Dossier: The Magazine Of The Erie Assassins

[R. Rich]

Preseason Report
By: Staff


Game 1:
Erie 10
LA Aztecs 30

Game 2:
Erie 13
KC Super Deuces 20

Preseason is over, and it's time for the regular season to swing into high gear. The Assassins made it through the preseason injury-free, which is a plus. The offense showed an ability to run the football and the line looked okay in protecting QB Byron Leftwich, as they did not allow a sack in the 2 preseason games. Leftwich, on the other hand, struggled mightily, throwing 5 interceptions to only one touchdown.

Defensively, the run defense looked weak, allowing 2 100 yard rushers. The pass rush looked better, as LBs Jason Babin and Jonathan Vilma were able to record sacks, and DE Randy Starks led the team w/ 3 sacks in the preseason. Pass coverage? Needs work, as too many 3rd and long plays were given up. Dunta Robinson and Sean Taylor both struggled and must step up their games.


The special teams look pretty solid, as P Brad Maynard was very reliable, K David Akers showed a strong leg and great accuracy, and the coverage units did not allow great field position. This could be a strength of the 2005 Assassins, but they've got a long way to go still and only time will tell.

Overall? There were good things to take from the 2 preseason games and bad things as well. Considering this team is a work in progress and the plan is to build up for a shot @ a title in year 2 or 3, they're just about on schedule.

[R. Rich]

Game 1 Analysis:

Erie Unravels In 4th, Drops Opener To Canadian Radiation Kings 27- 13

By: Editor


The Erie Assassins looked to reverse the trends of preseason, but only continued them as turnovers and a worn out defense again spelled defeat. Byron Leftwich continues to struggle, throwing 4 interceptions and looking confused and overmatched. He has looked okay in the early going, but struggles down the stretch of games. One has to wonder when Coach Ferentz will look to backup Jake Plummer for relief. Scary, as Plummer threw 20 picks himself last season!

The running game looks to be pretty good so far. Julius Jones has shown that he can handle being an every down back, and has looked very strong at times. Jones ran 20 times for 126 yards and a TD for the day. The stronger and more confident he becomes, the more viable a play action passing game becomes for Erie.

Speaking of the passing game, it's nonexistent. Nothing. Nada. Brandon Lloyd, who had 2 100 yard games in preseason, had just 70 yards on his 5 catches, while Kelley Washington, who did his best Claude Reins impersonation during preseason, added just 4 receptions for 53 yards. Ugh! Where was Ben Troupe, the TE they were sooo happy w/ that they didn't want to do a trade for Antonion Gates? Well, he had a monster game: 3 catches for 38 yards! Impressive.

Oh yeah, the offensive line that patted itself on the back for not giving up any sacks in the preseason? Three sacks given up in this one; just as many penalties too. This unit, heck the entire offense sans Jones, needs to do some soul searcing between now and the next game.

Defensively, we're still waiting to see the dominance. Kris Jenkins is supposed to be the anchor for the front seven and spearhead the charge in terms of run defense. Well, 2 preseason games and 1 regular season game later, we've seen 3 RBs get over 100 yards on the Assassins. We've also seen QBs throw @ will on this supposed stout defense. What's the deal? I'm waiting to see the payoff from having guys like Sean Taylor, Dunta Robinson, Bryan Scott, and Quentin Jammer out there, supposedly intimidating opposing receivers. Now, the LBs seem to be coming into their own. Jonathan Vilma is playing as advertised, rapidly becoming the star of this defense. Jason Babin has done well rushing the passer and Nick Barnett has adjusted well to moving back outside after being in the middle in Green Bay, a place where he had some trouble holding up against the big guys in the interior OL. Napoleon Harris may very well be the weak link of the LB corps, which could mean a change is in order if the problems stuffing the run continue.

The kicking game looked very good; Akers connected on a nice 49 yard FG, while Brad Maynard continues to look good. Though only forced to punt twice, he gave the opponent starting position at the 5 and 17, respectively. The coverage units we've heard so much about? They gave up a huge return to Antwaan Randle El @ the absolute worst time, giving up a 48 yard kickoff return after getting w/in 4 of the CRKs (17-13). Not good. We need to be able to depend on the coverage units in just those types of circumstances.

Oh well; on to week 2. It's still early, but the Assassins need to straighten out their run and pass defense, plus get Leftwich to screw his head on right so that they will be able to compete in the BZFL for this year.

[The King]

so articulate. Ill stick with Mora quotes.

[R. Rich]

so articulate. Ill stick with Mora quotes.

Being articulate is a bad thing?

Okay, here's a version more to your liking:

Me not happy w/ team. Team is bad. Team sucks. Must get good.

[The King]

Being articulate is a bad thing?

Okay, here's a version more to your liking:

Me not happy w/ team. Team is bad. Team sucks. Must get good.

No I was impressed! I am not that articulate that was the point!

[R. Rich]

Notes From Kirk Ferentz' Press Conference (07/02/05)
By: Staff

Erie Assassins Head Coach Kirk Ferentz addressed the media Saturday on the outcome of the opening game and answered some questions also.

On the issue of Byron Leftwich's horrible outing (18 of 33 for 184 yards, 0 TD, 4 INTs), Coach Ferentz stated that, "Byron is still trying to adjust to our system and is experiencing some difficulty. We are standing behind our decision to make Byron our starter for now. We feel it is much too early to hit the panic button and bench him in favor of backup Jake Plummer." Offensive Coordinator Ken O'Keefe is said to be working extensively w/ Leftwich to calm him down and to get him more used to the offense. When asked about Leftwich's troubles, O'Keefe said, "When Kirk and I coached in Iowa, we used a lot more multiple sets and gave many more looks to the defense. Here in Erie, we've really scaled down the offense so that we can focus on our running game, which we feel is a strong point of our team. What Byron needs to learn is the nuances of the play action pass and when to test the secondary deep as opposed to when to take what they give you."

Ferentz did say he was pleased w/ the running of Julius Jones. "Julius is really hitting the holes with a great burst and is doing a great job of breaking a lot of big gains. He does have the tendency to jump the gun @ times, taking off before his blocking is set. That's something that will come to him w/ more reps. Julius was very strong in the 1st quarter (5 carries for 51 yds, 1 TD) and again in the 3rd (5 carries for 61 yards). What we need to do is to limit our mistakes, so that we can not only continue to utilize his great running, but to get more play action passing off of it."

When asked what he thought of the performance of his defense, Ferentz said, "To be honest, we're disappointed in what we've done so far defensively. We simply cannot continue to allow a succession of running backs to burn us for 100 yard games. Jamal Lewis finished w/ 126 yards on 23 carries, something which should not be happening to us. I've challenged NT Kris Jenkins, our defensive captain, to step up his game and lead this young defense. Of course, we also have to limit our turnovers, so that we're not tiring our defense out. This will come in time." Ferentz also seemed a bit down on his secondary, saying, "This is not how we envisioned our secondary coming out of the gate. We were looking to have an aggressive group that would be able to control the receivers and keep the big plays to a minimum. This is an area we'll be addressing a lot over the next couple of weeks."

