The Redskins Blog

Defense Doesn’t Duplicate Dominance

This title has been brought to you by the letter “D.”

The team is doing some contact drills now that they have practice shells on, but there isn’t full-contact or tackling yet.  Therefore it’s hard to define what “tag” or “hug” would constitute a tackle during 11-on-11 play.

So far during camp, the pass defenders have kept the ball out of the receivers hands.  Today, the offense was able to gain a little traction:

What I saw:

I finally saw some cracks in the impenetrable defense.  DeAngelo Hall played well until it appeared that he injured his wrist.  He took to the sidelines to get it treated, but was back in a few plays later, before he appeared to hurt it again.

Linebacker Perry Riley–who Shanahan named as a favorite to replace departed free agent Rocky McIntosh next to London Fletcher–has looked good in coverage.  On one play in particular, he blanketed running back Evan Royster on a good pass out of the backfield.

Cornerback Kevin Barnes has looked comfortable in his second year in the defense.  With free agents Josh Wilson and Philip Buchanon eligible to practice on Thursday, it will be important for Barnes to make his good impression now.  With Hall expected to start, the battle for second cornerback should be a fight to the finish.

Because you asked:

Lorenzo Alexander lined up all over at linebacker.  The looks that I saw him in were primarily middle and dropping back into coverage on a tight end or running back.  Just like Mike Sellers on the other side of the ball, Alexander’s role–while murky–should become more defined as the season approaches.