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

Call me crazy, but I liked that win. 

3-2 without really playing well yet. 
ugh.  i didnt.  D played better.  But we got really lucky.  That pick 6 which was fumbled, the dropped td catch.  We had what, 4 possessions where we could have sealed the deal and couldnt convert 1st downs.  Ill take it, but that was an ugly one.  And Kirk needs to get it together. 

 
Going in to this game I said we're going to have to win an ugly game to get this one. I didn't think we had that in us. Glad to see I was wrong there. D stepped up in the 2nd half. Made plays when they needed to, and yeah, luck helped. If I'm a Ravens fan I'm pretty pissed about a lot of stuff they did today. Namely, going away from West, He looked awesome. He was the groove. 

Turns out I was pretty worried about our secondary. I had a dream last night that we going to start Fred savage at Safety. No joke. They were saying that he is finally getting his chance. He is great against the run. Solid tackler. But he can be burned deep and has trouble in coverage. Full padded white jersey no helmet warming up. No, Winnie Cooper wasn't there. 

 
Call me crazy, but I liked that win. 

3-2 without really playing well yet. 
DGreen, I am with you.  As I said after last week's game, Skins an average team that has potential to be good. With that said, they just beat a quality team -- with a winning record Kirk Cousins! -- on the road.  That is never easy in the NFL and that has NOT been a gimme for the Redskins in recent memory.  That said, some random thoughts:

1. Once again, we cannot stop running plays through the middle of the defense. Why Harbaugh / Tressman didn't give the ball to West 30+ times during that game is beyond me.  I sincerely hope that Philadelphia tries to win the game next week on the arm of Wentz because as good as the kid is, I'd rather take my chances that way than for them to just feed the RBs up the middle all game.

2.  Even though we couldn't stop the run that well, I did think open field tackling was much better this game vs. last.  And, to the defenses credit, they did show backbone in the second half...kudos to them.

3.  Offense wasn't spectacular, but you could tell we did have the stuff to move the ball, even though the Raven's defense was ranked # 1 coming in.  I really wasn't expecting us to pin 30 points on the # 1 rated defense...you have to be somewhat realistic.  That said, there were several aspects of offense that were frustrating, most notably:  our refusal to run the ball on 3-1 on something like 6 situations, and then not converting on any of them (or did we convert on 1?).  b.) Cousins missing on several long balls that could have been scores.  There was one in the first half where Cousins was rolling and overthrew Reed, who had like two steps.  Then in the second half, I think he missed Jackson long.  I know Cousins is not going to hit every throw but you have to convert those.  Everyone is talking about how Balt fumbled INT play "cost them the game" but on the other hand Redskins arguably left just as many points on the board.  We are fortunate Balt did not take advantage.

4.  Noted that Robert Kelly was more active this game...they working him in more?  Still would like to see us run more.  If we had coverted 3 of those 6 3rd and 1s, we could surely have executed a more balanced game plan.

5.  Crowder is blossoming as a serious weapon on both offense and special teams.  He was a nice surprise as a receiver last year and this year he's continuing very well.  He has a knack for both possession catches and big plays.  Kind of reminds me of a modern day Gary Clark for some reason...though has more to proove before comapring him to Clark's toughness.

6.  Both coaches had brainfarts back to back.  1.  Harbaugh's fake field goal was right out of Zorn's playbook.  Why fake that?  You are leading the game, you have a good defense, and your team has had trouble scoring.  Take the points, dummy.  2.  Then on the other side, Redskins down by 4 in the first half in a game that is nip and tuck.  4-1 with a short field goal.  Again, take the points!  Then another field goal wins it.  I get the idea that you have to take risks to win but though both coaches took risks at the wrong time.

Even though I don't have a ton positive to say, for some reason I feel positive about the win.  This Redskins team is at least mentally tough and does not give up.  That counts for something as they will find themselves in close, messy games again before the season is done.

 
Gruden's logic for throwing 6 times on 3-1:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/football-insider/wp/2016/10/10/jon-gruden-explains-why-failed-third-and-one-throws-seemed-smart-on-sunday/

"Six times against the Baltimore Ravens’ top-ranked defense on Sunday, the Washington Redskins offense faced third-and-one.

And six times, Redskins coaches called on quarterback Kirk Cousins to throw rather than hand off to 6-foot-2, 232-pound running back Matt Jones for a seemingly higher percentage play. Cousins completed just one of those six throws, which tight end Jordan Reed stretched to a 16-yard gain before being pushed out of bounds.

