Do We Suddenly Have a Dominant Defense?

[pjfootballer]

No need to spy. Smith doesn't run just to run.  He runs when he has to, which is usually off scrambles. I've never seen any R/O from the Chiefs.  They want to gash you with their RBs, not their QB.  We just have to be better on the scrambling then we were with Wentz.

[Going Commando]

7 hours ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

Great OP, btw steve. Going through the lineup point by point like that, you're right that we may be witnessing an unlikely confluence of events leading us to a really good defensive unit. Definitely built differently than most of the recent stud defenses (with SEA's propensity for signing vets that fit their system and blossom, paired with their great defensive drafts, being the best comparison maybe).

 

I think that's an apt comparison.  Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, and Chris Clemons were all picked up in free agency in a short span and all turned into major contributors.  And then the linebackers and secondary players were all draft pick gems who, with the exception of Earl Thomas, came outside the first round.  It's amazing how that defense came together despite using only two first rounders (Thomas and Irvin) to build it.  It shows how resourceful that rebuilding process was.  You see that same resourcefulness in the construction of our defense, where so many big contributors were scooped up as bargain free agents, or in the case of Norman, acquired under extraordinary circumstances.

 

To your other point, instability at the QB position can waste a great defense.  Booger McFarland talked about it on Mike and Mike a couple of weeks ago.  Seattle in 2013, the Ravens in 2000, and his Bucs in 2002--not just great defenses, but historic ones.  Each only got one championship out of those defenses.  They didn't have the QB stability to sustain a run and so those defenses were wasted in the years sandwiched around those championships.  Might need to add Denver to that list too.  In the case of the 2013 Seahawks, QB wasn't their issue, and they should have gotten another championship out of that team in 2014.  It was the pieces surrounding that QB that sucked.  Their OL has been trash for years, their pass catchers were never particularly good, and their running game fell apart when they didn't have Lynch constantly making something out of nothing on horribly blocked plays.

 

I think it cuts both ways too.  New Orleans and Green Bay have had HoF QBs running historic offenses but they only got one championship out of them (so far) because their defenses have sucked.  You need one side of the ball to be great and the other one to be very good to go on a run.

[Master Blaster]

20 hours ago, Cooleyfan1993 said:

Part of me thinks the reason we’re good right now is cause offenses don’t have much film on our defense right now, since this is now manuskys defense. If we’re still having great games from our defense by weeks 9, 10, and later, I might start to believe.

 

 

That might make sense if the game plan hadn’t been “line up in base fronts and play base coverages.”

 

There was no scheme against Oakland 

[Fat Stupid Loser]

19 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

 

I don't think above average totally clowns a top five offense like we did with Oakland.  That would be such an aberration that Occam's razor says it's more likely the unit is great than above average.

 

I don't know. That game was such a freak show of dominance on both sides of the ball, its hard to see it as much more than a freak game where we could do no wrong and they could do no right. Just one of those games that can't be duplicated. Its so out of character for us that I think it was an aberration. Not that the D isn't improved. But I expect a return to norm Monday, that doesn't bode well for us in the game.

[Wildbunny]

57 minutes ago, pjfootballer said:

No need to spy. Smith doesn't run just to run.  He runs when he has to, which is usually off scrambles. I've never seen any R/O from the Chiefs.  They want to gash you with their RBs, not their QB.  We just have to be better on the scrambling then we were with Wentz.

 

Yeah Reid is too old for R/O.Not the kind of plays he likes. 50 Gut is more of his style.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

17 hours ago, UK SKINS FAN '74 said:

Brown has to be retained. Not sure Breeland will be affordable if he posts a good season. Looking forward we may be in a great position whereby next offseason we could only need a couple of pieces to set us over the edge. 

 

I realize he's not here anymore, but I investing in a nasty defense is actually the Scot McCloughan model (and we're still following his blueprint to an extent). If it actually appears that we've finally built a solid-to-good defense, I'd be very tempted to invest our money on that side of the ball and then see what we can muster on offense with Crowder, Thompson, Doctson, and our OL as the core. 

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

14 hours ago, stevemcqueen1 said:

Three games in, you have to project future performance based on the talent available rather than past performance.

I know you're always talking about stack linebackers.  With that in mind, what did you see out of Martrell Spaight and how does his play compare to what you've seen out of Mason Foster this season?  Do you think that position is up for grabs or is Foster the clear starter and Spaight clearly a depth/ST guy?

