The Redskins have been a sound tackling team through the years, but there have been lapses in games this season.
It was evident in last Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons as the Redskins' defense struggled to take down 5-10, 256-pound running back Michael Turner.
Turner rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries against the Redskins.
Jim Zorn addressed the Redskins' tackling issues during his appearance on "The Jim Zorn Show," which airs on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC-WRC 4. The show is hosted by Dan Hellie and Larry Weisman.
"In what we see, there are several [issues] involved," Zorn said. "One, it's what angle are we taking to the back? That's a big part of it because if you're in great position, the tackles are a little bit easier. If your angles are wrong, then you're lunging at a guy.
"Second, what kind of strike are we making? Are we just hitting? I saw some potential tackles [last Sunday] where we could have had a great shot on a running back or a receiver, but we did wrap him up."
"You have to bring your technique. Angles, wrapping up and just that all-out toughness are all three ingredients. It could be one or more than one at any given time."
The Redskins are ranked 25th in run defense this year and first in pass defense.
The Redskins' pass defense would be even more dominant if they could force more turnovers. They have logged just four interceptions this season, three by DeAngelo Hall and one by Rocky McIntosh, and four fumble recoveries.
Despite the lack of turnovers, Zorn said he was "excited" about how the defense has been playing.
"I look at how we're playing on defense," Zorn said. "I'm pleased that very few deep balls have been thrown on us. We try to keep receivers in front of us. And we make teams go the long field.
"We play pretty good defense that way and we don't give up a lot of passing yardage. Part of that is we're sound in our concepts and we're not taking risks and going for [interceptions]."
This week's edition of "The Jim Zorn Show" also includes a Redskins Legacy segment on Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs and a chalk talk session by Zorn on field goals.
