Tag: Greg Manusky

Report: Steve Wilks not expected to be named Redskins defensive coordinator

Many expect Steve Wilks to join Ron Rivera in Washington as the DC, but a source close to Wilks says he doesn’t expect that to happen.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, it seems that defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is not expected to join Ron Rivera in Washington as the Redskins next DC at this time.

With the hiring of Rivera, who coached with Wilks in Carolina with the Panthers, many expected Rivera to bring in his old coordinator to help shore up the Washington defense and transition back to a 4-3 scheme in Washington. According to sources close to Wilks, that isn’t expected to happen.

Wilks last acted as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2019, and he was fired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals a year prior to that after going 3-13 in 2018. Should he not join up with Rivera in Washington, it will be interesting who the Redskins tab as their next DC. No matter who it is, we feel confident in saying that current DC Greg Manusky will no longer be with the team in that role going forward.

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All signs point towards Josh Norman’s eventual exit in Washington

Norman was benched before Sunday’s game and played a minimal role on special teams, signaling his time in Washington is almost up.

Depending on who you talk to about the circumstances surrounding Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, you might get different answers.

Interim head coach Bill Callahan will tell you that Norman has been playing injured for much of the season, and that’s why he was benched in Sunday’s 19-16 victory over the Detroit Lions — Washington’s first win at FedEx field since 2018. Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky might tell you that the benching came out of frustration, and a desire to get more repetitions for young players on the roster, like Jimmy Moreland, who started the game on Sunday.

Fans will likely tell you they don’t care why he sat, rather they are just happy to see him anywhere but the field.

Whatever you may hear, a new story is coming out now about Norman’s status in Washington, and it’s got all signs pointing towards an offseason exit.  According to Ben Standig with The Athletic, Norman was benched for his lack of performance, and the decision was made all the way back in the middle of last week, before he popped up on the injury report as questionable on Friday; before he was reported as inactive, then as active, on Sunday morning.

“I love Josh, and I’m proud of him in the way he’s handled things,” Callahan said, via The Athletic. “He’s a true pro in a lot of ways, and you can’t say enough about his professionalism.”

He may handle things the right way in the locker room, always doing what’s best for the team in the current situation, but the same couldn’t be said for his performance on Sunday. While he was relegated to some minimal special teams work, Norman…played at his own pace against the Lions.

According to Standig, Norman was given the choice as to whether or not he would be active or not, and with some contract incentives in mind, the veteran CB chose to suit up. He literally was there to cash a check, and little else.

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Former player says Greg Manusky is not to blame for Redskins struggles

One of Manusky’s former players has come out and said that he is a great coach and not the reason for Washington’s defensive struggles.

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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The Washington Redskins are completely helpless when it comes to third down

The Redskins’ offense and defense have been the worst in the league when it comes to being successful on third down this season.

When the Washington Redskins and New York Jets meet on Sunday afternoon, it won’t only be a contest between two of the worst teams in the league, but also between two of the least clutch offenses.

Heading into this Week 11 showdown that very few people outside of Washington or New York will be watching, both the Jets and Redskins rank as the bottom two teams in the NFL when it comes to third-down conversions — Washington converts for a first down just 24.2 percent of the time, which is slightly above New York’s 23.7 percent success rate.

For the Redskins, they know it’s absolutely something that they need to get better at, as it’s imperative to their success.

When it comes to third down, Washington is even worse on defense. Through nine games, they rank dead-last in the league, allowing their opponent to convert on the down and distance 50 percent of the time. It’s no wonder they’ve found little success this season.

Whether on offense or defense, third-down is where a team really shows how good they are. It comes as no surprise that Washington is near the bottom of the barrel on both sides of the ball.

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