Should Gibbs Flip The Script: Passing Team Now?

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

It's very rare that you can fully succeed without being able to run and stop the run effectively. Ask Elway (Terrell Davis) or Manning (Addai/Rhodes).

People can mock balance all they want, but ultimately it's the best formula for the personnel we have.

Agreed, and personally, I could even see the "mighty" Patriots running into a bit of trouble in late December and January, when the weather gets crappy and they have no running game to lean on.

[warriorzpath]

The offense is developing and coming on strong but needs to get better in pressure situations when the game is on the line, particularly in the red zone.

[willyboy23]

But, why not toss the ball to CP more often. He's a heckuva a receiver and it allows him to do what he does best, take on defenders one v one...

[hail_2_da_skins]

Originally Posted by willyboy23

But, why not toss the ball to CP more often. He's a heckuva a receiver and it allows him to do what he does best, take on defenders one v one...

Which Clinton Portis have you been watching? Clinton Portis is one of the worst pass catching running backs in the league. He cannot catch and run at the same time. In order to catch a ball, he has to stop and turn around and face the quarterback. He drops more passes when he tries to catch the ball over his shoulder. The next time the Skins play, pay close attention to Portis when he catches balls out of the backfield. He always have to square his shoulders to the passer and then run after the catch. I love Portis to death, but his technique on swing passes is horrible.

[willyboy23]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by hail_2_da_skins

Which Clinton Portis have you been watching? Clinton Portis is one of the worst pass catching running backs in the league. He cannot catch and run at the same time. In order to catch a ball, he has to stop and turn around and face the quarterback. He drops more passes when he tries to catch the ball over his shoulder. The next time the Skins play, pay close attention to Portis when he catches balls out of the backfield. He always have to square his shoulders to the passer and then run after the catch. I love Portis to death, but his technique on swing passes is horrible.

I sure will (thought I had!!)

[Cowell]

You say you don't want a track meet but when you go into play a team like Dallas I think you have to expect to have to put up 28+ points. I really do think we should pass more because that seemed to work yesterday.

[JLee9718]

I feel like the Redskins change from week to week. One week it's running, then the next it's passing, but never with any logical plan. The offense doesn't have any faith in the defense, and the defense doesn't have any faith in the offense.

One thing for sure, it really looked good having Reche and Keenan in the Tampa game.

[WillH]

Originally Posted by JLee9718

I feel like the Redskins change from week to week. One week it's running, then the next it's passing, but never with any logical plan. The offense doesn't have any faith in the defense, and the defense doesn't have any faith in the offense.

Cant agree with you there. I think it was Marcus Washington that said in the locker room after the game that part of the reason they were able to hold the Dallas Offense to a 3 and out late in the game was that the D saw "a fire in our offenses eyes. We wanted to get the ball back to them; we really thought they would score for us."

I think this team is finally starting to trust each other and play for one another.

As far as if we should shift our offensive strategy I have to give an emphatic yes. I think it was Randel El who said something to the effect of: "Jason is comfortable running the spread offense, and thats what he wants to do. Its what WE want to do." and Cooley: "It makes everyone out there more of a threat. When we do that it allows everyone to get the catches they should."

I would like to see us continue to spread the field and play no huddle, and do it early. If we can keep defenses guessing and keep them on their heels we'll be able to do anything we want offensively. Portis will still be able to contribute, and in this scenario he'll most likely have more room to run. And he is totally on board from what he says...he would rather be winning then getting all the carries and padding his stats, plus it seems he loves to smash people in the face when pass blocking.

This team seems to want this fast-paced gunslinging offense to be their identity, and if we start to get early leads we'll be able to slow it down an pound it out, because they wont be able to disregard Campbell's arm, it will be in the back of their minds that he could put the nail in the coffin if they dont protect against the big play.

We'll see what happens next week, but Campbell seems to be the man.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by WillH

Cant agree with you there. I think it was Marcus Washington that said in the locker room after the game that part of the reason they were able to hold the Dallas Offense to a 3 and out late in the game was that the D saw "a fire in our offenses eyes. We wanted to get the ball back to them; we really thought they would score for us."

