Post Game Thread - Skins vs Rams

[CanesSkins26]

Well, it took three weeks for the analysts to turn their words against Mike Shanahan. Tough town.

I'm inclined to remember the example of Marty, and to withhold judgment for a few more weeks. People said they wanted a re-build. Future Is Now propaganda aside, people knew that this would take time. Three weeks does not qualify as a whole lot of time.

Still, people will have their say, and they did on Sunday.

Brian Mitchell, Comcast SportsNet's Postgame Live: "This was a very awful showing by the Washington Redskins. We're gonna find some good things, but I would just say, this is a terrible team at this point. I've been sitting up here praising this team, and many people thought I was crazy for praising them, but I saw a difference in what Mike Shanahan was bringing to the table.

"But the game I saw today reminded me so much of last year it's ridiculous. And I think it's time for either Mike Shanahan to get off his ego trip and start to worry about the team more, to get his team prepared, or it's time for these players to say forget about the damn coach and step up and start playing some real football. Because what I saw tonight and last week in the last part of that game isn't Redskins football.....

"Step on the field and play football. Yes, the coach is the leader. I've never said disrespect the coach. But this coach seems to have more of his ego going out. Instead of presenting the Washington Redskins, he wants to present him."

John Riggins, on his MASN post-game show: "They were out-coached today. I don't think, particularly after the loss to Houston, I don't think Mike Shanahan had these guys ready to play. Now I've always taken the tack that it's not the coach's responsibility, I don't think, to get guys ready to play. But at the same time, you've got to do something....
"What I didn't see was the resilience of a team that really is responding and is behind the guy that's leading them, i.e. Mike Shanahan. I'm not gonna say they gave up, but they were walking around in that second half, they had that blank look on their face....

"If you figure that they're pretty much evenly matched, as far as talent goes, [the Rams] wanted it more than Washington, and that is really puzzling....I am really stunned, considering the profile Mike Shanahan has as a two-time Super Bowl winning coach, that his team, this is all that they gave him today, the effort that they gave. And it's not really fair to say that they were just walking around, but they did not play at the same tempo with the same energy that they've played the last couple of games. Somehow they just let it fall off....

"It wasn't a loss where the ball bounced wrong, it wasn't a matter of a call or something like that. They got their rear-ends handed to them by what I would have believed was an inferior team. How do you account for that? There is no other way to account for it. And they did it without the real butt-kicker on that team, he was on the sidelines, Steven Jackson. I'm telling you, Mike Shanahan's got some 'splainin to do."

(Riggins was even harsher on his blog, writing that Shanahan "seemed delusional" in his post-game remarks and that he "seemed to be a man reconciling the truth that only he knew. That, as a coach, he might have lost it.")

Rick Snider, Washington Examiner: "Shanahan makes the decisions here, and his bewildering offseason approach has doomed the Redskins to another bad season....Shanahan is the architect, and his fixer-upper already has imploded. Given that this is the NFL's oldest team, a turnaround won't come quickly, either....

"It's time for Shanahan to earn his reputation. His offseason has the Redskins teetering. He needs to find the solution real quick or it's another 10-loss year in Washington. Meanwhile, Bill Cowher is talking about coaching again in 2011."

By Dan Steinberg | September 27, 2010; 12:47 PM ET
Categories: Redskins

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/09/riggins_brian_mitchell_turn_on.html

[Bucket]

This team was AWFUL last year.. We need more then 3 games to fix alot of the issues on board in Redskins Nation. We lack the players for a 3/4.. Andre Carter is a huge problem on our defense right now.. Teams are running to his side, and pushing him 3-4 yards deep into the middle while running around him.. He gets confused against the pass, and he seems to be slower off the ball when he rushes the QB this year..

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

I know what it was... A fluke. They tried to win not throw it but made obscure and untested packages and blitz formations so as to mask the true beast of a D and O for that matter from the eagles.. They didn't give them film to predict how to match up with them cus Dmac wants to stomp them.
O oh I know maybe mike let son Kyle call all the plays cus kyle threw a fit daddy never let him do anything... So he let him try for one game now he's calling the shots here on out. Ok ok that's not to bad since we are gonna just win a bunch of games now. What a relief I almost lost it

[frankcal20]

Oh god. Please let's not start talking about Bill Cowher.

I think that the team seemed frustrated from the git go. One play sticks out to me. There was I think a delay of game penalty called and McNabb and Rabach were arguing in the huddle. Not too good to start the game. I think right after that, Santana fumbled.

I feel like this game was like life a little bit. We all have those days. The one's where you forgot to set the alarm and wake up late. You get out of bed and stub your toe. You burn breakfast and on your way to work, you realize you've forgotten something at home you needed that day. Well, that was how this game started and immediatly, you feel all you want to do is curl up somewhere safe because you really don't want to see what's going to happen next.

This is my opinion of yesterday's team.

[please_remain_calm]

I waited twenty years to get a chance to see my Skins and they came into the dome and laid a giant jobbie. Ach well, it was great just to say I saw them. The dome was very loud, a lot louder than I expected.

Hopefully we can steady the ship over the next few weeks or it could get ugly in a hurry.

[NYFINESTSKINSFAN]

I'm still in disbelief that we just got destroyed by the Rams. Yeah, I'm now truely convinced that the Skins are a third tier franchise these days. We are right there with Detroit, Oakland, Clevland, St. Louis, and Buffalo. The bottom of the barrel. The Skins outright suck!

I have always thought the Eagle fans were delusional because they have never won anything. Today I realize that we, Redskins Fans, are the delusional ones - reliving distant glories, buying the hype year after year. This team sucks, has no heart and is well on the way to 6-10. I honestly do not think McNabb will be back and this will be yet another lost year. The franchise is cursed.

Meanwhile, the Eagles have dumb lucked (or was it luck?) into a more mature, accurate Michael Vick. The division is theirs. They will destroy the Skins next week and humiliate McNabb. Does anyone honestly think for one second that the Redskins defense can stop Vick, Jackson, Macklin and Celek? I am going camping next weekend and told my wife we had to be home by 4:15 - now, I don't know.

Yeah, I wouldn't cut a weekend short with my family for this pathetic team. Even if the Skins were good, family is more important than watching over-paid men to play a kids game.

[NYFINESTSKINSFAN]

We were worse last season - we were not as bad as Detroit (even though we lost to them) but we were terrible

This season we are not as bad as a number of teams already and I think that given who is in charge here, we'll end up somewhere in the 14th to 20th range

there are a number of teams that I think will show that they have a lot more issues than we do and will end up with worse records (INCLUDING the Rams)

this "strength of schedule" stuff is bogus to me - when you are not a very good team EVERY game becomes difficult to win and more times than not the "better" team loses

these guys will get this franchise on track and that process will take a lot longer than many here thought just because you cannot replace all the parts that needed fixing last year very quickly - it will take at least 2 years and I think we'll see a consistently competitive product on the field as early as the middle of next season

we are a much better run franchise now and we will see the results of that in a short time


some here have delusions of granduer and don't see the progress because of what happened in the last 2 games

we were worse - we have made progress

It is not progress when your defense ranks 32 in the NFL.

[SkinsJock]

Some people pay way too much attention to meaningless stats - we need to look at the big picture here

I remember the Colts being ranked terribly on defense and winning a lot of games

I remember the Vikings being unbelievable at stopping the run game but hopeless at winning games

I remember defenses here recently that were ranked in the top 10 with both Williams and Blache - those defenses were good at everything on the stat sheet EXCEPT they didn't mean that we had a defense that helped the team AT ALL

we are a franchise that is paying the price for years of terrible management - the rebuilding of the team AND both the offense and defense will take time - we have a lot of old players and only a few of them are worth very much, if anything

a lot of fans here are VERY unrealistic in their expectations - what has happened here for many years is not going to magically go away - it will take time

patience people - and stop with the stupid assessments, please

[Jeremy81]

Some people pay way too much attention to meaningless stats - we need to look at the big picture here

I remember the Colts being ranked terribly on defense and winning a lot of games

I remember the Vikings being unbelievable at stopping the run game but hopeless at winning games

I remember defenses here recently that were ranked in the top 10 with both Williams and Blache - those defenses were good at everything on the stat sheet EXCEPT they didn't mean that we had a defense that helped the team AT ALL

we are a franchise that is paying the price for years of terrible management - the rebuilding of the team AND both the offense and defense will take time - we have a lot of old players and only a few of them are worth very much, if anything

a lot of fans here are VERY unrealistic in their expectations - what has happened here for many years is not going to magically go away - it will take time

patience people - and stop with the stupid assessments, please

since when is it unrealistic to expect a win against the rams? i don't care how much rebuilding we are doing right now...we can't lose that game.

