WT: Redskins have some pieces that fit, some that don’t (Haslett quote)

[Lavarleap56]

"I come to work, I work hard, I do the best I can with what we got and try to put these guys in position to win games and be successful on defense,” “That’s all really I can do.”

Maybe I'm reading into this too much but this sounds off to me. Throughout the Defensive struggles this season players have publicly went to bat for Haz saying "scheme is too easy of a excuse, at some point players have to make plays" - LF. Various players have echoed Fletchers echoed that statement the past few weeks. I talked to one defensive player this morning who already said "sounds like he's just saying we suck and it's not on him".

On the heels of Shanahan "evaluation" gate this can't be good for morale. Coaches slipping/cracking in the media, undisciplined play, and lack of intensity by the defense are telling signs. Maybe that's why there is talk of Haslett having till Thanksgiving to show improvement.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2012...ome-that-dont/
Maybe I'm just reading too much into the quote on a bye week..

[Taylor703]

And people seriously think it can get worse or do no good to fire this chump now....

[Boss_Hogg]

How in the blue hell can that man say he put's the players into position(s) to win? I see 15 yard cushions on 3rd 5, a 3 man pass rush, soft zone, a cover zero on a crucial 3rd down, etc. etc. etc.

[Skins4Life6388]

Fire the ****ing loser

[fordranger76]

Sounds like frustration and at the same time sounds like a coach that is possibly on the way out.

[Lavarleap56]

How in the blue hell can that man say he put's the players into position(s) to win? I see 15 yard cushions on 3rd 5, a 3 man pass rush, soft zone, a cover zero on a crucial 3rd down, etc. etc. etc.

Clearly we don't understand his awesome strategies

[Forehead]

Maybe I read it on here, maybe I heard it on the radio, but somewhere I remember getting the idea that Haslett never wanted to run a 3-4, he wanted to run a 4-3, but Shanahan was convinced the 3-4 was the direction the league was going and insisted on that scheme. Is there any truth to this? As for the OP, is does sound like a bit of CYA on Haslett's part, though I think he's right. There's not much you can do to hide Reed Doughty and Madieu Williams, among others.

---------- Post added November-9th-2012 at 10:16 AM ----------

How in the blue hell can that man say he put's the players into position(s) to win? I see 15 yard cushions on 3rd 5, a 3 man pass rush, soft zone, a cover zero on a crucial 3rd down, etc. etc. etc.

Well, as to the cushions, we saw what can happen at the end of the Giants game when you don't give a huge cushion. The safeties aren't fast enough to help over the top; it's on the CB's to keep people in front of them.

[bradboyd80]

What a tool. His players go to bat for him to deflect the attention, and here he is throwing them under the bus.

[justice98]

But on the other hand, does anybody really think a change in scheme is gonna help some of these dudes? You've got 6-7 guys in the secondary that probably shouldn't be on the team, let alone the ones that are starting. Our best OLB can't beat one on one matchups. And our MLB's 100 years old. Haslett's trying to make chicken salad out of you-know-what and failing miserably, but without a talent infusion or simply guys coming back from injury, I don't care who's calling the signals, it's gonna be rough.

[PortisBetts]

No, your not reading to much into it at all. He sounds like he just doesnt give a ****. Your doing your best? Well its not working, so either adapt and change your scheme in some way, or get the **** out. If the players arent playing the scheme correctly, that does not absolve you of blame. It only means that not only are you not coaching the player correctly if they dont know what they are doing, but the player also isnt putting in the time, which again, goes back to the coach and accountability.

[KDawg]

Maybe I read it on here, maybe I heard it on the radio, but somewhere I remember getting the idea that Haslett never wanted to run a 3-4, he wanted to run a 4-3, but Shanahan was convinced the 3-4 was the direction the league was going and insisted on that scheme. Is there any truth to this? As for the OP, is does sound like a bit of CYA on Haslett's part, though I think he's right. There's not much you can do to hide Reed Doughty and Madieu Williams, among others..

It doesn't make a LICK of difference if he's right or not. It's NOT something that you say. If you point fingers, you lose your team. The finger needs to point at them AND back at yourself. Letting yourself off does nothing to help you win football games at any level.

As far as scheme is concerned, he signed on knowing what Shanahan wanted to do. He didn't have to take the money. He did. He's responsible just as much as Shanahan is.

LL, where's that Haslett quote from? Just curious. I'd like to read it in context.

[Forehead]

Oh, I don't disagree that he shouldn't have said it, it's like Shanahan's recent press conference, you can think it all you want. All I was saying was that he was covering his butt, and is probably correct in his assessment. Poor way to go about correcting it however.

[Lavarleap56]

Maybe I read it on here, maybe I heard it on the radio, but somewhere I remember getting the idea that Haslett never wanted to run a 3-4, he wanted to run a 4-3, but Shanahan was convinced the 3-4 was the direction the league was going and insisted on that scheme. Is there any truth to this? As for the OP, is does sound like a bit of CYA on Haslett's part, though I think he's right. There's not much you can do to hide Reed Doughty and Madieu Williams, among others.

---------- Post added November-9th-2012 at 10:16 AM ----------



Well, as to the cushions, we saw what can happen at the end of the Giants game when you don't give a huge cushion. The safeties aren't fast enough to help over the top; it's on the CB's to keep people in front of them.

Yeah we have talked about Hazbeen never wanting to run a 3-4 here in DC. You don't say that publicly about your players, especially when they have been good captains and gone to bat for you in the media. Haz already had lost some of the lockeroom way before this.. Comments like this won't help mend any fences.

[terpskins10]

There's not much you can do to hide Reed Doughty and Madieu Williams, among others.

I think that's too big an excuse for Haslett.

I always believed that scheme is a huge part of playing defense. I believe if you have a group of players who have proven that they can at least play at an NFL level (which, like it or not, all our defensive players have at one point or another), you can scheme up a defense that is at least decent. Surely not one of the worst in league history, as we're seeing right now.

Even if it isn't scheme, Green and Mann I think hit it on the head about coaching fundamentals. I realize Haslett isn't a position coach, but his job is to get his staff to get the most out of these players and then rely on his evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses to put together a gameplan. The guy may not be totally at fault, but it isn't a coincidence that he's never been a good defensive coach no matter what team or group of players he has coached.

Truly think a great defensive mind would at least be able to turn this group of guys into a top 20 defense. That's not asking a lot, IMO, no matter WHAT players you have back there.

[dawgjk9]

I hope our D improves...but haslett and slowik both need to be gone. we need better defensive personnel but we also need someone who knows WTF they are doing there.