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

[glongest]

I was shocked to see in the overrated underrated thread for Redskins players that several people had Rocco listed as underrated. Really? Can this guy boom you a 65 yarder occassionally? Yes Is he more likely to give you a 12 yard shank at a critical time during the game, with like 4 minutes to play in the half and instead of the opposing team having the ball at say their 15 yard line they end up with the ball at mid field. Yes Now lets talk about the block extra point. Go back and look at the tap and I think you will see the middle part of the offensive line more less going through the motions, the Steelers get some push and block it. On another extra point that Steelers were kicking, we had players on special teams walking towards the sidelines before the kicker actually had reached point of impact on the ball. The difference? Lack of effort. That is coaching. Don't take my word for it. Go look for yourself.

[Bang]

I was shocked to see in the overrated underrated thread for Redskins players that several people had Rocco listed as underrated. Really? Can this guy boom you a 65 yarder occassionally? Yes Is he more likely to give you a 12 yard shank at a critical time during the game, with like 4 minutes to play in the half and instead of the opposing team having the ball at say their 15 yard line they end up with the ball at mid field. Yes Now lets talk about the block extra point. Go back and look at the tap and I think you will see the middle part of the offensive line more less going through the motions, the Steelers get some push and block it. On another extra point that Steelers were kicking, we had players on special teams walking towards the sidelines before the kicker actually had reached point of impact on the ball. The difference? Lack of effort. That is coaching. Don't take my word for it. Go look for yourself.

Seemsto me he was as damn fine punter til recently.

I wonder what may have changed thatwould cause his play to decline?

I mean, h's a special teams player, right?

and we have a great special teams coach.

I just don't understand it.

Just like i didn't understand it every other time our punters and kickers declined.

There MUST be a common thread... but I'll be damned if i can find it.

~Blind

[Rypien1191]

Just ran some numbers and posted this to twitter.

Redskins opponents are averaging 49 yards/punt vs. us this year (51 yards/punt outside the Bengals game). Only 6 punters in the league are averaging over 49 yards a punt on the year.

Redskins opponents also have made 11 consecutive FGs vs. us and all 9 this year (including 3 50+ yarders last 2 weeks). Don't remember the typical league average for FGs but I think its somewhere just south of 80%.

I have to think this has something to do with the lack of our aggressiveness on defensive special teams. Can anyone remember the last time we blocked a punt, or even brought the house and tried to? I can't. Same goes with FGs. We all remember the Vernon Fox/ST block, but that was when the game was on the line and we had to bring everybody.

Leads me to believe that kickers and punters are extremely comfortable back there cause they know we a're not even trying to bring anybody. Danny is playing too cautious trying to make sure we don't get burned on fake FGs and set up Brandon Randle Banks. Not to even mention our offensive special teams with our kicker situation and 38 year old punter.

Once again.... opposing punters crush us (over 50 yards/punt for Pitt today) and we still haven't had anybody miss a FG vs. us yet this year. NO PRESSURE.

Meanwhile Rocca had a LONG of 52 and averaged 37 yards on 4 punts. Yeah, he's real great.

Go find a nice young punter this offseason (if not sooner) to complement the young kicker it seems we have found.

Oh, and fire Danny Smith.

[glongest]

Seemsto me he was as damn fine punter til recently.

I wonder what may have changed thatwould cause his play to decline?

I mean, h's a special teams player, right?

and we have a great special teams coach.

I just don't understand it.

Just like i didn't understand it every other time our punters and kickers declined.

There MUST be a common thread... but I'll be damned if i can find it.

~Blind

Good point. But seriously I wonder if it is this emphasis that this coach apparently has on directional kicking. Some have said that one of the reasons Gano got in trouble was lack of execution of directional kicking. Is trying the kick the ball to the perfect spot causing a shank. Just kick the damn ball and let the guys cover the kick.

[pjfootballer]

Good god, I feel like I'm in this thread every week complaining about special teams. Maybe because I am. I got nothing anymore. I'm pretty much done in here. You guys see it. I don't need to explain it. Good god why can't I get one good team? Just one? One? Any one of my teams.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Granted it was called back, but Pittsburgh's punt returner looked faster running backward than our players look going foward.