Ferentz did have kudos for P Brad Maynard. "Brad did a nice job when we called upon him. He only had to punt twice, and put the opposing team inside the 20 each time (5 and 17 yard line starts, respectively)."

Overall, Ferentz did say that he was pleased w/ some things, such as his running and kicking games, but that there is much room for improvement on his team. The challenge is to get this young team to learn quickly from their mistakes and learn to limit the turnovers to give them a chance to win.

[R. Rich]

Notes From Kirk Ferentz Press Conference (07/09/05)
By: Staff

Erie Assassins head coach Kirk Ferentz addressed the media after last week's 35-23 loss in the home opener against Pittsburgh.

The main question was the health of RB Julius Jones, the BZFL's leading rusher after the first 2 weeks. "Julius is going to be out for the next 6 weeks, which will affect our offense dramatically. Jonathan Wells will take over as the starter for now. We have no plans to bring in a free agent as anything other than a backup, and even that isn't a guarantee. Jonathan doesn't have the same explosiveness or speed that Julius has, but is more than capable of running in between the tackles for us." When asked if there were plans to restructure the offense, Ferentz replied, "We are going to use the 3 WR set a bit more. (Offensive Coordinator) Ken O' Keefe wants to use our 3 man WR rotation of Kelley Washington, Tyrone Calico, and Brandon Lloyd in a few more instances so that we can get the defense to open up a bit. We're confident that our guys can handle this situation. So far, the progress of Lloyd has been pretty good, but we will need to see more out of Calico and especially Washington."

About the team's continuing struggles in pass defense, Ferentz said, "(Defensive Coordinator) Al Golden and I have been working on this for the past few days. Our base defense has been less effective as teams are spreading the field on us. Also, Quentin Jammer needs to work on his recognition, as he's falling for the double move a bit too often. We're happy w/ the play of our safeties so far, as Bryan Scott and Sean Taylor have done a good job in both run support and in coverage. Our nickel and dime backs must also step it up. I expect a turnaround out of Lenny Walls, Nathan Vasher, and Andre Woolfolk with more time spent in our scheme."

In terms of the run defense, Ferentz said the team, "...had improved by leaps and bounds over the preseason and the season opener. Randy Starks and Kris Jenkins both responded well to the 'talk' we had last week. We still are waiting for big things from (RE) Anthony Weaver. Derrick Burgess, his backup, may see some more time in certain pass rush situations."

The play of the offensive line has been okay, for the most part, according to Ferentz. "Jonathan Ogden and Bryant McKinnie have been outstanding in opening huge rush lanes for the running game. Julius had a 60 yard run in large part due to the great blocks thrown by McKinnie and RG Kendyl Jacox. Our left side (G Chester Pitts and Ogden) has been very sound in run blocking. We still could do a bit more in pass protection, but, so far, I'm pleased w/ the progress of our line."

Next up for the Assassins is a trip to the 'Jungle' to meet the Philadelphia Bushwhackers, also winless after their first 2 games. The Bushwhackers have 2 QBs that can cause matchup problems in cousins Michael Vick and Aaron Brooks. If the Assassins aren't up to the task, they could get torched by Philly's passing game. Ferentz expect his team to respond to the challenge by coming out w/ their first win of the season. "We're due for a game where everything falls into place and we put together the kind of effort we're capable of. This could be our week."

[Forward_Lateral]

Well Rich, one of us has to win this week, the loser will be 0-3. I don't have much confidence in my team right now, I envision an Assasins win.

[R. Rich]

Well Rich, one of us has to win this week, the loser will be 0-3. I don't have much confidence in my team right now, I envision an Assasins win.

I've lost my best offensive weapon to an injury that'll keep him out for the next 6 games. I also lost my starting TE for this game also. I now have to rely even more on the very shaky arm of Byron Leftwich. I'm not really very hopeful of my chances.

[R. Rich]

Notes From Kirk Ferentz Press Conference (07/16/09)
By: Staff

Assassins Head Coach Kirk Ferentz was visibly not happy during the conference, looking very frustrated due to the team's 0-3 start. Things don't look to get much better w/ leading rusher Julius Jones still out for the next 5 weeks, Byron Leftwich still making some bad throws @ the worst possible moments, and the run defense continuing its' struggle.

When asked if backup QB Jake Plummer might be pressed into action, Ferentz said, "Right now, we're leaving the option open. Jake has looked pretty solid in drills over the past couple of weeks and appears ready if necessary. I do like some of the things Byron has been able to do, such as the nice working relationship he and WR Brandon Lloyd have developed. Brandon has done well w/ making the big plays for us, but he does need to become more of a factor in the red zone (has 0 TDs so far this season)."

Though the pass defense didn't give up a ton of yardage to Philadelphia (gave up 195 passing yards on 17 for 25 passing), they still are having trouble generating turnovers (0 for the game). On the plus side, they did keep Philly to a 2 of 9 showing on 3rd downs and did put good pressure on QB Aaron Brooks, coming up w/ 5 sacks, 2 by emerging LDE Randy Starks. Ferentz noted that, "our pass defense did play a little better, but we have to do better w/ forcing turnovers. We have good playmakers out there; they just need to step up their games so that we can get some points off turnovers. I expect guys like Jonathan Vilma, Nick Barnett, and Sean Taylor to do better in this area."

The run defense is still having a lot of trouble, as the team gave up another 100 yard performance to an opposing back. This time, it was game MVP Ahman Green, who rushed for 134 yards and 2 TDs on 13 carries. "Our run defense is just plain bad right now. Randy (Starks), Anthony Weaver, and Kris Jenkins have not been as stout as we'd like. Moreover, (RILB) Napoleon Harris is getting killed inside. We will use his injury to see what (backup) Gerald Hayes can do for us. I've also had a talk w/ Jonathan Vilma in order to make him aware of the fact that I expect more out of him also. He was our 2nd player chosen overall in the free agency draft, and the first player we took on defense. We did so because we believe he can be our impact player and a leader for us. So far, he has been underperforming, and he knows it. This is something I believe will change, and soon."

Ferentz did have good things to say, mostly, about his offensive line. "We're doing a much better job of protecting our quarterback, as Leftwich was only sacked once. Our run blocking is very solid, but we are obviously missing Julius (Jones). Without him, we don't have the same explosiveness out of the RB position. Jonathan Wells is a nice power runner, but doesn't have that extra gear like Julius does." There is a matter of penalties to deal w/ though. "We have had some really bad drive killing penalties from our line. Kendyl Jacox, @ one point during the first quarter, had back to back holding calls that took us from our 30 (yard line) to our 10. This just cannot happen, especially since we've been trying to develop some consistency offensively. We start out pretty strong, but usually end up killing ourselves w/ bad penalties and turnovers. We end up putting too much (pressure) on our defense, and they start to break down."


