Yeah, we play Washington on Sunday. At home, no less, as 3.5 point underdogs. And we have a brand new quarterback in the game, so this game is intriguing to say the least. Does anyone actually want to talk about the game? I know it's only Tuesday morning, and I'm hoping tomorrow some people will want to mention it later, so I'll leave this thread for the morning crew to grill.
I'd love to talk about the coming game. Looking at the past is no fun at this point. Sundayjack made a very good point yesterday. Washington is looking at getting some "revenge" this week after getting the score run up on them. That doesn't make for good times for our young QB, nor our maligned defense. This is a bigger game than it should be. The CS really has to have this team geared up, and that playbook had better have some creativity thrown into it this week, and I don't mean yet another third down trick play. Open up the offense, and give Clemens a chance to spread the field. Put the ball in TJ's hands early and often. We're teetering on an edge right now. While many are happy about the QB change, including myself, it has to be worthwhile. That means actually allowing him to use his ability, rather than handcuffing him. Let's be honest, Chad was handcuffed, regardless of any perceived (right or wrong) inability to do any particular thing. It's on the CS now to not only motivate a deflated team, but to give them the tools (plays) to allow them to not only stay in the game, but to try to win. As angry and depressed as I am about this year, I think this team is still more talented than the record shows. We're obviously not a playoff team, but that doesn't mean we can't, or shouldn't, compete. It's all on Manigini/Schotty/Sutton now. Let's see what they do with this "second season".
From today's articles: Rookie OL Jacob Bender will begin to get more playing time immediately, likely taking over for LG Adrien Clarke, who has been spotty at best this season and had a particularly poor game. The Jets will face a familiar OL this week: Kendall: There's no hard feelings Tuesday, October 30, 2007 BY DAVE HUTCHINSON Star-Ledger Staff HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Former Jets guard Pete Kendall said that, Sunday's 52-7 loss to the Patriots notwithstanding, life is great as a Washington Redskin. He moved his wife, Michelle, and three kids from Massachusetts to the Washington area 10 days after being traded by the Jets. He enrolled the kids in school and is a full-time dad. He's starting at left guard. The Redskins are a respectable 4-3. "And I got the raise I was looking for," Kendall told The Star-Ledger yesterday from his cell phone while driving home from Redskins Park. Kendall, a three-year starter with the Jets, will face his ex-teammates for the first time on Sunday at Giants Stadium. He was traded to the Redskins in August for a conditional mid-round draft pick following a bitter contract dispute over $1 million. "It'll be different," said Kendall, who signed a two-year, $5 million deal with the Redskins. "It's not the more traditional situation where you're away from a team for an entire off-season. A few weeks ago I was coming out of that locker room (at Giants Stadium) for a preseason game. I don't know what it's going to be like." Kendall, 34, said he doesn't have anything to prove because it was never about his ability. He said he doesn't have time to dwell on what happened and gets no joy out of the Jets' dismal record (1-7). He refused to gloat when told his replacement, Adrien Clarke, is struggling. "I still stay in contact with some of those guys," Kendall said. "I really like those guys. I'm disappointed for them. I know the expectations were pretty high." Right guard Brandon Moore got the $1 million raise Kendall wanted, signing a six-year extension worth more than $16 million a few weeks after Kendall was dealt. "I wasn't surprised they did that and I think it was the right thing to do," Kendall said. "I was happy for Brandon. In this business, you see that a lot. Somebody else gets a little sugar. I just think the Jets made the decision that they weren't going to do it for me and that's fine. "There really aren't any hard feelings. We had two good years together sandwiched around the disaster (2005). I went to the playoffs for the first time in my career. The situation got resolved and I hope both sides are happy."
Washington is going to be one really pissed off team after what the Pats did last week. This is not a good week to be facing them.
Redskins wonder what happened after being humbled by Patriots Associated Press ASHBURN, Va. -- On the day after, Marcus Washington looked to the heavens for a way to recover from a 45-point loss. "When I woke up, the sun came up," the Washington Redskins linebacker said Monday. "That was a good sign. That's something I can build off of." Certainly nothing that happened during the sun's previous journey across the sky gave the Redskins any inkling they are approaching the elite status expected when coach Joe Gibbs returned in 2004. Washington was routed 52-7 on Sunday by coach Bill Belichick and the unbeaten New England Patriots. It was Washington's worst loss since a 53-0 drubbing by the New York Giants during the 1-12-1 season of 1961. "They made the game look easy," said bewildered defensive end Demetric Evans. "I know I was out there giving everything I had, but it was like it didn't matter. What is it? Is Belichick that good of a coach?" The loss is the worst in Gibbs' Hall of Fame career, but history shows that's not necessarily a bad sign. His previous worst came two years ago during the same week of the season, a 36-0 debacle against the New York Giants that dropped Washington's record to 4-3, the same as it is now. The Redskins recovered from that shutout to defeat Philadelphia the following week and eventually made the playoffs, proving claim one bad loss doesn't have to derail the entire season. "I'm going to make a note of that," Gibbs said when reminded of that sequence of events. "... As a coach you're always rasslin' with 'What do you say?"' The few starters present Monday when the locker room was open to reporters already were coming up with their own motivational notes. "If you get down in the dumps for losing against a team like that, you shouldn't be here," receiver Santana Moss said. "What's done is done. They showed us how they were, and we had nothing to answer for it. All we can do is look at it and feel awful about it, or look at it and say 'Hey, we experienced it, and let's try not to go that route again."' However, there is the sense the Redskins would be cooked if they lose next week's game against the New York Jets, who are 1-7 and on Monday benched Chad Pennington for second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens after their fifth straight defeat. With NFC East rivals Dallas and the Giants seemingly headed for the playoffs, Washington can't afford to follow a loss to a good team with