[TheDoyler23]

I know I've thrown my hands up as to Danny Smith's continued employment. But the punt return an FG unit came up HUGE today. Figured it was fair to bump this.

[Cooleyfan1993]

I know I've thrown my hands up as to Danny Smith's continued employment. But the punt return an FG unit came up HUGE today. Figured it was fair to bump this.

yeah, i think forbath was a good pickup. dude has been $$$$$$ for us this season

[|2edskins PHD]

It was nice to see Danny going after the officials on that phantom block in the back call.

He might not have the most to work with but he certainly is one of those coaches that gets the most out of what he's dealt.

Why else would he have stuck through, what, 3 different coaching regimes?

[Bang]

Well, whatever he's done, he's got it working.

And while it's working, all is well.

Niles Paul continues to be a BEAST of a gunner.

~BAng

[s0crates]

Danny Smith's special teams was primed to be the goat again after Niles Paul fumbled. Teams came through for us in the end though with a big return, a clutch kick, and some good punting.

---------- Post added December-9th-2012 at 09:24 PM ----------

yeah, i think forbath was a good pickup. dude has been $$$$$$ for us this season

A good pickup is putting it mildly.

[DCsportsfan53]

Wanted to add, there was clearly some excellent preparation by the special teams coaches this week. The unit was ready for and expecting the fake punt nonsense and their quick reaction to it caused the ravens to change their mind. Key play in the game. Danny has to get props for that.

[Bang]

Paul did fumble, but I'll credit the hit.. the guy hit him hard, right on the ball.

It could have been better protected, but I can't fault teams for that.

Their guys get paid to make plays, too.

~Bang

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Paul did fumble, but I'll credit the hit.. the guy hit him hard, right on the ball.

It could have been better protected, but I can't fault teams for that.

Their guys get paid to make plays, too.

~Bang

That would have been the ultimate irony...we finally deactivate Banks and came very close to actually losing a fumble.

[s0crates]

Wanted to add, there was clearly some excellent preparation by the special teams coaches this week. The unit was ready for and expecting the fake punt nonsense and their quick reaction to it caused the ravens to change their mind. Key play in the game. Danny has to get props for that.

Forgot about that play. We were totally ready for it! Good preparation indeed!

---------- Post added December-9th-2012 at 09:56 PM ----------

Paul did fumble, but I'll credit the hit.. the guy hit him hard, right on the ball.

It could have been better protected, but I can't fault teams for that.

Their guys get paid to make plays, too.

~Bang

Fair enough. We lucked out on that one though.

[Coolio47]

Danny Smith's special teams was primed to be the goat again after Niles Paul fumbled. Teams came through for us in the end though with a big return, a clutch kick, and some good punting.

Yeah, I started talking about the game with my friend and missed the call on that, and we were confused about why we kept the ball. What did I miss? lol.

[s0crates]

Yeah, I started talking about the game with my friend and missed the call on that, and we were confused about why we kept the ball. What did I miss? lol.

I watched the game with no sound, but I assume it was ruled the fumble was not fully recovered until it was out of bounds, so a fumble out of bounds means the fumbling team keeps possession.

[Dirt]

~Bang

Didn't take notice of what appeared to be a couple of directional kickoffs, one which went out of bounds? Its that an okay option since Kai can't get it through the endzone?

I still think that's Danny calling that and I think it's dumb.

[TSO]

I think one of the reasons Danny has stuck around for so long (and I'm definitely not one of those who wanted him gone anyway) is because he seems to do a lot more than just coach Special Teams. He's constantly talking to Mike about things and he seems to also consistently talk to other players not on Special Teams. I think he has other responsibilities that his coaches really like.

---------- Post added December-9th-2012 at 08:48 PM ----------

Didn't take notice of what appeared to be a couple of directional kickoffs, one which went out of bounds? Its that an okay option since Kai can't get it through the endzone?