[VetSkinsFan]

Some people pay way too much attention to meaningless stats - we need to look at the big picture here

I remember the Colts being ranked terribly on defense and winning a lot of games

I remember the Vikings being unbelievable at stopping the run game but hopeless at winning games

I remember defenses here recently that were ranked in the top 10 with both Williams and Blache - those defenses were good at everything on the stat sheet EXCEPT they didn't mean that we had a defense that helped the team AT ALL

we are a franchise that is paying the price for years of terrible management - the rebuilding of the team AND both the offense and defense will take time - we have a lot of old players and only a few of them are worth very much, if anything

a lot of fans here are VERY unrealistic in their expectations - what has happened here for many years is not going to magically go away - it will take time

patience people - and stop with the stupid assessments, please

Stupid assessments? We're dead last in defense. How is that a stupid assessment? There's a huge REGRESSION on defense and an offense so sporadic, I don't know what to think with probably the LEAST talented receiving corps in the league.

Until we see progression (and we should already be seeing it), this is who we are.

[langleyparkjoe]

Wait... we lost? Ya'll sure about that?

[SkinsJock]

Some people pay way too much attention to meaningless stats - we need to look at the big picture here

I remember the Colts being ranked terribly on defense and winning a lot of games

I remember the Vikings being unbelievable at stopping the run game but hopeless at winning games

I remember defenses here recently that were ranked in the top 10 with both Williams and Blache - those defenses were good at everything on the stat sheet EXCEPT they didn't mean that we had a defense that helped the team AT ALL

we are a franchise that is paying the price for years of terrible management - the rebuilding of the team AND both the offense and defense will take time - we have a lot of old players and only a few of them are worth very much, if anything

a lot of fans here are VERY unrealistic in their expectations - what has happened here for many years is not going to magically go away - it will take time

patience people - and stop with the stupid assessments, please

Stupid assessments? We're dead last in defense. How is that a stupid assessment? There's a huge REGRESSION on defense and an offense so sporadic, I don't know what to think with probably the LEAST talented receiving corps in the league.

Until we see progression (and we should already be seeing it), this is who we are.

huge REGRESSION - you must have a really short memory because if you cannot see the difference that I'm seeing both on the field and with whom we now have as both coaches and players here this year as opposed to last year then you are missing a lot

this group has been a lot closer to playing the game than ANYTHING we saw here last season

we have a lot of issues but to imply that we are worse off (regress = to go in the reverse direction) than last year is just a really stupid statement

I should be surprised, but then again ...

[SkinsJock]

some here need to try and look at what these guys are trying to do here AND give them the time needed to get it going here

I think there are some good things happening and I'm not too discouraged JUST because we're 3 weeks in and (mainly due to 1 game) THE STATS say we're the worst defense in the NFL

give me a break

[SkinsJock]

I'm kind of glad we don't have Snyder and Cerrato here and running things - that is a "step in the right direction"

we could be running an offense under Zorn with a little help from the bingo caller - that's another "step in the right direction"

[VetSkinsFan]

Some people pay way too much attention to meaningless stats - we need to look at the big picture here

I remember the Colts being ranked terribly on defense and winning a lot of games

I remember the Vikings being unbelievable at stopping the run game but hopeless at winning games

I remember defenses here recently that were ranked in the top 10 with both Williams and Blache - those defenses were good at everything on the stat sheet EXCEPT they didn't mean that we had a defense that helped the team AT ALL

we are a franchise that is paying the price for years of terrible management - the rebuilding of the team AND both the offense and defense will take time - we have a lot of old players and only a few of them are worth very much, if anything

a lot of fans here are VERY unrealistic in their expectations - what has happened here for many years is not going to magically go away - it will take time

patience people - and stop with the stupid assessments, please

Stupid assessments? We're dead last in defense. How is that a stupid assessment? There's a huge REGRESSION on defense and an offense so sporadic, I don't know what to think with probably the LEAST talented receiving corps in the league.

Until we see progression (and we should already be seeing it), this is who we are.

huge REGRESSION - you must have a really short memory because if you cannot see the difference that I'm seeing both on the field and with whom we now have as both coaches and players here this year as opposed to last year then you are missing a lot

this group has been a lot closer to playing the game than ANYTHING we saw here last season

we have a lot of issues but to imply that we are worse off (regress = to go in the reverse direction) than last year is just a really stupid statement

I should be surprised, but then again ...

First off, keep the veiled personal attacks in smack...and I welcome you there.

If you can't look at the rankings from last year's D and this year's D and see the regression, then I don't think I can have an intelligent conversation with you.

