Straight outta.........Compton (his brain)
Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 1:15 am
Serving as qb of the D, Will Compton has made or Defense better.
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Straight Outta Compton: Will Compton Is A Redskin With Attitude
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LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 20: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Buffalo Bills rushes past inside linebacker Will Compton #51 of the Washington Redskins at FedExField on December 20, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 20: Quarterback Tyrod Taylor #5 of the Buffalo Bills rushes past inside linebacker Will Compton #51 of the Washington Redskins at FedExField on December 20, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
By Kevin Ross II
The defense has been the heart and soul of this Redskins team. Their surprisingly dominant play can be linked to one player– inside linebacker Will Compton.
Compton’s stamp on the ball club started against the New England Patriots as he replaced linebacker Perry Riley, who was benched because of performance. In that game against the Patriots, Perry Riley played 49 snaps and did not register a single tackle. Once Compton entered the game he played 52 snaps but tallied a team high of 10 tackles.
The Redskins were handedly beat in Foxboro, but those inside the organization were optimistic that the defense’s strong showing against New England could be a turning point in the season. The very next week against New Orleans, Compton was added to the starting lineup as linebacker Keenan Robinson was listed as “inactive” with a shoulder/neck injury. It was no coincidence that with Compton in the lineup the defense played its best game of the season. In that game the Redskins held what is now the No. 3 ranked offense in the NFL to a pedestrian 14 points. Compton’s impact on the defense was blatant and he has been in the starting lineup ever since.
When looking at the statistics, Compton’s numbers are not otherworldly. Right now he is averaging 7.5 combined tackles per game. To add perspective, Keenan Robinson, whom he replaced, was averaging 7 tackles per game. So if the statistics are identical, how can Will Compton be looked at as the reason for the defense’s success? The answer is simple: Compton makes those around him better.
If you take a peek at Compton’s collegiate achievements at Nebraska, you’ll find a slew of academic honors. Compton is an extremely cerebral individual and he is able to use his smarts on the field of play. If you’re an undrafted player like WIll Compton and the scouts have you rated as too small and too slow to play at the next level, you have to overcompensate on the mental side of the game. This is what Compton has had to do in order to see the field, and it has paid dividends for Washington.
Due to hours of film study, Will Compton has become a master at pre-snap reads. He’s able to analyze an offense in seconds based on factors such as the formation of the play, the personnel package, and the game’s situation. He then can organize his defense based off of what the offense is most likely to do. Since Compton has been in the lineup, the Redskins have improved on run defense, pass rush, and pass defense. And it’s because the players are in the best situation to succeed.
If Compton is on his game, the defense is quarterbacked as well as any unit in the National Football League. Compton receives credit for bringing a vast intellect to the field, but he’s also tough, nasty, and he plays with an attitude. He’ll have the defense ready to play against Philadelphia.
Kevin Ross is a freelance writer covering all things Washington Redskins. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
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