Special teams play was decent, but Ferentz said of his coverage teams that, "we have to get more physical and start to dominate in coverage. We gave up a 31 yard kick return to Dominic Rhodes, which is unacceptable. I put a lot of emphasis on special teams, and this effort was not one of our best. We will work hard this coming week on our kick coverage schemes."

Next up for the Assassins are the unbeaten Jersey Jaguars. The Jags sport a pretty good running game w/ Kevin Jones averaging 4.5 yards per rush and have a decent defense also. Ferentz knows his team will have to play a much cleaner game to come out of this one w/ a win. "We've been in these games going down to the wire, only to have a total meltdown on offense w/ turnovers and penalties, which allowed teams to wear down our defense for some late scores to beat us. One thing we will try to do is run the ball more effectively, setting up play action passing. Brandon Lloyd is having quite a nice season as he is 12th in the league in catches, 5th in receiving yards, and only Terrell Owens has a better yard per catch average than he does. This is definitely someting we can build on. We just need to stop shooting ourselves in the foot in crucial moments."

[R. Rich]

Notes from Kirk Ferentz Weekly Press Conference (07/23/05)
By: Staff


<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
Erie Assassins head coach Kirk Ferentz reflected on the team’s 0-4 start and also made reference to some changes to be made on both offense and defense.

<o:p></o:p>

Offensively, the rumors of Byron Leftwich’s impending benching continue, after he suffered another terrible performance, going 23 of 39 for 221 yards w/ 3 INTs and 0 TDs. So far this season, he has thrown for 779 yards, 0 TDs and 9 INTs in his first 4 starts. He has been sacked 7 times as well. When asked if backup Jake Plummer, who has looked impressive in workouts over the past couple of weeks, would get a chance to start next week, Ferentz said that, “Jake is ready, if we decide to go that route. We do believe that Byron will come out of this okay, but we also have to make decisions that are best for the team. Right now, I’d say the chance that Jake will get the start next week is about fifty fifty.”

<o:p></o:p>

Another problem w/ the offense now is the total lack of a running game. Jonathan Wells had just 19 yards rushing on 12 carries. Fullback Alan Ricard finished w/ 18 yards on his two carries. Ferentz said the team is , “exploring options” in terms of tweaking the running game. He would not say whether or not that meant help in free agency or not. Wells has rushed for just 115 yards this season on 36 carries, a dismal 3.2 yard per rush average. One option the team may look into is acquiring another runner w/ speed and using a “running back by committee” approach in the absence of Julius Jones, out for another 4 games due to injury.

<o:p></o:p>

Defensively, it was more of the same for Erie, as Kevin Jones finished w/ 100 yards on his 19 carries and Chris Brown added 55 yards on 9 attempts. Both runners scored once. The run defense is still having trouble, and Ferentz alluded to changes that will be made to correct it. “There’s a couple of guys we’ve been monitoring, and we feel that right now, Gerald Hayes should remain the starter @ RILB, even after Nap(oleon) Harris’ return from injury. We’ll continue to use Nap in some of our different packages, but Gerald will be the every down starter for now. We also liked what we saw from Dexter Coakley, and will try to get him in more often as well. Right now, he’s still backing up Jason Babin @ LOLB, and we feel Jason is doing a solid job as our starter [Babin had 3 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 stuffs, and 1 sack in the loss to the Jags].”

<o:p></o:p>

There may also be changes made in the special teams too, as the Assassins are not satisfied w/ the performance they’ve gotten so far from kick returner Bethel Johnson. “Bethel knows he has to step up his performance in the return game.” Ferentz said. “We are not okay w/ a 5.5 yard average on punts and an 18.6 yard average on kickoffs. That has to improve, or we need to look to someone else.”

<o:p></o:p>

In terms of last week’s game, Ferentz again made mention of the team ‘melting down’ in crucial situations. “Hey, this is a young team. We all knew that when we put this team together, but we also told them that since they are professionals, we expect them to mature quickly and meet this challenge head on. We were again in a position to win (down just 14-9) in the 3<SUP>rd</SUP>, then we just gave up some big plays that led to our undoing (a 56 yard pass play that led to a short 5 yard Jones TD run and then Eddie Drummond’s long punt return for a score). This is all a part of the process of growing up as a team, but this had better be the short part of the process.”

<o:p></o:p>

Next up for Erie is a road trip to take on the Kalamazoo Kamikaze Squirrels, a team that is also struggling w/ a 1-3 record. When asked if this was a “must win game” for the Assassins, Ferentz replied, “We will look at every game as a must win game for us, mainly to get some confidence going around here. Once we get that started, I know we’ll start to reverse our fortunes. This team has loads of talent; what it needs to develop is character, poise, and, most of all, confidence.”

<o:p></o:p>

[R. Rich]

Roster Changes Made To Shake Things Up
By: Editor

The 0-4 Erie Assassins, desparately looking to add a spark to their team, announced some lineup changes that they hope will lead to a reversal of the team's misfortunes. The long rumored benching of Byron Leftwich became a reality, as backup QB Jake Plummer will start this week against Kalamazoo. Plummer has had a few good weeks of working out while Leftwich has struggled mightily as the starter, throwing 9 INTs to 0 TDs for the season. Also, newly acquired TE Desmond Clark will be given the start due to the injury to Ben Troupe. Troupe is expected back in action after this week though.

Defensively, head coach Kirk Ferentz mentioned that the team would demote RILB Napoleon Harris and replace him w/ Gerald Hayes, and they did just that. The move was done in the hopes that Hayes, who had a decent performance last week in the loss to the Jersey Jaguars, will hold up better against the run than Harris has. In addition to Hayes, Defensive Coordinator Al Golden has decided to give speedy DE Derrick Burgess the start this week as well, as he will replace RDE Anthony Weaver. Weaver has done an okay job, but the team feels Burgess can give them more speed on the edge which will help both Burgess and team sack leader Randy Starks (4 on the season) get better pressure.

The other move made was to give Bethel Johnson's punt return duties to reserve CB Nathan Vasher. Johnson will remain the team's top option as a kick returner.

[R. Rich]

Notes From Kirk Ferentz Press Conference (07/30/05)
By: Staff

After this week's 28-16 loss to Kalamazoo @ Soldier Field, Assassins head coach Kirk Ferentz was again visibly disappointed @ the performance of his team, especially his defense.

"Defensively, the effort simply is not there overall", Ferentz said. "We're getting some decent play from a few individuals, but we haven't come together as a unit to be what we should be. (Defensive Coordinator) Al (Golden) has said that we're going to modify our schemes a bit and use different personnel." Such personnel could be LBs Karlos Dansby, Dexter Coakley, and James Harrison plus CBs Andre Woolfolk and Lenny Walls, all of whom the coaches say they need to get on the field more.

