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Good article on Washington's defensive philosophy (1 Viewer)

redman

Footballguy
Washington's 'D' chooses short end of the stick By Jeff Reynolds (jreynolds@pfwmedia.com) LinkWhat makes Gregg Williams the coach he is today are the eight years he spent molding the lives of teenagers as a high school coach in Missouri from 1980-87.He learned about being humble, about humbling others. How to coach and be coached. Most importantly, Williams learned these two things: Never stop learning and never accept “good enough” — great is always possible.Williams, in his second season as Washington’s defensive coordinator — officially, the Redskins call Williams, who is among the highest-paid defensive coaches in football, assistant head coach/defense — is imparting those lessons to his new students and continues to apply them to himself.In a 2004 season in which scoring rose to a record pace, the Redskins gave up more than 21 points just twice — 28 apiece to Philadelphia and Green Bay — and allowed just 16.6 points per game (fifth-best in the NFL). Overall, the defense ranked second and finished in the top five in nine defensive categories in Williams’ first season in the nation’s capital.“I told them, ‘Hey, pat yourselves on the back. You did some things we haven’t done around here in a while,’ ” Williams said.No, the outwardly mild-mannered but intense, tough-love coach wasn’t going for positive reinforcement. Cancel the party and don’t pat anyone on the back unless you are refining a swim move. Williams was just getting started.“But it wasn’t good enough,” Williams said. “We didn’t help our offense enough. Six wins isn’t good enough.”Any average offense would have been pure gold if it could call on Williams’ defense for backup. For the sake of argument, we’ll use the Saints, the No. 15 offense in the league last season, which averaged 21.8 points and would have outscored Washington's opponent in 14-of-16 games in 2004. The Saints posted an 8-8 record last year, but let’s get one thing straight — it wasn’t the defense lagging behind in Washington last season.Washington needs to be nearly flawless on defense to win against top competition. In Week One, it held Chicago to seven points to start the year 1-0 for the second straight season. But it wasn’t as easy as maybe it should have been. The defense needed an interception at the goal line to avoid being knocked off by the Bears, instead holding on for a 9-7 victory.Williams doesn’t want to create an offense vs. defense rub, or any situation where his 11 must declare superiority to the other side of the ball. As inept as the Redskins were (scoring fewer than 17 points 11 times in ’04), Williams put the onus on his defense. Williams wants each of his players, and the defense as a whole, to be responsible for making the Redskins winners.“Any defense is measured by points allowed and takeaways,” Williams said. “We have to do a better job helping our offense by taking the ball away.”The Redskins don’t have a star-studded defense. LaVar Arrington, arguably the most talented player on Williams’ defense, was limited to four games and recorded just 11 tackles in ’04. Arrington, who signed an eight-year, $68 million contract in December 2003, remains a virtual unknown to Williams (Arrington recorded one tackle in the season opener vs. Chicago).“Everywhere I’ve ever been — and the same goes for everywhere (DL coach) Greg Blache has been, (LB coach) Dale Lindsey, (secondary/passing game coach) Steve Jackson — I’ve been able to get people to play harder than they’ve played before,” Williams said. “There is no discount on how hard you have to play. I’m not going to tolerate anything but the best (effort). I don’t care where you were drafted or how much money you make. I’ll run you out of here faster than you came in.“We had 11 injuries to key personnel, used 15 street free agents last year. We’re looking for smart, tough football players. I don’t think you can overlook how smart and tough a (player is). There are a lot of people in this league who prostitute themselves on change of direction, flash in the pan, 40-yard dash, vertical leap … it’s so much more important to watch a player on the football field than watching them run a 40-yard dash.”That idea comes from the top. Head coach Joe Gibbs made sure upon his return that his personnel department and scouts didn’t fall in love with “measurables.” Gibbs told the coaching staff, which aids in scouting in Washington as much with any team in the league, to remember character and football smarts. Those are the kind of players known as “Gibbs guys.”Those players are also proven to be the most coachable. Gibbs has 22 years of NFL experience, while assistant head coach/offense Joe Bugel has 28. Williams (15), Blache (18) and Lindsey (28) are also vastly experienced. Such an assembly was possible because of Gibbs’ reputation and, perhaps as critical, owner Daniel Snyder’s wallet.“What a breath of fresh air,” Williams said. “He is not afraid to be proactive in anything that deals with winning. Any situation. He’s not afraid to spend money. All he wants is wins. He has to surround himself with as many good decision-makers to do it the right way. Hopefully he did that when he signed Joe Gibbs to coach.”Williams’ defense thrives on pressure. He estimates the Redskins blitzed 70 percent of 974 defensive plays in ’04, and that number might have gone up in Week One against the Bears. When asked if the Redskins blitzed on all but two second- and third-down plays vs. Chicago, Williams said bluntly, “That might be a little bit low.”Low, as in under the radar, is Williams’ modus operandi. He wasn’t fired in Buffalo, but on Dec. 29, 2003, the Bills told Williams his 17-31 record with the team wouldn’t cut it and chose not to renew his contract. Williams wants another shot. He’ll have chances at the NFL level, perhaps as soon as January. But he wants the right shot.“People keep saying I’m leaving,” Williams said. “I’m not leaving. I had chances to leave in (January). I told Coach Gibbs, ‘I will get this on track.’ I had three coaches on this staff turn down jobs to stay here. There is something to be said for what we have from an enjoyment standpoint.“I’ll do it again. But I’ll make sure it’s the right place. Everyone will know when it’s the right time. Right now the best place in the NFL for me is with the Washington Redskins.”
 

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