WP: Redskins’ 3-4 defense, finally built to Jim Haslett’s liking, is capable of causing havoc

[bobbi3stix]

I thought our defense played well, our offense kept them on the field too often and Seattle's offense never really felt pressured.

 

edit: considering the injuries

[Alexa]

What makes me sick is our corners play 10 yards off the wr's. So frustrating. Also can these guys learn to wrap up and tackle? We need a full time tackling coach. Lol.

[bobbi3stix]

What makes me sick is our corners play 10 yards off the wr's. So frustrating. Also can these guys learn to wrap up and tackle? We need a full time tackling coach. Lol.

 

The cushion does get to me, especially since it's always given. If we'd just mix up bump coverage ONCE in a while it would change the dynamics, and probably provide our pass-rushers a better shot.

[skins island connection]

 With the chatter in SF about Harbaugh, IF they were to part ways, THAT is the guy to go after, but I doubt he would want to be a DC.

He has the respect of alot of his players, and I would bet some of his better defensive players would follow him here, and god knows we could use any defensive help offered.

 

He would also be a good candidate IF things don't work out well with the HC job.

[TheGreek1973]

I just hope beyond hope that next season Haslett(ing teams score), will be in the CFL or just retired. Our defense has been putrid since he's been here. I refuse to believe, when healthy, we don't have enough talent to be average. I'd love to just have a middling, mediocre defense right now.

I agree. People forget we were top 10 D playing the 4-3 but the rat wanted more turnovers so here comes Has to make sure we are consistently ranked south of 20. And oh btw where are the turnovers? Granted we have had injuries and questionable picks (aka Rambo) but still we should be better than what we show

[The Robert Griffin Experience]

That 4-3 was a mirage and in a rebuilding year it's okay to expect something better and make the change. The problem is that Haslett sucks and they've refused to upgrade him.

 

Dammit WADE ****ING PHILLIPS was on the board but they kept Haslett. I like Allen as an administrator and financials guy but his personnel management on all levels is terrible, and borderline nepotistic.

[bedlamVR]

You cannot play bump and run if you do not have either a pass rush or  safeties that you can rely on.

 

I hate the idea of hitting the reset button, because we have some good elements in the defence to build around. We need to build better depth on the defensive line. When everyone is healthy and everyone is on then we have a terrific front 7 that can bring the action. But you need to keep feeding such units (as the Ravens do) with draft pick after draft pick going into those positions .

 

Our fan base cannot stand that idea .. Not one. We already have people questioning why we took Murphy ... not why we took Murphy per say but why we took a pass rushing OLB when we have other needs ... well if you want a dominant front 7 that is what we have to do feed the position. We should have been taking more DL men (Jarvis Jenkins was the last true DE we took back in 2011), with the best will in the world I like Frank Kearse and Gethers but they are back up level players, they might be good oneday but they look like they are rotational players right now and we are starting them because we are paper thin...

 

But I have the feeling the FO is trying to fill too many holes, spread the jam too thinly. You need an identity on football teams and once you get that then that is what you build. and once you have that then you fill in around the talent.

There is no team with no weak area. the 2007 and 2011 Giants superbowl teams were full of holes, but it just so happened their strengths fit against other teams weaknesses.

 

The offensive line is a problem, but I hate the - we should use every pick on offensive linemen... the OL works totally opposite to the defensive line in that you have to have 5 guys who work together as a unit - the more they play together the better they are. DL is everyone is playing flat out. They need to know how to attack but they do not need to work as a cohesive unit in the same way, the parts by definition can be more interchangeable.

 

I have gone off track a little here but I think we have things to build around... the worry is after a loosing season we hit the reset loose some of the promising parts and then get caught in this continual rinse repeat cycle.

 

That said I think Hasslet has had his day and it is time to move on but to move onto someone with a similar philosophy and can build on what we have rather than changing everything.

[carex]

we AREN'T starting Kearse and Geathers, we are rotating them in.  I'm pretty sure out current starters are Hatcher, Baker, and Jenkins.  And we're paper thin at DL because Cofield, Neild, and Bowen are hurt.  If we had them we'd be nine deep at DL for a three man line on a 53 man roster.  Baker has developed into a solid player and Hatcher is borderline all-pro talent wise.