I think this team is finally starting to trust each other and play for one another.

As far as if we should shift our offensive strategy I have to give an emphatic yes. I think it was Randel El who said something to the effect of: "Jason is comfortable running the spread offense, and thats what he wants to do. Its what WE want to do." and Cooley: "It makes everyone out there more of a threat. When we do that it allows everyone to get the catches they should."

I would like to see us continue to spread the field and play no huddle, and do it early. If we can keep defenses guessing and keep them on their heels we'll be able to do anything we want offensively. Portis will still be able to contribute, and in this scenario he'll most likely have more room to run. And he is totally on board from what he says...he would rather be winning then getting all the carries and padding his stats, plus it seems he loves to smash people in the face when pass blocking.

This team seems to want this fast-paced gunslinging offense to be their identity, and if we start to get early leads we'll be able to slow it down an pound it out, because they wont be able to disregard Campbell's arm, it will be in the back of their minds that he could put the nail in the coffin if they dont protect against the big play.

We'll see what happens next week, but Campbell seems to be the man.

Good post, Will. Not just because I was thinking the same thing, but it seems to me that Gibbs and Co. have been trying to force a round peg into a square hole for the longest. The no-huddle, more fast paced offense may suit our personnel a little better than run, run, run and wear 'em down philosophy. I guess time will ultimately tell.

I still believe the attack must have some balance, but balance doesn't always mean equal distribution and 50/50 play calling. If you noticed yesterday, even Jason's pass distribution to his receivers were pretty balanced and not so one dimensional. A good step forward for this team.

[JLee9718]

By the way, if we had Richie Petitbon instead of Greg Williams, we would have beaten Dallas (It hurt to even write that name!). Then we wouldn't be talking about flipping the script!

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by JLee9718

By the way, if we had Richie Petitbon instead of Greg Williams, we would have beaten Dallas (It hurt to even write that name!). Then we wouldn't be talking about flipping the script!

Man, that name almost brought a tear to my eye. How the mighty have fallen.

How long you been on Warpath?

[skinsfan_nn]

I think we have been trying to be a balanced offensive team, up until the last two games we haven't been hitting the WR's with frequency.

The script has been fine all along, we just have had poor execution.

Keep the offense balanced and we are in good shape, if you can run the ball and pass the ball effectively. What a threat a team brings to the table with a truely balanced attack.

IMO we don't want to ever be a one dimensional team with the talent we have on both sides of the ball.

[Schneed10]

It's just funny how this time last week, everyone was screaming to put the load on Clinton Portis and ride the workhorse. Now that Campbell had a big day, necessitated by passing to catch up, everyone wants to see us pass all the time.

How about this, we put together a complete offensive performance where we're both running and passing effectively?

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

It's just funny how this time last week, everyone was screaming to put the load on Clinton Portis and ride the workhorse. Now that Campbell had a big day, necessitated by passing to catch up, everyone wants to see us pass all the time.

How about this, we put together a complete offensive performance where we're both running and passing effectively?

Yep, I was the main culprit in fact. But my thing is, if we're going to declare we're a smashmouth team, then let's ride CP for a good number of carries in doing so. (We don't have to re-hash that argument, by the way)

But I've always, and still do, believe that our offense is more geared and suited toward a spread offense implementing the no-huddle offense; faster pace. In other words, while I think we are very capable of playing smash mouth football, I think persononal wise, we're actually more finesse than we'd probably like to admit.

I'm not jumping ship, but I'd prefer to see more of what we've seen the past two games.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

It's just funny how this time last week, everyone was screaming to put the load on Clinton Portis and ride the workhorse. Now that Campbell had a big day, necessitated by passing to catch up, everyone wants to see us pass all the time.

How about this, we put together a complete offensive performance where we're both running and passing effectively?

I think everyone would like to see us put together an offensive performance where we are running and passing effectively. I wouldn't mind, however, seeing us go with a run-heavy approach with teams like the Jets and a pass-heavy approach with teams like Dallas.