- Joined
- Jul 31, 2010
- Messages
- 8,874
Haslett, Williams rode similar path
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_7cca8f4a-e21a-5b18-9446-3236842bdca0.html
Many years have passed, but there was a time when Jim Haslett hoped to be head coach of the St. Louis Rams and Gregg Williams had similar designs of taking over in Washington.
Neither happened. Haslett did have 12 games as interim head coach of the Rams in 2008, after Scott Linehan was fired four games — and four losses — into the season.
Haslett never thought much of Linehan, and eagerly took over once Linehan was axed. But after winning his first two games Haslett lost his next 10, many in excruciating fashion. After paying lip service to retaining Haslett, who was popular with the players and the media, general manager Billy Devaney went instead with Steve Spagnuolo.
(That 10-38 fiasco is a whole different story.)
After a year as head coach of the Florida Tuskers in the short-lived United Football League, Haslett came to Washington as defensive coordinator for Mike Shanahan. When Shanahan was shown the door following the 2013 season, Haslett was retained by new coach Jay Gruden. It’s unusual for coordinators or assistant coaches to be kept during regime changes, but there was a connection here: Gruden was Haslett’s offensive coordinator during that 2009 season with the Tuskers.
The Redskins rank a respectable 11th in total defense this season but are giving up 26.8 points per game, the sixth-highest total in the league. There have been games in which Haslett’s unit has given up too many easy touchdowns, and with an injury-ravaged secondary that might continue.
When asked if Haslett was keeping his sanity during a conference call with St. Louis reporters, Gruden laughed and replied: “He’s on the verge of cracking. No, he’s doing good. He’s just obviously frustrated in the big plays that we gave up last week (in Indianapolis) and against Tampa (Nov. 16).
“That’s very unlike his defense. We’ve just got to continue coaching these guys up. He’s taking the major blunt of the criticism around here, as coaches usually do. But I know he’s a good football coach.”
Haslett is 1-2 against the Rams since being hired by Washington. And even though nearly six seasons have passed since his hopes disintegrated to lead the Rams, there’s undoubtedly a part of him that would love to stick it to the visitors from St. Louis.
The Rams (5-7) certainly know what to expect from Haslett in Sunday’s noon kickoff (St. Louis time) at FedEx Field. Lots of different looks and multiple packages. And blitzing, blitzing, and more blitzing.
“They’re very multiple, so we’re going to have to be dialed in for sure,” Rams quarterback Shaun Hill said. “Know our rules and be able to play fundamentally sound football. He wants to get you off-track offensively, wants there to be a negative play somewhere in the drive.”
Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer says Haslett gets most of his defensive personnel involved on game day.
“They do just a lot of personnel groups,” Schottenheimer says, especially on third down. “Very aggressive. Seems like we say that every week, but the pressure numbers (by the opposing defense) seem to go up each and every week. Some exotic looks where guys kind of come from all over the field.”
In that sense, there’s plenty of similarities between Haslett’s Washington defense, and the Rams unit that Williams coordinates.
Williams might not have been subject to the criticism that Haslett’s feeling in Washington these days. But there was a time early in the season when some wondered if Williams had lost his touch as the Rams’ defense struggled in the early going.
But over the past five Sundays, the defense has come on in a big way. The last two opposing offenses to visit the Edward Jones, Oakland and Denver, didn’t even reach the red zone. The pass rush has become a force again, and the takeaways have been coming in bunches lately.
Not unlike Haslett, Williams likes to use multiple packages, and blitz, blitz, blitz. When asked what he has seen on tape from the Rams’ defense, Gruden laughed and said: “I’ve seen a lot of pressure. These guys play with a great effort.”
“When you have a great pass rush and you have defensive backs with good ball skills, it’s a great recipe for success. They have some young players that are just going to get better with time. They’ve got the makings of a dominant defense for a long time, that’s for sure.”
Just a year before Haslett was hoping to take over in St. Louis on a full-time basis, Williams hoped to replace retiring Joe Gibbs in Washington after the 2007 season. He had been defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for four years for Gibbs. But the head-coaching job went to Jim Zorn instead, in what might have been Williams’ last chance at a head-coaching position.
Sunday marks only Williams’ second trip on the field to Washington since then. En route to a Super Bowl championship in 2009 as coordinator in New Orleans, Williams and the Saints claimed a 33-30 overtime victory at FedEx Field during the regular season.
“It’s been a few years, but I had kids go to school there, and they did very well, and they have a lot of fond memories back there,” Williams said. “A lot of really good people there; good organization.”
Williams indicated that he has no extra motivation to win against Washington. Then again, he never holds anything back on game day.
“(I’m) always looking to win,” he said. “Not looking to apologize for anything once we get into competition. It will be a good game. We need to win another game. We need to win two in a row.”
