Happy, but far from satisfied
While glad to see his unit improve inWeek 2, defensive coordinator Newberry desires more
Navy defensive coordinator Brian Newberry could have spent this week basking in the glow of his unit’s second-half performance that keyed Saturday’s epic comeback against Tulane.
Inside linebacker Diego Fagot led theway as the Midshipmen shut out the Green Wave in the second half, limiting them to 82 total yards. Navy forced Tulane to go three-and-out on four straight possessions to start the second half, setting the stage for the Mids offense to score 27 unanswered points.
While proud of the defense during the second half, Newberry was more concerned with the reasons why the GreenWavewere able to build a 24-0 halftime lead. Many of the same issues that arose during the season opener against BYU resurfaced at Tulane. Navy defenders couldn’t get off blocks, failed to execute assignments and missed tackles.
The Green Wave piled up 291 total yards, with tailbacks Tyjae Spears and Cam Carroll both breaking off multiple long runs. It started on the first play as Spears shot through a huge hole, then bounced outside and raced 42 yards into Navy territory. Carroll scored Tulane’s third touchdown on a 24-yard scamper, racing into the end zone untouched.
Outside containment was a repeated problem and contributed to quarterback Keon Howard picking up 19 yards off a scramble.
“We had a lot of misfits, more so than missed tackles,” said Newberry, using a term
wonder again and again, he found himself As Jackson darted past one Cincinnati almost speechless, searching for words Bengals defender, slithered past another, thatwould articulate his incredulousness. spun by two more and outraced the rest to
“He didn’t just run; he darted,” Rogers the end zone on a 47-yard score that said. “Or he would disappear or evapowould define hisMVPseason, CBS’Kevin what. rate, the things he would do to make Harlan changed gears too.
“There were a couple of times where I opponents look silly sometimes.” “Oh, he broke his ankles!” Harlan found myself saying, ‘Oh, he completely “I use the word ‘pirouette’ with Lamar exclaimed after one Jackson cutback, as if fooled the defense — and me,’ ” Sandusky all the time because that’s the patented he were calling a game at Rucker Park’s recalled. move he has now,” said Sandusky, also the basketball court.
Because there is no NFL player like WBAL-TVsports director. “I don’t think I Then he moved to the present tense: Jackson, the league’s reigningMost Valuever once said, ‘Joe Flacco pirouetted.’ ” “Now he’s got an entourage.” And then to able Player, there is also no experience For defenses and broadcasters, it bethe outcome: “And he’s got a touchdown.” like chronicling his every move in real comes a game of catch-up. Before JackHarlanwaited a beat before summariztime. Over 15 million people are expected son’s arrival, Sandusky said he would call ing Jackson’s magic: “He is Houdini! to watch Jackson’s Ravens (2-0) on Ravens drives “on the ball”: When someWhat a play!”
“Monday Night Football,” and ESPN’s thing happened, he’d describe it, no time Two weeks later, as Jackson weaved Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis lag needed. There were only so many through theHouston Texans defense on a Riddick will have to make sense of it all. possible outcomes when Flacco faked a 39-yard highlight, Eagle uttered not one
At least the defending Super Bowl handoff and dropped back to pass. but two guttural “Oh!”s: the first when champion Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) know Maybe he’d roll to his right, Sandusky Jackson juked past outside linebacker what to expect, having faced Jackson said, but “you knew he wasn’t going to Whitney Mercilus, the second when the twice since 2018; Levy, Griese and Riddick sprint from one sideline to the next.” play ended11breathtaking seconds later. have onlywatched from afar. Jackson makes Sandusky wait, just to “You kind of know how plays are going
But to call a Ravens game is, in many be sure. He has to stay “behind the ball.” to end up: Aruninside probably picksup3 ways, to understand how a defense feels When the Ravens ran zone-read plays yards in a normal situation, if they’re whenJackson is on the field: There is only in Jackson’s early days as a starter, lucky,” Eagle said. “With Lamar Jackson somuchyou can prepare for, so prepare to Sandusky learned he had to keep his eyes and his ability to improvise, as a play-bybe left speechless. trained on Jackson. Fromthere, it became play announcer, if you do not bring your
“You never know when the next snap a process of elimination: either Jackson ‘A’ game, you’re going to look back on the might be that play of the year that you’ll be had the ball or he didn’t. And if he didn’t, moment and feel as if you missed it.” seeing over and over and over, and that the running back did. “You hold your breath for 60 minutes keeps you on the edge of your seat,” said Sandusky chuckled; he’d even conjust waiting to see what he’s going to do,” Mike Tirico, the host of NBC’s “Football sulted former Baltimore Colts linebacker NFL Network andWestwood One Sports Night in America.” “And there’s nothing and broadcast partner Stan White for color analyst KurtWarner said. “Because like entertainment, where the unknown, help in understanding the team’s optionhe’s got a highlight-reel play every time theout.”spectacular,canhappen15secondsheavyoffense.IfnoteventheRavens from now.” knew what would happen on any given With how normal Jackson made the
In the NFL, Jackson is a unicorn — the play, howcould the announcers? extraordinary look, Rogers said he almost first player in league history to pass for “It’s changed the way you approach failed to appreciate Jackson’s gifts during 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in the same things from a play-by-play man’s point of Louisville broadcasts. The year after he year. He’s the single-season record holder view because of the unpredictability — left for the draft, the Cardinals went 2-10, for quarterback rushing yards, the reignthe [run-pass options], the jet sweeps and and Rogers needed the occasional picking passing-touchdown king. the fact that these guys have more me-up.
In college, he left Louisville as a legend, freedom than ever before,” said CBS and He found it in his phone: archived radio the youngest-ever Heisman Trophy winWestwood One Sports play-by-play ancalls of Jackson’s games. Listening to the ner. But Jackson’s career started more nouncer Ian Eagle, who’s punctuated highlightswas a balm. modestly. Jackson highlights with exclamations of For Sandusky, narrating Jackson has
As a true freshman in 2015, he lost his “Lamarkable” and “Lamarvelous.” gotten easier over time but no less first game as the Cardinals’ starter. In his “You used to go in with a pretty good enjoyable. Even some of the offense’s first Atlantic Coast Conference game, a idea, a blueprint, of how things are going quieter moments are riveting. win over North Carolina State, he went to go,” Eagle said. “You call one Baltimore He pointed to a first-quarter play in the 10-for-27 for 103 passing yards. Louisville Ravens game, and you realize that it may Ravens’ season opener against the Cleveradio play-by-play announcerPaulRogers be something you’ve never seen before. land Browns, when Jackson pitched the recalled seeing only glimpses of greatness. They might bring something new to the ball to running back Mark Ingram II
Then Jackson hurdled a Syracuse table because of the dynamic skills of while 12 yards downfield and almost defender early in the Cardinals’ 2016 Lamar Jackson.” parallel to the ground. season — “Just so effortless,” Rogers said There’s a trickle-down effect on broadIt struck Sandusky that not even — and it was as if the script had changed. casts. With Jackson, “the potential for Ingram, a 10-year veteran who “has seen A new vocabularywas needed. something you’ve never seen before is just about anything and everything,” was
Rogers recalled color commentator always right there,” Sandusky said. Which ready for it.
AlexKupper joking withhimin the booth, means the potential for something you’ve “You really have to be present with prophetically: “Boy, there was a Heisman never heard before is, too. Lamar, with what he’s doing,” Sandusky moment.” In Week 9 last season, it was an said. “He can make moves that can leave
As Rogers arrived at those moments of invocation of illusionist Harry Houdini. your feet and your language helpless.”