It's Talent, Not Coaching.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

I agree w/the first half of this thread title - there is a lack of talent in many areas on this team. I disagree some w/the second part. The poor tackling has been an issue all year, at some point that falls on the coaches too. GW's & Blache's teams were good tacklers. GW was said to have always stressed that the db's had to tackle well if they wanted to play. The db's tackling has been poor all year. Guys like Hall will tackle well if they're put on the spot, I don't see that happening this year. Yesterday was the worst from the LBs too.

HOw much of it is poor coaching/leadership or just a deflated team morale, I don't know, but I do think the coaching on the defensive side of the ball is not up to par in some areas. I certainly agree though, that Haslett doesn't have the tools to carry out his assignment of a 3-4.

I think I heard yesterday going into yesterday's game we ranked 17th in the NFL with 30 missed tackles, Titans were #1 with 50

When Rocky whiffed on that first drive trying to tackle Jacobs...I had a bad feeling. It was so frustrating to see that performance yesterday almost exactly a year after a game (against the same Giants) that symbolized years of franchise ineptitude, only to see us put up such a sad effort once again. I'd like to think we can't get lower than that, but I thought the same thing in 2009

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I think I heard yesterday going into yesterday's game we ranked 17th in the NFL with 30 missed tackles, Titans were #1 with 50

When Rocky whiffed on that first drive trying to tackle Jacobs...I had a bad feeling. It was so frustrating to see that performance yesterday almost exactly a year after a game (against the same Giants) that symbolized years of franchise ineptitude, only to see us put up such a sad effort once again. I'd like to think we can't get lower than that, but I thought the same thing in 2009

That sounds about right. Some of the missed tackles have been huge, maybe most of them for that matter, leading to big plays. We got used to being such a fundamentally sound defense for the most part under GW & Blache, that to see such poor tackling now makes it seem much worse.

I agree that it just looked like the effort wasn't there in the beginning, even Fletcher didn't seem himself.

[SmootSmack]

We also get a 5th or 6th from the Saints in 2011 for Brown

[MTK]

I do think at this point you have to seriously question the talent on the defense. Rak is the only long term keeper in the front 7. Fletcher can still play so for a short term option he's a keeper as well. Other than that the talent and depth is paper thin.

We've run plenty of 4-3 looks this year and still manage to stink up the joint, so I think the scheme argument has to take a backseat to the talent argument.

[Coff]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I do think at this point you have to seriously question the talent on the defense. Rak is the only long term keeper in the front 7. Fletcher can still play so for a short term option he's a keeper as well. Other than that the talent and depth is paper thin.

We've run plenty of 4-3 looks this year and still manage to stink up the joint, so I think the scheme argument has to take a backseat to the talent argument.

Sure, the talent isn't where we'd want it to be. Again though, the drop-off from last year can't be explained through the talent alone. The point is, that there needs to be a thorough examination of both coaching and players on the defensive level.

[Bushead]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I do think at this point you have to seriously question the talent on the defense. Rak is the only long term keeper in the front 7. Fletcher can still play so for a short term option he's a keeper as well. Other than that the talent and depth is paper thin.

We've run plenty of 4-3 looks this year and still manage to stink up the joint, so I think the scheme argument has to take a backseat to the talent argument.

I think that's a good point: it's not like the 'skins are running a pure 3-4 every single down.

I also think the increased turnovers should be mentioned. If the defense hadn't played with this aggressive approach, I'm not sure the 'skins are even at 4 wins this year.

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

I do think at this point you have to seriously question the talent on the defense. Rak is the only long term keeper in the front 7. Fletcher can still play so for a short term option he's a keeper as well. Other than that the talent and depth is paper thin.

We've run plenty of 4-3 looks this year and still manage to stink up the joint, so I think the scheme argument has to take a backseat to the talent argument.

I think Carter is good.. He's a bit older and not really long term... But he's being seriously misused right now.. Didn't he struggle with playing LB in the 3-4 on his previous teams as well?

