Anybody who has followed the Washington Redskins for the past five years knew that they didn’t need to make any changes on the defensive side of the ball. Year after year they were amongst the best defenses in the league.
Every year regardless of what their record was the Redskins defense used to give the Eagles fits. Everyone figured if Donovan McNabb could help their offensive production, they would have a chance to win more games.
Now after three games the Skins have the worst defense in the National Football League. Mike Shanahan went to D.C. and fired defensive coordinator Greg Blache and all the defensive coaches, who had been doing a great job down there for years.
He brought in defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who previously was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2005 before getting fired. After that he went to St. Louis where he coached a pathetic Rams squad. For some reason, Shanahan hired him and Andy Reid should have sent Shanahan a big “Thank You” card.
Haslett decided he was going to play a 3-4 defense with an emphasis on zone coverages, despite the fact that their personnel was comprised of 4-3 players with a secondary which had previously done a great job of playing man-to-man. They locked people down in the past without much of a pass rush.
The strength of the Skins defense for years had been in their defensive backfield with DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rodgers, LaRon Landry and Chris Horton. The corners could cover and the safeties would knock you out.
For some reason, Horton, who was supposed to be one of the better young safeties in the league, is on the bench and Reed Doughty is starting at one of the safety spots. I saw video of Houston’s Andre Johnson catching a touchdown over Doughty on 4th and 25 with the game on the line.
Their linebackers led by London Fletcher and Rocky McIntosh are good backers who can both play run and pass while locking down tight ends and running backs in man-to-man coverages. Of course they’ve got them playing zone now.
The defensive secondary and linebackers used to play great even without much of a pass rush, but now with the addition of Brian Orakpo and Albert Haynesworth, everybody expected them to get better. Instead they brought in Haslett and went the other way.
You know about the battle between Haynesworth and Shanahan during the off season regarding how the big fella should be used. I always lean toward the head coach in those situations, but this time the player was right.
Everybody knows that getting pressure on the quarterback is what defense is about in the NFL nowadays. Haslett has Haynesworth sitting at the line of scrimmage and reading the blocking instead of getting to the quarterback.
Pro Bowl cornerback Hall went into a tirade after they blew a 27-10 lead in the second half and lost to the Houston Texans. They were sitting in zone coverages and waiting to be beaten. They can’t stop anybody and I see Haslett standing on the sideline with that same blank look that he had in New Orleans and St. Louis.
Shanahan must have owed Haslett a favor for giving his son a job.
Bottomline, I think the Birds will be able to move the ball against the Haslett-group that will be lining up on Sunday.
For those of you who know the short history of the Eagles wide receiver group, they have a lot of success against zones, but always struggled against the Skins because Blache had both cornerbacks line up in press technique and beat up the Birds wide outs before they came off the ball.
The west coast offense is perfect against what Haslett is doing. Of course Houston, who carved up the Redskins, plays the west coast offense.
Reid and Marty Mornhinweg will line up DeSean Jackson inside in the slot and have him run deep crossing routes. With his speed he’s able to get across the field, especially if you don’t jam him. They’ll run off the deep guy on the other side and it will be wide open.
They’ll flood the Skins zones and pick them apart. Vick will get his first 300 plus passing game of the season.
I think the Birds will have big success against the Skins. Vickmania is going to another level after this week.
We need Vick to throw for near 400 yards to send a message to the whole league….
The message…”I’M BACK BIT@HES”!!!!!!!!!
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT???? WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF
Now that’s just corny Songs..but I’m with you in your enthusiam. I’m having a hard time sleeping waiting for this game..and that’s a great thing.
Lining up 2 WR’s on one side and sending them deep on crossing routes will open up the sidelines as well, I expect some Screens and Passes to the RB,s TE’s out of the backfield with the potential for big plays.. I think Celek has his biggest game of the Season with the middle of the field open.
Turnovers,Penalties and dropped passes are about the only thing I see stopping Vick and this Eagle Offense right now for he’s in “the Zone”
I do agree with G that DC J Haslett is overrated and not done much as a Head Coach and why someone would want to change what has worked for the Redskin Defenese over the last few seasons makes no sense…
Ive been asking this question since day one. Shanahan is an idiot. Why take a defense that had been around top five in the leauge for the past several years and make it a complete clusterf%^&. On the other hand G like you said guess we as eagles fans should be thankful. I really hated it when we used to play the skins cause of there D so if we can steamroll them twice a year good deal. GO BIRDS
Songs…you are rooting for the ‘skins this week, right? Wasn’t that what you told us this summer?
