Skins.com:Jackson: Miami's 'D' Is Another Challenge

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Jackson: Miami's 'D' Is Another Challenge

11/21/2003

From the Sidelines

With Hue Jackson

The Redskins’ offense came alive in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game against Carolina and nearly pulled off a dramatic comeback with two fourth quarter comebacks. But the Panthers scored late to win 20-17. This week, the Redskins face yet another strong defense in the Miami Dolphins. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson spoke with Redskins.com at the team prepared for the game:

Q: Obviously, the storyline this week has been Patrick’s sore right foot. He was able to practice some on Friday, but he's questionable for the Miami game. How well has Tim Hasselbeck progressed in this offense in the short time that he’s been a Redskin?

A: “First of all, Patrick’s a tremendous competitor and if there’s any way he can play this Sunday, he’s going to be there. As for Tim, obviously, we’ll do things that best suit him if he does play. Tim has done a great job. Just like Patrick, he’s a guy who’s very studious and spends a lot of time studying. I think mentally he recognizes that you have to understand the system and what it is we’re trying to accomplish. I think he has very good leadership skills, too. He knows where everyone needs to be—and if a player is not sure where to be, he can give direction.”

Q: You’re facing another good defense this week in Miami…

“Yeah, we’ve seen a lot of good ones lately. Every defense you play is going to have players who are strong in certain areas. But with this Miami defense, there are not a lot of holes. Their front four is tremendous—just like Carolina’s front four, they have good ends in Jason Taylor and Adewale Ogunleye and strong tackles in Tim Bowens and Larry Chester—and their secondary with guys like Patrick Surtain, Sam Madison and Sammy Knight is tremendous. They've given up a lot of yards, but that's deceiving because their run defense is so strong. So it’s going to be a tremendous challenge for our offensive football team.”

Q: With their Pro Bowl cornerbacks, it appears that could open up opportunities for Miami to send safeties on blitzes. Has there been an emphasis on that aspect of protecting the quarterback this week?

“Miami’s scheme is not necessarily designed that way. They’re more of a coverage scheme—that’s what they’ve shown so far. They like to play their coverage and make you earn your yards the hard way, meaning that they want you to mess it up as you go down the field. Do they blitz from time to time? Yes, like most teams do. And as always, we’ll have to be prepared for that. But that’s not their identity. I think their identity is to play coverage, play sound fundamental defense—and then let the offense mess it up. So we'll have to minimize our mistakes and just play sound, efficient football.”

Q: Talk a little bit about how the play-calling arrangement has evolved between you and Coach Spurrier…

A: “Before the Seattle game, I went and asked coach Spurrier for this opportunity and he said, ‘Yes. Go run with it for a while.’ I knew at some point in time he might say, ‘Hue, I want to get back in and call plays.’ I want to do whatever I can do to help the team win. Calling plays is what Coach Spurrier does. This is what makes him go. I just wanted to take a shot at it, and it worked out the first week. Last week, we had an opportunity to win and unfortunately, we didn’t. I feel good about what I’ve been able to do for the team, given the opportunity by Coach Spurrier. We recognize that this is a unique situation because we have a young quarterback and some new players added to our system. Sometimes, to get a different view of play-calling is good for a coach.”

Q: Darnerien McCants and Patrick Johnson caught two key touchdown passes last week. Have they found their niche in this offense:

“They’ve certainly been solid contributors. Darnerien has five touchdown catches. He’s had a decent year. Patrick Johnson has come on as of late and made some big catches in games. That’s what we expect from all of our backup players—when called upon, they come in and contribute to our football team. Taylor Jacobs has to be thrown into that mix, too. He’s done some good things. They’re finding more opportunities because defenses are doing everything they can to slow Laveranues Coles down and slow Rod Gardner down. So, yes, they’ve found their niche and they’re really coming on as dependable receivers.”

Hue Jackson is in his first season as offensive coordinator with the Redskins after serving two years as running backs coach. He previously spent four years as offensive coordinator at USC. Jackson is regarded by players as a high-energy, hands-on teacher and motivator. Look for his Q&A column every week on Redskins.com