Marcus Washington joins Durrant Brooks on special teams

by Skin Patrol on Sep 9, 2008 7:49 PM EDT in Analysis Comment 4 comments

"Every game won't go the way it did against the Giants," linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti said. "Marcus will give us whatever we need that week, like last week when he played on special teams [after linebacker Khary Campbell was a late scratch]. Marcus is a good football player who can do a lot of things. He hasn't changed. He's going to do things that make the defense work that sometimes aren't always the flashy things."

The focus of the story is on Washington's perhaps decreased role in this defense in virtue of injuries and, shhh don't say anything bad words bad words, age. My spin is: Gritty veteran fills in where needed, earns blue collar dollars on special teams. As the article notes, and perhaps Redskins fans too often forget, Washington is responsible for more sacks since joining the team than anyone else.

Even with his presence on special teams, we didn't rate so well, at least per Football Outsiders Week 1 DVOA. Our overall rating was -0.6% which was good for 19th in the league. Their DAVE ratings, which include preseason expectations weighting against the DVOA through, I believe, nine weeks of the season, have us at 16th, which means our grade after week 1 is: Failed to meet expectations. Worst news came from our -1.0 punt rating, bad for about 28th in the league. Durant Brooks probably not amused:

via redskinsblog.files.wordpress.com

That's him on the right, I'm told by TORB, unless it is a shopper and the chick on the left made final cuts. He joined teammates Jason Taylor, Stephon Heyer, and Alfred Fincher, among others, at:

Last night, the Jason Taylor Foundation, in partnership with the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation, hosted their “Cool Gear For The School Year” shopping program at Old Navy in Leesburg...

The event provides 60 area kids with a $300 shopping trip to Old Navy, where they’re accompanied by local athletes, cheerleaders, and media.

I'm trying not to too drastically change gears from questions about our special teams play (which are largely unwarranted, given that it's only week 1) and Jason Taylor, but consider this quote, emphasis added:

Taylor started the event in 2005 in Miami, and he’s brought it here as part of the process of making the DC area “feel more like home and not just a work stop.”

I don't know that Jason Taylor has any obligation to me or anyone else to make Washington D.C. feel more or less like home -- appreciate the effort -- but if he fails to actually make it his home for at least the next couple of years, history will not kindly view our trading for him this season. One and done is not a solid return on a 2nd and 6th round pick.

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Does anyone know

exactly what the punter’s ratings are based on? I understand basic comparisons are based on punt distances and hang times. However, I’m convinced that more isn’t necessarily better in either department (although longer distances and hang times usually accompany “good” punts).

I raise the question because Frosty and the media have been pretty adamant that Frosty outperformed Brooks. I’m not convinced. I can’t remember the last time I saw a redskin punt coveror get a chance to T-off on a punt returner like Rock got to T off on Ross (I think it was he who was returning for the G-men on Thu). The punt wasn’t the longest or the highest or whatever, but it had just the right amount of hang time to shield attention away from Cartwright. If the punt had been into Ross’ hands any earlier or later, he would have been able to see Rock and call the fair catch (which would have been a much better decision). As it was he got lit up. I can’t say that it wasn’t all Rock’s doing. He’s a beast for sure (and has validated both his roster spot and the improvement of his contractual situation), but I don’t remember seeing those plays last year.

TTB!

by Ach on Sep 9, 2008 9:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It was a combination

of distance and hang time, or so sayeth Danny Smith.

Derrick Frost can complain about the fairness of the competition all he wants. Maybe he’s right (we won’t know, because we don’t have access to all the practice #s). At the end of the day, though, Frost didn’t do himself any favors last year by finishing fairly middle of the pack, and he’d need to have been a LOT better than Brooks considering one of them demands nearly a million dollars of salary cap space and the other demands a few hundred thousand.

Go register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Sep 9, 2008 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs