***OFFICIAL*** Washington Commanders Thread (1 Viewer)

[MikeApf]

i think the upset shot is Seattle.  they've lost 3 of their last 5 and have a bad D.  Their wins aren't that impressive either. 

The Seattle game comes down to Washington D stopping Wilson from making off schedule plays.  Seattle’s defense this year is not as awesome as in the past so maybe we eke out 17 points.  Therefore If rhe D plays inspired that’s your chance.  
 

i still predict losses to Pitt and Seattle.  The path is to win 2 or 3 of the other games.  Win 3 and I think WFT is in.  Win 2 and you got a chance if NYG stumble...

 

[MikeApf]

The Seattle game comes down to Washington D stopping Wilson from making off schedule plays.  Seattle’s defense this year is not as awesome as in the past so maybe we eke out 17 points.  Therefore If rhe D plays inspired that’s your chance.  
 

i still predict losses to Pitt and Seattle.  The path is to win 2 or 3 of the other games.  Win 3 and I think WFT is in.  Win 2 and you got a chance if NYG stumble...

Man Philly is in the game, if they win tonight don’t forget about them.  If they get to 6 then their tie may vault them to the title...

 

[dgreen]

I see NYG only winning one more. 
 

This is funny for those of us who watch election night coverage and the race to 270: https://twitter.com/petehaileynbcs/status/1333101670457368576?s=21

 

[dgreen]

 

[Brunell4MVP]

Super Bowl Contenders  

Smith continues to confound me.  Sometime in the first half they went for it 4th and goal.  He threw the ball away.  Really?  It's 4th down.  Toss it up.  There was a flag that bailed them out and they scored.  But still, he threw it away on fourth down.  And if he knew there was a flag on PIT, it's even worse.  He refuses to take a chance with the ball even when it is 100% required. 

 

[ffmail4me]

And without Gibson and almost nothing from Terry. Unbelievable! 

 

[PinkydaPimp]

 

[Ghost Rider]

Super Bowl Contenders  

Smith continues to confound me.  Sometime in the first half they went for it 4th and goal.  He threw the ball away.  Really?  It's 4th down.  Toss it up.  There was a flag that bailed them out and they scored.  But still, he threw it away on fourth down.  And if he knew there was a flag on PIT, it's even worse.  He refuses to take a chance with the ball even when it is 100% required. 

He just led your team to a win in Pittsburgh against the 11-0 Steelers and you are beefing?  Jeez, enjoy the win why don't ya? 

 

[MikeApf]

And suddenly, the NFC East is bringing it?  Delightfully strange!

 

[DallasDMac]

What happened to Gibson?

 

[MikeApf]

What happened to Gibson?

"Turf toe" I think ... jammed toe...whatever.  I think those things can either be a week or two or linger for months. Depends up on the severity.  This is a big deal for Washington.  We don't really have another guy who does all that he can do...both run inside, break it outside, catch.  Barber is a battering ram and McKissic is a pass catcher.  I think with either in the game you are forecasting your play selection a little more.  This is where we need a healthy Bryce Love.

That said, I think the WFT needs to start McKissic and use safe little dump passes like first down runs.  Teams do that, and they could do it with McKissic...until Gibson can return.

ETA:  Note that McKissic's box score shows he caught 10 balls on 10 targets..that underscores my point that this receptions are "like runs that can be broken", though surely SF is gonna be looking for this (which should open up something else???)

 

[MikeApf]

Question:  does the WFT have it's # 2 WR in Cam Sims?  If so -- along with Thomas emerging at TE -- that provides so much more flexibility in next year's draft, which I still believe needs to be focused on OL and QB (even if Smith returns).

 

[Brunell4MVP]

He just led your team to a win in Pittsburgh against the 11-0 Steelers and you are beefing?  Jeez, enjoy the win why don't ya? 

