Some Love For Haslett

[MEANDWARF]

And to an extent special teams. 

 

Hail. 

Burns definately needs to go. 

Doubt if this will happen, but if Pittsburgh lets Tomlin go or if Minnesota fire Frazier (irony), then Haslett should gets the ax. Reason why I doubt this will happen because 1) don't think Pittsburgh would let Tomlin go 2) Vikings may fire Frazier, but I think he is a 4-3 guy. For some reason Shanahan don't like that.

Wonder how long it will be before Haslett is gone. didn't Shanny have Robinson as his DC for a long time before he was let go in Denver?

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Burns definately needs to go. 

Doubt if this will happen, but if Pittsburgh lets Tomlin go or if Minnesota fire Frazier (irony), then Haslett should gets the ax. Reason why I doubt this will happen because 1) don't think Pittsburgh would let Tomlin go 2) Vikings may fire Frazier, but I think he is a 4-3 guy. For some reason Shanahan don't like that.

Wonder how long it will be before Haslett is gone. didn't Shanny have Robinson as his DC for a long time before he was let go in Denver?

 

Ego. Ego won't allow him to admit he's wrong. 

 

Hail. 

[MustangSteve]

Robert had 30 minutes to score 11 points and we would've won. He scored 3. Kyle is the coach to blame. 

You gotta be kidding! Before Haslett came in we had a defense that gave up an average of 17 - 20 points a game. If we had that same defense that many were complaining about today, we are 9-0 instead of 3-6. Now days we have to score 35+ points a game to have a chance to win, and this is Kyles fault?

[DaGoonie55]

a more truer statement could not have been typed.  The fact is they are USUALLY the cause of the momentum shift.  They don't adjust, and by the time they do adjust they waited too long to adjust.  

 

I'm convinced that a toddler with a crayon and a blank piece of paper could draw up a play that would find somebody open against this defense.  

 

It's just frustrating to watch.  I'm seeing the EXACT same view Haslett is (where he sits in the booth).  If I, Jesse from Auburn, 32  with NO real college / NFL playing or football coaching background - can say CRAP! Perry is lined up on a WR...Flash FLASH! Switch to base Cover 3 zone/Cover 2 zone/ whatever you have gameplanned.

 

At this point, I'll take the job for league minimum.  I'll work at it until a 3/4 majority of ES tells me to quit.

 

HTTR

It's just frustrating to watch.  I'm seeing the EXACT same view Haslett is (where he sits in the booth).  If I, Jesse from Auburn, 32  with NO real college / NFL playing or football coaching background - can say CRAP! Perry is lined up on a WR...Flash FLASH! Switch to base Cover 3 zone/Cover 2 zone/ whatever you have gameplanned.  Why can't Haslett see that...hes been involved in the NFL for longer than I have been ALIVE.

 

At this point, I'll take the job for league minimum.  I'll work at it until a 3/4 majority of ES tells me to quit.

 

HTTR

[garyclarkforhall]

I have a hard time defending my thread this week, although I still think a lot of this falls on personnel.  Two enormous plays we have free runners in the Vikings backfield and we can't make a hit or even contact... and we let Ponder get away with big completions.

 

At the same time, there are just mind-numbing open receivers... our inability to cover tight ends ever unless its D Hall on the goal line...

 

I still lean towards a talent issue, but I am shaken by last night's complete abomination.

 

For conversation, if (as Haslett prefers) we were a 4-3 defense, can the existing parts be converted or would it be another complete rebuild?

[RG3Hunna]

Ego. Ego won't allow him to admit he's wrong. 

 

Hail. 

It's not a matter of ego he's just an old school coach they are EXTREMELY loyal to their staff. The whole situation that happened to him in oakland where he was let go prematurely really put a chip on his shoulder and that's why he continues to give his guys chance after chance. That's why he also shields (Byrnes) from interviews because it's a protective mechanism that all old school coaches have, it's the younger coaches who will fire their staff left and right because loyalty has been lost on the new generation of coaches.

 

I believe Haslett is in his final year of his contract(Correct me if i'm wrong) I extremely doubt he gets renewed.

 

But yea that loyalty that shanahan has can be a blessing and a curse and in the case of haslett it is a curse unfortunately but hopefully haslett is gone at the end of this year. 

[Idaho fan]

Listening to Cooley on 980… Making sense.  Confirms with what I was thinking after the game.  The offense did their jobs.  Sure they could have done better.. but how many times did they punt?  This loss is not on Kyle.  This loss is on the defense.  This loss is on Haslett and to an extent our ST play.  Its time to end the Haslett ride.  Some say why make the move now.. I say why not?  Can they play worse?  Really… can ST or Defense play worse than they are?  What do we have to lose?  

