Players praise differences caused by coaching change
The players knew a philosophical tug-of-war existed the past two years. Joe Gibbs wanted to run one offense; Al Saunders wanted another. They linked the two, leading to stops and starts.
So the biggest change this season might not be the West Coast system; it’ll be the fact that one person is calling the plays — Coach Jim Zorn.
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“You get in the game and you know what you’re gonna get,” said receiver Antwaan Randle El. “Last year Al was telling us one thing and Coach Gibbs would give us something else.”
After five preseason games, other differences emerged:
Less motion » In Gibbs’ offense, the Redskins routinely sent multiple players in motion, looking for pre-snap reads and hoping to put receivers in a more favorable matchup. Under Zorn, the Redskins will send someone in motion only occasionally.
“[After a shift], the QB has to think, ‘What did I just see?’” Zorn said. “If you can line people up with no movement, you can see what the defense wants to do and think it through.”
There’s another reason.
“It’s just so slow,” he said of motion. “Get in, get out, go.”
Said Randle El, “To do it all the time, [defenses] expect it. The element of surprise with the motion will help us out.”
Pass protection » With less motion comes fewer changes in protection schemes. Which means fewer protections.
“Picking out where defensive guys are and what’s going on is easier,” right tackle Jon Jansen said. “[Before] you had to learn more about football and defenses. You still do, but you’re more centered on just blocking your guy.”
Route running » In some cases there won’t be any changes; a player must get from point A to point B a certain way. However, when there’s a particular coverage, the receiver can vary their route. For example when facing press coverage and having to run a fly route, the receiver can drive right at the defender, fake in and then go out. In the past, they simply were told to run straight.
“That’s so big,” Randle El said. “We have more freedom to get open.”
Red zone calls » In the second preseason game vs. Buffalo, the Redskins used three- and four-receiver sets inside the 6-yard line on consecutive running plays. Gibbs preferred a more conservative two tight-end approach in this area.
“In the red zone, we won’t run the ball until we get to the 1-yard line,” receiver Santana Moss said. “We’re gonna try and attack the end zone.”
