Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

We went from being a top 10 defense to the second worst in the league in ypg. I realize that we had a change in system, but that is a poor excuse. Green Bay and Denver changed coordinators/systems two years ago and it went great for both of them. I might be wrong, but I don't think a single coordinator that in his first year with a new team was in the bottom 5 defenses and ever proved that it was a fluke, that they could later consistently put up good defenses.

Consistancy is good, being consistantly bad/mediocre is not. There is no reason to keep around someone who can't do a good job.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Its a painful subject. And i agree in full but this has been cussed and discussed over and over again my friend dont you see we re on the eve of...............

If my job performance was as bad as his i would be fired.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Well if consistency is good then why would you want to dump a DC that you just hired ? Also, GB changed DC's and went through the same problems we are going from a 4-3 to a 3-4. It takes time man. There were some good things about the D last year but as they fill the roster with the proper players for the system the more effective it can and hopefully will be.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

I would of liked to have seen Rob Ryan here but I'll go with what our FO thinks is best.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

It's been 1 year folks. PATIENCE PLEASE.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

I think Haslett is trash, based on what i saw last season, but I will be fair and give him 1 more season before making a concrete opinion....

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=CRedskinsRule;785170]It's been 1 year folks. PATIENCE PLEASE.[/quote]

This.

Also, the "two years or bust" type of mentality is part of the problem. Yes we are all frustrated by years of ineptitude exhibited from our front office, but at the same time, we need to give the new coaching staff a chance to actually turn things around. Lets see what happens with the draft/FA and then see how next season goes if and when it starts. If the defense is still at the very bottom and shown no signs of improvement, then we'll make a decision at that time. Until then, let's show some patience.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

I still think you change your defense when it has been dreadful the previous. The Texans had a dreadful 4-3 defense, and they are switching to a 3-4. Nothing is loss in transition if they have growing pains in the new 3-4 scheme. (If I were the Texans, I'd be dangling Mario Williams to a 4-3 team for a ton of picks).

Meanwhile, the Redskins did not have a dreadful defense, and that's what is hard to stomach. Shanny should've worried about the offense first, and leave the defense alone. I don't see why Haslett should be faulted. We did not have a 3-4 personnel, and we forced a 4-3 personnel into a 3-4 defense. Now we just have to stick with it until we get the right personnel and the team gets this scheme down.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Really?

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

I for one, wasn't thrilled with our defense under Blache(sp?) because it seemed they would never step up and "win" a game. If it was close, or we needed a stop, you knew it was a loss. This year, I saw a defense that was statistically worse, but made key stops to either give us a chance or to secure a lead. I liked that difference far more than I disliked the statistical difference. Now, if next year we are statistically just as bad, then that will be a different story.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=Ruhskins;785184]I still think you change your defense when it has been dreadful the previous. The Texans had a dreadful 4-3 defense, and they are switching to a 3-4. Nothing is loss in transition if they have growing pains in the new 3-4 scheme. (If I were the Texans, I'd be dangling Marion Williams to a 4-3 team for a ton of picks).

Meanwhile, the Redskins did not have a dreadful defense, and that's what is hard to stomach. Shanny should've worried about the offense first, and leave the defense alone. I don't see why Haslett should be faulted. We did not have a 3-4 personnel, and we forced a 4-3 personnel into a 3-4 defense. Now we just have to stick with it until we get the right personnel and the team gets this scheme down.[/quote]



[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]This. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]I had trouble with focusing last year because i couldnt stop thinking about this. Now we dont have anything to work off of. We dont have a good offense. We dont have a good defense. We have a terrible owner. We arent young. In addition to gaping holes we currently have to fill, well have more holes as older players retire/ get injured. Way too many question marks. We have nothing to build off of. At least the Raiders have the best punter/kicker combo in the game, our special teams play is average at best (and im only saying that because of Banks). [/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Before last season i thought we could turn the team around within a couple years and be a consistent dominate team. Its not that i feel like thats impossible now, its more that i feel like we could easily be in for another 10 years of a combination of mediocre and terrible play that has become a staple over Danny's tenure. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana]Right now if I was a player I wouldn’t want to come here, unless the only thing that mattered to me was money or just making a team. [/FONT][/COLOR]

