Redskins' Secondary Woes

The pass rush last year was pitiful. If we see a dramatic improvement in that category everything changes. Blache must adjust his secondary philosophy to match.

Well I think a big issue here is our scheme. It does seem there's always a gap somewhere between the backers and secondary for offensive targets to sneak in and get open for a completion. Translation: teams move the chains on us in chunks here and there, which leaves the d on the field too long and sets up FG opportunities etc, etc. I think Blache/Gray/Landry must find a way to break up those attempts. Maybe Laron plays a bit closer. Maybe Horton roams somewhere in that gap. What I doubt though is our improved pass rush fixes this completely. We need our DB duo to get more INTs and Laron to put fear in the heart of WRs, but we also need to see some kind of adjustment.

First, I appreciate your analysis. I actually feel better that the big plays we gave up were spread around rather than concentrated in one area. For some reason, I had the impression that our LB's were getting beaten a lot in coverage.

Nevertheless, I'm one of those who feels that we should have a more effective pass rush this season that should mitigate any problems we may have in the secondary. So, I'm not very worried about it.

Also, we didn't score many points last season so I think that every 20-yard pass play by the opposition may have been magnified more than it would have been if we had had a more potent offense. If the offense can score more this season, then most defensive lapses pobably won't seem quite as significant.

Yeah there was a marked improvement from the Ravens to the Steeler game. My god, the yardage we gave up in game #1 had me almost morphing into chicken little. Shit we made both Flacco and Smith look like Pro Bowlers.

The thing that bothers me is this calf injury of Rogers. Rogers barely put any time in during camp and has yet to play in the preseason. Yet he is penciled in opposite of Hall. I would think after those two your go to guys are Smoot and Barnes.

Could have sworn he was out there last week. Didn't he make the tackle on that ball that Holmes caught off the bounce that got reversed?

Could have sworn he was out there last week. Didn't he make the tackle on that ball that Holmes caught off the bounce that got reversed?

Yes.

Well I think a big issue here is our scheme. It does seem there's always a gap somewhere between the backers and secondary for offensive targets to sneak in and get open for a completion. Translation: teams move the chains on us in chunks here and there, which leaves the d on the field too long and sets up FG opportunities etc, etc. I think Blache/Gray/Landry must find a way to break up those attempts. Maybe Laron plays a bit closer. Maybe Horton roams somewhere in that gap. What I doubt though is our improved pass rush fixes this completely. We need our DB duo to get more INTs and Laron to put fear in the heart of WRs, but we also need to see some kind of adjustment.
I agree with Goat here . Very good points . I think our problems are bigger at LB than with our DB's , as I doubt Orakpo or Fletcher could cover me one on one . I would rather see O-Sak-Po at end , and hope we do not ask Fletch to cover guys like Westbrook , and we should be ok .

Great study. I believe the only way for guys to get better is to get in the game. Rodgers sitting tomorrow will surely give way for the younger guys to step in and likely step up.

Landry is good. What Sean did was special. It's not like there are any other safeties in the league who commanded that much of the field. Landry won't ever be able to do that.

I think we're slowly forgetting that ST was on the easy way to being the best or quite nearly the best safety in league history. He was probably going to do things for an extended period of time that were simply extraordinary.

I totally agree. I'm certainly not forgetting. Not a day goes by where I don't think about Sean. He was going to revolutionize the safety position. I think he had about 10 pro-bowls and a few defensive player of the year awards in front of him. Just imagine this defense if he was still around. Downright scary.

Not only does pass rush aid the secondary, but a stout defensive line against the run leads to longer subsequent passing downs.

The return of Phillip Daniels will go largely unnoticed because of Haynesworth, but he's one of the best run stuffing ends in the league. The two of them will make a huge impact against the run. We'll see longer passing downs, the pass rush will make an impact, and the corners will hold up better.

We'll miss Springs, he was still our best CB last year IMO. But it all starts with the run defense, and we'll be fierce in that department.