It was a better performance than the previous two weeks but not enough to get the job done. The game pretty much boiled down to a couple of plays in the fourth quarter. They include:
1. With the game tied 17-17, RG3 scrambled and ran for a 25 yard gain and dove head first with the intent of declaring himself down. When he hit the ground, the ball popped loose and was recovered by the Lions at the Lions 30 yard line. It's unfortunate as the intent was clear but the rule is if you dive head first and lose the ball, it is live. If you slide feet first and lose the ball, you are down by contact. Unfortunate but the rule is the rule and it should have been Lions ball.
2. With the score 20-17 Lions, RG3 throws a brilliant 57 yard bomb to Aldrick Robinson who caught it as he was crossing the goal line. When Robinson hit the ground, the ball was bobbled. While it looked like his hand was underneath the ball at all times, it was still bobbled and ironically the Calvin Johnson rule took effect as he did not maintain full possession for the entirety of the catch. That one hurt as it went from a potential 24-20 lead to us having to punt. There was a lot of energy/emotion/momentum shifts in that call. I didn't see enough replays to see if he maintained control but it certainly looked like it was bobbled and it was most likely the correct call.
Despite the defeat, the positives you have to take from the game was that it was a better overall performance. RG3 looked better than the previous week. Again, I have said in previous posts that he is playing catch up and he is trying to shake the rust off and I wanted to see him improve week to week. I thought that was the case this week as he looked solid. Special teams was better as Rocca was much better in punting and Potter converted his two FG attempts. The punt/kick return game still needs to improve and each week, Chris Thompson isn't showing me much. Doesn't seem to have the speed or quickness needed for that role. Still, it's amazing the difference field position makes as we were much better in our punt game.
While the defense was better, this is still an issue. Thought D. Hall did a good job on Calvin Johnson. No team will ever stop CJ but Hall was locked up on him the entire game and played him pretty well even recording and INT for a TD. Thought Amerson was good at the other CB spot. Looked like we brought much more pressure this week and allowed our CBs to lock up man to man. This seemed like a better strategy. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get the necessary stops we needed on third downs particularly in the fourth quarter. There were also some continued cases of poor tackling. However, the strategy seemed better as it is probably better to send the additional pressure to force quicker decisions by the opposing QB and hope for a mistake.
In the end, I'm not thrilled with the loss but I do feel like it was a better performance and I think this team is still trying to play catch up. It's early in the season and a lot will change, we need to see continued improvement week to week. I believe that will happen. It's not how you start but how you finish. There's a lot of football left and I don't think anyone will run away with the division so no need to panic. I will say next week's game against Oakland is a must win and if you can get one and build some momentum, it makes things easier. Losing is contagious but so is winning and we need to get that first "W."
22 comments:
Both calls were clearly the correct calls. Tough calls - but absolutely correct. The Deadskin D was better but they still were terrible. RG3 may or may not have been better. But in the end, there are no moral victories in the NFL.
RG3's QBR - which eliminates all of the trash yards QBs get - puts him 30th in the NFL.
It is pretty clear that RG3 is slower and he does not look like he was healthy enough to start game 1. He may be getting better, but frankly he wasn't that good yesterday. He was OK, but he made critical mistakes that take away from anything else he did.
At a higher level, I believe there is an unhealthy dynamic that is destroying the Deadskins. RG3 and his Dad ran their mouths much of the off-season. Team RG3 has tried to shape his image and tried to dictate what type of offensive calls should be made. I imagine that it has Shanny bristling.
There is no question that there is tension between RG3 and Shanny. They may say that all is well, but it is clear that it isn't true.
My opinion is that Shanny wanted Andrew Luck and took RG3 because he had to (not because he wanted to). Skip Bayless wrote something last week about the oddness of drafting Cousins and it creating a rift. I think it is true. We'll see what happens in coming weeks, but if they lose to Oakland and RG3 makes some mistakes, Cousins will be starting after the break.
One other thing. I know Skip Bayless likes to cause trouble, but he actually does make a point.
I am not writing this stuff to take a shot at the Deadskins or to poke fun at JKSD - I really believe there is a problem with the relationship between RG3 and Shanny that is impacting the team.
