Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/]Redskins Insider[/url]

Lost in the Portis debacle is the fact the Redskins finally may be grasping the offense that associate head coach Al Saunders introduced before last season. Many who have been in the system in Saunders's previous stops in St. Louis and Kansas City say it takes two years to master. That time might be coming.

Tight end Chris Cooley said he has noticed a difference in the way the offensive players have been practicing this spring, with everything seeming crisper, sharper and more cohesive.

"I think the offense is faster than before," he said. "Guys are faster when they know where they are going. I know I'm leaps and bounds beyond where I was last year. I feel more comfortable in what I'm doing."

And other news: Running back Rock Cartwright injured his left ankle Tuesday when a teammate stepped on him. The injury has grown worse in the last couple days with some tendinitis developing, so he has been held out of workouts. . . . Wide receiver Santana Moss has a sore right hip flexor and also has missed workouts. An MRI exam on the injury showed no damage. . . . Linebacker Lemar Marshall has a sore hamstring and has been kept out of workouts. . . . The team expects linebacker Marcus Washington to be cleared to play at its minicamp in early June. He has been recovering from surgery on his hip and elbow. . . . The Redskins signed wide receiver Terry Mitchell from Grand Valley State and released offensive lineman Cornelius Rogers, who had been signed as an undrafted free agent last week.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

I didn't know that Cornelius Griffin and Carlos Rogers spawned a huge, offensive minded baby this off-season. I bet they were sad to see him go.

Back on topic, this offense seems like it should be a force this season and I couldn't be more excited about that. My only concern is that Santana seems like he's been having a lot of problems with his legs lately. I know that was a knock on him when he was in NYC, so I hope he gets that sorted out ASAP.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

I'm all for the Saunders offense clicking, but I still hope that good old Joe reminds Al what Redskins football is all about. He better have Al running the ball like crazy.

Of course, with Betts and Portis both available, I can't see how they won't run it a ton.

Good stuff.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

You're right Mr. Schneed. We need to pound the ball down people's throats. That's the best way to make Campbell as comfortable as possible back there, IMO.

I just hate the fact that once our offense finally starts to click we have to worry about whether or not our defense can compete.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

it also says that rock cartwright has tendonitis. santana has a hip flexor, and lemar marshall being hurt that really makes it seem worse than it really is

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

I do believe that this year we will see an offense more in tune with what one would expect from an Al Saunders. Honestly, seven points in each game last year we would have finished 10-6...

More news on Portis: [url=http://www.OntheRAC.com]On the RAC: Washington Redskins Fan Club[/url]

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

Last year was a solid year offensively, we ranked 14th. But Saunders always has his teams in the top 5 in year two, so there's definitely room for improvement.

But the biggest way to win the close ones which we seemed to lose last year is generate turnovers. An extra INT or fumble recovery here and there would have carried us to 10-6 even with the average offense we had.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[quote=Schneed10;313311]Last year was a solid year offensively, we ranked 14th. But Saunders always has his teams in the top 5 in year two, so there's definitely room for improvement.

But the biggest way to win the close ones which we seemed to lose last year is generate turnovers. An extra INT or fumble recovery here and there would have carried us to 10-6 even with the average offense we had.[/quote]


dont forget about converting Touchdowns in the red zone instead of settling for field goals

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[quote=EARTHQUAKE2689;313312]dont forget about converting Touchdowns in the red zone instead of settling for field goals[/quote]This is a good point. Whats even more important is that we start hitting long FGs instead of settling for punts. Having a kicker whose range exceeds 35 yards will be a start, but if you are 3 and 12 from the opponents 34, you have to make sure you get 6-8 yards at the very least, maybe even by running the ball.

And the short yardage game has to improve immensely.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[quote=GTripp0012;313319]This is a good point. Whats even more important is that we start hitting long FGs instead of settling for punts. Having a kicker whose range exceeds 35 yards will be a start, but if you are 3 and 12 from the opponents 34, you have to make sure you get 6-8 yards at the very least, maybe even by running the ball.

And the short yardage game has to improve immensely.[/quote]


on top of making mental mistakes like taking a sack on 3rd and four from the 30 taking you out of field goal range and getting 5 to 6 yards on average on first down instaed of 2 to 3

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

good article & good news if its not just lip service from the players.
I don't think it is just lip service though, I expect our O to be really tough. The difference between us being a top 10 & a top 3 O will be the production we get from Loyd, ARE & Thrash, i.e. the #2-4 recievers. Also, we obviously have to fill in at LG, I really wish Wade could stay on the bench for depth at tackle, but its not a luxury we have.