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Our defense fell apart at times last year. During the last preseason, before the 2010 season ever started, I knew we were not going to make the playoffs and I knew we were going to have a losing record. Because our run defense was awful.
But where I was severely disappointed in the the coaching staff and particularly in the Hasslett and his defensive staff, was I expected us to start terrible and gradually improve over the season to end the season playing half way decently. Show some gradual improvement. That did not happen. We were a roller coaster of inconsistency. Evidenced by the worst performances coming late in the season on November 15th and December 5th. The 31-7 loss to the Giants on 12/5 and the obvious 59-28 Eagles loss on 11/15 were the worst displays of defense I have ever seen. The Giants running backs were running untouched into the endzone. Hasslett is on a short leash.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Yeah the first Giants game where the dline looked like they had steering wheels in their chests'. Was pathetic.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

To Hasletts credit, we did play one of the toughest schedules defensively this year ( we went up against a lot of great offenses)

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Also to Hasletts credit, this is really Shanahans fault more so then his. Shanahan was the one who wanted to go to the 3 4. Haslett was hired by Mike, he can only make do with what he has to work with. Maybe Haslett isn't game planning right but its Shanahans fault we are in this mess to begin with

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Our D finished ahead of Dallas and Philly in PPG I believe. ALSO the DEFENSE was the one that WON Dallas, Chicago, Green Bay, ETC.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=CrustyRedskin;785165]Its a painful subject. And i agree in full but this has been cussed and discussed over and over again my friend dont you see we re on the eve of...............

If my job performance was as bad as his i would be fired.[/quote]

BUT..... if you job performance was based off of the crappy equipment you had to use or as a manager you had employees that could not physically perform the job is it your fault? Or should you be allowed to get the proper equipment and or proper employees that know what needs to be done and can perform the job?

What's really funny is for 10 yrs fans have had patience the whole time Cerrato screwed the team up and when finally the owner makes a major change the fans are impatient.

So...... you would have Haslett fired.... who do you have in mind to replace him with? And honestly.... knowing Shanahan wanted a 3-4 defensive scheme run when the new DC arrives will he have any more success then Haslett running the 3-4? Oh I know someone will mention that a 4-3 should have been used or a 4-3/3-4 hybrid, but if it was the HC who said no were going all in with our chips then you can't blame Haslett. Give this group a chance and at least more then a 1 year chance to fix what was allowed 10 yrs to get fouled up.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

There were a lot of available DC looking for work but I think Haslett shot our defense in the foot so many times that even if we tried to let him go he'd still be stuck hanging around. Haslett I wouldn't even trust him to run my college team defense.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Cuz Shanahan said so, fellas. ;)

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

I'm telling you.... it wouldn't matter who we hired. MS wanted a 3-4 defense. Not a 4-3, and not a 4-3/3-4 hybrid. Whoever came in would have struggled due to the fact we don't have all the players needed to run a 3-4. I didn't like the idea of Haslett running the defense either when he was picked but he's here, I've seen more interceptions in this scheme, and the players looked to be having fun.

And let's all just get over the fact that no matter what a select few fans have to say or think about Haslett, MS is not firing him.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Oh sorry you guys might have wanted a feel good politically correct answer.... at the time of Haslett's hiring there were no other decent 3-4 DC out there. Haslett being the best pick up at the time, coued with the fact that he signed a contract and if fired simply means the team would be paying two DC. It's cost effective to just keep Haslett and get the right personel for his 3-4 to work.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

All the blame for the defence rests squarely on Mike Shanahan's shoulders.

It was a moronic decision to switch to a 3-4 when the personnel screamed 4-3.

Shanahan knows sweet F.A. about defence.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=davy;785246]All the blame for the defence rests squarely on Mike Shanahan's shoulders.

It was a moronic decision to switch to a 3-4 when the personnel screamed 4-3.