Ferentz continued to stress the need for improvement in run defense. "This week was awful in terms of run defense. We gave up 100 yards to one back (Chester Taylor ran for 125 yards on just 20 carries) and nearly 100 to another (Emmitt Smith ran for 96 yards and 2 TDs on 19 carries). We made a change @ inside LB, going w/ Gerald Hayes over Nap(oleon) Harris, who we feel right now is better suited as a reserve, used in different blitz packages. We also will use Derrick Burgess @ RDE for the time being, to give us more of a rush from the line. There are some other changes we're considering, but that's something you'll have to wait until game day to find out about."

The sudden decision to start Byron Leftwich surprised some, as the team announced that Jake Plummer would start the game. "(Offensive Coordinator) Ken (O' Keefe) wanted to give Leftwich one more look to see if he could jump start the offense. For now, we feel that we're better suited going w/ Jake. He will become our starter for an indefinite period of time. We also will focus more of our strategy on throwing the ball, especially considering the fine season we've gotten out of Brandon Lloyd. Brandon's currently 11th in the league in catches (w/ 28), 5th in yards (482), and 3rd in average per catch (17.2). We've also seen more out of the TE position (Desmond Clark, filling in for injured starter Ben Troupe, had 5 catches for 46 yards) and it looks like Kelley Washington is starting to come around. He had a decent game (4 catches for 44 yards) and seems to be learning the offense now."

The running game continues to be a non factor, as the team is still struggling to run effectively in the absence of Julius Jones, who was the league's leading rusher @ the time of his injury and will be out for another 3 weeks. "Jonathan Wells had another mediocre game (65 yards on 16 rushes) for us as we are still trying to find a way to run the ball. Coach O' Keefe and I have toyed w/ a few ideas, and some will be on display next week." Ferentz would say no more about this.

The next game for the Assassins is @ RICH Stadium against the Denver Golden Brewsers, a team that is also 0-5 going into this week. When told that the loser of this game would be the lead candidate for the top pick in next year's draft, Ferentz shot back, "I don't give a damn about next year's draft. I'm trying to build some momentum this year. This team needs to get that first taste of success so that they can feed off of it. Right now, morale is pretty low due to the poor start, but I told them that they need to stay focused on the goal of becoming a team and building confidence in themselves and each other. All we need is a spark to get us going, so it's up to each player to step it up now."

[R. Rich]

Notes From Kirk Ferentz Press Conference (08/06/05)
By: Staff



Erie Assassins head coach Kirk Ferentz seemed a bit more positive after the team's come from behind 14-13 win @ home last week against the Denver Golden Brewsers.

"First off, I just want to say that it's nice to get our first win, " Ferentz said. "We needed something good to happen, after all the injuries, penalties, and turnovers that led to our 0-5 start." When someone mentioned that the win came against a team who, like the Assassins, had not won a game going into last week's contest, Ferentz replied that "The Brewsers have had a string of misfortunes as well, as they've been hit hard by injuries and have had to go w/ some players who weren't as experienced. Nonetheless, they're a tough team that has come close to winning on several occasions, so they're no pushover. Remember, they had us shut out over the course of the first 3 quarters of this game [they led 13-0 going into the fourth quarter]."

It was while discussing that fourth quarter surge that Ferentz displayed optimism for his team. "Our guys had a terrific fourth quarter against Denver. The defense was stout, and the offense was unstoppable. Jake Plummer looked great down the stretch and really took over as a leader. He called a quick players meeting for the offense, where he told them that they were not going to lose the game. Then, he led them on 2 scoring drives and another drive that helped to kill the clock."

Ferentz continued by saying, "Now, we need to build on the success of that fourth quarter and continue to play as well. They've seen now that they can get the job done, in all phases. Our comeback started w/ a solid special teams play, as Bethel Johnson returned a kickoff (after Brewsers kicker Ryan Longwell hit a 41 yard FG to put his team up 13-0) for 31 yards to give us great field position (to the Erie 43 yard line). From there, Jake started his great fourth quarter performance." Plummer was 11 of 12 for 128 yards, 1 TD and no INTs or sacks in the fourth. He led the Assassins on 2 scoring drives (a 12 yard Jonathan Wells TD run on a draw play followed by Plummer's 6 yard scoring toss to TE Desmond Clark) and another drive that allowed Erie to kill the clock and prevent the Brewsers from getting another scoring opportunity. The Assassins were 2-3 on third downs and 1-1 on fourth downs in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, the Assassins got back to tough, physical defensive football. They made some roster moves to shake things up, and it seemed to have worked out nicely. First, they moved Anthony Weaver back to the starting RDE spot. Weaver gives them more size than backup Derrick Burgess while still providing a decent pass rush. Weaver finished the game w/ 2 sacks and also had 4 tackles. He gave them good balance on the outside against both the pass and the run. The next move made was @ linebacker, as Nick Barnett was moved inside to RILB and Karlos Dansby was made the starter @ Barnett's old ROLB position. Those moves worked out very well, as Dansby had a 7 tackle, 2 sack, 3 stuff, and 1 pass defensed performance that impressed the coaches. Barnett had a pass defensed to go w/ his 3 tackles inside. Defensive Coordinator Al Golden said the move was made to , "get the best 4 linebackers on our team out on the field @ the same time. We felt that Karlos was being wasted as a situational player and special teamer. He had to be out there in the mix, and he showed us all why." For only the 2nd time this year, the Assassins did not surrender a 100 yard rushing performance to an opponent. This was especially good news after last week's debacle, where they gave up 100 yards to one player and 96 yards to another. Golden and Ferentz now feel that they have their best personnel out on the field and will be better able to stop the run, as well as do better in coverage.

The special teams play wasn't bad either. They kept the Brewsers' return game in check, keeping Lorenzo Neal to just 28 yards on 2 kick returns and Santana Moss to 15 yards on 2 punt returns. As for their return game, Erie kick returner Bethel Johnson stepped up late in the third quarter, giving the team a great 31 yard return to put them almost @ midfield to start the first of their 2 touchdown drives. Beyond that, the returns were not very spectacular. Ferentz said, "We're hoping to build on Bethel's last kick return. If he can get some continuity there, we'll have much better field position which should result in more scoring. He knows that we need him to get us set off correctly."

On the injury front, Ferentz is happy that he'll only have to wait another couple of weeks to get Julius Jones back from his injury. "Without Julius, our offense has really struggled to run the ball. We've had to force our QBs to do more because of that. I think Byron (Leftwich) responded to this a bit badly, but Jake seems to be able to handle it. Byron needs for us to have a strong running game to function well. We'll work more w/ him to get him the seasoning he'll need to be a successful QB. We have NOT given up on him @ all; we just feel that Jake can give us better success @ the present time. Byron is our QB for the long haul, and he knows that."