It was a terrible INT but that happens in the NFL. Outside of that throw, I thought he had himself a pretty good game. I'm sure he wishes he slid feet first and I'm sure he wishes Robinson held on to the ball but again, the only really bad play was the INT. That happens in the NFL. He isn't the first QB to make an ill advised throw and he won't be the last.
I don't feel there is a brewing issue with Shanny and RG3. I think people want to put stock into things because of the losses. In SF, all of a sudden Kapernick is on the hot seat because of his struggles.
As far as the Bayless article, I read it and he's an arse. He loves to instigate and incite that's what he does. He mentions a few times in the article his source that he used to help write the article. You can find "sources" that tell you all kinds of things. Heck, we've done stuff like that at my job to make our deliverables more compelling.
Bayless is a guy who makes a living calling athletes out on what he thinks they do wrong inside and outside their respective sports.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs turned the tables on Bayless when he appeared on the show following a loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game in January. After the ESPN personality suggested that Suggs was making excuses for losing (which never happened), the linebacker responded by asking him not to be a "douche bag."
A few days later, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe blasted Bayless on Twitter with a series of insults for saying he hated field goal kicking and referring to Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff as a "nonplayer."
Then, of course, there's Charles Barkley, who has repeatedly spoken out on his hatred for Bayless.
Finally, there was Bayless on Twitter talking about how he started for his H.S. basketball state championship team. It wasn't true.
Bayless is an idiot that loves to create controversy. He knows how to attract the attention and create buzz. It's simple really, take on the high profile stars in athletics and go after them. Bayless had caught some flack from different angles from his idiotic views and you'd think he might be a bit more understanding about the missteps and flaws of others but that looks highly doubtful.
The panacea is a win. A win is the cure all and all of a sudden all is rosy.
I'll get right to the conclusion - we'll see.
The Skins def played better. The game never got out of hand as in the previous two games. It really was the Skins defense that kept them in the game. From Me'angelos pick 6 to just stopping the Lions from converting third downs. I am still not convinced the Skins offense is playing well enough to win games. Penalties dropped passes and fumbles will be tough for this team to overcome. They have to play mistake free if they want to have a chance. This weekends Raiders game is huge. The Raiders are no pushover either. 0-4 and you really have to start thinking about making some serious changes.
The Cap penalties may be effecting this team now but it would have been nice to have a first round pick in the past draft and next years draft to fill some of the gaps. If RG3 cant become last years RG3 and carry this team to victories basically single handedly then you have to wonder about the decision to mortgage the skins future first round picks for one year of success knowing that they wouldn't have the resources to fill other holes via free agency.
I just bring this up because 0-4 or 5-11 at the end ( I cant see skins going better than 5-8 the rest of the way given that their schedule only gets tougher) you have to expect a coaching change which makes the decision to trade multiple first round picks away even more ridiculous.
I think there is tension between RG3 and Shanny. It doesn't seem to be that well hidden. I may be wrong, but it seems to be there, and losing will exacerbate the problem.
At the end of the year, I think the Deadskins will be looking at a losing record. If RG3 and Shanny can patch things up they will both be back. Otherwise, the owner is going to have to make a decision about who to bring back. I don't think they will both be back next year and if RG3 is actually healthy, I expect Shanny to be let go.
I know everyone wants to make a big deal of the Shanny/RG3 relationship. Fred Smoot went off on both of them yesterday but I think Smoot is an idiot. He has a hard time understanding questions and answering them properly.
Was listening to Grant Paulsen and he's as close to the Skins as anyone and he mentioned that he isn't aware of a problem between the two.
We can have opinions on it and debate it but we really don't know what the relationship is.
That said, it's funny how quickly media/fans turn on people/teams. Everyone was in love with RG3 last year and ready to give Shanny a long term extension. The Skins won the East for the first time in 13 years. They started off slow this season. Some of the reasons for that are obvious. Now all of a sudden there is talk of major change. The season is early and there is a lot of football left. I expect RG3 to improve week to week and things will get better. The only change I could see at this point is possibly getting rid of Haslett. Still, I don't see any changes happening mid season. As far as the end of the season, again, there is a lot of football left and anything can happen. A Skins win and much will be forgiven.