Asked Monday why he chose repeatedly to throw rather than run when just one yard was needed, Coach Jay Gruden cited three factors: The imposing size of the Ravens’ defensive front; the fact that Jones had been stopped on one of two fourth-and-one carries; and what coaches sized up as advantageous opportunities for quick, short throws."

OK, so I get the third reason, that sometimes you may see a look or have a personnel advantage to exploit.  But the first two reasons?  Good God, you are just saying, "we didn't run because they are better than we are so we just decided to let them make us one dimensional."  That's utterly absurd.  You have to at least give our guys a chance to open up a hole for one freaking yard.

Reading this quote actually kind of angered me.

 
Good to see the defense put in a good performance. Looked like it could be ugly to start, but they settled in and played well. Thankfully, the Ravens went away from the run, which helped.

Still haven't really liked the play of the team so far, but can't be too upset about being 3-2. Right about where I thought they would be after 5 games.

Big test this week against the Eagles.

 
Cousins' first 6 games in 2015: 151-228-1420-6-8

Cousins' first 5 games in 2016: 129-192-1432-7-5

He's been better starting this season than last season, but still not showing he deserves a huge contract. He continues to miss big plays, either with an inaccurate pass or by not seeing the bigger play and going with a shorter play. He's, once again, showing he's average. Even if he goes on a similar run as last year, can you confidently commit to him long-term? Are we headed towards a 2nd franchise tag or just moving on to cheaper QB who can produce average QB play?

 
Cousins' first 6 games in 2015: 151-228-1420-6-8

Cousins' first 5 games in 2016: 129-192-1432-7-5

He's been better starting this season than last season, but still not showing he deserves a huge contract. He continues to miss big plays, either with an inaccurate pass or by not seeing the bigger play and going with a shorter play. He's, once again, showing he's average. Even if he goes on a similar run as last year, can you confidently commit to him long-term? Are we headed towards a 2nd franchise tag or just moving on to cheaper QB who can produce average QB play?
I'm not sure what you do long term. I said going into this season, the worst thing for the team would be for Cousins to play just okay. He either needed to keep what he had going at the end of last season or crash and burn. Being a middle of the road QB doesn't make it an easy decision for the FO. If he plays just alright the rest of the way, I'd be fine with trying to bring him back, but at a reasonable number. I definitely don't think he's a top tier QB, but he can be good enough if things around him are going well. With the weapons we have on offense, those numbers so far should be so much better. But, we're 3-2, so everyone thinks he's playing well.

 
Even Cooley isn't high on Cousins right now. Cooley switched to a number rating system this season instead of A/B/C/D/F. In his number rating system, a 7.0 is the "just a guy" territory; it's a starter, but "just a guy" starter material. I think Cousins has been 6.something every game so far this season. Maybe he barely snuck into the 7 rating against Cleveland, but I remember Cooley being critical of him after that game, too. There's gotta be a site out there with all the ratings, right?

Good point, @MattFancy, if Cousins is just okay, that makes negotiating tough if he still views himself and justifying a larger payday. I think his only chance at a big pay day is to get hot like he did last year AND play well in the playoffs (preferably multiple games). Anything short of that and it's, at best, a repeat of this past offseason.

 
Even Cooley isn't high on Cousins right now. Cooley switched to a number rating system this season instead of A/B/C/D/F. In his number rating system, a 7.0 is the "just a guy" territory; it's a starter, but "just a guy" starter material. I think Cousins has been 6.something every game so far this season. Maybe he barely snuck into the 7 rating against Cleveland, but I remember Cooley being critical of him after that game, too. There's gotta be a site out there with all the ratings, right?

Good point, @MattFancy, if Cousins is just okay, that makes negotiating tough if he still views himself and justifying a larger payday. I think his only chance at a big pay day is to get hot like he did last year AND play well in the playoffs (preferably multiple games). Anything short of that and it's, at best, a repeat of this past offseason.
And if it's a repeat of last offseason, then we better not franchise tag him. He's not worth $25M.

 
This team can't put it together in all 3 phases in 1 week. they'll need it all vs Philly. I'd love for the switch from last year to turn on again for cousins, but I have a feeling he's just showing his true colors. An average QB that will have a good game every now and then.  

 
This sounds pretty alarming -- what does this mean for Cravens?  I would think if you couldn't keep track of moving objects, that would pretty much eliminate football as a career!  Cravens implies below this is a life-time condition.  Does anyone know anything about this?  

