Redskins Offense: What's the Problem?

[squrrelco3]

Without a doubt the line...much hey was made early on that they were not giving up a lot of sacks, but that had more to do with the quick passing and running game than the protection afforded Jason Campbell, now that teams are starting to adjust to Clinton and Santana's run after catch abilities, Jason can't even think about looking deep or he would get crushed...

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I agree. Heyer is not much of an asset in run blocking, but he's better than Jansen in pass protection and we need to see if he's a starting caliber tackle or a backup.

Heyer was crappy in the Gibbs' run blocking system, but he was money as a run blocker in the first three games.

In run blocking only, I have Heyer charted as +12/-5 in the simple "Dillweed-style" good block/bad block system. I also have him as +1/-1 in the screen game in that time. He was blowing up Tuck in the run game, which was no easy feat. Of course, Tuck was giving it right back to him in the passing game, so it came out as a wash.

Of course, if Tuck faces Jansen in 2 weeks, we will have two plays: "Moss/Cooley screen left", and "Campbell sacked".

[Drift Reality]

I think the issues with our offense run pretty deep but basically stem from the performance and depth of our offensive line in pass protection (it's hard to argue with their effectiveness running the ball throughout the season).

I believe we have two outstanding pass protecting linemen when healthy: Randy Thomas and Chris Samuels. We have two solid lineman in Rabach and Kendall and one sub-par lineman in John Jansen.

I believe Samuels is not healthy however so I think at the ends, which is where a great deal of pressure is coming from, we are pretty much sub-par. I think you can mask this weakness against average defenses but we have been exploited against two of the two pass rushing defenses in the league. It's as simple as that.

We'll continue to be fine (I believe) against average pass rushes but until we get a star at right tackle and left guard and get Samuels healthy, we'll continue to see Campbell hurt by top-tier defenses.

[GTripp0012]

For the season, we're significantly above average in Offensive DVOA fwiw:

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Football analysis and NFL stats for the Moneyball era - Authors of Pro Football Prospectus 2008

I think any "problems" with the offense has to be based on the last two games in which we 1) looked utterly pathetic, 2) turned the ball over three times, 3) made no major plays down the field, and 4) generally did not move the ball regardless of field position.

My question to everyone on the Warpath (pun intended) is this: since we're so concerned about the state of the offense to the point that we can't mention everything else, what makes these last two games more meaningful to us than the prior seven. Because seven is a bigger number than two.

Might it just be just because these games are fresh in our minds? Because the Cowboys game was coming off a bye week (ignoring of course that the 'Boys were also coming off bye), because it was the Cowboys in general?

Or might we just be overreacting to the issues on the offensive side of the ball...

We certainly have been horseshit on offense lately, but with the exact same players, we've been great. Can't it be turned around?

[53Fan]

I think it can be turned around. I think the reason people are so upset is because number1, we could have put the Cowboys DOWN. We could have for all intents and purposes closed out any chance they had of going to the playoffs. To lose to the Cowgirls at home anytime is a bummer, but especially when this game was so important to them and to us. The 2nd thing ,for me personally, and I'm sure some others felt this way is, I was expecting this offense to improve not regress. That's VERY disappointing. Can we turn it around? Yes we can. Will we? That depends on the players and the coaches. But yes, we can.

[cdskins26]

If we cannot protect the QB, we cannot generate offense, and therefore cannot score points.

[A10sROCK]

OL is the key; although there are other problem areas. Teams know we are a running team and are playing against that - making our OL look worse.

WR dropping a lot of balls.

Jason Campbell is good, but does not do well with a pass rush. He needs time for a play to develop; which may always be a problem for him.

[GoSkins!]

I have to say that it is a combination of offensive line, play calling, and turnovers. We are moving the ball, but we are doing it without getting chunks (like Gibb's used to talk about). We can see that doing it this way requires the margin of error to be so small that it is almost impossible to score TD's regularly. It is exactly what our defense makes other teams do so that we can hold them to low scores.
We need to see if we can trust Devin Thomas in a couple of jump ball situations. If we can, that creates serious pressure on defenses to have to cover him and Moss.
We can usually get the time to throw deep when we go play action and roll Jason out. That is on the coaches. Also, we don't try teh long ball enough. That is on the coaches.
Turnovers is on the players. Also, Rabach and Jansen are stuggling on the line in pass protection. One of the two needs to raise his level of play for us to go very far.

