Look at the analysis made in the exclusive article posted in the F2FA Chiefs site Wild Bill's Chiefs Page about Al Saunders and what his arrival here might mean:
Thoughts on Thoughts: Changes Sunday, January 22, 2006 PT By Desmond Bailey WBC Staff
...
Look, I'm as disappointed as anyone that AS is gone but lets not turn around belittle his contribution to this team while he was here. Saunders definitely played a key role in many of these players coming to and flourishing in Kansas City. He didn't just "run" the offense, he designed it, installed it and coached it....the formations, routes, runs, shifts, motions, protections...everything. The scheme was his. Of course some good players "ran" it but at the same time Saunders put those players in excellent position to succeed which is why he should do well in Washington.
Saunders takes over an offense that was already ranked 11th in the league and he'll be in full control of the playcalling. QB Mark Brunell is aging but he has a good arm and remains driven. His experience should make him a quick study of the scheme and having Patrick Ramsey and Jason Campbell as backups doesn't hurt. RB Clinton Portis is still one of the better all-around backs in the league and he'll probably post his best receiving and td numbers in Saunders' offense.
Twenty-three year old TE Chris ey is no Tony Gonzalez but he has played an increasingly bigger role in the Skins' offensive success the last two seasons. This year he finished with 71 recs, 774 yds and 7 td's which tied for second amongst TE's behind the Chargers' Antonio Gates. And Pro Bowl WR Santana Moss had 84 recs, 1458, 17.7 ypc, 9 td's and a league-leading 10 recs for 40 yds or more. ey will likely help with short yardage/first downs while Moss provides Saunders the type deep threat he needs when using the vertical pass to setup the run game.
The Oline has two solid tackles in Pro Bowler Chris Samuels (allowed just four sacks in 16 starts) and Jon Jansen. The interior is questionable but could be fortified via the draft and/or free agency where Dan Snyder might snag Seattle All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson with an insane contract. Then theres the Greg Williams-coached defense that has ranked amongst the top 10 in total defense and points allowed for two years straight which is something Saunders unfortunately never enjoyed in KC.
So things are certainly in place for AS to succeed in Washington and his signing I'm sure is only the beginning of yet another high profile Skins' off-season.
Daniel Snyder has defined incompetence, failure and greed to true Washington Redskins fans for over a decade and a half. Stay away from football operations !!!
joebagadonuts wrote:randy thomas and casey rabach make for a weak interior line?
Mmmmmmm... let's see. If the two tackles are mentioned in the article as a strength, and -you- mention correctly a good guard and a decent center, which make four players...
... Are there not five players on the OL?
Hint: Dockery
Last edited by Redskin in Canada on Tue Jan 24, 2006 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Daniel Snyder has defined incompetence, failure and greed to true Washington Redskins fans for over a decade and a half. Stay away from football operations !!!
skinsRin wrote:It is pretty much right on. If our offense starts playing like KC's were gonna be very scary, because our D will be ranked in the top 5.
IF we acquire a pass rush during the off season. If we dont I see us staying where we are.
Notice how in Jason Whitlock's article that the only thing he could really say about 'AS' is that he had good players. He didn't say anything about his ability to scheme and coach. His article was basically a rant about how 'AS' treated the media and his "assumptions" about how the players felt about him.
Obviously, Desmond Bailey has a more objective point of view and sees what happens on the field. I am just anxious to see what moves we make on the offensive side and how 'AS' will setup and run this offense. If he can scheme-up protection packages to keep Brunell upright, then that will mean more opportunities for guys like Patton, ey, and Thrash. If 'AS' can get this offense to put 20+ points a game on the board, then we won't so urgently need a pass rushing DE. GW has shown that he is good enough to scheme without one. The problem was the offense all year because the defense held it's own...
Sean Taylor - 1983-2007 R.I.P.... Forever A Skin.....
Notice how in Jason Whitlock's article that the only thing he could really say about 'AS' is that he had good players. He didn't say anything about his ability to scheme and coach.
That's because Saunders isn't black. What's worse, he may very well be a WASP in the truest sense of the word. (Anyone know if he grew up Anglican?)
It's no secret that Whitlock is obsessed with race in sports almost exclusively. See his "Top ten most important moments in sports in 2005" article on ESPN.com--I think 8 out of the 10 were directly race-related, and the other two he spinned to be about race.
I don't mind seeing that perspective every now and again but Whitlock is far too predictable in what he's going to say, and wrong far too often, for me to care about what he writes.
I don't know if it's because he's not black. I would'nt go that far. I just think he's a frickin moron. That pretty much sums it up.
I was listeninig to Sports Talk 980 and they said that he had a rift with Saunders because Saunders was a known "source" for other radio sports personalities, but Saunders refused to deal with Whitlock. This is the only way Spit Lock can get back at him, to slam him with his fat fingers on the keyboard.
By the way, doesn't WASP mean (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant)? You do know Jason Whitlock is black right?
Please do not lose track of the fact that this is another "amateur" writer. I thought Desmond Bailey's article in the Chiefs F2FA site was pretty good to bring to your attention here.
This is another F2FA writer with greater insight than the "Experts" and "professional" sports writers. I wonder how many of our fans know as many stats about other teams as he had about ours in his article.
Not all F2FA sites are equally good. Take Concrete Field. Better yet, do not take it and flush it down the toilet.
Daniel Snyder has defined incompetence, failure and greed to true Washington Redskins fans for over a decade and a half. Stay away from football operations !!!
@Redskin in Canada,
Great article thanks for posting it!
I love it when other fans think more highly of our team/individual players/coaching than our own.
@CLL,
I couldn't agree with you more
Jansen on his broken thumbs:
"It’s limited me in some ways but has been beneficial in others. It’s like I have a couple of clubs on my hands. I just have to hit people with them."
Chris Luva Luva wrote:I love it when other fans think more highly of our team/individual players/coaching than our own.
CLL who do you think we should draft at DE? I already know you want a pure pass rushing DE...there are three guys who look like they are future stars...with the 2nd round pick we will likely miss out on 1) Mario Williams 2) Tamba Hali 3) Kiwinaka
We might be able to pick up Dumerville, but not likely at 53.
So question.
1) Who can we get with the #53 pick at DE?
2) What kind of trade could we swing to get into the 1st round?
3) Should we just sign Robert Mathis, or John Abraham in FA?
Steve Hutchinson looks forreal, looks like he might be a priority for the skins this year, I love the sound of that, Portis would get the rushing title next year if that happens and the signing of Al Saunders would help more stretch plays.
gay4pacman wrote:no de worth anything will be sitting at 53
This is utterly UNTRUE.
How do you know that? The position is deep this year and there are many other position needs among other teams.
We have to do our homework though. That is true.
Daniel Snyder has defined incompetence, failure and greed to true Washington Redskins fans for over a decade and a half. Stay away from football operations !!!
ey is no Tony Gonzalez but he has played an increasingly bigger role in the Skins' offensive success the last two seasons. This year he finished with 71 recs, 774 yds and 7 td's which tied for second amongst TE's behind the Chargers' Antonio Gates. And Pro Bowl WR Santana Moss had 84 recs, 1458, 17.7 ypc, 9 td's and a league-leading 10 recs for 40 yds or more.