Next up for the Assassins is a rematch w/ the Pittsburgh Fighting Shih Tzus. Erie lost their home opener to Pittsburgh by a 35-23 score back in week 2. Of this game, Ferentz said, "The guys really want to have a good showing in Pittsburgh. We felt that we should have won the first game against them, but that we blew it w/ some mistakes down the stretch. We did hold Curtis Martin to less than 60 yards in that game, so we know we can limit their success running the ball if we work @ it. The real issue is whether or not we can get after Trent Green enough to stop him from going buck wild on us, like he did last time (he had 421 yards and 3 TDs). This is something that we'll work on a lot for this game."

[R. Rich]

Assassins Make The Right Call; Plummer Leads Team To First Victory Of The Season
By: Editor

After floundering for 5 straight games under the shaky leadership of young QB Byron Leftwich, the Erie Assassins finally made the change to veteran QB Jake Plummer and got their first win of the year, a 14-13 come from behind victory over the Denver Golden Brewsers.

Plummer struggled a bit over the first 3 quarters, going 14 of 23 for 142 yards, 0 TDs and 2 INTs before turning it on in a tour de force outing in the fourth, going 11 of 12 for 128 yards w/ 1 TD and no INTs or sacks (he was sacked twice in the first 3 quarters). In addition, Plummer led the Assassins on 2 TD drives and another drive that successfully killed the clock, allowing them to hold on for the win. The Assassins were 2 of 3 on third downs in the final quarter and successfully converted their only fourth down attempt. When asked about the turnaround in the fourth, Plummer said, “I just got in the huddle and told the guys that we were not losing this game. We had fought hard all game, and I didn’t help matters by throwing a couple stupid INTs earlier. I knew we had the ability to go down the field; we just had to play smart down the stretch , and I think we did that.” Plummer finished his first start for the Assassins w/ a 25 of 35 completion/attempts ratio for 270 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. He also had 14 rushing yards on 10 carries, indicating that the running game is still a major problem since the loss of starter Julius Jones, who will be out for 2 more games.

Erie also made some changes to their defense. Defensive Coordinator Al Golden said, “We felt like we had to do something to shake up our lineup and to get the best personnel possible on the field. To do that, we moved Nick Barnett inside to RILB and made Karlos Dansby the starting ROLB. We also decided that we’d go w/ Anthony Weaver as our starter @ RDE (after being benched the previous game in favor of Derrick Burgess), since he offers more size and still can generate some pressure.” How did the changes pay off for the Assassins? Well, Weaver had 2 sacks and did a good job of keeping the Golden Brewsers from running to his side while Dansby showed why he should’ve been the starter since the beginning of the season, w/ a 7 tackle/2 sack performance. “Karlos gave us a solid pass rushing effort while also giving us some decent run defense. He looked sharp, shedding his blockers and getting into the backfield on many occasions,” Golden said. “We also slightly adjusted our scheme a bit, so that our guys could be in better position to defend the run more often.” The moves worked, as the Brewsers ran for only 57 yards on 21 carries as a team.


As for the pass defense, Golden stated that, “There is still work that’s needed. Our guys are letting the QBs get into a rhythm, and it shows in their stats.” Brewsers’ signal caller David Carr finished the game w/ 249 yards on 21 of 30 passing, w/ 1 TD and 0 INTs. Golden said, “We are getting decent pressure, but our guys in coverage must be more aggressive against these receivers. They cannot let them go to their spots and catch the ball in front of them. Dunta (Robinson) knows he needs to be tougher @ the line of scrimmage, and will work on it. I’ve been okay w/ Quentin (Jammer)’s work so far, but he has to get to the ball more often.”

Overall, this game had a rough start for Erie, but what a finish! Plummer looked outstanding in leading the Assassins on 2 scoring drives and one great time-killing drive, all in the fourth quarter. He showed leadership, tenacity, and a will to win that was badly needed. It seemed to be contagious, as guys like backup TE Desmond Clark, RB Jonathan Wells, and backup WR Clarence Moore stepped up their games to give Erie a much needed win.

The Assassins won’t have much time to celebrate this victory, as they will look to gain a measure of revenge against the Pittsburgh Fighting Shih Tzus, the team that beat Erie 35-23 back in the home opener in week 2. In that game, the Assassins held BZFL rushing leader Curtis Martin to just 56 yards and a TD on 11 carries, but watched QB Trent Green torch them for 421 yards and 3 TDs. With the current makeup of this team, it will be a very tough game to win. The Assassins had a healthy Julius Jones in the first meeting (he ran for 130 yards), but will not have his services next week. Jonathan Wells will need to do better than he did this week to help give Erie the win.

[R. Rich]

One Third Season Report: Rough Start And Strong Finish
By: Editor

The innaugural season for the Erie Assassins has been marred by turnovers, penalties, and five consecutive losses to start the season. The bright side? The team looked very strong in the fourth quarter of their only win of the season, last week's come from behind 14-13 win over Denver. Let's take the first 5 games one @ a time, shall we?

Game 1
Canadian Radiation Kings 27, Assassins 13 (@ CRKs)

This game started the now-familiar Erie trend of playing pretty good in the first half and then tanking in the second half. Julius Jones got off to a great start, rushing for 61 yards and his only touchdown of the season in the first half. The problem was that Byron Leftwich had already thrown the first of his 4 INTs by halftime. His next INT would be a biggie: w/ the score tied @ 10, Julius Jones ripped off a 48 yard run to put the Assassins on the CRKs' 16 yard line. Leftwich then threw a pick to Will Witherspoon and the CRKs would go on to score a TD and take the lead for good.

Defensively, the Assassins performed well for the first half, giving up one TD and keeping Jamal Lewis to 42 yards rushing on 11 carries. Marc Bulger did have a pretty decent half against them though, going 13 of 18 for 109 yards, 1 TD and no INTs. He completed 7 of his last 8 passes for 44 yards, but the D held and they did not give up any points on that drive.

The second half was not pretty for the Assassins. Jamal Lewis ran 12 times for 85 yards for the CRKs while Bulger beat the Erie secondary seemingly @ will, hitting on 9 of 10 passes for 125 yards and 2 TDs. It was pathetic. The D looked worn down due to the ineffective and inconsistent offense, one that had opportunities to score wasted by Leftwich picks. The CRKs had the ball for over 32 minutes in the game, completely dominating the Assassins in the second half.


Game 2
Pittsburgh Fighting Shih Tzus 35, Assassins 23 (Home)

The good news: the Assassins were able to keep BZFL rushing leader Curtis Martin in check, as he finished w/ just 56 yards and one TD on 11 carries.

