Redskins' Secondary Woes

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 think your analysis is quite good.

Here's my optimistic take on the problem: greater pressure up front should cause qb's to throw more quickly, taking away some downfield routes. Knowing this, our db's can play tighter, thereby closing that gap that you mentioned between the linebackers and defensive backs. The 85 Bears defense thrived on this way of doing things. I'm not saying that we are the 85 Bears. I'm just saying that, strategy-wise, things may work out similarly, at least on occasion.

One question this thread raises for me is how our defensive schemes put a certain player in position to cover say the flat. From what I've seen Rocky is our best cover LB but I don't see him get "stuck" in coverage that often. Sometimes it looks like Rocky is hovering there around the LOS while London sort of roams 7-10 yards off the LOS, which inevitably gets him "stuck" in coverage. London covering is a bit of a sh*t show IMO...i mean come on how much reach can a 5-10 bowling ball w/ short arms really have to defend a pass? Why doesn't Blache have London hover around the LOS and Rocky sit back further?

Good thread, GT.

I agree with many of the comments about the affect of an improved pass rush. The conventional wisdom is that almost any WR will beat coverage with enough time. Our rush was weak, especially late in the games, late in the year. So, lots of time for long routes to come open. Plus, we had to send more blitzes to compensate, and our blitzes were particularly lame last year down the stretch. With an improved rush, both of these things should change.

Still, I agree that the loss of Springs has not be fully dealt with. But recall that the issue with Springs was never his play--it was his health (combined with his cap hit).

I would like to see better play out of the safeties in the passing game, as would we all. I do think we've got the talent there, it just needs to show.

As for the CBs, let's hope Carlos gets better, and that some of the youngins' step up.

G Tripp you have really been beating this "we were not a top five defense" drum this offseason. I am not sure I understand your analysis help me understand after watching this offense last year and so far this preseason why I should be worried about our "downgraded secondary and questionable defensive strategies" and not an offense that simply doesn't score that much, has a tendency to leave the defense in precarious positions and kill momentum. Not to mention a specialty team unit that missed a lot of field goals. Personalities aside the defense has been the only thing to really applaud the last few seasons and whether you agree with the statistics that the league uses to rank defenses (or offenses for that matter) they are what they are and we WERE a top five defense. If our offense was top 15 we would probably have been in the postseason. There was no balance. But you really have to work the numbers to blame the teams collapse last year on the play of the defense.

G Tripp you have really been beating this "we were not a top five defense" drum this offseason. I am not sure I understand your analysis help me understand after watching this offense last year and so far this preseason why I should be worried about our "downgraded secondary and questionable defensive strategies" and not an offense that simply doesn't score that much, has a tendency to leave the defense in precarious positions and kill momentum. Not to mention a specialty team unit that missed a lot of field goals. Personalities aside the defense has been the only thing to really applaud the last few seasons and whether you agree with the statistics that the league uses to rank defenses (or offenses for that matter) they are what they are and we WERE a top five defense. If our offense was top 15 we would probably have been in the postseason. There was no balance. But you really have to work the numbers to blame the teams collapse last year on the play of the defense.

Great post. Tripp you bitched and moaned about Blache last year but in the end we were one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL w/out a pass rush. Say what you want with the stats but if the offense could score 20 points a game we're a playoff team. That's the bottom line.

To me....it seems like your over-analyzing a bit, since the Redskins were a Top 5 defense last year, and should be even better this year. I did enjoy the article though, a very good read.

Yeah...we could potentially have one of the better safety combos in the NFL if Landry and Horton continue on their path, plus Doughty and Moore are exceptional backups. Hall will be huge for us this season, Carlos improved a lot last season also except for catching the ball. Smoot is a sufficient nickel back and the fact we don't have to start him means we have quality depth finally. Barnes could contribute in the future if he makes the team.

I'm not worried about our secondary, or honestly ANY position on our defense at all. We were ranked #4 last season, we made huge improvements that should force plenty of TOs and get sacks, the only two weak points of the D last season...so I expect us to be one of the TOP 2 defenses in 2009. YES, I said TOP 2. Pittsburgh/Houston/Baltimore/Minnesota and the Skins should end up the top 5 at the end of the year (in no order).

Great post. Tripp you bitched and moaned about Blache last year but in the end we were one of the top scoring defenses in the NFL w/out a pass rush. Say what you want with the stats but if the offense could score 20 points a game we're a playoff team. That's the bottom line.Sounds like your problem is less with the analysis and more with the fact that I was the one bringing it.

G Tripp you have really been beating this "we were not a top five defense" drum this offseason. I am not sure I understand your analysis help me understand after watching this offense last year and so far this preseason why I should be worried about our "downgraded secondary and questionable defensive strategies" and not an offense that simply doesn't score that much, has a tendency to leave the defense in precarious positions and kill momentum. Not to mention a specialty team unit that missed a lot of field goals. Personalities aside the defense has been the only thing to really applaud the last few seasons and whether you agree with the statistics that the league uses to rank defenses (or offenses for that matter) they are what they are and we WERE a top five defense. If our offense was top 15 we would probably have been in the postseason. There was no balance. But you really have to work the numbers to blame the teams collapse last year on the play of the defense.We were not a top five defense. Point blank. Pittsburgh. Baltimore. Tennessee. Philadelphia. Minnesota. Oops, no more room in the top five.

If you read all my analysis, all of them, I don't think there's a stone I've left unturned.

If you haven't read all of it: let me summarize quickly:

At no point would anyone have argued that our defense was great. Not in the first part of the season, not in the middle of the season, and not in the last part of the season. Never. If anything, it's value was in it's consistency. We could count on a solid effort from our defense week after week, and perform well against the NFL's best teams as long as the offense was up to par.

Well after week five, the offense didn't perform at a great level the rest of the season. The defense endured some cracks against the Rams and the Lions (one game we held on, the other we didn't), but it was generally up to par. But I don't think it stayed at that level. Too often during the 2-6 collapse, the pass defense was torn apart by a bad quarterback. Rookie Joe Flacco, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Shaun Hill all got their dibs in.

No one can sit there with a straight face and act like what we were seeing at the end of the year was a top defense. Teams were picking on Horton, Smoot, even Springs like we were the Lions. We have some pieces, but we never really put it altogether.

Blache makes me very nervous against a team like the Patriots, but I think he is fine for the NFC East.

Yeah I'm less trusting of Blache's scheme and strategy the more I see. He just doesn't seem to find ways to consistently get pressure on the QB. He also can't seem to pin down the opposing OCs passing attack. Something is amiss.