Redskins Roundtable Kick-Off

Here we go. About halfway through the season I have decided to put together a weekly Redskins roundtable for the benefit of the Redskins community and the entire NFL community here on Bleacher Report.

In the roundtable, several of our talented writers will answer questions in regards to each week's match-up and occasionally concerning hot news floating around the league. Basically it will be a compilation of our various thoughts and ideas on Skins football and football in general.

I will write up a series of questions each week and issue one to each of our writers. I will be abstaining this week from answering a question, but I will write in later roundtables.

I am hoping to make this the best roundtable possible and so I need feedback from you readers. I want you to enjoy what we have to say. I want it to be informative and professional. So fire away any compliments or criticisms you might have so that we can provide you with quality material.

Special thanks to all of our Skins writers. Enjoy our inaugural issue! Hail to the Redskins!

Week Eight: Redskins Vs. Lions

Shawn Springs and Cornelius Griffin are going to miss this week's game due to injury. How will their absence affect the defense? (Shaun Ahmad)

There is no question that anytime a team is without their starting cornerback and starting defensive tackle, the lineup is less than ideal.  That being said, the Skins are fortunate to have a much inferior opponent this week in the Detroit Lions so the impact of the absences of cornerback Shawn Springs and defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin shouldn’t be too damaging.

Carlos Rogers is having a career defining year and Detroit helped Washington’s cause by trading away their number one receiver (Roy Williams).  Rogers will lineup against Calvin Johnson with Fred Smootand Leigh Torrence sharing time on Mike Furrey.  Either way, the Redskins secondary should not be in too much trouble as quarterback Dan Orvlosky is far from a threatening opponent. 

However, Springs will be needed the following week in a much anticipated Monday night matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers because Ben Roethlisberger will know how to attack any vulnerability in the Washington secondary. Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington provide deep threats and are game changing playmakers. Washington’s secondary will have to be in full force to have success. 

Cornelius Griffin has been the mainstay on the defensive line, but similar to Springs, he has suitable backups in Lorenzo Alexander and Anthony Montgomery.  Again, Detroit’s lack of an imposing running back helps Washington’s cause and Griffin will be needed back at full strength the following week in Pittsburgh to deal with one of the most intimidating offensive lines in football.

Would an aggressive offense be more effective against the Lions rather than the ground attack scheme the Skins have been using the past few weeks? Which approach will Jim Zorn use this week? (Craig Garrison Sr.)

Effectiveness could be a "subjective" thing to define. Effective would mean to win. Or, it could mean to win with confidence or authority. The Redskins should be able to win using either the primarily "pound it down your throat" method that Zorn has been using the past three weeks, or the near perfectly balanced attack that won against the Saints, Cardinals and Cowboys and showed authority despite the scores being close at the end. This is the type of win the Skins NEED this week. Not just a win, but a win with some authority. And I don't think the Lions can stop either aspect of the Redskins offense.

Zorn used the run to express his "stay medium" attitude in the first quarter in Philadelphia. That calm, consistent, "just do what we do" attitude kept the team together and led a dominant come back win. But something else happened in Philly too I think. Zorn learned that Portis and this offensive line can absolutely dominate the line of scrimmage and in turn protect the passing game which is still coming along slowly and has not reached the level that Zorn wants.

I don't think this is a knock on Jason Campbell, but I do think it's an indictment of the receiving corps. Zorn doesn't have confidence that they can consistently get open often enough to "go for the throat" without incurring fairly high risk. And while Campbell has shown remarkable decision making in not putting the ball at risk when under pressure, I think Zorn feels like he would be pushing his luck if he asked the team to throw much more than absolutely necessary.

I expect Zorn to take a slightly more aggressive tone this week. The loss to the Rams was disheartening loss, but the win over the Browns wasn't much different. Odd, but the win over the Browns was as much a sigh of relief as it was a triumphant exhalation. And I think Zorn recognizes it too. Zorn also is taking some pride in the way the Skins are playing right now, but he wants more. He is also enjoying the play of the defense, and that part won't change one damn bit, the defense will come ready to fight no matter what.

Zorn is a very  confident guy, he has passed that on to the team, but it's time to start proving it on the field. The Lions aren't going to lie down though, so this game is going to be a tough one. Portis is wearing down, and Zorn knows that too. With Alexander on the roster, there is a daily reminder of what happens when a back handles the ball as much as Portis has over the last three weeks. Portis is currently on pace for over 350 carries. History shows that to be a destructive number. Backs reaching this number don't have another productive year. Just ask Alexander.

All of this will add up to Zorn, and he will open it up a bit. Get more aggressive early. One issue with this might be that when carrying a big lead into the fourth quarter, what does a team do? They run the ball. If that happens, look for Alexander to get serious fourth quarter carries. So I not only think Zorn should open it up this week and get more aggressive in his play calling, but I think it's necessary for this team's long term health. I also think the "mental health" of the team is in need of a boost, and a solid win over a "weaker" opponent could do just that. And with the Steelers looming, it would be a good thing to gain some extra confidence this week.

The Skins defensive line has experienced a disappointing year thus far. Can it finally find a way to generate pressure against a lowly Lionsʼ O-line? (Jennifer Johnson)

Well, fellow fanatics, the stat line sure isn't pretty when you read it out loud. The Skins have only 9 sacks in 7 games played thus far this season. This is not indicative however, of our overall defensive pressure. We currently rank 7th in rushing defense. In lieu of sacks, we are racking up the pass deflections. We had two in the big defensive stand against the Browns. Demetric Evans used his big mitt to swat away Derek Anderson's 4th down pass from the 2-yard line. So the question remains why aren't we getting more sacks?  

