The Redskin Report

After another disastrous performance the Redskins defense is ranked 30th in the NFL. This once proud defense has dipped into joke territory and Gregg Williams’ nickname has moved from genius to doofus. So what exactly has gone wrong this year? Lets check out the numbers and see what we can find.

Pass Defense

Not surprisingly the Redskins have the worst pass defense in the NFL this year if you use stats adjusted by opponent. The pass defense has declined in every aspect compared to last year:

While the performance has been worse across the board, the strugges against #1 WR, TE and RB stand out above the rest. The problems with number one receivers can be explained in two words: Shawn Springs. When he’s in the line-up and completely healthy, Springs is one of the best in the game. He doesn’t get the pub of a Champ Bailey or a DeAngelo Hall, but he is right up in that class.

The running back and tight end struggles point to weak linebacking play. For all the talk of how awful Carlos Rogers, Sean Taylor and Adam Archuleta have been (and don’t get me wrong, they’ve sucked fiercely for the most part), its actually the linebackers who’ve had the bigger drop-off this season.

Its been clearly established by nearly everyone that Warrick Holdman has to be replaced, so there is no need to expunge on that here. In the middle, Lemar Marshall has taken an undeniable step back this year. Last year he was great in coverage as you’d expect from a former college secondary player. This year, whether he has been hampered by injuries or just struggling he’s been a step slow in pass defense. Marshall, with his small stature can be a liability on rush defense, so unless he’s top notch in coverage he just isn’t a starting caliber middle linebacker.

Marcus Washington also declined this year. He wasn’t terrible, but his playmaking ability wasn’t there. He wasn’t nearly as effective when blitzing and often seemed a step behind on pass coverage. We haven’t seen enough of Rocky McIntosh to make an assessment on his coverage skills.

Of course the other key aspect of pass coverage is pressuring the quarterback. For what seems like the 50th consecutive year, the Redskins have had limited pass rush. Andre Carter is finally living up to his 30 million dollar contract of late, but for the 1st 10 games he was pretty much silent. Kedric Golston has shown glimpses of being a good pass rusher, but Cornelius Griffin hasn’t produced at nearly the same level as the past two seasons. The rest of the lineman just aren’t pass rushers.

How to Fix it:

• Find a safety who can start beside Sean Taylor. Taylor has struggled at times this year, but nothing compared to the pitiful performances by the other safeties. Vernon Fox is great special teamer and a decent depth option in the secondary, but he isn’t a starting safety. Don’t pay someone a bazillion dollars or anything, just find a guy who can be solid and do his job. A Ryan Clark-esque kinda player is exactly what the doctor ordered.
• Figure out how to get a consistent pass rush. If you can find an impact player in the draft, I’d go for it but otherwise I’d just look for a Chris Clemons type of player: a situational pass rusher, who can come in on 3rd downs and help Carter get some pressure. With Carter, Golston and if Griffin can return to form, the Redskins have a solid foundation to build from on the defensive line.
• The toughest decision? What to do at corner? Can you depend on Shawn Springs to stay healthy next year? If the Skins decide he can, then you restructure his deal to keep him and go find a decent (i.e. not Kenny Wright) 3rd corner. If the Skins think Springs days as an every-week corner are over, they have a few options. They can move Springs to safety to fill that void and go out and try to find a number one corner (Nate Clements is the name most mentioned). If the Skins choose this path, and can re-sign Troy Vincent, they may be able to get by without finding a nickel corner as you can move Springs or Vincent into that role on obvious passing downs. I don’t think it needs to be mentioned, but Carlos Rogers obviously isn’t ready to be a top corner in the NFL.