Rich Tandler's Real Redskins

Cofield on Brady: 'A little pressure won't have him scared'

By Rich Tandler

The last time the Patriots came to FedEx Field during the 2003 season, Tom Brady was the New England quarterback and the Redskins won 20-17.

No member of the current Redskins was on that team.

There is one Redskin, however, who has experience in beating Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots. Barry Cofield was a member of the New York Giants’ team that ended the Pats’ dream of an undefeated 2007 season by beating them 17-14 in Supper Bowl XLII.

Cofield started at defensive tackle in that game. The Giants’ pass rush received the lion’s share of the credit for holding down the Patriots’ offense, who set an NFL record by scoring 589 points.

But Cofield says that it takes more than a rush to beat Brady. “He’s one of the best ever,” said Cofield. “A little pressure isn’t going to have him scared, he’s seen it all.”

Still, a defense has to keep some heat on Brady to slow him down. “You’ve got to hit him, you’ve got to harass him, you’ve got to move him off his mark,” Cofield said. “You have to have him at least considering the fact that there is a rush coming. If he’s going to go out there and throw it around like it’s seven on seven he’s going to set records.”

“Everyone’s got a plan until he’s punched in the mouth.”

Cofield said that Brady was not above engaging in some trash talk but that there was really only one way to rattle him. “The only way you can hurt Tom Brady is win,” he said. “You’ve got to win that day. ‘We won today,’ that’s the only kind of trash talking that’s going to do any good.”

For his part, Cofield was not trash talking about Brady. "He's married to a super model. He's got rings. What are you going to say? He's Tom Brady."

Talking about the brand of boots that Brady endorses, Cofield said, “If anybody can make Uggs cool, he’s the guy.”

 

Redskins' Cofield going batty

By Ryan O’Halloran

When the Redskins signed Barry Cofield after the lockout to provide stability to their defensive line, they knew he would provide a boost against the run and bring a cerebral approach to the game.

But making an impact in batted passes? 

In 79 games with the Giants, Cofield posted 12 pass break-ups.

In 12 games with the Redskins, he already has eight, which leads all NFL defensive tackles (see chart below).

“He’s conscientious to know he’s not going to get a lot of sacks [but] he can disrupt the passing game in different ways – staying in front of the quarterback and knocking balls down,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said.

Cofield has shown an ability to read the quarterbacks eyes and motion. If engaged in a double team, he might not get the push up the field, but when the quarterback gets ready to throw, he jumps, he gets one arm up, he gets both arms up, etc.

Playing regularly as a three-down lineman and getting the occasional relief from rookie Chris Neild, Cofield enters Sunday’s game against New England with 50 tackles, two sacks and 15 quarterback pressures (per the coach’s tape review).

As the Redskins’ defense continues to grow, Haslett thinks Cofield could get more sacks.

“I think he has the ability to get five, six sacks every year just being in that position,” Haslett said. “But he’s going to be doubled more than most people but he’s doing a good job in other ways to affect the passing game.”

On nickel downs, Cofield often plays a off the nose in a two-linemen formation with Stephen Bowen.

Haslett said Cofield is a student of the game. 

“You can tell Barry kind of analyzes things,” Haslett said. “Some people just kind of go and let it flow. He analyzes and studies things. Once he gets, he gets it. He’s such a smart guy. … To me, it’s ‘Go beat the crap out of the guy in front of you.’ He’s a good player at that position for the first time every playing it.”

PASSES DEFENSED – DT

1. Barry Cofield, Redskins        8

2. Sedrick Ellis, Saints             4

3. Three tied                            3

6. Six tied                                2

Contact O’Halloran at rohalloran@comcastsportsnet.com

 

Atogwe: Pass rush key to stopping Fitzgerald

By Rich Tandler

A good pass rush is a defensive back’s best friend.

Redskins safety Oshiomogho Atogwe was asked today about how he would help contain Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. He said that it would be fairly easy to do if he gets some help.

“The best way to stop Larry Fitzgerald is to have Rak [Brian Orakpo] and [Ryan] Kerrigan and Barry [Cofield] and Stephen [Bowen] get after the quarterback,” he said. “If he can’t throw it, Larry can’t catch it.

“For me, that’s a good day.”

The Redskins had a pretty good day rushing the passer during Sunday’s win over the Giants as they tallied four sacks of Eli Manning. The interesting aspect of that performance is that all of the sacks came from defensive linemen—two by rookie nose tackle Chris Neild and one each by ends Stephen Bowen and Adam Carriker. Usually in a 3-4 defense the linebackers are the ones who make the plays. Getting pressure from the defensive line is a big plus.

In 2010, the Redskins won six times and they had 15 sacks in those games. In their 10 losses, they had a total of 14 sacks.

Of course, such analysis can be misleading, as the team that is trailing tends to throw the ball more often, giving the team that is ahead more chances to pick up sacks. But regardless of cause and effect, if the Redskins can dump the opposing quarterback three or four times every week their record will end up looking pretty good by the end of the year. 

