On Thursday, October 24, 2013, Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett addressed the media before an afternoon practice at Redskins Park in Ashburn, VA.
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On his depth at safety:
"You know, we feel good about the guys we have playing. We got [safety Jose] Gumbs work this week. [Safety] Bacarri [Rambo] got a lot of work this week. [Safety Trenton] Robinson has got some work. Bigs [cornerback E.J. Biggers] has got some work. So we've got some options and we feel good about – obviously I'd like to have [safety] Reed [Doughty] back and playing well, but if he doesn't then we'll move on and we'll be fine."
On if safety Bacarri Rambo has made improvements since his last game:
"Yeah, I think he's done a lot better. He's into it. He understands a little bit more. We'll play that all out this week and see how it plays out from the safety spot and then go with what our gut feeling is, who gives us the best chance to win the game."
On his reaction to safety Brandon Meriweather having his suspension reduced to one game:
"Let's say this – I think the league does a great job with player safety. Obviously being an ex-player, I think what they've done – the league office has done – has been exceptional. They've done a good job all around the board from that area. My concern was more with the penalties and, you know, the three penalties that we had –
including 'Rak's [outside linebacker Brian Orakpo] – led to a touchdown and a field goal, really two touchdowns and a field goal if you look at it that way because we were off the grass twice. You add those points onto the board and you add the 125 yards extra onto it, you know, that's not good. So, obviously, I was more concerned with the style of which he was tackling more than the fine or whatever. I'm concerned with him doing a better job of him wrapping his arms and bringing a guy down and not launching."
On if he thinks Meriweather has made efforts to adjust the way he hits:
"Yeah, and we do a good job of teaching our guys what the league is asking them to do from that standpoint, but obviously it didn't work in his case. We've got to do better because we've got to eliminate the penalties because that hurt us more than anything from a team standpoint last week in the game."
On what makes Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning different than other quarterbacks:
"Well, Peyton sees everything. You think you can disguise something on him, he recognizes every coverage. He understands what you're doing. He sees things. He's been in the league for such a long time he sees everything so you're not going to go out there and think you're going to fool him, it's not going to happen. You've got to go out there and execute, you've got to perform well and you've got to do everything that's right to give yourself a chance to win the game."
On reacting to what Manning does before snap:
"There's a lot of that stuff that he does and nothing happens so you don't know what's live, you don't know what is real, what's not real. He does a great job with the snap count. I think he's gotten about 20 guys offsides in the last six games. So he's one of the best if not the best that ever played the game and he's outstanding. You're not going to fool the guy. You've just got to go out and try to execute and play well and get some turnovers and do the best you can."
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On if it is difficult for Meriweather to fix his technique without live tackling in practice:
"No, I don't think it's hard because we do do tackling drills out there. It's not full, live tackling because you don't want to get anybody hurt, but we do do tackling drills. That's part of our routine every week and in training camp, so I think he has that understanding."
On the importance of being physical with Manning:
"Obviously Peyton's – first of all he's a big guy, he's 6'6" 245 pounds – he's a big body so if you're going to hit him you've got to bring a little force with it, try to chop the ball out. I thought the Colts did a good job of getting some pressure on him. I think that's the key to the game, obviously, that, stopping the run and getting some pressure on the quarterback, especially Peyton Manning."
On the evolution of E.J. Biggers working at safety this season:
"He's like everybody else. He's getting better and better every time he's back there. I think he's done a good job the last three or four games… He's fast. He's got good ball skills. He's smart, really smart. He picks things up awfully fast."
On the first hit in which Meriweather was penalized last week:
"All I know is he got flagged, so to me, I was more concerned again with – it kept the drive alive. We've got a chance to get off the field. They went down and scored a field goal or got a touchdown on one of them, I can't remember which one. But I didn't look at it from that way. I just looked at the flag came out. I think the league does a good job. They tell the referees to err on the side of caution and if it goes helmet to helmet, however you get it – if you hit the chest and you slide up and you get a piece of the helmet – obviously that what the league calls a penalty."
On the effectiveness of the package with three inside linebackers:
"I thought it did well. Again, we didn't do much of it. We would like to have done it a little bit more, but when the backup quarterback came in, he was running around a little bit so we didn't want to put ourselves in a situation where he would take off and run on us. But it worked well. We ate up two timeouts and we had a nice quarterback pressure. I thought we almost had an interception on it."
On if kickoffs and punts need to be reevaluated by the league to make them safer:
"You know what, I think that's part of the game that people like – kickoff. People like to see a great returner bring one back 100 yards. People want to see a punt return. They like kickoffs. Is it a dangerous spot? I don't know. I played 10 years, I was on it. I don't know. That's something for the league to decide, but I think it's an exciting part of the game."
On the Broncos' offensive line since losing tackle Ryan Clady and if forcing fumbles is an emphasis this week:
"I think the emphasis is always the same with us. We've got to do a great job stopping the run and then you've got to get a situation where you can put them in a passing situation where you get a chance to get some turnovers. I think their offensive line is excellent. Clady before he got hurt – I just watched the film, I didn't know he was that good. He's a really good player. [Tackle Orlando] Franklin's a really good player. I think [tackle Chris] Clark has done a good job. I can't even pronounce the guy [guard Louis Vasquez] from San Diego, but I love him. I think he's a beast. I think their line is excellent. I think they've got a great line."
On what makes Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker so difficult to stop:*
"Well, he's smart. He's shifty. He's got great hands. He runs great routes. He's kind of like Peyton from a standpoint of a receiver. He understands coverages. He knows where to go. He knows how to get open. He's a good football player. The whole group – receivers, tight ends, the running backs are playing really well – I think that's why they're number one in the league in everything, in every category."
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