I like Smith.  I'm glad they won.  But he didn't lead them to anything.  Nothing.  They won despite him.  The defense did all the work.  Smith has 4 TD and 5 INTs on the year.  His QB rating is 26th in the league.  Against such juggernaut teams as DAL, CIN without Burrow, NYG, DET, and a PIT team that played a doubleheader and clearly ran out of gas in the 2nd half.  The defensive scheme WAS played was really well thought out and why they won.

I don't like Haskins, but if he makes the same mistake on 4th down that I mentioned, it's all anyone is talking about today.  Not to mention if he had thrown 4 TDs and 5 INTs, he'd be getting hammered.  Smith is doing it after 14 years in the NFL.  Awful.  Is he a better leader than any of WAS QB.  100%.  Is he playing well?  No.

 

[dgreen]

"Turf toe" I think ... jammed toe...whatever.  I think those things can either be a week or two or linger for months. Depends up on the severity.  This is a big deal for Washington.  We don't really have another guy who does all that he can do...both run inside, break it outside, catch.  Barber is a battering ram and McKissic is a pass catcher.  I think with either in the game you are forecasting your play selection a little more.  This is where we need a healthy Bryce Love.

That said, I think the WFT needs to start McKissic and use safe little dump passes like first down runs.  Teams do that, and they could do it with McKissic...until Gibson can return.

ETA:  Note that McKissic's box score shows he caught 10 balls on 10 targets..that underscores my point that this receptions are "like runs that can be broken", though surely SF is gonna be looking for this (which should open up something else???)

Bryce Love is out for the year. They didn't activate in time after taking him off IR and put him back on IR last week.

Not sure what they do at RB and with the running game. I agree McKissic can be used in the passing game as an extension of the run game but it would be nice if there's someone who can get decent yards between the tackles. Is there a FA out there they can pick up? Like a vet who can just step in and give them something?

 

[ChiefD]

I like Smith.  I'm glad they won.  But he didn't lead them to anything.  Nothing.  They won despite him.  The defense did all the work.  Smith has 4 TD and 5 INTs on the year.  His QB rating is 26th in the league.  Against such juggernaut teams as DAL, CIN without Burrow, NYG, DET, and a PIT team that played a doubleheader and clearly ran out of gas in the 2nd half.  The defensive scheme WAS played was really well thought out and why they won.

I don't like Haskins, but if he makes the same mistake on 4th down that I mentioned, it's all anyone is talking about today.  Not to mention if he had thrown 4 TDs and 5 INTs, he'd be getting hammered.  Smith is doing it after 14 years in the NFL.  Awful.  Is he a better leader than any of WAS QB.  100%.  Is he playing well?  No.

Man, I don't know. He stood in there against some serious pressure in that second half and kept flipping pass after pass out to McKissick. And then he dropped that haymaker to Logan Thomas in the 4th quarter to give them hope.

I thought he played pretty well. 

And as far as leading them? They are a completely different team with him leading the team. He is a pro and at least has brought them relevance. If that's not a leader, then I don't know what is. 

 

[MikeApf]

Bryce Love is out for the year. They didn't activate in time after taking him off IR and put him back on IR last week.

Not sure what they do at RB and with the running game. I agree McKissic can be used in the passing game as an extension of the run game but it would be nice if there's someone who can get decent yards between the tackles. Is there a FA out there they can pick up? Like a vet who can just step in and give them something?

That's a great question.  I'm sure the team is scouting around.  Random thought...Lamar Miller now sits on Bears practice squad.  Wonder about his health/current ability???  It really all depends on how long Gibson is gonna be out.  If one game, then maybe roll with what we have and scheme around it.  Beyond that, yeah, might be worth kicking the tires on someone...

 

[MikeApf]

Man, I don't know. He stood in there against some serious pressure in that second half and kept flipping pass after pass out to McKissick. And then he dropped that haymaker to Logan Thomas in the 4th quarter to give them hope.

I thought he played pretty well. 

