Let's talk defense

I wonder if Griffin is healthy from his knee issue? I wonder if Daniels is healthy too.

i kind of hope they aren't healthy (and close to recovery) to at least explain why they've been as anonymous as Carter.

I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

At least maybe the redskins can cause the most dropped passes by an opposing team this year. Isn't that funny that most people didn't notice both the Minnesota and Dallas receivers dropped an unusual number of passes.

Here's my assessment of the defense:

1. We had some tremendous hitting early on. Sean Taylor especially beat the stew out of Cowboys receivers and Mike Rumph really laid out Terry Glenn on a hit.

2. What happened to our run defense? We used to control the line of scrimmage, but we're now forcing the linebackers and safeties to come up and make plays. We seem especially weak on the left side, and also somewhat up the middle.

3. Without Shawn Springs, our secondary is average at best. Carlos Rogers played better last night, but Wright, Rumph, and Archuleta were weak, and the injuries to Springs and Pierson Prioleau have only hurt us more.

4. Why in the world did we let Ryan Clark go for Adam Archuleta? I said it earlier in the year and got heavily criticized, but I'll say it again: is Archuleta really worth the big contract when Clark could get the job done for less money? In fact, I would go so far as to say that Archuleta ISN'T as good as Clark (for our style of defense).

Here's are some possible solutions to our defensive problems:

1. Move Philip Daniels back to RDE and Renaldo Wynn back to LDE. It would probably fix some of our problems against the run on the left side. Warrick Holdman isn't playing too bad, but Andre Carter seems like a liability in run defense.

2. Use Carter and Demetric Evans as pass rushing specialists. Carter would be a valuable asset in those situations and Evans has probably provided more pass rush than any of our other lineman.

3. Send Archuleta on more blitzes and use any one of our LBs to cover the TE. Archuleta should be far more effective on the move instead of working out in space.

4. Continue to use Sean Taylor in support of Kenny Wright and/or Mike Rumph in coverage. Taylor was a beast last night when it came to making hits over the middle and in the flat. Have Carlos Rogers play man-to-man on the opponents' #2 receiver, leaving the #1 guy covered by Wright and Taylor. Occasionally drop a LB (probably Lemar Marshall) into a deep zone away from Taylor and use the other LBs and Archuleta on occasional blitzes to help the DL.

More than anything, I'm frustrated at the defense's inability to stop the run last night. Sure, they didn't give up a bunch of big plays, but they didn't do enough to force Bledsoe into 3rd and long situations--where he is especially weak. We need to fix our pash rush problems and get Shawn Springs back.

The sad thing about Clark is that no one could remember his solid play. He wasn't bad, and fit in really well with the team and the D. In my opinion him and smoot represented the attitude of that D along with Washington...nasty, and overachieving. What everyone remembered instead is him getting blown away by LT. It was a shame we let him go, but on the other hand, we returned every other starter...so I really can't say what's up, except they suck

Where is The Ade? Seriously, where's he been? I'd like to see Demetric get more playing time, maybe he could provide a spark

I was wondering that as well. The Ade is really WORSE than Wright or Rumph in coverage?

I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend, and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.

You know the Skins are hurting when you have to pull out a Shawshank quote.

The D has lost its mystique. If we can't sack the most immobile QBs (Johnson and Bledsoe), then its worrisome.

If David Carr shreds our D (Springs playing or not), then I'm hugely worried.

I understand losing a guy like Prioleau (while he's no game changer) was huge since he knows the scheme so well. Bringing in Archuletta (@ $10 million in guaranteed money) for Ryan Clark was a huge mistake. Hate to say it, but even Walt Harris would have been better than the no good Kenny Wright.