TD_washingtonredskins Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Sigh.... OK, we missed a golden opportunity to build upon a huge road win against our division rivals. We dropped a winnable game that would have put us at 4-5 and given fans a reason to experience pre-game nerves again. Instead, we sit at 3-6 after a frustrating loss to a bunch of no-names and have two weeks to let that sink in. So, 13 days before we play again, this is the last decent opportunity to see any type of significant re-shuffling. Here are some ideas that I had. Some of the reasoning is, quite honestly, to keep me as a fan interested for the final 7 November/December games that will have no impact on the league standings. 1) I say this every year when we start to suck with some older players, but I would definitely try out some new players in certain positions. Even if you don't necessarily "bench" veterans, why not put younger players who are blocked into certain packages or situations? This staff seems willing to try it as they've already promoted a guy like Compton at RT. I would like to see any younger options at safety and anywhere else along the OL that makes sense. The level of play might even drop, but then you are either giving these guys a learning experience or determining that they can't play. I'd see what Redd could do with several carries in a game too. 2) I'm done with Haslett. He's in his 5th year and things really don't seem any better. I'm sure some of the issue is personnel, but we really shouldn't have guys in the secondary passing off receivers to empty field as often as it happens. This is a long-established defensive system (5 years) in today's NFL. Even if guys are being beat physically, they should be in perfect position on nearly every play at this point. Also, his game-planning is bad. Like a slugger in baseball who occasionally runs into a HR by swinging for the fences on every pitch, Haslett comes up big in games where he matches up against a team that happens to struggle against pressure. Generally that has been Dallas. Other than that, good offensive coordinators take him to school and scheme around what he does. So, I would fire Haslett today and see if anyone else on the staff (or Wade Phillips) can give you a better look at your defensive personnel. As I said, I'm sure we need to upgrade some of the players, but this would better tell you what is on them vs. what was on the DC. 3) I would make sure you install the read-option as a 8-10 play package most games. We need Griffin to show that he can run, get upfield, and truly hurt teams with his legs or he's going to continue to be swallowed up in the pocket given his slowish decisions. What, if anything, would you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradboyd80 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I've never been a fan of firing anybody in mid-season. But I honestly don't think it would make much of a difference in this case. As significant a change as it would be to bring in Phillips, I don't think the D would get much worse learning a new system than what we saw yesterday. I'm not a huge x's and o's type of guy, but I really don't understand why we blitzed successfully in the first half, but then went to the typical Haslett zone D/prevent. With any chance of making the paloffs pretty much gone, now is the time to see what our depth can do. See if Long, Thomas, Redd, Ribs, etc, can do anything in the starting lineup. Hell, maybe they play decently and we have some questions answered going into the offseason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonesbr549 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 None of it matters, give them all 3 games off. They'd be the same when they came back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 No way Haslett should continue as our DC. Like you said in the OP, he's been with this team for 5 years and we've seen the same results over those 5 years. The defense plays well once or twice a season and then comes up small when we need a play the most. Here's Haslett's defensive ranks since he took over in 2010: 2010 - Yards: 31st, Points: 21st 2011 - Yards: 13th, Points: 21st 2012 - Yards: 28th, Points: 22nd 2013 - Yards: 18th, Points: 30th 2014 - Yards: 10th, Points: 24th We've had a top half of the league defense in terms of yards allowed, once. Haven't finished higher than 21st in points allowed at all. Why is he still on this team again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 No way Haslett should continue as our DC. Like you said in the OP, he's been with this team for 5 years and we've seen the same results over those 5 years. The defense plays well once or twice a season and then comes up small when we need a play the most. Here's Haslett's defensive ranks since he took over in 2010: 2010 - Yards: 31st, Points: 21st 2011 - Yards: 13th, Points: 21st 2012 - Yards: 28th, Points: 22nd 2013 - Yards: 18th, Points: 30th 2014 - Yards: 10th, Points: 24th We've had a top half of the league defense in terms of yards allowed, once. Haven't finished higher than 21st in points allowed at all. Why is he still on this team again? You want to know what really concerns me? I actually fear that if I was sitting at a bar next to Bruce Allen and had a chance to ask him about Haslett, he would cite those stats ("look at the progress from 2012 through 2014 in YPG"). I fear that our front office uses outdated and simplistic metrics to evaluate its team and coaches. We need to come armed with more advanced analytics so that it's obvious that he's not getting the job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins4eva Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I still can't understand why Gruden decided to keep Haslett on. I think it's fair to say he regrets that decision now. Perhaps he wanted to maintain continuity on that side of the ball and give him one more chance, free from Shanahan's "interference" to show what he could do. But, facts are facts. Haslett is not a good coach. He never has been--his coach of year award with the Saints back in 2000 was a total fluke since Ditka had done such a miserable job there. He quickly came back to earth and was fired. When he took over for the Rams, they went on to lose 10 straight. He's not an intellectual and it shows. He cannot adjust, which is exactly why we all know the defense will give up points sooner or later in