Running the Rock
It's hard to run the football when your starting offensive line has been decimated by injuries. From last year's O-line, only Chris Samuels and Casey Rabach are playing.
Derrick Dockery, who now has his own ugly Web site, departed for the Buffalo Bills. Outstanding OG Randy Thomas has endured a season-ending injury for the second consecutive season. Jon Jansen also suffered a season-ending injury (breaking his ankle), for the second time in four seasons.
On the plus side, although Pete Kendall joined late, he appears to have plugged in. Rabach was injured last week with a groin injury but is back. The question is on the right side with Jason Fabini and Todd Wade subbing in for Thomas and Jansen, respectively.
It's not for a lack of attempts, which is positive but the unit has shown no signs of jelling. The team is averaging only 3.5 yards per rush.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Redskins Fantasy Outlook
The upcoming game with the Jets, while familiar for many on the team, hopes to provide a refreshing respite for several key Redskins players.
Against the Jets
Kellen Clemens is suspect. Gregg Williams is sure to mix it up for the fresh faced quarterback leading the 24th-ranked offense. He could be in for a few turnovers.
That said, Laveranues Coles has had a solid season thus far. He obviously left on bad terms with the team and will be motivated to have a good day against his former team. He's the kind of shifty receiver that finds nice holes in the Redskins coverage. He could be the one offensive spark - 100+ yards and 1-2 scores.
Thomas Jones has had a quiet year with no TDs. The Skins plan to keep it that way, presumably playing a more attacking-style defense and force Clemens to air it out to Coles and Cotchery. The attacking and crowded-at-the-line defense should keep things bottled up for Jones, keeping him under 80 yards.
On the Skins side of the ball, the defense is poised to have a big game against the offensively challenged Jets.
Joe Gibbs and Al Saunders should be able to re-trench and establish the running game with Clinton Portis. He may finally get his 100 yard game. He's had a tough time running behind the makeshift line but he should finally see some success. It will help that Vilma is now out.
It's also time for Santana Moss to shine. Like Portis, he has yet to have a 100 yard game as well. He should be good for at least 1 or 2 deep shots down the field. He still has to make up for his horrible game against the Packers.
4 TEs have scored against the Jets, so that bodes well for Chris Cooley.
The upcoming game with the Jets, while familiar for many on the team, hopes to provide a refreshing respite for several key Redskins players.
Against the Jets
Kellen Clemens is suspect. Gregg Williams is sure to mix it up for the fresh faced quarterback leading the 24th-ranked offense. He could be in for a few turnovers.
That said, Laveranues Coles has had a solid season thus far. He obviously left on bad terms with the team and will be motivated to have a good day against his former team. He's the kind of shifty receiver that finds nice holes in the Redskins coverage. He could be the one offensive spark - 100+ yards and 1-2 scores.
Thomas Jones has had a quiet year with no TDs. The Skins plan to keep it that way, presumably playing a more attacking-style defense and force Clemens to air it out to Coles and Cotchery. The attacking and crowded-at-the-line defense should keep things bottled up for Jones, keeping him under 80 yards.
On the Skins side of the ball, the defense is poised to have a big game against the offensively challenged Jets.
Joe Gibbs and Al Saunders should be able to re-trench and establish the running game with Clinton Portis. He may finally get his 100 yard game. He's had a tough time running behind the makeshift line but he should finally see some success. It will help that Vilma is now out.
It's also time for Santana Moss to shine. Like Portis, he has yet to have a 100 yard game as well. He should be good for at least 1 or 2 deep shots down the field. He still has to make up for his horrible game against the Packers.
4 TEs have scored against the Jets, so that bodes well for Chris Cooley.
4-3
This is about where the Skins figured to be.
The 2-0 start was nice - a good start by getting past the struggling Dolphins and Eagles teams. The Eagles game, in paticular, was a surprise.
The Giants game was definitely a lost opportunity - up 17-3 at halftime and crumbling at the end.
It was surprising that the Skins were able to bounce back and crush the high-flying Lions but they definitely had the secondary to do it.
The Packers game seemed close but never quite close enough after halftime. Given their great season thus far (and Brett Favre's in particular), the Packers figure to challenge for NFC supremacy.
