Why Doesn't "Gibbs' Football" Work for the Redskins?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by gibbsisgod

JG football works, just not the same gameplan every week. IMO, different Teams require different offensive approaches. I still think if we had taken the reins off of JC the outcome would have been quite different. I love JG and don't like to question him on much. he knows more than me or anybody else on the site but I would like to see a more explosive offense. Not just the same old shit, get up by 7 or 10 and then just sit on it. This isn't the team of the 80's and 90's where we had by far the most talent on the feild almost every week. We need to be more creative.

Well here's a question for you then (and everyone else) is it better to play to your own strengths, or against the opponents' weakness?

Case in point for this past weekend, our strengths so far this season have been our running game and our defense. For all of Campbell's potential and the flashes we've seen, the passing offense isn't necessarily a strength at the moment.

On the other hand, the Giants' weakness most would agree is their pass defense.

So what's the right strategy? My feeling is you do what you do best and make the other team stop you at what you do best. It's like jsarno said in a fantasy football thread (to paraphrase) "If you're going to lose, lose with your best."

What sayeth thou?

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well here's a question for you then (and everyone else) is it better to play to your own strengths, or against the opponents' weakness?

Case in point for this past weekend, our strengths so far this season have been our running game and our defense. For all of Campbell's potential and the flashes we've seen, the passing offense isn't necessarily a strength at the moment.

On the other hand, the Giants' weakness most would agree is their pass defense.

So what's the right strategy? My feeling is you do what you do best and make the other team stop you at what you do best. It's like jsarno said in a fantasy football thread (to paraphrase) "If you're going to lose, lose with your best."

What sayeth thou?

That depends on what your team understands better.

If you think you are a running team, but you don't have dominant run blockers and great backs, then it does no good to try to run the ball all day, even if the media thinks thats your "bread and butter."

If you think the opponent has a bad pass defense, but in acutality they are pretty good at defending the pass, it does no good to throw it on them.

To me, it's obvious that "playing to our strengths" actually means throwing the football especially off of play action. But playing to our opponents weaknesses...for Detroit thats everything.

If you execute, scheme matters none at all. So can we execute our strengths even if the defense is going to be all over it? I'm not paid nearly enough to answer that question.

Do we even know where our strengths lie? No idea. Kinda scary.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

To me, it's obvious that "playing to our strengths" actually means throwing the football especially off of play action.

I agree. I haven't looked at the stats, but it seems like we aren't doing enough play action. Or, at least we aren't calling it when it would be most effective. It seems like we always run 1 too many run plays right before we play action, and if we'd play action 1 play earlier we'd totally catch the defense off guard.

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well here's a question for you then (and everyone else) is it better to play to your own strengths, or against the opponents' weakness?

Case in point for this past weekend, our strengths so far this season have been our running game and our defense. For all of Campbell's potential and the flashes we've seen, the passing offense isn't necessarily a strength at the moment.

On the other hand, the Giants' weakness most would agree is their pass defense.

So what's the right strategy? My feeling is you do what you do best and make the other team stop you at what you do best. It's like jsarno said in a fantasy football thread (to paraphrase) "If you're going to lose, lose with your best."

What sayeth thou?

Well, that's why you game plan for each opponent differently. You see what your strengths are and how they relate to your opponents' strengths and weaknesses. If your going strength against strength, it comes down to seeing who's the better team.

A great team will always find and exploit their opponents' weaknesses. Great teams are well balanced with few obvious weaknesses. Again, two great teams go strength against strength, and the better team wins.

Right now in Gibbs II, we have a good team, but we have obvious weaknesses. So, bad teams, decent teams, good teams will play to their strengths, but will hide weaknesses. Our weakness is the passing game because of an inexperienced quarterback. Luckily for us, Campbell is growing more confident with each game. In every game, out of any mistakes he makes, there is always at least one thing that Campbell does that impresses me and reassures me that he's becoming a very good quarterback in this league. Once Campbell reaches the point of being a feared quarterback, then you'll be able to finally see why Gibbs is in the hall of fame, and what he has tried to build in the present day. We might not see it until he steps down, but rest assured, the success we will have will have a lot to do with Gibbs as an overall organizer and coach of this team.

[gibbsisgod]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Well here's a question for you then (and everyone else) is it better to play to your own strengths, or against the opponents' weakness?

Case in point for this past weekend, our strengths so far this season have been our running game and our defense. For all of Campbell's potential and the flashes we've seen, the passing offense isn't necessarily a strength at the moment.

On the other hand, the Giants' weakness most would agree is their pass defense.

So what's the right strategy? My feeling is you do what you do best and make the other team stop you at what you do best. It's like jsarno said in a fantasy football thread (to paraphrase) "If you're going to lose, lose with your best."

What sayeth thou?

Sorry it took so long to respond.

I think it would be better to be able to adapt to who you are playing then to become so predictable that the defense knows whats coming all the time. Going into the game, the Giants were only giving up 3.8 ypc(I think). WHen the Skins were getting stuffed on the ground They should have been prepared with a plan B. They weren't, the Giants knew what was coming, and had no problem stopping it.