[redskins4ever28]

Funny how theres people out there who defend Haslett after we have a half decent game here and there. We are the worst D in the league after last night pretty much. Its time to go.

Get rid of him, pay a crap ton of money to a d coordinator who can turn things around quick like Wade Phillips.

Btw, we should not fire Kyle or Mike. Kyles been great for the offense. A new d coordinator could do wonders.

[skins214428hail]

Man i miss Gregg Williams. Who are some D coordinator candidates within and outside of the Redskins org?  

[Voice_of_Reason]

Ego. Ego won't allow him to admit he's wrong. 

 

Hail. 

 

I don't think that's really true. Shanahan ran through DCs like a child goes through gummy bears in Denver.  Most only got a year.

 

Here's something I think doesn't get enough coverage:

 

Here's something else to note: Nobody on the defensive coaching staff is really a 3-4 expert.  Haz had a little experience with it back from his Pitt days, but was more of a 4-3 guy.  Raheem is a 4-3 guy.  Burney, DL coach, had never coached a 3-4 line.  Slowik, had never coached in the 3-4. That's everybody.  

 

Here's another thing that just reeks: Defense is what got Shanahan canned in Denver.  Burney and Slowik were both Shanahan guys in Denver.  SLowik was DC for a time, too. So, you bring the guys that couldn't get the Denver units to work, which caused you to get fired, to your new job?

 

If there was any one thing that I would point to that caused me to question whether Shanahan could fix this, that's it.  It makes no sense.  When you have employees that helped get you fired, you don't bring them to the new place.  Regardless of what you think of them, or how much you trust them. 

 

So, for me, if Shanahan sticks around, and I think he will, I think he's got to fire the entire defensive coaching staff and start over.  It's not just Haz, but Haz, Raheem, Burney and Slowik.  It's not working.  And you can't promote from within. 

 

Unless you promote Raheem and then run a 4-3.  But...

 

The one critisism that I just flatly disagree with is the switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 was a bad idea, was based on ego, and they could have been better if they had just stuck with the 4-3.

 

That's patently false.  The entire defense needed to be overhauled personnel wise anyway. So it was going to stink whether they played a 4-3 or a 3-4. It was old, slow, and broken. They needed between 8-10 new starters whether they stayed with the scheme or not.  So, it was kindof irrelevant.  It actually put Orakpo in a better position to succeed at the NFL level than at a 4-3 DE, where he's undersized. They put him in a perfect situation for him, and he hasn't been able to make it work.

 

And anybody who tries to bring up that they would have avoided the AH catastrophe if they had stuck with the 4-3, I'll come up and head-slap you.  That was going to end badly no matter what. You don't choose your defensive scheme based on malcontent DT.  Regardless how much money the team gave him.

 

Key is picking something, and sticking with it.  Now that they've made the switch to the 3-4, I really would prefer if they not flip back to the 4-3.  But they need to change personnel.  And if they see that the available personnel is a better fit for the 4-3, then eh, wouldn't bother me to flip back.

[Royale]

Can we stop debating whether or not Haslett deserves to go and start debating on whether we should switch from 3-4 when we bring someone new in? We let go of Chewgum for less. Shanahan is a smart guy, he knows that this defense can't hold on to a lead.

[Voice_of_Reason]

Listening to Cooley on 980… Making sense.  Confirms with what I was thinking after the game.  The offense did their jobs.  Sure they could have done better.. but how many times did they punt?  This loss is not on Kyle.  This loss is on the defense.  This loss is on Haslett and to an extent our ST play.  Its time to end the Haslett ride.  Some say why make the move now.. I say why not?  Can they play worse?  Really… can ST or Defense play worse than they are?  What do we have to lose?  

 

I wouldn't mind firing Hazlet just because.  But, it doesn't solve anything.  Who takes over? Raheem? Who's never coordinated a 3-4 a day in his life? Slowik? Who had putrid success in Denver as the DC, and also was a 4-3 guy?

 

Look.  I understand the sentiment, just because I think it would make everybody feel better. But it wouldn't help anything short term. If there was a clear replacement who could step up and maybe make things better, I'd be all for it.  But there really isn't.  

 

So, I think that you just have to ride it out and do whatever you're going to do after the season.  

 

Haz should be gone, and for me, along with everybody else on the Defensive coaching staff. 