And as far as leading them? They are a completely different team with him leading the team. He is a pro and at least has brought them relevance. If that's not a leader, then I don't know what is. 

Right.  He's bringing intangable leadership neither Haskins or Allen can bring.  I agree Haskins can make all the throws, etc. But he still needs time to season.  I was all for giving Haskins more time earlier in the season to see what we had.  But at this point, there are only 4 games to go and we have at least a 50-50 shot at making the playoffs.  You have to go for it with the guy that gives you the best chance to win...

 

[Biabreakable]

That's a great question.  I'm sure the team is scouting around.  Random thought...Lamar Miller now sits on Bears practice squad.  Wonder about his health/current ability???  It really all depends on how long Gibson is gonna be out.  If one game, then maybe roll with what we have and scheme around it.  Beyond that, yeah, might be worth kicking the tires on someone...

Lamar Miller was active for the Bears in week 10 with Montgomery out. He played 5 snaps and caught 2 passes for 6 yards. Patterson, Pierce and Nall all played more snaps than he did. Then they sent him back to the practice squad.

Thats not very promising.

My first thoughts were Bilial Powell or Jay Ajayi but it looks like they have both been signed by their former teams this week. I wonder who else is out there?

 

[dgreen]

I agree there hasn't been much impressive about Alex Smith's play since he arrived here. It shouldn't be difficult to upgrade at that position next year from a skill and passing production standpoint.

However, it's hard to ignore the team's splits with and without Smith. Maybe that's just more a comment on their other options than it is about Smith, but the team is clearly better with him.

Team is 9-5 when he starts and 6-24 when he doesn't start.

Team averages 22.0 points per game when he starts and 16.8 when he doesn't start.

Team averages 340 yards per game when he starts and 278 when he doesn't start.

Both 22 ppg and 340 ypg are below league average the last three seasons. League average is around 23 and 350.

 

[MikeApf]

I agree there hasn't been much impressive about Alex Smith's play since he arrived here. It shouldn't be difficult to upgrade at that position next year from a skill and passing production standpoint.

However, it's hard to ignore the team's splits with and without Smith. Maybe that's just more a comment on their other options than it is about Smith, but the team is clearly better with him.

Team is 9-5 when he starts and 6-24 when he doesn't start.

Team averages 22.0 points per game when he starts and 16.8 when he doesn't start.

Team averages 340 yards per game when he starts and 278 when he doesn't start.

Both 22 ppg and 340 ypg are below league average the last three seasons. League average is around 23 and 350.

Key stat vs Pittsburgh is zero turnovers.  With a team building identity around defense and the run that’s a key stat.

That said, I agree we should add a QB next year, perhaps from the draft, who can get more yards and points.  But for right now, with the options we have, Smith is giving us a chance.

Still holding out hope for Zach Wilson but we may or may not be in the right spot at years end, we’ll see...

 

[Ghost Rider]

I like Smith.  I'm glad they won.  But he didn't lead them to anything.  Nothing.  They won despite him.  The defense did all the work.  Smith has 4 TD and 5 INTs on the year.  His QB rating is 26th in the league.  Against such juggernaut teams as DAL, CIN without Burrow, NYG, DET, and a PIT team that played a doubleheader and clearly ran out of gas in the 2nd half.  The defensive scheme WAS played was really well thought out and why they won.

I don't like Haskins, but if he makes the same mistake on 4th down that I mentioned, it's all anyone is talking about today.  Not to mention if he had thrown 4 TDs and 5 INTs, he'd be getting hammered.  Smith is doing it after 14 years in the NFL.  Awful.  Is he a better leader than any of WAS QB.  100%.  Is he playing well?  No.

You sound like you have an axe to grind. 

I was talking about Smith and last night's game, not the whole season.  He made some big throws down the stretch that helped them win the game. 

Haskins would get crushed more, yes, because he doesn't have any equity in the NFL built up.  Smith has been a good QB for most of his career, so he is going to more benefit of the doubt than a guy who has been a major bust to date. 