Take RB T Davis and QB Elway’s heroics in the SUper Bowls years and Shanahan’s an average Coach..
He failed miserbly his final few season in Denver when they had a very talented team and always get off to a decent start and fade as the Season went on.. I always thought he was overrated and the way he has gone out of his way to publicly humiliate A Haynesworth (who is way overrated also) cannot sit too well in that Redskin Lockeroom.. I could see riding Haynesworth the 1st week or so at Camp, but that went on for 6 weeks and really not sure how many veterans really think behind closed doors on his handling of that entire fiacso…
I bet McNAbb wishes he went to Arizona where they could really use a QB and have solid coaching and some real good WR’s to play with.. If the next 3-4 weeks don’t go well for the Redskins and McNabb in particular.. Don’t be surprised if there is no extension with his contract in Washington and he ends up filing for Free-agency and signs a deal with Arizona
This is Paulmadonis Prediction Lock of the Week…
Greenfan…stick with me here…..Now that Kolb is getting splinters in his ass on the end of the bench and Vick is playing……I’m all for the Eagles Buddy…
Now, I have my past posts that stated Reid must of been out of his damn mind trading D5 and annointing Korny Kolb as the starter without at least QB competition, and I also stated that was total disrespect to a proven pro bowl veteran. If Kolb was still playing we would be 0-3 or 1-2 at best and those who seen what I seen in Kolb would have been justified to bail on a terrible coach decision to keep that loser in the game.
Now, that Reid actually showed some guts and turned the reins to an actual quarterback we can improve as the season progesses with an opportunity for a post season run. Reid gave that back to us after almost squandering a complete season so that we could find out what most of us know already….Kolb is ASS!!!!
Time’s Yours
Here’s something not Kolb or Vick related, read if you want to. I was watching NFLNetwork last night and on the scroll at the bottom they were going through the to 10 most productive palyers per position. Two things caught my eye. We’re the only team to have 2 top 10 receivers 10 and 18 and when they got to kickers..Akers wasn’t even on the list..I’m thinking..Akers is one of the best kickers in the league…wait…we’re not kicking FG’s now are we..it was a beautiful thing.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming already in progress…
I think the keys to winning this game are simple, therefore sometimes the hardest things to do. First, stay hungry..just we’re going to play a bad team doesn’t mean we can sit back on our confidences, we should go out and play like we’re 0-3. Second, Vick needs to continue his progressions as a pocket passer. He’s been doing an excellent job so far however the moment you get comfortable it’s over, keep both feet on the edge. and Third, do not underestimate McNabb, he’s still a good QB that can make things happen if given the chance. The D needs to be fanatical in pressure and it will take more than 1 man to bring down Mcnabb and not to let S. Moss get hot with the deep ball and Hobbs or N. Allen need to be on their game this week, we all know McNabb loves the deep ball.
Anyone else think it’s funny our KR and PR tandem is…Calvin and Hobbs?
Wellwellwell…here’s something that’s Vick and Kolb related..
Kolb is ASS!!!
Remember you were saying the Eagles have a lot invested in Kolb’s success and they would never yank him afte a bad half?
Is that still your stance?
Schill can chime in on that stance as well well well?
That rookie wants nothing too do with Cole after coming off an injury. This has w written all over it homies.Just play physical on d and force the q into some turnovers. There bunk in the red-zone and we’re tops.Keep $Mike clean and we’re looking at 300plus day.
Go Birds.
Songs,
In a past article didn’t you say you’re not talking about Kolb again?
I always said “give the kid a chance, sink or swim” unlike some people on here I don’t pretend to know anything. I still believe Kolb has a chance for the Eagles but, again like I’ve always said, he’ll get killed behind this OLine. Even the great Mike Vick is taking 3-6 sacks per game, anyone..and I mean anyone..else would get killed back there espically a rook or 1st year starter.
That’s my stance..
