What can you say? I suppose I will start that I actually think the Lions are an improving team and they will win again this season. That said, we had no business losing to them.
Again, we had our struggles in the Red Zone. However, where I felt that we really lost this game was our defense allowing time and again the Lions to convert the third downs. Third downs is the most important play on any drive and we could not stop them at all. The thing was that it wasn't just 3rd and shorts. These were 3rd and longs and we could not stop them.
I had no problem going for it on 4th down on our first drive. I completely agree with Zorn in that we have to trust our line and Portis to be able to get 1 yard. Fine, it didn't happen so you have to trust our defense to not allow the Lions to drive the length of the field. They did. The entire first half and parts of the second half we just let them convert 3rd downs. I believe they were 9 for 11 on 3rd down conversions in the first half. That is ridiculous. That kept drives alive and our defense on the field and our offense off of it and gave them a killing in time of possession. That is where I felt we lost it.
I also didn't like how our offense would come up just short on third downs. I can think of two drives that stopped on catches that came up just short. One was to Cooley and one was to Randle El. WRs have to know where the marker is and get that first down.
I know JC will get heat but for the most part, I was fine with his play. He threw for 340 yards and 2 TDs. Sure the pick was bad but all in all he was fine. We completely lack any running game and our offense was allowed to get on the field.
I'm sure Zorn will be on the hot seat this week and deservedly so. I think the play calling has been suspect this season and that fall directly on him. If I am him, after losing to the Lions, I would feel like I have nothing to lose and I would just open up the offense and allow JC to be aggressive. I would forget about balance b/t run and pass and just air it out. I would run 5 WR sets, I would run no huddle, I would try pretty much anything to get this offense moving. The thing is our offense isn't too bad until they get in the Red Zone and then we are pathetic. Again, I would just open things up because we have nothing to lose at this point.
We play TB at home next week and it will be a VERY interesting scenario with the crowd. It's a must win game and the crowd will be coming ready to boo.
B-Mitch said that the Redskins were playing not to lose to the Lions and they need to come out and be a whole lot more aggressive. He said that we play with the media and the fans in our ears and cannot be scared of them and that we need leaders to step up and lead.
I like Zorn but he is a soft spoken tactician whose tactics are not working thus far. Last week against the Rams was the first week I started losing faith in him. He did nothing this week for me to restore any faith. I really think the team is starting to turn on him. More struggles on offense and more losses to "weak" teams and I think there will be a change midseason and we need to get someone more experienced and more in your face.
It's on to the Bucs at home and as I mentioned, it will be an interesting crowd.
17 comments:
The Redskins D was horrible. Their secondary is awful and they still don't get enough pressure up front. Where is Orakpo?
JC and Cooley are the only guys with any talent on the offensive side of the ball. Portis appears to be on the downside of his career, but I think he still has some productivity left.
If they want to save their season they need to drop Kelly and Thomas from the lineup. Stop playing Betts and just play with Portis, Santana, Cooley, and ARE. Just keep feeding those guys the ball on offens and they will be fine.
Look, Zorn gets some heat for play calling, but he has the exact same problem Gibbs, Spurrier, and Schottenhiemer had - he doesn't have enough talent to win.
The Redskins are becoming like Detroit and Oakland - just horribly run franchises. They make money, but they cannot win. Until the dump Vinny and get someone in there who knows how to build a winner, they are going to continue to stink.
Is there a way to spell out the sound of a really stinky fart as it eminates from Robs's bowels?
That's all I have to say at this point.
Yeah -
R - E - D - S - K - I - N - S
I am going to hit the toilet and hope to get out a really good "REDSKINS."
Don't you love when you get a really good "REDSKINS" out?
They do have talent. They racked up nearly 400 yards of offense. The problem is the play calling. We can't be so predictable. We should just go 5 wide and pass. We have been successful that way.
Defense was offensive. Orakpo had a sack and made some okay plays. Where is the rest of the D line? We didn't get as much pressure as I would have hoped and when we did get pressure, Stafford scrambled out and was able to make a play.
We should have blitzed more and I feel like we should blitz more in general. I suppose the concern was that we wanted to double up on Johnson and not let him beat us. To the D's credit, Johnson wasn't much of a factor. However, Stafford made the plays when he needed to. Again, the third down conversions were ridiculous.
As mentioned, I don't think the Lions are nearly as bad as they were last year but we should have beaten them.
We'll see what happens next week.
Kelly - 1 catch.
Thomas - 1 catch.
Davis - 1 catch.
Give up on those bums and just play with the guys who know how to play.
Against the Lions, you kick that field goal early in the game. You know the Lions are never going to blow you out, and it may come down to a three point game. Had they kicked that field goal, they could kick for the win at the end.
I guess the lowly NFC North isn't as bad as you thought a couple of weeks ago.
Robs...sorry you're all backed up. Take some Pepto or something because you don't sound healthy.
