. It was just a bad hire.

Here's a date to mark on your calendars — Monday, Sept. 27. That's when the MNF crew calls the Bears-Packers game from Soldier Field. Should be slightly dramatic, especially since Jaws has been as critical of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler(notes) as any pundit in the business. Then again, it's entirely possible that the guys in the booth will spend the entire game talking about Brett Favre(notes).

Related: Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers

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Seahawks rookie Tate involved in donut-related mischief

When I interviewed former Notre Dame and current Seattle Seahawks receiver Golden Tate(notes) for the Washington Post in March, I should have asked him if he had a sweet tooth. Evidently he does, and it seems to have gotten the rookie in a bit of trouble. As first reported by TMZ.com, Tate was given a trespass warning by police in Bellevue, Washington (a suburb of Seattle) when the owner of the Top Pot donut shop below the apartment complex in which Tate lives noticed that there were intruders in his place of business at 3:00 last Saturday morning. The Seattle Times reports that Tate and a friend got in via a common door that was left open.

Tate said that the idea was to go into the shop to grab a few maple bars, which are apparently addictive to the extreme. "They're irresistible," Tate told the media after his pastry caper was made public. "It was kind of a foolish mistake that won't happen again. But if you ever want some maple bars, that's the place to go.

"A buddy made the mistake of going in, grabbing a couple. He came out, we ate them. There's nothing much to the story other than that. I'm very apologetic to it. This is the wrong type of media I want to bring to this organization. I apologized to the team, the coaches and even Top Pot. As of now, I think that's the end of it."

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Video: Ben Roethlisberger's accuser makes statement to police

By MJD

Georgia police on Wednesday released video of Ben Roethlisberger's accuser making her statement to an investigator. They blurred her face (not quite blurred enough, if you ask me) in the released DVD, and you can see and hear her describe every filthy detail.

There's no terrible language, so I guess the only warning that applies is that it feels super uncomfortable and intrusive to listen to someone talk about something so intensely personal. Click the image below to see a Pittsburgh news report, with snippets of the video.

TMZ posted portions of the video earlier, and if you're interested, they've also got video of Roethlisberger chatting and dancing earlier in the evening. Here, at WPXI, you can see the whole, 10

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