It's one game, relax...

[Jamaican'Skin]

The one "sky is not falling" thread. Thank God. I admit I may have been overly optomistic in my prediction for the game, but I was not totally disappointed. This is a new head coach with a new offensive system. In Gibbs II, yr. 1 the defense kept us in games. So far, that has been our saving grace. The D neutralized Eli, and needs to work on getting more turnovers, nothing that can't be done. JC needs to get more comfortable in the system, and that only takes time. I'm really not worried about this loss. I think it helped to put things in perspective, at leas for some of us.

[Luxorreb]

I think Sherman should probably call the plays. Zorn is not quick enough. It was embarrassing watching the team not being prepared for any kind of hurry up or late game catch up plan. Looked like preseason to me. Unfortunately the Giants were playing regular season ball during prime time week 1 and internationally broadcast!

[Luxorreb]

So Paintrain you think we will beat the Saints? And have a winning record after 6 games? There are serious gaps that still haven't been addressed since last season. From our draft we have 1 starter, a punter, who performed worse than Frost, who we cut. Cerrato's days are numbered. Thomas, Kelly, Tryon? How about depth at CB, OL, DL? Perhaps a S? Hopefully we can eventually use Colt, but I think the schedule is very difficult and it would take a Gibbs presence to help make miracles. Do you believe in miracles?

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by Luxorreb

So Paintrain you think we will beat the Saints? And have a winning record after 6 games? There are serious gaps that still haven't been addressed since last season. From our draft we have 1 starter, a punter, who performed worse than Frost, who we cut. Cerrato's days are numbered. Thomas, Kelly, Tryon? How about depth at CB, OL, DL? Perhaps a S? Hopefully we can eventually use Colt, but I think the schedule is very difficult and it would take a Gibbs presence to help make miracles. Do you believe in miracles?

I don't know if we'll beat the Saints or not but I expect to see improvement in that game. I really don't care if we have a winning record after 6 games, it's after 16 that I am concerned with. I didn't realize that games stopped counting after Columbus Day, did I miss that rule change?

I'm not ready to judge an entire draft class on one preseason game. If that were the case there would be a whole bunch of unemployed Pro Bowlers who didn't show anything early in their careers and a ton of fired executives. Draft classes can be judged in Year 3, not Day 1.

Please explain to me how 'depth' at CB, OL, DL or S would have reversed the outcome of tonights games. We didn't get beat on 'depth', our starters got their asses whipped for a half.

I believe in miracles but I don't think one is necessary for us to have a decent season.

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

I don't know if we'll beat the Saints or not but I expect to see improvement in that game. I really don't care if we have a winning record after 6 games, it's after 16 that I am concerned with. I didn't realize that games stopped counting after Columbus Day, did I miss that rule change?

I'm not ready to judge an entire draft class on one preseason game. If that were the case there would be a whole bunch of unemployed Pro Bowlers who didn't show anything early in their careers and a ton of fired executives. Draft classes can be judged in Year 3, not Day 1.

Please explain to me how 'depth' at CB, OL, DL or S would have reversed the outcome of tonights games. We didn't get beat on 'depth', our starters got their asses whipped for a half.

I believe in miracles but I don't think one is necessary for us to have a decent season.

Amen Brother!

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by Luxorreb

So Paintrain you think we will beat the Saints? And have a winning record after 6 games? There are serious gaps that still haven't been addressed since last season. From our draft we have 1 starter, a punter, who performed worse than Frost, who we cut. Cerrato's days are numbered. Thomas, Kelly, Tryon? How about depth at CB, OL, DL? Perhaps a S? Hopefully we can eventually use Colt, but I think the schedule is very difficult and it would take a Gibbs presence to help make miracles. Do you believe in miracles?

People discount how difficult a coaching change is initially. Both Gibbs and Schottenheimer started 0-5 here. While I believe that Zorn will work out fine in the long run, I can easily see the Skins starting 1-4 or 0-5 this year, especially given the brutal early portion of the schedule. I was alarmed by the lack of intensity by the defensive front 7 in the first quarter. Campbell looked shaky as well, but that is to be expected when you have a young QB in yet another new offense.

Another disappointment was the inability of the DBs to catch INTs when they were there for the taking. Smoot caught one, but dropped one in the end zone. Rogers dropped two, including one that would have gone to the house, and Landry also dropped one. When the team is struggling, sometimes just making a play can light a fire, and those 4 dropped INTs might have changed the momentum in our favor.

[rypper11]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

People discount how difficult a coaching change is initially. Both Gibbs and Schottenheimer started 0-5 here. While I believe that Zorn will work out fine in the long run, I can easily see the Skins starting 1-4 or 0-5 this year, especially given the brutal early portion of the schedule.
.

1-4 or 2-3 is likely and we could still end up 9-7 or 10-6 and in the playoffs. IMO, our three toughest games of the year are in the first 5 weeks (@NY, @PHI, @Dallas). In the long run, it will show a lot about Zorn's character and leadership with how he comes out of that fifth game and moving forward.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

People discount how difficult a coaching change is initially. Both Gibbs and Schottenheimer started 0-5 here. While I believe that Zorn will work out fine in the long run, I can easily see the Skins starting 1-4 or 0-5 this year, especially given the brutal early portion of the schedule. I was alarmed by the lack of intensity by the defensive front 7 in the first quarter. Campbell looked shaky as well, but that is to be expected when you have a young QB in yet another new offense.

