For Redskins, same problem; RGIII...

[Larry Gude]

You're all ####ing nuts. This is blatant "the grass is always greener" bull####. Be happy you have a QB that did a great job in 2012 that, should he get healthy again, gives you a chance to be competitive in the East. It's pretty apparent Cousins hasn't outperformed him in REAL gameday situations yet. Maybe he should try to get a WIN first and stop giving the other team the ball.

Let's get this straight; The RGIII era in DC is over. The only question is how long before the team acknowledges it and moves on to the next blunder.

His 2012 season had 3 things going for it; he was healthy, the read/option was a gimmick and the rest of the team was behind him in all the excitement.

In the mean time, Mike Shanahan single handedly destroyed this kids career by leaving him in the Seattle game. What else is the head coach there for if NOT to know, by experience, when to pull a kid and say 'Good job. I can't let you get hurt any more'???

In the mean time, NFL defenses took all of ONE off season to go back and look at everyone's senior year and remind them how to play the option. The gimmick is OVER. Kapernick. Wilson, Griffin, it has run it's very short course.

That one year gave Robert ENORMOUS room, and VERY open receivers so his marginal accuracy wasn't tested. Now, it is. He does not throw a good cross. He does not throw a good out. He does not throw an accurate bomb by top NFL standards. His motion is ALL over the place. Picture Brees, Peyton, Brady, hell, Andy Dalton, they ALL have polished motions that repeat. THAT is where accuracy starts. We can all see Elway, Marino, Montana, accuracy is about repetition, mechanics, motion. RGIII's footwork is AWFUL. He reads slow.

And, I'm sorry. After all the crap with the last coaches, the owners pet, all that, the team is not behind him like they were. And the team is very much changing. Fletcher is gone. The new 'leader' on the D, is D Hall. That's like having an arsonist on the fire department.

And worst of all, Robert pleaded with and got the new head coach to let him ignore the 'your down' rules in training camp, allowing him to run out plays and improvise as though he was still at Baylor and was the fastest guy on the field, by far. We've already seen the results; he's been POUNDED, several times. For NOTHING. His vaunted athleticism doesn't seem to include the basic skill that even gangly Tom Brady can handle; sliding.

The kid's confidence is not there. He's trying to make it happen, like he did in '12 but, that horse has left the barn. Just think of the pressure on him, 3 #1 picks. All this praise and hope. A season ending injury is virtually guaranteed. And, even if he doesn't run into train wrecks he's not comfortable in the pocket so, that's marginal, at best.

I feel bad for him. I really do. He never had the goods to start as a rookie. And now, what is he? Name one team of the following he'd start for: Philly, Dallas, NY Giants? Nope.

New England or Miami? Nope. Maybe the Jets or Bills.

Denver or SD or KC? Nope. Maybe the Raiders.

Indy? No. Jags, Texans, Titans? Maybe.

Pittsburgh, B'more or Cinncy? No. Cleveland? Sure.

San Fran, Seattle, Rams, no. Cards? OK.

Bucs? OK. Panthers, Saints? Nope. Falcons? Nope.

Packers, Bears, Lions? No. Vikes? OK.

7 teams. None in his own division. Maybe two in his conference.

Robert has had the full healthy off season. In a system, supposedly, tailor made for his skill set and what he wants to do. Has he looked sharp, at all? Remember that week they practiced with the Pats? Everyone wrote the same stuff; it was good for the Skins to see just how far they have to go to even be in the conversation.

Heck, even the radio is trying to make excuses, that they don't want to show anything to Houston and he'll come out running and gunning. Well, the good teams are on display every week, all season, year, after year after year. Unless it is a gimmick, there are no surprises in the NFL and gimmicks don't win. Execution wins. Making plays wins. Brady does the same crap over and over and over. They just do it very well. Same with the Steelers, Ravens, Seahawks, 49'ers, Giants.