 

Reader tweet: Will Neild play more?

By Rich Tandler

I had several readers ask me questions about what the performance of Chris Neild (pictured sacking Eli Manning) might mean in terms of his future playing time. This one was typical and it came on Twitter from @WittRealty:

Since Nield was so impressive any chance Cofield plays more at DE?

The short answer is no, at least in the near term. Cofield will play some end but it will not be due to the emergence of Neild as a pass-rushing threat. He will play end on some snaps when there is no nose tackle. It is possible that he will line up as a tackle in if they go to a 4-3 look. Jim Haslett and company will move him around some.

For the most part, however, if Neild is in the game, Cofield is out getting a rest on the sideline. That was the plan going into the season and the coaches are not going to alter it in any major way due to one good game by a rookie. Not to say that Neild’s two sacks were a fluke but he has to show that he can get the job done consistently if the coaches are going to rethink their substitution pattern.

If Neild performs in such a way that makes it impossible to keep him off of the field, they will make adjustments. That could lead to some alignments that have Neild at nose and Cofield at end.

But we are a long way from that happening. Neild played eight snaps against the Giants and he probably won’t play much more than that this week against the Cardinals. That is his role right now while Cofield is the nose tackle. 

 

You can vote for Kerrigan for Rookie of the Week

In his first NFL game, Ryan Kerrigan made one of the the game's biggest plays as he tipped and intercepted an Eli Manning pass and rolled nine yards for a touchdown that put the Redskins ahead to stay.

The play earned him a nomination for the NFL's Rookie of the Week award. Just hit that link to vote for Kerrigan to get the award.

He will need all of the voting help he can get. The odds-on favorite would have to be Carolina quarterback Cam Newton. All he did throw for a record 422 yards in his NFL debut. The other nominees are 49ers wide receiver Doug Baldwin, Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb, and Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Update: Apparently, you can vote as many times as you want. I stopped at 15 because that is the extent of my attention span for such things. If anyone finds an upper limit, let me know!

Position Paper: Can Redskins win with gambling cornerbacks?

By Rich Tandler

For the past few days here on Real Redskins we have been looking at the 2011 Washington Redskins position by position and player by player. Earlier, we looked at the offense (quarterbacks, offensive line, wide receivers, running backs and tight ends). Yesterday we looked at the defensive line and linebackers and now, the defensive backs go under the microscope.

DeAngelo Hall

The book on Hall is well known by now. He will make big plays for his team and he will allow them for the other guys. The way to minimize his weakness and maximize his strength is to have a strong pass rush in front of him. That way, the quarterback doesn’t have time to fine the receiver who has beaten Hall down the field. If Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan can terrorize opposing passers the way the Redskins hope they can, Hall could have a big year.

Josh Wilson

Wilson (pictured) may be a clone of Hall, a corner who likes to gamble and will occasionally get burned. He did show that he has the hands that Carlos Rogers, the man he replaced, never seemed to develop when he made a leaping interception against the Bucs in the preseason finale. If Wilson shows a tendency to gamble and lose too often, will make it even more important for the Redskins to develop a consistent pass rush to disrupt the opposing quarterback.

Position Paper: A big year on tap for Rak?

By Rich Tandler

For the past few days here on Real Redskins we have been looking at the 2011 Washington Redskins position by position and player by player. Earlier, we looked at the offense (quarterbacks, offensive line, wide receivers, running backs and tight ends). Earlier today we looked at the defensive line and now, the linebackers go under the microscope.

Brian Orakpo

Orakpo has been very good in his first two years in the NFL. Now he has a chance to step it up a notch and become an elite defender. He has a better line in front of him, he has someone who should draw some attention away from him on the other side in Ryan Kerrigan, and if training camp practices and preseason games are any indication he has improved his overall game. He has the potential to get 15 sacks, wreak havoc against the run game and not be a liability in pass coverage. That is the potential; we will see if he can turn it into reality.

Ryan Kerrigan

Kerrigan got off to a rocky start, missing most of the first week of training camp with a knee problem. But he has come on well since then and you can see him refining his game almost play by play. He learns quickly. Despite that, the Redskins almost certainly will have to scheme around having him drop back into pass coverage too often. Having him one on one with, for example, Jason Witten would be a recipe for disaster. But, as Jim Haslett said the other day, any mistakes he makes are at 100 miles per hour and he should get better as the years go on.

If Landry can't play spotlight is on Gomes

By Rich Tandler

LaRon Landry talked to the media on Wednesday and it seemed doubtful that he will play on Sunday when the New York Giants come to town.

“As of now, it looks like I’ll miss it,” Landry said when asked if his hamstring would allow him to take the field on Sunday.

