Redskins mailbag: Ask John

John: My question is about the Redskins use of a hard count/fake snap. I noticed during the game that Rex will call that fake “hut” so early in the play that he doesn’t get the blitzers to reveal themselves like other teams that use the fake “hut”. Why is this? It isn’t as effective as it could be. Shouldn’t he wait a while to keep them off balance? Also, I only noticed one time they used a double count out of the shotgun (where the guard will tap the center’s arm which is the signal to snap the ball). Why don’t they use that more as well?

 Thanks for taking my question. 
Amani in LA

Amani: Told you I’d talk to the QBs about this one and so I did. Sometimes when they use the fake hut early, it’s designed to slow down the rushers by letting them know they’re going to tinker with the snap count all day. For example, if they’re facing Terrell Suggs they might run a play early on the second, ‘Hut.’ He now knows they’re going to be going on two occasionally and he’ll start thinking, ‘They’re going to try and get me to jump offsides.’ This, in theory, could slow his takeoff at the line. Of course, other times they’re just doing it too soon and yes that is an issue. As far as the double count, they said they used it more than a few times vs. the Rams. It’s a relatively new system, started, of course, by New England and Indianapolis. They also will try to trick teams out of this formation, otherwise D-linemen will get used to the snap count. So sometimes the guard will tap the center, who then makes it seem as if he’ll snap the ball (by looking through his legs at the QB) but he’ll then look up again. After a slight pause he’ll look back and snap. Lots of little games going on before each play.

JK

John: Do you see any way that our offense can improve in a significant way this year? I have second-guessed some of the play calling (runs vs. pass) etc., but in the end, unless our players get better, either form within or from elsewhere, I can’t see us being better than a bottom third in the league offense. What do see as getting better this season? Our O-line could get better the more they play together, but it seems they are also an injury or two away from chaos. The receivers are way better than last year, but we still don’t have a red-zone type big guy active on game days and Fred Davis has disappeared the past couple of weeks. Also, will a healthy Darrel Young make much of a difference?

Charlie C

Charlie: Significant improvement? That will be difficult. The Redskins lack the playmakers to improve dramatically, particularly in the red zone. The Eagles, for example, have playmakers and a quarterback who can keep plays alive to buy them more time to get open. The Redskins don’t have those playmakers nor do they have a quarterback who keeps plays alive with his legs. Their best contribution will come if they reduce the turnovers and run more efficiently. The O-line is improved and should get better. They won’t rank as one of the NFL’s best, but they don’t need to in order to be effective. The scheme helps them, too, with the bootlegs and sliding pockets, etc. If they execute it, they’ll look fine. Fred hasn’t done much lately, but the Eagles haven’t fared well vs. tight ends so that could be something to watch this weekend. It’s hard to have a big game every weekend. As for Young, he was only playing around 12 snaps a game so his impact is probably minimal.

JK

Hi John: Last week you said that Anthony Armstrong was our only deep threat at WR. I understand that both Terrence Austin and Niles Paul have great speed. Is it just that so far they have not produced some long catches, or is there something about their technique that doesn’t allow them to get deep? And does Hankerson have enough speed to potentially become a deep threat? Thanks.

Fred Maurhoff

Fred: Austin is a better slot receiver who is more quick than he is a burner. He has good, but not great speed. Paul has good speed but I wouldn’t call him a blazer (4.51 in the 40-yard dash at the combine), but getting open deep isn’t always about just sprinting past someone; need to set up routes etc. The corners have good speed too. Hankerson ran a 4.44 at the combine so he has good speed, plus long arms and good leaping ability. I think he’ll be better on deep crossing routes.

JK

John: Evan Royster looked good in preseason when he played and had a great college career. He seemed very decisive in picking his lanes and keeping his legs going. I like the backs we have on deck now, but if Royster were called up, how good could he be? Also, Aldrick Robinson seemed to doom his kick returning future this summer but everyone says he is super fast. They’re not playing Hankerson at all and not much of Stallworth lately. Can he do anything for us in the short term? Or long term for that matter?

Thanks,

Charlie C

Charlie: Evan looked OK; thought early in games he stutter-stepped too much (thinking too much perhaps; new style etc.) but then found a comfort level the more he carried. Didn’t make a lot of defenders miss; not explosive. So if he played at this point I think he’d be serviceable. He was a very good move-the-chains guy at Penn State.  What I like is that he can do a few things: he has good hands; very willing in protection. So at some point in the future he’ll probably get a shot, here or elsewhere. Now, maybe he’s improved because we haven’t seen him since the summer. He didn’t wow me this summer but I saw enough to think he’s worth keeping around on the practice squad and seeing what he can do next summer. Maybe with the added experience he’ll be more decisive in his cuts, which would help. As far as Robinson, I didn’t see his blazing speed this summer so that was an issue. But anyone with speed is worth seeing if they can develop. He was probably hurt a lot by the lack of offseason practices, so let’s see how he looks next summer.

