Larry Gude
Strung Out
...there doesn't seem to be much in the way of doomsday talk about the end of the Redskins first two years under Shanahan and even a tad or three of optimism.
Well, I am here to help.
Starting at the top, QB, Rex has always and still does make lots and lots of unforced errors. That has nothing to do with the O line or the skill people. There is no improvement to speak of. He has hot streaks, as he did in the past but, there is no consistent solid play let alone excellent. He is, at best, a caretaker until...who knows?
Skill people; Cooley is probably done here. Davis should be flat out cut. Moss should be traded for a ham sammitch. At best, everyone else seems to be role players and depth. They might contribute on a talented team but, no one is showing starter chops. RB by committee seems feasible and has worked in the past for Mike.
O line, I'd cut Williams, too. I don't see how you keep idiots and have the goal of having a team with the type of players willing to make the sacrifices to win. O line by committee might be the real success of Shanahan this season.
So, on offense, QB; failing grade with nothing on the horizon, skill; fail and O line, for once, isn't the BIG weakness of the team which is depressing in and of itself because, this year, it SHOULD be.
Defense, the conventional wisdom is that it is 'much better' especially the front 7. I ain't seeing it. Did they win any games? One, in week 1. Did they consistently shut people down? No. Did they put the O in good field position, get key turnovers or stops? Not consistently. There seems to be some depth in the secondary and the type of complimentary players that will work with a great front 7 but, we ain't great up front and I'm not sure we're even good. At this point, average is the best I can offer and Fletcher, the team MVP, again, simply can't play at this level much longer. That's an enormous hole coming and soon.
Special teams; one of the ways middle of the pact teams win a few more games is with special teams. We don't have it. Average at best and that is being generous.
The story goes that we were felled by injuries and unusually bad number of turnovers. Well, the turnovers are built in with Rex and everyone has injuries.
Packers, Saints, Giants, Falcons, San Francisco and Detroit. We do not have one player on our offense that would start for any of them and, other than the anomaly of the Giants, which is nothing but an anomaly, we can't claim to be as good or almost as good as any of them. The Cowboys, Eagles, the Bears are all, clearly, better than us. We are the Rams, Seahawks, Panthers, Vikings, Bucs and Cards and we merely among that group, not leading it.
Pats, Ravens, Steeler's, Bengals, Bronco's and Texans, we're not in that class and even the Bronco's, because of their D, eat us up. Raiders, Chargers, Titans, Dolphins, Bills, Jets, all better than us or more upside than what we have. Chiefs, Colts, Browns, Titans, are we clearly better than them???
Good teams have discernible traits, reasons they win. Up and coming teams have reasons they're up and coming be it a QB or really good defense or collection of O talent at skill or even rock solid special teams to build off of. It is arguable that the Skins are making less of the big bonehead decisions of the past but, barely. And it seems obvious that the drafting is gotten better. However, where is that trait that the Skins are coming? Not at QB, nothing remarkable anywhere on offense. Special teams are nothing special and the D is not scaring anyone.
The sky is falling. However, for us, it's a short drop.
Well, I am here to help.
Starting at the top, QB, Rex has always and still does make lots and lots of unforced errors. That has nothing to do with the O line or the skill people. There is no improvement to speak of. He has hot streaks, as he did in the past but, there is no consistent solid play let alone excellent. He is, at best, a caretaker until...who knows?
Skill people; Cooley is probably done here. Davis should be flat out cut. Moss should be traded for a ham sammitch. At best, everyone else seems to be role players and depth. They might contribute on a talented team but, no one is showing starter chops. RB by committee seems feasible and has worked in the past for Mike.
O line, I'd cut Williams, too. I don't see how you keep idiots and have the goal of having a team with the type of players willing to make the sacrifices to win. O line by committee might be the real success of Shanahan this season.
So, on offense, QB; failing grade with nothing on the horizon, skill; fail and O line, for once, isn't the BIG weakness of the team which is depressing in and of itself because, this year, it SHOULD be.
Defense, the conventional wisdom is that it is 'much better' especially the front 7. I ain't seeing it. Did they win any games? One, in week 1. Did they consistently shut people down? No. Did they put the O in good field position, get key turnovers or stops? Not consistently. There seems to be some depth in the secondary and the type of complimentary players that will work with a great front 7 but, we ain't great up front and I'm not sure we're even good. At this point, average is the best I can offer and Fletcher, the team MVP, again, simply can't play at this level much longer. That's an enormous hole coming and soon.
Special teams; one of the ways middle of the pact teams win a few more games is with special teams. We don't have it. Average at best and that is being generous.
The story goes that we were felled by injuries and unusually bad number of turnovers. Well, the turnovers are built in with Rex and everyone has injuries.
Packers, Saints, Giants, Falcons, San Francisco and Detroit. We do not have one player on our offense that would start for any of them and, other than the anomaly of the Giants, which is nothing but an anomaly, we can't claim to be as good or almost as good as any of them. The Cowboys, Eagles, the Bears are all, clearly, better than us. We are the Rams, Seahawks, Panthers, Vikings, Bucs and Cards and we merely among that group, not leading it.
Pats, Ravens, Steeler's, Bengals, Bronco's and Texans, we're not in that class and even the Bronco's, because of their D, eat us up. Raiders, Chargers, Titans, Dolphins, Bills, Jets, all better than us or more upside than what we have. Chiefs, Colts, Browns, Titans, are we clearly better than them???
Good teams have discernible traits, reasons they win. Up and coming teams have reasons they're up and coming be it a QB or really good defense or collection of O talent at skill or even rock solid special teams to build off of. It is arguable that the Skins are making less of the big bonehead decisions of the past but, barely. And it seems obvious that the drafting is gotten better. However, where is that trait that the Skins are coming? Not at QB, nothing remarkable anywhere on offense. Special teams are nothing special and the D is not scaring anyone.
The sky is falling. However, for us, it's a short drop.