[CRedskinsRule]

I wish people would stop saying we don't TRY the long ball. If you define try as JZ calling a long ball, I think we have been trying. We just haven't been successful due to overthrows, dropped balls, wrong routes or bad pass blocking. Maybe we should do more, but when they've been called, we just haven't executed. (also maybe thats why the O is slowing down, cuz he is trying to get these type plays into the offense more than he did at first)

[WaldSkins]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

For the season, we're significantly above average in Offensive DVOA fwiw:

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Football analysis and NFL stats for the Moneyball era - Authors of Pro Football Prospectus 2008

I think any "problems" with the offense has to be based on the last two games in which we 1) looked utterly pathetic, 2) turned the ball over three times, 3) made no major plays down the field, and 4) generally did not move the ball regardless of field position.

My question to everyone on the Warpath (pun intended) is this: since we're so concerned about the state of the offense to the point that we can't mention everything else, what makes these last two games more meaningful to us than the prior seven. Because seven is a bigger number than two.

Might it just be just because these games are fresh in our minds? Because the Cowboys game was coming off a bye week (ignoring of course that the 'Boys were also coming off bye), because it was the Cowboys in general?

Or might we just be overreacting to the issues on the offensive side of the ball...

We certainly have been horseshit on offense lately, but with the exact same players, we've been great. Can't it be turned around?

When were we great???

[dmvskinzfan08]

O-LINE SUCKS!! Plus we need a solid secondray receiver. I hope Malcom or Devin can step up. ARE hasn't produced lately. He is at best playing at the level of a 3rd or 4th receiver..

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by WaldSkins

[/b]


When were we great???

Games 2-5, and sporatically in games 6-8 (usually only in the 4th Qtr).

[53Fan]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

I wish people would stop saying we don't TRY the long ball. If you define try as JZ calling a long ball, I think we have been trying. We just haven't been successful due to overthrows, dropped balls, wrong routes or bad pass blocking. Maybe we should do more, but when they've been called, we just haven't executed. (also maybe thats why the O is slowing down, cuz he is trying to get these type plays into the offense more than he did at first)

I can't speak for anyone else, but when I'm talking about stretching the field by going long, I mean throwing it, not just calling it. I know I know, we can't throw it if we don't have time, we can't throw it if the players aren't running the correct routes, etc. What I mean is this. Romo threw a pass into tight coverage to a rookie tightend and won the game. Horton was on the receiver like white on rice and he threw it anyway. It won them the game. Would JC have thrown the ball in the exact circumstance or would he have checked down? Sometimes you have to take a chance and at least let the defense know you are going to take a shot. JC is doing what he's told. Sometimes you need to go for it and give your receiver a chance to make the play. Some people would say we do try. Did'nt we throw to Santana and he dropped it? That's one play out of a whole game. ONE. And if he would of held it, we might have won the game. I'd say that makes it worth the try. Are we so good that we don't need to take chances? I don't think so. If we continue to just take what the defense gives us, we're in trouble because lately they have'nt been giving us s**t. We can't always allow the defense to dictate the play of our offense. From what I've been reading I believe we are going to try to open things up a little bit and maybe get Kelly and Thomas a little more involved in the offense. I think we're at the point of doing it out of neccessity, not because it's a perfect situation or the rooks know all their stuff now or we have the perfect coverage on our receivers. To move forward, sometimes you just have to go for it. I'm really HOPING the o-line starts stepping up, maybe completing a few 15-20-25 yard passes will keep the opponents "D" from bringing the farm every down.

[SirClintonPortis]

I think QB accuracy decreases when their vision is obscured. That translates into picks and if that happens, expect more of the same from the enemy defense. Also, I think Campbell actually had time on that play. Anytime a 5 or 4 WR set is used, I get the feeling Campbell is going to be under pressure and the play will fail miserably.

[ArcticRed]

This year seems nearly the same as last year, the skins move the ball fairly well between the 20s but struggle in the redzone. Last year many of us were saying the same thing, we need a 2nd receiver or the oline as JC was being harrased alot.

My question is why is it when TC stepped in and our offense did better, including the redzone?

My thought is that JC was/still is reluctant to take chances. I think not having a 2nd receiver or oline contributes it, but how much is it their fault and how much of it is JCs?