What's The Real Problem?

[scowan]

The only thing that really bothered me, is that you could tell by the end of the game that if the Vikings got the ball one more time when it was 16-16 that they would score. The Skins D could not stop them from moving the ball. While they only averaged less than 3 YPC, the Vikings stuck with it, and the Skins could not get any penetration to stop Chester Taylor for a loss. Brad Johnson made every throw on 3rd down. If he is the 40th highest paid QB in the league, like they mentioned last night, how good would the Skins be with him under center?

[BDBohnzie]

Our secondary desperately needs Shawn Springs out there. With our nickel back probably gone for the year, d-back depth is lagging. Rogers is clearly not a #1 cover guy, and Archuleta couldn't cover a paper plate with a comforter. Vikes went 9 for 17 on 3rd down. Several of those at crucial times.

Brunell, while not making any mistakes, had a fair game. He didn't do anything spectacular, and didn't lead the team into the endzone when inside the 10 THREE times! Play calling or not, he's a veteran QB who's been there before. Put the damn ball into the end zone. Period.

[bertoskins2]

the real problem is not lack of talent but.

on offense: the thick saunders playbook
on defense: over confidence and lack of effort on the D line

[Meast]

Bottom Line: WE WERE OUTCOACHED!?
p.s. lord give me an O-line

[sniks]

Who expected it to be subpar?Not me I expected alot more than that.Saunders, randle El , Lylod millions of dollars later same result as last year CANT SCORE POINTS.

[That Guy]

wow, talk about over reaction. 3 weeks ago I said we'd get off to a slow start because of gibbs insistance on NOT using preseason to actually practice. The switch just doesn't flip on that fast.

last year we started with 2 games of zero offense (well, 1.93 games). I guess everyone forgot that openning day whooping we put on the bears (9-7).

the only thing is this year the defense let us down with third down penalties (and brad johnson didn't miss a throw). The returns on carter and arch don't look great, and losing our #1 CB and important depth/special teamer prioleau really hurts.

The insistance on staying with dismal kickers and punters sucks too, and lots of people saw that as early as game 6 LAST YEAR. that hurts.

[RiggoRules]

Originally Posted by That Guy

wow, talk about over reaction. 3 weeks ago I said we'd get off to a slow start because of gibbs insistance on NOT using preseason to actually practice. The switch just doesn't flip on that fast.

last year we started with 2 games of zero offense (well, 1.93 games). I guess everyone forgot that openning day whooping we put on the bears (9-7).

the only thing is this year the defense let us down with third down penalties (and brad johnson didn't miss a throw). The returns on carter and arch don't look great, and losing our #1 CB and important depth/special teamer prioleau really hurts.

The insistance on staying with dismal kickers and punters sucks too, and lots of people saw that as early as game 6 LAST YEAR. that hurts.

Finally, a voice of sanity.

There were so many places where this game could have turned, it isn't even funny.

The one place where we were consistantly bad was in the area of getting 3rd down stops -- especially 3rd and 5+. This league is all about third down. It is an area we excelled at last year.

Right now, we have a simple issue of depth due to injury. At this point, I don't think there is anything that can really be done about that. GW is going to have to come up with something before Sunday night to turn that around with the few tools we have available in the secondary.

[CrazyCanuck]

The biggest problem IMO was the D. Our special teams are weak and our kicking game sucks, but I was most disappointed with our D. I think with Springs and Prioleau out it showed how thin we are especially in the secondary.

All in all that was a terrible loss. For a supposed Super Bowl contender I was really disappointed that we let that game get away.

[cowboykiller89]

Yeah, I knew that potential game tying field goal was outta John Hall's range. What's Chip Lohmiller doing these days?

[cowboykiller89]

Don't worry my fellow Redskins fans, this is only the beginning. Be patient, the team is still adjusting to Al Saunders offensive 700 page playbook. Also, Greg Williams will fine tune the defense and by midseason we will be virtually unstoppable, offensively and defensively.

[mike340]

Biggest problems:

1) Play calling in the red zone. (Sellars and Duckette, until the other team shows they can stop them.) (Should improve with time.)

2) Inability to stop the 3rd-down conversions; especially with long yardage (i.e. passes.) in general

3) CB play (wave at the nearest receiver.) (Should improve with Springs).

4) Hall. (I told my wife we would almost certainly lose before the last field goal attempt.)

5) Not stopping them when they started from their own 2.

Other thoughts:

It looked like RE thought he had the first down when he stepped out at the end. Just a miscalculation; can happen; nobody's perfect. He had to get out of bounds.

Offense moved the ball pretty well, especially considering that Saunders doesn't seem to have figured out how to use the players he has.

Neither line looked good.

Didn't feel we ran many routes in the middle of the field. I think this is where Minn. got a lot of the first downs on 3rd and long.

Nice KO return by Betts to give us a chance at the end.

Nice drive at the end with no time outs.

[That Guy]

i do wonder what happened to sellers and cooley and that stupid 3rd and 2 play where they both drift out towards the sidelines... you know, the one we ran about 574 times last year... seems like we could have used it.

[jrocx69]

i wish we would put Campbell and Duckett in inside the five. Do a PA rollout, b/c everyone will bite on the PA fake to a guy 250+ and Campbell will elude any pressure better than brunell running and throwing it away. Three dementional play... Big runner with power, a QB that could bootleg, or rollout to a open Chris Cooley/ WR/ Sellers. ahhh we can dream cant we?

[JWsleep]

What's funny is, if we had pulled that game out (and it was close despite all these "obvious" problems), we'd all be saying how good we are. And of course, we'd be going overboard in that case as well.

I'll take Gibbs at his word now--we are inconsistent, but the problems can be readily fixed. This isn't surprising at all on offense given the new system. On D, our lack of secondary health restricted the blitz, a big o-line stuffed our front four, and Brad Johnson was his usual accurate self. He's a vet who reads Ds well and gets rid of it quick--all this made Williams reluctant to Blitz, and that means it isn't really Williams D at its best. Next week, we'll see a lot more blitzing, for good or ill.

But the bottom line is, we aren't as good as the hype made us out to be, but we aren't NEARLY as bad as some nay-sayers here would have it, IMHO. As Gibbs would say, up here it's tough to win. We have to play better. Can we do it? Jeeze, do you really think it's IMPOSSIBLE for us to play better? Of course we can. And given our coaching staff, my guess is that we will. Hang in there, people!

[cowboykiller89]

Originally Posted by JWsleep

What's funny is, if we had pulled that game out (and it was close despite all these "obvious" problems), we'd all be saying how good we are. And of course, we'd be going overboard in that case as well.

I'll take Gibbs at his word now--we are inconsistent, but the problems can be readily fixed. This isn't surprising at all on offense given the new system. On D, our lack of secondary health restricted the blitz, a big o-line stuffed our front four, and Brad Johnson was his usual accurate self. He's a vet who reads Ds well and gets rid of it quick--all this made Williams reluctant to Blitz, and that means it isn't really Williams D at its best. Next week, we'll see a lot more blitzing, for good or ill.

But the bottom line is, we aren't as good as the hype made us out to be, but we aren't NEARLY as bad as some nay-sayers here would have it, IMHO. As Gibbs would say, up here it's tough to win. We have to play better. Can we do it? Jeeze, do you really think it's IMPOSSIBLE for us to play better? Of course we can. And given our coaching staff, my guess is that we will. Hang in there, people!

I totally agree. The first one is out of the way and wasn't so bad, it could have been worse. Everything will come together within the next three to four weeks.