But hey, enjoy the win.  

 

[MikeApf]

You sound like you have an axe to grind. 

I was talking about Smith and last night's game, not the whole season.  He made some big throws down the stretch that helped them win the game. 

Haskins would get crushed more, yes, because he doesn't have any equity in the NFL built up.  Smith has been a good QB for most of his career, so he is going to more benefit of the doubt than a guy who has been a major bust to date. 

But hey, enjoy the win.  

A point about Smith’s 4 TDs and 5 INTs this year.  That is against a larger context: 3 of those INTs were that horrendous giants game and meanwhile his lifetime ratio is something like 200 TDs 100 INTs.  So it’s really not fair to act like smith is a guy with a 1-1 TD to INT ratio.  We all know Smith is a guy who takes care of the ball.  And that’s the number 1 thing a defensive team needs.  Now all that said I agree with all the comments here that we need an upgrade at QB.  So I’m not saying smith is Rogers or Wilson either...hes not the guy to bring you back in a hurry Or win a shootout and that’s a downside.  I’m all in on drafting one of  the top four next year if he’s available.  At the same time, I do think he deserves a bit of credit for adding some stability on the team that’s keeping it in contention.  That’s not nothing.

ETA:  focusing just on 4 TDs, 5 INTs is implicitly punishing Smith that Gibson runs the ball in the end zone, as If Gibson scoring means Smith has no value on the drive.  This is the difference between real football and fantasy football though.  It’s not JUST the stats that count...

 

[Marvelous]

I think Alex Smith has been a very good QB throughout his career.  Not in the upper tier, but still very good.  I think the big question was has he lost anything due to the injury or the fact that he is now 36 years old.

The injury clearly has limited his mobility.  But it doesn't look like his age is an issue. He looks the same as before.  Very efficient.  Very accurate.  But not spectacular.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

I think Alex Smith has been a very good QB throughout his career.  Not in the upper tier, but still very good.  I think the big question was has he lost anything due to the injury or the fact that he is now 36 years old.

The injury clearly has limited his mobility.  But it doesn't look like his age is an issue. He looks the same as before.  Very efficient.  Very accurate.  But not spectacular.

My hope is that Haskins is learning from him how to be a starting qb.  Both on the field and off.  And then he gets one more shot. At that point he would know the offense and have been coached by Alex and the coaches.  

 

[Johnny Utah #9]

My hope is that Haskins is learning from him how to be a starting qb.  Both on the field and off.  And then he gets one more shot. At that point he would know the offense and have been coached by Alex and the coaches.  

It’s a nice thought that we could possibly salvage something from that Haskins pick, but as long as Rivera is here (which is going to be a while) I think Haskins is a sunk cost. I wasn’t crazy about the pick to begin with, as it seemed to be made for all the wrong reasons (Snyder) but it was defensible given our situation. But between Haskins and his agent airing their grievances and his subpar play, I think the ship has sailed on his time in DC. 
For me at least, one nice byproduct of this run we are having is it takes us out of the draft range to take Fields or Lance. I’ve been against drafting these two all along, so this run of wins just might save the Skins from themselves come draft time.

 

[babydemon90]

You guys did us a solid in 2010 and gave us a 2nd rounder for McNabb. We might need y'all to do it again here with Wentz... little earlier then we planned on but still.

 

[Johnny Utah #9]

You guys did us a solid in 2010 and gave us a 2nd rounder for McNabb. We might need y'all to do it again here with Wentz... little earlier then we planned on but still.

Yeah, as bad as the Skins QB situation might look right now, it always could be worse. We could be the Iggles. That Wentz contract is a total disaster. And I would be shocked if Hurts is the answer for them as well.

 

[babydemon90]

Yeah, as bad as the Skins QB situation might look right now, it always could be worse. We could be the Iggles. That Wentz contract is a total disaster. And I would be shocked if Hurts is the answer for them as well.

yea very unlikely, I mean he's a 2nd rounder, success rate there isnt good. 

