wheres our pass rush?????

[Clark]

i am so confused, we had a horrible defence last year. it wasnt the worst in redskins history but it was very dissapointing for a greg williams defence. the fact is i sat through every game and saw the oposing quarterbacks of each team have all the time in the world. our coverage of wide outs was disturbing following the injury of springs. and it did not help that any quarter back could wait get his thoughts together find the week corner on the route and then utilize that receiver. i like the front guys i think carter improved imensly but it wasnt enough they should have been able to get some kind of penetration but it never happend. had to get that off my chest.

[brad7686]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

[BRAD44]

i am so confused, we had a horrible defence last year. it wasnt the worst in redskins history but it was very dissapointing for a greg williams defence. the fact is i sat through every game and saw the oposing quarterbacks of each team have all the time in the world. our coverage of wide outs was disturbing following the injury of springs. and it did not help that any quarter back could wait get his thoughts together find the week corner on the route and then utilize that receiver. i like the front guys i think carter improved imensly but it wasnt enough they should have been able to get some kind of penetration but it never happend. had to get that off my chest.

Every one needs to calm down about the defense...it seems as though everyone forgets what kind of scheme Greg Williams likes to play!!!! I'm sick of hearing about we didn't do anything to improve out front four. This is what we did... we improved our secondary vastly,we added Smoot and Macklin and drafted Landry. Now what does that mean ? It means now we go back to being aggressive on D !!! Blitzing like crazy, blitzing from all fronts...why will this work? If the 07 Skins go back to smash mouth football like Joe says we're going to do....than we controll the clock and keep our D fresh, wich won't be a problem anyway w/the way Greg rotates the front 4. The D this year should be able to man up and not get burnt b/c of the blitz packages that we will be able to run thanks to a new and improved secondary...Guys need to stop thinking about last season and focuss on 05's D. The D sucked last year due to injuries and a lack of blitzing..This will all change and for all you non-believers......just remeber what i've stated here today....You will all see the difference!!!! Landry was a GREAT pick!!!

[Redskin in Canada]

Welcome Clark and BRAD44. We have no option but to watch and see how he rest of the offseason goes. It could go either way. And yes, we tend to bring back older posts to show where each member had its marbles.

Please see the RULES.

[BRAD44]

This will be a great season...I really believe that the 07 coaching staff is going to morph this unit into something special. It may honestly be a skins offense from the early eighties.

[kkryan]

The defense was bad because springs and others were hurt all year and we were getting beat in pass coverage. Williams doesnt blitz as much when he is worried about coverage.

The point I am making is that the dline was not a stellar unit in 2004 or 2005 outside of Griffin. This defense is vastly average without Springs and Griff.

Carter played very well in the second half. This defense may not be as bad as some predict provided the key pieces stay healthy.

[redskingush]

Without addressing that need at the draft, I would toward the june 1st cuts, more than likely more FA coming in.

[Fios]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

We do not ALL agree

[SkinsFreak]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

We do not ALL agree

Really. And how do you KNOW Daniels and Griff won't be healthy? Come on, dude. Change the pressure situation? Well... don't forget that LB's and S's bring pressure as well, especially in GW's system.

[Chris Luva Luva]

Although I doubt our pressure with ONLY the front four will be where it needs to be, I think that if they can at least open up lanes for our blizters, we will do fine.

[old-timer]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

We do not ALL agree

Really. And how do you KNOW Daniels and Griff won't be healthy? Come on, dude. Change the pressure situation? Well... don't forget that LB's and S's bring pressure as well, especially in GW's system.

Yeah! Injuries don't happen! No need to worry about them!

We'll be fine! The same pass rush that was the worst in NFL history last year? Pro Bowl this year! No problem! Stop worrying!

[SkinsFreak]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

We do not ALL agree

Really. And how do you KNOW Daniels and Griff won't be healthy? Come on, dude. Change the pressure situation? Well... don't forget that LB's and S's bring pressure as well, especially in GW's system.

Yeah! Injuries don't happen! No need to worry about them!

We'll be fine! The same pass rush that was the worst in NFL history last year? Pro Bowl this year! No problem! Stop worrying!

Who said anything about there not being injuries? Damn!

He called out two people specifically. Do you both have a crystal ball or something.

The coaching staff had said many times now that they think we will be okay on the d-line for now. Do you know something they don't?

Edit: Save the response. I know you'll point to the number of sacks last year as an attempt to prove that our coaching staff knows nothing. I know, I get it.

[Fios]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

We do not ALL agree

Really. And how do you KNOW Daniels and Griff won't be healthy? Come on, dude. Change the pressure situation? Well... don't forget that LB's and S's bring pressure as well, especially in GW's system.

Yeah! Injuries don't happen! No need to worry about them!

We'll be fine! The same pass rush that was the worst in NFL history last year? Pro Bowl this year! No problem! Stop worrying!