It's funny too because last season RG3 could do very little wrong. People were saying the trade was a bargain (I think even JSR agreed last year). Now he is saying that it is "ridiculous." That's more typical averge joe fan talking. Problem is that fans want their cake and eat it too. They want their franchise QB but they want everything else too. You have to make your choices. We did and we have to live with it. The Skins had a good draft class last year and a pretty solid one this year (Amerson and Reed).
I do think Shanny deserves some leeway having to deal with the cap penalty. The good news is that we will be well under the cap next season and have the opportunity to address some of the issues we are having.
Again, I expect improvement week to week. I certainly don't think we have played our best football. Far from it. If we pack it in for the rest of the season and get obliterated every game and the team looks to have quit, than sure, the decision to keep Shanny around is obvious. If the team fights hard and we still come out on the losing end, you have to keep Shanny and give him an opportunity to have another year with RG3 and work with a full cap to address some of the issues.
Again, the only question I have at this time is Haslett and the defense. They have to improve. Thought they were better this past week. I liked bringing extra pressure. However, we needed to stop the critical third downs. We also need to get Morris more carries. We'll see how it plays out over the next few weeks.
One more thought connected to the immediate hot/cold reactions from fans...the 9ers are going through many of the same things as the Skins. They have been a strong team for the last couple of years and a slow start has the media and fans all over them. People loved Kaepernick last season and he is starting slow and now everyone is on him. Compounding the problem is that Alex Smith and the Chiefs are undefeated. For all the reasons they like Kap and Harbaugh last year, they are criticizing them for the same reasons.
Again, it is early in the year and I wouldn't write off the 9ers at all yet. The fans/media will take a nugget and run with it and it becomes the story. If Kap plays well and they win, all is forgiven. It is the nature of average joe fan. We'll see what the next few weeks bring. As I believe we all know, things can change week to week.
One more thing, Santana Moss was on the LaVar and Dukes show yesterday and addressed the issue of team chemistry. Here's the link: http://washington.cbslocal.com/audio/354-the-sports-junkies/
I know some people might think that he is the company guy doing PR. I don't think Moss is that type of guy. As Moss says in the piece, at the end of the day, people are going to have their opinions and believe what they want. Not much you can do about that. Folks should also remember what the media does. They aren't looking for the feel good stories, they are looking to create controversy. Last year, when the Nats were doing so well, Dukes had national guest reporter on (can't remember the name) and Dukes asked him what can we dig up on the Nats and the guy told Dukes you know that that is what we like to do but there wasn't much to say negative about the Nats. The only thing they could try and build up controversy on was the innings Strasburg was limited to and try and play that up. Again, the media is there to sell stories and the stories that sell are controversy. This shouldn't be a surprise.
Last year was last year. The offseason drama created by RG3 and his Dad soured me toward him. Shanny's nut sack seems to have shriveled up and he deferred to RG3. That resulted in playing an RG3 who is at 85% and 3 losses.
We'll see what happens, but I expect RG3 to continue to show immaturity and blame Shanny more openly as the season falls apart.
I'm not sure how Shanny has deferred all coaching decisions to RG3. Moss and Paulsen don't give that impression. You can say Moss is a company guy but Paulsen has been critical but fair and to largely objective on his comments of the Skins. You're entitled to your opinion.
Losses bring frustration and the media will pounce on that. Win and everyone holds hands and sings "Kumbaya."
Lol kumbaya. Ive never really been a fan of the trade. In my opinion they gave up too much for RG and after watching last year its even more ill advised to be using him in the way that got him severely injured. Its like spending all your money and buying a Lamborghini and then driving it recklessly and ultimately crashing it. But I do say that the Skins may have had no choice. I think there def is a problem between Shanny and RG but Its not clear what or where it is yet. RG3 comments in the off season lead me to think it. If there is no problem and RG3 is making comments and talking that way in a normal way then id have to call him arrogant and these 3 losses should be humbling to him.