The bad news: Trent Green destroyed the Erie secondary, going 27 of 37 for 421 yards, 3 TDs w/ no INTs. He was 17 of 24 for 213 yards and 3 TDs in the first half, setting the tone for the entire game. Green was unstoppable, and the Assassins had no chance because of it. The Assassins didn’t help their cause w/ 6 penalties, many of which killed any momentum they hoped to build. Speaking of momentum-killers, not only was Julius Jones’ 19 carries for 130 yards wasted (no TDs, many red zone blunders), but Jones was lost for the next 6 games due to injury as well. This game was costly on so many levels. Jones was the BZFL’s leader in rushing yards and in yards per carry after the first 2 weeks, and was looking to have an MVP type season before the injury.


Game 3
Philadelphia Bushwhackers 24, Assassins 10 (@ PHI)

In their first game after Jones’ injury, the Assassins struggled mightily to run the ball, a trend that continues to this day. Backup Jonathan Wells ran for 65 yards on 14 carries and Byron Leftwich ran for 22 yards and the team’s only TD of the game, but the team ran for a collective 98 yards on 33 carries, which is horrible. The passing game struggled to bail them out also, as Leftwich was 20 of 33 for 267 yards but w/ zero TDs and 2 INTs. He looked lost and confused in clutch situations, wasting a stellar effort from leading receiver Brandon Lloyd, who finished w/ 6 catches for 148 yards on the day.

Again, the Assassins choked in the latter stages of the game. After Leftwich’s TD tied the game @ 10 in the 3rd quarter, the defense gave up a 38 yard TD run to Ahman Green, who finished w/ 134 rushing yards and 2 TDs on just 13 carries. Green would later add insult to injury w/ a 10 yard TD run to put the Assassins away for good.

The defense gave up some huge runs to Green that broke the game wide open, but suffered from an offense that, although it maintained possession of the ball for over 34 minutes of the game, managed just a meager 10 points. The D needs to have the O give it some time to rest, as they have done a decent job in the first half of most games, but then they get worn down thanks to an ineffective offense that keeps taking itself off the field w/ poor play and turnovers.


Game 4
Jersey Jaguars 28, Assassins 9 (Home)

Another game where turnovers and horrible play broke open a game that could have been won.

Erie started off strong, w/ David Akers hitting a 50 yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead and then Quentin Jammer picked off Carson Palmer in the red zone to stop a good Jaguar drive. From there, the lack of a running game and the error-prone play of Leftwich was Erie’s undoing. Again.

In the late 1st/early 2nd quarter, the Jags shook off their sluggish start and hit some big plays to get in the scoring column. A 63 yard pass to Az Hakim set up the first of RB Kevin Jones’ 2 TDs, a short 3 yard reception from Palmer. The 2nd TD was set up by a Jones 47 yard run.

The 2nd half featured more of the same: Assassins mistakes (Jonathan Ogden’s holding penalty on the Jaguar ONE yard line which limited Erie to another Akers FG) and Jaguars’ big plays (retrun man Eddie Drummond taking a punt 67 yards for a TD to put the game away @ 28-9). Leftwich threw 2 INTs and 0 TDs in the 2nd half, as the Assassins’ offense continued to struggle w/ no running game (47 yards on 21 carries for the entire team) and Leftwich’s erratic play @ QB stifling the passing game.




Game 5
Kalamazoo Kamikaze Squirrels 28, Assassins 16

This game was probably the best overall performance by the entire offensive unit, as Leftwich was 16 of 28 for 159 yards and 2 TDs w/ no INTs or sacks. Jonathan Wells rushed for 65 yards on 16 carries and Leftwich added 38 more on 6 carries. Brandon Lloyd caught 6 passes for 72 yards and a TD to lead the receiving corps.

The problem in this one? The run defense, or lack thereof. Chester Taylor ran for 125 yards on 20 carries while Emmitt Smith had 19 carries for 96 yards and 2 TDs. This was the worst performance of the D for the season and was a game that forced Erie to make the changes that enabled them to have a better showing the next week, not only defensively (due to Karlos Dansby’s stellar efforts) but also offensively too (Jake Plummer’s leadership in the 4th quarter).


So, overall, there's much work needed to be done by Erie, but they have some reason to be hopeful. Karlos Dansby gives the D another playmaker and allowed them to move Nick Barnett inside and give Erie a better defense up the middle. The pass defense still needs work, but is getting a better showing from starting corners Dunta Robinson and Quentin Jammer in the past couple of games. Jake Plummer's first start looked to be a disaster until he stepped his game up late and led the team to a great comeback victory. It will be interesting to see how the Assassins work Julius Jones back into the mix in a couple of weeks. Jones got plenty of carries in the first 2 games, but the Assassins have gravitated towards the passing game a bit more in his absence, w/ pretty good results. I still expect to see Erie finish w/ @ least 6 wins on the season. I do think they'll do better in their last 12 games, but they still are a very young team that will continue to have growing pains and make mistakes that will cost them. By the end of the year, I think we'll see a team that is building continuity and we may even see a nice little win streak to take them into the offseason w/ some badly needed momentum.

[R. Rich]

So Much For Progress: Assassins Lose Big In Pittsburgh 40-10.
By: Editor

The Erie Assassins lost any type of momentum they thought they had after a very good showing in the latter part of their win against Denver last week. Jake Plummer continued to build on a solid fourth quarter performance from last week (11 of 12 for 128 yards, 1 TD) by looking like the second coming of.........of..........Byron Leftwich! His 22 of 44 for 231 yards, 1 TD and 4 INTs was eerily reminiscient of the terrible outings Leftwich had to start the season. He was forced out of the pocket on a few occasions, but mostly decided to improvise ala his Arizona Cardinals days, w/ dreadful results. He also scrambled for 29 yards on 7 carries, making him the team's leading rusher for the day.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz, in his post game press conference, was @ a loss for words to describe what he had seen. "All I can say right now is that this was the absolute worst football we've played all season, which is saying a lot, since we're 1-6 on the year. In many of the other games, I could look to mistakes we made that resulted in a close game being blown open. This was not the case. Like the Jersey game (a 28-9 loss), we offered nothing right from the start."

Ferentz was putting it mildly, as the Assassins looked about as lackluster as a team could look on both sides of the ball. The run defense continued to struggle, as they allowed BZFL rushing leader Curtis Martin (held to 56 yards in the first meeting) to dominate, rushing for 173 yards and 2 TDs on 26 carries. Moreover, the run defense (or lack thereof) suffered a tremendous loss when NT Kris Jenkins went down w/ an injury. Preliminary word is that Jenkins is out for 10 weeks, which means the Assassins will have to decide whether or not to put him on IR as there's only 11 weeks left of the regular season. Hey coach, go ahead and do it. Do you see any reason to believe this team will rebound over the course of those 10 weeks to put Erie in the playoffs?

Trent Green, who destroyed the Erie secondary in the first meeting (421 yards and 3 TDs) had a very solid performance, throwing for 235 yards and a TD while hitting 10 of 13 passes. Javon Walker had 124 yards on just 4 receptions, including a highlight reel 76 yard TD catch in the 2nd quarter that, in essence, put the Assassins away for good (27-0 @ the time).

