"Offensive" Analysis

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

2007-0 games

2006-3 games

2005-6 games

2004-2 games

This is is the number of times over the past 3+ seasons that we have scored 24 or more points in a game, the benchmark for a quality winning offensive team. 21.5% of the games we've played in the past 4 years we've accomplished that benchmark. Much of our consternation the past couple of days about the offense still being too conservative and not producing enough points is supported by the numbers.

Currently we're 21st in scoring (17.7 ppg), 17th in total offense.. Last year we were 20th in scoring (19.2 ppg), 13th in total offense.. 2005, 13th in scoring (22.4 ppg), 11th in offense and 2004 31st in scoring (15.0 ppg) and 30th in offense..

Everyone knows that we're working with a QB with 10 career starts and a retooled OL but something's not right when with the talent we have on offense we have consistently had trouble scoring 3 TD a game. Last year we got all excited about the return to 'Redskins Football' at the end of the year, yet we still put up a 2-5 record down the stretch..

I'm not climbing aboard the 'Fire Gibbs/Saunders' train, but I'm continuing to wonder if JG17 (as I've nicknamed him for his penchant to get to 17 pts and take the air out of the football regardless of when it is in the game) isn't stuck too much in his ways to embrace what needs to happen to be successful in today's NFL..

Honestly I think alot of it is and was the QB play. Brunell was up and down for 2 1/2 years. Now we have got JC who has a ton of physical ability but he is just not a polished NFL QB yet. He needs to get a full season of starting under his belt. Plus stay in the same system too. Plus I think we need a big physical red zone WR.

I'm also one to believe that we need to mix things up. It's like everyone in this town and on the coaching staff acts like if we don't run we can't win. That mindset is so stuck in everyones head that I think it's hurting the passing game. We need to be able to do both but frankly our passing game has not been that good for the last three years. It's a struggle to get 200 + yards. Does anyone realize that only Moss and ARE are the only 2 wr's on our team that has caught a pass? Sorry but I find it hard to imagine that Lloyd is that bad. Santana has how many drops this season? Get Lloyd in the game and throw the guy the damn ball and see what he can do.

JC looks like he can run the hurry up offense pretty well. Why didn't we try it earlier in the 2nd half when we were not moving the ball? I just think when things are not going well you have to try and be a little more creative than we have been.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by BrunellMVP?

Not that I think this sheds much light, but since 2004, we've won 8 games by over 7 points (I only looked bc someone asked...)

once in 2006, 5 times in 2005, and 2 in 2004.

Add that to the stat that we've lost 12 games in the past 4 years that we've held an 11 or more point lead and it underscores even more the need for us to put our foot on the opponent's neck when we have the lead and keep trying to score!

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

24 points seems like a pretty high benchmark. An offense that can put up more than 24 on a consistent basis is a very, very good offensive football team.

Field position also has a lot to do with the number of points a team scored. We don't get turnovers, virtually ever. Sunday was the exception, not the rule with us. It's sad that we couldn't capitalize on a 3 turnover day from the defense, but if they are going to consistently get our offense backed up into their own end, then they have little to complain about on days like Sunday.

The 2005 figure shows the one year when our defense could force the turnover, and our offense was good enough to punch it in. The last three seasons, our offense, albeit inconsistently, has shown the ability to go up and down the field. The difference between 05 and 06 was almost exclusively defensive.

This year, we have a kicking game (finally). If the defense can force 2-3 turnovers week in and week out without letting the opposing offense chew up all the clock, the offense will have no issue putting up 24 points every week.

24 points puts us in the 8-12 range of scoring offenses in the NFL.. You need to be there in order to be a consistent winner. There are very few teams, if you look at the stats from those years, that are in the top 12 in scoring that were not playoff teams.

[WillH]

There are some very good points in this thread. We definitely need to score more points to be a serious contender in this league. Look at the Pats and Colts, and the Cowboys for that matter. If it hadn't been for that botched hold by Romo their offensive success last year would have brought them to the Super Bowl. We really, really need to put up more points.

That said I think as Campbell learns the ins and outs of the NFL our offense will start soring more points. Hopefully it will be in time to make a run for the playoffs THIS YEAR. If not, I think we have enough young talent on this team to compete over the next few years, and next year we'll see a polished explosive qb in JC.

[RobH4413]

Offensive Breakdown: Redskins vs Giants | postgameheroes.com

In case you care... here's an offensive analysis from postgameheroes.com

I'm pretty sure we've all covered pretty much everything here, which is why I didn't start a new thread.

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by Paintrain

Add that to the stat that we've lost 12 games in the past 4 years that we've held an 11 or more point lead and it underscores even more the need for us to put our foot on the opponent's neck when we have the lead and keep trying to score!

That is a galling stat. The irony here is that the Saunders coached offenses in KC and St Louis always put the pedal to the metal even after building leads. If Gibbs would get out of the way and allow Saunders to keep defenses off balance, you'd see at least 3-4 blowout victories a season. I fear that with the significant OL injuries, Gibbs banking on a conservative approach to salt games away will cost us 2 or 3 more games this season.

[Paintrain]

Originally Posted by RobH4413

Offensive Breakdown: Redskins vs Giants | postgameheroes.com

In case you care... here's an offensive analysis from postgameheroes.com

I'm pretty sure we've all covered pretty much everything here, which is why I didn't start a new thread.

