Stuck in the middle: Cunningham, Foote still lost in translation
Larry Foote missed the first two days of practice this week resting a sore knee. And while it'd be a surprise if he didn't suit up to play middle linebacker Sunday for his 89th consecutive start, what's even more surprising is to hear his coach calling him out a bit this week.
Foote, who spent his first seven NFL seasons with Pittsburgh before getting released in May, started the season impressively. If you go back to Week 2 and the first meeting with the Vikings, Foote played a starring role, even in defeat. He had a game-high 10 tackles, with a sack and two tackles for loss. But if you've watched his last couple games, you've seen a drop-off in his play, with some uncharacteristic missed tackles.
And so have the coaches, which is one reason Foote and defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham have spent a lot of time -- even more than they usually do -- talking the last few days, before and after practice.
Some of Foote's struggles may be due to injuries -- first a wrist, and now the knee. But some of it is mental, too.
"Larry Foote made a bunch of mistakes in the last game," Cunningham said. "And I'm really struggling coaching that guy because he gives us so much leadership. He makes plays but he breaks down sometimes. He was in the same system for seven years. Every day, he heard those words. Now he's hearing these new things in the heat of battle every single day. I told him (Wednesday) morning 'Larry, you got to let it go. You have to help me get rid of this stuff.'"