The Cardinals game had all the makings of the Giants game especially with the late touchdown and then recovered onsides kick by the Cards. The Skins were extremely lucky that the FG attempted sailed wide.
The Patriots game was an automatic loss for sure. For the team, it was actually a no-lose situation since they were 16-point underdogs.
The Skins desperately need a win against Kellen Clemens and the 1-7 Jets to reach 5-3 at the halfpoint mark.
After the Jets, 7 of the remaining 8 games are against NFC foes, including 4 division games.
The Skins have proven themselves to be a middle of the pack team. They should go 8-8 or 9-7. The Saints will likely make a latter-season push for the playoff picture and the Giants, Lions, and Bucs all figure to be there as well.
With the season loss of Carlos Rogers and most of the offensive line, the Skins will probably finish 2-3 games behind in the wild card race.
Reasons for optimism:
* Laron Landry and Sean Taylor
* If the O-line can jell to create a dominating rushing attack (it hasn't worked thus far)
* If Santana Moss gets it together
* Continued development of Jason Campbell
This is about where the Skins figured to be.
The 2-0 start was nice - a good start by getting past the struggling Dolphins and Eagles teams. The Eagles game, in paticular, was a surprise.
The Giants game was definitely a lost opportunity - up 17-3 at halftime and crumbling at the end.
It was surprising that the Skins were able to bounce back and crush the high-flying Lions but they definitely had the secondary to do it.
The Packers game seemed close but never quite close enough after halftime. Given their great season thus far (and Brett Favre's in particular), the Packers figure to challenge for NFC supremacy.
The Cardinals game had all the makings of the Giants game especially with the late touchdown and then recovered onsides kick by the Cards. The Skins were extremely lucky that the FG attempted sailed wide.
The Patriots game was an automatic loss for sure. For the team, it was actually a no-lose situation since they were 16-point underdogs.
The Skins desperately need a win against Kellen Clemens and the 1-7 Jets to reach 5-3 at the halfpoint mark.
After the Jets, 7 of the remaining 8 games are against NFC foes, including 4 division games.
The Skins have proven themselves to be a middle of the pack team. They should go 8-8 or 9-7. The Saints will likely make a latter-season push for the playoff picture and the Giants, Lions, and Bucs all figure to be there as well.
With the season loss of Carlos Rogers and most of the offensive line, the Skins will probably finish 2-3 games behind in the wild card race.
Reasons for optimism:
* Laron Landry and Sean Taylor
* If the O-line can jell to create a dominating rushing attack (it hasn't worked thus far)
* If Santana Moss gets it together
* Continued development of Jason Campbell
Monday, September 17, 2007
2-0
Far better than 0-2.
Great:
* Campbell's poise -- able to make big plays with his 20-yard scamper and the beautiful TD toss to Cooley
* Redskins defense containing McNabb
Good:
* Redskins defense smothering inept Eagles receivers
* Commitment to the running game
Whew:
* Beat the Fins with a brand new QB and offensive system
* Skins were lucky McNabb was off
* Bend but don't break defensive philosophy held up
Bad/Concerning:
* Campbell throwing the INT after double-clutching
* Randy Thomas' injury -- now the Skins only have 2 healthy starters on the line from beginning of season
* Campbell overthrowing a wide-open Moss that could have ended the game
* Middle of schedule looks much tougher than it did at the beginning of the season (Lions, Cardinals, Packers)
Far better than 0-2.
Great:
* Campbell's poise -- able to make big plays with his 20-yard scamper and the beautiful TD toss to Cooley
* Redskins defense containing McNabb
Good:
* Redskins defense smothering inept Eagles receivers
* Commitment to the running game
Whew:
* Beat the Fins with a brand new QB and offensive system
* Skins were lucky McNabb was off
* Bend but don't break defensive philosophy held up
Bad/Concerning:
* Campbell throwing the INT after double-clutching
* Randy Thomas' injury -- now the Skins only have 2 healthy starters on the line from beginning of season
* Campbell overthrowing a wide-open Moss that could have ended the game
* Middle of schedule looks much tougher than it did at the beginning of the season (Lions, Cardinals, Packers)
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Predictions
The beginning of the season always imbues fans with a renewed sense of optimism. The Redskins were especially good at that a few years ago with spectacular offseasons. However, the last couple have been quiet. Per my previous post, the organization has actually not sparked any excitement in fans about the strides made to improve upon last season.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys will start out impressively and have pundits calling them real contenders in the conference. The Boys will then run into trouble mid-way or late into the season. TO will start speaking out and Wade Phillips, who everyone will have raved about early in the season, will have arrows thrown at him. If the Cowboys even make it into the playoffs, they'll stumble in with a 9-7 record.