I expect some points on the board & a big year for JC!

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[quote=freddyg12;313324]good article & good news if its not just lip service from the players.
I don't think it is just lip service though, I expect our O to be really tough. The difference between us being a top 10 & a top 3 O will be the production we get from Loyd, ARE & Thrash, i.e. the #2-4 recievers. Also, we obviously have to fill in at LG, I really wish Wade could stay on the bench for depth at tackle, but its not a luxury we have.

I expect some points on the board & a big year for JC![/quote]


i am expecting 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns and at most 10 interceptions

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[quote=EARTHQUAKE2689;313327]i am expecting 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns and at most 10 interceptions[/quote]

All sounds realistic except the interceptions, but only by a few. If he has 10 interceptions and plays all 16, I'd say that's great. I think a lot of it will depend on our D, can we build leads & hold them, thus run the clock down w/LB & CP? If we can't we'll be putting the ball in the air a lot.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[quote=Schneed10;313295]I'm all for the Saunders offense clicking, but I still hope that good old Joe reminds Al what Redskins football is all about. He better have Al running the ball like crazy.

Of course, with Betts and Portis both available, I can't see how they won't run it a ton.

Good stuff.[/quote]

Personally, I hope we all don't get all caught up in this 'we must run to win mentality'. The bottom line is we are going to have to start passing the ball a little better than we have been the last two years in order for us to be a Super Bowl contending team.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

dont forget where our bread and butter is pound the rock with clinton portis and ladell betts

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

I HATE thinking about Moss being hurt. He is one serious threat that needs to be on the field for us.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

I like what I'm hearing about this offense in year two. It's important to note that we didn't make any significant personnel changes on the offensive side of the ball. That means the 7,000,000 page playbook has had plenty of time to be absorbed by all the key guys.

So last year we were 5-11. Not good. Consider these points and get excited:
-we lost 4 games by 3 points, not inclulding the OT loss @ St. Louis. Win 3 of those and we would have been .500 and possibly in the playoffs.
-Our star tailback missed half the season, and even when he was playing was never really healthy.
-we had serious inconsistency at the QB position, and threw in a JC with ZERO starts mid-season.
-we were decimated by injuries on defense
-Carlos Rodgers dropped what, like 6 or 7 INTs? (I'll give him somewhat of a pass b/c of the broken thumb). He hangs on to half of those and it could have translated into a win or two.
-Andre Carter and the pass rush really started to pick it up in the last 6 games.

With a year of this offense under our belt, healthy RBs, an unquestioned starter at QB, a healthy and improved (personnel-wise) defense, and on paper an easier schedule, how can we not be much better?

Like GTripp promised, the turnovers WILL COME this year. Look at our first 6 games. I will be happy with no less than 4-2:
Dolphins, @Eagles, Giants, Lions, @Packers, Cardinals. I look for a hot start to build a huge ball of momentum for a great season.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

I am cautiously optimistic, mainly because Saunders has a track record of kicking his system into gear in year two. And I feel good about JC.

As for all those little things that lost us games last year, until I see us turn the corner there on the field, I won't believe it. A lot of that is mental, and this team has to really develop that winning attitude on both sides of the ball. We'll see! It's only May! (Man, am I jonesing for football. At least minicamp is coming.)

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

I'd love to believe that this offense has clicked with the players in Al Saunder's second year but the bottom line is that this is a results-oriented league. It's not about what he did in KC or St. Louis and there is no way to predict how the system will catch in DC. I hope that it will be awesome this year but until I see those points on the board, i don't think its cause for celebration or overoptimism.

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

[QUOTE=Schneed10;313311]But the biggest way to win the close ones which we seemed to lose last year is generate turnovers. An extra INT or fumble recovery here and there would have carried us to 10-6 even with the average offense we had.[/QUOTE]

The problem last year was our D not getting the turnovers and Betts giving the turnovers. We need that to reverse this year. I think that we could have pulled out a couple of the close ones if Betts did put the ball on the ground in those games...

Re: Redskins Insider: Mr. Saunders' Offense
 

Good to see the optimism. Considering all the things that went wrong last year, I'm hoping just as many will go right this year. Many were careful to remind us not to expect a great deal from Saunder's offense the first year, if what some players are saying is not just talk, there is hope. I've said before, I think we will be a much improved team this year.

Now that JC is the starting QB instead of MB, I'm interested in seeing how teams are going to atempt to defend us.