There is hope. There is the dream that he'll get it going, that the line will settle, that the #10 Cancer, who got CUT, won't be a distraction, that a shaky secondary will be OK with a GREAT pass rush, that the running game and decent special teams will keep them in every game.

And then, it's up to Robert to execute. And not get snapped in half.

I HOPE I am wrong. Way wrong.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I think the worst thing that could ever happen to RG3 happened in 2012, instant success. He went from a respectful rookie wanting to learn, to do the best job he could do etc to an arrogant 2nd year QB that still had a lot of improving to do but instead seemed to focus on fame and getting his way above everything else. His best hope for an NFL career moving on is to ask to be converted to a receiver and the field goal holder.

I think Tim Tebow would have more continued success than RG3 and you know how that turned out.

 

[Grumpy]

I HOPE I am wrong. Way wrong.

Hater !

 

[Beta]

RGIII wants to be a pocket passer (his daddy said)..and if he wants to be a dual threat, how soon before one of his legs get ripped off?? RGIII can only be effective being what he is, and for what he is, his body won't hold up. He is a joy to watch and devastating to defenses, when healthy. He's welcome to prove me wrong, but he will not make it being a pocket qb. He will be no different than Heath Shuler, healthwise, an injury will end his career this year or next. My vote is to get out of the RGIII biz now, trade him.

As for Cousins' 3 games last year..with a team and managerment that was mailing it in?? Shirley you jest.

There's a fatal flaw in your understanding of "dual threat" -- you can be a pocket passer and still be mobile. My point is that one guy can run and the other can't. The threat of running is a nice addition. Even if he's mostly a pocket passer (like Russell Wilson, who Larry likes to compare to RGIII), that doesn't mean he can't get some yards with his legs when plays break down. Cousins can't do that, and I'm not sure the Skins OL is good enough for a pure pocket passer.

But if he only runs ~5 times a game instead of 15-20, and he learns how to slide, there's no reason why his body can't hold up. I don't disagree it puts him at more risk, and it will make him a little more prone to taking hits, but if you work with a moving pocket then it also has the possibility to reduce sacks that would otherwise occur. That could balance out.

I don't care what "team management" was doing when Cousins started. He was horrible. For as much as you bash on RGIII's season, why did Cousins have so many INTs? It's not like team management hadn't already "mailed it in" when the Skins were 3-6.

I think it has more to do with the game plan associated with each. The pocket passer plan is proven in the NFL, the dual thread QB has time and time again proven to be nothing but a way to have to replace your starting QB halfway through the season. How often was McNabb and Cunningham hurt? Name me one running QB that has been durable.

If any team wants to follow that model then they need to build their backup plans with similar QB's. the Redskins should have traded Cousins picked up another running QB for 2nd string and possibly held onto Pat White for 3rd string.

Dual threat QBs can do just fine in the NFL. Wilson is a dual threat and won the Super Bowl. Cam Newton has done well for 4 years. Colin Kaepernick took the 49ers to the NFC Title game in back to back seasons. Have you heard that Hall of Famer named Steve Young? Dual threat means you can physically run and occasionally use that to your advantage. It doesn't always mean the run/option game. It has worked in the NFL, but obviously the more you run, the higher likelihood of injuries. Then again, plenty of sitting duck pocket passers have been hurt and missed a season (Brady, Manning, Brees, Cutler, Bradford, etc), so it's not like it only happens to the guys with wheels.

 

[Grumpy]

Even if he's mostly a pocket passer (like Russell Wilson, who Larry likes to compare to RGIII),

The difference is that Wilson/Newton/Kaepernick have football bodies, RGIII doesn't. I know I come off as a hater, I've said since day one that he would be broken in half in the NFL. I would happy as hell to have him prove me wrong. Mark my words, in 2 years, RGIII will be a distant memory.

 

[Beta]

Let's get this straight; The RGIII era in DC is over. The only question is how long before the team acknowledges it and moves on to the next blunder.