New York Giants
Coughlin drama continues. Eli inconsistency continues. Barber's rushing presence is greatly missed. Players have an axe to grind against Coughlin's methods. Unlike other seasons, the Giants won't have a fast finish and will miss the playoffs with a sub-500 season.
Philadelphia Eagles
Questions abound. Will Reid be distracted by off-field domestic troubles? Can Westbrook stay healthy again? Can McNabb stay healthy? Will Brian Dawkins still play at a high level (he's turning 34)? I'm guessing these all turn out in Philly's favor and they win the NFC East again at 11-5.
Where does that put the Redskins? I'm still not sold on Jason Campbell. Supposedly he looked sharp in coaches' eyes during camp but that's different than a full-speed NFL game. In his 5-5 performance against the Jags, Campbell really only had the one impressive toss to Randle El, and that was more about Randle El making the play. The other completions were throws under ten yards. The other big question mark is the offensive line. At this point, I'd estimate 6-10 for the Redskins. The big test is week 2 against the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
The beginning of the season always imbues fans with a renewed sense of optimism. The Redskins were especially good at that a few years ago with spectacular offseasons. However, the last couple have been quiet. Per my previous post, the organization has actually not sparked any excitement in fans about the strides made to improve upon last season.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys will start out impressively and have pundits calling them real contenders in the conference. The Boys will then run into trouble mid-way or late into the season. TO will start speaking out and Wade Phillips, who everyone will have raved about early in the season, will have arrows thrown at him. If the Cowboys even make it into the playoffs, they'll stumble in with a 9-7 record.
New York Giants
Coughlin drama continues. Eli inconsistency continues. Barber's rushing presence is greatly missed. Players have an axe to grind against Coughlin's methods. Unlike other seasons, the Giants won't have a fast finish and will miss the playoffs with a sub-500 season.
Philadelphia Eagles
Questions abound. Will Reid be distracted by off-field domestic troubles? Can Westbrook stay healthy again? Can McNabb stay healthy? Will Brian Dawkins still play at a high level (he's turning 34)? I'm guessing these all turn out in Philly's favor and they win the NFC East again at 11-5.
Where does that put the Redskins? I'm still not sold on Jason Campbell. Supposedly he looked sharp in coaches' eyes during camp but that's different than a full-speed NFL game. In his 5-5 performance against the Jags, Campbell really only had the one impressive toss to Randle El, and that was more about Randle El making the play. The other completions were throws under ten yards. The other big question mark is the offensive line. At this point, I'd estimate 6-10 for the Redskins. The big test is week 2 against the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
Season Starts Anew
It's been a long time between posting. It has been tough to recover from the embarrassing 5-11 that was last season. In addition, the team has done little to bring cause for hope during the offseason.
Needs:
(1) General Manager - not addressed
(2) D-line - not addressed
(3) LG-replacement for Derrick Dockery - TBD
(4) Bolster secondary - addressed
(5) Overall team youth/depth - not addressed
(6) Get rid of Brandon Lloyd - not addressed
(1) Gibbs and Gregg Williams should focus on coaching not personnel, as the Washington Post clearly pointed out in a series of January articles. With Gibbs having title of team president and seemingly oblivious to the need for a top-notch personnel man (Cerrato is not even close to working), it doesn't look as though this will change in the next few years.
(2) All subsequent needs relate to (1). Williams doesn't feel the need to have a premier pass-rusher because he gets pressure from blitzes. The downside is that blitzing to create pressure is a high-risk strategy and regularly ineffective at stretches last year. A front four capable of collapsing the pocket without extra rushers is worth its weight in gold.
