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Not really sure how you equate this year's team to be on the same pace as last year's team. After seven games this year they are 2-5 and are 0-2 in the division. Last year after seven games they were 4-3 and were 1-1 in the division. The rest of their schedule this year is DAL, at PHI, at TB, CAR, ATL, PHI, at NO, at STL, NYG.abrecher said:
You're worrying about 3 unlikely things happening all in the Redskins' next game?thayman said:
Here's my list of reasons, in order, as to why the team is 2-5 intstead of having a better record and still being in the hunt for a playoff spot:
No doubt. Still, It's nice to know that if your team is "only" 7-5 entering December that you can expect them to make a run at 10-6 or better because they tend to gain momentum. Obviously there's a major difference between 7-5 and 2-5 though.
Overall good post, but I wanted to comment on a couple of things:2. Gibbs hired Saunders to update the offense and make it current. He handed the whole thing over to Saunders. If Gibbs wanted his offense tweeked, he would have brought in an assistant to give input. Gibbs hired Saunders to revamp the offense.Ah, the hell with it. Let's turn this into an overarching 'Skins discussion.
1) The defense is giving up big plays, particulary in the passing game. I'm not sure why this is happening exactly, but this unit was supposed to have been the more reliable as between them and the offense given that they only went into this season with two new starters (Carter & Archuleta), and were not changing their scheme. Springs' injury has hurt them, as has Griffin's and Salave'a's, but I'm still stunned by the mediocrity of their defensive secondary, including Carlos Rogers; Kenny Wright and Mike Rumph are lucky to have NFL jobs IMHO. A better pass rush would help, but I've even noticed the tackling - one of the defense's strengths the last two years - had declined noticeably. Sean Taylor can't do it all by himself. I'd never thought I'd say it but I wish we still had Walt Harris at CB.
2) Al Saunders has tried to turn a running team into a pass-first team and hasn't figured out that it isn't working. I like Saunders' addition to the team, but let's remember why it happened: Gibbs is this time around both team president and head coach, and he was stretched too thin to always be handling the offense and game planning. His offensive approach was still catching up last year, but by the end of the season he had a winning formula that fit this team and I can only assume that that would have continued to improve. Saunders, in other words, was not added to "save the offense" so much as he was added to take over these duties for Gibbs when he was feeling stretched too thin. Unfortunately, Saunders has not shown Gibbs' level of humility in his approach to this situation and has treated his hiring as a mandate to completely redo the offensive approach. Certainly, Gibbs wanted Saunders' creative input into the passing game, but in the words of Harvey Penick, "If I ask you to take an aspirin, don't take the whole bottle." Saunders has demonstrated a blindness to how little this offense needed to be changed to be successful, and that in turn has taken Brunell and the o-line way out of their comfort zones.
3) Brunell is not capable of carrying a team with his passing as the centerpiece of the offense. For whatever reason, Brunell just doesn't seem able to see the middle of the field and complete passes there. He likes to get rid of the ball quickly, but only is able to do so throwing to the outside. Brunell is still a good fit for Gibbs' offense, which simply asks that the QB avoid serious mistakes and be able to hit occasional long throws downfield that are set up by the defense loading up to stop the run. That won't get you to the Pro Bowl but it will get you to the playoffs and, if the rest of the team is performing well, enable you to make a run at the Super Bowl. Brandon Lloyd's understandable frustration comes from the fact that he's a Saunders style WR who is stuck playing with a Gibbs style QB. This still invites a look back to Saunders and his approach, but Brunell is definitely limited here and, when it's all said and done, may actually be the worst fit in Saunders offense of the 3 QB's on the roster.
4) The offensive line is simply bad at pass protection. This line can be a good line if, like Brunell, they are allowed to establish the run before being asked to run pass plays. When the defense knows a pass is or must be coming, they look helpless. Brunell is constantly being asked to face 2nd and 3rd "and long" situations with defensive linemen in his face and/or hitting him just before, during, or after he throws. You can't win that way. When Brunell can step into his throws, he throws quick, accurate and pretty balls downfield and can make plays. Again, part of the attention here must go to Saunders who is not only not establishing the run, but who also seems to have gone away from Gibbs' max protect schemes that kept Brunell upright last year and enabled him to complete throws.
There are other points to be made here (for example, Warrick Holdman simply sucks and should be replaced by McIntosh in the lineup), but they are smaller than the ones above.
Gibbs just confirmed it during his Monday presser.
Thanks Red. Do you have a link yet?J
Nothing formal yet. Here's a discussion thread about Gibbs' presser from the team message board; I'll see if I can come up with something more substantive.
Honestly, Romo was irrelevant I'm sure. Romo's been in the league twice as long as Campbell, and the change in Dallas was made in order to help them make the playoffs and not because they were eliminated like the Redskins are. This is Gibbs' typical way of doing things with QB's - stick with the vet 'til it hurts and then try the younger guy. My dread was that he was going to announce Collins as the starter today.
