Forget about the offensive side of the ball. The game will be won and lost on defense. If we can't stop Portis and Betts, the game is over. We are going to have to committ 8 men to the running game and hopefull the corners can have a good game. The pressue on Clemens is going to be immense. Home game, first start as the starter with expectations compared to Baltimore. The defense has to step up.
Well, here's my thinking on that. This week, we'll probably see a few JMac sightings. If, by some amazing stroke of luck, Mac is able to perform, he may earn some more time down the road. However, I think the big reason JMac has been seen catching (or at least being near) Clemens' passes is because they were both second stringers together. There was a rapport built of necessity, not desire. After the bye, once Clemens has had a few weeks of regular reps with Coles, Cotch, and Smith, I'm pretty sure JMac is going to be spending practices tossing the ball around with Chad.
Look, you know I'm as anti-Chad as anyone else at this point. The thing is, if we're all honest with ourselves here, the coaching staff, particularly the coordinators, have been quite unimaginative with the playcalling thus far. That did limit Chad, as his best plays came on things like play fakes and designed screens. I'm not saying Chad would have had a much better season if the playcalling was better, but I do think we'd have seen more from him if the book was opened past page 1.
DEFENSE... WE HAVE NO DEFENSE. Eventually you guys are going to come around to it. Some of those games we lost Chad hurt us with the picks. I realize that. But expecting a rookie QB to come in and be able to get it ALL right and compensate for the sieve that is our defense is asking a bit much, don't ya think?
The defense has kept us in every game this year. And Washington has problems on BOTH sides of the ball due to injuries. And against common opponents, they havent exactly lit it up. Against Miami, the put up 16. Against Philly 20. Against NYG 17. Against NE 7. This team is not better than we are.
Sieve? 16 points to Philly? 13 to Buffalo? 17 to Buffalo ? 20 to Baltimore? They did give up 31 points to Cincy and the Giants, but we were IN both of those games, and the last time I looked Jason Campbell was not playing like Manning or Palmer... But once again, I hate to point it out, while you whine about the defense you failed to asnswer the original question I asked..... Excepting the losses to NE (outmatched) and Baltimore (WR's dropsies)...which of the other losses cannot be place squarely on poor QB play.... ?
No disputing that. Even Paul Hackett manages a better game plan these last 5 weeks, considering the limitations of the QB. My hope here, is that Clemens not being sub par, we dont have to rely on someone on the Coaching staff being able to figure out a way to do something extraordianary.
Coach Joe Gibbs announced that starting cornerback Carlos Rogers likely will be out for the season with a right knee injury. Rogers left Sunday's 52-7 loss to the New England Patriots after he was hurt making a tackle on running back Kevin Faulk with 6:25 to play in the first quarter. "The doctors are still analyzing and when they are done I will give you the final results on it," Gibbs said at his Monday press conference. "It looks like it is going to be something that will keep him out for the rest of the year. ADVERTISEMENT "Carlos is a real tough guy. This guy comes up and will smack you. We love his attitude and he is very competitive. He is continuing to mature and get better and better. Jerry (Gray, secondary cornerbacks coach) feels the same way. That is something that we will have to overcome." Washington expects cornerback Fred Smoot, who missed Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, to be ready to play next week.
The last time I posted something on this the defense was giving up an avg of 27 points a game. Prior to this one against Buffalo. Last year their avg was 18 so they certainly have some work to do. Meanwhile the offense was avg the same as it was last year and Chad's TD/INT ratio is/was roughly the same (which I have already admitted is sucking). The defensive woes we have suffered are nothing yet because aside from Cincy & NE at the start of the year we haven't faced a real offensive team this year - but we will. I see us giving up even more points than before. The truth is that the Defensive side of the ball is a much bigger issue than our offense, regardless of the handful of games that Chad threw picks in at the end.
Don't forget, one of Washington's starting CB's, Carlos Rogers, is out with a bad knee. He was injured in the 1st Quarter of the Patriots game on Sunday. I'm not sure who his replacement was, but this probably allowed Brady to basically pick away at that side at will.
Actually, they looked a little better *gulp* Harris looks like the real deal inside in the 3-4. He made several big tackles and did not wiff on any he had the chance to make. If the Kid keeps progressing along as he has so far we have a real warrior on our hands.
6 Points against the Bills is as big an issue as you can get. We know the defense if bad but this is not supposed to happen on offense. Under any circumstance.
Hey you think Pete Kendall is gonna shake mangini's hand at the end of the game? Its almost worth sticking around at the end of the game to see. um i think not.
Good, well I hope they win going into the bye week. Flying up there for the Steelers game, that would make it worth it a little.
I just want somebody from our squad to own Kendall. Oh, I always am happy to beat Snyder and the Skins. I'm pretty pumped up for this game.
Up until the Buffalo game the offense this year is averaging the same amount of points as it did all of last year. The offense was more or less doing what it did last year. The difference has been that the defense is not stopping teams from scoring as much as it did last year. I'm not saying the offense is good mind you, because it has sucked (Chad most of all at this point), but the defense is still a bigger issue. Just wait another 4-5 games and we'll see. Maybe something will click on the defense or they will figure it out from coaching perspective, but so far I would bet the farm we end up getting spanked pretty good down the stretch, and our offense won't change much from Chad to Kellen for the most part. Hopefully, fewer last min INT's when the game is on the line.
As an ex player I enjoyed playing pissed off teams. They seemed to be easier to beat and definately less focused and easier to wind up. Could work in our favour. Bender getting some reps is great. Clarke has been shit like alot of others.Too bad we don't have about 15-20 picks next draft.
