Q&A with Redskins Hog Heaven

We exchanged Questions and Answers with Anthony Brown of Redskins Hog Heaven. The first set of questions we sent were from Wonder, and they were really arrogant. As in 4-12 arrogant. Wonder thinks the Skins will s*ck this season, so his questions were not kind. I modified them with Q6-Q10, which are essentially toned down questions 1-5, which point to the same conclusions..

Q1) Besides Orakpo, is there really anything to get excited about this season?

We expect big things in the pass rush from rookie Ryan Kerrigan as a counter-weight to Orakpo. CB Josh Wilson and S OJ Atogwe are better matches for Jim Haslett’s defense than the men they replaced.

Q2) Grossman almost led the team to a victory against the Giants in the final game of the season. Does he have enough to QB this team?

I projected Grossman to a 24th through 30th-ranked performance this season. McNabb would have been marginally better. The takeaway is that the Redskins did not get worse with Grossman than they would have with McNabb. The issue with Grossman is turnovers. He had eight of them in three games and two minutes of play last season. He knows that has to stop. The big threat to Grossman is not opposing defenses. It is Mike Shanahan’s quick hook.

Q3) How is the transition to the 3-4 going? Are things better w/o the Haynesworth distraction?

The Defense will move up 10 places in defense ranking this season. The carry-over player are comfortable with the defense now. Most of the players who did not fit (looking at you, Mr. Haynesworth) are gone and replaced by players who do fit. Players say they can focus on their roles now that the Haynesworth distraction is outta here.

It was a mistake for Shanahan to keep Haynesworth on the roster last year. I do not believe it was Shanahan’s decision to keep him.

Q4) Are you really thinking about the Andrew Luck sweepstakes?

I don’t believe the Redskins or any NFL team would tank the season to get the first draft pick. Trading into the position keeps faith with fans better than throwing games.

Q5) Can Shanahan win another Super Bowl? Has Shanahan won anything w/o Elway and Davis?

Can Dan Snyder win a Super Bowl? Has he learned that swapping coaches every two years–as he has done with eveybody but Joe Gibbs–knocks him further away from the Super Bowl? Mike Shanahan is in his second year. Will there be a third? I do not know the answer to these questions.

supplemental question for Anthony, duh, can’t believe I forgot to ask this earlier…

Q6) Why is Cofield, a 4-3 DT, signed as a FA for a 3-4 defense? Is he really going to play NT? I think he is too small to play NT. He’s certainly not fast enough to play DE.

Jim Haslett has every intent to play Cofield at the nose. And yes, we know he is light for the position. Jim Haslett has not returned my calls on this, so I’m making some guesses. The Redskins will model their front seven on the Steelers defense, where D-linemen tend to be smaller, to penetrate the one-gap for pressure. (Albert Haynesworth would have loved this system if he gave it a chance.) This can work if the linemen are quick enough. Cofield impresses everyone coming out of preseason.

The Shanahan plan appears to favor quickness over heft, or speed. Washington released 360-pound nose tackle Anthony Bryant in favor of rookie Chris Neild who, at 319 pounds, isn’t much heavier than Cofield.

Cofield and the defense pressured the Ravens in preseason game three. That impressed me because the Ravens mirror the Giants. I think the scheme can work early until there is enough game tape for OC’s to work a counter to it.

and some macro thoughts about the Skins from Brown..
Washington gets no respect nationally because of the over-focus on the quarterbacks and that Monday night beatdown by the Eagles last season. But this team beat the Eagles, Bears and Cowboys in their stadiums and beat the Packers at home. They came within two late missed field goals from an eight-win season. The Redskins are the trap game of the week, every week of the season.

Last thoughts by UltimateNYG- if I am the Giants I will test Cofield as the Nose all day. Cofield will be playing on adrenaline early, so don’t be fooled by some of his stops in H1. The test will be in H2 when he gets worn down. And similarly, in the second half of the SEASON, when he has been taking a beating by 600+ lbs of meat, week after week. I’m not making a call, but this is the Giants game to win or lose. They are favored, and rightly so, not because they are good, but because the Skins are the mediocrity that is the softer underbelly of the NFL.

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Q&A with Redskins Hog Heaven

Alan Draper

Alan Draper

Alan Draper