I disagree with a lot of what you say, but I will agree with one thing: if the scheme isn't made for him, then it won't work out. If he's being asked to do things that don't fit his strengths, then the coaching staff is at fault. You can't ask Peyton Manning to run QB option and you can't ask RGIII to run a precision passing scheme (yet).

His 2012 season had 3 things going for it; he was healthy, the read/option was a gimmick and the rest of the team was behind him in all the excitement.

In the mean time, Mike Shanahan single handedly destroyed this kids career by leaving him in the Seattle game. What else is the head coach there for if NOT to know, by experience, when to pull a kid and say 'Good job. I can't let you get hurt any more'???

In the mean time, NFL defenses took all of ONE off season to go back and look at everyone's senior year and remind them how to play the option. The gimmick is OVER. Kapernick. Wilson, Griffin, it has run it's very short course.

The read/option is still working just fine. It will be forced to evolve, but that doesn't mean it won't work. That's not the only thing RGIII can do, though.

And you're saying it's OVER? Are you high? Seriously Larry, do you watch the NFL? Wilson just won the Super Bowl. Kaepernick was the challenger in the NFC title game. Newton's team was 12-4. 3 of the top 5 NFL teams (12-13 wins) had a dual threat QB, the other two teams having Manning and Brady as their QBs.

That one year gave Robert ENORMOUS room, and VERY open receivers so his marginal accuracy wasn't tested. Now, it is. He does not throw a good cross. He does not throw a good out. He does not throw an accurate bomb by top NFL standards. His motion is ALL over the place. Picture Brees, Peyton, Brady, hell, Andy Dalton, they ALL have polished motions that repeat. THAT is where accuracy starts. We can all see Elway, Marino, Montana, accuracy is about repetition, mechanics, motion. RGIII's footwork is AWFUL. He reads slow.

That's called offensive scheme. The Eagles and Dolphins run something like this. It worked great for the Eagles last year and the results look promising for Miami this year. Clearly it worked for the Skins in 2012. Why not run a scheme that fits your QB?

And, I'm sorry. After all the crap with the last coaches, the owners pet, all that, the team is not behind him like they were. And the team is very much changing. Fletcher is gone. The new 'leader' on the D, is D Hall. That's like having an arsonist on the fire department.

And worst of all, Robert pleaded with and got the new head coach to let him ignore the 'your down' rules in training camp, allowing him to run out plays and improvise as though he was still at Baylor and was the fastest guy on the field, by far. We've already seen the results; he's been POUNDED, several times. For NOTHING. His vaunted athleticism doesn't seem to include the basic skill that even gangly Tom Brady can handle; sliding.

The kid's confidence is not there. He's trying to make it happen, like he did in '12 but, that horse has left the barn. Just think of the pressure on him, 3 #1 picks. All this praise and hope. A season ending injury is virtually guaranteed. And, even if he doesn't run into train wrecks he's not comfortable in the pocket so, that's marginal, at best.

All valid reasons he could be done for. The team is looking for someone who can win, but it's not like they forgot 2012 and are willing to throw their eggs in the Cousins' basket. They'll pull for anyone who leads them to wins. But he needs to play smarter and not piss people off.

I feel bad for him. I really do. He never had the goods to start as a rookie. And now, what is he? Name one team of the following he'd start for:

Philly, Dallas, NY Giants? Nope.


New England or Miami? Nope. Maybe the Jets or Bills.

Denver or SD or KC? Nope. Maybe the Raiders.

Indy? No. Jags, Texans, Titans? Maybe.

Pittsburgh, B'more or Cinncy? No. Cleveland? Sure.

San Fran, Seattle, Rams, no. Cards? OK.

Bucs? OK. Panthers, Saints? Nope. Falcons? Nope.

Packers, Bears, Lions? No. Vikes? OK.

7 teams. None in his own division. Maybe two in his conference.

