The NFL has just completed the first quarter of its 16-game season and in Washington, it’s been an interesting one. From the Redskins first 17-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins through this past week’s 23-20 win against NFC East division rival Philadelphia Eagles, the season has had a few bumps to this point. But things have progressed in a way that indicate that fans might not have to bear the familiar attrition as the season progresses that they have endured in seasons past. The direction of the franchise is trending up, not down.
As we head into Week 5 of the Washington Redskins 2015 regular season, it’s a good time to take a look at what we’ve learned about this team. Here’s a look at least one of the things we’ve learned about the Redskins so far in 2015:
Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry is a better defensive coordinator than some may have thought
When Barry was brought in from the Detroit Lions, there was a huge question mark about whether or not he was going to be a good DC. The Lions’ defense that he was part of in 2007 and 2008 was not good (it ranked 32nd in total defense both years) even though the team improved from 3-13 in 2006 to 7-9 in 2007. What some people don’t realize is that the 2007 Lions team was tied for third in the league in takeaways with 17 INTs, 33 fumble recoveries and 37 sacks. Unfortunately, in 2008 the Lions were 0-16 but his defense was opportunistic, ranking 10th in the league in sacks per pass play. There were a lot of circumstances that were involved in why the Lions as a team were so bad but sometimes the facts get lost in the translation. A lot of people were skeptical that he could do the job he was hired to do here in Washington. They don’t think about how resourceful the defenses he’s been involved with have been, for instance. Consider this: in 2002 – the year he was linebackers coach for the Super Bowl winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bucs top-ranked defense limited the Oakland Raiders’ top-ranked offense to 269 yards. The Bucs forced five INTs, three of which were returned for touchdowns including the game-winning score by 11-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks. Brooks was but one of the many Tampa Bay LBs that went to the Pro Bowl in all of Barry’s time as the Bucs linebackers’ coach which was from 2001 – 2006.
Since the former Michigan linebacker came to Washington, he has definitely put his mark on the defense and one of the most notable ways is in the energy and the quickness with which his squad plays. Chris Baker is doing particularly well in the scheme as seen in his two sacks against Sam Bradford and the Philadelphia Eagles last week; and Terrance Knighton fits really well into it because he is deceptively fast for such big man. As well, some of the defensive alignment changes Barry brought with his slightly different 3-4 scheme (that are different than former DC Jim Haslett’s) benefits guys like Stephen Paea with his athleticism. And this will benefit the secondary eventually.
Why? Because they’re playing more press-man coverage than their typical Cover 3 and the off-man coverage that Haslett had them playing. One of the reasons Haslett’s secondaries had so much trouble succeeding was because there was not enough pressure up front. This season, they’re getting this from defensive linemen Jason Hatcher, Baker, Paea and Knighton combined with the outside linebackers’ —Ryan Kerrigan, Trent Murphy and rookie Preston Smith — and it’s showing up in sacks and QB hurries.
Barry’s scheme is especially helpful for a guy like cornerback Chris Culliver who is so good in press man coverage. While he hasn’t been known for his first-step breakaway speed, his recovery speed is excellent and he can stick to his man. And while run defense hasn’t ever been one of Culliver’s strengths, it is a strength of Murphy and Baker. As well, when healthy and on the field; wherever the ball is, there one will usually find veteran CB DeAngelo Hall. It is a team sport and Barry’s scheme takes advantage of this. The defensive players here in Washington are here because General Manager Scot McCloughan (with input, of course) thought they were the best guys to fit Barry’s scheme. When one is put into a good situation scheme-wise, it’s easier to buy in. These players have also bought into his energy and it shows during practices and on game day. This is a credit to him as a coach as much as it is the players’ talent.
With safety Duke Ihenacho, Culliver and Hall officially out against the 4-0 Atlanta Falcons this weekend, it’s going to be up to guys like CB Bashaud Breeland, former wide-out-turned-cornerback Quinton Dunbar, veteran corner Will Blackmon and “rookie-safety-playing-slot-more-than-anyone-guessed” Kyshoen Jarrett to really step up. So far, these guys have looked pretty good given the situation the defense is in with those key injuries. Barry has a lot of confidence in all of them and, whether or not they make their share of mistakes or simply fill in seamlessly, they’re all eager for the task. So far, his unit has ranked highly for most of the season. Hopefully they can continue to do so against a really good offense in the Falcons with Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman.
“Absolutely,” Barry said when asked if he had confidence in Breeland after watching his film from last season’s Dallas win. “Bree had a great game in that game last year. The thing about it, you’ve got to obviously give those great wide outs their due because they obviously deserve it. They’re game changers. But also at the point you’ve got to be able to do what you do and not get completely out of whack. No, I’m glad that we do have a guy like Breeland that has been able to go against top-notch wide outs and perform very well.”
While some may think it’s going to be easier for the Redskins to play the Falcons because of prior knowledge of Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, it is not wise to necessarily buy into that. Don’t think for a minute Shanahan won’t self-scout and come up with some surprises for Washington. He is pretty much of a genius when it comes to play design… it’s going to be a tough matchup. But Barry has his guys playing really hard for him and so far, he looks like he knows what he’s doing with this new 3-4 scheme and how best to use it.
Tomorrow: What We’ve Learned – Part 2