Do you have to be soo petty because your savior beat 2 bad teams that you have to attack everyone who supported who the QB was at the time? Like you’re the man behind the scenes orchestrating all of these moves? Oh, I forgot…you just “know”
Can’t keep Kolb’s name out of your mouth can you Songs…you must like how Ass tastes then…
That’s what they get for switching to a 3-4 defense when they already had a good one playing the 4-3. Sucks for them.
WWW thank you so much for your effort. Trust me though as long as songs is breathing air the word KOLB will be typed on this site at least 530 million times a day. LOL @ your tasting ass comment to bro.
While he’s a selfish person, perhaps Hayensworth had a valid point.
@E4E..I know…but thanks. I believe “it” does this on purpose. I should know better than not to argue with fools. It’s never gonna change and I should be the bigger person and just leave it alone. But that burner was just to good to resist…
Songs, I was wrong about that, but remember, Reid hasn’t ‘trashed’ the idea of Kolb like you have. In fact, the Eagles haven’t at all. And it’s a good thing, because players that have been declared busts by the fans, have frankly proven them wrong in the past. Now, when I said that, I was not aware that our starting center would be put on IR from game one. I was also not aware that Kolb would get a concussion, and Vick would play so well in his place. You weren’t either. Circumstances change, that’s reality. That’s why it’s dumb to make bold, yet pigheaded, predictions that you present as fact….. sound familiar songs?
See, you make Jimmy Rollins correct in claiming that (some) Philly fans are front runners. You sir, are a front runner. I’m not saying that it’s horrible, it’s just the way you are. But, seriously, you are a front runner.
Just listen to one Shanahan press conference: every time he’s been asked what adjustments need to be made, he points at the offensive productivity first and foremost. He blamed the offense on the loss to Houston for the dropped pass and some missed opportunities.
We blame Reid for being stubborn: Shanahan comes across as 5x more so. His focus is so one sided, it’ll be tough for the ‘Skins to succeed. Tie that in with the ‘Skins afraid to run, and we’ve got ourselves a shootout. Our defensive scheme is more consistent (not consistent, yet, but more than the Skins), so we should be able to win this one even if McNabb and his receivers are up to the task.
grifft, uh dont you meant McNabb and his recieveR? Unless you’re including Cooley, the really only have one receiver that can hurt us.
I will rise to the bait. Songs, do you really think that this team would be 2-1 with McNabb out there? He can’t do the things that Vick can do anymore. With this O-line, I think a lot of QBs in the league would have been hard pressed to win those game. So would the team have been better off with McNabb or Kolb out there? I don’t care about stats, just about wins.
Songs is such a tool. He probably rooted for Vick while he was on trial and was one of the idiots who got excited when OJ was acquitted of double murder.
Bugsy..your answer…If Mcnabb was playing that first game our team would have been leading at the half the way our defense were playing….I believe the record would be the same if Mcnabb was starting instead of Kolb.
Please don’t ever mention Kolb’s in the same sentence with actual NFL quarterbacks…Hell, Kyle Orton is better than Kolb. I believe Kolb can be a steady back on the bench in this league because it’s lless pressure but it’s hard pressed to believe he can be a number 1 QB. That’s just the dynamics at this time. He may become the greatest QB to ever play…and I may sell more songs than Michael Jackson. Who knows? No one knows the future.
Right?
Geez,
Thanks alot G, for putting the word out. Now Shanahan will have the team revert back to pressing the receivers and man to man coverage on Sunday..j/k :oP
Schiller, I mean his receivers. Devin Thomas has very good games against us, and any way you slice it is a mismatch for our corners. Of course, Thomas may not be allowed on the field because Shanahan’s an idiot.
Either way, Hobbs isn’t the best out there (not very good), Hanson is over matched except in the nickel, and we don’t play Lindley enough for whatever reason. We actually do better defending Moss than Thomas.
Any receiver that has a QB that can get the ball to him can hurt us: see the Eagles ’00-’03, Pats ’00-’06, etc.
I told my buddy, former Philly guy but living in MD for the last 20 years the same thing
With their great D and all the close games they lost last year that with McNabb at QB would have been wins –they would have a shot at the division title
I didn’t realize how their new super coach ruined the D
Thanks for the great info G
I forwarded a link to my buddy