any game. With the exception of a few Dallas performances, we are consistently out schemed and outcoached by opposing offenses. I think Jay is smart enough to realize this. The loss yesterday was 90% on the defense. The offense left some points on the board in the redzone and needed to convert a few more FGs into TDs, but they are not the reason we lost the game. The defense completely imploded because Norval made halftime adjustments and Haz went out there with that confused, imbecilic look on his face. You can tell the players think he's an idiot. You can tell by body language when players know they are being put in a position to fail. So incredibly frustrating. We are better than this as a defense. I'm tired of the crap scheme and the crap coach. I would get rid of him during the bye week. That would send a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 I still can't understand why Gruden decided to keep Haslett on. I think it's fair to say he regrets that decision now. I'm hoping it was his decision to make. I don't think anyone without inside knowledge can confidently say they know how things are run in Ashburn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins4eva Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'm hoping it was his decision to make. I don't think anyone without inside knowledge can confidently say they know how things are run in Ashburn. True. Although, whatever the answer is, I think we all know the process is dysfunctional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Haslett gave Gruden a coaching job in the UFL, so he owed him a favor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brokenstriker Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 misread the topic ... thought it was "time for the annual looking ahead to next season" thread ... but wait ... it is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Redskins 74, Bye Week 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 TD I think we can make this the "annual" thread. Isn't this like 4 years in a row of being 3-6? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEBSKINS Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 3-6 headed into the bye? Division champs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenDavis Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 3-6 headed into the bye? Division champs. I'm so tired of being 3-6 year in and year out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins island connection Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Without a doubt fire Haslett on the spot. I'm actually surprised he's still with the team right now! Face it, we're not going anywhere this season, why not remove Haslett and find someone to fill in, if at least on a temporary basis. I'd be perfectly happy with Raheem going as well; its his job as secondary coach and he's not doing any better. Outside of that, it begins to get fuzzy. *Cut Polumbust, thats a wasted roster spot. *Take a close look at the scouting dept.; is their direction the same as the HCs? *Send Allen on his way and hire a real GM, not someone associated with a past coach, someone who doesn't have multiple family members waiting in the bushes to be hired as staff members. But without a doubt remove Haslett right now; there is nothing that says he cannot be let go, and who knows, maybe the defense, and team for that matter, might rally behind the next in line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punchwalk Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'll throw my two cents in: On the defense/Haslett: The defense was just awful yesterday. I think coaching is a big part of the problem, but I think they have some personnel issues, too. It seemed like they tried to play a lot of zone yesterday, but didn't execute well at all. Guys were badly out of place, and were losing track of receivers left and right. They had multiple plays where they let a Minnesota receiver run completely free, and that just doesn't happen very often (relatively speaking) in the NFL. They've had serious issues at safety (Clark, who's supposed to be a seasoned veteran, has been a complete gaffe machine this season, and both Meriwether and Biggers are abysmal in pass coverage). I think there's a lot of talent and potential in the linebacking corps, but we're only seeing it sporadically. Haslett needs to go. His gameplans are ineffective far more often than not, and his defenses can't generate takeaways or make big stops when the game is on the line. I don't think he's the only weak link in this chain, but he is the common denominator in 4+ seasons of mediocre defensive play. The front office should quietly start scouting defensive coordinator candidates, but I don't think there's any rush to fire Haslett. There are no must-have candidates available, and Haslett's going to get paid whether he's on the sideline or not. On Griffin: They might as well start Griffin the rest of the way as long as he's healthy. I'm on the fence about his performance yesterday. Some moments were good, some were bad, and the rest were so-so. The biggest impact of Robert being back on the field seemed to come in the form of a more productive rushing attack. It seemed like Griffin is either not completely healthy, or his conditioning has lapsed after being inactive for a while (probably a combination of both). He looked completely winded after a few plays, and was slow to get up on others. For the time being, I'm chalking it up to not playing for a while, but I sincerely hope we'll see him overcome this issue in the next few games. For me, the bigger concern is that Robert still seems a little indecisive when it comes to delivering the football. It wasn't as big of an issue in 2012 when he was making so many plays with his legs and explosive speed, but there's no reason to believe that we'll see him play like that on a regular basis again. If Griffin turns in, say, five or more lackluster performances by season's end with no sign of moving in the "right" direction, then the team will need to seriously consider moving on with someone else under center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooleyfan1993 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'm so tired of being 3-6 year in and year out. yeah. gets pretty old after a while. i envy the teams that are sitting pretty at 8-0, 7-1, 6-2, 5-3 or even 4-4 at the half-way point of the season. not that 4-4 is that good, but at least its not downright **** like 3-6 is. just once, i would like to see the redskins go on a strong winning streak to start the season, except this time actually be able to get more wins in the 2nd half, unlike 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacoah Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 I'd like to say with confidence that we'll be well rested and prepared for Tampa Bay, but...