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His play questionable at best early in the season, Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers (22) stuck on Keyshawn Johnson |
LANDOVER, Md.--Sometimes
They certainly wouldn't be 4-7 and on the edge of irrelevance if they'd consistently reproduced the intensity and execution that stunned the talented Carolina Panthers yesterday.
"Everybody wants to find an answer key that will work every week," said Williams, Washington's defensive chief. "But it's a moving coverage, and a moving game. It changes week to week."
It had been consistently frustrating for the underachieving Redskins, who had sunk to the dregs of the NFL rankings in almost every defensive category. Nothing brightened up the eyes
Maybe that's why the Redskins themselves weren't quite sure where yesterday's superior effort came from. With occasional double-team help, Shawn Springs held the NFL's most explosive receiver, Carolina's Steve Smith, to 34 yards receiving. The Panthers managed a mere 264 yards (95 less than Washington's per-game average).
"We were definitely a little more physical," defensive end Renaldo Wynn said.
Added linebacker Warrick Holdman: "We played basically
The schematics weren't significantly different from weeks past--but the effort and the results were. It helped that Springs stuck with Smith, and fellow cornerback Carlos Rogers shadowed Keyshawn Johnson, and that Washington's front four got in Jake Delhomme's face consistently.
Springs described the game plan thus: "Simple in theory, hard in application."
Williams rarely assigns his corners to a specific receiver; he usually keeps them on a side of the field. Yesterday, knowing that Springs was finally healthy after abdominal and hamstring injuries, he challenged his No. 1 corner to Smith, whom Joe Gibbs said "has ruined some people in this league."
As Williams said: "I didn't want to put him out on the autobahn until I knew his legs would hold up."
They did. Clearly, a healthy Springs helps cover a multitude
But there was more. The Redskins' pride was wounded, especially after an unflattering ESPN.com article alleged some internal grumbling that went far beyond the on-field misadventures. It implied that the embattled Williams' star had fallen to the point that he might not be in position to succeed Gibbs as head coach whenever the Hall of Famer retires.
And Gibbs reportedly reprimanded his players for their lack of effort in recent weeks. For perhaps the first time in his tenure, his team could be described as dysfunctional.
Springs, whose father, Ron, played for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980s, denied being the source of the tell-all article. "I was raised that you never air your dirty laundry," he said, but did admit: "When somebody writes something like that, it has to be talked about."
There were plenty of issues to address, a lot of fingers to point. And apparently, the Redskins did discuss a few grievances last week--but made their ultimate argument on the field.
Said Wynn: "We had the last say, going out, playing like we knew we could play, getting a win."
Will that carry over to next week? Can the Redskins extend the Atlanta Falcons' slump, or will they allow Michael Vick to run wild and revisit their defensive problems?
Even they don't know.
As Williams put it: "We played hard last week. We just didn't tackle. It doesn't make a difference what I call; if we don't tackle, we're not going to produce. Our guys tackled well [today]."
Even in that praise, Williams put the onus on his troops, seemingly trying to absolve himself of any blame for his defense's struggles. As several players pointed out, a win quiets the critics--at least for a week.
Tune in next Sunday for the next chapter. Everyone--including the Redskins--is waiting
To reach STEVE DeSHAZO:
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com
