The Washington Redskins’ defense has been one of the biggest holes for the team this season. After high expectations coming out of the offseason, the unit fell on its face coming out of the gates, giving up more than 30 points in four of their first five games.
Through 10 games, the defense is allowing on average 25 points per game, and they rank worst in the league when it comes to third down, as they allow opponents to convert on 49 percent of plays.
All of this has led major questions and doubts to be thrown at defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, but one former player is standing by the DC.
“I was fortunate I played for Greg Manusky out in San Diego my first couple years. He’s a damn good coach,” said Shawne Merriman, according to NBC Sports Washington. “I was fortunate. To see some of the things said about him, well, I had no problem playing in that scheme. It’s the same scheme and operation that they’re running [in Washington]. Guys have to go out there and make plays.”
If you asked Merriman — who played under Manusky in his first two years with the Chargers, where he was named to two Pro Bowls — it’s the players in Washington who are more to blame than the coach. That applies to offensive players as well.
“If you don’t have the right opportunities from your offense putting points on the board, where you can go after the quarterback and make those big plays, then what is there to do?” Merriman said. “Some of the teams I played on, we had a quarterback and offense where we knew it was good for at least 28 points a game.”
Merriman has a point. With the offense in Washington routinely unable to put points on the board, there is little that the defense can do to win games — we all can agree on that, regardless of your opinions on Greg Manusky.
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