He may not start for the Giants, but Eli has been terrible. He was worse than RGIII last year. Manning bought himself time, just like RGIII did.
He'd probably start for the Bills and Jets, and he has been similar to Tannehill so far, so that's a toss-up
He'd start for the Raiders.
He'd probably start for the Jags, Texans, or Titans. Jags are grooming a similar QB (Bortles) but are starting a crappy one (Henne) and the Titans have a similar QB (Locker) who doesn't have the success RGIII did. Texans are starting Ryan Freaking Fitzpatrick.
He'd probably start for Cleveland (if their current starter didn't work out), but their backup (Manziel) is very similar.
He might start for the Cards, but Palmer is OK. And the Rams have Bradford, who RGIII has outperformed.
He'd probably start for the Bucs and Vikings.

So let's see...Washington's starting QB could potentially start for nearly HALF THE LEAGUE! What, around 12 teams? Oh wahh what a bad QB.

Robert has had the full healthy off season. In a system, supposedly, tailor made for his skill set and what he wants to do. Has he looked sharp, at all? Remember that week they practiced with the Pats? Everyone wrote the same stuff; it was good for the Skins to see just how far they have to go to even be in the conversation.

Heck, even the radio is trying to make excuses, that they don't want to show anything to Houston and he'll come out running and gunning. Well, the good teams are on display every week, all season, year, after year after year. Unless it is a gimmick, there are no surprises in the NFL and gimmicks don't win. Execution wins. Making plays wins. Brady does the same crap over and over and over. They just do it very well. Same with the Steelers, Ravens, Seahawks, 49'ers, Giants.

There is hope. There is the dream that he'll get it going, that the line will settle, that the #10 Cancer, who got CUT, won't be a distraction, that a shaky secondary will be OK with a GREAT pass rush, that the running game and decent special teams will keep them in every game.

And then, it's up to Robert to execute. And not get snapped in half.

I HOPE I am wrong. Way wrong.

If it's tailored to him, and you're saying he's an inaccurate QB being forced to make accurate passes, then it's clearly not tailored to him. So either the coaches don't understand him as a QB and he's a fish out of water, or you're not understanding the offense and giving me a bad analysis to work with.

The preseason is the preseason. I don't know why fans can't comprehend this. Look at the standings. The Giants are 4-0, the Vikings are 3-0, the Colts are 0-3, etc. Like I said before, the Colts have won 9 preseason games since 2005 and have been to the playoffs 8 times. The Lions were 4-0 in the 2008 preseason before going 0-16. The preseason means nothing. It's possible RGIII is still hobbled and needs more recovery time. It's possible that they're trying to keep him fresh for the regular season. It's possible they're saving some more "dangerous" plays that exploit his skill-set for the regular season. It's possible they're working on his weaknesses that you're pointing out, namely accuracy, and want him to practice that extra during the preseason. The preseason is a time for experimentation and every team does it to varying levels. You're not going to see the Patriots experiment as much in the preseason because they've been at it for 15 years now. But when there's a new coach in town, or when a season didn't go well, you're usually going to see more experimentation and more hiding of plays.

All that being said, it's very possible the Skins suck and RGIII is done for. All I'm saying is that TO THIS POINT I've seen RGIII outperform Cousins when healthy, Cousins is playing better in the preseason because he's playing against the 2nd string, RGIII's full game isn't something that translates well to practice (with the red shirt, probably why he wants to "play it out" when the coaches tell him not to, because it's the only way for him to practice his game), and it's important to see the season start, in a new scheme, before passing judgment. After 3-4 weeks we'll have a better idea.



edit: by the way, that was an awesome, thorough post...even if I disagree with it

 

[Beta]

The difference is that Wilson/Newton/Kaepernick have football bodies, RGIII doesn't. I know I come off as a hater, I've said since day one that he would be broken in half in the NFL. I would happy as hell to have him prove me wrong. Mark my words, in 2 years, RGIII will be a distant memory.

