1. Reed Doughty is starting because he’s been more explosive and is more reliable when it comes to playing his assignments. Doughty excels at hitting the right gaps when he blitzes and is probably the only Redskin who makes consistent plays when he does blitz. Some of that is a function of overloading offenses. Some of that stems from a skill in performing this tactic. But Doughty has earned this job. It’s not a surprise that he’s starting.
2. Greg Blache did a good job taking the heat off his defense today. There’s no way he can believe it’s all on him. But coaches need to take the fall at times; players appreciate that. Jim Zorn was slow to do that and too often has talked about the play being fine, but the execution not being that way. When your offense hasn’t produced since the first half of last season, it’s not just about execution. Zorn has taken more of the blame this week and trumped Blache’s statement today by saying he’s the guy who should be thrown under the proverbial bus. But until now he’s been a little too much like Norv Turner. Back in the day, Turner would blame everyone but himself for defeats. The joke among the press corps is that he never lost a game in Washington. And every Monday he would sit with a reporter in the lobby for an hour making excuses about why they lost. Zorn has not done that and is not as insecure as Turner. But taking the blame is wise at this time. Players only want to hear about execution so many times.
3. Receiver Devin Thomas has shown a different demeanor in the locker room this season. At least with the media. Thomas has been much more cordial with the press. He admits that last year he was frustrated and felt the pressure to produce as a high pick. He still hasn’t done so, but he’s definitely more comfortable. It’s a start, I suppose.
4. We’ll say it again: the players love running out of the I-formation. Or at least they like when the team uses it as the base for their offense. It’s not a west coast look as much, but it is what this team was built to run. When they use it only on occasion, it’s a predictable look because of how they use Mike Sellers. He’d motion; they’d run. But it’s less predictable when it’s a base look and the play-action works better.
5. I agree with Blache that the defense needs to be more aggressive. Or, at least, the play-calling. In watching the Lions game again, there weren’t many times where I thought the defense ”brought it” to Detroit. You can’t just start blitzing away because the corner play might not allow it. But you can be more creative and send blitzes from various angles and overload sides. Too often the Redskins aren’t winning one-on-one battles.