Shanahan knows sweet F.A. about defence.[/quote]

Defense? And our D wasn't exactly great in the 4-3, yeah they were always solid but it's not like they made plays to win games over the last 2-3 years. I like the change and when we get a solid NT the rest of you will also

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

As I said before I was not a fan of Haslett and the jury is still out with me on him but I do like how the players look to be having fun and the interceptions have picked up. So I imagine when we get a NT that actually wants to play NT then the run defense will look better.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

it's called growing pains. the defense,along with the offense,are going to take more than 1 season to have the right personnel and to feel comfortable in the system. i believe the redskins finally have the right coaches and general manager to be successful. ten years of disfunction cannot be fixed in 1 season.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

This franchise has been in a tailspin ever since the hire of Richie Petibon back in 1993. That's a lot of mismanagement to overcome. Shanahan may not even be the coach to take us back to the top. I do think that this staff will at least leave this franchise better than they found it. Shanahan is using the crawl, walk, run method to fix it. Phase 1= establish discipline and identity. We have to wait and see.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=skinster;785164]We went from being a top 10 defense to the second worst in the league in ypg. I realize that we had a change in system, but that is a poor excuse. Green Bay and Denver changed coordinators/systems two years ago and it went great for both of them. I might be wrong, but I don't think a single coordinator that in his first year with a new team was in the bottom 5 defenses and ever proved that it was a fluke, that they could later consistently put up good defenses.

Consistancy is good, being consistantly bad/mediocre is not. There is no reason to keep around someone who can't do a good job.[/quote]

:postcop: Terrible thread. Gotta give it more than one year. And Denver's 3-4 was pathetic last year and now they're going back to a 4-3.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

This whole organizaion is being held together by threads. My patience is too.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=SirClintonPortis;785235]Cuz Shanahan said so, fellas. ;)[/quote]

This is great.



Follow me on twitter @Mr_Redskins to keep up with news.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=skinsfan69;785269]:postcop: Terrible thread. Gotta give it more than one year. And Denver's 3-4 was pathetic last year and now they're going back to a 4-3.[/quote]

Your proving my point. Denver made the switch two seasons ago. Their first year under mike nolan as dc they were ranked 7th in the league. Mike Nolan left last year and they were terrible under their new dc. GB also made the switch 2 years ago and were ranked 2nd their first year.

Why wait more than a year? Name me one dc that has ever been a bottom 5 defense in their first year and then panned out down the road.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Why do people keep saying "well our 4-3 defense wasn't great", that doesn't really excuse the decision to change it to a complete different scheme to which you don't have the personnel for.

I use the Texans as a pretty good example, their defense was TERRIBLE and now they are changing to the 3-4. Despite this, they are taking a very good 4-3 DE and putting him into a scheme where he may or may not succeed. However, their growing pains in the 3-4 will be easier to overcome, since their 4-3 defense sucked the previous year.

I am over the whole change to the 3-4, we got into this situation and we have to give it time and hopefully the team will find the right personnel. But please don't tell me that the change was a good idea. It was an [U]unnecessary[/U] idea by Shanahan, he should've found a 4-3 D-coordinator to improve upon the defense we had.

Now we need to find an NT, younger DEs, another pass rushing/coverage OLB, and ILBs that can replace Rocky (will he be back) and Fletcher whenever he decides to hang it up. Personally, I'd like to see one or two veterans with 3-4 experience on this team (my choice would be Soliai and that DE from Cleveland that just got released). And people need to stop calling for Haslett's firing, he hasn't been given the right players for the scheme he's been ask to run.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=skinster;785164]We went from being a top 10 defense to the second worst in the league in ypg. I realize that we had a change in system, but that is a poor excuse. Green Bay and Denver changed coordinators/systems two years ago and it went great for both of them. I might be wrong, but I don't think a single coordinator that in his first year with a new team was in the bottom 5 defenses and ever proved that it was a fluke, that they could later consistently put up good defenses.

