What's Wrong with the Redskins?

[SouperMeister]

Inconsistent play by both the offensive and defensive lines is the number one problem against top competition. Until we get better in the trenches, we will continue to struggle.

[Drift Reality]

I think it is pretty glaring - we don't have the same level of top-tier physical talent in the trenches as the elite NFL teams.

[Skins4Eva]

I dont care if I get banned, so ban me then. Jason Campbell sucks, I said it a long time ago, stop with the excuses please, he is too damn slow, Ive said it and I will say it again. How much time do we give this guy? Im saying it...there needs to be an open competition at QB this offseason. Enough with the blind optimism. There is being a fan and being blinded by emotion. When Portis doesnt hand hold the team and carry the team on his back, Campbell does NOTHING to win a game. Zorns playcalling is basic and predictable. We have zero TRUE recievers. We have two great athletes in Moss and Randle El, but they are not true recievers as far as being route runners, hence they always never seem to be open. Before I get blasted for telling the truth and probably banned, why the hell does everyone on this sight seemingly dissapprove of anyone telling the truth as opposed to blind optimism? Everyone talks of stability, and we have stunk offensively for years. Hell with that, im calling for an overhaul. Marcus Washington, Shawn Springs, Jansen, Rabach, Randle El, need to go, and Campbell should be given the rest of the year then challenged by Brennan or bring in someone else. Don't even get me started on Jason Taylor. To hell with this boring ass and ineffective offense. I love the Washington Redskins but I absolutely am disgusted with this current collection of players. I will say, atleast the defense played with some heart. Oh yeah, and I also believe i said the Hall signing was good too. I used to love this site but my god, if you say anything against the team you are some how not knowledgeable or a true fan. Playoffs?! Are you kidding?!

[schndr_tdd]

Jansen couldnt block a baby,Suisam be lucky to kick an extra point,the recievers drop underhand tosses at key times,and they played one of the best teams in football...Start Heyer at least he would have an excuse,sign a kicker,work on catching drills all week for the WR's...

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by Skins4Eva

I dont care if I get banned, so ban me then. Jason Campbell sucks, I said it a long time ago, stop with the excuses please, he is too damn slow, Ive said it and I will say it again. How much time do we give this guy? Im saying it...there needs to be an open competition at QB this offseason. Enough with the blind optimism. There is being a fan and being blinded by emotion. When Portis doesnt hand hold the team and carry the team on his back, Campbell does NOTHING to win a game. Zorns playcalling is basic and predictable. We have zero TRUE recievers. We have two great athletes in Moss and Randle El, but they are not true recievers as far as being route runners, hence they always never seem to be open. Before I get blasted for telling the truth and probably banned, why the hell does everyone on this sight seemingly dissapprove of anyone telling the truth as opposed to blind optimism? Everyone talks of stability, and we have stunk offensively for years. Hell with that, im calling for an overhaul. Marcus Washington, Shawn Springs, Jansen, Rabach, Randle El, need to go, and Campbell should be given the rest of the year then challenged by Brennan or bring in someone else. Don't even get me started on Jason Taylor. To hell with this boring ass and ineffective offense. I love the Washington Redskins but I absolutely am disgusted with this current collection of players. I will say, atleast the defense played with some heart. Oh yeah, and I also believe i said the Hall signing was good too. I used to love this site but my god, if you say anything against the team you are some how not knowledgeable or a true fan. Playoffs?! Are you kidding?!

Jim Mora sighting! Playoffs?!?! Whatcha mean playoffs?!?! :screama:

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by A10sROCK

The best teams have used their high draft picks for the OL and DL. We haven't done so in many years........Any question on why our trench play is average at best?

Our last O-lineman drafted earlier than the third round was Chris Samuels in 2000. The last D-lineman that we drafted earlier than the 5th round was Kenard Lang in 1997. This is an absolute joke. I don't want another play maker. We have plenty invested in playmakers. We need to get tougher on the interior to compete with the best.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by Drift Reality

I think it is pretty glaring - we don't have the same level of top-tier physical talent in the trenches as the elite NFL teams.

You're undoubtedly right... but i don't see that as the reason we lost today. Execution on offense, specifically away from the LOS, was abysmal. The receiving corp playing at an NFL caliber level alone would have kept us in this game, but w/ I believe 5 or 6 good passes dropped and terrible route running we didn't have a chance. Does it strike anyone else bizarre that JC has so few open targets to throw to on passing downs, and against a secondary that is not elite. Again, i'm starting to wonder if there is a serious coaching issue here w/ the WR corp. They drop passes all the time. They run poor routes. They fail to get open consistently.

Very little chance of winning in this predicament. Stan Hixon should be on the hot-seat IMHO. His group is consistently not up to the challenge, regardless of the rookie class who we make excuses for or the vets who continue to drop passes on critical downs.

