Why Was Danny Smith Allowed To Keep A Job? The all things Danny Smith Thread(Merged & M.E.T.)

[Hunter_R]

For as long as special teams has been poor, you'd think they'd have looked at the guy in charge. Nope.

This guy makes Stan Hixon look competent.

Let's not go that far. Nothing could make Hixon look competent. Smith should have been flushed with him, though.

[loren]

I mean, this guy's like a ****roach, no matter what he seems to survive. But why? When was the last time our special teams was any good? I just remember a constant steady stream of missed crucial field goals, bad snaps, dumb penalties, fumbled returns, etc., and he's the guy at the helm, so he's the guy who, I'd think, would have to take responsibility. And the team almost never seems to make plays (although, yes, I am aware of the Philip Daniels block today).

We all know how important special teams are, and I think we just SUCK at it, and don't understand why Smith gets any respect or deference?

All that having been said, I am not an expert on special teams, and maybe I have a selective memory or am just seeing what I want to see, so if someone thinks he's actually good at his job, and can explain why, I'd love to hear it.

[rdskn4eva]

Maybe because he is a good special teams coach?

[PeterMP]

He was special teams coach in Philly under Ray Rhodes (or maybe early for Reid), and they were bad. I was shocked when he got the job in DC, but they seemed to doing pretty well so I thought oh well just one of those things. Until this year.

[loren]

Maybe because he is a good special teams coach?

Is he? How so?

[chipwhich]

Is he? How so?

I hadn't realized special teams lost a game where our defense can't stop anyone????

[rdskn4eva]

Is he? How so?

I dont remeber teams just gashing us for chunks of yardage on kickoffs and punts...We've had issues at kicker and punter, but I think that is due to a lack of talent.

[loren]

I hadn't realized special teams lost a game where our defense can't stop anyone????

Oh, did I say the special teams lost the game? Give me a second while I go back and edit my post to take that out of there.

Oh wait, I didn't say that. BUT, our special teams looked mostly crappy again today, and from my memory, it's looked mostly crappy for as long as I remember, and yet whenever we clean house, Danny Smith seems to stick around, and I'm wondering why? I honestly wonder if I'm missing something, or just don't know enough, and am wondering if someone can explain it to me, but no one has yet.

[loren]

I dont remeber teams just gashing us for chunks of yardage on kickoffs and punts...We've had issues at kicker and punter, but I think that is due to a lack of talent.

Fair enough, I guess...still, our special teams doesn't make big plays (actually, today with the blocked FG and forced fumble has been the biggest day of plays I remember) and seems to botch them on a regular basis...missed FG's, botched punts, no home run threat, every conceivable type of penalty....maybe they don't give up yards, but it seems like there's always mental error after mental error that kill us in too many games.

[mcarey032]

Have to agree with this. In the Dallas game, easily makeable FG blocked. It almost cost the skins the game. Last week a missed block led to a blocked FG which did cost us the game. Not to mention the missed FG in overtime! Opening kickoff out of bounds led to great field position for the Rams and ultimately an opening TD. Then the blocked punt which could have been devastating, but thankfully the defense pulled that one out. Basically special teams is as bad as I can remember and I have been saying this for weeks now. Don't know if they will replace him or not, but there has to be a change because what they are doing on teams right now is an embarrassment.

[casey56]

I agree 100% and I thought this last year as well. Our special teams play SUCKS. Devin Thomas is doing OK but seriously, who cares? He's not going to break one for a TD. The only time we get a return TD is when we put Moss back there and that is not something we can do every game. I really don't think Danny Smith is that good. Yes, the defense lost the last two games but special teams play is very important. I mean TWO blocked FGs in the first two games? That's absolutely pathetic!

[bishtw]

I hadn't realized special teams lost a game where our defense can't stop anyone????

If the field goal wasn't block or if the field goal was made in OT when don't lose last week.

[rdskn4eva]

If the field goal wasn't block or if the field goal was made in OT when don't lose last week.

