Quote:
Originally Posted by sportscurmudgeon
My position is that the young players who finally made the field - - too often because of injuries to veteran starters and not merely the incompetence of veteran starters (Galloway) - - did not have some kind of football epiphany two weeks before they saw the field on Sundays. They developed; they improved. However, they were not "bumbling incompetents" three weeks before they played on Sunday and miraculously found themselves able to play football. By the way, if they had been "bumbling incompetents" the question shifts to why the coaches kept them anywhere near Ashburn VA if that is what they saw in the players... Riley was "ready enough" to play a defensive series for a team that was not going to the playoffs. Remember, the Redskins over the past two seasons have not been fighting tooth-and-nail to see if they can get a bye-week in the playoffs; this is a team that has to build itself up to be competitive. Let me ask your question in reverse:
What more evidence would you need to see to determine that Rocky McIntosh (the guy playing ahead of Riley) was not going to be one of the pillars of your defense once the team was good enough to make the playoffs? |
Coaches say it all the time- they play the players that give the team the best chance to win- regardless of record. You don't just say eff it, I'm gonna throw X player in there even though he looks worse in practice and has been stumbling in the film room, or whatever. Rocky McIntosh had a few really good games early this season, too. Combine that with Perry Riley's growing pains... that's probably why Riley wasn't starting. But then Rocky started playing worse, Perry starting playing better.... there you go.