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/10/11/redskins-rookies-eyes-can-no-longer-keep-track-moving-objects-due-to-concussion.html


Redskins rookie's eyes can no longer 'keep track of moving objects' due to concussion


There's a reason the NFL has made a concerted effort to significantly reduce head injuries and concussions, and Washington Redskins rookie Su'a Cravens is living proof.

Cravens, a standout defensive player for the Redskins this season, said on Snapchat that he now has to wear glasses all the time due to a concussion he suffered in Week 5. Additionally, Cravens said this regarding his prognosis.

"Due to my concussion my eyes have lost the memory to keep track of moving objects, so I have to wear [glasses] for the rest of my life."

This sounds like an extremely serious situation, and it will certainly impact not only Cravens' ability to perform on the field, but also his life away from it.

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden announced last week that Cravens is in the concussion protocol, and given the damage done to his eyes, he'll likely remain in it this week, too.

The 21-year-old linebacker-safety hybrid was on his way to a promising rookie campaign and had aspirations of winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.

This concussion is extremely unfortunate and serious, but it's important for him to take care of his health before worrying about football.

ETA:  I know that CSN reportedly came out and said this was "not true" but the wrinkle here is that Cravens actually said this himself through his social media channels.  So, it's not a "made up claim from the outside."  Either this is true or Cravens is not understanding the diagnosis correctly...hopefully the later...

 
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Yeah, that was a weird story yesterday. Cravens snapchats that quote, then it was reported that he removed it later (but aren't snapchats automatically removed?), and the Redskins denied that it's true. Paging Dr. @Jene Bramel. What do you make of Cravens quote:  "Due to my concussion my eyes have lost the memory to keep track of moving objects, so I have to wear [glasses] for the rest of my life."

 
Speaking of concussions.. Reed with another really sucks. With his history every time he gets tackled I worry about a concussion. This just does not look like a long career.

 
Nice win!

A much more dominating performance than the score indicates. 
Defense followed up last week by playing even better.  Only gave up 6 points.  

Kirk looked pretty good today aside from the bad pick.

If GB beats DAL we have a 3 way tie for 1st.  Can't complain about that after how we felt the first 2 weeks of the season.

 
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We are making progress.  :shrug:

Shouldnt have been close if it werent for the pick 6 and the punt return.  Looking forward to continued progress. 

 
Eagles fell victim to having an early bye. Wheels are loose right now. Hopefully they go rolling down the hill soon. 

 
I agree guys great win!

Gruden commits to run and the guys come through!

Run defense worries me still but tackling better.  Pass rush excellent!  Lane Johnson suspension was HUGE.

Game should not have been this close the way we dominated.  We cannot afford to make these kind of mistakes.

good win!

 
FOUR Victory Mondays in a row?!?!?! What the F alternative reality am I living in?!?!?!

...we'll see about Coaching this week...better not get caught looking down our noses at the Lions...

 
FOUR Victory Mondays in a row?!?!?! What the F alternative reality am I living in?!?!?!

...we'll see about Coaching this week...better not get caught looking down our noses at the Lions...
Yea these are the games that always worry me.  We need a good showing against them.   Also need to improve is we are to compete with the cowboys.  I hate to say it but they look tough.  though all in all the conference seems pretty wide open. 

 
FOUR Victory Mondays in a row?!?!?! What the F alternative reality am I living in?!?!?!

...we'll see about Coaching this week...better not get caught looking down our noses at the Lions...
Lions are coming on.  Two big wins in a row.  Stafford is dangerous.  I agree we need to take them very seriously.  I look at it like the teams are equal so it will come down to who executes better....

 
Did anyone catch Gruden's press conference.  At around 2:00 min. talking about the three running backs he calls Robert Kelly "Fat Rob" 

LOL, don't know why but this was really funny, particularly him saying it so deadpan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZbKgJ5y9fs
No, but I did hear the radio broadcast of the game yesterday when Cooley said "it's bad to take it in the esophagus.  You can't take it down the esophagus."

 
He's been calling him fat Rob since training camp.it's his nickname from college. It's also partly to blame on why he hasn't gotten more carries; they think he's out of shape.

His 45 yard scamper sure lit a fire underneath Matt Jones! 

 
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tangfoot said:
No, but I did hear the radio broadcast of the game yesterday when Cooley said "it's bad to take it in the esophagus.  You can't take it down the esophagus."
Wait...take it *IN* the esophagus or take it *DOWN* the esophagus.  There is quite a difference between these two, it seems to me.   :P

 
Seems like a smart thing to do, giving your division rivals bulligen board material. (Sarcasm)

I like him too. He's a very good guest on the radio. 
First of all, I don't really care about this Redskins vs. Stephen A. Smith feud.  IMO, Smith is just a clown who says extreme things to get a reaction, and that's really all it is. On the Redskins side, they are not complacent, just happy over a win...and reading in too much is just stupid.

