That kind of defensive performance is almost enough to make you pine for Ron Lynn.
... here's a quick down and dirty peak at the units Haslett ran as defensive coordinator.
NEW ORLEANS '96
Haslett took over a defense that finished 22nd in the league the year before:
1995 – 22nd overall (18th scoring, 22nd passing, 21st rushing)
... and had some immediate success, most strikingly against the pass:
1996 – 13th overall (20th scoring, 3rd passing, 27th rushing)
The year after he left (to become DC in Pittsburgh in '97) the Saints defense finished top five:
1997 – 4th overall (16th scoring, 6th passing, 14th rushing)
PITTSBURGH '97 – '99
Haslett inherited a pretty damn good defense from the year before (1996):
1996 – 2nd overall (4th scoring, 5th passing, 3rd rushing)
... and, well, you be the judge:
1997 – 6th overall (11th scoring, 18th passing, 1st rushing)
1998 – 12th overall (7th scoring, 18th passing, 13th rushing)
1999 – 11th overall (12th scoring, 4th passing, 26th rushing)
(Check the progress versus the run. Or don't, if you're a Haslett fan)
The year after he left, the Steeler defense trended back the other way:
2000 – 7th overall (6th scoring, 9th passing, 12th rushing)
ST. LOUIS '06 - '07
After his head coaching stint in New Orleans (2000-2005), Haslett was hired by the St. Louis Rams to resurrect their 30th ranked ('05) unit. Not sure what he did quite qualifies as "resurrecting" the Rams' woebegone defensive unit, but he did oversee some improvement:
2006 – 23rd overall (28th scoring, 8th passing, 31st rushing)
2007 – 21st overall (31st scoring, 21st passing, 20th rushing)
He was going to be their defensive coordinator in 2008 as well, but instead was hired on after the Rams 0-4 start as their "interim coach." After upsetting Joe Gibbs' Redskins (Pete Kendall, please pick up the white courtesy phone) to earn the Rams first victory of the season, he and the Rams lost 10 of their remaining 11 games to finish the season 2-14.
Haslett was not asked to return for 2009 ... and, if rumors are true has been spotted coaching in something called the United Football League.
Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to belittle the guy. And I know numbers tell only a small part of any story ... but reality sure can be a bitch.
If you, gentle Redskins fan reader, know something about Mr. Haslett as an NFL defensive coordinator (and for his sake and ours if this pans out I hope there's a lot) that mitigates against the general feeling of "meh"-titude I'm getting about this one, feel free to share.
Please.
I'm not going to make any final judgments on Haslett until at least the end of next season. Man deserves a chance to put his stamp on the unit, and the benefit of at least one more offseason of personnel adjustments.
That kind of defensive performance is almost enough to make you pine for Ron Lynn.
Nice post Omniscient. Glad you're back, haven't see you around in a while. .
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I know there are other threads where Haslett's seeming destruction of our defense has been mentioned, but I wanted to start a discussion about this. I can't help but think this was the worst decision that the Allen/Shanahan Front Office has made. I am not sure who else was out there for them to choose to run this defense, but it looks like Haslett is in over his head.
Last night, one big play against his defense and it looked like he was lost for the rest of the game. I would not put much weight into a single game, but more than half way through the season, we see a poor excuse for a defense that ranked 10th in the league last year with many of the same key players.
Is Haslett to blame?
Is he in over his head?
This is just an example of poor leadership. A leader, especially a coach, is expected to put his players in the best position to succeed. Last year we had Carter succeeding up front along with a happy Haynesworth. Orakpo was at OLB but was lining up with his hand in the dirt on passing downs.
That's all gone. Haynesworth and Carter (two strengths last year) are now back up players that have contributed almost nothing. Our DLine is pathetic in general. Orakpo is still doing his thing. We've generated more turnovers certainly but at what cost? We are ranked 31st against the pass and 25th against the run. Dead last overall.
... and yet the experiment continues unabated. The stones it must take to answer media questions and play it off like it's no big deal. The fall of the defense is 100% coaching because the players have proven what they can do in previous seasons with this team.
Cooley on the radio today sounded astonished talking about the defense and then finally just said "I don't feel comfortable talking about the defense". Imagine the offensive unit sitting there scoring TD's and watching the defense give up HUGE play after huge play eventually resulting in 59 points. This isn't the first time either: the skins have lost every game in which they've scored over 20 points. All of them.
Well, I mostly agree with you Des, but dismissing Haynesworth as a "backup defensive tackle" is a bit short-sighted.
Ultimately, this is the most important hope one could have.I hope this offseason brings changes in how we acquire personnel.
Ultimately, this is the most important hope one could have.
This is what's held this team back for years.
We need to be patient and allow the team to be blown up, Capitals-style.
why? thats what is now, and that frankly is all coaching.
Ummm...because he's the highest paid defensive player in the *HISTORY* of the league? Because he's been locked in a battle of egos with Shanahan since the offseason? Because he's NOT a backup tackle on any other roster in the NFL, CFL, UFL, or whatever FL?
Come on, use your noggin!
Lanky, I think you are seeing a disagreement where there isnt one.
AH is NOT a backup DT on ANY team with a halfways competant coaching staff, thats my point. however on THIS team he is a guy who never even got in the last game until we were down 21 points, on THIS team he went from a guy who played more snaps than other DT in the league WHEN HE SUPPOSEDLY WASNT IN SHAPE to being 30 pounds lighter and playing about 20 snaps a game.
thats coaching my friend, they make the decisions, and this one has never been based on his talent or his production.
I think our point is that THIS TEAM took a DMVP calibre player and turned him into a situational role player/ backup who plays backups reps, at this point the fact that he bothers to show up at all is surprising.
You haven't joined any rooms.