I agree with JKSD for the most part. Where we're lacking talent is O-line, which we've all agreed is a bit of a problem, and the secondary. We couldn't run the ball (O-line) and we couldn't cover anyone on 3rd down (primarily due to the secondary). I think we could have gotten around these problems though. I'll explain how.
O-line...Our running game is completely unimaginative. We either run a stretch play left for a loss of two or we run straight up the middle for a three yard gain. I remember seeing Portis run right twice and both times we came away with good gains. This goes back to what JKSD said about play calling. It needs to improve.
Secondary...It looked like Hall had a very good game covering C. Johnson. Smoot made some big plays too. The problem was Rogers and the free safety play. All in all, the cornerbacks are average...If it's not one guy it's the other having a bad day. Regarding free safety...I like Landry but he's a strong safety being forced to play a position that doesn't suit his strengths. He's a headhunter and he's better suited to play closer to the line.
Robs made a comment about getting Kelly, Thomas and Davis out of there. They each had a catch in the opening drive where Detroit simply could do nothing to stop us. These guys are legitimate weapons that are being wasted. I don't remember seeing any of them getting a real chance to make more plays after that drive. Zorn looks to be too concerned with getting everyone involved and takes guys in and out of the game with little regard for the flow of the game. He seems intent on following a script or sticking with personnel packages without realizing how it destroys momentum.
All that being said...here are the problems...We have talent, but we didn't address the right tackle spot, which is a big problem. We're also mis-using some talent by asking guys like Orakpo and Landry to do things that aren't their strengths. We don't utilize talent because Zorn is sticking to offensive packages regardless of the flow of the game. There are big problems in DC, but they can be worked out. The problem is, the approach to offense and defense needs to change, and I don't know how that will happen without someone else coming in to shake things up.
Zorn's first 19 games as coach 9-10.
Gibbs' 2.0 first 19 games as coach 9-10 (30-34 overall).
Spurrier's first 19 games as coach 9-10 (12-20 overall).
Schottenheimer 8-8.
Robiskie 1-2.
Norv's last 19 games as coach 11-8 (49-59-1 overall record).
What is the one constant? DANNY BOY!!!
The Redskins were fine under Zorn when he had an offensive line for the first part of last year. Then they could run and pass the ball. Now, they cannot run the ball and pass protection breaks down.
On top of that, their D has the same old problem - no pressure up front.
They didn't address their O-line in the offseason and they overpaid for a fat and out-of-shape Haynesworth who only played 60 percent of the defensive snaps in Tennessee last year. They are and will suffer through the year again for these mistakes.
Kelly, Thomas, and Davis are average role players at best. They aren't even good special teamers - but they were all second round picks. Vinny wants them to pan out so badly but the reality is that Moss, ARE, and Cooley should get all the passes. They are just far superior to those other busts.
Shanahan/Holmgren/Cowher/whoever will come in and the same old crap will happen until Danny Boy steps away from the team. He throws away draft picks and the ones he makes are pretty much busts. He spends lavishly on a handful of players who don't live up to their contracts. And, he loves syncophantic idiots surrounding him telling him how great he is.
At least Tom Cruise's daughter loves the Redskins pajamas Danny Boy gave her. Take heart in that Deadskin fans.
Here is another Snyder video that is out. There are some winning lines about making Robert Henson sniff jock straps before washing them.
Robs, you got to quit suckling Jeff Cutler's shaped dildo. Probably good if you don't soak it in Jack Daniels before suckling either.
The O line has been fine thus far. It's not great but it hasn't been bad. That hasn't been the problem.
Also, I'm still fine with Kelly, Thomas, and Davis. They were all highly regarded in college and deserved to be picked when they were picked. It's not like we chose blindly. Frankly, yesterday the passing game was not the problem. JC threw for 340 yards. ARE and Cooley didn't get many passes. It pretty much all went to Santana. Frankly, I don't care who catches the ball. If JC throws for 340 yards, that's fine.
The problem yesterday was the defense and to a lesser degree play calling. The defense kept getting them into third and longs but then would give up the conversion which was pathetic. I was disappointed with the pass rush. We should have blitzed to confuse their O line and even when we got pressure, we let Stafford slip out and make a play. I know we were giving extra help to not let Johnson beat us but we should have attacked that rookie QB more. I put some of that on coaching.
Also, the offense needs to get more dynamic and aggressive. I don't have a big issue with personnel but with coaching. Run some screens to Portis. Run some longer pass plays. Turn JC loose a little more. I am confident this guy can play and lets let him show us what he is capable of.
The biggest concern right now is coaching.
NFC North isn't bad but it's still nothing great. To me, they all seem like mediocre teams. GB has a good offense but their defense and O line are still concerns. MN is okay. They have a pretty good defense and A. Peterson is the MVP of the league. Chicago is mediocre at best. Detroit is improving and will win a few games this year but they are rebuilding. I know you want to tout those teams as super awesome and all playoff contenders and every game they play are a playoff type game and that you wish you could be made "air tight" by all the North QBs with Favre giving it to you hard right in your ass but it is all your wet dreams. Well, sweet dreams, princess!
