Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith

[1niksder]

Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith

On wide receiver Brandon Banks having to make the roster as a receiver:

“I really like it, to be honest. I think it is a great idea and he can contribute. I think the world of him. I think he’s a playmaker, he’s a chunk-yardage guy, and you have to get chunks in this league. If you look at every time he touches the ball in situations on offense, he got a chunk. Some of them have been called back and things like that. It’s hard to drive the ball against people in this league and you get chunk-yardage players, so it didn’t put me in any different position, I like it. It doesn’t affect anything. He will still be a punt returner, a kick returner, that kind of thing. Obviously it’s the head coach’s decision, but I think it’s a great idea personally.”



On Banks adjusting in his third year:

“The rule change stuff. I can help him with as well. It was a learning experience for all of us. Some of the decision-making has got to be better and will be better. I love the guy and I think he is a quality playmaker and he is a big returner in my plans.”


On Banks’ knee injury last year:

“I think so, I think he was banged up. He has a small frame, but he is as tough as anyone on this football team as far as taking hits and things like that. He was slowed down quite a bit. He missed some practice time. I think that all had a factor, but that is throughout this league too. We complain about issues we have here, but the Redskins, like anybody does, as coaches, as players, but everybody has those issues. It’s the ones that bounce back from those issues, or replace guys, or fight through those things. It’s going to happen again and we have to fight through those things better.”


On Banks being a ‘better pro’ and taking care of his body:

“Brandon and I meet on a regular basis. I stood on the table for the guy. He’s had some issues. He and I meet everyday and go through that day, that night, that afternoon, where you’re going, who you’re with. I get good answers, bad answers. He and I have a pretty good relationship. I think he has really grown-up as a pro. He has grown up like a lot of guys do. Some guys at different stages in life, not just professional athletes, they get it, and right now I’m going to tell you, he got it. I think he is making better decisions. I think he is taking better care of his body. I think he is working harder. He’s in better shape. He’s in condition. He lifts. He gained weight. So I’m going to stand on the table for the guy.”


On who is challenging Banks’ for his kick return position:

“We have a lot of guys, with that, and you see the depth chart. We have to look at Richard Crawford. We have to look at Aldrick Robinson who is showing his talent, some skill level, things like that. You always have Santana Moss, he’s in the back of your mind based on how that unfolds in those situations. That could be a good thing as well. DeAngelo Hall can do it. We have guys and I think we will be OK at that position. The kick returner is the same thing. We get the running back situation squared away. You’re talking about Evan Royster, you’re talking Roy Helu, you’re talking about Niles Paul, you’re talking about Tristan Davis. I don’t want to leave anybody out. I hesitate to give names because you leave a guy out and then they get mad, I get mad and it really wasn’t that. We have a lot of guys that can do it.”



On the kick return rule change and its impact after one season:

“I think it will grow. One season doesn’t make a study. I think it’s the decision-making, but ultimately, what I would like to see the league do is making better sense for these returners as well. As an example, we bring it from seven yards out and he brings it to the twenty yard line, that’s a 27-yard return. Well, 27-yard returns will be behind the league. Yet, you only got the ball on the 20-yard line, which you could have gotten by touching it down. So it’s distorted in a lot of players’ minds, ‘I’ve got to get that average, I’ve got to get that average,’ when ultimately in the game it’s about field position and where you put that ball in the field of play. I think that is a little distorted in these facts and figures. It’s the decision making on when to bring it and when not to. There are a lot of things that go in to that. It’s not a matter of if the ball is seven yards deep, the ball is eight yards deep. Who are you playing? What’s the situation? Are you home or away? You say ‘Why is that important?’ It’s important. When you’re home and you get the ball backed up, you have a chance. When you’re away and you have the ball backed up, and you watch it as the season progresses, it happens every year, I watch it tape after tape after tape, is the crowd in that end zone is on your butt and, damn, if we get don’t get a tackle that jumps early. Now you have distance there, five more there. So, it is important whether it’s home or away. What kind of kick is it? Is it a 3.0 [second] hang time? Is it a 4.0 [second] hang time? is it a 3.5 [second] hang time? All those things enter in to it whether a guy brings it or not. I thought at times we did a good job at that last year and I thought at times we did a bad job. I have so much confidence in Brandon, I let him make those decisions which I no longer will let him make.”


