Redskins defensive line seeks to live up to Capital Punishment nickname
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Version 0 of 1. Its nickname is Capital Punishment, a defensive line more prideful than any other Washington Redskins position group, and it wants to live in opponents’ backfields with four-man pressure. That just hasn’t occurred on a consistent basis. Through three games under new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the Redskins have seen glimpses of a disruptive pass rush. But they want more, and there’s certainly room for more chances. “Our whole D-line room would tell you, ‘They’re greedy. We’re greedy. We want to sack the quarterback. We want to get after the quarterback,’ ” Barry said. “We’ve got to affect the quarterback.” Washington is tied with seven other teams with four sacks, the fifth fewest in the NFL this season. Three of those sacks occurred in the season opener against the Dolphins, and the Redskins are coming off their worst pass-rush performance this season in a sackless Sept. 24 effort against the Giants. It’s part of a different defensive philosophy this season after the team moved away from Jim Haslett’s ineffective, blitz-heavy scheme. Barry has relied on Capital Punishment to rattle quarterbacks in the pocket, rotating a defensive line that’s two-deep at every position, while dropping as many players as possible in coverage. It fared somewhat successfully against the Rams, with the Redskins racking up a sack and six quarterback hits. It didn’t carry over on a short week against New York, with the Redskins hitting Giants quarterback Eli Manning just twice. The performance left the defensive line wanting more this week in preparation for the Eagles. “The best defenses you always see is a defense that can rush four,” defensive end Ricky Jean Francois said. “You’ve seen Buffalo? They can get up the field. You see the Jets? It’s in their nature to blitz, but if they don’t want to, they don’t have to. The Rams don’t have to blitz if they don’t want to. “Every defensive coordinator’s goal is to get a front where all they have to do is rush four and drop the rest. That’s the hardest game a quarterback can ever get. If we can get those games consistently every down, every practice, even in the film room every minute of the day, this game will really come a lot easier to us.” Eliminating the run is a primary element to an effective pass rush, but the Redskins have actually fared well in that category. They’re ranked third in the league, allowing just 75 yards per game. They didn’t receive too many pressure opportunities against the Giants because Manning got rid of the ball quickly. Washington also never held a lead, trailing 12-0 after the first quarter, and that limited New York’s passing situations to mainly third downs and two-minute-drill situations. “It’s hard to play pass rush when you’re down,” defensive end Stephen Paea said. “The only game that we were really up was the Rams. . . . [The Giants were] not hurried. They’re not trying to go in the gun formation trying to score.” The Eagles’ up-tempo offense, led by quarterback Sam Bradford, will pose a challenge for the Redskins to keep their linemen fresh. It’s part of the scheme Coach Chip Kelly implemented since he arrived from Oregon, but Barry said the defense prepared for face-paced offenses like the Eagles’ throughout the offseason. The weather could impact the tempo, however, with rain and wind in the forecast as Hurricane Joaquin works its way up the Atlantic Ocean this weekend. “If we can hold them for just that one second, make him pump the ball and then hold on to it, we’ll get there,” Paea said. “All of our guys have a lot of QB hits, but QB hits don’t count. Sacks are always better. [Bradford] holds that ball, and he’ll fall down right when you get to his face because he doesn’t want to get hit. He’s been injured a lot, so that’s what I think of him.” Washington has created 31 quarterback hurries, per Pro Football Focus, but it’s preparing for a team that has fared better than expected at protecting Bradford. The Eagles have allowed just two sacks, tied for the second fewest in the NFL, though Bradford has been hit 15 times in three games. It’s a thin offensive line because the Eagles released guards Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans during the offseason and placed starting right guard Andrew Gardner on injured reserve this week with a Lisfranc sprain in his right foot. Matt Tobin, the team’s backup tackle, is expected to replace Gardner at guard. “I believe Jason Peters and the rest of the guys up front, they’re some veterans. They’re going to make sure they’ve got that one guy” up to speed, Jean Francois said. “I understand one guy ain’t going to mess up a whole offensive line, but if he doesn’t know what he’s doing, I believe Chip Kelly will make sure they find a way to cover it up or get some extra work or just do something. I know those guys come in here ready to play.” |