it looks like Beck is going to have plenty of time in the pocket yeah? That bodes really well for us.

Semi-questions:
-Is Springs going to be matched up on Branch?
-If Smoot plays the other corner, would it be a good strategy to employ Burleson as a wideout and run short, cross-type routes from there, to try and take advantage of the cushion Smoot apparently leaves?
-If Landry is playing ultra deep, Springs is tied up with Branch and Smoot plays with a cushion, does this look ripe for a big game from Engram for one of those 12-catches, 100 yards type of days?
-Going back to Smoot and his cushion, does it present a great opportunity to drop some screen pases to his side to Morris/Weaver?

This is probably the weakest part of the skins defense (the secondary), but you should also make note that these guys are all on a serious mission. I know you all are all about the numbers, but this defense has been a monster since Taylor was lost. Very few receiving touchdowns in the second half of the season.
Gregg will give you a certain amount of underneath action (Engram, probably), but they will not be beat deep. The mustache will have a hard time finding open WR all day, especially with Carter in his face.

1. Smoot. I think the statistics you cite suggest he's a good cornerback, yet that's not the conclusion you reach. He was "regularly" beaten by Troy Williamson to the tune of 5 catches for 39 yards, a long of 10 yards, and zero touchdowns. Williamson contributed with a dropped pass, but the top help should have been there and it wasn't. In the game in question, Smoot led the team in tackles and had the interception you mention. The Vikes averaged ~ 5 yards per pass attempt, which isn't very good. Fred Smoot was a very good cornerback in his first stint in Washington and has looked the same in his second, despite having a reduced role. He's been a huge reason why our defense is playing so well, as last year it would have been Kenny Wright or else Mike Rumph playing his position, and neither helped us accomplish much of anything.
2. There is little question that Doughty is playing over his head right now, but small and fragile he is not. He lists just six pounds and an inch shorter than Deon Grant and 1 pound and 1 inch less than Brian Russell. He's played in every single Redskins game this year.
3. Shawn Springs is a great cornerback and I think your analysis is pretty on. A word, though, on the interceptions. It is probably true for many/most players that if you went back and look at all their interceptions, you'd find some that were the result of a pressured quarterback. Teams that sack the opposing quarterback more tend to pressure them more, and since the Seahawks had more sacks than the Redskins it stands to reason that they pressured the opposing qb more. In my opinion, that doesn't take anything away from Marcus Trufant's 7 interceptions this year, and wouldn't even were I to find out that som of them came against hurried passers. As a matter of fact, they did: 2 of his picks came when the qb was pressured, one of them when the qb was knocked down.
4. Landry, I think you are on here, as well.

What I will say, without taking anything away from the personnel in Seattle, is that the Redskins secondary allowed fewer passing yards despite facing more attempts, had a better 1st down %, gave up 11 fewer 20+ yard receptions, one less 40+ yard reception, etc. The Gulls were better at generating interceptions, likely a result of their substantially better pass rush. Again, none of that is to take anything away from the Seahawks, it is just to say that I was impressed with the Redskins pass defense this year, especially under the circumstances. We lost a starting cb to IR, a starting safety to murder, and were breaking in a new starting safety in LaRon Landry, yet we improved on a total defensive collapse last year.

Just off the top of my head, one strategy that has worked against the Redskins has been attacking the middle of the field as we do have a tendency to play extremely deep safeties to prevent the deep play. Beyond that, though, I think it is a very difficult secondary to play against with Smoot, Springs, and Landry on the field.

Doughty has surprised me as a player.  He was out of position filling in for Sean Taylor at the FS (see the Philly and Dallas games) but now that he is the SS, he is playing well.  He is averaging 6.5 tackles per start and rarely whiffs.

One of the reasons we do well statistically is that we are not giving up the big plays.  Landry plays so deep, that it's difficult to get past him.

Here is a (friendly) parody of the site if John were a Redskins fan.

Washington's run offense vs. Seattle's run defense

Let's start with the matchup of Stephon Heyer against Patrick Kerney.  Kerney is a good speed rusher, but is undersized and can be taken advantage of against the run.  Heyer has proven himself against some really good DEs, especially Michael Strahan who we know is a much better run defender than Kerney.  However, I expect us to continue to run left (more on this later).  Seattle's two tackles are no Pat and Kevin Williams.  However, I expect the Skins to use the same approach against them.  Al Saunders will attack the edges of the Hawks' defensive line in order to force the tackles to fight their way from side to side.  Moving laterally will tire them and allow the Redskins to exploit the middle later in the game, much as they did against Minnesota.  On the other side is Darryl Tapp, another undersized defensive end.  Our Pro Bowl tackle, Chris Samuels should be able to handle him one-on-one.  

I expect that we will continue to pull Fabini to the left where he can reach Seattle's second line of defense.  FB Mike Sellers is one of the best blocking backs in the league and will account for another linebacker.  Heyer need only slow Kerney enough to prevent him from pursuing Clinton Portis from behind.  This will leave Casey Rabach and Pete Kendall one-on-one with Seattle's two defensive tackles.  No doubt they will be able to make some plays, but by not running directly at them, the Skins will be able to wear them down and win the battles in the fourth quarter.  Should Rabach and Kendall not be up to the task, expect Samuels to crack back on Brandon Mebane while our TE, either Chris Cooley or Todd Yoder, handles Tapp, possibly with help from Sellers.

Verdict: Seattle's undersized ends are a weakness I expect the Skins to exploit again and again, and will ultimately hurt their pass defense as well (more on this later).

But i dont see any numbers or matchups here to support a 6th ranked defense. In fact you say we have 2 terrible guys in our secondary.

Now all of a sudden your having a hell of a time, your confused and its an honest to god mystery.

Now you dont want to believe the DVOA because your eyes and mind tell you differently, how convenient.

Again this is great if you want to hear mostly one side of a story. BUT CLEARLY there is no objectivety to it.

Other than that, great story.

I was impressed enough by your comments here that I went over to Hogs Haven. Obviously not a big thing, but you're a good ambassador for HH.

......I think the 'Skins, particularly their secondary, have been playing over their heads since the Taylor loss and water will seek its own level. And this will be Washington's 3rd road game in 4 weeks.