On if he advises him on a kick-by-kick basis:

“I do, and it’s often the film. So you say ‘That individual kick, how do you know? What time and all that stuff as it goes?’ Obviously he’s not timing it as he’s catching it. We go in, and he and I have looked at the last four games or whatever it might be. ‘Brandon, this kid, when he kicks the ball to the middle of the field you’ll get this time. When he kicks it to your right you’ll get this time. When he kicks it to the left you’ll get this time.’ There’s a lot of things that enter into that, so I’m going to narrow that down for him a lot and it’ll be more on me than on him.”



On dividing time for kickers in the preseason:

“Nothing is the right way or wrong way; you want to make it fair. You can do it a lot of different ways. You can do it by half. You can do it by every other kick. You can do it by game. But some of those things you don’t control as the game goes on. So you come out of the game, your guy has two kicks, this guy has five kicks, and that’s not fair. So what we decided to do is Graham [Gano] will start the game with the opening kickoff if we kick off. Graham will take the first PAT or the first field goal, whatever that is. That guy will also kickoff, so it’s some semblance of a game for him. He’s out on the field, he’s kicked the extra point or he’s kicked the field goal, now he has to get his tee and he has to go through his routine and go kickoff. Then the next guy is up. So it’s not every other kick. Now the bastard situation is to start the game. So Graham, if we kick off, will start the game, and he will take the next PAT and the next kickoff. Then Neil will be up. If we don’t kickoff, and we kickoff at the second half, then we’ll see how we ended the half to decide who will start the second half.”


On how they will try to make the kicking rotation equal:

“We will just alternate that through, so obviously it will be based on the number of touchdowns we get, or the number of field goals we attempt. I’m trying to make it game like for them. I’m trying to make it a routine for them, but I don’t want to make it every other kick.”


On how this competition for the kicker position compares to past competitions:

“This is a good battle. These are good players, these are good guys. You want to get a competitive guy. Neil Rackers is a very competitive guy, his career has shown that. It’s hard to do that. A lot of times guys just say ‘Get a leg in here.’ I’ve never been that kind of guy to just ‘have a leg in there.’ It’s games like this when you get ready for a preseason. There’s nothing worse than a kicker standing over there not doing a damn thing. There’s nothing worse than a punter standing over there, or a backup long snapper not doing anything. I hate it. By the same token, the running back coach and the tight end coach, they want another guy. Well, that same guy they want I need too. That’s the guy that’s covering the kicks in the second half tomorrow night. That’s the guy you that want doing things for me the next night in those preseason games. This is a good battle, and I only like it when it’s a battle. I don’t like to just have a guy. It’s my job to save their legs and organize how much they kick, when they kick, and things like that. Sav [Rocca] asked me today about Saturday’s practice. I said ‘Saturday’s practice? I’m trying to get 11 on the field tomorrow night.’ He said ‘Will we punt on Saturday?’ because these guys get into a routine. I said ‘Sav, I’ll answer that question after the game. You’re the only punter we have. It depends on the number of punts in the game. I’ll make that decision after the game. If we punt a lot, probably not. If we don’t punt a lot, we probably will. And I’ll tell you that after the game on the plane.’”


On if he has to wait for games to see how the kickers are progressing:

“It’s progressing well, but ultimately it’s games, and I think that’s what separates everybody and I think that’s what’s going to separate the guys that make this football team in other areas as well. I always use the example…it’s execution under pressure. It’s the same thing. Everyone out there thinks they can do your job. Everyone out there thinks they can do my job, and they can in some instances. It’s execution under pressure. When you have to have a score, when you have to go on the air and do this right, when you have to do this and I have to make that decision, we’re all in that boat. It’s about the execution under pressure. We’re going to try to put them in those pressure situations and see who executes the best.”