Another disappointment was the inability of the DBs to catch INTs when they were there for the taking. Smoot caught one, but dropped one in the end zone. Rogers dropped two, including one that would have gone to the house, and Landry also dropped one. When the team is struggling, sometimes just making a play can light a fire, and those 4 dropped INTs might have changed the momentum in our favor.

This is a HUGE big picture point most people are ignoring. Smoot catches that ball, it's now 13 points given up rather than 16. If Rogers catches the one he would have scored on it's now 14 points scored rather than 7. Rogers or Landry catch the other 2 and we've changed possession and field position for our offense.

There aren't many teams that are going to look great offensively starting every drive on their own 24 yard line. Good to great teams get help from their defense to 'flip the field' and convert shorter scoring drives. We're not the Pats, Colts or Cowboys. We're not going to have too many 76 yard drives each game, we need those game changing plays to be made.

IF those plays were made, we'd all be talking about the second coming of the '85 Bears. The defense making those plays makes the offense better by putting them in positions to succeed!

[Luxorreb]

Surprised you don't think Smoot and Rogers are suspect starters. All teams will throw on them again and again. And what did our DL do to stop the run up the middle? Brandon Jacobs is a beast sure, but shouldn't we be able to stop him? No Strahan, no Osi? Didn't matter against our OL, sieve. Draft classes after 3? Where we rate JC then? I'm just saddened by the seemingly lack of thoroughness of game planning, scenario building and execution of late game offense (and execution and planning of practiced game plan). Decent season would be great, but we've got a lot of areas to work on. Unfortunately problems start at the top and are found all the way down. Praying for 8-8, thinking we'll be 5-11.

[Redskin]

I would say we did fine, few dropped picks but at least the corners were there to drop them. I don't know why we cut frost, seems ridiculous to me. We drafted a bunch of receivers and ended up running the ball a lot against a good D line, although CP did look good to me, faster. That was the #1 D-line I don't know what you expect them to do against our O-line when we are not passing the ball to discourage them to back off it. I was not overly excited with JC's performance but I was not horrified by it either. 19-35 is no stellar performance by eli manning so I think our CB's did decent especially when we were trying to stop the run.

[21 Forever]

Optimism is cool and all but it's not just one game. We all saw this same high school bullshit against carolina and again with jacksonville before Zorn pulled the plug when he realized the rest of the league was gonna see we were still playing like garbage.

[Luxorreb]

Redskins are in trouble. Terrible coaching.
Hate to agree with the big dude who wears the curtain suits on NFL Netowork, but he's right when he says we took to long to snap the ball. End of first and second halfs. No urgency. If urgency, no planning. That's bad coaching. Gibbs wasnt so bad was he?

[RedskinPete]

Originally Posted by Luxorreb

Redskins are in trouble. Terrible coaching.
Hate to agree with the big dude who wears the curtain suits on NFL Netowork, but he's right when he says we took to long to snap the ball. End of first and second halfs. No urgency. If urgency, no planning. That's bad coaching. Gibbs wasnt so bad was he?

What about terrible QB play? WOW as bad as I ever seen a Redskin QB play!

[Luxorreb]

someone agrees-
(NEW NEWS POST)
washingtonpost.com

[RedskinPete]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

I guess I'll be the optimist (or idiot depending on perspective) to try to prop up the sky from falling, but it's one game. There is really no shame in going into the home of the defending champs on opening night and losing a hard fought game. For those of you that thought we 'got dominated' the whole game, from the mid 2nd quarter on we stood toe to toe and didn't give in. We put ourselves in a hole and didn't play well enough to get out.

The offense looked pathetic for the better part of the game and Zorn's playcalling was dubious at best. I'm glad it's September and not December. There's time to correct those errors. JC looked tentative and unsure early, but as he showed last year, the more he throws, the more comfortable and in rhythm he gets and good things happen.

On defense, we dropped 4 picks. Carlos Rogers simply has the worst hands I have ever seen on a human. I'd be terrified to let him hold a baby. Fletcher isn't going to last all season if he's gonna rack up 17 tackles a game, but that's one of the best OL we're going to see this season. The DL will improve in stopping the run which will lead to longer 3rd downs and more opportunities to get to the QB. Our field position all night (avg. start at our own 25 yd line) was crap, we need the defense to tilt the field in our favor.

I'm as pissed, disappointed and disgusted as any one of you, but I also realize we've got 15 more games and we're going to improve.

Your right there is nothing to get worked up about. JC is not ever going to be the top QB we all hoped he could be. At best he will be a back up. What dosen't help is poor WE's as well and a line showning it's age. But it will never matter if the QB can not play well. He looks lost and I don't care what calls Zorn calls it will not matter with JC back there. I am not going to say put someone else in because the other two may not be any better. Nothing to get worked uo about because the out come was known before they played. I am just happy it wasn't 30-7 because the D played a little better in the second hafe!