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Chico23231 09-21-2010, 09:21 AM In todays NFL turnovers and sacks are starting to serve as identifiers for the leagues best defenses. Besides it's only 2 games and one of them was against what I'm not afraid to call the NFL's best offense.
We really should get used to it. We'll be lucky to be in the top 15 of the traditional defensive rankings. The style is now feast or famine. We're either going to destroy teams with our defense or we're going to struggle. What happens will differ on a week to week basis.
Yep, also look at points allowed per game, thats the indicator I look at with most significance when determining a good defense.
To your point of turnovers and sacks...look at the Saints last year. Bottom third of league in yards allowed, but near the lead, if not led, the nfl in turnovers. I would easily call the Saints one of the better defenses in the league last year.
rypper11 09-21-2010, 09:50 AM We really should get used to it. We'll be lucky to be in the top 15 of the traditional defensive rankings. The style is now feast or famine. We're either going to destroy teams with our defense or we're going to struggle. What happens will differ on a week to week basis.
Couldn't agree more. I was actually going to include fans who are bitching about aggressive D in the smackdown. People complained last year about no turnovers and sacks but really low yardage. Now our philosophy is the complete opposite and the same people complain.
scowan 09-21-2010, 10:16 AM I love the Tuesday Morning QB article that Gregg Easterbrook writes for ESPN this week.
I've cut and pasted an interesting view he has on the Redskins defense from this past Sunday..........
On opening day, Redskins' defensive coordinator Jim Haslett called a dozen safety blitzes against Dallas, a high number, and the Skins escaped with a one-point victory on the final snap. On Sunday, Washington held a comfortable 17-point lead over the visiting Texans late in the third quarter. Play straight defense, and victory is likely. Instead, Haslett called 19 blitzes on the 40 Houston remaining snaps; Washington lost in overtime. Houston ran 40 plays from the late third quarter on? That's the sort of thing that happens against a blitz-wacky defense. Blitz, blitz, blitz resulted in 526 yards of offense, 29 first downs and 30 points allowed.
If you were wondering why NFL teams don't blitz constantly -- listening to sportsyak, you'd think the blitz is a magic formula for instant success -- the Washington collapse against Houston is your answer.
The low point came with the Redskins leading 27-20, the Moo Cows facing fourth-and-10 on the Washington 34 just before regulation's two-minute warning. Washington did not need a sack or turnover, just an incompletion. The Skins blitzed, leaving Andre Johnson -- among the league's best players -- single-covered in the end zone by safety Reed Doughty. Johnson out-leapt Doughty for the touchdown that caused overtime, a great catch. Three Skins defensive backs from the nickel package were standing in the center of the field covering no one, as the opposition's best player was single-covered in the end zone. This is the sort of thing that happens when a team blitzes too much.
Alvin Walton 09-21-2010, 10:22 AM Apparently we will live and die by the blitz this year.
We're gonna need to create more pressure up the middle to make that work.
We've got Peyton Manning on the schedule, I shudder to think what he will do to us if we continue to blitz all day. At some point you have to mix things up a bit.
scowan 09-21-2010, 10:32 AM If Doughty and Horton are in the secondary when the Skins play the Colts or the Packers, we will lose. I think with the Rams this week, the only way the Skins WON"T lose is if they just play strait up Defense. I don't think the Rams can consistently move the ball down the field. If the Skins blitz however they will have an opportunity to hit the big one on occcasion. Don't Blitz! Just rush 4 and cover. Stop Steven Jackson and they win.
Slingin Sammy 33 09-21-2010, 10:53 AM We've got Peyton Manning on the schedule, I shudder to think what he will do to us if we continue to blitz all day. At some point you have to mix things up a bit.100% correct. Any NFL OC with a solid QB will destroy any predictable defense.
I know this is the smackdown thread, but in defense of Haslett and the running game... While predictable, the defense is still learning a new scheme, an entirely new scheme; to prevent predictability, the defense needs to disguise itself, and this is the most complicated part of learning a defense, as well as the last thing to be mastered. Give it time, we're not that bad. As far as the running game, quite frankly, I'm excited. Yes, it was awful, but the offense too is learning a new scheme, and Shanahan's zone-blocking run game has ALWAYS been succesful. Our line? Not so good, sure. But once they get the hang of things, the run game will improve. Combine that with McNabb's abilities, and we've got an offensive threat.
Last but not least, the Texans might very well be a damn good team.
Just sayin'...
GTripp0012 09-21-2010, 11:36 AM On Fred Davis field goal block: he's not responsible for blocking (or even chipping) Pollard, who blocked the FG. I don't think he blocked particularly well in the gap he was responsible for on that play, but that's neither here nor there. That ball was held for a long time. The timing between Gano and the snapper/holder just wasn't adequate.
D.C. Sports Bog - Fred Davis and the blocked field goal (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/09/fred_davis_and_the_blocked_fie.html)
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