 

[BravesontheWarpath2]

14 minutes ago, Fat Stupid Loser said:

I don't know. That game was such a freak show of dominance on both sides of the ball, its hard to see it as much more than a freak game where we could do no wrong and they could do no right. Just one of those games that can't be duplicated. Its so out of character for us that I think it was an aberration. Not that the D isn't improved. But I expect a return to norm Monday, that doesn't bode well for us in the game.

 

I tend to agree with you. I think a major contributing factor is that the Raiders just didn't seem prepared for us at all - maybe they were looking ahead to Denver. Trying to chip Kerrigan w/ a WR, Carr and his center never being on the same page as to when the ball is being snapped, passes in the flat (which we don't allow), etc. I think our defense is much improved, but we won't be this dominant week-in and week-out.

[skinny21]

1 hour ago, Master Blaster said:

 

 

That might make sense if the game plan hadn’t been “line up in base fronts and play base coverages.”

 

There was no scheme against Oakland 

After listening to Cooley's comments on the defense, it seems that we did a great job disguising coverages.  I should add that Cooley mentioned we played sing high maybe 75% prior to the Oakland game.  Didn't hear any numbers for Oakland, but he said we played a lot of cover 2, 3 and quarters.  

1 hour ago, AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy said:

I know you're always talking about stack linebackers.  With that in mind, what did you see out of Martrell Spaight and how does his play compare to what you've seen out of Mason Foster this season?  Do you think that position is up for grabs or is Foster the clear starter and Spaight clearly a depth/ST guy?

 

Cooley graded Spaight as a C+ in the first half and an A+ in the second.  Don't think he's ready to supplant Foster, but 1) he ups the level of depth there, 2) they will (hopefully) trust him more as he gets more game time/experience, and 3) if he can play at a high level, it helps as Foster and Brown hit FA.  Obviously I'm hoping we sign Brown to a LTD though.  What a stud.  

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

I've heard every excuse under the sun for the Raiders performance this past Sunday.  Lorenzo Neal blaming the president and all the stand/kneel nonsense causing the Raiders (primarily O line) to lose focus on the task at hand, others hinting that the Raiders stayed in downtown DC and may have been out partying all night, and the list goes on.

 

I want to call that crying over spilled milk, but I can't help but think their may be just a little bit of truth to some of it.  It's rare that any team comes out and straight up waxes the competition on nearly every snap.  That's what the Redskins did.  2 weeks prior the same Redskins defense gave up 8 of 14 3rd downs to Carson Wentz and over 100 yards to tight ends.  It's fair to say that you can't expect dominance out of a lot of new parts in the very first week and that they simply are getting better together moving forward.  But I still think it's way too early to use the word dominant when referring to this group.  

 

You've got the braun of the Raiders followed by the speed and finesse of the Chiefs.  If they do 75% of what they did to the Raiders offense in Kansas City, I'll be more apt to believe this is the makings of a dominant defense.  Until then, I've gotta imagine they are somewhere in between, and I'll take that. 

 

 

[carex]

22 hours ago, Darrell Green Fan said:

Dear Mr. Cravens:

 

I think we are good at the safety position. Enjoy your retirement.

 

Sincerely,

The Redskins

 

I'd rather try to trade him for a pick

[Going Commando]

20 minutes ago, AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy said:

I know you're always talking about stack linebackers.  With that in mind, what did you see out of Martrell Spaight and how does his play compare to what you've seen out of Mason Foster this season?  Do you think that position is up for grabs or is Foster the clear starter and Spaight clearly a depth/ST guy?

 

I think Foster is safe as the starter.  Spaight looked OK and I think he's capable of spot starting but Foster is better than him right now.  Foster also has unique size among our LB core.  Brown, Spaight, and Compton are all run and hit guys.  Foster is the thumper.  When he gets healthy again, he'll go back to starting because he can fill a role that the other guys can't play as well.  He also knows the defense better than Spaight so, realistically, he's going to be the more consistent player.

 

I like Spaight's potential though.  He might get a lot of time this year.

[Rattlesnake88]

1 hour ago, Wildbunny said:

 

Yeah Reid is too old for R/O.Not the kind of plays he likes. 50 Gut is more of his style.

Do y'all watch chiefs games? Dude runs reverses interior screens, pick plays, read option. He throws the kitchen sink. 

[Audible_Red40]

I like these debates instead of a Jim Mora quote about our defense in recent history:

 

"The second half, we sucked. We couldn’t stop the run. Every time they got the ball, they went down and got points. We got our ass totally kicked in the second half – that’s what it boiled down to. It was a horse**** performance in the second half."