 

[babydemon90]

But seriously, Alex Smith is solid. Y'all have a good defense to back him up, that seems like winning football to me.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

If anyone missed it, Rivera was on Keim's podcast this week.  REALLY good interview.  Spoke mostly about his cancer treatments and running the team while doing it.  Much respect for Rivera!

 

[nittanylion]

4 straight W's

1 game under .500

Sole possession of 1st place in NFC East

Control their own destiny (likely lose to Seattle, but Panthers and Eagles are winnable with a healthy Alex Smith. Giants likely won't beat both Ravens and Browns, if either).

Chase Young resembles a young Mike Tyson.

If the offense could buy the defense some time of possession, there's no telling how good the D could be.

Not what I expected going into September.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

4 straight W's

1 game under .500

Sole possession of 1st place in NFC East

Control their own destiny (likely lose to Seattle, but Panthers and Eagles are winnable with a healthy Alex Smith. Giants likely won't beat both Ravens and Browns, if either).

Chase Young resembles a young Mike Tyson.

If the offense could buy the defense some time of possession, there's no telling how good the D could be.

Not what I expected going into September.

This was the formula i wanted.  Strong d.  Figure it out on offense.  Honestly i think the team has been better since Rivera’s treatments stopped.  I would imagine that he wasn’t able to do as much as it wanted.  Especially after hearing his interview the other day.  Now they are kind of catching up.

still not a great team nor would they win in the postseason but i like the young talent.  Something to build on.  Maybe we win the division. Maybe we end in heart wrenching Washington fashion.  Who knows.  

 

[doeseatplace]

My hope is that Haskins is learning from him how to be a starting qb.  Both on the field and off.  And then he gets one more shot. At that point he would know the offense and have been coached by Alex and the coaches.  

Did you see any signs of growth/development in his play tonight?

 

[PinkydaPimp]

Did you see any signs of growth/development in his play tonight?

He played ok.  almost threw a pic at the end(got lucky it was dropped).  Hard to say only seeing 2 quarters.  Still look forward to seeing more from him.  just not this season.  I have heard from the players that he is working harder.  Thats a good sign.  Hes still in a new offense though.  would be tough to know where he stands this season at this point.

 

[The Big Donkey]

you guys got a lot of nice pieces in place.   

 

[dgreen]

Chase Young had an LT-like game. Really excited to see where's headed and love where he is right now. Hopefully he can fulfill what we all know Sean Taylor could have been.

Jonathan Allen needs some love. He had a great game. He's quietly a really good player and is overshadowed by others.

This offense is rough. Missing Gibson is huge. Smith was really bad today. Couldn't hit anything early. Haskins looked pretty good early but that near INT was horrendous. That's an easy completion to your best offensive player and he couldn't hit it.

 

[Brunell4MVP]

Nice win yesterday.  Great job by the D.  They've been doing it for a few weeks.  Awesome to be leading the division.

I have no ax to grind with Smith as someone implicated.  I mean really, who grinds an ax over the internet?  12 years olds?   Like these guys even know who we all are chatting on a message board.   Smith is a great story.  He's a leader.  He's tough.  I hope they win every game he starts.  He will certainly win comeback POY.   And if Haskins is forced to play the rest of the year I hope they win every game he plays too.

But drop the rah rah for a second and look at it objectively.  Haskins and Smith are essentially the same QB.  Both have a 79 QB rating.  Both have QBRs between 30-35.  All worse than 30th in the league.  Smith has 4 TDs and 6 INTs.  Haskins has 4 TDs and 3 INTs.  All that has happened is the Defense found their groove a few games ago (soon after they benched Apke FWIW).

