Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher officially made four tackles in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, giving him 166 on the season, which remains a league high.

The second-most prolific tackler this season, Minnesota’s Chad Greenway, finished the year with 152 tackles.

Fletcher’s critics say part of the reason why he has such a high tackle total is because Washington’s offense is so poor, and thus, he is on the field more.

Fletcher disagreed with that notion saying he would still find a way to make plenty of tackles even if Washington’s defense was on the field less.

“I’m going to make plays regardless of whether I’m on the field a lot or not,” the 36-year-old Fletcher said. “If you look back, we were the fourth-ranked defense, up there leading the league in tackles or close to it. I’ve been on defenses ranked second in the league, making lots of tackles then. Playmakers make plays, regardless of how much they’re on the field.”

Fletcher let out a smile following his response.

As the 14th-year veteran enters the offseason, his contract with the Redskins is set to expire. He has previously maintained, however, that he wants to return to Washington, and Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett have both said re-signing Fletcher ranks as the highest priority for the defense.

Fletcher on Sunday said his future was the furthest thing from his mind, however.

“I’m still frustrated, thinking about losing 11 ballgames. When you don’t win, it frustrates you. That’s the only thing you can think about. Losing. You replay the game over and over in your head at night. I ask myself what could I have done more to help this team win games. That’s really where I’m at.”

During his five seasons with the Washington Redskins, Lorenzo Alexander has worn many hats, playing offensive line, tight end, defensive line, special teams, linebacker and even fullback. His versatility has earned him the nickname “One Man Gang.”

Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander (97) greets fans on the field during pregame festivities at FedEx Field in August. ( Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)This past offseason, Alexander added another title to his resume by serving as media relations director for the Redskins players during the NFL lockout. Alexander responded to queries on the Redskins’ players stances on the developments of the labor dispute. And when they held their own offseason workouts, Alexander served as media liaison, laying out guidelines for coverage and updating reporters on scheduling changes.

For helping reporters do their jobs during the 2011 season, Alexander was presented the annual Redskins Media Good Guy award Thursday.

Accepting the plaque in the Redskins’ locker room before practice, Alexander examined the names of the previous years winners. The most recent were cornerback Carlos Rogers (2010) and defensive Andre Carter (2009), neither of whom is still with the team.

“Well, I hope I don’t end up like the other guys on here,” Alexander joked. “But, they did go to the Pro Bowl, so if it means I go to the Pro Bowl next year, I’ll take it.”

The Washington Redskins need to make a committed effort to hiring Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator.

Yesterday, NFL.com reported that current St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo is readying to be relieved of his duties with the NFC West cellar-dwellers.

The report stated that Spagnuolo could be fired after the conclusion of the 2011 regular season if the Rams decide to make a serious move for former Tennessee Titans head man Jeff Fisher.

The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants are already listed as the front runners for Spagnuolo’s services as defensive coordinator.

Spagnuolo has prominent ties to both teams. He served as secondary coach for the Eagles, while being mentored by the late great Jim Johnson.

He took what he learned from Johnson with him to the Giants, where he was appointed defensive coordinator in 2007.

Spagnuolo turned a languishing Big Blue defense into a sack-happy unit that propelled the Giants all the way to Super Bowl triumph.

But it is the Redskins who should make the biggest push for Spagnuolo. Despite its talent level, Washington’s defense has let the team down in critical moments this season.

The most recent collapse came at home against the lowly Minnesota Vikings. One criticism of Jim Haslett’s defense is that the unit simply fails to make enough big plays.

The Redskins’ turnover return is again paltry, and Haslett’s blitz packages are badly designed and poorly timed.

Spagnuolo is a master of the fire-zone blitz concepts that the Redskins are desperate to emulate. His blitzes are cleverly crafted and wide ranging.

Although he has been a 4-3 coach throughout his career, Spagnuolo would have no problem transferring his fire-zone packages to the Redskins’ 3-4 front.

He would have plenty of the right kind of talent to work with in Washington. Spagnuolo’s imaginative play-calling would better utilise the pass-rushing skills of Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan.

The duo would be moved around more, positioned to attack different gaps and rush from multiple angles.

Current nose tackle Barry Cofield worked with Spagnuolo in New York. He knows the system well and played his best football for Spagnuolo.

Spagnuolo’s schemes require an extension of the coach on the field. Usually this role is given to the middle linebacker.

Spagnuolo would inherit a natural quarterback for the defense in the form of superb veteran London Fletcher.

The 14-year pro’s intelligence and instincts would make him the perfect choice to call and audible Spagnuolo’s multiple schemes on the field.

Spagnuolo is also a tough, hard-nosed coach who may do a better job of keeping some of the bigger personalities on the Redskins defense in line.

His reputation as the architect of the New England Patriots’ defeat in Super Bowl XLII commands respect, and his varied and daring system is known to be a favorite among defensive players.

As a team, the Redskins need more big plays. The defense has performed well this season but is still nowhere near the dominant unit it could be.

Spagnuolo has the knowledge and ideas to give the Redskins the kind of aggressive, turnover-binging defense they had hope for when they made the switch to 3-4.

After weeks of futility, Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan started seeing his unit finally make some strides three weeks ago against Miami and show even more improvement the following week against Dallas. Finally this past Sunday against the Seahawks, the offensive players managed to maintain the momentum they had begun to build and put together a winning result, much to Shanahan’s relief.

For the first time all season, the Redskins took the opening kickoff, marched the length of the field and scored. Rookie Roy Helu rushed for 108 yards, marking only the second time this season that a Redskins running back topped the century mark. Washington had a few key third-down conversions, which also had been hard to come by, and the unit cranked out several big plays in the comeback victory.

