Fabian Washington "Slump" Commentary

The ' offense is good for one thing.It can make holes on the defense look like minor dents.Although Fabian Washington is by no means a defensive hole, the 23-year-old cornerback has struggled as of late. Particularly in the last two weeks, No. 27 staggered in covering T.J. Houshmandzadeh 4 Brett Favre White jersey
and Isaac Bruce, two physical, playmaking wideouts. In Week 14, the 6-foot-1 Houshmandzadeh hauled in eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, the majority of which came in the face of the 5-11 Washington.On Sunday, Bruce grabbed three passes for 58 yards, including a 41-yarder over the young DB's head. Torry Holt also joined in on the action, catching passes of 9 and 13 yards, and drawing an 11-yard pass interference call late in the first quarter. Although Washington hasn't fared well recently, his coverage has remained tight and he has kept his body in position to make a play on the ball. In the team's 20-0 loss against St. Louis, the former first-rounder was in position to bat the ball down on each of Bruce's three grabs, most noticeably on his 41-yarder.On the play, Bruce ran a deep post into Raiders territory. Washington read the route correctly and stayed on the right shoulder of the 34-year-old, less than a foot between himself and the receiver. Like the majority of his passes against, however, Washington was outplayed for the ball, and Bruce came down with the Marc Bulger pass at the Oakland 17-yard line.As a whole, however, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the have little to worry about. Starting alongside Nnamdi Asomugha, who already has snagged seven interceptions, Washington has recorded 33 tackles, four picks and seven pass deflections."Got to," Washington responded when asked about the duty of lining up against big-name wideouts."If you don't like it, you Jets 6 Sanchez AFL50th jersey
need to change your profession. If you are a corner, you've got to want to go against those types of guys."Washington may have hit a short slump in his young career; but, luckily, he's still up to the task.Want to be in the Raiders mailbag? Visit RaidersLive.com to submit your questions and comments for the Dec. 29 mailbag. (18)