Defense in rush to get better

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Rush four linemen or bring six pass rushers? Keep the safeties back in coverage or creep them near the line of scrimmage to give the quarterback something to ponder? Throw a fastball and rush the cornerbacks or three linebackers via a delayed blitz? Rush three and have the star defensive tackle backpedal into coverage? Or disguise everything and play things straight up?

Before every snap, these are the questions Gregg Williams asks himself. And for the better part of two-plus seasons as the Washington Redskins' assistant head coach-defense, Williams has taken the aggressive approach.

"People want to know if I like Las Vegas," he said. "I'm not a gambler with money and those kinds of things. All you have to do is come to the game, see us on third down and first down, and that's the [gambling] fix I get from a competition standpoint."

Although Williams didn't acknowledge it directly when approached yesterday after practice at Redskin Park, it's clear that his all-in philosophy has been tempered through two games, undoubtedly due to Shawn Springs' absence. With Springs -- the team's top cover cornerback -- on the field, Williams can blitz a safety or linebacker because he's confident Springs can handle his one-on-one assignment. But without Springs, who will not play Sunday at Houston because of a groin injury, the Redskins have rarely blitzed.

The Redskins' two sacks are tied for the second-fewest in the NFL. And, they have no interceptions.

A review of the Redskins' losses to Minnesota and Dallas confirms their emphasis on coverage. They have rushed four players on 46 of 71 drop backs. Against the Vikings, the Redskins rushed more than four players only three times; that number jumped to 16 vs. Dallas and it could rise against the Texans, who have given up nine sacks.

Williams said the Redskins used primarily a four-man rush during last year's five-game winning streak, during which they recorded 17 sacks and seven interceptions.

"We can be better at it," cornerback Kenny Wright said. "We have confidence in what we're doing. If it's disguising more, getting into [an alignment] quicker to make a play, that's what we have to do."

But giving credit to the opponents, Minnesota and Dallas both had veteran quarterbacks (Brad Johnson and Drew Bledsoe) who used short drops and quick throws to combat the Redskins' pressure.

Against Dallas, the Redskins were aggressive early, blitzing on the first four snaps.