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by The Goat

You're undoubtedly right... but i don't see that as the reason we lost today. Execution on offense, specifically away from the LOS, was abysmal. The receiving corp playing at an NFL caliber level alone would have kept us in this game, but w/ I believe 5 or 6 good passes dropped and terrible route running we didn't have a chance. Does it strike anyone else bizarre that JC has so few open targets to throw to on passing downs, and against a secondary that is not elite. Again, i'm starting to wonder if there is a serious coaching issue here w/ the WR corp. They drop passes all the time. They run poor routes. They fail to get open consistently.

Very little chance of winning in this predicament. Stan Hixon should be on the hot-seat IMHO. His group is consistently not up to the challenge, regardless of the rookie class who we make excuses for or the vets who continue to drop passes on critical downs.

I keep saying that JC locks onto one receiver. If the main receiver on a route is Santana, he's gonna throw to him and damnit, he better be open or else we're going to take a sack.

I'm almost convinced that JC can't read the field and find the open man. I can't figure out if that's just JC as a QB or if he's so damn panicked in the pocket (afraid of his O-Line sucking) that he has no time to look for someone open.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by The Goat

You're undoubtedly right... but i don't see that as the reason we lost today. Execution on offense, specifically away from the LOS, was abysmal. The receiving corp playing at an NFL caliber level alone would have kept us in this game, but w/ I believe 5 or 6 good passes dropped and terrible route running we didn't have a chance. Does it strike anyone else bizarre that JC has so few open targets to throw to on passing downs, and against a secondary that is not elite. Again, i'm starting to wonder if there is a serious coaching issue here w/ the WR corp. They drop passes all the time. They run poor routes. They fail to get open consistently.

Very little chance of winning in this predicament. Stan Hixon should be on the hot-seat IMHO. His group is consistently not up to the challenge, regardless of the rookie class who we make excuses for or the vets who continue to drop passes on critical downs.

I think the drops can be attributed to the weather. But it's widely acknowledged that a soft field favors the offense in the NFL, and that was certainly true for the Giants receivers against our DBs. Those sacks that Campbell kept taking were short drops/quick passes where the receivers ran piss poor routes. Moss, Randle El, and Cooley are definately NFL caliber players, but I wish we could rely on EVERY player on the field on every play, but this is simply not a reality for the Redskins. Some players who play on the offense are just unreliable.

Portis also sucked in pass blocking today.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

This team is suffering from a LOT of problems.

The Front Office

The front office has done a very good job of acquiring talent in the defensive secondary and at the skill positions on offense. Unfortunately, the front office has not acquired young talent along the lines. The defensive line can't get pressure on opposing QBs (Carter and Taylor have combined for just 5 sacks this season). The offensive line can't stop 6 and 5 man blitzes or even 4 man rushes.

What's more, the lines lack depth and are old. True, we have guys like Rob Jackson and Chad Rinehart on the roster, but Rinehart has yet to dress for a single game this season (not great news for a 3rd round pick) and Rob Jackson has to do anything noteworthy. To my knowledge, we don't have a single young backup along the offensive or defensive line who will likely be a starter in a year or two. In short, if everything starts up front, we're in trouble.

The Coaching Staff

Zorn looks like a promising rookie head coach, but I have three reservations about him. First, our offense has gone from dynamic to predictable and stagnant over the past few weeks. We run, run, throw a 5 yard curl, run, run, throw a 5 yard screen pass and so on. I understand that the running game is our bread and butter and the West Coast offense emphasizes the short and intermediate passing game, but this offense needs to be revamped. We are failing to force opposing defenses to defend the entire field. Until we re-establish our ability to hurt teams deep, our offense is going to struggle.

My second problem with the offensive playcalling is that it does not appear to make adjustments based on the time left on the clock or the scoreboard. I don't get the feeling that our offense senses any urgency when we're down by a few scores in the 4th quarter. I thought as much after our week 1 loss to the Giants and I feel the same way today.

Finally, the players bear a lot of responsibility for missed tackles, blown blocking assignments, etc., but so does the coaching staff. The players' "football fundamentals" look suspect. Receivers (i.e., the guys who catch footballs) are dropping balls they shouldn't drop. Defensive players (i.e., the guys who tackle other guys) are failing to wrap up and bring guys to the ground. Say what you want about Gibbs' offensive playcalling, but, his players' football fundamentals were solid. I can't say the same for our current team's football fundamentals.

