Alex Henery In Control Of FG Game

It was a rookie season that was historic, and yet nobody talks about Alex Henery and the Eagles' kicking game these days. Isn't that the ultimate compliment for Henery, the second-year placekicker?

By Dave Spadaro

June 6, 2012

All Henery did was make 24 of his 27 field goal chances, missing only a 63-yarder at the end of the first half in Atlanta and two chippie-kicks in the agonizing loss to San Francisco at Lincoln Financial Field.

In one fell swoop, so to speak, Henery eased all concerns about a kicking game that had for a decade been handled at a Pro Bowl level by David Akers, the greatest kicker in franchise history. The Eagles invested a fourth-round draft pick in Henery, a standout at Nebraska, and allowed Akers to test free agency and ultimately sign with the 49ers. There, Akers had a brilliant 2011 season and reached the Pro Bowl and nearly the Super Bowl.

Here, Henery started the next generation of great kicking for the Eagles.

Consider that a win-win for all concerned.

"I didn't think about David or any of that other stuff when I came here. I didn't know what to expect. I was thrown into a situation and just went with it. There wasn't time to think about it. I was just focused on my job and I guess pretty happy with the way things went, especially the way I finished the season," said Henery. "Every kick you go out there and your job is to make it. I felt like I maintained my strength and actually got stronger through the year."

Henery's misses are etched in his mind. In Atlanta, he thought he hit it well and because it was a lower trajectory, the kick was tipped and fell short. Against the 49ers, Henery missed from 39 yards and then 33 yards, pushing both kicks wide right.

"The two I missed, I didn't follow through and I just sliced the ball," said Henery. "It happens. I wasn't happy at all, so I had a correction to make and I made it."

The Eagles thought Henery was special enough at Nebraska to use a fourth-round pick on him, a stunning move at the time. They added kickoff duties to his list of job responsibilities, and Henery did a great job in that department. As for field goals, Henery made his last 13 kicks after the misses against the 49ers.

Now Henery is on to his second NFL season. The Eagles didn't add a kicker for competition, a clear sign that they have complete trust in him in his sophomore campaign. The team may add a leg later just to give Henery a breather in training camp, but he is the guy 100 percent. The Eagles believe they have something special in Henery, who has a big leg and a flatline-demeanor that is perfect for the pressure of the job.

Henery says he was "50/50" on kickoffs last year, and he is striving for more consistency in that phase of his game. He also wants to be as automatic as possible from 55 yards and in on field goals and extend his range to 60-plus yards.

"I know what's going on and what to expect and that's a good thing," said Henery about being in his second season. "It's kind of more relaxed and I'm able to work more on my game instead of spending time thinking about other things. It's gone well."

Henery is an avid golfer, an 8-handicap and he recently shot a 73 at Blue Heron Pines in South Jersey. It's no surprise that he is a steady hand on the links, as much as he is lining up for a pressure field goal with Jon Dorenbos snapping to holder Chas Henry.

The Eagles overhauled their kicking game last offseason, a bold and daring move lost in the shuffle of the free-agency spree that dominated the headlines. A generation of excellence from Akers was suddenly a gigantic question, and Henery provided the resounding answer of confidence.

If you have been an Eagles fan long enough to cheer the team prior to the Akers years, you know how shaky the kicking game here was. You know about all the ups and downs of the special teams. Henery looks like the next great one, an incredibly visionary move by Howie Roseman and Andy Reid in the 2011 draft. Without skipping a beat, the Eagles have themselves another fantastic placekicker.

"I don't look at things other than just making sure I go out every day and focus on my job," he said. "There isn't anything really in my life that makes me lose my cool, I guess. I probably lose it more on the golf course than in football. This is my job and so I go out there and know what I have to do. I have to make kicks. I just go out and do it."

It sounds so simple, but it's not. The Eagles have themselves a good one in Henery, and potentially a great one if he continues to stay in his groove, hone his timing and build his strength. There is not an ounce of waver in Henery's personality. He's married. He's a solid guy. He's a humble young man. He loves being an Eagle.

And he's on his way to terrific things, even if nobody talks much about him. The truth is, the lack of chatter is the highest form of flattery for a kicker who one year ago was replacing a legend. Now Henery is on his own path, and is off to an historic start.

Lions' Riley Reiff turning heads at practice

Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan says lineman on track to play a lot early
June 5, 2012

By Carlos Monarrez

Lions rookie offensive lineman Riley Reiff has yet to put on pads, but so far offensive coordinator Scott Linehan likes what he sees from the team's highest draft pick this year.

The Lions held their third organized team activity open to the media Monday. As with the previous two OTAs, Reiff played only tackle. On Monday, he played left tackle with the second team, opposite Jason Fox at right tackle.

Whether Reiff challenges starting tackles Jeff Backus and Gosder Cherilus remains to be seen.

"It's still early to say who's going to play where," Linehan said. "But Riley's on track to play a lot of football for us really early. He's an exceptional talent, and he's a great kid. He's going to really help us on our offensive line. Where he ends up this year really hasn't been determined yet. But we're just happy with what we've seen so far. We think he's going to be a heck of a player."

Linehan said he is pleased overall with the offensive line. Now it could come down to whether he prefers competition or continuity.

"There's a lot of competition there," he said. "And the group that played for us last year, they've really been together now we're going on our fourth season, except for Rob (Sims). ...

"But with that added depth and competition, we're just going to be a better football team because we've added some good, young players and getting Fox back healthy and obviously we drafted Riley. I really feel good about that group and the way that group has progressed and played in our three years going on four now."