Can we stop debating whether or not Haslett deserves to go and start debating on whether we should switch from 3-4 when we bring someone new in? We let go of Chewgum for less. Shanahan is a smart guy, he knows that this defense can't hold on to a lead.

 

They should evaluate the players they have and the coaches that are available before making that determination.  Switching for philosophy sake is a bad idea.  Both philosophies can work. Continuity in the scheme and having the right people to coach it, and the right people to run it, are key. For either scheme.

[Royale]

I wouldn't mind firing Hazlet just because.  But, it doesn't solve anything.  Who takes over? Raheem? Who's never coordinated a 3-4 a day in his life? Slowik? Who had putrid success in Denver as the DC, and also was a 4-3 guy?

 

Look.  I understand the sentiment, just because I think it would make everybody feel better. But it wouldn't help anything short term. If there was a clear replacement who could step up and maybe make things better, I'd be all for it.  But there really isn't.  

 

So, I think that you just have to ride it out and do whatever you're going to do after the season.  

 

Haz should be gone, and for me, along with everybody else on the Defensive coaching staff. 

 

 

Unfortunately there comes a time when you just have to let someone go. 

 

Can anyone explain to me how or why we constantly have dbs behind the first down marker on third down? I'm no football guru but I can obviously tell that you can beat the skins D by playing dink and dunk.

[redskins4ever28]

Man,if haslett would just stop telling the freaking DBS play 10-15 yards off the wrs.

Someone explain to me when it's 3rd and 4, why we are giving the wrs a 10 yard cushion EVERY SINGLE TIME?????

I honestly don't get it. Has always looks clueless too. I just wonder where we'd be if we had a half competent dc.

What's the least amount of points a team has scored on us this year? This is what teams have score on us

33

38

27

14

31

41

45

24

34

Lol, we won games where teams scored 14, 41, and 24.

We've held a team under 30 pts 3 times out of nine games, wow.

But Roberts to blame, lol

[Voice_of_Reason]

Unfortunately there comes a time when you just have to let someone go. 

 

Can anyone explain to me how or why we constantly have dbs behind the first down marker on third down? I'm no football guru but I can obviously tell that you can beat the skins D by playing dink and dunk.

 

Well, the honest answer is that if you don't have solid safety play, you can't play your CBs up in press-man coverage.  Because if the WR gets a release, without help over the top from the safeties, you're going to give up big plays consistently instead of dink-dunk plays consistently.  So, pick your poison.  I think that they've chosen to give up the short stuff so that they can protect against the long stuff.  

 

That said, they're playing a lot more press-man this year.  I didn't really notice a lot of off coverage in the Minn game, but I'd have to go back and take a look again.

 

The one thing I would say about this "we always play off the receiver" argument is that it's becoming a little bit like the "we abandoned the run in the second half." People say it even if it's not even remotely true.  

 

Which, all said, I'm still in favor of finding a new DC at the end of the season. I'm not sure what firing Haz mid-season would do in a positive way, so I don't think that's going to happen. 

[MustangSteve]

Games like this take me back to when Shanahan took over and brought in Jim Haslett.

 

Shanahan took over a Skins team that consistently fielded top 15 (or better) defenses but struggled to score points.

 

The initial hope was that Shanahan would focus his efforts on rebuilding the offense which is his strength.

 

Instead Shanahan in all his wisdom decides to overhaul the defense and switch the entire scheme.

 

In Year 1 the excuse was 'Haslett doesn't have the players suited to his scheme'

Year 2 the excuse was 'Haslett needs time to incorporate the new players to his scheme and way of coaching'

Year 3 much of the blame went to the cap penalty hindering the Skin's ability to bring in top free agents and the injury to Brian Orakpo

Year 4 the excuse is still the cap penalty, facing offenses with quick throwing QB's and whatever else can be thought of

 

Year 5 already has a built in excuse - 'Well with the cap penalty over we brought in several new players and they need time to adjust'

 

How many years does Haslett get to turn around this defense?

 

For many seasons before Shanahan was hired the familiar refrain was 'If only we had an offense this team could be great'

 

Now with Shanahan it's mostly been 'If only we had a defense this team could be great' - and this year add special teams to the list of primary reasons this team cannot win consistently.

 

It's becoming harder and harder to rationalize keeping Haslett beyond this game, much less giving him another season.

 

Shouldn't there be SOME level of expectation beyond inheriting a better than average defense and turning it into one consistently at the bottom of the NFL 3 1/2 years into Haslett's regime?

This is the damn fact! If Haslett was never brought in and this defense was left alone, the Redskins would be well in 1st place right now and be a legit contender for a Super Bowl title!