When you cannot run to the right side of the line because it sucks, and the left side of the line is better but still gets blown off the ball on 4th and 1 the line is a problem.
You can say you don't have a problem with the line, that is fine - but there is a major problem with the O-line. It is fairly obvious.
As for the 2nd round picks - I guess you can wait for them to start producing. Fine with me.
I'd say just go with Moss, ARE, and Cooley - they are effective right now.
Haynesworth is fat and out of shape and definitely not worth his contract. There is little pressure from the front 7 and the line doesn't do well on run tackling. Outside of Fletcher, the linebackers are average at best.
Smoot stinks. DeAngelo is an average corner who makes a few plays here and there. Rogers is solid, but he cannot catch. Horton is good, but it seems like #30 has regressed and cannot tackle. He just goes for the big hit and whiffs fairly often.
As for Orakpo - he should come up to speed, but they have him in coverage. The Redskins would have been better off drafting an offensive tackle, but since they took Orakpo, they would be better off making him a rush end. He is a better fit for the 3-4 D, rather than the Redskins 4-3 D. We'll see if he progresses.
In the end, the Redskins will go 6-10, fire Zorn, get rid of Campbell (who is a very good NFL QB), and start all over. The only question I have at this point is if Danny Boy will get rid of Vinny and step away from trying to run the team.
The running game has to get going but part of the problem is that the offense is so predictable.
Again, the O line isn't the best but it has not been bad. GB's is an example of a horrible line.
No reason to give up on any of the 2nd rounders yet.
Again, I don't care who gets the ball and how often. 340 yards passing is quite a bit so use whoever.
Haynesworth wasn't really the problem yesterday. He was double teamed regularly. The issue is that when he is double teamed others need to step up and they didn't. Andre Carter was no where to be seen. Daniels is no where to be seen. The other BIG issue was it was such a vanilla defense where we are just lining up 4 and that's it. Blitz every now and then or at least show blitz and back out of it. Get a little more creative and throw the opposing offense off. We didn't do that. It was basic, youth league defense and again, I put that on the coaches.
Smoot hasn't been bad. Hall is okay. Rogers is okay but his hands suck. Horton is solid. Dirty Thirty does seem to have regressed a bit. He isn't really the play maker we hope him to be. Not sure how much of that is not having opportunities though. Contrary to Deeps, I actually think he is suited for the FS spot. He has tremendous speed and range. I thought he was a FS in college but may be mistaken in that.
Not sure how much I like Orakpo as the LB. He is a true pass rusher and would like to see him in there instead of Daniels but hopefully he will develop into a solid LB. He was fine yesterday. Had the sack and some nice tackles.
Again, it is Zorn and the play calling that is most distressing to me along with how poor the defense played yesterday. The defense was decent the first two games but just couldn't stop the Lions on third downs to save their lives yesterday. That was the story of the game.
I like JC and have supported Zorn but the last two weeks have given be cause for concern with Zorn. We'll see how things play out.
I think you know how I feel.....the only thing that will make me feel better is a pair of those ESTRADA sunglasses! I love that commercial especially now that Carrot Top is no longer in the ad. He looks like a weird freak. That's what Dudzig will look like in 20 years.
Snyder will probably figure out a way to sell Estrada glasses to make some more money at Redskin games.
Unfortunately, it won't help them overcome their talent deficiency so they will continue to lose.
Talent isn't really the issue. I honestly feel that it is coaching/lack of execution.
The defense was pathetic against the Lions. We have a solid defense and we have played well much of last year and the defense was solid the first two games of the season but they were bad against the Lions. As mentioned, I would like to see the defense be more dynamic. We were so static and basic against the Lions. We should have attacked Stafford at times and forced him to make plays. Instead we just rushed the front four against their max pass protect and let him roll with it. We need to mix it up.
On offense, the playcalling has been suspect. On short yard situations, we all know where it is going. If the run isn't working, use the pass. Go 5 wide. Go no huddle. Mix it up. We have the tools to do that. Let JC run with the offense. I am confident he can do it.
Again, it's not a talent issue. It is a coaching and execution issue.
You say you have the tools, but I don't see that. Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas have done nothing - I doubt they are lighting it up in practice and Zorn is somehow holding them back. Add Fred Davis to that list.
Portis is a shell of his former self. He seems slow and lethargic. He doesn't even seem to be excited about games or even being there. He cannot practice and I'm sure this bothers some on the team who are working, not to mention not allowing guys to get into a comfortable rhythm with him.
If I were Campbell, I'd just stop looking at other options and I'd just have a laser focus on Cooley and Moss. My secondary read would be ARE. Forget about Sellers (cannot catch) or Betts (too easy to tackle). If the first three guys are covered, I'd just use my legs.
Oh yeah, move the corners up at least 2-3 yards and stop wasting Orakpo's talent and get him to rush the QB more often. He does not belong in pass coverage so often. If Greg Blache had LT, he would try to turn him into a cover linebacker.
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