On if Graham Gano’s experience will give him more leeway:

“I don’t think so, and I don’t mean that to be a rub against Graham at all. My job is to get to know the other guy to feel comfortable with him too, and that’s the advantage for four preseason games. Obviously I know Graham better, but my job is to get to know the other guy well too, and we have four games to do so. You guys will know it too, I’m sure most of you will be able to pick it after four preseason games. It’s going to be on production.”


On if youth matters in selecting a kicker:

“No, it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve had young guys that have been very successful, I’ve had older guys. That’s why we’ve been able to get young guys in here over the years with the kicking like the guy we’re going to play against, [Buffalo Bills punter] Brian Moorman. I made Brian Moorman the starter with us in Buffalo and I was the one that got him there and we went with him because he was talented. I don’t care if he’s young or old. If he can kick, he’ll do.”



On bringing in competition for Graham Gano:

“It’s just a matter of consistency. It’s in all of us, and it’s just being consistent. Day in and day out you have to do it. You have to be in pressure situations and see how you operate in those pressure situations. Just because we do it for a couple years doesn’t mean we have it. Even as a coach in this league, you have new coaches in this league and they got their first contract and they think they’ve arrived. I don’t think you’ve arrived until you got another contract. That’s just me, and I think it’s the same with the kicker, so I treat it all the same. It’s a matter of being competitive and being on top of your game and I think the competition will make everyone better.”



On the blocked field goals last year:

“We had a lot of issues there last year, to be honest with you, and that’s a positive thing. It was a positive thing that it wasn’t one problem. It was here, and it was there, and it was there, and we kept sticking a finger in here, and it happened here, and we kept sticking a finger here, so it was a variety of issues, which makes it a little tougher as far as the correction of it, but yet it’s not one specific thing. Ultimately that’s me, that’s my fault, that’s my job, I take the blame for all of those situations. And we did have issues that we worked on and without point fingers and without being specific as far as different things, ultimately that’s me.”



On how the loss of defensive lineman Kedric Golston hurt the field goal protection last year:

“A lot. When you lose guys like that, as an example, we’re sitting in a meeting and we had a rookie long snapper a year ago playing on another team. I guess it was two years ago because now you were allowed to cover the center then and you’re not allowed to cover the center now. We’re sitting in a meeting, and I say ‘We need a guy to blast this center. It’s going to be his first game, it’s the middle of the season, no reps in the Pro Bowl. We’re going to try to shake him up and do this. I need the toughest son of gun in here to do that.’ Everybody yells out ‘Kedric!” So we did it with Kedric. My point is when you lose a guy like that, you lose a lot.”


On if he has a new role for linebacker Lorenzo Alexander on special teams:

“The difference on special teams is when you have big speed, speed kills on special teams, but small speed can get gashed. Big speed doesn’t get gashed. You can block a big guy but you don’t move big guys. You can block a small fast guy and you can move them to create space, and that is why Lorenzo is so special. So no, we don’t have a different role for him or anything like that. My job for Lorenzo is to protect Lorenzo, and I don’t mean to protect him from different things happening, and put him in situations to be successful. He is the guy getting doubled. He is the guy getting trapped. He gets everything. So he and I meet a lot on those things and it’s my job to keep moving him, keep helping him. We can’t just line him up in a position and let him go and they know exactly where he is at every down. Those kind of things you don’t see, him moving all over the place, and it has nothing to do with his weight loss or anything like that. It’s a matter of me trying to set him free, and people can’t load up on him.”


On if wide receiver Terrence Austin can be a reliable kick returner:

“I like Terrence. He’s a factor. He’s in the mix. Here’s a guy who comes to work every day, makes plays every day. I love Terrence Austin and he’s definitely in the mix.”