“It felt good,” said Shanahan, who on Thursday spoke for the first time since the 23-17 win. “We haven’t [scored on the opening drive] all year and, to be able to go down and do it, make a couple of third downs and make a couple big plays and finish it with a touchdown – that definitely takes some pressure off. It definitely makes it a lot easier.”

The offensive coordinator said two previously missing elements – the rushing game and an effective play-action attack – helped set the Redskins up for success.

“Any time you can do a few things to counteract them [where] that looks like run, where you can attack certain holes and soften some people up to get people not just teeing off in one aspect of the game – I think it helps out all the spots,” Shanahan said. “Not just the run game, but the pass rush and keeps those safeties back [and] makes guys think twice before they shoot their guns.”

Big plays had previously been hard to come by for the Redskins during their six-game losing streak. But on Sunday, the unit had 10 plays of 15 yards or more, and the two biggest plays were a 50-yard, game-clinching touchdown pass from Rex Grossman to Anthony Armstrong, and a 28-yard Roy Helu run on the previous scoring drive.

“It was good,” Shanahan said of finally starting to see things come together. “There’s such a fine line in football. It was frustrating going through that game because you think everything is going perfect and, when it was all said and done, we still only had seven points going into the fourth quarter. And then we had two players step up and make some unbelievable plays. We had Roy hurdle a guy and make an unbelievable run and we had Rex and the offensive line give us the time to hit Armstrong down the field.

“You have those two plays that give you the points and then it seems like a great day. You’ve got to get plays like that eventually to where it could open that up. Moving the ball is great, but you’ve got to find ways to score. Those two plays those guys made gave us a great chance.”

(c) 2011, The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — When the Washington Redskins took the opening kickoff of Sunday’s game at Seattle and marched directly down the field — 14 plays, 80 yards, a touchdown — they looked as if they had been an efficient offensive juggernaut all season. There was no sign that, not a month earlier, they endured a three-week period in which they produced all of one touchdown. The running game burst to life behind rookie Roy Helu. The passing game looked crisp with Rex Grossman behind center.
Alas, that drive — not to mention the 416 total yards the Redskins rang up in a 23-17 victory over the Seahawks — are anomalies in what has been, largely, an abysmal offensive season for Washington. The question that arises is simple: What was the difference?
“Any offense, if you want to have balance and the chance for a big play, you’ve got to have a good, solid running game, and that sets up the play-action pass,” Coach Mike Shanahan said Monday, the day after his personal-worst six-game losing streak had ended. “I thought that’s what we were able to do (Sunday). Our running game was solid against a very good defensive team (and) kind of gave us some opportunities with some play-action passes to come up with the big plays.”
Start, then, on the ground. Helu, a fourth-round pick from Nebraska, turned his first opportunity to play on all three downs into a career day. He gained 108 yards on 23 carries, including a game-changing 28-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on which he memorably leapt over a defender.
That not only earned him a third start in the upcoming game against the New York Jets, according to Shanahan on Monday, but it helped establish the entire flow for the offense. In the Redskins’ four wins, they average 138 yards rushing. In their seven losses, that number plummets to 56.9.
“That’s one of the reasons why I believe in the running game through the years,” Shanahan said. “That usually dictates wins, by (being) able to run the football, come up with the big plays in play-action. Your third downs aren’t as long, you’re controlling the time of possession, keeping the opposition off the field — different things that lead to winning.”
The rare presence of the running game — the Redskins still rank next-to-last in the NFL in yards per game on the ground — also allowed Washington to control the clock, even as they allowed scoring opportunities to slip away. The Redskins held the ball for 33 minutes 20 seconds against Seattle. Coincidence or not, they’re now 4-0 in games in which they win the time of possession battle, 0-7 when the opponent has the ball longer.
“Normally if you win games, you’re controlling the ball in the fourth quarter, and you’re running the football,” Shanahan said. “. . . When you’re behind, you’re throwing the ball every down.”
In order for the Redskins to get in a situation in which they could control the clock, they needed the lead. They grabbed it in a manner they also have not shown much this season, with a pair of quick strikes. Shanahan’s running game is predicated not just on wearing opponents down through repeated attempts, but by then busting out for a long gain. Until Helu broke free with just under 10 minutes remaining to cut the Seahawks’ lead to 17-14, that big play had been completely absent. Helu’s 28-yard run was Washington’s second-longest of the year, trailing only a 39-yard burst by Ryan Torain in Week 4 against St. Louis.
The play on which the Redskins took the lead was their longest of the season, a 50-yard touchdown pass from Grossman to wide receiver Anthony Armstrong. Only three teams entered Sunday without a pass play of at least 50 yards, and the heave showed Grossman’s ability — and willingness — to go downfield.
In eight starts by Grossman this season, the Redskins have averaged 339 yards of offense and gone 4-4. In three starts by John Beck, they averaged 278 yards and went 0-3. So up pops another question. Does Shanahan regret benching Grossman in Week 7?
“That’s part of trying to figure out who your football team is, especially when you have some missing pieces,” Shanahan said. “. . . You’re always trying to come up with that chemistry and what gives you the best chance to win. That’s an ongoing process.”
Establishing consistency on offense is also an ongoing process. But after the Redskins’ first win in nearly two months, there also is another element that has been missing most of that time: Hope.
“Hopefully, we’ll have a lot of games like this in the future, where you’re moving the football,” Shanahan said. “. . . When you do move the ball like we did, you feel a little bit better about everything — your running game, your protection, your play-action game, your dropback game.
“Everybody’s a lot more positive. To move the ball like we did, it’s a big boost to our offensive players, because they know we have those capabilities. We just need to do it on a consistent basis.”