49ers’ DC Robert Saleh Isn’t too Worried About Who Starts at Quarterback for Washington
The starting quarterback for the Washington Redekins on Sunday appears a bit blurry. Dwayne Haskins received first team reps on Wednesday since Case Keenum was out with an injury. Keenum returned to practice on Thursday and is slated to start against the 49ers, barring any mishap.
Preparing for an offense without knowing who their quarterback is could make it difficult for a defensive coordinator. However, Robert Saleh is not too worried about who starts at quarterback for Washington on Sunday.
When asked if he has to prepare for each quarterback during the week, Saleh answered:
“No, we go off of what we see on tape. Like I’ve said before, our scheme is set up to take on anything that a team gives us. We’ve just got to be ready to make an in-game adjustment if it so happens, but we go off of what we see on tape based on what we think will happen to us, based on what has shown to happen to us and from there we’ll go play.” Saleh continues.
“Not to sound arrogant, obviously there are always game plan specific stuff that we do to change things up, but it’s not chasing ghosts with regards to who’s playing quarterback or not. We’re just going to stay focused on the task at hand and whatever they give us we’ll go play and make the adjustments that we need to.”
Robert Saleh has the right approach for Sunday's matchup. Rather than do too much with how they prepare, he works on studying the body of work of the opposition. That is what he means when he refers to "chasing ghosts". All of the preparation that they would have done for Dwayne Haskins would have been for naught if Case Keenum does start on Sunday.
It's much better to just focus on what you can do to an offense's overall concept. This not a direct reflection on Washington's quarterbacks, rather it is the trust and confidence Saleh has for his defense. Considering what they have been doing to teams, it's no wonder why he feels so strongly about his players.
He's pretty much telling opposing offenses that they need to adjust to them, not the other way around. What is even great about Saleh is that he is not stubborn. If he see's there are tweaks to be made during the game he will do it and he has the utmost faith in the staff to relay to him the accurate information.
All of this is why they have been dominating the opposition. Adaptability is lost in so many coaches in this league because of their egos. It is not like that with Robert Saleh. The framework that he has setup with his defense is stout and he will adjust if need be. The San Francisco 49ers should feel great that they have Saleh leading the defense.
