Redemption Week!!

I'm all for using the run more but when Cowboys and Rams both committed to stopping the run we used only one slant against them and it worked. But it seemed they stopped using it.

Good take by Dan Graziano of the ESPN NFC East blog re: importance of the game to the Redskins (can't post the link, not special enough yet).

Rak's quotes make the defensive gameplan sound a bit more conservative this week. I hope this is not the case. Please tell me I am paranoid or that I am over/misreading this.

NFL Nation Blog - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation)

Good take by Dan Graziano of the ESPN NFC East blog re: importance of the game to the Redskins (can't post the link, not special enough yet).

Rak's quotes make the defensive gameplan sound a bit more conservative this week. I hope this is not the case. Please tell me I am paranoid or that I am over/misreading this.

I wouldn't say the gameplan is conservative. I'm sure we'll bring heat at Vick. The way I read it is Rak is simply saying we need to be smart in pursuit of the QB. Vick is probably the most elusive QB of all time. Gotta account for that. I think that's all he was saying.

Good take by Dan Graziano of the ESPN NFC East blog re: importance of the game to the Redskins (can't post the link, not special enough yet).

Rak's quotes make the defensive gameplan sound a bit more conservative this week. I hope this is not the case. Please tell me I am paranoid or that I am over/misreading this.

I think you're misreading this. We're still gonna bring the heat on Vick, but we can't overpursue and leave open an area that he can escape to. Our pass rush has to be consistent in all areas, up the middle, to the inside and outside of the tackles, otherwise we will leave a hole that he can escape through.

We're still gonna bring pressure, it's obvious after 4 games that when Vick gets pressured and has nowhere to run, he gets forced into making dumb mistakes. Rak was saying if he rushes to the outside of the tackle and leaves the inside open for Vick to escape, that's what'll happen. We need to surround him and leave him no where to escape to, to the point where he'll throw it up or take a sack.

I think you're misreading this. We're still gonna bring the heat on Vick, but we can't overpursue and leave open an area that he can escape to. Our pass rush has to be consistent in all areas, up the middle, to the inside and outside of the tackles, otherwise we will leave a hole that he can escape through.

We're still gonna bring pressure, it's obvious after 4 games that when Vick gets pressured and has nowhere to run, he gets forced into making dumb mistakes. Rak was saying if he rushes to the outside of the tackle and leaves the inside open for Vick to escape, that's what'll happen. We need to surround him and leave him no where to escape to, to the point where he'll throw it up or take a sack.

I feel a little better.

I, of course, want us to win. My bigger concern with a loss wouldn't be the loss itself but the fear that it starts a downward spiral

I think it would depend on how we lost. An embarassment like last year would certainly hurt, but a close hard-fought loss where we played well wouldn't (shouldn't) be the end of the world.

I'm much more worried about sending the dirty birds on an upward spiral. This reminds me a lot of the Giants game in 2007. They were 0-2 and ready to collapse. We had a big lead at half and could've finished them off for good. Instead they stopped us on the goalline, won the game, and went on to win the Super Bowl. :doh:

I really don't expect to see Vick in the pocket much. I expect him to put his team squarely on his shoulders and get out of the pocket to escape pressure, give his receivers more opportunity to get open and to make plays with his legs. I see the ground game with Vick and McCoy as the biggest threats. I trust the Skins are gameplanning for that too.

On the defense side, I think they sell out to stop the run. No way do they let us get a ground game going (or at least they try). They will force Rex to beat them hoping he is less than stellar and makes some mistakes that give them good field position and more possessions. Rex must bring his A game and play mistake free football for us to win this game.

Run, run, run, and bootleg pass.

On 4th down?

I am stoked because they are actually showing the game here...

:woot:

I am stoked because they are actually showing the game here...

:woot:

thats pretty cool