Softest defense in NFL history?
OK, now that I have your attention, I'll pull back from that statement at least slightly when referring to the weak-kneed ill-conceived Washington Redskins defense of Gregg Williams, who came from Buffalo as a well respected, pressure-D guru. Just not sure why. ...
Oh, wait, we interrupt this blog entry to bring you a -- can it be? -- sack of Tony Romo on a third-and-12 play deep in the Cowboys' end with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter.
While the Skins have given themselves a shot because of this stop, fact remains this is about the first possession of the second half that didn't end with a Romo-to-wide-open-Terrell Owens touchdown.
Anyone watching the Redskins as a fan, or just with morbid curiousity, in recent weeks has grown used to seeing Washington squander halftime leads and killing itself with late-arriving blitzes. The Eagles killed the Skins with a screen to Brian Westbrook that went for 56 yards and a TD last week where nobody spied the safety-valve back.
The Giants' Eli Manning earlier picked apart the Skins' soft cover-2 with short dropbacks and quick releases. Romo has simply done the same against a defense that has ZERO toughness without safety Sean Taylor and that's doing a terrible job with zone coverage responsibilities, basically just letting Owens run free. "Oh, never mind him. He's not very good." It's almost as though the Skins' blitz packages are designed to only arrive 2 seconds after Romo's released the ball, converting yet another 3rd-and-long. Well, sometimes London Fletcher simply drops a gift interception. But that's a different gripe.
This brings me to a bigger point, one that might interest NASCAR fans of Team Gibbs if not the remaining Redskins fans in this state: Are Gibbs' teams just soft? And is this team personality a reflection on Gibbs as he heads into the twilight of his coaching career?
I'd say yes to both, reluctantly. To let the Patriots off the hook for running up the score on them a few weeks back was unforgivable and likely violated the NFL "code": You don't let yourself be humiliated without at least punching somebody in the mouth for showing the lack of respect to run up the score on you. I would've suggested doing bodily harm to Tom Brady -- assuming somebody could get to him, which is a lot to assume. You can be sure the Steelers would break Brady in half if in that situation, unless they could actually deliver a body blow to Bellicheck himself on the sideline. The Redskins took the beating and pretty much said: "Thank you, sir, can have I another?"
Jim Young and I visited that subject on a recent Radio Free Sports podcast. I expect the issue of the Skins' softness to return as this season winds down with Washington again a longshot for the playoffs. I believe Gibbs has earned too much respect to be fired or forced out. But it might be time for him to pose these questions to himself: Does this team have a too-soft, too-nice personality? And is it time for me to step aside?
Then again, Jason Campbell has shown some promise at QB and Clinton Portis, when healthy, has given the Redskins' a running threat. So maybe Gibbs just needs a new defensive coordinator. Again.
I'm sure Panthers fans, down to 88-year-old Vinny Testaverde at quarterback, could care less. But I just had to vent.