Mark Brunell, Phillip Daniels, Renaldo Wynn, Shawn Springs

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Stats don't mean a damn thing if you can't get your team in the end zone. Get your team in the end zone, move the chains and convert on 3rd down. Brunell failed in all of these areas. So this is why I think Collins should be 2nd string or let Brunell and Collins battle for #2.

I never said I did not like Mark Brunell. Personally I like Mark Brunell alot. I think some of the fans and local media have treated him like shit. He's a stand up guy and we all know he's good in the locker room. That was never my point. It's his on the field performance. If we cut him tomorrow how many teams in the NFL would pick him up? Probably nobody. Same with Wynn. Springs and Daniels should come back but both are not full time players anymore. Springs just can't stay healthy. We can't count on him. It's just time to move on. But because of the lack of quality depth and draft picks most or all will be back.

First of all, it's the stats that show how helpful a guy is in getting his team into the endzone, moving the chains etc. Anyway, it's a team game through and through. It wasn't Brunell who failed to pick up first downs, or score touchdowns, it was the Redskin's offense. Al Saunders on the playcalling, the receivers on the routes, the line in pass protection, the line, tight ends, and backs in the running game, AND the quarterback's ability to make good decisions and throw the football.

There's a certain method to the way team offense SHOULD be judged based on the order in which things are done. First and foremost, the line has to block (I would estimate that 80% of an offenses problems origniate from poor blocking. This is where a team has to look first). Secondly, there must be some sort of a running game if the line is opening up holes. If the back can't see the holes and get through them, the offense is going to struggle even if the blocking is there. Third comes the quarterback's role. If a team has suffient blocking and a good running game and still isn't getting it done, the blame probably falls on the QB and his receivers. The role of the playcaller supercedes this entire process. Each position player is dependant on the scheme to get him in a situation conducive to success.

During the first half of the season, when we had a league average offense, it was in my best estimation that the line and running game weren't getting it done. Some of this is attributable to the instability at the RB position, and to some questionable playcalling in enemy territory (particularly in the red zone and on the fringe of an compromised FG range. Seemed like Saunders was playing for the FG and Gibbs wasn't going to trust Hall/Novak from 50 yards away), but even so--even the least observant of fans would notice that the line was getting little push up front and letting defenses run free at the QB.

And then of course we put a QB in there with little experience and the offensive production went down a little bit, which all but proves to the objective fan that Brunell was doing his job well. On top of this, the line improved it's play immensely over the course of the season and JC got pressured quite rarely. Ladell Betts also became a star in the same offense where Clinton Portis failed (in 2006)--that speaks volumes.

I'll agree with that point that nobody wants him besides us. I think we can agree that he's still one of the 32 best QBs in this league and that some teams are currently starting QBs worse than Brunell (probably a lot of teams). However, no team is going to bench a younger starter just so they can start a 37 yr old caretaker who is good at his job. So Brunell's best chance for success would be to stay here as a backup and see if he ever gets another chance. But his best career move may very well be to retire.