Your expectations after 1/4 season..
 

I'm just wondering what everyone is expecting, after watching us go 1-3 the first quarter of the season. I'll be the one to admit, I'm absolutley heartbroken at our record right now. I figured we would have lost one game over this span, and that would have been our slip up. 1-3 to me is just demoralizing. Now, I know this team will improve offensivley, it has too. Looking into the rest of the season, I would really like to say we could compete for a playoff spot, but I dont know that we can. I think once we hit the midway point of the season, we will be one of the better teams in the league, however I think we will be in too much of a hole by then to make up for it. For the next two weeks, we need to go 2-0 and get into our bye week, if we stand any chance at all. I was just wondering what everyone else thinks for the rest of the year? Do we have a shot, or do you think were done?

Pissed off as ever, but :httr:

Well even though I knew it would be difficult I didn't think, considering the opposition, that 4-0 would be out of the question now.

The next two weeks, if not more, are absolutely must wins. It's too early to say we have no shot at the playoffs but I seriously didn't think we'd have to worry about the Giants. And it turns out we do

I have to be optimistic because I didn't expect this defense to play like it has played. The rush defense is mean and can only get better once Lavar is back. I'm just not sure why the coaching staff doesn't see the talent in Cooley, McCants and Ladell Betts as I do. Betts can't be successful with 3 carries a game. Defenses are keying in on Portis and stuffing the run. There has to be a better approach by Gibbs to redzone situations. It's not like their not moving the ball. It seems the play calling is too conservative and predictale. I think we can win the next five games if we play together and get more people involved in our offense.

I am very dissapointed by the results of the game.. I was sure we would be able to take advantage of a struggling Browns team that was doing nothing on both sides of the ball..
The one thing that does surprise to this point is the fact that our O-line is struggling and our run game is not where I expected it to be. I did'nt catch the game but from all the reports I read, it seemed we never were able to get our game going at all. Plus the penalties really hurt us. Nothing seems to be in synch right now on the offense side of the ball, neither the coaches nor the players.
I love Joe Gibbs and I know he will turn this around, but it is frustating to watch a team that is playing well below it's talent. I had hopes that FINALLY we would make it to the playoffs, but at this point I would have to say it's more like a distant dream especially the way the Giants and Cowpukes are playing..
But the season is long and anything can happen.. HTTR

I expected them to finish the year around .500, still think that's where they will end up

I think at best this team can be an 8-8 team. Anything better than 8-8 would be a reach. Yet again the Redskins make too many mistakes, penalties, turnovers. We have a good coaching staff, it is up to the players.

I'm only disappointed because we've been competitive, despite at times playing awful. I'm not blaming the officiating debacle last week too much, but how demoralising was it in that locker room last week to know that they had the chance to win if not the result taken out of their hands? Are they licking their wounds still?

I'm hopeful we can start winning again. I thought we might make 10-6, but now I can't see better than 9-7, considering we will probably lose 2 to the Eagles. That means at most 2 more losses beyond the Eagles games. However, I would say, considering recent years, 9-7 would be a great result.

Look at it this way. We are net -7 points on the season, yet we are 1-3? That says we've been competitive, though we haven't been able to put games away. When the O gets it together, then we'll start putting people away. Once we stop making mistakes (fumbles and penalties) we'll do OK.

Last year at this time, everybody wrote Philadelphia off . They were 2-2 and Rush Limbaugh was on a limb or somewhere. It is not too late to turn this team into a winning team. We are leading most of the games in time possession, run defense and overall yardage in offense. We have lost three games by thirteen points so there is are no ass whippings going down. Just watch how we bounce back. No one is expecting this team to be a wildcard team but watch. 10-6. Remember I predicted it first.