I wouldnt put the missed field gaol on Coach Smith

Field goal being blocked = coaching

Field gola being missed = talent

[bishtw]

I wouldnt put the missed field gaol on Coach Smith

Field goal being blocked = coaching

Field gola being missed = talent

I wasnt saying either was the Coach Smith's fault. Chipwich said he didn't realize special teams had lost us a game. Either talent or coaching its still Special Teams.

[WALL-LE]

noooooboi FIRE HIS ASS

[Rammy19]

Have to agree with this. In the Dallas game, easily makeable FG blocked. It almost cost the skins the game. Last week a missed block led to a blocked FG which did cost us the game. Not to mention the missed FG in overtime! Opening kickoff out of bounds led to great field position for the Rams and ultimately an opening TD. Then the blocked punt which could have been devastating, but thankfully the defense pulled that one out. Basically special teams is as bad as I can remember and I have been saying this for weeks now. Don't know if they will replace him or not, but there has to be a change because what they are doing on teams right now is an embarrassment.

How in the world is this the coaches fault.. Okay on this FG attempt I don't want you to block anyone or please kick the ball out of bounds and please just miss the FG we don't need the points.... You guys are being &^%%$$#.

[jfriedenthal]

noooooboi FIRE HIS ASS

ditto.

[HBnotBlades]

I mean, this guy's like a ****roach, no matter what he seems to survive. But why? When was the last time our special teams was any good? I just remember a constant steady stream of missed crucial field goals, bad snaps, dumb penalties, fumbled returns, etc., and he's the guy at the helm, so he's the guy who, I'd think, would have to take responsibility. And the team almost never seems to make plays (although, yes, I am aware of the Philip Daniels block today).

We all know how important special teams are, and I think we just SUCK at it, and don't understand why Smith gets any respect or deference?

All that having been said, I am not an expert on special teams, and maybe I have a selective memory or am just seeing what I want to see, so if someone thinks he's actually good at his job, and can explain why, I'd love to hear it.

Yes, Danny Smith is a good special teams coach.

I don't think bad snaps, missed field goals, kickoffs out of bounds, fumbled returns, etc. are signs of a bad special teams coach... at all. That's a player making a mistake.

A good special teams coach is most evident in kick and punt coverage. That's where a disciplined well coached team doesn't miss assignments or leave lanes wide open.

Here's how we ranking in terms of punt and kick returns over the last few years:

Link

NFL Rank Kick Return Average (coverage)

2009 3rd

2008 3rd

2007 4th

2006 4th

2005 5th

NFL Rank Punt Return Average (coverage)

2009 6th

2008 26th

2007 6th

2006 8th

2005 2nd

Aside from our Punt coverage in 2008, we've been among the best in the league every year. That's why Danny Smith is a damn good special teams coach.

[loren]

Yes, Danny Smith is a good special teams coach.

I don't think bad snaps, missed field goals, kickoffs out of bounds, fumbled returns, etc. are signs of a bad special teams coach... at all. That's a player making a mistake.

A good special teams coach is most evident in kick and punt coverage. That's where a disciplined well coached team doesn't miss assignments or leave lanes wide open.

Here's how we ranking in terms of punt and kick returns over the last few years:

Link

NFL Rank Kick Return Average (coverage)

2009 3rd

2008 3rd

2007 4th

2006 4th

2005 5th

NFL Rank Punt Return Average (coverage)

2009 6th

2008 26th

2007 6th

2006 8th

2005 2nd

Aside from our Punt coverage in 2008, we've been among the best in the league every year. That's why Danny Smith is a damn good special teams coach.

Wait, so Smith gets to take credit for the good aspects of the special teams, but doesn't have to take the blame for the bungling mistakes? Kudos for looking up the stats tending to show we've had decent special teams, and that definitely goes in his favor, but how aren't botched snaps, blocked field goals, muffed punts, etc., his fault? Isn't he the coach? Don't consistent mistakes reflect on the coach? And while we may not give up big chunks of yardage, we also don't really make big plays...our special teams is never a game changer.

I mean, our defense has been pretty good statistically for awhile now, yet we're all happy to see Blatche go, why does Smith get a free pass?

