What's Wrong with the Redskins?

[TheSmurfs22]

Originally Posted by mheisig

Nobody mentioned that we played some really good teams, and today we played the now 11-1 defending Super Bowl champions who are arguably the best team in football, and certainly the best in the NFC.

~~~~~
I got to agree to some extent it is our division and what teams we have played to this point. I also think our O-Line and D-Lines' struggles are hurting us.

Tonight it was obvious that not having a true second receiver is hurting us as well.

[TheSmurfs22]

Did anyone truly think at the beginning of the year we would even be 7-5? I think we got spoiled by the great start.

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

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.

I definitely could be wrong. I don't know all the inner workings of QBs and such. I'm just looking from the standpoint of a fan trying to figure out what's going wrong with my team.

I don't really have any beef with Campbell. I really wanna see the guy do well. But after losses like this the haters just come out the woodworks. So I try to appeal to both sides of the fence.

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by TheSmurfs22

Did anyone truly think at the beginning of the year we would even be 7-5? I think we got spoiled by the great start.

I think that has a lot to do with it and I think the FO should have a good idea of where we need help now.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by TheSmurfs22

Did anyone truly think at the beginning of the year we would even be 7-5? I think we got spoiled by the great start.

I think we did get spoiled. This team looked like a 12-4 team after the first few weeks. The defense was pretty dominant and the offense was exciting, productive and dynamic. Since week 5, our defense has been pretty good and consistent, but our offense has been dreadful. Our offense has averaged something like 16 points per game over the past 6 weeks. That's not just bad, that's Spurrier bad. I think there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, but there are also an awful lot of reasons to be upset with the state and direction of our team.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

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.

Agree like 100% and stuff.

[A10sROCK]

The best teams have few flaws. We're good but will need to make changes to get to the next level. Both the DL and OL are average at best and getting older.

I'm happy we're above .500 and think Zorn has got this team to play to it's top capability. However, we need more talent to go higher.

[RMSkins]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

We've also played some of the worse teams, who we've barely squeaked by with a win, with the exception of a bad team that beat us. (Rams). Elite teams don't almost get beat by bad teams. Hell, average teams don't almost get beat by bad teams.

There's no reason that we struggled against an 0-12 team and lent a win to a 2-9 team. It makes no sense.

Exactly! How big does that loss to the Rams look now? That loss could be the deciding factor on us making (missing) the playoffs. It's real simple, you have to beat the teams that you're supposed to beat.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

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.

Can't agree here though. Moss has dropped the ball throughout his career w/ us. Last year he was friggin terrible w/ drops. And weather @ the playoff game last year wasn't so bad and we dropped passes all day. Also, Kelly had great hands in college, as Davis did come to think of it, and now we're seeing drops there. Again, coaching issue? No way to be sure but Hixon has some explaining to do on his group - drops, route running. Basically receivers have to do 2 things very well to be successful... you got it, run their routes precisely and catch the ball. Not one of our WRs really do both things well consistently do they?

[GTripp0012]

Campbell's problems to me are not anything inherent, but that he's screwing up simple plays when stuff around him starts to go wrong. I think Zorn should toss out the three step drop crap altogether, but when Campbell looks to one and looks to two, and both are covered, he's got to throw the ball in a spot where only his receiver can make the catch.

I hate three step drops because our QB is mobile and moves well in the pocket, and we're putting him at the mercy of the receivers with all the quick throw stuff. I understand the perception is that the line can't protect, but they've been much better since the bye week, and quite frankly, I'd rather put Campbell's fate in the hands of the OL right now than in the hands of the WRs.

[The Goat]

Originally Posted by A10sROCK

The best teams have few flaws. We're good but will need to make changes to get to the next level. Both the DL and OL are average at best and getting older.

I'm happy we're above .500 and think Zorn has got this team to play to it's top capability. However, we need more talent to go higher.

I don't really think so after this game. Our defense is great, which is a testament to Blache IMO because he does not have an elite front 7 to work with. But our offense is truly one of the very worst in football now as the numbers prove. The two units together don't equal a good team. The equation seems to mean we cannot win against very good teams and may win or lose against very shitty teams like Seattle/St. Louis depending on things like luck (a unnecessary bad pass from Hasselbeck for instance).

We're not a truly bad team either... i don't know what the hell we are. Maybe it's all semantics...

[eye_h8_dallas]

Originally Posted by mheisig

Nobody mentioned that we played some really good teams, and today we played the now 11-1 defending Super Bowl champions who are arguably the best team in football, and certainly the best in the NFC.

This is a game we should have won. The opportunities were there. We beat ourselves by not executing and making dumb mistakes.

[GTripp0012]

Also, while we nitpick on offense, we ignore just how terrible the special teams have been all season.

[RMSkins]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Also, while we nitpick on offense, we ignore just how terrible the special teams have been all season.

You're absolutely right. I've been trying to figure out why Danny Smith gets so much praise. Under his regime we have not had a solid kicker or punter, are coverage units are inconsistent, Rock is a decent returner but he's not a gamechanger, and we have never had a solid PR either, the only constant for our special teams has been Ethan Albright and I can't even contribute his success to Danny Smith because Albright's been around longer than Danny.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Campbell's problems to me are not anything inherent, but that he's screwing up simple plays when stuff around him starts to go wrong. I think Zorn should toss out the three step drop crap altogether, but when Campbell looks to one and looks to two, and both are covered, he's got to throw the ball in a spot where only his receiver can make the catch.

I hate three step drops because our QB is mobile and moves well in the pocket, and we're putting him at the mercy of the receivers with all the quick throw stuff. I understand the perception is that the line can't protect, but they've been much better since the bye week, and quite frankly, I'd rather put Campbell's fate in the hands of the OL right now than in the hands of the WRs.

Just an observation....JC is not Matt Hasselback. One of the things Zorn needs to do is start either putting JC back in shotgun more or calling more 7 step max protect pass plays in the 15-25 yard range. Three step drop passes is not what JC does best so why do we keep doing it?? Not that it mattered today but Zorn needs to start adjusting to what his QB does best.