Yeah, because I said I wasn't worried about injuries and I have a history of defending the d-line play from last year. Oh wait, nope, the exact opposite. Of course I worry about the d-line and injuries. In fact, I've said that several times on this very site. That being said, I'm not panicking. I like the direction we're headed in thus far.

[brad7686]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

We do not ALL agree

Really. And how do you KNOW Daniels and Griff won't be healthy? Come on, dude. Change the pressure situation? Well... don't forget that LB's and S's bring pressure as well, especially in GW's system.

If they both stay healthy the whole year, judging from the past, i would say that would be similar to winning the lottery. And its not that i know that they will get injured, but that it is very likely and the team acts like it isn't. If they thought it was likely they would add some depth. Instead it seems they assume that the first six safeties on the team will all get ebola.

[SkinsFreak]

well we all agree. It was frustrating. And yes, they have done little to change the pressure situation, especially if the typical injuries occur. I think they live in fantasyland sometimes the way they assume phillip or griff will be healthy because they won't.

We do not ALL agree

Really. And how do you KNOW Daniels and Griff won't be healthy? Come on, dude. Change the pressure situation? Well... don't forget that LB's and S's bring pressure as well, especially in GW's system.

If they both stay healthy the whole year, judging from the past, i would say that would be similar to winning the lottery. And its not that i know that they will get injured, but that it is very likely and the team acts like it isn't. If they thought it was likely they would add some depth. Instead it seems they assume that the first six safeties on the team will all get ebola.

Ok, I give up. You're right, our coaching staff knows nothing about the players current health, our current depth on the roster, and our defensive scheme heading into next season.

[Irn-Bru]

Did we double check under the couch cushions? Stuff gets lost down there all the time.

[The Hogster]

We all need to relax. I think the Landry pick was THE best pick we could have made. Turns out it was our only first day pick.

We can all be in agreement while making our points. We did improve our secondary. I am soo excited about the return of Smoot, the addition of Landry, and David Macklin.

We will be able to generate more pressure via the blitz which will produce more sacks and more turnovers.

However, I also agree that we need to address our depth at D Line. You simply can't blitz every down. Let's face it, Greg Williams loves to rotate defensive lineman. Daniels is 34 and his production has been declining over the last couple of years. He missed the bulk of one year with injury...rebounded and gave us a nice 5 game stretch in 2005-2006, but steadily wore down last season. I anticipate at least 1 first day pick next year going to Defensive End, and/or D-tackle respectively.

I firmly believe he can be an effective defensive end, but I think with his age and wearing down body, we can maximize his production by bringing in a starter ahead of him and allowing him to rotate in and stay fresh.

Now I don't necessarily think we need to bring in a free agent. Demectric Evans has been very productive when given a chance...thing is, he's not on the field much.

If the Skins don't think he's ready, then maybe bring in someone else. But the common sense reality is that Daniels is 34 and to put that in perspective, thats like Mark Brunell playing at Defensive end....we've gotta get younger there.

DT is not so bad. We've got Goldson, Montgomery, Griff Salevea, with Evans and Wynn occasionally getting in there...

People arent saying we aren't a better defense now, just that at some point you can't defy father time....and since Williams thinks his system is so hard to learn, it would make sense to get some youth back there early for their likely departure...otherwise we're looking at paying another high priced, aging free agent to fill that hole.

[BRAD44]

Everyone has a valid point to these discussions!!! However, do keep in mind that the offense is supposed to be more smash mouth this year and I'm telling everyone that that changes everything and i mean everything. Three and outs killed us last year along w/3rd and long situations. That kind of play should be totally different and with the offense eating up clock and yardage the D will be rested and ready to rip heads off...If you listen to some of the players you can hear the excitement in there vioces. For the 1st time in a long while i can really be excited about this upcoming season. Our schedule early on this season will be a big indicator as to how this team will roll. If we start poorly it's going to be another long season...

[Gibbs' Hog]

Everyone has a valid point to these discussions!!! However, do keep in mind that the offense is supposed to be more smash mouth this year and I'm telling everyone that that changes everything and i mean everything. Three and outs killed us last year along w/3rd and long situations. That kind of play should be totally different and with the offense eating up clock and yardage the D will be rested and ready to rip heads off...If you listen to some of the players you can hear the excitement in there vioces. For the 1st time in a long while i can really be excited about this upcoming season. Our schedule early on this season will be a big indicator as to how this team will roll. If we start poorly it's going to be another long season...

I am a major homer, and always think we will be a great team prior to the upcoming season.

That said, do you not remember last year? We lost every preseason game and everyone at Redskins Park still believed that we had a valid chance at making the Super Bowl.

So, it hasn't really been that long since I've heard the optimism from players and coaches. I only hope that this year is the opposite - believe we'll be good, but don't go shootin your mouth off to the media about how we are a Super Bowl quality team - in other words, I believe we seriously jinxed ourselves last year.


One positive for me though - we had a lot of injuries last year. If people stay healthy this time, I honestly think our team is a lot better than we looked last year.

[BRAD44]

Everyone has a valid point to these discussions!!! However, do keep in mind that the offense is supposed to be more smash mouth this year and I'm telling everyone that that changes everything and i mean everything. Three and outs killed us last year along w/3rd and long situations. That kind of play should be totally different and with the offense eating up clock and yardage the D will be rested and ready to rip heads off...If you listen to some of the players you can hear the excitement in there vioces. For the 1st time in a long while i can really be excited about this upcoming season. Our schedule early on this season will be a big indicator as to how this team will roll. If we start poorly it's going to be another long season...

I am a major homer, and always think we will be a great team prior to the upcoming season.

That said, do you not remember last year? We lost every preseason game and everyone at Redskins Park still believed that we had a valid chance at making the Super Bowl.

So, it hasn't really been that long since I've heard the optimism from players and coaches. I only hope that this year is the opposite - believe we'll be good, but don't go shootin your mouth off to the media about how we are a Super Bowl quality team - in other words, I believe we seriously jinxed ourselves last year.


One positive for me though - we had a lot of injuries last year. If people stay healthy this time, I honestly think our team is a lot better than we looked last year.

[BRAD44]

If anyone has read the latest article on Redskins.com....then you will read about why Gibbs didn't do anything about the front 4....This only reinerates what i've been saying all day about how we will be way more aggressive this year... I swear some of you guys act like you've forgotten how this defensive scheme works in D.C.....I'm a firm believer in one of two things...either you have an elite front 4 and a satisfactory secondary OR you have an elite secondary and a satisfactory front 4....In either situation you can dominate an opposing offense... You can almost guarantee that the Skins D-fense will not be content w/being the worst D in the league last season...THEY WILL BE HUNGARY AND DETERMINED TO PROVE EVERYONE WRONG.....you can believe in that!!!

[Redskin in Canada]

...THEY WILL BE HUNGARY AND DETERMINED TO PROVE EVERYONE WRONG.....you can believe in that!!!

I thought that a NFL game to be played in Europe was to be held in -England- and it does not include the Redskins.

Sorry. This is way too tempting to let go without a geography (or spelling) comment.

[old-timer]

If I get Joe Gibbs' statements correctly, he seems to be attributing last year's poor performance on the line to injuries and a poor secondary not covering people well enough to let the DLINE get there. Based on the time that QB's had to throw, I think he has it exactly backwards. As someone will no doubt point out, that's why he's the head coach and I'm not. But if we get another repeat of last year's performance, he may not be head coach for long or GW will be gone. Gibbs has definitely upgraded the secondary, and seems to be gambling that he won't have what he thinks were the DLINE injury problems that we had last year and that Andre Carter will be a force. He must know an awful lot that I don't, because I don't really remember an awful lot of DLINE players missing time last year, and it seems to me that our poor pass rush was the root cause of a bad defense because of all the time that the other QB had to throw. I guess we'll find out who is right this year.

I don't see us picking up much help for the DLINE from here on out, however, unless we make a major trade. And the results of major trades, for this front office, are not good, same as for their draft pick management. Free agent signings seem to be a net plus for Gibbs and Co, however.

[Chris Luva Luva]

Old timer, what I'm getting is this...

We don't have a CLEAR option to upgrade the defensive line with a sound player. The draft was a crap shoot according to the team as far as linemen are concerned.

For 2007 the team is JUST looking to get the defensive line to keep the blitzers clean. Don't expect much of a four man rush but for it to come from the blitzers. To be honest we haven't had a good 4 man rush since Gregg has been here. They're just trying to get the defense back to par imo.

Worst case, the 4 man rush will be addressed in 2008.

Best case, we have a hidden gem.

Maybe we'll find a decent stud during the cuts.


We have to realize that we can't fix it all in one year without throwing away the future.

[Redskin in Canada]

Based on the time that QB's had to throw, I think he has it exactly backwards.

Undoubtedly. Any secondary, no matter how good, can not stop a good QB/WR combo in the NFL -IF- they have time. Philthy, among others, has made a living with a combination of good pressure and a mostly mediocre secondary

Gibbs ... seems to be gambling that he won't have what he thinks were the DLINE injury problems that we had last year and that Andre Carter will be a force.

And that would be a terrible gamble. An ageing DL not having any repeat or new injuries? Ha!

I don't see us picking up much help for the DLINE from here on out,

I strongly disagree. They will pay close attention to the wire once the cuts begin.

the results of major trades, for this front office, are not good, same as for their draft pick management.

This is wrong, biased and unfair. We have the best VP of Operations in the NFL. Shame on you. This is a statement that only a Puke fan would make.

This season comes down to the core of what Joe Gibbs II is all about. Either he -understands- that he needs help and -acts- accordingly, both on the DL and the FO, or faces the consequences of the criticism that will come with defeat.

There is the famous George Allen quote that looms over our heads larger this season than ever before:
“Every time you win, you're reborn; when you lose, you die a little.”