[Chachie]

He's got to go and it should be now so we're not starting at a disadvantage in 2015.

 

(Even though we'll always be starting at a disadvantage... at the very top.)

[skins/psu1981]

I don't know.. It's going to be hard for Gruden to fire his former Head Coach! Lets give Haslett 4 more years! 

[Stormy]

I'm always amazed at the fans who come here after a typical Haslett showing, and indicate that they thought our defense played well enough to win. I guess a week after your defense had one of the worst prime time performances in recent history, anything will look good. Russell Wilson completed 75% of his passes AND ran for 122 yards (that's more yards than he ran for in the first 4 games of the season combined). He also had by far his highest QB Rating of the year against us, as did Eli, as did Foles. Hmmmm.... We gave up 400+ yards of offense despite Seattle's exorbitant number of penalties, which also took 100+ yards and multiple TDs off the board for them. If the refs don't make multiple timely calls in our favor, we are looking at 3 straight weeks of 450-500 yards of offense and 35+ points by opposing offenses. And the great irony is that Seattle didn't really even open up the playbook against us, instead running a very modest play call assortment of power runs, reads and boots, because thats all they needed to do. 

 

And yet, week after week, we have people coming in here saying Haslett's defense didn't look so bad. Opposing coordinators know they can get as much as they like against Haslett's defense, whenever they need to. Last season at this time Green Bay QB coach/asst coord Ben McAdoo was overseeing the Packers offense as Aaron Rodgers lit up Haslett's defense to the tune of 480 yards 4TD, a year later McAdoo takes over as a first time lead coordinator for the Giants, and with an entire new team learning an entire new system, torches Haslett's defense for 450 yards and 4 TDs through the air. What's the common denominator? Were Cofield and DHall injured then, making all the difference? All this talk of injuries, personnel, freedom to run his system is BS excuses from a BS coordinator. It's way past time for him to go. 

[MEANDWARF]

Agree Stormy our Defense have not been looking that great lately and you can blame it on injuries or game plan. Either way its on Haslett and its time for him to get his resume ready.

But to be honest with you with the way Wilson was last night, he could have shredded the '85 Chicago Bears.

[Bang]

I've had it with Haslett.

 

Tell me the major difference that makes Rob Jackson unemployed and Perry Riley suiting up to get beat like a drum again and again.

 

~Bang

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

Hopefully we can put to bed the myth that Perry Riley is anything but an average MILB. Right now, he's a liability like London was last year

[VRIEL1]

That 4-3 was a mirage and in a rebuilding year it's okay to expect something better and make the change. The problem is that Haslett sucks and they've refused to upgrade him.

 

Dammit WADE ****ING PHILLIPS was on the board but they kept Haslett. I like Allen as an administrator and financials guy but his personnel management on all levels is terrible, and borderline nepotistic.

 

I have bashed Haslett all last year through the summer. I praised him for the first few weeks, but the Giants game left a bad taste in my mouth and although the defense held the Super Bowl Champs to 27 points and the offense stayed in the game, I'm still un impressed with Haslett's defense. 

 

You mention Wade Phillips and all I could think of last night was we need to fire Haslett and hire Phillips. Wade Phillips is an awesome DC. He seems to shine as a DC but fail as a HC. I'd bring in Wade and give him the rest of the year to evaluate and try to make adjustments then he would have the whole off season to try and build his defense. especially the back end. 

 

I find myself still thinking about how Haslett sucked through all his DC jobs especially with the Steeler's and right after he was fired the new DC had one of the best defenses the following year and I think 2 years after or close to it the team was making the play offs. Pretty much same people but tweeked the scheme. Pretty much has happened everywhere Haslett has gone. He only did well in the UFL. 

[nfl guru]

Haslett is still here because of past loyalties, nothing due to his recent performance.  My how far we've fallen, we used to complain about a top 5, 10 defense that couldnt get clutch stops.  Now we cant stop anything. Thats 3 weeks now QBs have had season high QBR's against us, wtf did we do to deserve this haha

[RandyHolt]

Welp, we are 1-4.

 

If the goose is cooked at the bye week, what exactly is the benefit of retaining Haslett? 

 

The only reason to retain him is if you know that he will be back in 2015.

 

We don't want Dan to meddle, but it appears Allen nor Gruden will be unwilling to do what needs to be done. Break up the band.

