themurf Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 (photo by Brian Murphy) Since 2000, the Washington Redskins have had a defense good enough to rank in the NFL’s top 10 an impressive nine times. But, as most ‘Skins fans can attest, the stats in this instance only tell half the story. While the Redskins were routinely ranked among the league’s elite on the defensive side of the ball, they didn’t exactly strike fear in the heart of the opposition the way some of the Pittsburgh and Baltimore defenses did. Too often, those Washington defenses struggled to make a stand with the game on the line. They’d play great for three quarters, and then give up a big play at the worst possible time to spoil an otherwise stellar performance. Well, the Redskins are only four games into the 2011 season, but this defense has definitely started to develop an identity that’s easy to get excited about. Led by outside linebackers Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, the Redskins finally have the kind of stand-out players that opposing coaches lose sleep over. Those two guys spend so much time in the opposing backfield, it’s no wonder the burgundy and gold are 3-1 even though the offense is — to put it kindly — still a work in progress. During Jim Haslett’s first season as defensive coordinator in Washington, the Redskins finished the season with the 31st-ranked defense. Highlights were few and far between and the unit couldn’t make a timely stop if their NFL lives depended on it. Well, it’s clear that Haslett finally has the players who can properly execute in his 3-4 scheme. Against the St. Louis Rams, the defense was playing at a level rarely seen in today’s pass-happy NFL. They sacked Rams quarterback Sam Bradford seven times, completely shut down the St. Louis ground game and allowed just 99 yards of total offense through the first three quarters. Sure, the Rams finished the game with nearly double that (172 yards of offense), but that was only because the Redskins offense was so inept they forced the pitiful Rams back into the ballgame. The seven-sack performance is the most the Redskins have in a game since picking up eight against quarterback/fatty JaMarcus Russell and the Oakland Raiders back in 2009, and the team now has 15 sacks on the year (tied for the most in the NFL). Orakpo led the onslaught with five tackles, three quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks. Defensive lineman Stephen Bowen chipped in with five tackles, two quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks. Kerrigan added six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble, which was recovered by defensive lineman Barry Cofield. Rounding out the day was defensive lineman Adam Carriker, who also had a sack against his former team. “That’s what we get paid to do,” Orakpo said. “That’s why I’m here. That’s why Kerrigan is here. That’s why we brought in Bowen and Cofield. They brought us all in here to make big plays.” One week after everyone second guessed whether or not Haslett should have sent eight blitzers against Dallas quarterback Tony Romo sits to pee, the Redskins were able to get consistent pressure without having to send more than four pass rushers on most plays. Bradford was roughed up so badly that he had blood stains all over his pants by the end of the game. I joked with some of the Redskins defenders that, by that point, they looked like sharks who smelled blood in the water. “Any quarterback who gets hit that much is going to get rattled,” Cofield said. “Even the best quarterbacks in the league can get roughed up and lose it. I think Bradford is extremely talented and he’s got all of the tools, but when you hit him like we did, he’s going to have a hard time.” Click here for the full article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedBNG Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hail to the defense! :point2sky:notworthy:cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichmondRedskin88 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hail Bloody Pants!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamecokskins703 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 i always love reading ur articles murf, and its so true too. I dont remember the last time i actually ENJOYED watching our defense play. I feel like our defense can keep us in every game we play this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetThePointsSoar Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 One of your best pieces of the year so far, murf. Nice work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhead36 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 If you can make God bleed, people will cease to believe in him. There will be blood in the water, and the sharks will come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themurf Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 i always love reading ur articles murf, and its so true too. I dont remember the last time i actually ENJOYED watching our defense play. I feel like our defense can keep us in every game we play this year. One of your best pieces of the year so far, murf. Nice work. Thanks for the kind words. Watching this defense is truly enjoyable because they're able to attack offenses several different ways. Brian Orakpo loves it, because, like he said to me after the Rams game, teams can't just focus on him. If they do, that frees up Ryan Kerrigan on the other side. If you try to double both of them, that leaves you vulnerable up the gut. All four of your starting linebackers have looked great through four games, which says to me the guys up front are doing a masterful job of winning their individual battles to put them in a position to succeed. Let's hope the good times roll for this new-and-improved defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LetThePointsSoar Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Thanks for the kind words. Watching this defense is truly enjoyable because they're able to attack offenses several different ways. Brian Orakpo loves it, because, like he said to me after the Rams game, teams can't just focus on him. If they do, that frees up Ryan Kerrigan on the other side. If you try to double both of them, that leaves you vulnerable up the gut. All four of your starting linebackers have looked great through four games, which says to me the guys up front are doing a masterful job of winning their individual battles to put them in a position to succeed. Let's hope the good times roll for this new-and-improved defense. Agreed. We were sitting 5 rows behind the bench area where the front 7 were hanging most of the game on Sunday, and I kept watching how they interact off the field and you can really tell there's already some great chemistry between Bowen, Cofield, Nield & Carriker even though it's the first year for all of them together. This really has the makings of a truly special defense & hope it only gets better with time. Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bliz Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Watching this defense is truly enjoyable because they're able to attack offenses several different ways. Such a huge change from last year, when we would watch our "bend and then break" defense with a feeling of dread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbs Hog Heaven Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 How good would we be if we had an offense to compliment the D. And a QB as talented as Bradford to lead it? Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo#44 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Such a huge change from last year, when we would watch our "bend and then break" defense with a feeling of dread. Or even the "top-10 defenses" under Blatche. That defense would have given up the game-tying points after Rex's interception. However, Orakpo, Kerrigan and Co. made sure that didn't happen. This was their response: 1st and 10: S.Bradford pass incomplete short middle to D.Alexander. 2nd and 10: S.Jackson up the middle to WAS 16 for 3 yards (R.McIntosh). PENALTY on SL, Illegal Shift, 5 yards, enforced at WAS 19 - No Play. 2nd and 15: S.Bradford sacked at WAS 34 for -10 yards (S.Bowen). 3rd and 25: S.Bradford sacked at WAS 39 for -5 yards (B.Orakpo). Punt. Pushed them right out of FG range. I am concerned about our offense. I am hopefully chalking it up to a short week on the road, hopefully they'll come back strong against Philly (and run the ball 30 times). But Vick better be loose, he'll be running a lot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmallDaddy Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 After reading the line about Haynesworth, I was wondering how he is doing on the Patriots. Is he doing well? Is he laying on the ground? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 After reading the line about Haynesworth, I was wondering how he is doing on the Patriots. Is he doing well? Is he laying on the ground? He's not playing because of a "back injury". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallsux Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 As always, great read, Murf. The defense is a sight for sore eyes & I love it. We finally have a pass rush worth bragging about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
authentic Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Good article, we've come a looooong way since the 19 sack season in 2006. I remember when we used to complain so much over not having a pass rush. Now its one of the strengths on this team, and has won us games. I'm very much pleased with how this team is shaping up. Now we need to get the pass offense together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Adama Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Great article murf. I am so enjoying our defense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer_FFX Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Another great write-up, Murf. I especially dug this quote from London: “We are going to defend every blade of grass” Love that mentality and focus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoLeafClover Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 He's not playing because of a "back injury". He probably injured his back collapsing on the way over the the oxygen tank on the sideline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cphil006 Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 The offense needs to step up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffsays Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Great job as always murf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinklein Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Kerrakpo reminds me of Freeny-Mathis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 A funny thing happened on the way to greatness. The destination sort of morphed. As I look at recent superbowl winning teams, they've had less all world offenses and more all world preassure for opposing QBs. I think I noticed starting with the Giants take down of the 19-0 Patriots. Even that win didn't stop the love affair with the endangered animal known as the All Pro QB. I remember the days of shut down CB play allowing a defense to pack the other side of the field, but teams evolved to having 3 to 5 receivers out on patterns. A shut down CB can cover one. Twas the dawn of the QB reclaiming his role as difference maker. I think it started with the greatest show on turf and saw its culmination in the high flying 19-0 Patriots, a team the pass rushing Giants sent crashing back to earth. Granted the Saints are the exception, but when I first started thinking this way, I was sure the Giants were the exception. However, 3 of the last 4 super bowl winners have done so on the back of a great pass rush. (Giants, Steelers, and Green Bay last year) Yes, all three had good QB play too, but I don't think they win with just QB play. For example, the QB who had I think the best season from those teams is Rodgers with GB. I don't think he was head and shoulders above Vick in Philly, and the victory in Chicago was a defensive show down at 21-14. Does this mean I think the Skins are Super Bowl bound because we suddenly have a pass rush? No. My money isn't on them for this year. I simply take some pleasure in noting we have solved at least one major hole in a super bowl march. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swift Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Nice article. All the elite defenses smell blood in the water. I wouldn't put our defense in the elite category yet, but it's encouraging that our defense has that confidence that they're going to make a play. This defense has the potential to become something great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Great article murf. I never noticed the blood stains on Bradfords uniform, but it's not surprising. We may have had 8 sacks against the Raiders, but I believe we also knocked Russell out of the game at one point. It's been awhile since I've seen us get to one quarterback that many times, and it wasn't just the sacks (some of which were nasty), but the hits as well. He really got his ass kicked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket442Olds Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I love watching our defense, but I think this post has a bit too much optimism in it. I'd love to trust our defense to finish games, but that just hasn't been who we are. Just because we finished off the rams doesn't mean that the tides have already changed and we're now a clutch defense that won't have their past cycle back and bite them in the butt. Just 2 weeks ago, we had a lead against Dallas, and blew it. This week we win against a team that has no weapons on offense in the passing game, and a horrid O-Line and we're now saying that the tides are changing? I'm all for realistic optimism, but lets take a wait and see approach, at least for a few weeks. Give them a couple games before we anoint them clean of their disappointing past finishes. Also, before I get called 'not a real fan' by a bunch of people, I would say the same thing about last week, one game of a late loss isn't a sign that all our close games are going to be bad. We just need to let them play, and see where they decide they want to fall as a team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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