a loss to a bad team. "The Jets will definitely be a big game for us," Evans said. "On the road again, another AFC opponent ... just to give us confidence that we still are a good team." A blowout is sometimes the product of a team simply having a bad day -- certainly the loss to the Giants in 2005 felt that way. However, the game against the Patriots reinforced that the Redskins are a mediocre team with plenty of weaknesses. New England showed the rest of the league how to attack Washington's deep zone: Run the ball and dump short passes to the running backs in the flat and the slot receiver over the middle. The Patriots' 486 yards sent the Redskins plummeting from No. 1 to No. 6 in the NFC in yards allowed, and cornerback Carlos Rogers was lost for the season with a knee injury. That's nothing compared to the offensive problems. The Redskins are now the only team in the NFL without a touchdown pass to a wide receiver. Clinton Portis is averaging 2.7 yards per carry in his last three games. Moss has 49 yards receiving in his last three games. Jason Campbell fumbled three times while being sacked and failed to throw for 200 yards for the third time this season. The offensive line might never recover from early season injuries to starters Jon Jansen and Randy Thomas. This was supposed to be the year the offense clicked under assistant coach Al Saunders, but Gibbs retains a heavy influence on that side of the ball, creating an appearance of dueling philosophies that don't mix well. "We can keep saying the reasons why we're not doing what we want to do, but can we go out there and do it?" Moss said. "I feel like we can do it; we just have to go out there and do it." Note: Some players groused about the Patriots running up the score, but Gibbs said the solution is not to get blown out in the first place. "If we put ourselves in a situation like that, then I'm not going to be somebody who's going to complain about that," Gibbs said. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
And Gibbs is a HOF head coach and has a great staff I suspect after the way BB outcoached him and his staff he is going to be looking to really outcoach Mangini in a big way this weekend.
If the Redskins was so good they wouldn't have lost to the Pats worse then the Jets did. The Jets should be the one's pissed off about the whole season, they need to came together with KC and finally kick someone's ass. I am looking for them to win at HOME going into the bye week..
We faced them in week 1 when they really didn't seem to know what they had. Since then they have only gotten better (and angrier after spygate).
Nice blurb about Bender starting- I really want to see what this guy can offer the team. Clarke was terrible last week, definitely the weakest link on the line. Everyone was big on Bender's potential- only one way to find out.
Gibbs would out coach Mandoofus if he went to the NASCAR track and watched his cars smash into the walls instead of coming to Jets stadium at all; in fact – the tire changer from Tony Stewart’s team would probably out coach him (front tire changer – he has to be smarter than the rear tire changer because he has to avoid getting runned-over).
My 8 year old told me its possible that the jets win out. I reminded him that they still have to play NE, Pitt and Dallas -- 2 on the road. He said ok -- maybe theyll drop one more.
Washington has a very, very good defense, with two of the best safeties in the league..... Jason Campbell is still learning at QB, but their running game will gash us if the defense doesn't step up again.... I'm hoping to see even more Pouha at T and Robertson at DE this week... Pouha has been getting better and better on the nose whenever he's gotten chances... We're going to have to pound TJ again, if we want Kellen to have a shot vs the defense... They're going to bring the house to try and disrupt him, so, although I know Clarke hasn't been too good, I don't want to see Bender getting too many reps at LG, as pass protection has been his weak spot.... I'll post more thoughts on this game after class...
Pissed off or not, Washington just isnt very good. Will they come in here hot? Yes...Big F*ng deal. Clemens will outplay Campbell. He may make a mistake or two, but the game is about who makes the fewest mistakes, and through the course of this season, if you cut down on the QB mistakes we are no worse than 3 losses. Right now, we are better than this team. And this defense is made for a QB's first start.
I think more than Clemens, we need TJ to have a big day. He has to open the ground game, and we also need to mix in a healthy dose of Leon. That should allow Clemens the time to pass, and let our WRs remember what it's like to get downfield to make a catch. As hard as it is, I am trying to keep a positive look on this week. We have a shot to turn things around this week. Let's hope the CS can get a good gameplan together.
Early on expect see 8 and 9 men up close with disguised blitzes. The CS needs to go away from the LoS with 3 and 5 step drops and in cuts early, maybe some screens... I would not be surprised to see alot of shotgun early... I think from here on in, offensive failures fall on the OC.
Good points. Basically, use the quick passes to set up the run, to set up the long ball. Which is actually what the CS should have been doing with Chad in the first place anyway. (In that respect, Chad got a raw deal.) I totally agree with you. If this offense doesn't generate, the burden is on Schotty, and by extension Mangini. Preparation is going to be critical. (Again, in fairness to Chad, 95% of the time, he executed the play as designed. Sure, there was a huge issue in his arm strength that led to problems, but enough problems were caused thanks to poor play calling to make it something that needs to change quickly.) There are no more excuses. Either things change, or the sound of an axe grinder is going to be clearly heard.
I think when you guys go to thinking we can actually beat anyone other than the Dolphins this year, it is going to make for an ugly Monday following the game. While winning is always nice, it is more important to see our young buck not get hammered and to get some quality experience against some of the better D's in the league. Wishful thinking is just going to get your ego's bruised again.
Part of me wonders whether we'll see the JMAC / KC connection which you heard so much about in the pre-season and TC. Note that there was a JMAC sighting when KC took to the field, due in no small part to the fact that Coles didn't know where he was at that very moment.
Not really. Chad can't throw a quick pass, anywhere...Particularly 12-15 yards down field. Look at it this way...a wr runs a 4.5 40 in pads, 1.5 to 2 seconds to drop back and get the ball out hard, and where would that guy be? Almost 15 yards down field cutting away from the coverage....For Chad to make that throw the ball is in the air long enough for the guy to run the whole 40.