And if you've watched the seven games (yes, continuity can be seen in the pre-season) and show me where we've been progressing consistantly, then please, illustrate me.

You can use keep throwing names out with your opinions and SAY we're moving in the right direction, but the stats don't support your opinion. Frankly, there are ZERO stats to support your following of the front office like the kids followed the pied piper. I don't care how many WORDS you CAPITALIZE to GET your POINT across, YOUR opinion STILL isn't SUPPORTED by FACTS. It's still just a baseless benefit of the doubt opinoin not supported by any facts.

[SkinsJock]

First off, keep the veiled personal attacks in smack...and I welcome you there.

If you can't look at the rankings from last year's D and this year's D and see the regression, then I don't think I can have an intelligent conversation with you.

Stats are only stats and they are not facts

the defense has issues but you used the words "huge regression" - c'mon! the defense is undergoing change and after 3 weeks there are concerns but to state that we are not just going backwards but in a really bad way is just not fair

I'm sure we cannot have an "intelligent discussion"

And if you've watched the seven games (yes, continuity can be seen in the pre-season) and show me where we've been progressing consistantly, then please, illustrate me.

You can use keep throwing names out with your opinions and SAY we're moving in the right direction, but the stats don't support your opinion. Frankly, there are ZERO stats to support your following of the front office like the kids followed the pied piper. I don't care how many WORDS you CAPITALIZE to GET your POINT across, YOUR opinion STILL isn't SUPPORTED by FACTS. It's still just a baseless benefit of the doubt opinoin not supported by any facts.

not sure what an opinoin is but ...

I'm just happy that we are not looking at a defense run by Blache or an offense run by Zorn (with a bingo caller) OR a franchise that has Snyder and Cerrato managing it - to me these are all steps in the right direction

You must have a different idea on how good or bad we were last year if you don't think that this franchise is heading in the right direction

the "stats" indicate we were a top 5 defense last year and that is almost as bad an exagerration as thinking that this defense is a "huge REGRESSION" from last year

You and I don't agree that these guys are making progress but I'm willing to give them the time to do that - you seem to think they are actually making things worse

[chiefhog44]

Some people pay way too much attention to meaningless stats - we need to look at the big picture here

I remember the Colts being ranked terribly on defense and winning a lot of games

I remember the Vikings being unbelievable at stopping the run game but hopeless at winning games

I remember defenses here recently that were ranked in the top 10 with both Williams and Blache - those defenses were good at everything on the stat sheet EXCEPT they didn't mean that we had a defense that helped the team AT ALL

we are a franchise that is paying the price for years of terrible management - the rebuilding of the team AND both the offense and defense will take time - we have a lot of old players and only a few of them are worth very much, if anything

a lot of fans here are VERY unrealistic in their expectations - what has happened here for many years is not going to magically go away - it will take time

patience people - and stop with the stupid assessments, please

Stupid assessments? We're dead last in defense. How is that a stupid assessment? There's a huge REGRESSION on defense and an offense so sporadic, I don't know what to think with probably the LEAST talented receiving corps in the league.

Until we see progression (and we should already be seeing it), this is who we are.

huge REGRESSION - you must have a really short memory because if you cannot see the difference that I'm seeing both on the field and with whom we now have as both coaches and players here this year as opposed to last year then you are missing a lot

this group has been a lot closer to playing the game than ANYTHING we saw here last season

we have a lot of issues but to imply that we are worse off (regress = to go in the reverse direction) than last year is just a really stupid statement

I should be surprised, but then again ...

First off, keep the veiled personal attacks in smack...and I welcome you there.

If you can't look at the rankings from last year's D and this year's D and see the regression, then I don't think I can have an intelligent conversation with you.

And if you've watched the seven games (yes, continuity can be seen in the pre-season) and show me where we've been progressing consistantly, then please, illustrate me.

You can use keep throwing names out with your opinions and SAY we're moving in the right direction, but the stats don't support your opinion. Frankly, there are ZERO stats to support your following of the front office like the kids followed the pied piper. I don't care how many WORDS you CAPITALIZE to GET your POINT across, YOUR opinion STILL isn't SUPPORTED by FACTS. It's still just a baseless benefit of the doubt opinoin not supported by any facts.

I think what most feel and what he is trying to say is that this is going to take time. Not just a few games, but a couple seasons. So looking at these stats after three games is a bit hasty. Sit back and let's have this discussion towards the end of the season and see if there has been improvement by then how about. Not just the stats but overall play. When these players start understanding the systems

[chiefhog44]

Rams had the ball 10 minutes more than the Skins. Puts the D in a tough spot if we can't convert 3rd downs and control the ball, especially in the second half. I think we really missed Trent yesterday.

