NFL: Special Teams Make the Team

Since the Redskins didn’t play Sunday, I don’t have to complain about missed opportunities, turnovers, dumb penalties and poor snaps for the first time in two weeks.

I can use this column to figure out what’s wrong with this team, which was projected to go all the way, and try to figure out how these problems can be fixed.

In their division, the Redskins are looking up at the Giants and Eagles, two teams with much less talent. Why? It’s the special teams. That was easy. Fixing them may take several pages.

Many people see the offense as a problem. There is a lack of speed at wide receiver and they can’t get into the end zone. I say the running game and the defense are good enough to win most games. There are plenty of teams out there -- Tennessee comes to mind -- that rely on their D to keep games close so they can pound their star running back all game long. Then, when the other team is fatigued, their average wide receivers can get open downfield.

With Michael Westbrook out, the Redskins’ receiving corps, despite having two future hall of famers in Irving Fryar and Andre Reed, is mediocre at best. But they should be able to wear teams down by running Stephen Davis 30 times up the middle and relying on their D to hold teams to under 10 points. Not exciting football, but a proven formula for a victory.

This team, however, cannot stick to this plan because their horrendous special teams units always do something to get them in a hole. The Redskins are having trouble completing a basic snap, hold and kick (on field goal attempts and punts). They are on their fourth kicker of the season, 44-year-old Eddie Murray, and they signed Scott Bentley to do nothing but kick off. I’d love to get paid the NFL league minimum to have a job that easy.

Take a look at the Eagles game Sunday. They don’t have great skill players on offense, yet their record is 7-4. Why? Because their special teams can execute basic plays. First they recovered an onside kick. Then, with the clock ticking down, they scrambled their offense off the field and their field-goal unit onto the field, and made a game-tying kick at the end of the game.

Then they kicked the game winner in OT, all with a former Redskin kicker, David Akers, who lasted here exactly one week in 1998. Getting lined up, not moving for a false start penalty, not holding--it all comes down to coaching, and the Redskins do not have it on special teams. I have no confidence whatsoever in special teams coach LeCharls McDaniel. If their next game comes down to needing to recover an onside kick to win, I might as well turn the TV off.

This offseason, Daniel Snyder went on a spending spree to improve the defense. In February and March, I want to see him open his checkbook and hire the best special teams coach in the NFL. This often overlooked part of the game can take a bad team and elevate it into playoff contention or, in the case of the Redskins, drag a good team down and quite possibly keep them out of the playoffs.

Pity them if you like, but at least they are not the Washington Capitals. The Caps are struggling and playing in a half-empty arena under the heavy pressure of the 2000 Southeast Division Championship banner that hangs in the rafters.

This year the Caps have only won three games out of 17--three games in six weeks. They are a pathetic 0-5-4 against expansion teams and teams that didn’t make the playoffs last year.

They signed three free agents in the offseason. Stephan Richer retired after the first practice and the other two have been complete busts.

Besides Peter Bondra, they have very little speed and no one who can finish. The defensive defensemen aren’t.

Olie Kolzig, last year’s Vezina trophy winner, is letting in uncharacteristically soft goals.

The bright side is that their division is so bad, they’re still within a point of first place. I’ll keep you updated on their progress -- or their descent into the basement.

A Peek at This Week’s Game: The Redskins, loaded at defensive back, are one of the few teams who match up well defensively with the Rams, who normally cut through teams like a pack of buzzsaws. The Redskins should be able to exploit the Rams’ defense, but with their special teams, you can almost pencil in a long Rams punt return or kick return. Under Norv Turner, the Redskins have played terribly on Monday nights. Unbiased, I’ll say Rams 34, Redskins 21. As a homer, I’ll say Redskins 28, Rams 27.