The Official Defense Has Major Issues/Fire Jim Haslett Thread

When I see a guy like Alexander changing positions year to year, doing so willingly and succeeding instead of bitching and playing the poor me routine, I really have a hard time feeling any pity for an overpaid brat like AH.

When I see a guy like Alexander changing positions year to year, doing so willingly and succeeding instead of bitching and playing the poor me routine, I really have a hard time feeling any pity for an overpaid brat like AH.

Then I guess we should force Landry to play FS like he's always been or put DHall into a shutdown corner like he was in Oakland? He was willing, but he sure wasn't good.

You put your best players in the positions they're most effective, not where they "on paper" are good. Sapp was also willing, but he sure got neutralized, and he was a proven dominating force.

And Alexander's play isn't suffering much, if at all.

Lots of 2-4-5 and 1-5-5, with Base 3-4.

We all know right now we're better suited for a base 4-3. But let's make the assumption that the coaching staff is building long term and committed to a 3-4 base. I don't think there will be any pressure from ownership to change the coaching staff until the end of the 2011 season if our performance hasn't improved. That being said, if our D shows no improvement by the end of this year MS may can Haslett, doubtful, but possible.

Anywho IMO, here's where our defensive problems currently are:

1) Our NT situation is a disaster. Kemo is getting pushed around every play and has little lateral mobility. AH doesn't want to play there, so won't give any effort in the Base 3-4 at NT. Bryant may get better but he's a young player and nothing special.

Kemo isn't exactly 100% yet, another reason we shouldn't be doing the 3-4 unless AH is playing NT. He is obviously the most talented Lineman of the group.

2) Carriker is showing some improvement game to game, but isn't going to light the world on fire and the best we can hope is he turns out to be an average 3-4 LDE. Golston's getting shoved around, he's in over his head. Daniels has great effort and intelligence, but he lacks mobility, the explosiveness is not there, and he's not getting off blocks. Holliday same.

Gholston is playing way too much. AH is a ton better. Another position AH should / could be playing full time.

3) Our entire front three is being blocked 1-1 on most plays allowing the opposing OL to get second level on our ILBs. No way Fletch or Rocky are going to win a battle with a 300lb + OL.

agree 100%

4) On most running plays the LoS is being reestablished at least 1 yd downfield, many times more.

ridiculous isn't it!!

5) Orakpo is still making mistakes in the run game but appears to be improving. In passing situations we're often in the 2-4-5 or 1-5-5 and Rak is getting after the QB anyway. In 3-4 base we play a lot of zone so he's rarely matched up 1-1 in coverage or Haslett is sending 4 and Rak's the fourth rusher.

Orakpo is a very talented, athletic DE. Notice i said DE. I think his pass coverage skills are obviously a big liability. He needs a little more snaps, and maybe some added quickness.

6) Carter needs to be benched for Alexander. Carter is making mistakes in space, still getting sucked inside, not getting off blocks and generally is a liability. I'm not saying Alexander is doing great, but he has the potential for improvement. AC doesn't. The PA TD the Rams got was a lot on AC because off the PA he was frozen and allowed Bradford to get the angle to the End Zone where Hall was forced into a no-win decision (which Hall made too early). As I review the game I am constantly seeing AC making mistakes.

Carter sucks in a 3-4. He should be at End, and let Chris Wilson play the other OLB. Alexander is not the answer either.

7) Our CBs need to play much more press coverage when we blitz. If we're constantly letting the WRs off the line untouched the QB/WR timing stays intact and makes for easier completions. If we're going to blitz, we should be pressing more often, not always, switch it up, but much more often.

When we blitz the corners are left alone with no help over top, so if they play more press coverage then those slants, smoke routes are going to be long TD's for our opponents. Deshawn Jackson, Maklin would have an absolute field day if that was the case. So, they back off a little and hope we get pressure, or the QB doesn't recognize the blitz and holds the ball too long. Now, this is an scheme issue in my opinion. When we blitz you want the corners to be up on the receiver and jam then as they come off, but i believe they are so worried about giving up huge plays they back the corners off. kind of defeating the purpose i think, but i am not the DC.

8) Our blitzes aren't getting to the QB near enough because we don't have personnel winning 1-1 matchups. We don't have any DL or LB who has any size/speed combination other than Rak. AH is only playing in the 2-4-5 package so far. The OL is providing simple gap protection and not worrying about who's bouncing around pre-snap. The OL knows they don't have to worry about any type of power or bull rush. When the OL can dial into a finesse game, pass-pro is easier than having to worry about guys who can finesse and power rush.

Again, AH should be full time on the end. Shanny needs to swallow that pill and get over it. AH demands a double team the majority of the snaps he is in and that frees up others with one on one matchups. (Rak, Carter)

9) Because of our liabilities up front, we're being forced to bring 8 into the box and allowing the smokes/slants to the WRs to be more effective and our pass coverage in general is suffering. This is another argument for not giving up 4+ Yds per Carry. I know we didn't this game, but the final results were much worse than against the Texans.

see #7.

10) I hate to pile on the guy and know I'm late here, but D. Hall.....STFU and play, you aren't a superstar and you give up a bunch of plays (Smoke that saw you sitting on your @ss, among others). You call out Doughty for getting Mossed by A. Johnson, but earlier in the same half he Mossed you too, it just got called back because of a penalty. People that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. :rant:

Yeah, hall should just play and shut up. He looks like an ass talking too much and not backing it up.

Our scheme hasn't been great, but it hasn't been terrible either. I think Haslett is trying to mix things up a little, but due to our liabilities up front, he can only do so much. So what can we do; right now not much, unless we go back to a 4-3, and I'll bet a dollar to a dime that ain't happening.