If Landry can’t go, the spotlight will be squarely on rookie safety Dejon Gomes (pictured). Reed Doughty, who has played in 60 NFL games, will take Landry’s spot alongside free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. But Gomes will be active and is likely to be called upon in certain defensive packages as well as on special teams.

Gomes got off to a slow start in training camp but he came on strong once the preseason games started. He made enough big plays to push out veteran safety Chris Horton and secure a spot as one of four safeties on the roster.

Now, it looks like he will be one of three.

If tweets are true, Landry off base

By Ryan O’Halloran
CSNwashington.com

Previously, it was Robert Henson who made a fool of himself on Twitter when he was a member of the Redskins.

Now, safety LaRon Landry may be making a mistake by intimating the Redskins’ training staff is partly to blame for his slow return from a hamstring injury after his Achilles’ was healed.

In separate Twitter postings this weekend, which have since been deleted, Landry wrote (per the Washington Post):

“Uuhhh oo it ain’t my fault…blame the genius circus staff for the rush. Would’ve been there 2wks ago. Im [sorry] but saga [continues].”

And …

“Dont u hate when u absolutely know something 200% and dumb…still do the opposite of what u tell them!!! Set backs... !!!”

Landry went through part of the practice on Monday and did not speak to reporters. A source told CSNwashington.com that Landry did some work but the hamstring “got a little tight.”

Landry has yet to go through a full practice in training camp/preseason and isn’t expected to play against the New York Giants.

Landry, who said Monday he would talk to reporters on Wednesday, will likely deny the Twitter posts were aimed at the Redskins’ training staff. Consider …

* The training staff had no contact with Landry during the lockout per NFL rules.

* Landry was on the physically unable to perform list until Monday, meaning he was not allowed to practice.

* And when he hurt the hamstring before the game at Indianapolis, it was doing a sprint. 

It’s always dangerous to take Twitter posts as fact, but it raises an interesting flag, especially since Landry is soon due a new contract.

 

Redskins 2010 offense lacked drive time

You know that football is a team game but most think of that concept in terms of the players on offense meshing together to execute a play or each defensive player taking care of his assignment, flowing to the ball, and making the stop. But the performance of each unit cannot be viewed in isolation. Issues on one side of the ball can manifest themselves on the other side. A look at some of the numbers from the performance last year’s Washington Redskins reveals this concept. The Redskins’ defense in 2010 was one of the worst in team history in terms of yardage given up. In fact, the 6,228 yards they gave up is the highest single-season total in team history. The defense had its issues, from issues adjusting to the 3-4 defense to injuries to some players who just weren’t good enough. But to be that spectacularly bad you have to have some “help”. And there is some evidence that the Redskins’ offense helped drag down the team’s defense by making them work too much. A quick glance at the statistics would make you believe that the Washington offense was garden variety mediocre. They were 18^th in yards gained with 5,392. But the Redskins should have done better offensively given the number of chances they had. Over the course of the year, they had 200 offensive possessions (Note: Kneel downs at the end of the half and game do not count as possessions or drives). That’s second-most in the NFL, just behind the Giants who had 201. But the Redskins did not do much when they had the ball. They ran 1,002 plays, an average of five plays per drive. Only two teams—the Cardinals and the Panthers at 4.9 plays per possession—did worse. Washington also was among the league’s worst in burning off the clock in each possession. The Redskins averaged 2.3 minutes of possession per drive, again the second-worst number in the league just ahead of Carolina and Arizona who averaged 2.2 minutes per drive. The average NFL drive consumed 2.7 minutes. If the offense has a lot of possessions then it follows that team’s defense has to defend a lot of the other team’s possessions (since nearly every time an offensive possession ends the defense goes onto the field). The Redskins defended 198 possessions, second in the league only to the Raiders at 202. Once the Redskins defense was on the field, they did a pretty good job of getting back on the sideline. Opponents averaged 5.3 plays per drive against them, tied for fifth fewest in the league. The other team burned off 2.7 minutes per drive, tied for 15^th in the NFL. The bottom line is that the Redskins’ defense did OK each time it took the field. But they had to take the field so often that the average performance per drive added up to a ton of yardage being given up. Now, to be sure, the Redskins defense did not perform great in terms of yardage given up, even on a per drive basis. They gave up an average of 31.5 yards each time they took the field, 24^th in the league. This defense would not be the 1985 Bears unit if not for an inefficient offense. But football is the ultimate team game and any weakness will manifest itself in a number of ways. When looking at offensive and defensive statistics it is important to remember that each set of numbers does not result from performances in totally separate universes. You can reach Rich Tandler by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @RealRedskins. Join Rich for a chat during both of the conference championship games this Sunday, Jan. 23. We can talk about the games, try to figure out how the Redskins beat both of the NFC finalists, discuss the Redskins’ prospects in free agency and in the draft, and anything else you want to chat about. Things will get underway at www.RealRedskins.com when the NFC game kicks off at 3:00 and go all the way through Jets-Steelers whenever that may end. See you there!