Jan. 13: Jon Jansen

[Art]

He didn't say NOW.

From JimmiJo

Mr. Jansen,

How special does it feel to finally get back to the playoffs after so many seasons away?

Jon Jansen

It’s real special. Its taken so long to make the return trip. Theres been a lot of rough times, but now that we’re back, it feels real good.

From RedskinsRule4726

Jon,

How far do you think the Skins will make it in the playoffs?

Jon Jansen

I don’t make guarantees, but I do believe a Super Bowl is in our future. I obviously would be extremely happy to be in a Super Bowl because it’s in Detroit, my home town.

From SkinsTillIDie

Joe,

How were you and Chris able to shut down the Giants' two premier ends, Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, throughout the entire game a couple weeks ago?

Jon Jansen

Well, I think in the previous game, Mike only got one sack. And I wouldn’t necessarily count that as much trouble coming from him. He’s a terrific pass-rusher and a terrific defensive end. Obviously being at home helps a lot, being able to go on a snap count, and I think we just had great preparation leading up to the game.

From Busch1724

Being that linemen have to eat a lot of food, which teammate or family member fed you when you were hungry while having both thumbs broken?

Jon Jansen

(laughs) My wife took care of me as best as I would let her. I’m a little bit stubborn, but she does a great job of helping me out.

Follow-up from Extremeskins Staff

Did Corey Raymer ever find that bidet for you?

Jon Jansen

(laughs) No. He just stood outside with a hose.

Extremeskins Staff

That’s good teamwork!

From da#1skinsfan

Jon -

So many coaches and critics attribute the success of an offensive line to unity and togetherness, more so than individual ability. What is the most important thing that makes a successful offensive line?

Jon Jansen

I think just being comfortable with each other, having confidence in each other. I think confidence is probably the biggest factor. If you have the confidence that your buddy is going to get it done, all you have to do is worry about your job and trying to hold up.

From Monkart

Hey Jon,

Thanks for taking questions, Thanks for always spending time with the fans. I drove up to spring training from Florida few years back and you signed my 1999 NFC Champion pennant. Do you think this is a better team we are taking into the playoffs this year as opposed to the 1999 team?

Jon Jansen

Yeah, I think it’s a better team because it IS a team. In ’99, we had a pretty good offense, but our defense wasn’t necessarily up to the task. And I think this year, our defense is obviously the strong point of our team. But our offense, especially in the last 6-8 games has really come on strong. I think all together we’re a better team than we were in ’99.

From SonnyRules

Jon,

Seems like Ray Brown is really holding is own at age 43.

Do you think you'll play that long?

Jon Jansen

(laughs) I sure would like to, but there are a lot of days I wake up and I sure don’t want to. You know, it all depends on how my body holds up, how things are going, and obviously winning helps. It’s frustrating to lose. As long as we keep winning, I’m obviously going to keep playing as long as I can.

From Tazhog

Jon,

At tackle does the shotgun formation help with pass blocking or does it give better angles to the defensive ends and prove to be more difficult to block up?

Jon Jansen

I think I’m pretty indifferent to it. The quarterback sets up in the same spot. If he’s under center and takes a 7 step drop, he’s at about 9 yards. And if he’s in the shotgun, he only takes about 2 steps which puts him at 9 yards. So either way he ends up in the same spot.

From SoCalRedskinFan

We all know that Clinton Portis's favorite plays are Gut and Power plays. What’s yours?

Jon Jansen

Aww shoot. Any running play really. I just like being able to fire off the ball and get after some defensive linemen.

From Extremeskins Staff

You’re a fan favorite and team spokesman. Fans love you, but your answer to this question could change that. It’s the most important question we ask…gas or charcoal?

Jon Jansen

(laughs) I know everybody wants me to say charcoal, but I’m going to say gas.

From Fighting for old D.C.

Jon,

First off I want to say congratulations for helping this team make the playoffs and that I really admire the way you play the game, playing even though you have two broken thumbs. I really think you embody what it means to be a Redskin. My question stems from the fact that you have been a Redskin since 1999 and have played under four different head coaches in Norv Turner, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, and Joe Gibbs (I'll discount Terry Robiskie since he only coached for three games). What is the most important thing that Gibbs has been able to instill within this team, whether it be team chemistry, a winning attitude, or work ethic, that Turner, Schottenheimer, and Spurrier were unable to instill? Thanks a lot and keep the magic going on Saturday.

Jon Jansen

Well, I think that he’s going to be here and he’s going to keep us here. He’s not going to have wholesale changes every year in personnel and the coaching staff. I think having the confidence that you’re going to have the same coaching staff, the same guys around you, I think that builds a lot of confidence just wanting to perform better for a coach that’s going to keep you here. We’ve had so much change over the last 5 or 6 years, it was hard to have that confidence because you didn’t know if you were going to be here next year, you didn’t know if you were auditioning for other coaches around the league, or who your coach was going to be. And I think it makes a huge difference having the confidence that the coach is going to be here and you’re going to be here.

From Extremeskins Staff

When Spurrier was here, it was said that you guys, especially Samuels, didn’t think the offense would work. Do you think this offense works? Some days we have a bad game like last week, some days we have really good games. What do you think about this offense?

Jon Jansen

I have a lot of confidence in this offense. This is probably my favorite offense in the NFL. I think the strange thing that people don’t understand is that offenses don’t vary a whole lot throughout the NFL. Everybody runs a combination of similar plays. I think the reason some teams look like they’re running a better offense than others is execution and sometimes the way plays are called in a certain order, or the way plays are setup with other plays. I really like the way that we do all of those things.

From DjTj

Jon,

Do you get a chance to watch many of the U of M games? What was going through your head when you saw the ending of the Alamo Bowl?

Jon Jansen

Well, you know, I was frustrated. But I do get a chance to watch almost all of the games, as long as we’re not traveling on a Saturday. But, I was frustrated not in how the game ended, but in how we turned the ball over and gave the game away. I don’t think it should’ve come down to that last play.

Closing Statement by Jon Jansen

I’d like to say thanks for hanging with us for the past 5 years, and now that we’ve had some success and we’re making it into the playoffs, I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we do.