Secret Superstar: Karl Klug and Jurrell Casey, DTs, Tennessee Titans

June 1, 2012

Author: Ben Stockwell

For the first time since Bill Clinton’s first term in the Oval Office, the Tennessee Titans had a new head coach. Under Mike Munchak they suffered an infuriatingly inconsistent season, losing to the likes of Jacksonville and Indianapolis in divisional play while running out winners against Baltimore and pushing New Orleans close. Nowhere was that inconsistency epitomized more than on the defensive line where the majority of players struggled to put together all-around seasons and three defensive linemen received their highest individual grades for their pass coverage.

In years past, Jeff Fisher’s heavy line rotation was the hallmark of a quality defensive unit, but in 2011 all it did was bring below-average performer after below-average performer on to the field. There were, however, two notable exceptions; a pair of mid-round rookie defensive tackles who give the Titans hope for the future inside: Jurrell Casey and Karl Klug.


After Fischer’s departure, the Titans found themselves with a problem at defensive tackle. The loss of the immensely talented, but immensely lazy Albert Haynesworth had left a talent void the Titans struggled to fill. Tony Brown had some success, but injuries caught up with him and players like Sen’Derrick Marks have failed to take over and carry the load. When Tennessee’s new defensive coaching staff made the ill-advised decision to move Jason Jones out to defensive end, the team was left with no proven quality inside.

Much like the Carolina Panthers, the Titans entered a 2011 draft in dire need of a defensive tackle, but with a likewise urgent requirement at quarterback and with “franchise” quarterback options available, they had to pass on Nick Fairley (though after his recent arrests that may not be a bad thing). Like the Panthers they too were left looking in the mid rounds and came away with a trio of tackles in the shape of Casey, Klug, and Zach Clayton. Clayton managed only 28 snaps, but, in a slightly more favorable situation than the Panther pairing of Sione Fua and Terrell McClain, the Titanic duo of Klug and Casey reaped immediate rewards for Tennessee’s defensive tackle rotation.



The Perfect Complement

Due to the way in which the Titans’ run their defensive tackle rotation, Casey and Klug didn’t share the field much in their rookie seasons, only 74 snaps. However, they complement each other and give the impression that if they were to be paired they could provide a quality defensive tackle set. Casey is the big-bodied run-stuffer (+12.5 run defense) who, in his rookie season, was as productive in run defense as any defensive tackle not named Brodrick Bunkley or Sione Pouha. Klug, meanwhile, is the upfield penetrator who does just enough against the run while providing the sort of interior pass rush (+5.8 pass rush) that many teams lack.

The duo comfortably outshone the Titans’ other defenders in the same mold; Shaun Smith was solid in run defense but was inconsistent shedding blocks and couldn’t make the same positive impact as Casey. Klug was not only the Titans’ premier interior pass rusher, he was just about their best overall pass rusher. His 24 total pressures and 5.7 Pass Rushing Productivity numbers were topped by only one Titan defensive lineman, a defensive end, Derrick Morgan (28 and 5.9).

In a season where the new-look Titans were on and off of the boil, these rookies–in particular the bigger Casey–were remarkably consistent. While Klug had a handful of down games around mid-season against the AFC North teams, Casey only had one poor game in run defense, coming against Atlanta in Week 11. That “down game” was a -1.2 run defense grade. Most defensive tackles league-wide would love for that to be their worst single game in run defense. Playing more snaps than any other Titan defensive tackle in 2011, Casey faced off with some top-line NFL talent and showed scant regard for the likes of Andy Levitre, Marshal Yanda, Ryan Kalil, and Bobbie Williams. He wasn’t necessarily making the splash plays that his running mate Klug recorded (three sacks to Klug’s six) but the consistency of Casey’s play–35 defensive stops–was astonishing to see from a rookie.

In more of a pass-rushing role, Klug, a former Iowa Hawkeye, was equally impressive and his work on third downs was particularly noteworthy. As an interior pass rusher Klug recorded four third-down sacks, which was more than all but 10 other defensive tackles recorded throughout the season. Three of those came against Alex Mack, Carl Nicks, and Eugene Monroe. Whether center, guard, or tackle, Klug was not afraid to mix it up with the very best in the league to provide the sort of pass rush that the Titans’ simply couldn’t produce from the defensive end position. You have to wonder what Klug might be capable of if the Titans could generate more rush than the combined -36.4 grade their defensive ends mustered last season.



The Sky is the Limit

Now that these two have a season and a combined 1,181 snaps under their belts, the Titans might be more willing to play them at the same time and get their best defense on the field. Sen’Derrick Marks is still around, as is Shaun Smith, but both could be in grave danger of losing not only their slot in the rotation, but also their roster spot to a host of free agent signings and rookie acquisitions.

The law of averages suggest that at least one of Klug and Casey two will suffer second-season blues, but if they can avoid that, the Titans have at their disposal a real weapon with which to attack the balanced offense of new division front-runner Houston.

It is real pressure for a pair of second-year players, but Klug and Casey have the potential to be the cornerstones of the Titans’ defense as they look to pick up those extra couple of wins in 2012 that take them from knocking on the playoff door to kicking it down and joining the party. With the acquisition of pass rush specialist Kamerion Wimbley, Karl Klug might now have the outside threat that allows him to “go off”. If he can hold up under the strain of a higher snap count, he could have the type of second season that saw Geno Atkins thrust himself into the upper echelon of defensive tackles. Similarly Casey’s continued high level of play in run defense is crucial for the Titans to allow fellow second-year players Akeem Ayers and Colin McCarthy to settle in at linebacker.

The pressure is there to perform and if they do, Klug and Casey will be a double act that offensive coordinators league wide will be fully aware of.