Post email: Defense Keeps Everyone Guessing

[MTK]

The Redskins have yet to get their starting defense on the field at the same time for a preseason game and are all but certain not to be able to do so in Friday's exhibition finale given injuries. However, Gregg Williams, assistant head coach -- defense, said that even if the team had been healthy, he is reluctant to put his top 11 defenders on the field at once.

Washington's coaching staff, which has closed practices to the fans and media for much of training camp, is taking no chances with allowing opponents to gain information about their personnel and tendencies. Williams said there have been times when the entire first team defense has worked together on the practice field -- with some injured players like linebacker Mike Barrow walking through drills without pads and simulating game conditions -- but never when anyone outside the organization has been around to see it.

"We've tried to give everybody the opportunity to play," Williams said, "and [allow the coaches to] see a lot of different combinations, and it also keeps [week one opponent] Tampa Bay wondering."

Williams said that even if all of his players had been available to use in a preseason contest he would not use them all at once. Starting safeties Sean Taylor and Matt Bowen, for instance, have each spent time with the backups in some exhibition games, while the team has yet to use its top three linebackers -- Barrow, LaVar Arrington and Marcus Washington -- in the same game.

In the last preseason game, a 28-3 loss in St. Louis, Williams intentionally yanked his starting defensive line -- minus injured end Phillip Daniels -- off the field earlier than he pulled his secondary. He wanted to put some of his young defensive backs in a difficult situation when the team lacked a pass rush to show them how challenging their position can be. It is likely that Williams will continue to experiment with his lineup in Friday's game against Atlanta, and he is again looking for younger players to make their mark.

"For some of these young guys it's their last chance to get a shot and redeem themselves," Williams said.

-- Jason La Canfora