The truth is, when your team in winning, life is boring. Really. If we were 11-2 like the Giants, all we’d see on the boards are 53 threads titled ‘We’re so awesome!’. I’m old enough to remember the ’91 season (I’m older that that, actually), and as fun as it was to know – not think, but know – that you were going to crush everyone, it also got a bit old. Am I saying that I would prefer to be 7-6, or even 0-13, rather than 11-2? Not at all. Am I saying that the Redskins should continue to strive for mediocrity, just so we can have something to argue about? Heck no. Am I comfortable asking myself questions? Not really, in fact it is a bit weird.
Since we’re not 11-2, the debate seems to center around who is to blame for this quickly deteriorating season. There’s the vocal Jason Campbell camp, who is running on the platform of missed reads, a slow release, and that they can’t understand what it is he’s saying in interviews. A small radical group also wants Colt Brennan to show what he’s got. Then you have the folks who believe that the offensive and defensive lines are to blame, based on that whole ‘can’t seem to block anyone or apply pressure’ manifesto. They also seem to think that age is a factor. There’s also the group that blames the coaching staff. How can JC throw or the line block if we’re only sending two guys out into the pattern, with 5 DBs? And if I can predict that we’ll run on second down after an incompletion, then chances are the other team can as well. Lastly, there’s the little-known receivers are to blame movement. Moss isn’t a number one receiver, where’s Thomas, Kelly and Davis, no one can get any separation are their issues.
The truth is that blame for the team’s current woes can probably be spread around to everyone – perhaps not equally, but I don’t know if any player or group has played perfectly during this eight-game slide (okay, maybe Ethan Albright). A team that played above it’s head early, is now underachieving. And while it’s easy to look for a single solution at a single position, I think the truth is simply that this team needs help in many different areas – help from free agents, help from the draft, help from current players just gaining experience. And that takes time. Madden told us on Sunday night that we’re a good team, but not an elite team. Whatever those early-season wins made us believe, I think that’s the bottom line. And until we get there, there’s enough blame for everyone.
Irony, thy name is Madden. A few seconds after John Madden finished telling us that the Redskins offensive line is ‘pretty good’, Samuels takes Suggs’ ticket as he blows by him and causes an INT that sets some horrible events into motion.
Someone needs a Red Bull. I’ve noticed that the linebackers are getting pushed out of the play more now than they were at the beginning of the season. My guess is that this is due to not enough protection up from the line, and they’ve been worn down over the season. I even seem to hear London Fletcher’s name less than I used to (he’s still Pro Bowl worthy, though).
Guards are from Venus, Tackles are from Mars. We just finished Week 14 on the season. Add to that 5 weeks of preaseason, and a bazillion weeks of training camp. And yet we’re still having communication problems on the Oline?!? Of the times that JC was pressured, more often than not it wasn’t an issue of being outnumbered, or of a stellar play by a defensive lineman beating a double-team. It was a guy not being helped when he needed it, or someone missing a rusher altogether. I’m baffled by it.
Just to clarify… JC’s passes are being batted down at the line of scrimmage because teams know that we’re throwing quick passes to the slots in certain situations. So they position a LB in the line of fire, and have him jump. It’s that easy. If the offense called for more passes in the seams (where LBs usually cover), or deeper outs, we might see that trend disappear.
You eyeballin’ me, boy?!? My favorite part of the game was watching Jim Zorn stare down Suisham after he missed the 48-yarder. He looked livid.
The future’s so bright… Was that woman sitting in front of Art Modell really wearing sunglasses….to a night game?!?
D’Angelo & Goliath. On one running play, D’Angelo Hall attempted to step in and get a piece of the action, only to be blocked by no. 71, tackle Jared Gaither. That’s 5′-10″ 195 pounds versus 6′-9″ 330 pounds.
Welcome to the jungle. On Justin Geisinger’s first play as a tackle, not only does he have to line up against Suggs, a ferocious pass rusher, but he gets help from….no one. Pete Kendall would have helped, but he was busy with the triple-team of Trevor Pryce.
Eureka! It’s so simple, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. All our offense needs to be successful is for the defense to generate turnovers in opponent’s territory every series! So easy!
Look out for that…. My four-year old, like most four-year olds, has a body that usually moves faster than his brain. This leads to him running into things of all types, both inside and outside the house. He runns too fast, can’t stop in time, and blam, we have an injury timeout. Essentially, he can’t get out of his own way. This offense reminds me of him.
Ball hawk. Not only did LaRon make a great read on the interception, but he also caused the McGahee fumble, and jarred a pass loose from Derrick Mason. If it isn’t for Landry, I’m not sure we score any points. Ironically, the one time he goes after the ball instead of the hit, Heap makes a great catch.
One more, please? Can we please have one more shot of Michael Phelps? Pretty please?
I win! I win! I think Jim Zorn’s only reason for challenging the spot of the ball in the fourth quarter was to end his O-fer streak on challenges. Congrats on the win, Jim!
Sunday night nookie, where hast thou gone? It’s been a long time since I’ve felt good about a Redskins game. Even the wins against the Browns, Lions and Seahawks didn’t fill me with confidence, nor make my mood good enough to ‘celebrate’, if you get my drift.
My friend, Schizophrenia. After losing four games to four of the best teams in football, and four of the top ten defenses in the league, I can’t decide if this team is truly bad, or just isn’t good enough to beat the elite teams. The answer is the difference between getting into the playoffs, and sitting home and eating cheeseburgers. There were times on Sunday that I was convinced that we’re not good enough to beat Philadelphia at home or San Francisco.
Dictatorship. What’s been blatantly obvious over the past few weeks is that the Redskins offense and defense do not dictate the game to the opposition, they have it dictated to them. The offense has to max protect more often than they’d like because they can’t block a standard pass rush (or even when they outnumber the rushes), and the defense has to switch from the man coverage that they’d prefer to play to more zone coverage to prevent against the gadget play.
‘Multiple choice’. I hate those video introductions to begin with, so I’m happy to see more and more players have fun with it. As they name the places they’ve been from earlier and earlier in their lives, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear ‘My mom’s womb’ at some point.
I think you would have mentioned it, had you caught it Joe, but did you happen to notice Carlos Rogers one handed snag of the tipped ball by the referee? He can’t catch a cold when the clock is ticking, but he’s got velcro hands and a shag-carpet ball during time-outs? It’s all in his head!