[GMScud]

Originally Posted by scowan

I love the Tuesday Morning QB article that Gregg Easterbrook writes for ESPN this week.
I've cut and pasted an interesting view he has on the Redskins defense from this past Sunday..........

On opening day, Redskins' defensive coordinator Jim Haslett called a dozen safety blitzes against Dallas, a high number, and the Skins escaped with a one-point victory on the final snap. On Sunday, Washington held a comfortable 17-point lead over the visiting Texans late in the third quarter. Play straight defense, and victory is likely. Instead, Haslett called 19 blitzes on the 40 Houston remaining snaps; Washington lost in overtime. Houston ran 40 plays from the late third quarter on? That's the sort of thing that happens against a blitz-wacky defense. Blitz, blitz, blitz resulted in 526 yards of offense, 29 first downs and 30 points allowed.

If you were wondering why NFL teams don't blitz constantly -- listening to sportsyak, you'd think the blitz is a magic formula for instant success -- the Washington collapse against Houston is your answer.

The low point came with the Redskins leading 27-20, the Moo Cows facing fourth-and-10 on the Washington 34 just before regulation's two-minute warning. Washington did not need a sack or turnover, just an incompletion. The Skins blitzed, leaving Andre Johnson -- among the league's best players -- single-covered in the end zone by safety Reed Doughty. Johnson out-leapt Doughty for the touchdown that caused overtime, a great catch. Three Skins defensive backs from the nickel package were standing in the center of the field covering no one, as the opposition's best player was single-covered in the end zone. This is the sort of thing that happens when a team blitzes too much.

Good find. I mentioned something similar in another thread, and GTripp sort of shot down the notion. But honestly it seems pretty simple to me. They've been throwing all over us all day, why not play a little safer with a 17 point lead in the second half by running the ball more and blitzing less? I can appreciate Haslett's aggressiveness, but we have to be smart about it. That kind of blitzing against one of the premier passing attacks in the league is obviously not too smart.