1) Go with youth. Get Barnes, Bryant, Alexander, Riley into the rotation much more. Alexander should start.

Bryant, Riley yes. Alexander, barnes not so sure. As mentioned earlier Chris Wilson should be oposite Rak. Alexander could be used more as a pass rushing DE on nickle situations.

2) Play AH in the 2-4-5 and 1-5-5, we paid him a butt-load of money, at least try to get something out of him in the 3-4, maybe in short yardage situations.

AH should be on the field all the time. as mentioned earlier Shanny needs to get off the high horse and play the best, most talented lineman they have.

3) Go with more of an "attack a gap" instead of a "read-react" front 3. I know this isn't ideal and will become a guessing game, but it will allow our front 3 to play more downhill and should help keep the LoS from being pushed back down our throats every play.

AH tried doing that against the cowboys and everyone blasted him for jumping into the gaps. when that happened cowboys either guessed right, or the RB keyed off what gap he was jumping into and went the opposite way. 3-4 gap play is a little tougher to make plays in the run game, in my opinion.

4) Keep the QB guesing, Haslett's working with serious personnel limitations and he's going to need to be very creative with coverages and blitz schemes. I don't know if this is a strength of his. We'll find out over the next 3 weeks or so.

I think he is out coaching himself honestly. Play the best players consistantly, mix up the coverages, and blitzes but to keep switching players in and out all the damn time really isn't hurting anyone but the team. Players can't get warmed up and in a rhythm when they are standing on the sideline 50-60% of the time. Go to basics and just play the right people and how bout a stop once in a while!

One thing that isn't D related that really concerns me; McNabb hasn't been resigned, and probably won't be until the off-season. If we keep struggling and he decides to sign elsewhere (Vikings), we have another major hole to fill.

It wouldn't surprise me if he went to the Vikings in the offseason. they are pretty damn close to having a championship team, if not all ready.

Then I guess we should force Landry to play FS like he's always been or put DHall into a shutdown corner like he was in Oakland? He was willing, but he sure wasn't good.

You put your best players in the positions they're most effective, not where they "on paper" are good. Sapp was also willing, but he sure got neutralized, and he was a proven dominating force.

And Alexander's play isn't suffering much, if at all.

You don't always have that luxury. Need often dictates where guys play.

I'm not really concerned that McNabb won't be here in 2011 (think we can franchise him if push comes to shove), but that said we do need a young QB to groom here. Not sold on Beck. And if McNabb does leave it's not the Vikings that concern me really, it's the Cardinals

6) Carter needs to be benched for Alexander. Carter is making mistakes in space, still getting sucked inside, not getting off blocks and generally is a liability. I'm not saying Alexander is doing great, but he has the potential for improvement. AC doesn't. The PA TD the Rams got was a lot on AC because off the PA he was frozen and allowed Bradford to get the angle to the End Zone where Hall was forced into a no-win decision (which Hall made too early). As I review the game I am constantly seeing AC making mistakes.



Yes please. Great post.
I wanted Alexander promoted and Carter benched back in preseason. It is painful to watch Carter. Carter is useless other than pass rushing. Against the run or in coverage he is terrible. The sad thing is he is not showing any improvement. This has been his problem throughout his career. This is not something new. We were originally drawn to him because of his sack his high numbers. His general football instinct is not very high.
How long does Hasslett keep going with something that is not working. Hell, Dockery got benched and he was not playing as bad as Carter. I don't get it. I guess Carter's sack number from last year is going a long way this year to keeping him on the playing field. PLus I know he is big and tall and fast in a straight line to QB. But the guy gets faked out way too much by runners and his brain is not made for thinking on the fly like a 3-4 LB needs to do. Time to go another direction.

You don't always have that luxury. Need often dictates where guys play.He's still being used suboptimally. Tennessee was able to get quality play from Albert even with Albert being so "into the game" that "coaching" him was ineffective. Jim Schwartz was able to get high quality play out of AH's instincts. We had a effective 4-3 defense set up. We just needed a coordinator with a brain.

And there are countless examples of how their effectiveness was laughably reduced. Rak at 4-3 OLB, Landry at FS, Dhall as the "other shutdown corner". These are suboptimal of using a player and the incentive to go to a more optimal one is there.

Not to mention that there was no need to fully commit to a 3-4 this year. This "need" for a NT was completely avoidable. Haslett's going to have to make a decision of whether they should implement some 4-3 schemes so we can get more out of guys like AH. And not just AH, but Cater, Golston, etc.

When I see a guy like Alexander changing positions year to year, doing so willingly and succeeding instead of bitching and playing the poor me routine, I really have a hard time feeling any pity for an overpaid brat like AH.Check the line under my user name, believe me I have absolutely no pity for AH.

I'm only looking at what's best for the Skins from an Xs & Os perspective. We're stuck with AH this year, we may as well get what we can out of him.

I'm not really concerned that McNabb won't be here in 2011 (think we can franchise him if push comes to shove), but that said we do need a young QB to groom here. Not sold on Beck. And if McNabb does leave it's not the Vikings that concern me really, it's the CardinalsI hope you're right. Grooming a young QB is important, but not a high priority issue this offseason. Losing our starting QB this off-season will make rebuilding elsewhere (DL, interior OL, CB, RB) more difficult and put us back another year or two at least.

Unless there's a solid plan B option in place, which there doesn't seem to be, I can't see why we would let McNabb go. Unless of course they determine he's just not going to work out here, but the likelihood of that doesn't seem very great.