[onedrop]

it was ONE GAME. we looked like world beaters but it was just a single game. lets not get too far ahead of ourselves.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

41 minutes ago, Rattlesnake88 said:

Do y'all watch chiefs games? Dude runs reverses interior screens, pick plays, read option. He throws the kitchen sink. 

I was thinking the exact same thing.  I get the impression Reid's playbook is 2nd to only Al Saunders in length.

[pjfootballer]

20 hours ago, Rattlesnake88 said:

Do y'all watch chiefs games? Dude runs reverses interior screens, pick plays, read option. He throws the kitchen sink. 

 

Yes, Yes I do.  I agree about reverses, jet sweeps, bubble screens, TE interior screens, shovel passes, trick plays and pick plays.  I don't think I've seen Reid run the "pure" R/O with Smith.  The last time I saw him run it was with Vick in Philly.  I mean, I could be wrong, but I don't think I've seen it.  I've seen Smith scramble a lot and run for first downs, because he does have some wheels.

 

I also don't agree with Wildbunny's assessment that Reid is a 50 gut guy.  He's not.  Reid always had scat-backs.

[Thirtyfive2seven]

On 9/27/2017 at 12:42 PM, skins4eva said:

It's been a long, long time since we've seen that from a defense in DC. You have to go back to Gregg Williams's first year and then the early 90s.  

I'd say Marvin Lewis days (even though it was only 1 year it was dominant).

[Darrell Green Fan]

5 hours ago, carex said:

 

I'd rather try to trade him for a pick

 

He has no value at this point. 

[XxSpearheadxX]

8 hours ago, carex said:

 

I'd rather try to trade him for a pick

Maybe one of those minty teatree tooth picks. I like those. 

I agree with the sentiment that we should wait before feeling like we are the Ray Lewis/Ed Reed Ravens. 

I've never seen a redskins defensive performance quite like that though. 

 

Gregg Williams' ST Springs, smoot, Marcus Washington team was amazing and dominant at times but they never ever had a D line as consistantly disruptive as we did. Our edge rushers were powerful, J Allen got skinny between doubleteams seemingly at will. Ionaidis was one on one mostly, and punked whoever was in front of him every time. When they did start doubling the left side of the line Ryan had TEs amd WRs on him. 

 

It was awesome. I had so much fun watching it, I like offense, but I LOVE defense. 

[Riggo'sRangers]

3 hours ago, Darrell Green Fan said:

 

He has no value at this point. 

[Voice_of_Reason]

11 minutes ago, Riggo'sRangers said:

ham Sammich

I hope the kid works out whatever he needs to work out. 

 

But honestly, I could always use a ham sammich.   They tasty good.

[Darrell Green Fan]

I'm not sure there is anything to "work out".  He's allowed to not like his job, it happens.  Probably more than we realize in sports. He's just the first I can remember to act on those feelings.

[Saeth29]

On 9/27/2017 at 3:48 PM, TD_washingtonredskins said:

 

I'd agree if I was confident in that premise. I think our offense is less explosive and less consistent than the past couple years. We almost had to make some gains on D to off-set that. 

Less explosive, yes.  But I'd say that the offense is starting to look more consistent.  Most of the bigger/better pass plays Sunday night were on third downs.  Couple that with the new commitment to running the ball and the offense might actually have more time with the ball in their hands.

 

Seems like a good recipe with a (so far) much improved and swarming defense.

[98ORAKPO98]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000853470/article/pittsburgh-steelers-offensive-woes-hybrid-playmakers-and-more

 

REDSKINS' D: Greg Manusky makes instant impact with flexible approach

 

When new defensive coordinator Greg Manusky promised the Washington Redskins would "beat the crap out of a lot of people" during an interview with the team website in the offseason, I thought it was simply bluster from a coach attempting to fire up a rabid fan base.

Now, I certainly have a great deal of respect for my former teammate's football acumen, based on our time together on the Kansas City Chiefs(1997-98), but I questioned whether he could quickly build a championship-caliber defense in the nation's capital with a number of rookies and newcomers joining a cast of veterans on an underachieving unit that ranked 28th in total defense a season ago.

To my surprise, the Redskins' D not only looks new and improved, but the unit has the potential to emerge as the bully on the block in the NFC by the end of the season. From the ultra-athletic front seven that features a pair of Pro Bowlers (Ryan Kerrigan and Zach Brown) to an opportunistic secondary built around the playmaking talents of a Defensive Player of the Year candidate (Josh Norman), the 'Skins have blue-chip players at every level of the defense. In addition, the defense has a number of intriguing free-agent additions (D.J. Swearingerand Stacy McGee), rookies (Jonathan Allen, Ryan Anderson and Fabian Moreau) and holdovers (Kendall Fuller) with the athleticism and attitude to make differences as key contributors in a role-specific defense.