(3) The Skins were right not to give Dockery the ridiculous amount of money the Bills threw at him. Good to him for being able to get that kind of cash but he wasn't an elite player with Pro Bowls under his belt. On the flip side, no one stepped up during the offseason. Now fans have to pray that 34-year old Pete Kendall is the answer. This is a guy who was solid for the Jets but is playing his last season or two, has not yet lined up with Chris Samuels, and is just now starting to learn the playbook.
(4) The Skins did well here with Laron Landry, Smoot, and David Macklin. Springs' durability was a major factor in the Skins' success the past two seasons. Macklin has been a starting corner in the league and to have him as the 4th corner provides a lot of necessary depth because the first three are likely to be banged up at some point in the season. The question might be: was Laron Landry really necessary given the return of Pierson Prioleau? Could that pick have gone to better use on the D-line? Again, back to the lack of a GM.
(5) Again, the lack of a GM hurts the team. The Skins have made draft-day moves that have hurt them like sacrificing multiple picks to get Jason Campbell and leaving the team with only the single first-day pick during the 2007 draft. HB Blades was the only other draft pick to make the team.
(6) Lloyd is a waste of roster slot who the Skins never should have signed. He was a headache for the 49ers. Inconsistent at best, undisciplined at worst. I don't understand why Corey Bradford or Todd Pinkston didn't beat him out but then again, I wasn't in training camp.
It's been a long time between posting. It has been tough to recover from the embarrassing 5-11 that was last season. In addition, the team has done little to bring cause for hope during the offseason.
Needs:
(1) General Manager - not addressed
(2) D-line - not addressed
(3) LG-replacement for Derrick Dockery - TBD
(4) Bolster secondary - addressed
(5) Overall team youth/depth - not addressed
(6) Get rid of Brandon Lloyd - not addressed
(1) Gibbs and Gregg Williams should focus on coaching not personnel, as the Washington Post clearly pointed out in a series of January articles. With Gibbs having title of team president and seemingly oblivious to the need for a top-notch personnel man (Cerrato is not even close to working), it doesn't look as though this will change in the next few years.
(2) All subsequent needs relate to (1). Williams doesn't feel the need to have a premier pass-rusher because he gets pressure from blitzes. The downside is that blitzing to create pressure is a high-risk strategy and regularly ineffective at stretches last year. A front four capable of collapsing the pocket without extra rushers is worth its weight in gold.
(3) The Skins were right not to give Dockery the ridiculous amount of money the Bills threw at him. Good to him for being able to get that kind of cash but he wasn't an elite player with Pro Bowls under his belt. On the flip side, no one stepped up during the offseason. Now fans have to pray that 34-year old Pete Kendall is the answer. This is a guy who was solid for the Jets but is playing his last season or two, has not yet lined up with Chris Samuels, and is just now starting to learn the playbook.
(4) The Skins did well here with Laron Landry, Smoot, and David Macklin. Springs' durability was a major factor in the Skins' success the past two seasons. Macklin has been a starting corner in the league and to have him as the 4th corner provides a lot of necessary depth because the first three are likely to be banged up at some point in the season. The question might be: was Laron Landry really necessary given the return of Pierson Prioleau? Could that pick have gone to better use on the D-line? Again, back to the lack of a GM.
(5) Again, the lack of a GM hurts the team. The Skins have made draft-day moves that have hurt them like sacrificing multiple picks to get Jason Campbell and leaving the team with only the single first-day pick during the 2007 draft. HB Blades was the only other draft pick to make the team.
(6) Lloyd is a waste of roster slot who the Skins never should have signed. He was a headache for the 49ers. Inconsistent at best, undisciplined at worst. I don't understand why Corey Bradford or Todd Pinkston didn't beat him out but then again, I wasn't in training camp.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Insightful Articles
Over the past week, the Washington Post has produced some superb articles on why this past season was so tough. The pieces provide keen introspective writing into the Redskins organization, thanks to unrivaled access to coaches and players.
The Post identifies a few key areas that led to unraveling:
General Manager - This has been brewing for years. Mention of a hiring of a true general manager seems a promising development, as a number of issues are deeply rooted in the fact that personnel duties are being ineptly handled by cronie Vinny Cerrato.