Consistancy is good, being consistantly bad/mediocre is not. There is no reason to keep around someone who can't do a good job.[/quote]

That was a case where the stats really did lie. That top 10 D never made a big stop with the game on the line, had take aways, or won a game when needed. They put up good numbers but those nembers never translated into anything meaningful.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Haslett is still our DC for the same reason MS is still the HC. Gotta give them more than 1 season to prove themselves.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

Absolutely. I say we keep him into Year 3 MINIMUM.

Next year we should get more personnel to help the transition but don't expect the world yet. Year 3...we should be where we want to be.

The Packers and every other defense who makes this transition has at least one bad year until it's completed, but they're all FAR better after the 3-4 switch is done.






[quote][B][U]The 3-4 defense isn’t as easy as it looks[/U][/B]

[I]By Jamie Dukes | [/I]

The old saying, “Actions speak louder than words,” is true, especially in sports.

In the NBA, after coach Phil Jackson won his sixth league title with the Bulls, everyone wanted to try to run his triangle offense. But that experiment didn’t last long because players had to be able to execute it.

In the NFL, the bar has been set with the recent success of the Cowboys, Patriots, Ravens, Chargers and Steelers’ 3-4 defenses, and now it has become vogue to run the scheme. As many as 15 teams are either making the switch or infusing elements of the 3-4 defense.

It’s one thing to talk the talk, but can transitioning teams walk the walk? Here are five key ingredients that will make or break the transition to the 3-4:

1. Football IQ: The 3-4 requires players to have a reasonable football IQ, and it can’t be mastered overnight, even if the defensive coordinator knows the scheme like the back of his hand. The Tampa 2 was the last trendy defense to take the NFL by storm, but for all its wonderment, the byproduct was turning players into robots.

2. Elephant: This is the NFL’s equivalent of a hybrid. He is part defensive end, part linebacker, and is athletic enough to have limited coverage skills and physical enough to dominate an offensive tackle. DeMarcus Ware, Adalius Thomas, Terrell Suggs, Shawne Merriman and LaMarr Woodley are examples.

3. Sidekick: This is another outside linebacker (like Greg Ellis, Mike Vrabel, Shaun Phillips and James Harrison) who has coverage skills but also can dominate a running back and occasionally beat an offensive tackle.

4. Power pig: A 3-4 defense must have a nose guard who commands a double team on run plays. He has to be the master between the guards.

5. The 5 Techniques: You need two defensive ends who can control the line of scrimmage. They need to be able to beat one-on-one matchups on pass plays but must be dominant in stopping the run.

Does your team have what it takes to make the transition? What pieces is your team missing?

Leave a comment below or send me a tweet @jamiedukes.

– Jamie Dukes
[/quote]



Teams that use the 3–4 defense/2010 rank:

[B]San Diego Chargers/1st[/B]
[B]Pittsburgh Steelers/2nd[/B]
[B]New York Jets/3rd[/B]
[B]Green Bay Packers/5th[/B]
[B]Miami Dolphins/6th[/B]
Baltimore Ravens/11th (aging, usually higher)
San Francisco 49ers/13th
Kansas City Chiefs/14th
Cleveland Browns/22nd
Dallas Cowboys/23rd
Buffalo Bills/24th
New England Patriots/25th (fallen...old D)
Arizona Cardinals/29th
Houston Texans/30th (fallen - bad year)
[B]Washington Redskins/31st (transitioning)[/B]
Denver Broncos/32nd


Many of these teams are at the top of the league NOW. 5 out the top 6 defenses are teams who have completed the 3-4 transition. Some had an off yerar (Houston, Buffalo) and a few are aging and falling (New England, Baltimore) but were dominant at their peak.

A few just don't have the players yet. We're one of them.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=irish;785394]That was a case where the stats really did lie. That top 10 D never made a big stop with the game on the line, had take aways, or won a game when needed. They put up good numbers but those nembers never translated into anything meaningful.[/quote]

To an extent I agree with you. Our defense was nothing spectacular. But I don't think any defense ranked in the top 10 can truly be frowned upon. At least you couldn't say our defense wasn't respectable. And now it is a laughing stock.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=Buster;785423]Absolutely. I say we keep him into Year 3 MINIMUM.