Ferentz was questioned on whether or not there needed to be fundamental changes in what Erie is doing this year. He responded that, "The big change that must happen is that our players must show up and give a consistent effort for an entire game. We've looked really good @ times and then have looked pitiful @ other times, like today. We believe in our philosophies and our schemes; we just need our players to get the job done regularly, which they aren't doing now."

Those sentiments were echoed by Assassins executives as well. Team owner/president R. Rich said, "We look terrible out there, but I didn't expect this team to come out the gate and dominate. Did I expect them to have a clue about this time of the season? Yes. While things are far from perfect, I'm not pushing the panic button. As a collective, we knew that by going w/ a lot of young and, for the most part, untested players, we were going to struggle. Boy, were we right." Executive VP/General Manager Kevin Colbert added, "This year, we set forth to lay down the foundation of this team: an offensive line w/ depth and good starting talent, a defense featuring a lot of young, athletic playmakers, and a kicking game that could be relied upon. For the most part, we've done that. Our OL has really looked pretty good this year, especially in the interior. Where we are having a lot of difficulty offensively is @ the skill positions. Our receivers give a game effort, but we lack that game breaker who can be called upon to carry the team to a win. Our running game is suffering from Julius Jones' injury. We don't expect a total 180 (degree turn of fortunes) once he gets back, but we'll definitely improve on the numbers we've put up over the past 5 weeks."

Going on, Colbert said, "Defensively is where we've struggled the most. Our corners need to improve on their outside coverage. The pass rush has been fair, but has room for improvement. The real surprise is our run defense. By taking guys like Kris Jenkins, Jonathan Vilma, Anthony Weaver, and Randy Starks, we felt we'd be pretty good against the run. This year, we've given up far too many yards on the ground. I've talked w/ the coaches about this and there may be some personnel changes made to try to right the ship."

Personnel changes? Does this mean the Assassins are trading their entire front seven, which looks inadequate to date? Other than the LBs, Erie has little to look forward to. Jenkins has been a huge disappointment. Don't be surprised to see Erie look to the draft or free agency to find his replacement. Anthony Weaver has been decent @ RDE, but is better suited as a situational rusher. They need a strong pass rushing DE to replace him. Randy Starks, while inconsistent, has shown promise @ LDE. I believe he'll develop into a force there in time. Where the 'personnel changes' should really be made is in the secondary. Erie put together their secondary to give them a physical group that would make it tough for receivers to get off the line and into their patterns. Guys like CB Quentin Jammer and safeties Bryan Scott and Sean Taylor do deliver some big hits, but have given up even bigger plays deep. My suggestion? Give Bob Sanders a shot @ SS to see what he can do. Scott, while good near the line of scrimmage, is a liability in coverage. Ultimately, I think first round pick Thomas Davis could be the answer here, IF the play @ cornerback improves.

The only constant on this team so far has been the kicking of David Akers. Akers is 11 of 12 for the year and has looked good from long distance. Too bad Erie has the habit of throwing the ball away while on the opponent's side of the field, as he has not seen enough action. A good running game (get well soon, Julius!) and better decisions by the quarterback (whoever he is) will go a long way toward fixing this. Erie has had some nice drives here and there, but once they get in scoring range, they find ways to screw them up. And they're not picky about this, either. We've seen INTs, fumbles, and ill advised penalties, like a holding call @ the opponent's ONE YARD LINE!!!

Which brings me back to the point that the team's higher ups have made. This team is very young and will make mistakes. Even the veterans have helped in the screwing up (I believe Jonathan Ogden, out for the next 4 games due to injury, was the person responsible for that holding call on the 1). Many of the execs said this team was a 'work in progress'. Personally, I haven't seen much progress, so I'll simply call this year's Assassins a 'project'. The talent is there for this team to progress, but we haven't seen much in the way of consistency.

[R. Rich]

Notes From Kirk Ferentz Press Conference (08/13/05)
By: Staff



Coming off one of the worst showings of an already disappointing first season, Assassins head coach Kirk Ferentz promised his staff would do what it took to get some type of progress in motion and build some confidence.



"There are some changes that will be made. For starters, we have decided to place our starting NT, Kris Jenkins, on Injured Reserve for the remainder of the season. Kris' injury would keep him out for all but one game of the regular season, and we feel it is in his best interest to rehab the injury and to rest up. He'll be back for us next year, which brings me to our second point. No, and you can capitalize that and put it in bold if you want, we are not looking to replace Kris or to trade him. He is our starter and our anchor. This has been a tough season all around, and it isn't fair to single him out for the failure of our run defense this year." These sentiments were echoed by Executive VP/General Manager Kevin Colbert, "There is absolutely no chance of any trade of Kris Jenkins happening. He wants to be a part of this team, and we want him here." Team owner/president R. Rich added, "Unless someone wants to offer me his replacement @ NT, a WR, a CB, and their next 5 first round picks, there's not going to be any trade of Kris. He's the 3rd player we drafted and the first for our defensive line, so he's not going anywhere. This team needs a whole lot more than one replacement to become a dominant team. First, they need to grow and develop as players and then they need to become a cohesive unit. So far, we're lacking both of those traits."



On the subject of a replacement for Jekins (since backup Jimmy Kennedy is out for another 4 games), Ferentz said, "We are in the final stages of negotiating w/ Lional Dalton to fill in as Kris' replacement. That's no slight to Donnell (Washington, the 3rd team NT), but we need a strong, solid veteran in there for now. Donnell will be his backup."



The team is also about to sign a new return man and WR in Antonio Chatman. "We're looking for someone to give us a boost in the kick return game and possibly as a punt returner also. To date, we haven't seen enough out of Bethel Johnson. We're going to let one of them win the job as our starting kick returner. Nathan Vasher didn't do a bang up job returning punts, but I do want to see a few more reps out of him before I make any decison there. If there's no significant improvement, then he may be replaced."



Offensively, the team was forced to make some changes to the starting line due to the injury to starting LT Jonathan Ogden. Ferentz said, "Until we get Jonathan back, our new starting lineup will look like this:



LT Bryant McKinnie

LT Chester Pitts

C Matt Birk

RG Kendyl Jacox

RT Shane Olivea



Vernon Carey will now back up Olivea @ RT and will back up Jacox @ RG while the other backups remain the same as before. We're hoping there won't be a huge dropoff, as Bryant has had a very good season so far and we feel that he can do well on the left side."



When asked if there would be any changes in terms of the running game, Ferentz said, "That's something we're still kicking around. There's been talk of bringing in a free agent or to going w/ someone already on the roster to push Jonathan Wells for one more week until Julius (Jones) returns. Right now, if I had to guess, I'd say the chances are slim that we'll bring someone else in, but there are no guarantees."