The issues are around high-priced busts, letting core guys go, and losing respect from players that do stay who watch the soon-to-be busts get rich contracts.
This also manifests itself in unwise personnel decisions from coaches -- arrogance of the coaches about belief in their systems rather than maintaining core players (Antonio Pierce, Ryan Clark) and solid depth (Walt Harris, no up-and-coming draftees).
Al Saunders - Although both originating from Don Coryell, Gibbs' offense is much more conservative than Saunders' high-octane version (like Martz). A ball-control style complements an aggressive and tough defense (think early 90's Giants, late 90's Tampa Bay Bucs and Baltimore Ravens). A high-flying offense is often accompanied by a leaky defense that doesn't get sufficient time to rest (Martz' Rams and modern-day Chiefs and Colts). Starting over with a brand new huge playbook was a big frustration to the offensive personnel.
Also, it is frustrating to Saunders to not have complete control that he thought he was going to get.
Gregg Williams - Williams has demonstrated that he can be successful. To me, most of the shortcomings on the defensive side of the ball are due to personnel decisions. If a general manager high on Pierce, Clark, and even Smoot kept all of them, the Skins would have played at a much higher level this past season. Keep Williams coaching his hard-nosed style and out of player acquisition input and Washington produces a first-rate defense.
Hands on vs. Hands off for Gibbs - This particular issue was less expounded on by the Post writers and is more my own perspective. All was looking well and good when the Skins improved from 6-10 to 10-6. Gibbs moving to a backseat CEO role seemed like a comfortable way for Dan Snyder to see how the sports franchise could be run. Gibbs could ease his way out of it by handing the reins to others. Snyder, learning from Gibbs, could stay removed. The problem is that this team was definitely not ready after two years the transition for Gibbs to be hands off. After three straight years in the playoffs with stability, a gradual transition would have been effective. It transpired far too quickly the way it happened.
Over the past week, the Washington Post has produced some superb articles on why this past season was so tough. The pieces provide keen introspective writing into the Redskins organization, thanks to unrivaled access to coaches and players.
The Post identifies a few key areas that led to unraveling:
General Manager - This has been brewing for years. Mention of a hiring of a true general manager seems a promising development, as a number of issues are deeply rooted in the fact that personnel duties are being ineptly handled by cronie Vinny Cerrato.
The issues are around high-priced busts, letting core guys go, and losing respect from players that do stay who watch the soon-to-be busts get rich contracts.
This also manifests itself in unwise personnel decisions from coaches -- arrogance of the coaches about belief in their systems rather than maintaining core players (Antonio Pierce, Ryan Clark) and solid depth (Walt Harris, no up-and-coming draftees).
Al Saunders - Although both originating from Don Coryell, Gibbs' offense is much more conservative than Saunders' high-octane version (like Martz). A ball-control style complements an aggressive and tough defense (think early 90's Giants, late 90's Tampa Bay Bucs and Baltimore Ravens). A high-flying offense is often accompanied by a leaky defense that doesn't get sufficient time to rest (Martz' Rams and modern-day Chiefs and Colts). Starting over with a brand new huge playbook was a big frustration to the offensive personnel.
Also, it is frustrating to Saunders to not have complete control that he thought he was going to get.
Gregg Williams - Williams has demonstrated that he can be successful. To me, most of the shortcomings on the defensive side of the ball are due to personnel decisions. If a general manager high on Pierce, Clark, and even Smoot kept all of them, the Skins would have played at a much higher level this past season. Keep Williams coaching his hard-nosed style and out of player acquisition input and Washington produces a first-rate defense.
Hands on vs. Hands off for Gibbs - This particular issue was less expounded on by the Post writers and is more my own perspective. All was looking well and good when the Skins improved from 6-10 to 10-6. Gibbs moving to a backseat CEO role seemed like a comfortable way for Dan Snyder to see how the sports franchise could be run. Gibbs could ease his way out of it by handing the reins to others. Snyder, learning from Gibbs, could stay removed. The problem is that this team was definitely not ready after two years the transition for Gibbs to be hands off. After three straight years in the playoffs with stability, a gradual transition would have been effective. It transpired far too quickly the way it happened.
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