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_7cca8f4a-e21a-5b18-9446-3236842bdca0.html
Many years have passed, but there was a time when Jim Haslett hoped to be head coach of the St. Louis Rams and Gregg Williams had similar designs of taking over in Washington.
Neither happened. Haslett did have 12 games as interim head coach of the Rams in 2008, after Scott Linehan was fired four games — and four losses — into the season.
Haslett never thought much of Linehan, and eagerly took over once Linehan was axed. But after winning his first two games Haslett lost his next 10, many in excruciating fashion. After paying lip service to retaining Haslett, who was popular with the players and the media, general manager Billy Devaney went instead with Steve Spagnuolo.
(That 10-38 fiasco is a whole different story.)
After a year as head coach of the Florida Tuskers in the short-lived United Football League, Haslett came to Washington as defensive coordinator for Mike Shanahan. When Shanahan was shown the door following the 2013 season, Haslett was retained by new coach Jay Gruden. It’s unusual for coordinators or assistant coaches to be kept during regime changes, but there was a connection here: Gruden was Haslett’s offensive coordinator during that 2009 season with the Tuskers.
The Redskins rank a respectable 11th in total defense this season but are giving up 26.8 points per game, the sixth-highest total in the league. There have been games in which Haslett’s unit has given up too many easy touchdowns, and with an injury-ravaged secondary that might continue.
When asked if Haslett was keeping his sanity during a conference call with St. Louis reporters, Gruden laughed and replied: “He’s on the verge of cracking. No, he’s doing good. He’s just obviously frustrated in the big plays that we gave up last week (in Indianapolis) and against Tampa (Nov. 16).
“That’s very unlike his defense. We’ve just got to continue coaching these guys up. He’s taking the major blunt of the criticism around here, as coaches usually do. But I know he’s a good football coach.”
Haslett is 1-2 against the Rams since being hired by Washington. And even though nearly six seasons have passed since his hopes disintegrated to lead the Rams, there’s undoubtedly a part of him that would love to stick it to the visitors from St. Louis.
The Rams (5-7) certainly know what to expect from Haslett in Sunday’s noon kickoff (St. Louis time) at FedEx Field. Lots of different looks and multiple packages. And blitzing, blitzing, and more blitzing.
“They’re very multiple, so we’re going to have to be dialed in for sure,” Rams quarterback Shaun Hill said. “Know our rules and be able to play fundamentally sound football. He wants to get you off-track offensively, wants there to be a negative play somewhere in the drive.”
Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer says Haslett gets most of his defensive personnel involved on game day.
“They do just a lot of personnel groups,” Schottenheimer says, especially on third down. “Very aggressive. Seems like we say that every week, but the pressure numbers (by the opposing defense) seem to go up each and every week. Some exotic looks where guys kind of come from all over the field.”
In that sense, there’s plenty of similarities between Haslett’s Washington defense, and the Rams unit that Williams coordinates.
Williams might not have been subject to the criticism that Haslett’s feeling in Washington these days. But there was a time early in the season when some wondered if Williams had lost his touch as the Rams’ defense struggled in the early going.
But over the past five Sundays, the defense has come on in a big way. The last two opposing offenses to visit the Edward Jones, Oakland and Denver, didn’t even reach the red zone. The pass rush has become a force again, and the takeaways have been coming in bunches lately.
Not unlike Haslett, Williams likes to use multiple packages, and blitz, blitz, blitz. When asked what he has seen on tape from the Rams’ defense, Gruden laughed and said: “I’ve seen a lot of pressure. These guys play with a great effort.”
“When you have a great pass rush and you have defensive backs with good ball skills, it’s a great recipe for success. They have some young players that are just going to get better with time. They’ve got the makings of a dominant defense for a long time, that’s for sure.”
Just a year before Haslett was hoping to take over in St. Louis on a full-time basis, Williams hoped to replace retiring Joe Gibbs in Washington after the 2007 season. He had been defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for four years for Gibbs. But the head-coaching job went to Jim Zorn instead, in what might have been Williams’ last chance at a head-coaching position.
Sunday marks only Williams’ second trip on the field to Washington since then. En route to a Super Bowl championship in 2009 as coordinator in New Orleans, Williams and the Saints claimed a 33-30 overtime victory at FedEx Field during the regular season.
“It’s been a few years, but I had kids go to school there, and they did very well, and they have a lot of fond memories back there,” Williams said. “A lot of really good people there; good organization.”
Williams indicated that he has no extra motivation to win against Washington. Then again, he never holds anything back on game day.
“(I’m) always looking to win,” he said. “Not looking to apologize for anything once we get into competition. It will be a good game. We need to win another game. We need to win two in a row.”