It wasn't the offense's fault (well mostly not) that the Rams had the ball ten minutes more, it was the D's inability to get an offense off the field the field that was missing it's best player, had no tallent at WR, and a QB that had two, TWO!, NFl starts under his belt!

If the D was tired, it was their own darn fault!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, you would like the D to hold them to "3 and out", but you also would like your O to produce more than "3 and out".

I guess my point is that you can't point the finger at one group entirely. We have a lot of work still to do to get this "team" better.

Hey, lets not leave out special teams, which in my opinion has already cost us one vs Houston

[SkinsJock]

we are seeing a lot of evidence that things are not going very well but we also are seeing some good things

I am not anti the nay sayers I just am hoping that given more time, things will start to go our way

we did not beat the pukes because we are a better team - we took advantage of their stupid mistakes

we lost to the Texans because we made mistakes and did not take advantage of what had been working

Our offense, defense and special teams looked absolutely terrible against the Rams - at one time we looked like we could pull it out despite all that


I firmly believe that Allen and Shanahan will act accordingly if things don't get better here soon - everyone here is now accountable and these 2 guys will correct the mistakes or remove the cause of those mistakes


some here need to get a grip and deal with the now and try and get away from the past

I know 2 things - we were terrible - these guys know what they are doing

patience people

[VetSkinsFan]

I've never claimed to be instant superbowl contenders. I've also said that I KNOW it's going to take at least two years. But my problem is that right now, in the present, we look like hot wet garbage. And, while I expected falloff (I recall saying it when it was first announced) with the change, I didn't expect to be an embarrassment in the meantime.

So, you can have faith in a new regime, but what's on the field right now sucks. And I'm not saying it can't improve. I'm saying right now it sucks. It's good to be optimistic, but i'm a logical guy. If I can't see it, it's hard to believe in. Some appear not to be so logically driven.

Our defense is dead last from top 10. Stephen Jackson's backup ran all over us with the Rams. Matt Schaub had a day against us all QBs dream of (granted the Texans offense is quite good).

Our offense is sporadic enough where we can't keep drives going and can't close. Save for Moss, we don't have any WRs on game day except the one returning kicks, and even he is a gamble at this point (which I wish they would make that gamble).

And one last thing... how exactly are stats not facts? You can't argue the stats, they're there, official and everything.

I'm not going round and round about this any more. Can we improve? Hell yes. But in the meantime, we aren't very good.

[SkinsJock]

I'm seeing it differently, but everyone can see that

[VetSkinsFan]

I'm seeing it differently, but everyone can see that

I get it, you have future optimism, and so do I. But in the meantime, I like to have a plan on how we're getting there, and it's hard for me to see a clear cut plan. I've always been a 'why' guy or a 'how does it work' guy. I've never just accepted things as 'they'll work themselves out.' I've always needed to know the steps in the process in order to fully get on board, and that's my problem now. I don't see the steps.

[CanesSkins26]

But in the meantime, I like to have a plan on how we're getting there, and it's hard for me to see a clear cut plan.

This is my main concern. It's hard to tell if Allen/Shanahan are trying to rebuild this team or are trying to win now.

[VetSkinsFan]

But in the meantime, I like to have a plan on how we're getting there, and it's hard for me to see a clear cut plan.

This is my main concern. It's hard to tell if Allen/Shanahan are trying to rebuild this team or are trying to win now.

That's my problem. I know they have a good resume, but I need to see it here and now.

[SkinsJock]

I just think that given what we've seen (in years past) from both Allen and Shanahan that they'll figure this out

I used to be a Snyder supporter and then realized what he was doing - these guys offer a lot more

I'm not sure what they have in mind I'm just tired of the disapointment that was Snyder and think that these guys have to know what they're doing - I'm willing to give them some time because IMO we have hope where last year we had nothing

I know that Vet points to a top 5 ranking with our D last year but that ranking did not in my view mean we had a defense that helped our team each week - it just had a great ranking - I'd rather have the worst ranked defense in the league as long as they help the offense and give us a chance at winning some games - defenses here recently never made me feel that they could make a difference - they just had good rankings (stats)

Campbell was a QB like that, he had all the attributes but just could not get it done

I hope these guys can get things turned around but I do know one thing - we can still hope they can this year, last year that was not possible

we cannot look too much worse than last week and hopefully everyone here learned from their mistakes