Training Camp 2018

John Keim
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Aug 27
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For perspective sake (I know, hot takes play better): Sam Bradford has thrown 3 fewer passes than Alex Smith in the preseason. Coming off knee injury/new team/new coach. Key starters DNP in 3rd game. If Skins lose, opener dig deeper than just "preseason snaps/pass attempts."

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/38788/where-are-you-rams-offense-waiting-for-the-regular-season
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive starters will open the regular season without having played a single snap in the preseason. The defensive starters will have played seven.

You can’t just give the Rams a pass because they made the playoffs

It's more than just preseason games.
The Press has said many times that Gruden runs a soft training camp.

At some point you gotta play football right?

Jordan Reed is going to get killed week 1.

Not sure Reed is of great support to your point though: he would get injured in week 1 of the preseason as he would in week 1 of the regular season. I understand taking as little chance as you can with him...

This whole Gruden can't win openers thing. Is it really that? Or is it really that Cousins was a spaz during openers?

Because those two go hand in hand, they're correlated, and you have to ask which was the bigger cause.

Cousins was notoriously jumpy in Week 1 games when he was here. This was the writeup from PFF on his Week 1 performance last year against the Eagles:

Looking at his complete game, Cousins dropped back 47 times. He was sacked four times and ran three times. That leaves 40 pass attempts. The following data comes from Pro Football Focus:

When Cousins faced no pressure, he completed 68 percent of his passes. That falls in line with his completion percentage the last two seasons.

When there was pressure, and against the Eagles there was plenty, Cousins' completion percentage dropped significantly. He completed just six of 15 passes, good for 40 percent, and threw a red zone interception under pressure.

Not all pressure comes from blitzing, as the Philadelphia defensive line was able to generate push on the pocket sometimes without extra defenders.

The red zone interception was a killer, and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a total spaz brain fart under pressure.

I think performance in openers had more to do with Cousins than it did Gruden, personally.

Cousins always seemed to be a slow starter here, it will be interesting to see how he starts this year

I just think that Gruden needs to get the guys a little bit more of game action. Especially the QB's and wr's because of the timing. The players (especially Reed) need to get hit a little bit and get ready for 4 quarters of football.

Back in the 80's and early 90's Gibbs had starters playing in the 4th pre season game. Different era obviously but I don't believe there's anything wrong with that. Especially after watching some of our starter tackle last week. They look like they need some game reps.

I just think that Gruden needs to get the guys a little bit more of game action. Especially the QB's and wr's because of the timing. The players (especially Reed) need to get hit a little bit and get ready for 4 quarters of football.

Back in the 80's and early 90's Gibbs had starters playing in the 4th pre season game. Different era obviously but I don't believe there's anything wrong with that. Especially after watching some of our starter tackle last week. They look like they need some game reps.I would rather see a second scrimmage week against other teams. I think thats the way it will go in the futire

I just think that Gruden needs to get the guys a little bit more of game action. Especially the QB's and wr's because of the timing. The players (especially Reed) need to get hit a little bit and get ready for 4 quarters of football.

Back in the 80's and early 90's Gibbs had starters playing in the 4th pre season game. Different era obviously but I don't believe there's anything wrong with that. Especially after watching some of our starter tackle last week. They look like they need some game reps.

There could be something to it. But I know we played a very competitive opener against the eventual Super Bowl champs last year, and the game essentially came down to a few mental gaffes by our QB while he was under pressure.

First play of the game, Gruden calls a play action deep bomb on a post route to Pryor. Cousins overthrows it despite Pryor having two steps on his man.

I continue to think the problem in openers was more Cousins than Gruden. This doesn't necessarily mean it will go better this year with Smith. But the strength of the opponent this year (Arizona) is certainly different than it was last year, that much is certain.

Cousins always seemed to be a slow starter here, it will be interesting to see how he starts this year

I think he will be the same as usual, good QB for most of the season and have hiccups along the way

I had lots of optimism going into camp. Last week's game just deflated me and, yes, I know, its preseason. However, it just seemed to be a microcosm of the general unpreparedness of the Skins going into the regular season.

Gruden wants to run the ball and actually calls plenty of runs. However, we don't run the ball well and haven't for some time. We have this, supposedly, really good line but they just don't seem to get it done. Sure, AP ran hard in preseason - do we really think he is going to do that over 16 games?

At the close of camp, our starters did not look crisp in any part of the game. Sure there is some talent, but I am feeling another mediocre season where we lose some games we should win b/c of poor execution.