Next year we should get more personnel to help the transition but don't expect the world yet. Year 3...we should be where we want to be.

The Packers and every other defense who makes this transition has at least one bad year until it's completed, but they're all FAR better after the 3-4 switch is done.

Teams that use the 3–4 defense/2010 rank:

[B]San Diego Chargers/1st[/B]
[B]Pittsburgh Steelers/2nd[/B]
[B]New York Jets/3rd[/B]
[B]Green Bay Packers/5th[/B]
[B]Miami Dolphins/6th[/B]
Baltimore Ravens/11th (aging, usually higher)
San Francisco 49ers/13th
Kansas City Chiefs/14th
Cleveland Browns/22nd
Dallas Cowboys/23rd
Buffalo Bills/24th
New England Patriots/25th (fallen...old D)
Arizona Cardinals/29th
Houston Texans/30th (fallen - bad year)
[B]Washington Redskins/31st (transitioning)[/B]
Denver Broncos/32nd
Many of these teams are at the top of the league NOW. 5 out the top 6 defenses are teams who have completed the 3-4 transition. Some had an off yerar (Houston, Buffalo) and a few are aging and falling (New England, Baltimore) but were dominant at their peak.

A few just don't have the players yet. We're one of them.[/quote]

What has ever happened in NFL history that would suggest that we keep him 3 years? What dc has ever been ranked 31st in their first year and ever panned out later? Talk about not having the right players? Who did denver have last year when they were ranked 7th under Mike Nolan in their first year of transition? And what are you talking about when you say that Green Bay took time to transition? They were ranked 2nd in the league in their first year in the 3-4 under Dom Capers.

Also Houston was a 4-3 last year, and (preemptively saying this to cover my bases) Mike Nolan switched from Denver to Miami this year to bring them from 22nd to 6th in his first year with them while Denver dropped from 7th to 32nd without him as their DC.

People who know how to run the 3-4 know how to run it, people who don't...don't. Give me even ONE example of a dc starting his first year ranked bottom 5 in the league that has panned out later and I will put my foot in my mouth.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

I just don't get why people are so against the team changing to a 3-4? Did we have this much annymosity when the team changed to a WCO? Well maybe we did.

For those still hung up....

#1- Yes the defense was a top 10 defense as a 4-3.
#2- Yes the team did not have all the right pieces to run a 3-4.
#3- Yes it might have been better to use a hybrid 4-3/3-4.
#4- Yes you all have made some astute observations.

#5- BUT the team didn't. Get over it. Lets move on.
#6- Haslett was probably picked because he helped implement the Steelers "D".
#7- MS wants a "D" like what the Steelers have.
#8- MS went to see how their "D" practiced and works during his year off.
#9- MS WANTED A 3-4 DEFENSE. MS IS THE HC. WHICH MEANS HE MAKES THE DECISIONS.

If it's such a difficult thing to get over perhaps following Greg Williams is the answer. See some fans are "fans of the team", some fans are "fans of the players", why not start a new trend where there's "fans of a DC", or "fans of the 4-3."

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

You mentioned Gregg Williams...his D was the only 4-3 ranked in the Top 6...there are #4 with New Orleans. :D

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=skinster;785432]To an extent I agree with you. Our defense was nothing spectacular. But I don't think any defense ranked in the top 10 can truly be frowned upon. At least you couldn't say our defense wasn't respectable. And now it is a laughing stock.[/quote]

The entire organization is a laughing stock at this point no matter where the D is ranked.

Re: Why is Haslett still our DC?
 

[quote=Buster;785463]You mentioned Gregg Williams...his D was the only 4-3 ranked in the Top 6...there are #4 with New Orleans. :D[/quote]

Which is why without looking or knowing I said top 10. However I'm sure the Saints will gladly sell some merchandise to those who favour the 4-3 defensive scheme.