So is it bad QB play or the weapons around them?  Well, Kyle Allen had 4 TDs, 1 INT, a 99 QB rating, and a 75 QBR.   Kyle f*in Allen was able to do it.  So why can't a 1st round drafted QB or 14 year NFL #1 pick veteran QB?   Stew on this.... Allen's season QB rating and season QRB are higher than any single game Smith or Haskins have had.   

I have more hope than Smith can find his groove than Haskins, so hopefully he can go the year.  But their QB stats AND the teams offensive numbers in games they played say they are the same exact player.  I hope Smith can get it up to Kyle Allen level, cause I think being in the playoffs would be a huge for this team's belief in itself.

 

[MikeApf]

Chase Young had an LT-like game. Really excited to see where's headed and love where he is right now. Hopefully he can fulfill what we all know Sean Taylor could have been.

Jonathan Allen needs some love. He had a great game. He's quietly a really good player and is overshadowed by others.

This offense is rough. Missing Gibson is huge. Smith was really bad today. Couldn't hit anything early. Haskins looked pretty good early but that near INT was horrendous. That's an easy completion to your best offensive player and he couldn't hit it.

I agree with you 100%.  

Interesting...the team has progressed to what many of us thought they could be this year:  a.) really good defense and b.) limited offense that still needs some key pieces.  In many ways, win, lose or draw the rest of the way, Rivera and del Rio have moved the ball forward on this team.  No one thought they were gonna win the super bowl, but we just wanted to improve the culture, realize the potential of the talented defense and see if we had a franchise QB on our roster.  And they've kind of addressed all three of those:

1. Culture:  you have to say improved, since the previous coaching staff...the team plays tough, confident, stays together and doesn't give up.  They've faced constant controversy in the media and key injuries to star players but kept going with no excuses.  That's a good building block. Even Haskins was brought around ... who knows if he'll be good, but he appears to have bought in and is trying.  That's to Rivera's credit.

2.  Defense: it's starting to look like they really are pretty good.  We all knew Chase Young was good, but as DGreen points out, that was an LT/Sean Taylor performance...a defender who basically takes over the game.  Curl -- remember he got his job only because Collins was injured and Rivera refused to give in to the demands of a veteran free agent who didn't want to pay his dues in our system.  That is telling that Rivera made that decision and even more telling that Curl is flourishing in the defensive scheme.  Not perfect but they have something going here.

3.  Offense:  the best thing I can say is that they have discovered at least 2, maybe 3 skill players who can contribute in the future:  a.) Gibson, b.) Logan Thomas, and c.) (maybe) Cam Sims.  That said, this is clear weakness of the team.  Good news -- if you can upgrade here you may have something:  First we need a QB.  Yes I am an Alex Smith fan but we all see he is no longer mobile and can't really rifle it down field.  That's too limiting.  We have to get a QB.  If Haskins can't do it, we have to draft one or pick one up.  I'm not counting on Kyle Allen.  Second, we need offensive lineman.  Yeah, they are hanging in there but there is still a lot of bad to average mixed in with the good.  Third.  We need to decide on the other main receiving threats to go with Terry McL, though I am guardedly optimistic about Cam Sims.  If we can shore up the offense somewhat and keep our defense hot then yeah, there is cause for hope.

What a difference a year makes.  I still don't think we're awesome or even a regular playoff team,, but I am hopeful for the first time in a while.

 

[MikeApf]

Nice win yesterday.  Great job by the D.  They've been doing it for a few weeks.  Awesome to be leading the division.

I have no ax to grind with Smith as someone implicated.  I mean really, who grinds an ax over the internet?  12 years olds?   Like these guys even know who we all are chatting on a message board.   Smith is a great story.  He's a leader.  He's tough.  I hope they win every game he starts.  He will certainly win comeback POY.   And if Haskins is forced to play the rest of the year I hope they win every game he plays too.