 
That said, this audio of Stephen A. Smith vs. Brian Mitchell on ESPN 980 is kind of funny, in the way that Mitchell can talk smack.  The part I"m referring to is at around:  7:00 minutes into the audio. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQdIZAzjOU8

 
MikeApf said:
First of all, I don't really care about this Redskins vs. Stephen A. Smith feud.  IMO, Smith is just a clown who says extreme things to get a reaction, and that's really all it is. On the Redskins side, they are not complacent, just happy over a win...and reading in too much is just stupid.

 
That said, this audio of Stephen A. Smith vs. Brian Mitchell on ESPN 980 is kind of funny, in the way that Mitchell can talk smack.  The part I"m referring to is at around:  7:00 minutes into the audio. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQdIZAzjOU8
Um.....  I agree with you but I think we are talking about two very different things. 

I never likeed Stephen A Smith  to begin with but he lacks any credibility some people think he may have by being such a biased Eagles fan. journalist  of his stature are supposed to be  unbiased at least on the surface.  

 
Um.....  I agree with you but I think we are talking about two very different things. 

I never likeed Stephen A Smith  to begin with but he lacks any credibility some people think he may have by being such a biased Eagles fan. journalist  of his stature are supposed to be  unbiased at least on the surface.  
Oh yeah sorry for the confusion.  I wasn't trying to say that we were talking about the same things.  It's just your post made me think of this other, related, issue.  Sorry for the confusion.

 
when i saw us lineup in prevent on 1st down.... i knew we would lose.  i hope trent williams is ok btw.  that would be a bad loss for us.

 
And I'm done with Jones as a starting RB. Have Kelley and Jones swap roles and continue to work in Joe Washington. 

 
This was a total team failure at different points in the game.

Penalties, turnovers, and missed opportunities on offense.

Missed FG on ST's.

A late collapse and lack of aggression on defense. 

This team isn't ready. We aren't good yet, no matter how many winning streaks we go on. Good teams don't have games like this against beatable teams, they take care of business. They might have a bad game and get upset once in a while, but they don't consistently shoot themselves in the foot, miss opportunities, and try their hardest to give games away. This was an all-around failure, and having a chance to steal the game back at the end shouldn't make people feel better about it, it should make them feel worse.

 
This was a total team failure at different points in the game.

Penalties, turnovers, and missed opportunities on offense.

Missed FG on ST's.

A late collapse and lack of aggression on defense. 

This team isn't ready. We aren't good yet, no matter how many winning streaks we go on. Good teams don't have games like this against beatable teams, they take care of business. They might have a bad game and get upset once in a while, but they don't consistently shoot themselves in the foot, miss opportunities, and try their hardest to give games away. This was an all-around failure, and having a chance to steal the game back at the end shouldn't make people feel better about it, it should make them feel worse.
agreed.  Maybe we needed this loss to help us get better. 

 
This was a total team failure at different points in the game.

Penalties, turnovers, and missed opportunities on offense.

Missed FG on ST's.

A late collapse and lack of aggression on defense. 

This team isn't ready. We aren't good yet, no matter how many winning streaks we go on. Good teams don't have games like this against beatable teams, they take care of business. They might have a bad game and get upset once in a while, but they don't consistently shoot themselves in the foot, miss opportunities, and try their hardest to give games away. This was an all-around failure, and having a chance to steal the game back at the end shouldn't make people feel better about it, it should make them feel worse.


I agree with most of your post; not the bolded. Good teams lose all the time. Only the '72 Dolphins didn't. The Lions aren't the Borwns. They are pretty good. Stafford was fire today. It would have been a great win. It;s a tough loss because we kept trying to give it away over and over agin until we finally did. That's what hurts.

 
I agree with most of your post; not the bolded. Good teams lose all the time. Only the '72 Dolphins didn't. The Lions aren't the Borwns. They are pretty good. Stafford was fire today. It would have been a great win. It;s a tough loss because we kept trying to give it away over and over agin until we finally did. That's what hurts.
I disagree, it would have been a win that left me very wary, because of all the mistakes and missed opportunities, rather than a great win. I mean, being 5-2 would have been amazing but this game, W or L, revealed that we aren't really ready for primetime and that's the disappointing part. We just can't get out of our own way and that's something you rarely see in a truly "good" team. Its the way we lost, not that we lost, that makes me say that "good" teams don't generally lose like that.

 

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