The skins are 0-3. We agree that he isnt playing like last year. The three possible reasons are that either he doesnt want to, or because he is still injured and physically cant, or by design of the play calling. I dont think its the last one because their offense has been ineffective and it would make no sense to all of a sudden stop doing what made this team successful last year. It has to be one of the first two reasons and both would lead me to believe there is some problem that hasnt been exposed yet.
JSR, you don't buy a Lamborghini to drive like an old lady. It's a high performance car and if you're going to buy it then you need to "drive" it. That doesn't mean I go nuts with it and drive it like a madman but make no mistake that if I buy a car like that, it does mean if I get a ticket or two that comes with the territory because I want to "drive" it. If you aren't going to "drive" it buy an Accord. Nice, safe, practical car.
We can have opinions on whether there is a problem b/t RG3 and Shanny but the fact is that we don't have any proof of said controversy.
Look, Rodgers and McCarthy got into it pretty good on the sidelines last weekend against Cincy. In a confrontation caught by TV cameras in Cincinnati, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers were seen talking sternly enough to each other that teammates B.J. Raji and Randall Cobb had to get between the two of them.
Do I think they have a problem with each other? No. It is two competitive guys frustrated with blowing that game and getting into it. A coach and QB have a tight relationship like a marriage. Just like any marriage, there are going to be disagreements. It happens. However, you get over them and you move on. Santana Moss and Grant Paulsen would certainly know better than us whether there is an ongoing and lingering issue between the two. They say they haven't seen/felt it. Still, it's fine to have opinions. If you want to believe there is an issue, that's fine and we can leave it at that.
True, we agree that he isn't playing like last year. I think it is unfair to expect him to come off of the injury, with little offseason preparation and no preseason work to step in and be Superman. I believe he is healthy but he is rusty. He looked better this week than last week. I imagine he will look better week to week. Moss explained the obvious that we get better with repetition. He needs more time to get up to speed. Peyton Manning needed it last season and while we all hoped RG3 would come in as if he hadn't missed a beat, it's pretty unrealistic to have expected that.
There is plenty of evidence of an ongoing rift. You just need to pull your head out of your Deadskins-loving butt.
Look, on a serious note - RG3 and Shanny may or may not work. RG3 criticized his coach's plan for holding him out in camp and preseason. His Dad openly criticized Shanny. RG3 did his GQ magazine interview and did little to help quell the differences between his Dad and Shanny.
What I see is a selfish bugger who should keep his differences with his coach behind closed doors, rather than constantly going to the press and making dumb comments.
The organization is again being negatively impacted by Snyder. Adam Schefter's comments about RG3's relationship with Shanny and Snyder is pretty interesting. It sure looks a lot like what happened with Portis. Snyder undercut his coach by befriending Portis and it looks like RG3 is developing a similar friendship - which ultimately diminishes the organization.
Here is the story.
There is also plenty of evidence of no rift. I would pull my head out of my Redskins-loving butt but once I did that I would be afraid you would plunge your huge melon head in there as you have tried so many times previously. I suppose I would need Jeff Cutler nearby so you would plunge your noggin in his arse instead of mine.
Players want to play. That's what they do. I wouldn't say he criticized Shanny so much as said that he wants to be out there. He didn't realize the words would be taken the way he did and he quickly let it be clear that there wasn't any issue and that the media twisted and ran with his choice of words. Other players have mentioned the same thing.
As far as his dad comments, RG2 did mention to the Post, "I just know that based on what I know Robert can do, he doesn't have to be a runner as much as I saw last year.... I'm his dad—I want him throwing that football, a lot." He also said, "I will not tell Coach Shanahan how to do any part of his job," he says, "because he's been doing this for a long time."
RG3 said, "He's not just a dad, he is my coach. My dad is my coach, okay? He's coached me in basketball, track, football, everything. So even though I give credit where credit is due to the coaches who have helped me through the years, my dad has been my coach. So when he says, ‘Hey, my son can throw,' he knows that. That's not just him saying that as some father who knows nothing about football. That's what he's supposed to say. He doesn't want me running when there are 260-pound guys trying to tackle me. That's just his view, and that's why I can't just say, ‘Dad, don't say that.' I can say, ‘Dad, I understand why you said that. You know, maybe you don't need to talk to the media anymore,' but I'm also not going to throw my dad under the bus to the media just because someone wants me to do that. I would never dothat. So I understand why my dad said it, and I think Coach [Shanahan] understands why my dad said it, and you just move on from it."