How is 5'11/206 (smaller) or 6'4/230 (lankier) more of a football body than 6'2/222?

No qualms with Newton, he's 6'5/245

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Dual threat QBs can do just fine in the NFL. Wilson is a dual threat and won the Super Bowl. Cam Newton has done well for 4 years. Colin Kaepernick took the 49ers to the NFC Title game in back to back seasons. Have you heard that Hall of Famer named Steve Young? Dual threat means you can physically run and occasionally use that to your advantage. It doesn't always mean the run/option game. It has worked in the NFL, but obviously the more you run, the higher likelihood of injuries. Then again, plenty of sitting duck pocket passers have been hurt and missed a season (Brady, Manning, Brees, Cutler, Bradford, etc), so it's not like it only happens to the guys with wheels.

For a fair comparison you need to take a ratio of their passing yards to their rushing yards......

Now come to think of it, can you really call RG3 a dual threat QB because his only threat is his running ability.

 

[Beta]

For a fair comparison you need to take a ratio of their passing yards to their rushing yards......

Now come to think of it, can you really call RG3 a dual threat QB because his only threat is his running ability.

I'd ask if you bother to look up anything before you talk out of your ass, but it's pretty apparent you're an MPD that's making #### up as you go along. I shouldn't bother, but hey, I'm bored so why not give you a few stats that nix your post.

RGIII threw for 3200 yards both season he's played (year 1, 15 games. year 2, 13 games). That means he was on pace for 3400 yards his rookie year and improved to a 3900 yard pace this past season. Last season he was 19th in the league in pass yardage, above Kaepernick, yet he played 3 fewer games. His 16 game pace would have tied him with Flacco and Tannehill, who were 10th/11th in yardage, and his interception total (including the 'pace') was lower than both of them. Those are two pretty key statistics if you're talking about whether or not he's a "threat" as a passer.

Oh and just to pile on to Larry's earlier post, it seems like RGIII outperformed both Flacco and Tannehill last season (and Eli Manning), yet RGIII couldn't start for either team. Huh???

What am I missing? A bad record last year due to a hobbled QB and an awful defense & special teams, or is it just the preseason jitters because you're not seeing him do the same stuff as 2012?

 

[Beta]

This is seriously dumbfounding. The Skins have a starting QB that probably half of the league's fans would trade for in a heartbeat based on what he's done so far and his potential. And you're all whining because what? He's still hurt? He hasn't shown much this preseason? He could flop, sure, but at least give the kid some time. You're all being ridiculous. COUSINS? Nobody wants him because he's not a special player! You'd be lucky to get a 6th rounder for Cousins. How many teams would he start for? Less than 5, if any. There are plenty of mediocre players that have similar potential that teams will take a chance on because they'll be on the waiver wire this week. He's not even a top 10 backup QB yet you're all clamoring for him to start. The grass is always greener. Unreal.

Edit: And let's be realistic. Snyder isn't benching his 3 1st round draft choice trade for at least another year or two. He'll be around the Skins for awhile. And I hope he sucks, terribly, and you guys get to watch him for another 2-3 years before Snyder gives up. Because that's what crappy, whiny fans deserve.

 

[Grumpy]

What am I missing?

You're missing the part where for him to play where he is effective, his body won't hold up. IMHO

 

[Beta]

You're missing the part where for him to play where he is effective, his body won't hold up. IMHO

I don't necessarily disagree. But 13+ games a season is par for the course with QBs. He needs to change his style of play to run less and slide. Can it be done? We'll see. But people are acting like he's a terrible QB when to this point it's mostly been a durability issue.

 

[RPMDAD]

And another voice heard from. Just Saying.

Kirk Cousins, the Right Quarterback for the Job in Washington

Jay Gruden finally got the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL and in order to be successful, he very well may have to do what his predecessor could not -- name Kirk Cousins as the long-term solution at quarterback for the Washington Redskins.