I don't understand the Redskins, it seems like we've been running in place for years. Never moving forward. We did a little upgrading on the line, got a little depth and now the D is screwing it up. (The o-line is still screwing it up but... At least we know what we really need... a C and a RT) But seriously. What is the missing piece already?

[SirClintonPortis]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

I think Carter is good.. He's a bit older and not really long term... But he's being seriously misused right now.. Didn't he struggle with playing LB in the 3-4 on his previous teams as well?

I don't understand the Redskins, it seems like we've been running in place for years. Never moving forward. We did a little upgrading on the line, got a little depth and now the D is screwing it up. (The o-line is still screwing it up but... At least we know what we really need... a C and a RT) But seriously. What is the missing piece already?

He left San Fran precisely because he couldn't get it down there. He was reportedly more comfortable learning the scheme here, but even so, his instincts/skillset, such as playing in space, showed themselves to be terrible, which is death for a LB.

I believe that C is fine with Lich and Monty. What we need are two true guards. I'm sick of having converted centers playing guard.

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by SirClintonPortis

He left San Fran precisely because he couldn't get it down there. He was reportedly more comfortable learning the scheme here, but even so, his instincts/skillset, such as playing in space, showed themselves to be terrible, which is death for a LB.

I believe that C is fine with Lich and Monty. What we need are two true guards. I'm sick of having converted centers playing guard.

As long as it isn't Rabach under Center. Ugh God, don't even get me started.

[SolidSnake84]

Campbell hasn't changed any in Oakland. I just think right now he has a better supporting cast at the moment than we do. It was just earlier this year that Campbell was stinking up the place and was benched. And he had plenty of jamarcus russell like days too.

He is just like he was here, passable one day, and horrible the next. The difference is is that Oakland has playmakers, and their defense can keep them in games, even with JC at QB...

[over the mountain]

scp - i wasnt talking to you in my first post. you're the one who qouted me and said all the upgrades i listed were temporary. i wasnt talking directly to you so i dont understand how you can qoute me then continue to take this lil petty nick pick shots at me, inferring im stupid and analogizing me to an alcoholic.

you started qouting me, not the other way around. if you were talking just about mcnabb and brown, great. my original post was about the offseason additions as a whole without reference to you or any post you made in this thread. get off dez nutz son.

[sdskinsfan2001]

Its not the coaching, the team has no talent and they are old. Orakpo, T. Williams and Landry are the only premier players. The rest of the O-Line is terrible and there is no depth. Same with the D-Line. Till you get good in the trenches it doesnt matter who your coach is. He is a hall of fame coach and his son led the best offense in the league last year, they did not all of a sudden turn into bad coaches. O-Lineman early in the draft, a change of pace tail back in the later rounds and find a tall receiver somewhere so we can have some size. Too many people act like we were Super Bowl favorites this year.

[Longtimefan]

This team needs a youth movement. The oldest roster in the league has demonstrated it can't win at least eight games. Talent first, coaches second.

[Defensewins]

Gentlemen,
Bottom line...talent or coaching..chicken or the egg...or both.
I can not help but feel that if we had brought in a real stud defensive coordinator like a GWilliams or a Rex Ryan in last summer instead of Hasslets we would not be LAST in the NFL in defense ranking. You agree?
As you can tell from the day they announced his hiring, I have never been a Hasslett fan.
We are a premiere franchise in the NFL, we can do better than Hasslett.
Just saying.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Defensewins

Gentlemen,
Bottom line...talent or coaching..chicken or the egg...or both.
I can not help but feel that if we had brought in a real stud defensive coordinator like a GWilliams or a Rex Ryan in last summer instead of Hasslets we would not be LAST in the NFL in defense ranking. You agree?
As you can tell from the day they announced his hiring, I have never been a Hasslett fan.
We are a premiere franchise in the NFL, we can do better than Hasslett.
Just saying.

Maybe... but I'm pretty sure we would still be 5-7.

We have two brilliant offensive minds on the offensive side, but that hasn't helped.

Our problem is talent.