John

John: This seems to be a team of talkers.  Rex saying multiple times the Redskins will win the division, and the Redskins have the best receivers in the league.  Hightower saying they will beat the Cardinals, and now more recently saying they are going to the Super Bowl. It was fortunately missed by others, but I heard Kerrigan in an interview before the Dallas game saying they will win and go 3-0.  And then you have multiple players talking about how this team is special. While, I agree it’s not the be all and end all whether a team talks, brags, etc.  But, do you think the team might be overconfident?  It seems like they do not want to sneak under the radar but instead give bulletin board material to the opposition.  For those that say bulletin board material is irrelevant, it struck me while watching a Bill Belichick special, how he seemed to put some significance in it, playing boastful comments by the Dolphins coach before their matchup.

Mike K

Mike: I don’t view them as overconfident. Considering the recent history of this franchise, heck the last 20 years, it’s hard to be overconfident. I’m not a huge believer in bulletin board stuff; what matters in this league is preparation and motivation typically doesn’t come from another team’s words. As a reporter I’m reluctant to tell players not to voice their opinions. Heck, I’d love a team that has no filter. But the common sense part of me says: Enough’s enough. We’re four games into the season and to hear talk about the Super Bowl is silly (even from a guy as mature as Hightower). That’s beyond premature. Before the season? OK. During it? Stop. My guess is a few years ago the Giants weren’t talking about the Super Bowl. Same with Green Bay last year; special seasons just develop. But what you have to like is a team and a group of guys who are excited to play here and about the direction they’re headed. And some guys are just happy to finally be able to voice that opinion. It’s been a while.

JK

John: I feel an Eagles victory coming this week and it makes me ill. I think this game is an early litmus test for the Redskins.  If the Eagles cut down on their turnovers, we’ll have a real tough day. Let’s hope for 2-3 Vick turnovers. Anyways…why was Cooley used at FB over a healthy Sellers? Is he in the doghouse? Cooley is a Pro-Bowl TE and a solid blocker, but I can’t believe he’s a better option than Sellers at FB. If Sellers is that low on the depth chart, why is he even on the team and his spot not used for a backup safety? Thanks for taking my question.

Rich in Tampa

Rich: The Eagles should make any team nervous… As for the Cooley/Sellers question: Sellers is not in any doghouse. But he’s also not a very effective fullback anymore, save for a short-yardage blocker. I’d rather have Cooley coming out of the backfield to catch a pass than Sellers. Cooley’s presence in the backfield means the defense doesn’t know what he’ll do. If Sellers is in there, he’s going to block. And if he catches a pass, so what? He’s not going to hurt you. He’s had a terrific career and remains a quality special teams player, which is why he’s still on the roster. What backup safety would you put on the roster? Anyone who’s on the street now would be inactive anyway. They will have a decision to make when Kareem Moore returns, however.

JK

John: Trade deadline coming up….we have 8 wr’s. Lots of teams have a need for replacements. Any thoughts on perhaps moving a veteran not in our long term plans (Stallworth) for a pick or a backup OL or any other positional need?

Steve

Steve: I’ll give you the flipside: Would you give up any picks for a 30-year-old receiver who hasn’t caught more than 17 passes since 2007? I wouldn’t either. And if the Redskins traded for a guy like that, what would you say? If the Redskins call another team offering Stallworth, the other team would think: “They’re about to cut him, so just wait until they do.” The only receivers with any value would be the top ones – the guys who figure in their plans now. And it’s too early to trade Leonard Hankerson. It’s rare that players get traded anyway; hard to learn systems and unless they’re supremely talented it’s often not worth it because they won’t contribute much now anyway.

JK

John: It seems that every game there is a special teams breakdown involving another player. I know its trendy to want somebody fired, and I’m not suggesting that. But Danny Smith’s special teams are anything but special. Isn’t there a reason why he hasn’t been offered a better job very telling?

AE

AE: When Mike Shanahan arrived, Danny’s contract was up and he was pursued by several teams (the Steelers, Seahawks and Lions all had him as their No. 1 target but were denied permission to speak to him). So he is respected. His coverage units have typically fared well. And it makes a difference when you have a punter like Sav Rocca or someone who can kickoff like Graham Gano to help the coverage units. The return games usually are solid – he managed to turn Rock Cartwright into a decent returner. I’m certainly not going to blame him for helmet-to-helmet hits vs. the Rams. I am surprised the return game has not been more dynamic this season, especially the pats two games. Remember, even good coaches have inconsistent units at times (for example, Joe Bugel was considered a miracle worker in the 80s; but not in the second go-round).

JK

John: When Shanahan says a player is “limited” in practice, what might that mean in general for players (are they held out of certain parts of practice, or just have their participation reduced, some combination of that, etc.), and what does the “limited” label mean specifically for Tim Hightower this week (is he taking no, or a limited number of reps, is he participating fully or partly in drills/conditioning work, does it have any bearing on 1st team v. 2nd team reps, etc.)?

Thanks,

Jonathan

Jonathan: Limited basically means he did not take part in everything. Sort of a vague term and it can mean one thing for one player and another thing for another player. So some guys are held out of certain drills; others taken out of team work. But in general players don’t participate in full team work when limited, especially if any contact is involved. Also depends on the type of injury. Hightower is taking a limited amount of reps in team drills.

JK