The Official Defense Has Major Issues/Fire Jim Haslett Thread

Folks, this is a LONG season. We have just gotten started. A lot can happen within this year. Shanahan will get this team playing like it should. It's just going to take a couple of seasons to get to where this team needs to be.

Well Landry never truly learned to play FS, and is doing much better as a SS. And one of the reasons Carter came to Washington was because he wasn't successful as a 3-4 LB when SF changed to that scheme. I think versatility is great, but at the same time you need players that are good at their positions in certain schemes. And save for maybe Orakpo, the rest of our front seven are learning their positions.

I think it's safe to say this defensive coaching staff has for whatever reason, chose to ignore the obvious. The entire front seven of this defense is playing out of position. It has caused many to wonder why the mad-rush to switch to a 3-4 defense in the first place. Save for turnovers, defense was not this teams biggest problem.

It was suggested the move was made with the idea in mind of getting more turnovers...being more aggressive.....despite the aggressivness, good teams do not turn the ball over, that's why they're good, They don't beat themselves.

In the words of Queen Henrietta "Sometimes to settle things, you must unsettle them first"

Sure why not, cut everybody

Reed first, he worked too hard to be the first scapegoat of the season

Really is a shame we never got to see a grouping like that ever! It was all in place, but failed to come through.

Why was Rak ever moved to OLB in the frist place, I seem to have forgotten. Other than a lack of a Strong OLB in 4-3 last year was there a real reason that Blache thought he could do it? He struggles in coverage and it seems like somewhat of a waste of talent to see him not rushing the passer.

At least 1 3-4 OLB is rushing the passer every play.

Rak has been rushing the passer like crazy all season.

How much of the origional faith and hope expressed for the new coaching staff was real and how much of it was imagined? Maybe some better/different decisions need to be made, but much to early to give up completely.

Reed first, he worked too hard to be the first scapegoat of the season

Yeah screw him for that forced fumble last week too. The nerve of him I swear.

Yeah screw him for that forced fumble last week too. The nerve of him I swear.


Because of the enormity of the cutting and firing session that needs to be done, could we ever get to the point where Danny Boy would actually have to get on the field? If so, Kick and Punt returner looks to be his natural position. I would love to see that.

I'm not sure how you're quantifying "worse" but I'd be interested in knowing. Of course we don't know how good the defense is going to be this year and I don't think people here are really trying to make that point. Adjustments and scheme changes are fine and expected, but no was expecting the defense to fall off the cliff to 32nd in the league, GTripp.

We don't need sixteen games to see that this ain't working and Haslett appears to be in over his head big time. It's not just a personnel issue, it's a coaching issue from what I can see. Can I prove that it's a coaching issue with stats? Hell no. Seventeen of the thirty two teams run a 3-4 scheme, yet we're making it look like algebra.I didn't clearly lay out my argument in any one post, but I made it pretty clearly over the rest of the thread. One thing I didn't do was quantify worse, although "yards per play" is probably the stat I was using the most.

It's just a nonsensical conclusion is all I'm dealing with. A lot of us actually were frustrated with Blache at this time last year, if I recall correctly. Not ONE of us suggested that the problem was that we didn't have the personnel to play the 4-3 even though the results were frustratingly similar to what we've seen in the last three weeks.

When the evidence is the same (the defense is underachiving/was overrated), but the conclusion is instantly regarding our scheme/personnel fit, it's hard to defend that perspective, IMO. I hit the film every week, and didn't realize last year until after the seventh or eighth game that last year's team simply couldn't cover anyone in zone. I'd really like to know what people are seeing while following the ball in real time that has made them determine that the defense is schematically "out of its element."

There isn't a lot of evidence to support conclusions at this point, because mostly, there isn't a lot of evidence. Comparisons between last year and this year are completely valid for me. It's all we have at this point.