[QUOTE=SUNRA] No one is expecting this team to be a wildcard team but watch. 10-6. Remember I predicted it first.[/QUOTE]If your prediction comes true :food-smil

The frustrating part is the fact that they are so close, yet loose. I made the mistake of saying before the season, that I did not care what the record was just as long as the team was competive. Guess you have to watch out what you wish for. :doh:

Honestly I think we were only a few plays away from being 4- 0, I think mid- season is when the O is gonna pull us thru. I do remember at the beginning of the season many were saying that the D was gonna have to pull us thru before the O got settled. Now is that time. I'm being a hypocrite here, but be patient guys, I think we'll pull thru.

We are a few plays away from being 4-0, but there comes a point where it dosent matter. We have to start making those plays to win the games, and the time is now. Next weekend, for me, is basically our season. If we fall to 1-4, forget about playoffs, which is what I want. All I want is to play meaningful football in December.

Exactly. Losing close doesn't make them a good football team. It makes them a losing football team. Bad teams lose games that they dominate, games that they have business losing. I've made it clear that I put a lot of the blame on Mark Brunell. I'd like to Ramsey in. More realistically, if they aren't 3 - 3 at the bye, we should turn the team over to him.

brunell again opened up dinking and donking :( are the WRs not getting open, or is he just in love with the 3 yard pass?

its not just that though... the run blocking is still bad... usually CP doesn't even have a lead blocker. coaching has been fairly conservative overall (as expected), but getting the plays in is taking too long, and challenges and time outs are being wasted.

maybe we need more 3 and 4 WR sets... if 3 yards is the best pass option 80% of the time, we need more guys to throw to...

So what happens if Ramsey comes in and throws multiple picks per game? Do we give him a few games to try to work things out then give him the hook for Hasselbeck, or Brunell again??

Brunell isn't the primary problem for our struggles right now. The running game is struggling and we're turning the ball over. Correct those two aspects and I promise you Brunell will look much better.

Take away the running game from any QB and the offense is going to sputter, throw in turnovers, penalties and drops on top of that and of course there's going to be problems.

Brunell is not the problem right now.

Brilliant!
 

[QUOTE=Cush]I expected them to finish the year around .500, still think that's where they will end up[/QUOTE]

That's what I thought! Brilliant! I don't like predicting .500, but the prediction appears Brilliant at this point!

Of course, anyone who agrees with me is Brilliant!

Did I mention that Cush's post was Brilliant!

17/32 192 yds. is not great but its not bad either. No INTs, no fumbles, no sacks.
Brunell's numbers are a reflection of a struggling offense overall. The 45 yard pass to Coles led to the 1 yd run by Portis. Brunell is moving the ball. We should have gotten into the endzone in the fourth quarter rather than kicked a field goal. Time management is still a problem that will be resolved sooner than later.

I originally said 10-6, thinking that they stay at about .500 through mid-season, by then the offense would jell and they'd take off.
Now I think it may take a little longer, but I think 9-7 isn't out of the question.
I see everyone blaming Brunell. Yeah, he hasn't lit it up, and his throw-aways have been frustrating (for us), but he is Gibbs' guy, and I agree that it is not the time to make that switch (BTW, I'm a big Ramsey supporter). The biggest problem right now is the O-line. They just aren't where they need to be quite yet. There is no way Portis should have been held to under 60 yds rushing by Cleveland! He seemed...as always...to be diving and stretching and fighting for each and every yard he could get, but the holes just weren't there a lot of the time. I think they will get there, but it is taking longer than expected...

9/7-8/8, with meaningful games in December. That's what I said before the seaon, and I'm sticking to it. It feels optimistic right now, but Gibbs and Co will adjust, and the team will jell. (Further, we are about due for a break or two! Why does every bounce, every call, every whatever seem to go against you when you're struggling? I know that it's not every break, but still! We could use some love from the football gods here!!!!;))

8-8... but if they can get it together and first concentrate on getting to 2-3, then .500... i can still see (pray for) a 9-7 season... dependent of course on them getting outta this slump

If we can go 3-3 into our bye week, its a brand new season. We need to concentrate on Baltimore right now, which is a game that I see us winning for some reason. Its Redskins fashion to lose to a team we should whoop the sh*t out of, and then beat a team we should proboly lose too.