Other than the fact that the Redskins lost. . .
Is this:
I had just finished reading an article a day or two before about how smart Kerrigan was to pick up Haslett’s complicated and sophisticated defensive schemes. Here is an excerpt:
The NFL, in its 92nd season, has never been more complicated. Thirty years ago — when Shanahan was still coaching in college and Haslett was still playing linebacker in the NFL — offenses altered their formations only nominally, and defenses played almost exclusively man-to-man coverage. There weren’t systems that ran four receivers and no running backs on one play, two running backs and two wideouts on the next, dictating drastic defensive changes. Defenses didn’t counter with expertly disguised zone blitzes, with basketball-style coverages in which a linebacker might hand off his responsibility for a receiver to a safety, with packages using as many as six defensive backs. Game plans were built more on broad concepts — maybe we’ll throw more than usual, maybe we’ll run more to the right, but we’ll sure as heck perfect what we do — than on carefully dissected analysis, on scripts and playbooks that, each week, run hundreds of pages.
One would think that after reading such an article that we would see lots of schemes and formations both offensively and defensively. And that the game would be won, or lost, because one team, one set of coaches, one group of players were smarter and better than the other.
And for the most part, we did see such schemes throughout the game.
After all, how often have we seen Cooley play fullback? And rush the ball?
However, the way in which we lost was not sophisticated at all.
The Redskins lost because of they failed to “make the play” both offensively and defensively when it mattered most.
Offensively, they still struggle in the red zone.
Defensively, well, that last 3 and 21 play is a perfect example.
In a way, DeAngelo Hall is right. How difficult is it to know what is coming, and how to counter it, when you line up eight guys on the line. This is the old student body right, or in this case – straight ahead, play we all grew up with in our pickup games of yester-year.
And, in a way, the coaches and critics of Hall are right too. If you are going to mouth off like you are some kind of future hall of fame and pro bowl player, you better make the play when you got a guy one on one.
The Redskins have made a lot of improvements since last year. They have gotten rid of the drama, the dead weight, the distractions and now have many new players on board with Shanahan’s plan. They are playing better, controlled football. Controlling the time of procession. Controlling the mistakes, or lack there of, by not getting penalized for stupid mistakes.
But, the Redskins lost the old fashioned way. The old fashioned, smash mouth in your face kind of football, that everybody played 30 years ago way, and were out played on that particular play.
They need to make the plays in the red zone and score more points.
They need to make the plays against the other team and keep them out of scoring position.
Plain and simple. Not complicated.
Now, I am not saying that the Redskins were wrong to blitz. I hate prevent defenses. But at least they could have been creative unleashing an all-out blitz attack.
A perfect example of unleashing creative blitzes was how the Steelers unleashed Troy Polamalu against the Colts. He was everywhere, coming full speed from every possible spot and direction.
Sometimes he got the other player with the ball, sometimes he got the ball, and yes sometimes he just missed making the play. But it kept the opposing players off guard. Kept them second guessing. It was a sophisticated defensive attack.
I was expecting more from the Redskins, we all were, but instead we – for that one play – and for that one game – got less.
Now, let’s move on, learn from our mistakes and go get a good old fashioned victory by kicking some lowly Ram Butt this weekend!
Hail Skins!
Fumbled Returns 