I still think that's Danny calling that and I think it's dumb.

Jacoby Jones was killing us and he was close to breaking one pretty much every kickoff. I think it was smart to just kick it towards the sideline, even with the likelihood of a penalty. Jones was getting it to the 40 yard line anyway.

Saints should've done the same thing after Wilson killed them the first couple times.

[SonnyandSam]

Didn't take notice of what appeared to be a couple of directional kickoffs, one which went out of bounds? Its that an okay option since Kai can't get it through the endzone?

I still think that's Danny calling that and I think it's dumb.

We've been doing directional kickoffs regularly for years under Smith. And our KO coverage unit has been top ten for years also. Exactly how is that "dumb", particularly when Forbath is unable to KO to the goal line? Forbath executed it badly; not Smith's fault.

[Dirt]

We've been doing directional kickoffs regularly for years under Smith. And our KO coverage unit has been top ten for years also. Exactly how is that "dumb", particularly when Forbath is unable to KO to the goal line? Forbath executed it badly; not Smith's fault.

It was surely dumb when we had a kicker whose strength was long kickoffs, it was a nearly guaranteed touchback. More than a couple of those silly kicks were penalties. We said Gano and Cundiff and whoever else 'executed it badly'; one of those debates that ends up leading to the coach.

Yea, our kickoff coverage has been great for awhile, so I didn't like the 'trickery' when it didn't seem necessary. I'm talking about kicks right at the pylon, these corner kicks, not just one side of the field. A risk that failed too often. A couple times is too often. (I'm pretty sure it's worked effectively only ONCE when some guy from the Texans? decided to catch it at the corner like a dummy)

Forbath clearly has a shorter kickoff, so I'm thinking that justifies the risk a bit... but in today's case, like submittedone said, it looks a like a good adjustment considering the game, and we haven't really seen those corner kicks with Forbath at all until then.

As for Danny Smith's decision making, another big point of the game, obviously, is that I'm pretty sure Brandon Banks doesn't take that OT punt return into FG range(ironically, I bet he would have beat the punter for the TD though . Possibly, but I think enough's been enough for a long time with Banks and some better punt returning earlier this year might have meant a win or two, at least a better chance at one.

Dunno, dunno if I'm ready to turn over my leaf on Danny Smith yet but I have to say his teams are better than usual this year in coverage, and his gum-mouthed barking actually looked cool when he was arguing that bull**** fair catch interference call

[Bang]

Didn't take notice of what appeared to be a couple of directional kickoffs, one which went out of bounds? Its that an okay option since Kai can't get it through the endzone?

I still think that's Danny calling that and I think it's dumb.

It's not a pattern with Kai.. so no. most of his kickoffs are very good directionally speaking. And he can't kick it thru the end zone, so it's good he can do it.

He DID manage to make a kickoff sit up and beg inside the one right at the pylon, so I'll say he's probably pretty good at it.

~Bang

[GhostofSparta]

Yeah, I started talking about the game with my friend and missed the call on that, and we were confused about why we kept the ball. What did I miss? lol.

The Baltimore player was touching the ball, but didn't have full control when he went out of bounds. Since the ball is dead at that point, and the Ravens never had control, it reverted back to us. Thank God.

[Hunter_R]

It's not a pattern with Kai.. so no. most of his kickoffs are very good directionally speaking. And he can't kick it thru the end zone, so it's good he can do it.

He DID manage to make a kickoff sit up and beg inside the one right at the pylon, so I'll say he's probably pretty good at it.

~Bang

I read on another forum that Forbath was on 980 today and said that he's able to kick through the endzone, but Smith wants the directional kicking. Take that for what you will.

[SonnyandSam]

I read on another forum that Forbath was on 980 today and said that he's able to kick through the endzone, but Smith wants the directional kicking. Take that for what you will.

Yeah, on a line drive. If he kicks short the return will be a long one. Even some of his kicks to the goal line have lacked height.There is a very good reason why Forbath never kicked off in four years at UCLA. Kid needs to work on his leg strength. But I LOVE his accuracy!