About the offensive scheme, Ferentz said, "We attempted to open things up a bit more last week, and it blew up in our faces. We did just what they were looking for: abandoned the running game and took to the air. This week, we'll try to incorporate the running game a bit more into our game plan while still attempting to develop our passing game. Jake Plummer will continue to start despite a bad showing. As I said last week, we feel that Jake gives us the better chance to win @ the present time."



Defensively, w/ all the change @ NT, the Assassins know they'll be in for an even rougher season. "All those who want to bash Kris and our run defense have to realize that our entire team has been struggling, not just one player. Kris knows he needs to be tougher for us, but so does Quentin (Jammer), Sean (Taylor), Jonathan (Vilma), and every other starter here. The effort being put forth stinks, and if it doesn't get better, people are going to lose their starting spots. End of story."

Next up for the Assassins is a trip to Qwest Field to take on the New York Goldmines, a team coming off a disappointing 20-17 loss to the undefeated Jersey Jaguars. "This team is a whole lot better than their 2-5 record shows, something I cannot say for our team right now. Edgerrin James carved up the Jags' defense for 155 yards, so we have our work cut out for us. Our pass defense will have to also get tougher, and I'm looking for our D to have a much better showing this week. To be honest guys, we need to get a win here. This team can't take much more losing, poor performance from our leaders, and key injuries."

[R. Rich]

Roster Moves: Erie Welcomes Its 2 Newest Assassins, Puts Jenkins On IR
By: Staff

The Assassins made official the moves head coach Kirk Ferentz alluded to in his press conference on Saturday, signing WR/KR Antonio Chatman to help give a spark to the return game and DT Lional Dalton to replace starter Kris Jenkins @ NT. Jenkins was put on injured reserve, meaning he is out for the remainder of this season.

Assassins Director of Player Personnel Phil Savage stated that, "We're glad to be able to bring in a couple of solid players to help us out in areas of need. Due to Kris being put on IR and w/ Jimmy Kennedy out for another 4 games because of injury, we needed to add a capable DT to our roster, and we feel we've done that w/ Lional."

Signing Chatman was, "a necessary move", according to Savage, "because of our kick return game. Bethel Johnson has been struggling to get us good field position. We felt we had to bring in someone who has the ability to help us in this area as well as push Bethel to give us his best."

[R. Rich]

Notes From Kirk Ferentz Press Conference (08/20/05)
By: Staff


Assassins head coach Kirk Ferentz answered some pretty difficult questions this week about his team's performance, the team's morale, and the perceived failures of both the coaching staff and management.

In regard to his offense's bad showing in the 44-7 loss to the Goldmines, Ferentz said, "Yeah, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, eh? Seriously, the coaching staff has been somewhat @ a loss to explain the repetitive patterns of this offense: the INTs, the breakdowns in crucial situations, and the lack of true leadership. As the head coach, I must take a huge part of the blame here, as I must not be emotionally preparing this team well enough on a week to week basis. I've heard some comments this week from the sports talk crowd of whether or not I should've hired more NFL-experienced coaches. Well, from the owner on down, we stand behind the staff we have here. These guys are knowledgeable, and have put together some very solid game plans. We just need to do better in terms of getting players out of bad habits. We do need work in that area, and we'll continue to improve as the year goes on. I also think this team will come together @ some point this year. We've had a rash of injuries and have made some personnel moves on the fly this year. It's been tough to build any kind of momentum that way. Hopefully, we'll stay relatively healthy from here on out and the guys will become more familiar w/ each other and will start to trust each other more."

On the injury note, Ferentz said the team is very happy to get their franchise RB, Julius Jones, back from his 6 week absence due to injury. "Julius will give us a more reliable running game, which we intend to use the way we did in our first 2 games. We're also hoping to get more play action opportunities from that, which will allow Jake Plummer to get back on track. Our WRs have had a tough year so far, but they've worked hard this week and will look to have a good showing against Kalamazoo."

Defensively, the move to sign veteran DT Lional Dalton did give the Assassins a decent push up the middle in the pass rush, but problems stopping the run continue, as Edgerrin James rushed for 164 yards and a TD on 30 carries, a 5.5 yard average per rush. "Our run defense is still very bad. (LDE) Randy (Starks), Lional, and (RDE) Anthony (Weaver) have got to do more to plug up the rushing lanes and to help out the LBs on the outside running plays. Also, Jason Babin has been in a rut for the past few games and needs to step it up as well. Our other 3 LBs (Jonathan Vilma, Nick Barnett, and Karlos Dansby) have done a solid job of both pressuring QBs and being in position to make the tackle in the running game. Even still, they all know that they could be more stout against the run, especially on the outside plays. Now, our secondary has had a good season on paper, but we still have seen too many QBs have very respectable stats. They're completing passes @ a high rate and we're not seeing many pass break ups nor INTs from our guys. DB coach Teryl Austin is working w/ our starters to get them to be a bit more aggressive on the ball so that they'll be in better position to make more plays out there."

When asked whether the poor back to back efforts from Plummer has led to a bad environment in the locker room, Ferentz replied, "Everyone is down now, I won't even try to sugar coat that. Guys realize that what they are doing is just not enough for us to improve and start to become the team we all feel we can become. There's no finger pointing, other than @ themselves. That includes us coaches, too. If our guys come out and look listless, throwing the ball away, and not showing the heart to dig themselves out of a bad situation, then that falls on me. I know I need to do a better job of motivating my players, and I will."


The question of how the players and coaches feel about the job management has done came up, to which Ferentz replied, "Our guys love the treatment they've received from the front office. They give us what we need to perform, but hey, they can't suit up for us and make it happen on the field. The best thing I can tell you is that we have a united front here. There's no questioning our motives, our strategies, or our commitment to this team. When we put the team together, we knew this would be a difficult year for us by going w/ the young guys. The thing I appreciate from managemnt is that they haven't forgotten that, even in the face of a 1-7 start. I haven't even had a proposition of trading players to bring in a marquee name or any of that. We like the group of guys we have. They work hard, they listen well, and they all have the same will to win. We just have to struggle through this tough time and find our niche."

Next up for Erie will be a rematch w/ the Kalamazoo Kamikaze Squirrels, the team that beat Erie 28-16 back in their week 5 meeting @ Soldier Field. This was the game where the defense nearly gave up 100 yards rushing to 2 different backs (Chester Taylor had 125 yards on 20 carries while Emmitt Smith had 96 yards and 2 TDs on 19 carries), so the run defense will be a major focus this time. "We had our worst defensive effort of the year against Kalamazoo the first time, and we don't want a repeat of that. We must do better against the run to have a chance for the win this week, plus we must not make the same drive killing mistakes we've been making all year. That has to stop if we're to work towards salvaging this season. I think if we can get back to running the ball well and playing very tough, solid defense, we have a good chance to come out on top."