[53Fan]

[QUOTE=The Goat;505762]Goddamnit 53 i love your optimism (all seriousness here)! R u a motivational speaker?[/QUOTE]

Not hardly. Look, we want to win every game. We're fans. I get as fed up as anybody with the stupid ass mistakes we make. I KNOW we can win these games! But I think we expect more than maybe we should at this point in time. It would be crazy to believe that after 12 games in a new offense, that the team would run it as if we've been doing it for 2-3 years. If we don't show improvement next year, then I'd be worried. Campbell's been told not to lock- in to one receiver, check-down, get rid of the ball quickly. Now he's being told, don't check-down so fast, give the primary receiver time for the play to develop. This offense takes time to learn. Kelly is just getting started. We're 7-5 through this and somehow still in the playoff hunt. I see good signs. After listening to some of the "fans" I realize, judgements made in haste, are judgements not made with much thought, and sound pretty dumb. Being on this board has actually helped me. I'm an emotional guy and usually raising hell about something.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Drift Reality

I think it is pretty glaring - we don't have the same level of top-tier physical talent in the trenches as the elite NFL teams.

That sums it up. Yes, we had drops today by the receivers in wet, sloppy weather. There is no excuse for that. But overall, our entire body of work (or lack thereof) this season has been defined by poor play in the trenches. Our run blocking is normally good, but aside from that we get manhandled on the line of scrimmage.

Once again we failed to generate consistent pressure, and JC was sacked several times. Teams that consistently pressure the QB and give thier own QB time to step into throws in the pocket usually succeed.

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by Skins4Eva

I dont care if I get banned, so ban me then. Jason Campbell sucks, I said it a long time ago, stop with the excuses please, he is too damn slow, Ive said it and I will say it again. How much time do we give this guy? Im saying it...there needs to be an open competition at QB this offseason. Enough with the blind optimism. There is being a fan and being blinded by emotion. When Portis doesnt hand hold the team and carry the team on his back, Campbell does NOTHING to win a game. Zorns playcalling is basic and predictable. We have zero TRUE recievers. We have two great athletes in Moss and Randle El, but they are not true recievers as far as being route runners, hence they always never seem to be open. Before I get blasted for telling the truth and probably banned, why the hell does everyone on this sight seemingly dissapprove of anyone telling the truth as opposed to blind optimism? Everyone talks of stability, and we have stunk offensively for years. Hell with that, im calling for an overhaul. Marcus Washington, Shawn Springs, Jansen, Rabach, Randle El, need to go, and Campbell should be given the rest of the year then challenged by Brennan or bring in someone else. Don't even get me started on Jason Taylor. To hell with this boring ass and ineffective offense. I love the Washington Redskins but I absolutely am disgusted with this current collection of players. I will say, atleast the defense played with some heart. Oh yeah, and I also believe i said the Hall signing was good too. I used to love this site but my god, if you say anything against the team you are some how not knowledgeable or a true fan. Playoffs?! Are you kidding?!

No, if you say something stupid, expect to be called out for a lack of knowledge. To say that Santana Moss isn't a true receiver as far as being able to run routes properly is absolutely ignorant. I said it before, and it bears repeating, put Campbell behind Eli's O-line, which is equally strong at run blocking and pass protecting, and Campbell would flourish. He did not get much help from his receivers today, but the playmakers are good enough if we can just give him time to work through his progressions.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

I keep saying that JC locks onto one receiver. If the main receiver on a route is Santana, he's gonna throw to him and damnit, he better be open or else we're going to take a sack.

I'm almost convinced that JC can't read the field and find the open man. I can't figure out if that's just JC as a QB or if he's so damn panicked in the pocket (afraid of his O-Line sucking) that he has no time to look for someone open.

I'm not seeing this. I'm not sure what you are basing this on, but if the play design is a three step drop or if it's a max protection play, there aren't going to be multiple reads. If it's a five/seven step drop, Campbell usually looks three or four places before trying to force the ball in there. On a lot of these plays, Moss is running off the coverage, so he never looks at him.

I think it's clear that a lot of what we like to do in the passing game runs through Santana Moss, so I wouldn't confuse him getting the ball a lot with Campbell locking on to him.

[A10sROCK]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

Our last O-lineman drafted earlier than the third round was Chris Samuels in 2000. The last D-lineman that we drafted earlier than the 5th round was Kenard Lang in 1997. This is an absolute joke. I don't want another play maker. We have plenty invested in playmakers. We need to get tougher on the interior to compete with the best.

I agree completely. That's exactly what I was saying. You can't draft 5th or 7th round picks every few years and expect to get winners in the trenches. An excellent DL improves any DBs. A great OL makes any QB or RB look great.

Look what the top teams draft every year. That's why everyone can't understand our crazy draft strategy for the last dozen years. That's also why we kept old players like Bruce Smith, Wynn, etc who were past their prime. Cerratto and Zorn need to change our draft strategy.