Three Sides of the Ball

[LoyalSkinsFan]

There are three sides to a football, as I see it. And no, I'm not still on a New Year's drinking binge.

Simply put, there's the offensive side, the defensive side and the special teams.

No matter what you may hear or read, two of them seem to be in good order. Of the three sides, the one we really need to concentrate on this offseason is the defensive.

We can't underestimate the value of the defensive side of the ball, no matter WHAT the offense is doing......or not, as the case may be. If anyone besides me actually watched the Rose Bowl this weekend, that game...to me....is the perfect example. For the first half, the game was nothing but a defensive battle between to vaunted offensive squads. The game, ultimately, was decided by which team's defense got tired or had a letdown first. Some could say it was, rather, which team's offense got a big play first, but I choose to believe the former. As Pete Carroll said in today's LA Times:

"With our defense...we shouldn't give up very many points - that gives you half a chance right off the bat".

All year, while not exactly showing up like an offensive juggernaut, the Redskins, still, HAVE scored enough points to win games. But, as illustrated in both the Rams and Giants games, most recently, they have suffered from defensive lapses and, as the press is quite eager to point out, a lack of turnovers. Why this has been the case all season long is what we really must solve during the offseason. Is it personnel? Scheme? Or, is it a combination of both of those.....brought about in great part by a steady diet of injuries?

The offense is on the right path I'd bet......if the defense can just find a way to give them more chances and to keep them in the hunt and, as a result, be able to keep to their strengths and not have to play catch-up all day long....then things should turn out a whole lot differently next season.

As for the special teams, I couldn't be happier....for once. Rock Cartwright, no doubt, should be a pro-bowler.....on kick-off returns, I don't think he got stopped inside the thirty on even ONE occasion in the Giants game. The coverage on all kicks and punts has been solid....and Randle El is THE most exciting one-yard returner in the league. Seeing that Pete Rodriguez, our old special teams coach, just got canned by the Jaguars only backs up what we've been able to accomplish here...without him.

Let's just hope things don't get too blown up during the offseason. That, no matter what you may hear, is not what is needed here.

HTTR

[Sherlock Holmes]

Yep. We need to stick with what we have offensively, adding some key backups like some O-line Depth and a TE behind cooley, because really, Fauria and Kozlowski are too old.