2014 Training Camp

[emoses14]

I have to keep reminding myself that it's a first-year head coach with a lot of new staff, coming off of a bad year. It's about what I'd expect when that gets tested for the first time against the Patriots.

Oh yeah, man. No surprises here at all. Personally I think its great to get our butts kicked around training camp by an elite team like the Patriots. We've had all of these discussions about how good our team *could* be and how great the look on paper. They'd better figure out how to look good on the field between now and September. Tom Brady isn't even trying that hard right now!!! lol.

No disagreement except , do not fool yourself, Tom Brady is always trying hard. That's why he is and how he stays tom Brady.

[riggofan]

No disagreement except , do not fool yourself, Tom Brady is always trying hard. That's why he is and how he stays tom Brady.

True, true, true. No doubt. I meant more that they're not running the plays, scheming, etc; like they would be in the regular season. But yeah I'm sure even playing "backyard football" like some of the Redskins described today, Brady is working hard every play.

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

Of course I'd prefer to hear we torched the Pats and shut Brady and Co down but that's not realistic to expect at this point. I'm hopeful that the co practices are beneficial to the coaches and player development. These things are tough to gauge tho, so ill leave that to the coaches.

Those reports do seem a little "negative" so here is some positives for the doomsdayers- step away from the ledge, we WILL be o.... never mind step off, "Being a Redskins fan isn't for the faint of heart."

http://httr4life.com/redskins-patriots- ... cap-day-1/

*RG3 5/5 in 7 on 7s
*Rambo with an INT
*Robinson pulls in a deep ball
*DJax w the long ball catch

[SkinsJock]

just a few more practices and then we begin to get ready to play the games that count


being able to practice against a really good team has got to help these guys ... being able to see them play on Thursday will be a treat

I'm as excited about the possibilities again this season as usual ...

I look forward each and every season to all the good things that can be ... then watch as the reality that is this franchise unfolds

just like every year at this time .... "maybe this season will be different ..."

[riggofan]

just like every year at this time .... "maybe this season will be different ..."

hah. You'd think Redskins fans would know better than to think that way.

Personally, I have no doubt this season will be different. Just not sure if it will be better or worse!

Either way I'm glad they're back to playing some real football this week. Can't wait to see some of this game on Thursday. The one thing I would really like to see is the defensive starters not get completely torched in the first series or two. I know "its only preseason" and all that. I won't make a lot of judgements about the team based on the first preseason game, but if Brady marches down the field in the first possession making it look way too easy, I'll be a little disappointed.

[SkinsJock]

^^ you're right ... but it is Tom Brady and if he's not incredibly good there's something wrong

it's a matter of getting ready to play another season - nobody should take too much from the pre season games

we have a lot of things to look forward to as this group gets the Redskins back to playing better together

RG3 needs to become the future great we all expect and that will not happen in 16 games - it will take time

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

Any one have a line on reports from today? What I've read is tds (from Ross Reed and Tana) and sacks on D (Rak and the rookie Trent together closing in on Brady) pointing to a MUCH better showing than yesterday.. is this a glimpse at a staff that knows how to make adjustments at halftime?? That'd be a welcomed change to years passed!

[Cappster]

I think going against Brady, and the Pats fast paced offense, will benefit us more than what we are doing to Brady and the Pats. I am watching NFL network and they are saying Brady is having his way with our D for the most part. This is to be expected from a Hall of Fame QB such as Brady this early in the "season." Our team has a long ways to go, but it will be interesting to see the difference of performance between weeks 1-4 and 14-17. Hopefully, the later we will be a part of the playoff scene.

[riggofan]

The one thing I noticed in reports from the Skins v. Pats practices was that a lot of the stories seemed to be along the lines of: Well, the Skins passing offense wasn't great and pass protection was bad, but they ran the ball very well and the offensive line looked good on running plays.

Just thought it was kind of surprising. I know a lot of us have been excited about the passing game with RGIII healthy and some new weapons at WR. I've kind of been expecting this high powered, passing offense. But probably not a bad thing if the offense is more built around Alfred Morris and definitely not a bad thing if they're running the ball effectively.

[FanofallthatisGibbs]

Defenses usually start out well ahead of offenses. The fact that we were owned by anyone, including Tom Brady and Pats (they're far from perfect, but they are consistent), is not a good sign this early. Offensive chemistry is much harder to find in general, so I think in time that side of the game will come around on this team. But I am VERY worried about defense, not nearly as high as many of you. Until we have a strong pass rush, the D will continue to be torched through the air. Having Gruden as the Head Coach makes me think offense will be fine, defense will continue to struggle. The Skins' piss poor tackling means that without a big takeaway margin we're screwed. I hope Ryan Clark changes this, but even with the tackling machine London Fletcher our secondary was gross.

The question remains: Can RGIII be his old self again or is he grounded for life? This will determine more than any other factor how many Ws and Ls the team gets this year.

I like where the team is headed, but the whole "on paper" crap doesn't mean a thing to me. 11 great players trying to play as great players can still be a fustercluck. We need a team with chemistry and a united sense of mission. I'll be seen as a pessimist, but I am just trying to keep my expectations in check. I really hope they can recapture the magic from the 2012 season.

If we can ride Alfred Morris as long as possible, we'll be in great shape. This O-line is still designed for the zone run. It'll take several years to become something different. These guys can't turn on/off their greatest assets/liabilities over the course of one season. On this team, RGIIIs greatest pass protection is his legs. Forcing himself to be a "pocket passer" may lead to an early end to his career as fast as scrambling and sliding head first to the sideline.

[emoses14]

Re: joint practices with the pats; the house is most certainly not on fire.

http://realredskins.com/2014/08/06/yes-the-patriots-are-better-than-the-redskins-but-we-already-knew-that/

Some excerpts (it's not long, these just jumped out to me).

Here’s a pro tip for you—joint training camp practices mean even less than preseason games do.

In fact, Brady looks like a quarterback who has been playing in the same offense for 15 years. That’s because he is. Griffin looks like a third-year quarterback who is learning a new offense. And, of course, that’s because that is what he is.

Also, be careful not to overanalyze what happens during these practices.

It’s vanilla on vanilla and that favors a team like the Patriots, who have been drafting players into their system for 15 years, over the Redskins, who are starting over.

I suppose it is a testament to the rabid fan base that we are, but it is also head shakingly insane that this kind of an article even needs to be written.

[cowboykillerzRGiii]

I personally am more concerned about Garçons hammy abd Deseans ankle then a HOF qb moving the ball around on a vanilla D...
ftr there are plenty of vids/ reports/ tweets on our guys burning their dbs and making catches too