Wow, 1-2 wide 48% of the snaps, almost double the previous games.. For a team struggling to stop the pass we leave their worst defenders on the sidelines for almost half of the offensive snaps??

[redsk1]

I think this is why the Giants game is so frustrating. I'm not trying to overreact to a loss, it's become more of a trend. I was kinda p***** when we only beat Miami by 3 at home, and we only beat Phili by 7 (when we really outplayed them by more than that).

It's very concerning b/c we've seen this over the last 4 years. Let's face it, we're going to lose alot of games if we don't score more than 20-24 pts in a game.

It wasn't so much the last 4 plays of the game last week it was the whole conservative approach to football that led us to that point.

I'm a redskins fan, so i love the running game no question. But when were getting stuffed over and over lets change some things up. Lets see what JC has, let's try to score some points and win the game. Let it fly. It seems like the only time we throw is when the defense knows its a pass.

Just frustrating to see it over and over...but I'm moving on. We should be able to put up some pts on Detroit.

[JWsleep]

Gibbs has a serious fear of turnovers--which is not a bad thing, but it sometimes keeps things conservative. And I don't think it's always the playcalling (lots of passes, with more than a few misses and drops) as much as a mentality that JG and co. put into the QB's head--DO NOT FORCE IT.

It's a fine balance, obviously, but we need our QB to be agressive. That will come with confidence, both JC's and JG's.

Look, JG knows how to score points. See the 88 and 91 teams. Everyoine says he's mister conservative, but that's not what history really shows, IMO. Yes, he had Riggins. But he also had Clark and Sanders. And he comes form the "Air Coryell" tree of coaches--that's not by necessity a conservative tree. And not to mention Saunders and his last few offensive teams.

I think we need 21 to be competive--it's tough to win "up here" with less. And 24 is probably more realistic for the good teams. My feeling is that were a bomb or two away--JC hasn't hit his stride there yet. Even on the completions, the WRs are making adjustments and usually falling down after the catch. When we start hitting the fly routes in stride, we're gonna get some points.

(Would be nice to get a D or specials TD once in a while as well!)

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by JWsleep

Gibbs has a serious fear of turnovers--which is not a bad thing, but it sometimes keeps things conservative. And I don't think it's always the playcalling (lots of passes, with more than a few misses and drops) as much as a mentality that JG and co. put into the QB's head--DO NOT FORCE IT.

It's a fine balance, obviously, but we need our QB to be agressive. That will come with confidence, both JC's and JG's.

Look, JG knows how to score points. See the 88 and 91 teams. Everyoine says he's mister conservative, but that's not what history really shows, IMO. Yes, he had Riggins. But he also had Clark and Sanders. And he comes form the "Air Coryell" tree of coaches--that's not by necessity a conservative tree. And not to mention Saunders and his last few offensive teams.

I think we need 21 to be competive--it's tough to win "up here" with less. And 24 is probably more realistic for the good teams. My feeling is that were a bomb or two away--JC hasn't hit his stride there yet. Even on the completions, the WRs are making adjustments and usually falling down after the catch. When we start hitting the fly routes in stride, we're gonna get some points.

(Would be nice to get a D or specials TD once in a while as well!)

Nice post. And good point about the adjustments on the deep balls. Remember ARE had to adjust on that catch against Miami. He catches that in stride it's 6 points. That will come with time I think with Campbell. As someone else pointed out, he doesn't have great touch on the short passes yet either.

[JWsleep]

BTW, here's a depressing set of facts from JLac: We're the worst team in the NFL since 2004 when leading at half time. 11 losses since 2004. Wow. Guess that makes the point.

Redskins Insider

[Beemnseven]

On SportsTalk 980, they said that since Gibbs has been back (starting in 2004) he's coached 53 total games. In only 17 of those games, has his offense scored more than 21 points.

I know we have relative inexperience at quarterback and injury issues along the O-line. But with Clinton Portis, who most people here consider to be a top five back, one of the top tight ends in the league in Chris Cooley, and Santana Moss, plus the one of the more highly respected offensive coordinators in the league, this should be the year we see marked improvement in scoring.

[redsk1]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

On SportsTalk 980, they said that since Gibbs has been back (starting in 2004) he's coached 53 total games. In only 17 of those games, has his offense scored more than 21 points.

I know we have relative inexperience at quarterback and injury issues along the O-line. But with Clinton Portis, who most people here consider to be a top five back, one of the top tight ends in the league in Chris Cooley, and Santana Moss, plus the one of the more highly respected offensive coordinators in the league, this should be the year we see marked improvement in scoring.

I think its alot to do w/ the QB position. I still believe that had we had an above average qb in 2005 we would have made it further, even though we were close to the Championship game.

It will be interesting to see if JC can step it up, because of the o-line injuries. We may not be able to just run the ball like we normally would. We just might have to establish the pass first. We need to do some serious "coachin em up."

[Twilbert07]

Great analysis. It is scary that we brought in Saunders and the number of times we score 24 or more is falling.

Bottom line is teams such as Dallas, New England and Green Bay (all undefeated and on our schedule in the next nine weeks) score in the 30's, so even 24 wouldn't be enough to beat them or hang close if the D reverts to 2006 form.

We need to air it out against the Lions and go on an offensive roll.

[MTK]

I think we will see an improvement in scoring this year but we're only 3 games in. In each game it seems we've been a play or two away from scoring in the 20's. It will happen.