[Red_One43]

(Danny Smith) On the blocked field goals last year:

“We had a lot of issues there last year, to be honest with you, and that’s a positive thing. It was a positive thing that it wasn’t one problem. It was here, and it was there, and it was there, and we kept sticking a finger in here, and it happened here, and we kept sticking a finger here, so it was a variety of issues, which makes it a little tougher as far as the correction of it, but yet it’s not one specific thing. Ultimately that’s me, that’s my fault, that’s my job, I take the blame for all of those situations. And we did have issues that we worked on and without point fingers and without being specific as far as different things, ultimately that’s me.”

I know that one can spin anything into a positive, but someone help me understand how Danny believes that what wasn't one problem for the blocks was a positve thing. He later says because it was a variety of issues, it was tougher to correct. Wouldn't it be a lot easier if it was one problem so when you "stick your finger" in there, it gets fixed there.

That was one of the worst displays of special teams in league history. George Allen is probably still turning over in his grave. Joe Gibbs was probably having second thoughts on retiring after watching that. Did Shanny not give special teams the attention that it needed? Afterall Danny is the same ST guy under Gibbs and it was never this bad. It was never this bad under Zorn.

Glad that they are addressing it in camp.

[riggofan]

I know that one can spin anything into a positive, but someone help me understand how Danny believes that what wasn't one problem for the blocks was a positve thing. He later says because it was a variety of issues, it was tougher to correct. Wouldn't it be a lot easier if it was one problem so when you "stick your finger" in there, it gets fixed there.

LMAO. No doubt, man. I know they like Danny a lot here - and he seems like a cool guy, but I don't see how he kept his job after that performance last year. We've had a slew of bad kickers over the years, but I can't remember ever seeing the special teams play so badly as a unit.

[skinsfan#33]

(Danny Smith) On the blocked field goals last year:

“We had a lot of issues there last year, to be honest with you, and that’s a positive thing. It was a positive thing that it wasn’t one problem. It was here, and it was there, and it was there, and we kept sticking a finger in here, and it happened here, and we kept sticking a finger here, so it was a variety of issues, which makes it a little tougher as far as the correction of it, but yet it’s not one specific thing. Ultimately that’s me, that’s my fault, that’s my job, I take the blame for all of those situations. And we did have issues that we worked on and without point fingers and without being specific as far as different things, ultimately that’s me.”

I know that one can spin anything into a positive, but someone help me understand how Danny believes that what wasn't one problem for the blocks was a positve thing. He later says because it was a variety of issues, it was tougher to correct. Wouldn't it be a lot easier if it was one problem so when you "stick your finger" in there, it gets fixed there.

That was one of the worst displays of special teams in league history. George Allen is probably still turning over in his grave. Joe Gibbs was probably having second thoughts on retiring after watching that. Did Shanny not give special teams the attention that it needed? Afterall Danny is the same ST guy under Gibbs and it was never this bad. It was never this bad under Zorn.

Glad that they are addressing it in camp.

No the ST weren't that bad in the Zorn era, but they were bad. How about Danny Smith allowing ARE to jitter bug on PR for four years? Heck I’m 6’4” and weigh 300lbs and could have had a better punt return average than ARE just by taking two steps and falling forward, yet Danny kept trotting him out there! Danny Smith is the first coach I wanted fired when MS was hired. I didn't want him back! I want him gone now!

How mistake prone were our ST last year? They allowed 8 kicks to get blocked. Yes, I said 8! They had one extra point blocked, 5 FGs that were blocked and missed, and 2 FGs that were blocked but still went through!

Eight freaking blocks! None were blamed on the kicker for a low kick.

How about two 15 yard penalties in a row for unnecessary roughness on the punt coverage team in the Rams game (?) for hitting the player too high?

How about two touchdowns by Banks coming off of the board because of illegal blocks or the just genuine lack of holes the punt and kick return teams open up for Banks?

I personally don’t understand how Smith still has a job.

[Irn-Bru]

I personally don’t understand how Smith still has a job.

Maybe when ARE left town he gave his collection of incriminating Snyder photos to Danny Smith.

