Skins Viks Postgame

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

Oh no. I don't buy the Haslett doesn't have the players excuse at all. That's an absolute cop out. Look back at the defensive rankings of all of Jim Haslett's defenses over the years - including what he has done in Washington. Not very good. He's just not that great of a coach. I think at the time, he was maybe the best option this franchise had to choose from, but he's not the defensive mastermind the 'skins need to make it all work. You don't have to have a defense full of pro bowlers to have the defense playing well. You just need to know what pieces you have and figure out what scheme works the best.

A great coach, even just a good coach, knows how to bring out the best in the players he has to work with. He knows how to work to their strengths, hide their weaknesses, get them playing consistently to those strengths, and enjoy some level of success even if, at best, it's middle of the road. That's why Richie Petitbon was considered a defensive mastermind. He didn't have the best players on his defenses throughout the years, but he made it work. Yes, we can look back and see guys like Charles Mann, Dexter Manley, Darrell Green and say those guys were great - but look at all of the guys that came in and out of the line up during the Petitbon era. He know how to bring out the best in his players, what formations work the best with which personnel, and most importantly - he knew how to make halftime adjustments. We do not have that in one Jim Haslett. We have a guy who knows defenses, and probably has tried his best to work to his players strengths, but he isn't talent enough to make it work well enough when the players aren't all pro bowl players.

Good points there and I agree. Ritchie was one of the best, if not the best at his craft. But when his players got old ( in 93) we saw there was nothing he could do. Haslett isn't anywhere near Ritchie's class, but I don't see a Mann, Manley or DG on any of his defenses. Name one Pro Bowl type of player on defense? Maybe D. Hall...Amerson looks like a future star but he's not there yet as Allen abused him last week. Who else? No one.