Don't Look Now ...

[DarthMonk]

... but the Redskin defense is up to #20 which is 8 spots better than last year.

Since the first 2 debacles this year they have been ... get this ... a top 10 defense.

I think our most costly unit has been specials ... by a mile. I remember a few games back we finally returned a kick off for more yards than than teams were AVERAGING AGAINST US ON PUNT RETURN.

I'm gonna have to rethink my position on the coaching staff - especially Haz.

[Irn-Bru]

... but the Redskin defense is up to #20 which is 8 spots better than last year.

Since the first 2 debacles this year they have been ... get this ... a top 10 defense.

I think our most costly unit has been specials ... by a mile. I remember a few games back we finally returned a kick off for more yards than than teams were AVERAGING AGAINST US ON PUNT RETURN.

I'm gonna have to rethink my position on the coaching staff - especially Haz.

When your special teams is epically bad . . . like, historically awful . . . it can make any defense look bad.

Still, I hadn't realized our D stacked up so well in yards (after our first couple of games). I had noticed some improvement, but even "mediocre" still sounds kinda generous to me.

[brad7686]

Jenkins and Cofield look healthy, safety is a little more stable. Haslett is still terrible, but no matter how bad the coach is, being as bad as they were earlier in the year has to fall on the players to some degree. And a lot of them were nicked up.

[DarthMonk]

Did some more digging. Football Outsiders analyzes every freaking play by every team to compute a DVOA (look it up).

We are dead last in specials.

Kansas City is First.

We are very bad in every category but dead last in punt cover and #30 in punt return.

We are also #26 in FG/XP, #28 in kick off cover, and #25 in kick return.

Specials cost us on the order of 100 yards per game in field position. In spite of everything, we are likely playing for the playoffs this weekend with specials that are simply average.

[SkinsJock]

Did some more digging. Football Outsiders analyzes every freaking play by every team to compute a DVOA (look it up).

We are dead last in specials. - Kansas City is First. We are very bad in every category but dead last in punt cover and #30 in punt return. We are also #26 in FG/XP, #28 in kick off cover, and #25 in kick return. Specials cost us on the order of 100 yards per game in field position.
In spite of everything, we are likely playing for the playoffs this weekend with specials that are simply average.

Ken Burns is most definitely gone - I'm sure his unit was hurt by the cap as well but our Special Teams play is just horrible

[DarthMonk]

Did some more digging. Football Outsiders analyzes every freaking play by every team to compute a DVOA (look it up).

We are dead last in specials. - Kansas City is First. We are very bad in every category but dead last in punt cover and #30 in punt return. We are also #26 in FG/XP, #28 in kick off cover, and #25 in kick return. Specials cost us on the order of 100 yards per game in field position.
In spite of everything, we are likely playing for the playoffs this weekend with specials that are simply average.

Ken Burns is most definitely gone - I'm sure his unit was hurt by the cap as well but our Special Teams play is just horrible

As noted by the Deadman ... Keith.

I think one of the reasons Shanny gave for going to a 3-4 was the extra LBs it gives you for specials. Kinda funny.

[ACW]

The Cap robbery at least prevented us from re-signing 'Zo.

[rskin72]

Just because our D is ranked 20th is no cause for celebration. The D I have watched this season.....and other seasons with Haz as coach.....is a bend but don't break D. Unfortunately they seem to break too often....and cannot be the dominant unit if the offense is not clicking and putting up points. I have never liked Haz as a top DC....and would hope that he will be replaced in offseason.

The ST coach should have been fired a while ago.

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

Just because our D is ranked 20th is no cause for celebration. The D I have watched this season.....and other seasons with Haz as coach.....is a bend but don't break D. Unfortunately they seem to break too often....and cannot be the dominant unit if the offense is not clicking and putting up points. I have never liked Haz as a top DC....and would hope that he will be replaced in offseason.

The ST coach should have been fired a while ago.

Does this take into.account the crap teams we play.. holding Atlanta to 31 isn't something to be proud of.. #justsayin