Longtime NFL linebacker London Fletcher ripped current Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, calling the coach “clueless” and saying the man is a backstabber.
Fletcher, who played 16 seasons in the NFL including the last seven with the Redskins, went off on Haslett on CBS Sports Network’s “That Other Pregame Show” Sunday.
“He is clueless as a defensive coordinator,” Fletcher said of Haslett. “He lacks attention to detail. He lacks feel on how to call a game. Some of the calls he used to call when I was playing were head-scratching. They were so bad I used to change them – ‘We’re not running that.’
“And we’d get off the field and he would ask, ‘Why did you change the call.’ [I would say], ‘Because that’s just a dumb call. That’s why I changed it.’”
Fletcher isn’t the only Redskins defender who was critical of Haslett; Fred Smoot said in 2012 that Haslett was killing the team.
Fletcher said that head coach Mike Shanahan had to step in and help the defensive playcalling because it was so bad, which is something the defensive coordinator complained about (DeAngelo Hall previously confirmed this). Fletcher also vented that Haslett was always making excuses.
“For years he has always made excuses. One minute it was ‘We’re changing from the 3-4 and we don’t have the right personnel.’ Next minute it is salary cap. Next minute it is Mike Shanahan. Next minute it is injuries. Mike Shanahan recognized early that this guy does not know what he is doing. And he tried to help him out….And what does Jim Haslett do? He threw [Shanahan] under the bus just like he throws everybody under the bus, players and coaches included.
Haslett’s son, Chase, even responded to Fletcher via Twitter:
Sad someone who was respected so much and loved by my father would publicly come out and try to ruin his career #mindblown
— Chase Haslett (@10JICH) December 7, 2014
Fletcher was unfazed. He fired back at Haslett’s son:
@10JICH @Russellmania980 you're father has ruined plenty of people's career.
— NFL_IRONMAN (@LFletcher59) December 7, 2014
You think he has some strong feelings on the matter? Wow. Maybe seeing the defense ranked 27th in the NFL this season was enough for Fletcher.