I believe a major component of a successful pass rush starts with technique. Similar to the offensive line, a defensive lineman has to put his hands inside the opponent's pads to control the line of scrimmage. Weight lifting is great for strength, but what good is muscle if you can't use your knowledge of the position to gain an edge on your opponent. Few tackles and ends in this league can rely on grit alone.    

Because the Redskins are a bit undersized, on the defensive line. they have to be faster once the ball is snapped.  So improving their footwork is also a key element to having a successful pass rush.   DE Chris Wilson is about 255 lbs, and has the body of a linebacker. His routine in practice involves running drills to keep his feet constantly in motion. "I ain't the biggest guy out there, so I have to use speed to get around the block."  

A successful pass rush is definitely about heart too. From the moment the ball is snapped, a strong defensive push should already be established. And if you distracted by a long count, or the elements of your surroundings, then your opponent doesn't need to do much, but dig in and dominate. Staying focused and being patient can be two traits missing on the defensive line so far. Having a healthy squad together tends to build up a unit's confidence. Andre Carter has been slowly getting in the mix of things. He recorded a late sack last week give 2 of the 9 sacks we have this year.

So let's determine the tone of the game early. Bring the pressure from the middle. Kedric Golston has the ability to jam up the holes, so why don't we send him up the center of the offensive line and get the QB scrambling. Blitz on 1st down and the results could be sacks #10, 11 and 12. Have confidence gentleman. And the sack attack will be back.

Will the Skins overlook the Lions due to their match-up with Pittsburgh next week? (Anthony Brown)

The Detroit Lions are not the best team in Michigan. They may not be the second best team in Michigan. (The best team in Michigan will win in Ann Arbor Saturday.) 

With Matt Millen gone, Jon Kitna out and Roy Williams traded, the Lions front office is looking past this year and are preparing for '09. They are tinkering with the offensive line, always a bad sign. Their quarterback is less well known than J.T. O'Sullivan. The defense is dead last in the league.

That makes the Lions the perfect trap game for the Washington Redskins who might have been lulled into complacency if the (then) winless Rams hadn't already blown them up. After a close game against the Browns, the Skins know very well that they are not winning impressively. 

The Skins don't have a game to give and won't sleep in the Lions. The players should know that Detroit is an opportunity to pad stats to make the Pro Bowl. I don't see how Washington loses.

How will the Skins look to contain Calvin Johnson? (Tanner Kluth)

When one looks at the roster of the Detroit lions, one doesn't see much that looks threatening.  

Their former starting quarterback Jon Kitna is on Injured Reserve, so they're stuck with fourth-year player Dan Orlovsky, who hadn't started a single game until two weeks ago. Their rookie running back Kevin Smith looks promising, but one cannot identify the Lions as a quality-rushing team.  Currently, they are ranked thirtieth in the NFL in that category.

And then one looks at their defense and finds they are ranked dead last in the league, allowing a dismal 418.7 yards per game.  

So, there is really only one bright spot on this team: Calvin Johnson, second-year wide receiver out of Georgia Tech.  Johnson is 6'5" and runs a fantastic 4.2-second forty-yard dash.  

Wide receiver Roy Williams was recently traded to the Dallas Cowboys, so that left Orlovsky with one fewer weapon.  Now, Johnson gets even more attention.  Right now, he is ranked seventh in the NFL in receiving yards with 531.  He also has four touchdowns.

Arguably the Redskins' best cornerback, Shawn Springs, will likely sit out again from a calf injury.  He may be healthy enough to play, but head coach Jim Zorn would rather rest him, considering he has reaggravated the calf twice now.

But, former ninth overall pick Carlos Rogers has more than stepped up in Springs' absence.  Many believe Rogers is playing at the Pro-Bowl level, which is surprising considering he tore both his MCL and his ACL last season.  Before this year, many thought Rogers was underperforming, playing at a level unworthy of a first round pick.  However, according to Rogers, his catastrophic injury changed his view on life and changed his work ethic.  He is now playing by far his best season of football.  

With Carlos Rogers likely covering Johnson, we can be fairly confident Johnson will not have a stellar day.  But, just in case, second-year free safety LaRon Landry or rookie strong safety Chris Horton will be waiting in the back field to deliver the big hit. Horton has been a surprise...a big one. He now has three interceptions and has been a constant force on defense, always somehow appearing right where the ball carrier is.  He took over the starting position from third-year player Reed Doughty, who is now on Injured Reserve.

Rod Marinelli is on thin ice in Detroit. What does he need to do to score Detroit's first win and will a Skins victory send him packing? (Mark Steven)

"If you have a big gorilla, you don't hit him lightly ... to have any chance, [you] have to play aggressive … onside kick, go for it on fourth down, the whole thing. We knew we weren't going to beat 'em unless we played that way."–Jimmy Johnson, after his underdog Cowboys upset the 10-0 Redskins in 1991.

The Lions need to adapt that philosophy Sunday. If they line up and go toe-to-toe, Washington’s 3^rd ranked run game will simply take over the game against Detroit’s 31^st ranked run defense. Detroit has a puncher’s chance in this one behind phenom WR Calvin Johnson and big-armed QB Dan Orlovsky. They need to come out swinging.

Since starting last season 6-2, the Lions have gone 1-14, so Marinelli has nothing to lose by coming out with his hair on fire (as it were).  Given the fluid state of Detroit’s front office, owner W.C. Ford won’t want to fire his head coach in midseason unless Marinelli has completely lost the locker room. He’ll want time to evaluate the GM position and decide whether his eventual permanent GM should be allowed to hire the next head coach.

A loss against a favored Redskins team won’t force Ford’s hand unless the Lions look like they’ve packed it in. Marinelli knows that and will let his guys pull out all the stops.

Final Score Prediction: Redskins win 31-14. (Jack Anderson)