Though Gruden has firmly committed to Robert Griffin III as his starter during a postgame press conference, things can change rather quickly in the NFL. Teams want to win. Owners want to win. First-time head coaches have to win if they want to stay in that position for long. Cousins, the quarterback that is the traditional drop-back passer Gruden's offense requires, is the man that can lead the offense, command the huddle and command the pocket, which Griffin has failed to do thus far.

Former Washington great Joe Theisman didn't hold back when discussing Griffin and Cousins, during the CSN SportsNet telecast of the Redskins' 23-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lance...back_b_5711459.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I'm not a Washington fan at all, I use to hate them because the way their fans are but now I just feel sorry for them.

This guy pretty much sums up what I think of RG3.

http://www.3dphillysports.com/2013/12/rg3-bust-never-good-first-place/

 

[Larry Gude]

I'm not a Washington fan at all, I use to hate them because the way their fans are but now I just feel sorry for them.

This guy pretty much sums up what I think of RG3.

http://www.3dphillysports.com/2013/12/rg3-bust-never-good-first-place/

I said the same thing with a lot less words.

 

[Larry Gude]

I don't necessarily disagree. But 13+ games a season is par for the course with QBs. He needs to change his style of play to run less and slide. Can it be done? We'll see. But people are acting like he's a terrible QB when to this point it's mostly been a durability issue.

He's not terrible. He's just not very good. Durability has nothing to do with being slow making reads and decisions and it has nothing to do with having good mechanics and being accurate, two different things, by the way. Robert has inconsistent mechanics AND is not very accurate. You can't coach accuracy. You can improve it with better mechanics. or, make it worse with poor ones.

 

[Larry Gude]

You're missing the part where for him to play where he is effective, his body won't hold up. IMHO

For him to be effective, defenses have to stop playing the option. That's not going to happen. If they did, he'd still need to be injury free. That is not going to happen. If defenses stopped playing the option and he stayed injury free, he still is slow in reads and making decisions and his motion is inconsistent and he is not very accurate.

In the meant time, Gruden has to let this play out until Robert either is clearly not getting it done or gets hurt. Or, he, completely at odds with everything we've seen this pre season, reads faster (against regular season defenses) makes quicker decisions and magically becomes more accurate.

 

[Larry Gude]

There's a fatal flaw in your understanding of "dual threat" -- you can be a pocket passer and still be mobile. My point is that one guy can run and the other can't. The threat of running is a nice addition. Even if he's mostly a pocket passer (like Russell Wilson, who Larry likes to compare to RGIII), that doesn't mean he can't get some yards with his legs when plays break down. Cousins can't do that, and I'm not sure the Skins OL is good enough for a pure pocket passer.

But if he only runs ~5 times a game instead of 15-20, and he learns how to slide, there's no reason why his body can't hold up. I don't disagree it puts him at more risk, and it will make him a little more prone to taking hits, but if you work with a moving pocket then it also has the possibility to reduce sacks that would otherwise occur. That could balance out.

I don't care what "team management" was doing when Cousins started. He was horrible. For as much as you bash on RGIII's season, why did Cousins have so many INTs? It's not like team management hadn't already "mailed it in" when the Skins were 3-6.





Dual threat QBs can do just fine in the NFL. Wilson is a dual threat and won the Super Bowl. Cam Newton has done well for 4 years. Colin Kaepernick took the 49ers to the NFC Title game in back to back seasons. Have you heard that Hall of Famer named Steve Young? Dual threat means you can physically run and occasionally use that to your advantage. It doesn't always mean the run/option game. It has worked in the NFL, but obviously the more you run, the higher likelihood of injuries. Then again, plenty of sitting duck pocket passers have been hurt and missed a season (Brady, Manning, Brees, Cutler, Bradford, etc), so it's not like it only happens to the guys with wheels.