But drop the rah rah for a second and look at it objectively.  Haskins and Smith are essentially the same QB.  Both have a 79 QB rating.  Both have QBRs between 30-35.  All worse than 30th in the league.  Smith has 4 TDs and 6 INTs.  Haskins has 4 TDs and 3 INTs.  All that has happened is the Defense found their groove a few games ago (when they benched Apke FWIW).

So is it bad QB play or the weapons around them?  Well, Kyle Allen had 4 TDs, 1 INT, a 99 QB rating, and a 75 QBR.   Kyle f*in Allen was able to do it.  So why can't a 1st round drafted QB or 14 year NFL #1 pick veteran QB?   Stew on this.... Allen's season QB rating and season QRB are higher than any single game Smith or Haskins have had.   

I have more hope than Smith can find his groove than Haskins, so hopefully he can go the year.  But their QB stats AND the teams offensive numbers in games they played say they are the same exact player.  I hope Smith can get it up to Kyle Allen level, cause I think being in the playoffs would be a huge for this team's belief in itself.

Yeah, I still  think Smith is the better option THIS YEAR but either way we gotta make it a priority to get a new QB next year.  I just hope one of the top four are still there when it's our turn to draft...

ETA:  if we miss out on Zach WIlson level guy in draft, I could see this team bridging with Kyle Allen next year...not sure how I feel about that...

 

[Marvelous]

This was the formula i wanted.  Strong d.  Figure it out on offense.  Honestly i think the team has been better since Rivera’s treatments stopped.  I would imagine that he wasn’t able to do as much as it wanted.  Especially after hearing his interview the other day.  Now they are kind of catching up.

still not a great team nor would they win in the postseason but i like the young talent.  Something to build on.  Maybe we win the division. Maybe we end in heart wrenching Washington fashion.  Who knows.  

I was thinking this was the worst year to take over a new team and change the culture.  No off season workouts, no preseason, it really slowed the process down.  Kudos to teams that appear to be turning the corner.  Both the Football Team and Giants appear to be improving.

 

[MikeApf]

Now that Football Team is playing better, we have an interesting situation:  1.) it's great to see us competitive!  2.) that moves us down the draft order!

That said, it's making me wonder what we do at QB if we miss out on the top 3-4.  We always knew we were not getting Lawrence/Fields.  I used to think Zach Wilson was a target but I now think we're likely to miss out there.  It's ok, I'd rather win than tank and draft high.  But, it's got me wondering what lower tier QB is out there that we might snag.  Just look at what Jalen Hurts is doing...so you can find guys.   Here is an arbitrary top 10 list.  Question:  which of these do you like and how early would you take them?

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2021-nfl-draft-top-10-quarterback-prospects

Trevor Lawrence, Clemson.

Justin Fields, Ohio State.

Zach Wilson, BYU.

Trey Lance, North Dakota State.  (would you take him mid first round if there?)

Kyle Trask, Florida.

Mac Jones, Alabama.

Jamie Newman, Georgia.

Shane Buechele, SMU.

Desmond Ritter, Cinncinati

Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

 

[dgreen]

What a difference a year makes.  I still don't think we're awesome or even a regular playoff team,, but I am hopeful for the first time in a while.

I know we fans like to always think we're close, one player away. And as fans of this team we've been wrong about that so many times. But, I think we are close. There is so much young talent on the team. Just getting a good upgrade at QB probably makes this a high-probability playoff roster. A few other upgrades (1 WR, 1 OL, MLB, and 1 DB) I think makes it a very strong team.

And look at Miami? They were considered the worst roster of all time early last year and were getting blown out every week (until they almost beat us ). 

If this group doesn't turn this into a good run the next several years, it will most certainly be due to Snyder destroying it somehow.

 

[MikeApf]

If this group doesn't turn this into a good run the next several years, it will most certainly be due to Snyder destroying it somehow.

Keep him out of the draft room.  Maybe send him out on his yacht and cut the wireless...

 

[dgreen]

Some more on Jonathan Allen, who I think is really, really good but obviously doesn't get the praise of Young or Sweat.

