Why all the Questions ?????

[1niksder]

What’s the deal with the Skins?
How can they lose to the Panthers?
Where is the new offensive scheme?
Why so many 4 and outs?
Did we make a mistake trading Gardner?
Who was wearing number 8 against Carolina?
Moss had 1 catch…what’s up with that?
Who will open the season under center?
Does Ramsey need glasses?
Is it time to panic?


There are millions of other questions that can be added to this list…. Here’s 1

Why so many questions?
Easy answer: It’s the Pre-Season.

This IS the time for questions (not a lot of Questions). The off-season is designed to be pro-active (go out and get what you need, drop dead weight, add youth and adjust schemes and other personnel issues). Pre-Season is the time to be re-active (evaluate and make changes).

No one should panic after the first or second game of the pre-season. No one should be overjoyed about anything that happens before week 3 either.

Evaluate and make changes…. (This always comes before “panic”)

The final score was 28-10 in what some call a meaningless game. It doesn’t count but it means something to guys trying to make the team, to coaches trying to fill holes, and to players coming from other teams. Some of this is done in OTAs and Mini-Camp but that’s at half speed.

Pre-Season games give teams a chance to match up at full speed under game conditions, but it’s still a glorified practice. It is designed to help the coaches make our team better, by allowing coaches to see what players have retained over the off-season. It’s the time to see if the new wrinkles that were put in will work or not. (We picked up 4 yards out of the I-formation - we ran plays out of an empty backfield – and everyone wanted to see the shotgun). The coaches got their first real look at how things fit and will go from there.

Guys like Antonio Brown, Nehemiah Broughton, and Ryan Clark added another notch in the belts. Nemo would have trouble getting on the field without a good pre-season. K. Campbell and R. Cartwright reminded people that they haven’t fell off the depth charts yet. With all the depth at LB this is the time that guys like Jared Newberry need in order to make the special teams.

We lost the game but we did some things right and can build from that.

The offense didn’t look good for the 24 plays that Ramsey was in there. We gained 104 yards while he played, but finished with 4 punts and an int. when Brunell came in things got better even if it was against lesser talent. Brunell moved the offense up and down the field. He was in for only 3 series (28 plays) but move the team 149 yards (82 on 1 drive) and gave us three scoring chances (one may have cost Jeff Chandler job) and 10 points. Jason Campbell got the last 22 plays and moved the team 26 yards more than Ramsey did, but ended with a Punt, 2 fumbles, and a int. These numbers really aren’t all that impressive but considering it’s the pre-season and the number of snaps were pretty much even, it’s from a team that averaged 274 yards a game last year. We converted 31.7% of our third downs last year and 53.3 % last night. Our big guns really didn’t play against the Panthers, guys like Portis and Betts didn’t see much action (in a run oriented offense) and we converted over half our third downs

Brunell looked better than Ramsey did last night and I’d fully expect the coach to say there is an open QB competition from here on out. The coach is Joe Gibbs so that ain’t happening. Instead of knocking Ramsey I’ll hope he improves (in the past I would have said, “continue to improve”) and feel better with Mark behind him if needed. Moss and Patten caught one pass each, so we don’t really know what the passing game will look like. The QBs looked down field but then came back underneath (where have I heard that before). Last night we had 330 yards passing and 19 catches for first downs, last year we could barely get 150 yards in the air.


I didn’t mention much of the defense because Rod Gardner caught the 1st pass of the game, the same game that Ade Jimoh STARTED. This was not something I wanted look into

I’m not ready to go out and by playoff tickets or anything like that just yet but I’m not hooking up the panic button yet either.

[HailSkins94]

Very very well put, I agree 100%. These are my thoughts exactly. Great post!

[Redskins2k5]

good post. You really can't tell anything until the real season kicks off.

[King Cali Skin 2]

Yea, but three and outs with first team is no fun. A good team is a good team, simple as that. If the first team looks pretty much the same during the last pre season game, I'm giving up early, no false hope for me.

But still well put, I do agree.

[Gibbs' Hog]

Don't get me wrong, because I feel that preseason games are nowhere close to being indicative of our play during the regular season.

But that said, I couldn't help feeling this good ol' feeling: "I'm glad it's the preseason; so we can all say, 'it's only the preseason', when the Skins don't perform."

I have faith in our team, and I'll be the first one to defend our play with "some guys didn't play, Brunell played against 3rd stringers, etc." But I would rather be saying, "did you see how we controlled Carolina in the first 2 or 3 series?" I hope Ramsey gives us a better performance against Cinci.


BTW, What the crap is up with our 3rd down play calling?! Again! WHY WOULD YOU THROW A 4yd PASS ON 3rd & 6???!!!! I hate that.

But no worries; it's just the preseason.

[1niksder]

BTW, What the crap is up with our 3rd down play calling?! Again! WHY WOULD YOU THROW A 4yd PASS ON 3rd & 6???!!!! I hate that.

Gibbs said the WR cut the route short a couple of times, but that it would be a easy fix (in the filmroom).

[RedskinsFreak]

But no worries; it's just the preseason.

That's your basic "watching with blinders" response to a lackluster preseason performance.

Yes, I know the approach was as vanilla as you can get. And no sprinkles to boot!

But even if the coaches call a vanilla game, you want to see the players execute that vanilla game well. And that was intermittant at best on Saturday night.

[cvillehog]

mmmm, sprinkles.

[SKINS#1]

But even if the coaches call a vanilla game, you want to see the players execute that vanilla game well. And that was intermittant at best on Saturday night.

Good point RedskinsFreak. If they can not execute the vanilla, can anyone expect a better performance when additional options are added?

[gibbsfan]

it,s the preseason,just another evaluation process that coach gibbs uses to find the players needed for the regular season.i thought all in all it looked like their first game.some looked good while others need more work.they will get there.

[EasyMoney]

But even if the coaches call a vanilla game, you want to see the players execute that vanilla game well. And that was intermittant at best on Saturday night.

Good point RedskinsFreak. If they can not execute the vanilla, can anyone expect a better performance when additional options are added?

I kind of agree with you two. But do our #1 and #2 RB's have anything to prove? This is a run first team and we hardly ran. The only thing we're doing in the ground game is testing the waters to see who is going to take the 3rd and possible 4th spot. There was no stacking the box in the last game. This preseason is going to be all about finding a rhythm in the passing game. That's a good thing for a couple reasons. No film for scouts, keeping Portis and Betts fresh and establishing some consistency through the air. Our passing game looked better in game one of preseason this year than game 4 of preseason last year. It was the Betts show vs. Atlanta last year. None of our QB's decided to show up that day.

But check this out.

Ramsey vs. Carolina

in 04 preseason: 4/11 62 yds, 0 td, 1 int

in 05 preseason: 8/12 77 yds, 0 td, 1 int


Brunell vs. Carolina

in 04 preseason: 6/15 119 yds, 1 td, 1 int

in 05 preseason: 11/19 121 yds, 0 td, 0 int


Hasselbeck/Campbell vs. Carolina

TH in 04 preseason: 6/15 65 yds, 0 td, 2 int

JC in 05 preseason: 10-19 132, 0 td, 1 int


While these numbers are certainly not the greatest in the world, I still don't see anything but improvement. Especially considering the Carolina game was after the HOF game last year. It'll get better I think. Patience is key. The offense is at least watchable this year. But... we'll see what happens vs. Cinci. I expect to see better play from everyone. The players actually got to hit people for the first time in a while. The green has been shaken off as they say.

[SkinsJock]

...mmmm, sprinkles...

Now that's keepin' it light!