 

I attended Washington's Week 2 win over the Rams. And as I studied the Redskins' defensive personnel from my press box seat at the L.A. Coliseum, I was impressed with their overall team speed and energetic playing style. The unit sprinted to the ball with reckless abandon while displaying the physicality and toughness that's typically associated with elite defenses. The Redskins' strong defensive performance -- against what is a surprisingly explosive Ramsoffense -- caught my eye. Thus, I made it a point to dig into the All-22 Coaches Film to get a better feel for what they were doing.

From a schematic standpoint, Washington used a traditional 3-4 front on early downs against the Rams, but jumped into a versatile 2-4-5 (2 DL, 4 LB, 5 DB) with Matt Ioannidis (or Ziggy Hood) and Jonathan Allen aligned as defensive tackles. This enables Kerrigan and Preston Smith to become quarterback hunters from a three-point stance instead of dropping one of the outside linebackers into coverage. In addition, it puts Fuller on the field as a slot corner to better match up with the "11" personnel grouping (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) opponents are trotting out on a regular basis in 2017.

Interestingly, the Redskins blitzed a lot against the Rams, but played off coverage or zone-blitz coverage behind it (three under, three deep). Last season, Redskins defenders griped about wanting to play more press coverage, yet they have excelled in 2017 playing from distance with vision on the quarterback. When I asked Manusky about playing more off and zone coverage, he told me that it's "too hard" to play press extensively in today's game. Plus, the increased usage of zone or off coverage gives defenders a better opportunity to get interceptions off tips and overthrows due to their eyes being on the quarterback more.

To that point, the coverage is always enhanced by a strong pass rush -- and the Redskins have shown the ability to generate pressure using a straight four-man rush or by bringing extra defenders on a variety of blitzes to create one-on-one opportunities at the line of scrimmage. Prior to Week 3, the Redskins called pressures with at least five pass rushers on 44.4 percent of their defensive snaps -- the fourth-highest figure in the NFL, well above the league's 27.5 percent average. While the added pressure didn't necessarily translate into sack production, the constant harassment combined with consistent "over the top" coverage has helped the Redskins keep the big plays to a minimum.

With all that in mind, I expected to pop in the tape of the Redskins' dominant performance against the Raiders this past Sunday and see a barrage of blitzes and zone dogs thrown at Derek Carr. But no -- I didn't see many exotic pressures on tape. The Redskins primarily rushed four defenders and dropped seven guys into coverage with their eyes on the quarterback. Washington blitzed on just 8.6 percent of its defensive snaps against Oakland. This strategy drastically differed from what the 'Skins had shown previously, but it was sensible, based on the Raiders' quick-rhythm passing game and Carr's quick release. By instructing his defenders to sit in zones (Cover 2-Clamp or Cover 3) with their eyes on the thrower, Manusky helped his guys play faster and more aggressive against a team that wanted to chew up yardage on a variety of catch-and-run concepts on the outside.

The Redskins also used some man coverage (Cover 1), with the corners toggling between off and press techniques. The off technique was particularly effective when the defenders sat at the sticks on second- or third-and-long situations. With the Redskins mixing in a fair amount of single-high safety zones (Cover 3 or Zone Dogs), the unorthodox look clouded the picture for the Raiders' quarterback and receivers, leading to hesitation and indecision on the perimeter.

 

Most defensive play callers are afraid to change their game plan from week to week, but Manusky's approach speaks volumes about his tactical versatility and the diverse games of his top players. The Redskins' defensive architect emphasized communication repeatedly after his promotion, and getting his troops to buy into the notion of being on the same page every play gives Manusky the flexibility to attack opponents with different looks each week.

Washington's hustle and solid tackling also pop off the tape. The 'Skins routinely have 11 guys running to the football with proper leverage on the ball carrier. Considering the correlation between missed tackles and big plays, the Redskins' willingness to run, rally and tackle is a big part of why this defense is currently the No. 5 unit in the NFL. And this defense is a big reason why Monday night's Redskins-Chiefs game in Kansas City looks so enticing.

When Manusky was promoted to from outside linebackers coach to defensive coordinator in January, it didn't register a blip on the national radar. But the wily play caller is quickly putting together a defense that could tip the balance of power in the NFC East.