I can respect his dad's comments. He has seen his son suffer two ACL injuries in a couple of years and he wants his son to have a long and successful career. As a parent with a young athlete, I take an interest in my son's play. I have seen other parents take a more active approach to their son's game.
I will say that I would prefer RG2 and RG3 to talk less but I imagine they are hounded by reporters and there are times when they can't help but say something and then the media will run with it. At the same time, I don't think RG2 or RG3 are dictating the play.
I read Schefter's comments and he seems to only confirm that there is no issue b/t RG3 and Shanny. He mentions that Shanny isn't trying to be RG3's friend which is the way it should be. I will agree that I don't care for Snyder hanging around RG3. However, I wouldn't compare that relationship with the relationship Portis had with Snyder. Portis knew he could get away with anything and he wouldn't practice and just came and went as he pleased because he had a lame duck coach in Zorny that had no control and he had Snyder in his back pocket. By all accounts, RG3 is one of the hardest workers on the team. If he abused the relationship with Snyder than I would have a bigger problem. However, if he is doing everything he needs to do in practice and on the field so be it. Many players on the team point to the fact that RG3 is a good kid and they are happy to have him and that Shanny has done an amazing job with creating a great locker room (Cofield, Rabach, RG3, Moss, Morris, Orakpo etc.). By all accounts, the guys in the locker room are comfortable. A win will solve a lot. We've seen plenty of stories rise up on teams that are struggling. That's what happens. In GB, Rodgers and McCarthy got national play and probably more than it needed. If they won, it would have been a very minor blip on the screen. Bottom line, winning cures everything. If we can get a win, many of the "issues" will go away. We'll see how it plays out.
Here's a small example of the media twisting things...a headline on ESPN this morning is "RG3 lobbies Harper for some sliding help." This is not true.
The question at RG3 press conference yesterday was "Would you be open to having a Nats player teach you how to slide, Robert?"
RG3 replied, "If Bryce [Harper] wants to do that, I'm definitely up for that," he said. "We can do that if you want to buddy."
Griffin III smiled as he said it, as even the reporter who posed the question called it 'weird.'
The exchange was more tongue and cheek but when you read the ESPN headline and article it makes it seem that RG3 is actively trying to lobby/recruit Bryce Harper to come out to Redskins practice to help him slide.
Again, it's a small example of shaping the article in a way you want to shape it. Frankly, I think people should relax some and let players, coaches, and organizations try and do their thing. Still, I know fans love football and the media loves to create the stories and a soap opera as that is what carries fans through the week until the next game comes around. It's naive to think that this will change.
You can take an active role in your sons' sports development because they are children. RG2's whining is ridiculous because his son is a man who is making millions of dollars playing NFL football. RG3's comments also sound silly given that this in the NFL.
I will say what I told you earlier - I liked RG3 last year and grew to respect him because of what he did for the Deadskins and the NFL. I would hate to have to deal with him and his ego as a coach because of how he has acted this off-season and early in the season. To me, he just seems like an immature, insecure, injured, self-absorbed fool.
Making matters much worse is that there are elements of the unhealthy Portis-Snyder relationship that seem to be popping up again.
I think you are reading WAY too much into this stuff. I agree that I would hope that RG3 and RG2 would talk less but I don't think they are going out of their way to speak up either. I can imagine cameras and mics in their mugs anytime there is a chance and guys will run with anything they say and what they construe as a relatively benign and insignificant comment could blow up into something much more than it should. I suppose that comes with the territory of being a big time, well known player in a big time market.
As mentioned, if RG3 starts to abuse the relationship to a point that he alienates himself from the team and stops working/practicing/ listening (a la Portis), I will have a bigger problem.
Might be better for you to stop worrying about the Redskins and start thinking about the next time Jeff Cutler has a meltdown.
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