But he kept his word as he said that if he made a change mid-week, Campbell was next in line for the job. Too bad for Campbell that he won't have Portis to take the pressure off of him, but there's no way that this isn't good news for the WR's on the team.
I'm sure Gibbs would never admit to it but I honestly think stuff like Romo does factor in. He sees the coach in the league most like himself pull the popular old good guy vet and insert the hot shot young guy and it works out fantastic for your old buddy. Hmmm.He'll never admit it but I have to think that has some effect. Maybe very small but some. JHonestly, Romo was irrelevant I'm sure. Romo's been in the league twice as long as Campbell, and the change in Dallas was made in order to help them make the playoffs and not because they were eliminated like the Redskins are. This is Gibbs' typical way of doing things with QB's - stick with the vet 'til it hurts and then try the younger guy. My dread was that he was going to announce Collins as the starter today.
We'll never know I'm sure. Gibbs and Parcells have a funny relationship on a personal level - they're very different as individuals, and the fact that they've faced each other so many times has led to a huge rivalry. That said, there are more similarities than differences between them as coaches, and they have a lot of mutual respect. All of this is to say that professional ego - and yes, St. Joe certainly has that - won't allow that sort of disclosure. To me, the league has changed more than anything else. Time was you could stow a guy on your roster (or your IR as Gibbs and Beathard liked to doI'm sure Gibbs would never admit to it but I honestly think stuff like Romo does factor in. He sees the coach in the league most like himself pull the popular old good guy vet and insert the hot shot young guy and it works out fantastic for your old buddy. Hmmm.He'll never admit it but I have to think that has some effect. Maybe very small but some. JHonestly, Romo was irrelevant I'm sure. Romo's been in the league twice as long as Campbell, and the change in Dallas was made in order to help them make the playoffs and not because they were eliminated like the Redskins are. This is Gibbs' typical way of doing things with QB's - stick with the vet 'til it hurts and then try the younger guy. My dread was that he was going to announce Collins as the starter today.
) and let him marinate for three or four years before playing him. Mark Rypien was drafted, for example in 1985 and sat until 1988 - if you watch tapes of Super Bowl XXII, Ryp's there on the sideline in street clothes cheering the team on. So Ryp sat for 3.5 seasons. Now, with the salary cap and free agency, and the fact that more colleges are running pro style offenses, there's more of a push to play QB's more quickly, especially when they're drafted high. There was an article on this precise thing I read just this weekend, and I'll try to find the link.
I know the usual thought is RBs and TEs get a bump with young QBs. However, I think we could see a bump with the WRs. Gibbs was asked today about Campbell's strengths. He mentioned three things: accuracy, mobility, and throwing the deep ball. It's been widely reported in DC that Brunell was not comfortable throwing the deep ball. Gibbs like his QBs to be safe. Sometimes, with young QBs, the deep ball is the safest throw. The shorter stuff could be into too much traffic while a deep ball could just be a one-on-one situation.My hope is they take more shots deep. If so, I see the WRs benefiting from this change.
I see opposing fantasy defenses benefiting from this change. Call it the 'Losman effect'.
Agreed. This can only help Moss and especially Lloyd. Both of those guys were dying on the vine out there. I'm actually going to be curious to see what Randle El can do running "real" WR routes. I'm not predicting the '99 Rams or anything, but considering that a typical game for Brunell only involved 2-3 passes beyond 15 yards downfield, it's going to seem a lot different just by having Campbell in there. I have a feeling, though, that we're going to see a pretty conservative game plan for Campbell in his first start on the road at Tampa.
I basically think letting Ryan Clark walk and signing Adam Archuleta is the biggest mistake.A couple weeks ago, the Washinton Post ran an article. In it they said that Sean Taylor is pretty aloof and Ryan Clark was the one guy who could talk to him. Teammate have even called Clark a couple of times asking for suggestions on how to connect with Taylor. Clark would also shout things to Taylor and help position him for the defense before the play. Now Taylor is trying to help out Archuleta, but that is just not in Taylor's makeup.scoobygang said:
The Redskins offense needs to work the middle of the field. I think it is bizarre that the offense wouldn't/couldn't throw 10-15 yards between the hash marks. I always thought those were easy passes since they were the shortest with no angles.I think there will be more deep balls. But this week, look for a conservative game plan.redman said:
if they get everyone back healthy I would agree with you.
Thanks for the insight. However, I'm not sure how important a QBs first college years is to their NFL career. I'm sure the list is long of players that did one thing in college and something completely different in the NFL.
What do you mean?
Don't forget that when Campbell played in preseason, Farris was the only WR left in the game who had any chance of making the team. Moss/Lloyd/ARE etc were long gone, as was Portis. He was playing with Neiamiah Broughton and maybe Rock Cartwright as his RBs.
Carson Palmer's first few years in college were the suXor. He's turned out all right (and he too sat for a year before starting).
Agreed. Lloyd is the big beneficiary here given that he's the guy who runs more deep routes than anyone.
Coach Williams, that's because your D suxors this year.
:whoosh: <----------- Redskins DB
