TK Posted November 29, 2003 Share Posted November 29, 2003 http://redskins.com/story.asp?ContentID=12318 Jackson: Hasselbeck 'Gives Us A Chance' 11/29/2003 From the Sidelines With Hue Jackson The Redskins’ offense will have a new look this Sunday as Tim Hasselbeck starts at quarterback in place of injured starter Patrick Ramsey. Last week, Hasselbeck nearly led the Redskins to an upset win over the Miami Dolphins, going 15-of-30 for 150 yards and one touchdown. But the Dolphins scored late to win 24-23. Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson spoke with Redskins.com as the team prepared for the Week 12 game against the New Orleans Saints: Q: What were your impressions of Tim Hasselbeck’s performance last Sunday: A: “I was very happy with Tim’s performance. He was supposed to come in, relieve the starter, play well, and give the team an opportunity to win. He did that. He didn’t get the win that we all wanted, but he did give us a chance. And he's talented enough and skilled enough to give us a chance this week, too. The Saints game will be different for him because he won’t be coming off the bench. There’s a big difference not coming out of the bullpen and he’ll have to prepare himself with the mindset of a starter as opposed to a reliever. It’ll also be different for all of us not having Patrick as the starter, so we’ll have to rally around Tim and go play.” Q: Will the Saints have a better read on Tim’s tendencies as a passer now that there’s some game film on him? A: “I don’t think there’s a tendency of him, but there is a tendency of our system that maybe they can get a read on. I don’t think there’s enough video on Tim—even from last week—for an opposing team to think they know exactly what Tim is going to do in a situation.” Q: The Saints have the 27th-ranked rushing offense, so is this a game in which the passing game will be deemphasized and the running game becomes the primary focus? A: “I think it’s an emphasis in every game we go into. We would like to establish the run—to either set up the pass or have the pass set up the run. You have to be able to do both, as we know. But obviously this team statistically has struggled a little bit against the run and we need to make sure that statistic is correct. They have some talented players on defense, but we do need to run the ball.” Q: Ladell Betts is coming back this week from a fractured left forearm. How many carries can we expect from Betts this week? A: “I don’t want to expect too much from him too soon. He’s a young man who has been out for the last few weeks, and he still hasn’t been hit on his forearm. He’s going to go into the game, and it’s going to live bullets—it’s not practice now. He’s going to have to take a hit on that arm and be involved in pass protection. It’s going to be a challenge for him.” Q: The Saints have two excellent defensive ends… A: “Charles Grant and Darren Howard—they’re a handful, and they’re as good as any defensive ends we’ll play this year. They’ll be a good challenge for our offensive tackles.” Q: The other big lineup change this week is first-year player Brandon Winey at left tackle for injured starter Chris Samuels. That means the left side of the line will be manned by Winey and Derrick Dockery… A: “Well, they’re two young rookies. This is when you find out how well you’ve coached young players through 12 weeks of the season. You get in situations where guys get dinged up a little bit and you have to have guys on your team who are ready to step up and assume a starting role. That’s where we are with Brandon, and obviously Derrick has been there for a few more games, so he’s a little bit more battle-tested. Brandon is very athletic and tough, and I don’t think the game is too big for him. I think he’ll respond and go attack Darren Howard. But he knows he needs to play at a very high level for the team to be successful on Sunday.” 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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