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How many ridiculous Legal Eagle Lawyerly Movies and TV Shows reach their climax when the line “The Defense Rests” is declared with complete certainty and confidence. All of them, right? Well, that line is likely playing in the thought’s of the battered fans of the Burgundy and Gold shortly after the coin toss and the start of Washington’s first three defensive debacles. Record setting defense in DC is not judged in shutouts, shutdowns or stopping the opposition. No. Instead the team that’s headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia, trains in Richmond, plays in Landover, Maryland and claims the name of Wasington is headed into record book infamy for stinking worse then the dilapidated, sewage smelling, Oakland Alameda Coliseum which they stumble into Sunday at 0-3.
Whether it’s the whiz-bang marketing of RG3 by petulant, pitchman Dan Snyder or the well earned, recent, reputation of ineptitude of the Raider franchise, somehow Washington enters the game as favorite. Huh? Maybe Vegas figured that the Raider offense will be all tuckered out by half time, loses interest in running up the score and leaves the field to join hands at the dubious Al Davis Eternal Flame Monument for a Séance. Let’s face it, when Washington’s opponents have checked out and taken their foot off the gas after taking big leads, RG3 has put up respectable garbage time numbers. Trouble is, garbage time for RG3 and the offense begins sometime well before halftime and the defense is on it’s way to surrendering a league leading, whopping 488 yards and 33 points per game. Contrast that with the league leading Seahawks defense at a stingy 241 yards and 9 points per game and it’s easy to expect another decade or two added to Washington’s fan base frustrating, 21 year long rebuilding program.
A game after Defensive Head Honcho, Jim Haslett was kicked upstairs and marooned to watch in “The Booth”, he suffered an epiphany declaring, “We play Ugly Football”. Brilliant! Haslett had to be exiled off the sidelines to figure that out? Now former Tampa Bay Boss, Raheem Morris has to get up close and personal with a defense that the Detroit Lions deliberately rested All-Pro Reggie Bush, fully expecting to win without him. Take that “Sons of Old DC”!
Courtesy: Washington Post
When Washington drafted college big play defensive backs, Bacarri Rambo and David Amersom, the Burgundy and Gold thought they had solved their woeful secondary issues for seasons to come but instead they’ve added another two terrible tackling defenders to a defense that’s “Ready Hit Position” includes falling to your knees, lowering your head, closing your eyes and waving your arm’s as the ball carrier runs by untouched. Throw in that Washington has the oldest defense in the league that appears to be exhausted by simply warming up and Morris will be playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with Haslett to reclaim his seat in the upper deck, far away from the stench.
It all adds up. With the emphasis on offense and the rules that support scoring it’s more important than ever that a defense must tackle and tackle surely. Otherwise, flare passes and straight dive runs turn into big plays, long touchdowns and plenty of points.
With or without Terrelle Pryor the Raider Offense will score enough points for the home underdog Raiders not only to cover but to win outright and leave Washington a punched out Tomato Can and a “Defense That Rests”.
Marcus from College Park.
September 26, 2013