[masterkwon]

That little gum chewing nuisance should have been canned at halftime in December 2009 after calling the worst trick play in NFL history against the G-Men. That was more embarrassing than the all maroon uniforms they wore that night.

[Red_One43]

(Danny Smith) On the blocked field goals last year:

“We had a lot of issues there last year, to be honest with you, and that’s a positive thing. It was a positive thing that it wasn’t one problem. It was here, and it was there, and it was there, and we kept sticking a finger in here, and it happened here, and we kept sticking a finger here, so it was a variety of issues, which makes it a little tougher as far as the correction of it, but yet it’s not one specific thing. Ultimately that’s me, that’s my fault, that’s my job, I take the blame for all of those situations. And we did have issues that we worked on and without point fingers and without being specific as far as different things, ultimately that’s me.”

I know that one can spin anything into a positive, but someone help me understand how Danny believes that what wasn't one problem for the blocks was a positve thing. He later says because it was a variety of issues, it was tougher to correct. Wouldn't it be a lot easier if it was one problem so when you "stick your finger" in there, it gets fixed there.

That was one of the worst displays of special teams in league history. George Allen is probably still turning over in his grave. Joe Gibbs was probably having second thoughts on retiring after watching that. Did Shanny not give special teams the attention that it needed? Afterall Danny is the same ST guy under Gibbs and it was never this bad. It was never this bad under Zorn.

Glad that they are addressing it in camp.

No the ST weren't that bad in the Zorn era, but they were bad. How about Danny Smith allowing ARE to jitter bug on PR for four years? Heck I’m 6’4” and weigh 300lbs and could have had a better punt return average than ARE just by taking two steps and falling forward, yet Danny kept trotting him out there! Danny Smith is the first coach I wanted fired when MS was hired. I didn't want him back! I want him gone now!

How mistake prone were our ST last year? They allowed 8 kicks to get blocked. Yes, I said 8! They had one extra point blocked, 5 FGs that were blocked and missed, and 2 FGs that were blocked but still went through!

Eight freaking blocks! None were blamed on the kicker for a low kick.

How about two 15 yard penalties in a row for unnecessary roughness on the punt coverage team in the Rams game (?) for hitting the player too high?

How about two touchdowns by Banks coming off of the board because of illegal blocks or the just genuine lack of holes the punt and kick return teams open up for Banks?

I personally don’t understand how Smith still has a job.

If I remember correctly, Shanny tried to hire Bobby April (released by Buffalo when Chain Gailey took over and signed by the Eagles. He was heavily sought after by a lot of teams. Don't recall the Eagles being so great at special teams the last two years.

I hear you about can't believing that Danny has kept his job, but I also think that there is more to it than Danny, since Danny is well liked by coaches - maybe because he won't stand up to them - reading his comments in that article seem to say so.

If I remember correctly about ARE, Gibbs was ga ga over ARE and he said that he and Vinny wanted ARE. If Vinny wanted ARE, then you know The Danny did too. You sign him. You play him. If you think that little Danny Smith had to have a lot of say about personnel - Think ARCHULETA - even Gregg Williams couldn't overrule The Danny.

I can't defend Danny Smith's special teams record here, but I think that there is more to the story since a great coach like Gibbs would want him, Zorn would want him and now Shanny would want him.

[langleyparkjoe]

That little gum chewing nuisance should have been canned at halftime in December 2009 after calling the worst trick play in NFL history against the G-Men. That was more embarrassing than the all maroon uniforms they wore that night.

that had zorn written all over it though

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

I for one dug the article, thanks Red1.
The first couple paragraphs about BB... GOOD!

[Red_One43]

That little gum chewing nuisance should have been canned at halftime in December 2009 after calling the worst trick play in NFL history against the G-Men. That was more embarrassing than the all maroon uniforms they wore that night.

Let me take you back to that fateful Monday Night Football play that never should have happened.

