On Thursday, October 17, 2013, Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett addressed the media before an afternoon practice at Redskins Park in Ashburn, VA.

. On if he feels good about the progress the defense has made:
"It's like I said last week, I think everybody's committed to getting better and we did a lot better in a lot of areas last weekend. There's still areas that we need to improve in and not just defense – offense, special teams, everything. I think the players and the coaches are all committed to getting better. There are things that disappointed me last week. The offense turned the ball over at the two and the 15, we had great chances of stopping them and holding them to field goals and we didn't do it. I think we're good enough – we had a situation with the one touchdown we had them right where we wanted them and we let them out and they scored. So there's things we have to keep working on to get better and I think our guys are committed to doing that."
 
On if cornerback DeAngelo Hall's game against the Bears in 2010 will have a residual effect on Sunday:
"No, not necessarily. It's totally different on offense, what they're doing. But this is a good opportunity again. I thought DeAngelo played a heck of a game last week and it's another opportunity for him to shine. He showed that he can do it against a really, really great receiver. Now that we saw it on tape, I want to see it every week now."
 
On opponents' starting running backs not finishing games so far this season:
"Can we get [Bears running back Matt] Forte to leave early? [Laughter]. No, I think he's a really good running back, that's why I said that. I think it's just an unfortunate thing that those guys have gotten nicked up or hurt and I think it's just kind of how it fell. I don't think it's anything we're doing on defense. It's just something that happened."
 
On if he coaches the defense differently after turnovers and/or in the red zone:
"We think different ways. You look over the years at the pattern and the history of the offense and try to figure out if they're that type of team that'll take a shot or what's their mentality – what do they do in the red zone or what do they do in the gold zone? So I think there's different ways to approach it. And we try to study it hard. Our coaches – [assistant defensive backs/assistant special teams coach] Richard Hightower does red zone, [linebackers coach] Bob Slowik does third down, [defensive backs coach] Raheem [Morris] does first and second down, [defensive assistant] Bobby [Slowik] does formations – so everybody has a segment that they study and then I look at the whole thing and then we come up with a uniform game plan based off of what we see."
 
On Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's start:
"They're running a familiar offense that we've faced before. So I think it's a quick passing game. He's doing a nice job getting the ball out of his hand. He's a little over 69 percent completion, and I'm impressed with the way he's throwing it. I'm impressed with the way he's running; I think he's running the ball more. And then he's got some great weapons. They've got big, tall receivers that are really good football players – one of the best receivers in the league, a heck of a running back. I love their running back. They have a really good line, they've got a couple young guys that are good football players."
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On the importance of being an opportunistic defense:
"That was the other area probably that was disappointing last week. Our goal was to get three turnovers last week; we got one. We did a lot of good things but I think it's not the yardage you give up. If you worry about yardage in this league, like for every hundred yards you give an offense they give you five points or something, then you worry about it, and same thing on defense – you worry about points given up and turnovers obviously are a big thing because when you get a turnover you take possession away from the offense. We've got to increase that volume, especially in the fumble area."
 
On the challenges tall receivers pose for a defense:
"Obviously we don't have any DBs that big but I think our scheme and what teams are doing – you can limit them to their jump balls and back throws and you kind of know what they're doing. I think they are really good receivers, all of them, all three of them."
 
On if Cutler has been getting the ball out faster this year:
"I think the scheme is the reason why the ball is coming out of his hand a lot faster."
 
On the pressure having a variety of targets able to catch the ball puts on a defense:
"Like I said, you've got 40 catches by one, you've got 31 by one, you've got 29 by another, you've got a running back that's got I think 31 catches so they get balls. They're a big screen team. They get the ball to their best players. The tight end [Martellus Bennett] is a good player. We faced him both at Dallas and New York and I think they utilize him, what they're doing in Chicago, a little bit better, and that's nothing against Dallas and the Giants, they just utilize his talent. He's a big tall guy. He can go up and catch the ball."
 
On the improvement of the Bears offensive line with the offseason acquisitions:
"[Tackle Jermon] Bushrod's one of the best in the league and I'm a fan of all the Longs – Howie, Kyle, all of them, Chris. Heck of a family, and he throws a hundred mile an hour fastball, so that's a pretty good deal."
 
On if he has a relationship with Bears coach Marc Trestman:
"I've never worked with Marc. I know Marc and I think he does a great job. I think he's a heck of an offensive coach and obviously he's doing a great job as a head coach."
 
On what the offense does to help Cutler get the ball out fast:
"It's just a quick passing game. He doesn't have to read a lot of things. He can get it out of his hands fast because he knows where the receivers are at. I think he's doing an excellent job with that offense."
 
On facing the Green Bay offense helps in preparation for the Chicago offense:
"I don't think it's the same type of offense."
 
On how the secondary prepares for Cutler's quick release:
"Obviously, you've got to get him in the situations where if you utilize them – we've got to stop the run, number one. I think we've done a pretty good job of that the last few weeks. If we can get in those situations where they've got to throw the ball on third-and-long, you have a better chance of winning the game."
 
On if Hall can sustain his high level of performance or if the play of cornerbacks depends on the matchup:
"If he did it one time, why can't you do it every week? I say that to our guys up front. I thought we did a great job in certain areas. For instance, [defensive lineman] Chris Baker, two weeks ago against Oakland, it was his best game he's played. I told him, 'You've set a standard for yourself. We've got to have that every week.' We tackled much better this week. We were a really good tackling team this week. So, I want to see it every week. You set a standard for yourself. Let's do it every week now."
 
On if Hall's varying performances are a matter of "getting up" for certain matchups:
"I don't think it's that. I just think he just had a heck of a game."
 
On if he discusses special teams with his defensive players:
"Like I said, I think this whole football team – coaches and players – are committed to getting better, and that includes special teams. Most of those guys on special teams are defensive guys. I don't coach them, but I actively get involved in telling them that if you want to play and you want to be on this team and you want to be active for this team, then you've got to do a better job on special teams. To me, I think special teams are very important. So if you're the third and fourth safety, or third and fourth corner, or third and fourth running back, whatever, you better be a pretty good special teams player. We'll get better in those areas."
 
On the play of cornerback Josh Wilson in the hybrid safety/cornerback role:*
"Josh has played a little bit of everything. Josh has played nickel, corner, safety, free safety, strong safety and he's done an excellent job. One time he played strong safety with big people in the game last week because we made a mistake. We got him in the game and they ran the ball and he was in the box. He did a nice job. Josh is playing excellent football and he's practicing great. It's like he's revived or something because of what he's doing – we've been playing a lot of different roles with him."
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