BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (AP) -Chicago Bears defensive linemen talk about new line coach Rod Marinelli almost like he is a wizard working magic.
Already, the former Detroit Lions head coach seems to have made defensive end Mark Anderson reappear before their eyes. Or at least it’s apparent Anderson’s lost confidence has returned.
“Right now I’m feeling pretty good about my ability, my speed feels pretty good, I feel good,” Anderson said. “I’m ready to go out there and make some plays.”
Anderson couldn’t say that last year or in 2007. He had 16 sacks in his first 20 games and his 12-sack rookie season of 2006 was the fourth best by any rookie in league history. However, he had just two sacks in his last 21 games, though he sees better things ahead with Marinelli’s help.
“I wouldn’t say I need to re-prove myself,” Anderson said. “I just need to go out there and continue to do what I do and that’s rush the passer, create some type of havoc on the field and just have fun.”
Brown. Proving it in practice and doing it in games are different things, and Anderson looks forward to Saturday night’s preseason opener in Buffalo to start showing he truly is back to his rookie form.
“He’s working extremely hard,” Marinelli said. “I think his take-off (on pass rush) is excellent. This guy can come off the rock now. He’s got a couple of real good base moves. You want to add to it a little bit, not much more than that, and then we’ll just work from there.”
After Anderson’s big rookie year, coaches made him a starter ahead of Brown. Then his production took a nosedive. In addition to a drop in sacks, Anderson went from 31 tackles in 2007 to 18 last year. Improvement is critical now because his first NFL contract expires following this season.
“I think with Marcus it’s just mental,” Ogunleye said. “He’s got to be confident in himself and don’t get down on himself. I see that happening, I think, with coach Marinelli’s help.
“Coach Marinelli is a very positive guy. It’s a mix – it’s positive, but very aggressive in the fact that if you’re not producing you’re going to feel his wrath. If you are producing you’re going to be on his good side.”
Marinelli won’t use sacks or statistics to judge Anderson or the other linemen.
when the protection kicks you free and you get the sack,” Marinelli said. “I look at the rush itself. I just like where he’s at right now.”
The Bears are counting on Marinelli’s approach to help restore their defensive front to its lofty status of 2005-06. Players say Marinelli’s effectiveness comes from communication.
“He’s sort of into why,” Anderson said. “Why we do certain stuff, why we do certain pass rush moves.”
It’s uncomplicated. In addition to why, players get heavy doses of fundamental drills. Marinelli doesn’t alter his fundamental approach when working with young players like Anderson or veterans like Ogunleye and Tommie Harris. There’s a lot of repetition to keep even veterans from backsliding.
“It’s why a baseball player gets in the batting cage every night to work on his stroke, his fundamentals, no matter how old he is,” Marinelli said.
For Anderson and the rest of the Bears’ defensive line, the first preseason game isn’t a matter of producing big plays on one preseason night. Instead, it’s playing well, then coming back for the grind of more fundamentals from Marinelli.
“I want to see who’s mentally tough enough to go in and do it again, concentrate and not make errors, play the defense the way it’s supposed to be played,” Marinelli said.
Add A Comment