When the Redskins lined up in that formation, the Giants were completed confused. Like a well coached team, they called timeout. At this point the gig was up. You go to something else. Who said, no, let's run it anyway? Danny Smith? No, it was Jim Zorn! The play's only chance was to run it with the Giants running around like their heads were cut off.

Zorn got away with running a trick play after a procedure penalty in a game earlier against Denver. It worked for a TD. To be fair, I give credit to Zorn on that one too.

To be fair, give Zorn his credit for calling the play after the Giants had a time out to defense it. Can't pin that one on Smith.

[Chris Luva Luva]

(Danny Smith) On the blocked field goals last year:

“We had a lot of issues there last year, to be honest with you, and that’s a positive thing. It was a positive thing that it wasn’t one problem.

I believe that he's saying that they corrected a mistake, the mistake wasn't repeated but a unique situation would crop up.... They'd correct that new mistake, it wouldn't happen again but another unique situation would pop up.


So it's a positive in that the player/s took the correction, and applied it successfully and displayed improvement.

Also, it looks to be that it just one player that was the issue. And it all stemmed from injury.

[Red_One43]

I for one dug the article, thanks Redskin1.
The first couple paragraphs about BB... GOOD!

Fixed it for you, gotta give 1niksder the credit for the article and yes, Danny Smith deserves some credit for taking BB under his wing.

[Red_One43]

(Danny Smith) On the blocked field goals last year:

“We had a lot of issues there last year, to be honest with you, and that’s a positive thing. It was a positive thing that it wasn’t one problem.

I believe that he's saying that they corrected a mistake, the mistake wasn't repeated but a unique situation would crop up.... They'd correct that new mistake, it wouldn't happen again but another unique situation would pop up.


So it's a positive in that the player/s took the correction, and applied it successfully and displayed improvement.

Also, it looks to be that it just one player that was the issue. And it all stemmed from injury.

Thanks, that clears it up for me. I doubt that Shanny put the extra time in to get these injury replacements up to snuff. I could be wrong, but it sounds like they just put bodies in there. I am a strong believer in the George Allen philosophy of practicing Teams to perfection.

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

I for one dug the article, thanks Redskin1.
The first couple paragraphs about BB... GOOD!

Fixed it for you, gotta give 1niksder the credit for the article and yes, Danny Smith deserves some credit for taking BB under his wing.

Ah, thanks for fixing.my thanks!

[DarthMonk]

(Danny Smith) On the blocked field goals last year:

“We had a lot of issues there last year, to be honest with you, and that’s a positive thing. It was a positive thing that it wasn’t one problem. It was here, and it was there, and it was there, and we kept sticking a finger in here, and it happened here, and we kept sticking a finger here, so it was a variety of issues, which makes it a little tougher as far as the correction of it, but yet it’s not one specific thing. Ultimately that’s me, that’s my fault, that’s my job, I take the blame for all of those situations. And we did have issues that we worked on and without point fingers and without being specific as far as different things, ultimately that’s me.”

I know that one can spin anything into a positive, but someone help me understand how Danny believes that what wasn't one problem for the blocks was a positve thing. He later says because it was a variety of issues, it was tougher to correct. Wouldn't it be a lot easier if it was one problem so when you "stick your finger" in there, it gets fixed there.

That was one of the worst displays of special teams in league history. George Allen is probably still turning over in his grave. Joe Gibbs was probably having second thoughts on retiring after watching that. Did Shanny not give special teams the attention that it needed? Afterall Danny is the same ST guy under Gibbs and it was never this bad. It was never this bad under Zorn.

Glad that they are addressing it in camp.

Yeah. Just heard this on the radio. Smith's statements here were kinda like a post by The Squealster - nonsensical.

From a Gano thread:

BTW - we are also #2 in Kickoff in spite of the OOB kicks which were clearly called by Smith and often dribbled out around the 5 yard line. Just stop calling for 'em coach. Actually, maybe our gripe should go higher up. Maybe Shanny needs to see that Special Teams coaching is lacking on Place Kicking Protection as well as in decision making concerning attempting pylon kicks.

DarthMonk

Darthmonk