The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

I'm wondering if the Washington media and fans will understand that Al Saunders offense, much like Joe Gibbs runs best at the end of the year. While we all know that Gibbs is the king of December and January, Al's teams also normally don't begin scoring 30+ points per game until mid October forward. My concern is that the Washington media will try to spin our high expectations negatively when we don't have instant high scores. With our expectations so high, I just hope we as fans and the media can keep it all in perspective.

Over the last two years KC went 1-7 in preseason. They didn't score more than 20 points in 5 of 8 preseason games. Even when the regular season started, it took until midseason to score 30 points or more. By the middle of the season, however, KC was an unstoppable offensive machine!

Do you think the media/fans will be able to set fair expectations or will write hit pieces if we don't score huge points from the get go?

well we all know that Gibbs and Saunders both are very Vanilla in the preseason. They show only about 15 plays and thats it. The other 185 are left for the reg. season. I don't expect us to win many preseason games b/c we are just going out there to get warmed up. Hell the games we win show that the other teams really stink.

I think weak teams frequently do well in preason & many strong teams do poorly because weak teams are playing their best players looking for starters while good teams are playing a lot of marginal players to settle the bottom of the roster. ex we don't need to see a lot of Moss, ey, Thomas, samuels etc in the preseason. We need to look at those competing for #7 LB, #9 DB, #9 DL etc.

GibbsLombardi wrote:Al Saunders offense, much like Joe Gibbs runs best at the end of the year.

If what you say is true (and I do not believe it is) we are in trouble. Look at the schedule:

9/11 vs. Vikings 7pm ET ESPN
9/17 @ Cowboys 8:15pm ET NBC
9/24 @ Texans 1pm ET FOX
10/1 vs. Jaguars 4:15pm ET CBS
10/8 @ Giants 1pm ET FOX
10/15 vs. Titans 1pm ET CBS
10/22 @ Colts 4:15pm ET FOX
11/5 vs. Cowboys 1pm ET FOX
11/12 @ Eagles 1pm ET FOX
11/19 @ Buccaneers 1pm ET FOX
11/26 vs. Panthers 1pm ET FOX
12/3 vs. Falcons 1pm ET FOX
12/10 vs. Eagles 1pm ET FOX
12/17 @ Saints 1pm ET FOX
12/24 @ Rams 1pm ET FOX
12/30 vs. Giants 8pm ET NFL Network

We have a tough schedule and a late start for the offense would put great pressure on the second half to win it all. Remember Five on a row or we don't go?

Now, I disagree with the premise that the first half of the schedule might be weak. No team can afford a weak first half of the season. Besides, Al Saunders is a very important piece of out team but not the only one. And the team is already in sync for the most part.

On the contrary, I expect a higher percentage of wins in the first half of the season with a mildly less strong schedule than the second half, which is brutal for all NFC East teams (or their opponents if you wish to look at it that way too).

His KC teams never had a top notch defense like we do. In the first half of the season, if we can put a top 10 offense and defense on the field we will be fine. If our defense is at least as good as last year we will will not need 30+ points in order to win.

BernieSki wrote:If our defense is at least as good as last year we will will not need 30+ points in order to win.

Good point. Two or three TDs would have done the trick in several games last season.

We have 2 weak oponents in our 1st 6 games. If we win those & split with the 4 good teams, we we'll be in good shape if it takes that long for the O to really get in gear.

To clarify, I belive we'll win most of the games in the first half of the year with outstanding special teams and defense and slightly above average offense. By mid October, I expect us to be unstoppable.

My goal in writing the initial post was to get your thoughts on whether the media and fans will have patience in the preseason and early season or expect instant greatness on offense. Before our offense is running "downhill" we must first climb up the mountain through hard work and time together as a team.

All this has started me to thinking: is it really actually good to have a bad preseason? If you recall, and I know you do, Steve Spurrier had a tremendous preseason his first year. The kind of preseason that, had it presaged any kind of success for "The Old Ballcoach," would have us all ushering him into Canton. However, Steve's brilliant preseason left us breathless, and the regular season left us all vomitting. I'm all for a bad preseason, but we have to win regular season games, wether they come in September or December. All of them matter, and we have to win 10 of them.

GibbsLombardi wrote: Before our offense is running "downhill" we must first climb up the mountain through hard work and time together as a team.

George Allen used to say that guts mostly got you wins late in the season because everybody is in good physical shape and everybody should know their system by then.

Every team needs a period to develop new chemistry with newplayers and to learn the system well. The reason why we do not jump to agree or disagree with you is that there are several intangible factors. Some new players, some new coaches, quite a few new plays, and how that is going to work together vis-a-vis other teams from a late May perspective in an NFL that has achived great parity is very difficult to Hognosticate.

Hognosticate? Who said that?

"Hognosticate" I it isn't a word it should be!

All Pre-Season games are "Ha, our bench warmers are better than yours!"

9/11 vs. Vikings = W
9/17 @ Cowboys = W
9/24 @ Texans = W
10/1 vs. Jaguars = W
10/8 @ Giants = W
10/15 vs. Titans = W (rookie QB vs gregg williams)
10/22 @ Colts = push
11/5 vs. Cowboys = W
11/12 @ Eagles = W
11/19 @ Buccaneers = push (intense "rilvary")
11/26 vs. Panthers = W
12/3 vs. Falcons = W
12/10 vs. Eagles = W
12/17 @ Saints = W (Bush will dissapoint, and it wont be his fault)
12/24 @ Rams = W
12/30 vs. Giants = W

We're going to take over the NFCEast. I'd predict a perfect season but the bandwagon is not at its highest level of hype yet!

You see how unstoppable this team was last season when WE ACTUALLY SCORED! For the 3rd consecutive season this team has become unstoppable because of our defense. Our defense allows us to win games if we can score AT LEAST 17 points a game. Why do I think so highly of this team? I have two reasons.

1. The offense will be a scoring machine
2. The defense will now become a scoring defense THROUGHOUT the season due to us now having a pass rush.

Rushing the QB = hurried decisions
Rushing the QB = hurried throws

Hurried throws + Hurried decisions = Interceptions!!!!!

SEAN TAYLOR WILL MAKE HIS 1ST PROBOWL Appearance along with Carlos Rogers! < Watch and sEe!