Kilmer72 wrote:RayNAustin wrote:Well, for what it's worth .... if you have P. Manning or Brady or Rogers or Brees as your QB .... you can get away with a 75% - 25% pass/run imbalance, but if your QB is named Grossman or Beck, you just can't do it and expect to win. It's as simple as that.
As for the defense, I believe they played extremely well under the circumstances, given how long they spent on the field in the first half, their second half performance was lights out, and you couldn't ask for anything more ... NO POINTS. With the offense converting only 1 3rd down out of 10, and 4 interceptions, the defense was constantly under pressure and going against a top 5 offense, holding them to 20 points is a very good day. In spite of all of the offensive blunders, the defense kept the game from becoming a blow out, giving the Redskins a chance to get back into the game.
Offensively, well, horrible doesn't quite describe it, and it wasn't just Grossman (though he was pathetic). One int should have been caught by Davis ... that was a catchable ball and we just don't have a single receiver on this team that can go up high and come down with those types of balls.
But the combination of Rex's inability to differentiate between burgundy and green, and Kyle Shanahan's loathing of the run game is a killer combination. You cannot throw, throw, throw, run, throw throw, throw, run. This pattern was something that occurred quite often last year too ... and this year ... we're 3-0 with a 47+% run average, and 0-2 with a 30-% run ratio. So in my opinion, Kyle Shanahan is as much responsible for our offensive problems as is Grossman. You cannot hand the ball off 12 times in a game and win with the guys we have throwing and catching the ball.
And, I don't buy the excuse that because Philly jumped out to a quick lead, that forced us to abandon the run game .... they got the quick lead because this offense is being called like some kid playing Madden football, totally predictable, and incapable of making adjustments to what the defense is doing. 9 straight failures to convert 3rd downs? Did we even convert 1 in the first half?
If I'm a defensive coordinator and I'm playing the Redskins .... I am going to play the run, knowing that all I have to do is stop the run early, and then I can focus on playing the pass the rest of the game. Kyle Shanahan is way too quick to give up on the run.
Without the Matt Shaub - Andre Johnson combo that comprised 60-70% of the Texan's offensive production when Shanahan was there .... he's mediocre AT BEST, and in no way the "Boy Genius" people make him out to be. Kyle is constantly being out coached and out strategized by opposing defenses, and I really don't see a major improvement in offensive production from the impotent days of Zorn even with addition of more talent. We still can't score points.
You have got to run the ball 40% or more based on this team's talent level at QB and receivers. We don't have a game dominating QB and down field receiver like a Calvin Johnson or an Andre Johnson ... that's a fact. So we have to run to make the passing game work, not the other way around.
With the defense playing the way they are playing ... this offense needs to pound the ball, and someone needs to real in Kyle Shanahan and inform him that we do not have Aaron Rogers or Tom Brady ... we have Rex Grossman and John Beck, neither of which are going to keep defensive coordinators up late at night.
I agree Ray. Why is it when it is 3rd and 7 we call for a 2 yard pass play? Seems to me that the time for that is 2nd and 7. I do like Kyle because under him our receivers seem to get open more than what they did under previous coach's. You are right though, his play calling was the worst I have seen from him.
Well, to answer the question ... I would cite one example that I noticed from the replay from behind the QB ... I don't remember when this occurred during the game, but we had a 3rd down .... and seems to me it was 3rd and 10 maybe 3rd and 8 ... Grossman had time, but pressure got in his face because he had nowhere to go with the ball. The replay showed we had three receivers in parallel patterns .. running abreast with their backs still facing the QB, 15 yards down field and one guy underneath just over the line of scrimmage. This should never EVER happen ... not on third down or any other down. How do you expect to make a first down with all three wideouts 15 yards downfield in the same general area, with their backs to the QB?
And I don't care what the eagles were doing to stop the run ... you cannot establish a running game handing the ball off 12 times in a game. And the Redskin offense as it currently exists should NEVER run a naked backfield formation. NEVER. This offense is not good enough in the pass game or pass pro to go empty, and commit to a pass ..... at least not with an immobile Grossman as the QB! He can't outrun a DT, so the defense does not have to stay honest such that you have to do with a running QB.
Personally, I just don't see a lot of wisdom or creativity in this offense ... why not try to take advantage of his speed and get Helu out in space .. screens, pitches? Why do we not see more of those bubble screens to Moss ... these plays are successful ... so keep doing what works until you force the defense to adjust to you, thereby opening up other areas. We don't make good offensive adjustments during games or at halftime. We're predictable ... we run on run downs (if we run at all), and pass on passing downs. Kyle Shanahan is like a bad poker player that can't help but start wiggling in his seat when he's dealt a good hand.
I don't like his offense ... his strategy ... or his inability to put a game plan together that attacks the opponent's weaknesses or improvise based on what defenses are are doing.
To make a long story short ... Junior sucks ... and we're stuck with him, and we don't have an elite QB and a dominating receiver to make his one dimensional offensive strategy work. Not only do you need a better balance than 70-30 pass-run, but you need to pass on running downs and run on passing downs a little bit.
If indeed the eagles were stacking the box ... there should have been more opportunities to hit some plays in the passing game .... good God, everyone has run the ball successfully on the Eagles this year ... they've been giving up 140+ per game, so if they were over committing to stop the run, there is no excuse for not finding a way to capitalize on that.
As a side note ... maybe big Mike Shanahan should have waited till the off season to hit Vegas for a little black jack, given the biggest game of the year was coming??? Do you think Joe Gibbs would have taken a couple of days off during a buy week with the freaking Eagles on deck? Or do you think he might have decided that those days would have been better spent figuring out a few ways to introduce his son to the freaking end zone?
I was not thrilled about the prospect of a father and Son coaching combo to begin with .. and I'm even less impressed now. Remember, these guys are the ones that decided that Grossman & Beck were perfectly capable to run the offense. Well, where's the beef?
- my point is that punting the football on 4th down is better than turning the ball over
