Redskins’ run defense, successful last week, faces another challenge in Panthers

ASHBURN — When Mark Ingram broke away from Dashon Goldson’s tackle and rumbled for a 70-yard gain last week, it appeared as if it was going to be another taxing day for the Washington Redskins’ defense.

The New Orleans Saints scored two plays later, but Ingram’s explosive run was ultimately rendered meaningless in the Redskins’ 47-14 victory.

After that carry, the Redskins allowed just 88 yards on 24 attempts, a big improvement after surrendering a combined 748 rushing yards in the previous four games.

While that was something for the defense to be proud of, defensive coordinator Joe Barry stressed the importance of limiting the home-run type plays.

“It gets old after a while just for the simple fact that the common theme has been tackling,” Barry said. “We missed a big tackle in the hole last week and then, bam, the guy goes 70 yards. It’s obviously addressed every week, it’s preached every week — talking about the tackling. We cleaned it up for the most part, moving forward the rest of the game, but you can’t do that. You can’t continue to give up explosion runs because of missed tackles. We preach it. The players obviously are aware of it and they’re working on it with our angles, with our leverage — all the things that you can preach and teach in practice without doing it physically.”

Defensive end Ricky Jean Francois pointed out that it’s not just the fundamentals that are the issue, but the inability to execute fundamentals consistently.

That said, Jean Francois noted that the Redskins understand the challenge against the Carolina Panthers and their hulking ball carrier. Running back Jonathan Stewart, who leads the Panthers with 662 rushing yards and has four rushing touchdowns, weighs in at 235 pounds. Quarterback Cam Newton can also batter opposing tacklers with his 6-foot-5, 245-pound frame. He’s gained 366 yards on the ground and leads the team with six rushing touchdowns.

“These dudes ain’t no arm-tackling guys. Your body needs to be firmly planted on them,” Jean Francois said. “If not, it’s going to be a long, hard day in Carolina.”

Goldson was his own toughest critic when watching the tape from last Sunday, but said he quickly moved past it.

“You can’t dwell on that,” Goldson said. “If you blow something, or someone gets behind you, you’ve got to move onto the next play and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”