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC9 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 Here's the thing... you lose two things when you go to the "younger players" in evaluation mode. 1) You lose a lot of the veterans in the locker room. Guys who came here to win don't want to play with players who aren't the best at their position OR players who don't give them the best chance to win. 2) You lose the interest of a lot of the casual fans and even some die-hards. Which in turn, costs you money, which in turn --- costs the owner money. Number 2 is probably the biggest reason we haven't seen a true "evaluation" period in over a decade and a half now. That said, I WOULD play anyone at guard who could block, to include Polumbus - who has played well for US at guard in the past. I would also experiment with the younger safeties... cause why not? I like our young CBs and I like our LB corps for the most part. I might give Compton some more reps at ILB, but I see we have been working him in. Maybe let Riley play OLB as well, cause why not? So my areas of focus: 1) O - line 2) Safety 3) Toying with the LBs Really, at WR I think we're in really good shape and I think we're fine at RB as well. D-line is what it is... it's Baker, Hatcher, and Jenkins and then everyone else at this point. Jenkins isn't great but he's been pretty darn good this year, for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 ^ Well we can at least get rid of Lauvao. Dude is just not getting it done. To me, going from Lauvao too Ribs isn't as eye popping as going from Clark to Robinson or Philip Thomas or whoever the heck we have at FS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC9 Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 You want to know what really concerns me? I actually fear that if I was sitting at a bar next to Bruce Allen and had a chance to ask him about Haslett, he would cite those stats ("look at the progress from 2012 through 2014 in YPG"). I fear that our front office uses outdated and simplistic metrics to evaluate its team and coaches. We need to come armed with more advanced analytics so that it's obvious that he's not getting the job done. And for this, which is another FANTASTIC post, I think if we did go into EVAL mode it would help the scouting department understand what exactly we need. One hand has to wash the other... but it's not. We don't know who we need cause we don't know who can play with live ammo, cause we're trying our hardest to finish with 6 wins instead of 3. I'm not an expert, but I could tell you in the preseason three years ago that Baker could play. I could tell you last year that Compton could play. And I could tell you this year that Breeland could play. And I did . I honestly think the embarrassment or the money we pay guys is outweighing a lot of things. Like... You can't tell me Luavao is the best we got. You can't. And if he is, shame on everyone involved. But sit his ass down and get Polumbus in there. I KNOW Polumbus can't play tackle, but he can play guard. I don't care if he's 6'8".... lengthen the route tree and drop RG3 deeper in the pocket so he can see over him. Anyways... I'm not saying anything most on this website don't already know deep down... I love this thread, but it's not only an annual topic, it's an annual let down cause it doesn't happen. ^ Well we can at least get rid of Lauvao. Dude is just not getting it done. To me, going from Lauvao too Ribs isn't as eye popping as going from Clark to Robinson or Philip Thomas or whoever the heck we have at FS. I'm honestly surprised that Ribs has been as bad as he has. He had a really high grade from a lot of well respected scouts coming out... and he's flopped. He is pretty good in run blocking, but he's on his ass a ton in pass blocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodriggo Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 On Defense I'm looking to see what Breeland does as well as Murphy and Robinson. On Offense I'm looking to see Robert improve, get back to normal, hopefully go nuts on at least one opponent down the stretch. Looking to seeing the playcalling play to his strengths better than it has. Maybe see some playing time for Grant. Can't wait until they draft first round OLs in the next two drafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted November 3, 2014 Share Posted November 3, 2014 By the way, we have turned Wade Phillips into our savior. That's hysterical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted November 3, 2014 Author Share Posted November 3, 2014 By the way, we have turned Wade Phillips into our savior. That's hysterical. I aim to please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlldaySkins Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 I agree we need to fire Haslett during the bye week. Gruden should send a message that no job is sa.....wait nevermind this is the Redskins, Gruden has no power whatsoever as a coach. This will continue to be the problem with our organization. Haslett gave Gruden a coaching job in the UFL, so he owed him a favor. This is probably true, however it was ultimately Bruce's decision. He needs to be removed from all personnel decisions and until that happens it's going to be hard to field a winning team. Haslett probably will be fired, but not until after the season. By the way, we have turned Wade Phillips into our savior. That's hysterical. Maybe some are, but I am definitely not hahaha. I would rather go with somebody young and with something to prove. If we try to hire Phillips or Rex Ryan in the offseason, then I'll be more than displeased. I know Rex would make as a good D Coordinator but I can't stand the guy. Making numerous jokes when your team is that horrible. That's why I'm glad we have someone like Gruden, who can make jokes, but at the right time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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