He's played the most snaps of everyone on the DL.

He's second on the team in QB Pressures with 18 (Sweat has 20).

He leads all DL in tackles (48) while also having the best/lowest missed tackle % (4% - he only has 2 missed tackles) of everyone on the team who has more than 10 tackles.

 

[dgreen]

Have you noticed how many times the D goes with 5 DL? It seems like it's the base package. Can't remember what week I started noticing it, but they've been doing it for a few weeks now.

 

[The_Man]

It is fun to watch a DL dominate a game in today's NFL, when everything is geared to benefit the offense. Fantastic, gritty effort - but keep in mind they don't win without the D scoring 14 points which is not exactly something you can count on every week.

They need Gibson back so much, even maybe more than Smith. But if they keep playing to their strengths, hanging around in games and winning them with 1 or 2 big plays, they can definitely make the playoffs and even be a tough out (especially at home). Fun team to watch

 

[dgreen]

Remaining Schedules

WAS (6-7) - SEA, CAR, @PHI - 68.2% chance to win division (Football Outsiders)

NYG (5-8) - CLE, @BAL, DAL - 22.8%

PHI (4-8-1) - @ARI, DAL, WAS - 7.9%

DAL (4-9) - SF, PHI, @NYG - 1.1%

Two wins should do it. But obviously that's not a gimme. We have to keep in mind that as fun as the last few weeks have been and despite their current momentum, WAS isn't a great team. They can win any of these games and they can lose any of them.

If WAS only wins one game, then NYG would need to lose twice. That's possible with two tough games in a row. If WAS goes 1-1 the next two weeks and NYG go 0-2, it could be over by then. (Could you have imagined resting starters week 17?)

But, still have to keep an eye on PHI. If PHI wins out and WAS loses twice, then PHI would pass WAS. If PHI wins the next two and WAS loses the next 2, then they could play each other for the division in week 17 (depending on what NYG do). If PHI beats ARI and WAS and NYG lose next week, things could get interesting. That would have PHI 1/2 game back with a game against WAS. I think those division probabilities would change quite a bit.

I think we can ignore DAL.

Predictions

WAS - L, W, W (8-8)

NYG - L, L, W (6-10)

PHI - L, W, L (5-10-1)

DAL - L, L, L (4-12)

Again, this scenario would have a clinch after week 16 and make the PHI game meaningless.

 

[dgreen]

It is fun to watch a DL dominate a game in today's NFL, when everything is geared to benefit the offense. Fantastic, gritty effort - but keep in mind they don't win without the D scoring 14 points which is not exactly something you can count on every week.

At one point yesterday, I actually thought, "Oh, cool, we're punting. I want watch this defense some more." It's like Strasburg's early years when I'd sometimes flip away when the Nats were batting and come back to the game when he was pitching.

They need Gibson back so much, even maybe more than Smith. But if they keep playing to their strengths, hanging around in games and winning them with 1 or 2 big plays, they can definitely make the playoffs and even be a tough out (especially at home). Fun team to watch

Definitely fun to watch. A lot of that is the defense (playing so physical), but I really like Gibson and McLaurin and now guys like Cam Sims. So many young, likeable players.

 

[dgreen]

https://twitter.com/baldynfl/status/1338487985852076039?s=21
 

He has a few other tweets/vids from yesterday’s game. 

 

[MikeApf]

That's a great question.  I'm sure the team is scouting around.  Random thought...Lamar Miller now sits on Bears practice squad.  Wonder about his health/current ability???  It really all depends on how long Gibson is gonna be out.  If one game, then maybe roll with what we have and scheme around it.  Beyond that, yeah, might be worth kicking the tires on someone...

Update:  WFT just signed Lamar Miller.  I hope this is insurance only and isn't an ominous sign about Gibson...

https://riggosrag.com/2020/12/16/washington-football-team-signs-lamar-miller-off-bears-practice-squad/