[aREDSKIN]

The game tapes speak for themselves.

[Dracula]

We knew the answer to this question 5 yrs ago and the answer is still the same. No, he is terrible

[@DCGoldPants]

Smith has a good special teams, the same way we had a ranked D and still were losing.

Stats LIE

Good Special Teams come up big and big moments too. That's something we haven't seen much of.

[DaveMason]

We had that FG block/return/FG Dallas game a few years back. That was special teams coming up big in big moments. There have been plenty of other game-winning field goals too. Danny Smith is the least of our problems. His unit isn't perfect, but it's not like they have a game-losing gaffe every week.

[HBnotBlades]

Wait, so Smith gets to take credit for the good aspects of the special teams, but doesn't have to take the blame for the bungling mistakes? Kudos for looking up the stats tending to show we've had decent special teams, and that definitely goes in his favor, but how aren't botched snaps, blocked field goals, muffed punts, etc., his fault? Isn't he the coach? Don't consistent mistakes reflect on the coach? And while we may not give up big chunks of yardage, we also don't really make big plays...our special teams is never a game changer.

I mean, our defense has been pretty good statistically for awhile now, yet we're all happy to see Blatche go, why does Smith get a free pass?

He doesn't get a free pass, and he certainly deserves some blame for the blocked kicks, his blocking units should never allow a block. To be fair to Smith, Keiland WIlliams was put in position to make the block and completely whiffed, even worse than Fred Davis last week, but that still should never happen. It wouldn't surprise me if we see someone else back there as the punt protector next week (sign Arch Deluxe?).

I don't see how botched snaps and muffed punts are his fault though. Do we blame Keenan McCardell when Moss drops a pass or Matt LaFleur when McNabb skips a ball in the dirt? In all those situations the player knows what he's supposed to do, he's put in a position to succeed, and then simply drops/overthrows/muffs the ball. The coaches have apparently made Carlos Rogers spend a lot of time with the jugs machine and have done everything they can to help him hold on to the ball, but we all know he's going to do his best to let the ball slip through his buttery hands come Sunday.

The point being, the things a coach is most responsible for is scheme and putting his players in a position to succeed, and less responsible for the accuracy of his kicker, the consistency of his holder, and the dependability of his punt returner. If a guy simply can't hold on to the ball, that's not a coaching issue, that's a talent level issue. The specialists practice those things all day long, I'm not sure what Danny Smith could do to make them better.

And how can you say our special teams doesn't make plays? We're talking about a game in which the kickoff coverage team cause a fumble that lead to our first TD and blocked a chip shot field goal that kept us close. It seems to me like they made some plays.

[rdskn4eva]

He doesn't get a free pass, and he certainly deserves some blame for the blocked kicks, his blocking units should never allow a block. To be fair to Smith, Keiland WIlliams was put in position to make the block and completely whiffed, even worse than Fred Davis last week, but that still should never happen. It wouldn't surprise me if we see someone else back there as the punt protector next week (sign Arch Deluxe?).

I don't see how botched snaps and muffed punts are his fault though. Do we blame Keenan McCardell when Moss drops a pass or Matt LaFleur when McNabb skips a ball in the dirt? In all those situations the player knows what he's supposed to do, he's put in a position to succeed, and then simply drops/overthrows/muffs the ball. The coaches have apparently made Carlos Rogers spend a lot of time with the jugs machine and have done everything they can to help him hold on to the ball, but we all know he's going to do his best to let the ball slip through his buttery hands come Sunday.

The point being, the things a coach is most responsible for is scheme and putting his players in a position to succeed, and less responsible for the accuracy of his kicker, the consistency of his holder, and the dependability of his punt returner. If a guy simply can't hold on to the ball, that's not a coaching issue, that's a talent level issue. The specialists practice those things all day long, I'm not sure what Danny Smith could do to make them better.

And how can you say our special teams doesn't make plays? We're talking about a game in which the kickoff coverage team cause a fumble that lead to our first TD and blocked a chip shot field goal that kept us close. It seems to me like they made some plays.

Very well said sir.