Watch some film of Wilson and some of RGIII. The big difference is Wilson tends to be looking for someone to throw the ball to where RGIII, you can tell; he bolts the pocket and THEN starts looking.

Robert would also look better if he played for Seattle or San Fran. No doubt it is great he can get out of trouble. The problem with that is that he has not figured out how to avoid BIG hits nor how to slide. Those are very simple things compared learning to read a defense and make the right, quick, decision, wouldn't we agree?

Right now, it ALL looks bad.

 

[Larry Gude]

:

The read/option is still working just fine. It will be forced to evolve, but that doesn't mean it won't work. That's not the only thing RGIII can do, though.

And you're saying it's OVER? Are you high? Seriously Larry, do you watch the NFL? Wilson just won the Super Bowl. Kaepernick was the challenger in the NFC title game. Newton's team was 12-4. 3 of the top 5 NFL teams (12-13 wins) had a dual threat QB, the other two teams having Manning and Brady as their QBs.



That's called offensive scheme. The Eagles and Dolphins run something like this. It worked great for the Eagles last year and the results look promising for Miami this year. Clearly it worked for the Skins in 2012. Why not run a scheme that fits your QB?

So let's see...Washington's starting QB could potentially start for nearly HALF THE LEAGUE! What, around 12 teams? Oh wahh what a bad QB.

If it's tailored to him, and you're saying he's an inaccurate QB being forced to make accurate passes, then it's clearly not tailored to him. So either the coaches don't understand him as a QB and he's a fish out of water, or you're not understanding the offense and giving me a bad analysis to work with.

The preseason is the preseason. I don't know why fans can't comprehend this. Look at the standings. The Giants are 4-0, the Vikings are 3-0, the Colts are 0-3, etc. Like I said before, the Colts have won 9 preseason games since 2005 and have been to the playoffs 8 times. The Lions were 4-0 in the 2008 preseason before going 0-16. The preseason means nothing. It's possible RGIII is still hobbled and needs more recovery time. It's possible that they're trying to keep him fresh for the regular season. It's possible they're saving some more "dangerous" plays that exploit his skill-set for the regular season. It's possible they're working on his weaknesses that you're pointing out, namely accuracy, and want him to practice that extra during the preseason. The preseason is a time for experimentation and every team does it to varying levels. You're not going to see the Patriots experiment as much in the preseason because they've been at it for 15 years now. But when there's a new coach in town, or when a season didn't go well, you're usually going to see more experimentation and more hiding of plays.

The read option, in DC, with RGIII, is over. It is not working fine. It is a gimmick. It will, like any gimmick, work once in awhile but, in '12, it was bread and butter, THE staple of the Skins offense.

Again, RGIII looks better playing for Seattle or San Fran; two teams with WAY more talent than us, across the board. Carolina is better than us and Newton is, clearly, a better QB than Robert.
I'd take Wilson over Robert not because of talent. RGIII has him there, some, but, because I don't have to hold my breath every time Wilson starts running around.

There have been all sorts of busts with top draft picks, including QB. Nothing new, happens regularly. What also happens is that top qb picks that work out tend to show it very early. Manning's first season was a wreck W's and L's but, it was clear as could be he was going to be great. Heading into year 3, I'm not real excited to say our #1 pick we traded the farm for might start for 12 of the worst teams in the league.

As for pre season, I do NOT care about W's or L's or even the score. ALL I care about is seeing good play for that series or two or three or half. We've seen poor play by Robert.

You can't tailor an NFL offense to someone who reads slow, decides slow, has an inconsistent motion, isn't particularly accurate and gets hurt coming out of the huddle. Well, you can but, it's not going to the Super bowl.

And this 'hiding' stuff in the preseason misses two key points; the other teams are probably 'hiding' some stuff, too and you're not going to get good at anything if you don't run it. In games. Brady, Manning, they can 'hide' stuff because they can already do the job. Robert needs all the practice he can get.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Go Bucs!