 

It appears there are times that an owner needs to get involved. Make that awkward call, Dan!  Otherwise, I am not sure if a new DC will ever be considered.

[carex]

Hopefully we can put to bed the myth that Perry Riley is anything but an average MILB. Right now, he's a liability like London was last year

 

average players aren't liabilities.

[skins island connection]

 Oddly ironic, but there's a similar situation at my work.

 

 There's a guy working here who is head of the IT dept.

 If there are any issues regarding our computers, he will come by and look at it, and in most cases, an outside service tech guy will come in and fix it. He doesn't know **** from wild honey about computer stuff, but he was hired to fill that position because he was a friend of one of the owners.

 

 Cue the Twilight Zone music.

 

 Now ask yourself, honestly;  if Haslett was fired today, can you think of any NFL team that would be interested in his services? That is a fairly good barometer of a coach's qualifications.

 I can't think of a single team. Not one.

 

 Ever since the 3-4 was brought here, it has been an utter disaster. The talk of it taking years to get a 4-3 defense playing at a good level is something I just can't believe. There have been numerous teams turn their direction around in 1 year; I could see that if they're coaching players who play in a 3-4 to convert them into a 4-3, but the players aren't dumb; [ ok, that might be a stretch ] they are familiar with formations and responsibilities, but it would take a coach who the players trust and believe in, and with the years of ineptness here, I doubt there would be a single player who would give Haslett a vote of confidence in a secret ballot.

[skinzplay]

It amuses me how Haslett let it be known to selective people that he never really wanted to run a 3-4 defense in Washington. How quickly he forgot that he would've remained out of the NFL had Shanahan not given him an opportunity (thanks to Mike Zimmer declining an initial offer from Shanahan). It says a lot about a guy who undermines someone who gave him such a break.

[martytheman]

you guys are worrying for nothing.

All haz needs is a few more years to get his players for his system and all will be ok.

 

Everyone knows it will take at least 5 more years before the defense is "his" and it will surely take that long for him to get out from evil shanny's shadow...

so maybe by 2020 he will have a low 20's defense.. we can hope right?

[DC9]

Really nice write-up from Paul Hazard on the "seam route" problems with this defense.

 

http://www.hogshaven.com/2014/10/10/6954397/hazards-huddle-this-seams-wrong

[martytheman]

I have bashed Haslett all last year through the summer. I praised him for the first few weeks, but the Giants game left a bad taste in my mouth and although the defense held the Super Bowl Champs to 27 points and the offense stayed in the game, I'm still un impressed with Haslett's defense. 

 

You mention Wade Phillips and all I could think of last night was we need to fire Haslett and hire Phillips. Wade Phillips is an awesome DC. He seems to shine as a DC but fail as a HC. I'd bring in Wade and give him the rest of the year to evaluate and try to make adjustments then he would have the whole off season to try and build his defense. especially the back end. 

 

 

 

This right here makes the most sense. Which is precisely why the skins won't do it. I really ****ing hate my team sometimes

I'm sure if snyder threw enough money at him he'd come over, even if he initially didn't want to.

He's around games/the team an awful lot though, which indicates to me he may want to...

but we're stuck with ****ing haztard AGAIN. It's like vinny all over again, just in a different job. A clown who has no business having the job he's got, but sticks around because he's a useful idiot to those in charge.

[skins island connection]

I'm sure by now Haslett has heard that he's very much dis-liked by the majority of fans.

I'd bet that Snyder is too, as well as Allen.

 

I'm sure that Haslett could care less what us fans think, but what does the barometer read on Snyder and Allen?  Allen may be too caught up in himself to comprehend the ill feelings towards Haslett, and his own seat is getting fairly hot right now, so he may be on a mini-damage control mission, which may bring a change, and soon, especially when the next no name QB makes a name for themself against this defense.

 

I could use Dan T's photo wizardry of Haslett and the weasel Jebhorn on Indenpendence Day.

[Peregrine]

Yeah, that seam route article is pretty good and explains a lot.  It seemed like teams were just torching our defense by running straight up the field, no cuts, fakes, jukes, deception or nothing.  Turns out that was right!  The easiest way to beat the Redskins defense, is to just run straight up the field, and count on them to not cover you.  

 

How sad is that?