hmmm. I was going to start a separate thread related to all of this. but why not dive in head first to the shallow end like everyone else
so….I shelled some bucks out to go to the KC game w/my daughter. our one game. we drove back to VA Bch about mid-way thru the second quarter. Below has immediate reflections from the game…and then some bigger picture thoughts. all caveated by: I don't think any of us have a real clue what is going on in terms of the power plays.
Game
- RGII is playing badly. has been. you can see it: not reading well, passing mechanics are off, getting clobbered both in the pocket and on QB runs. his accuracy is horrendous. way off the mark on several early passes - I knew we were doomed. he should be benched. right now, he, ummmm, well, sucks. let's face it - Shanahan probably knew all along RGIII should not have started game 1. no preseason and into the frying pan. he never had a chance.
- no secret: this offensive line is really, really bad…especially the RT. it's even worse watching him live than on TV. KC defense physically manhandled that line.
- we lack team speed. I don't care what the watch clock says. you can see it on the field. you can see it with our receivers. this places an even heavier premium on play-calling. that does work. Kyle's play calling isn't as bad as some think - as I thought. the players just aren't executing and lack the required talent in some instances.
- we need a fast RB for change of pace. Shanahan knows that - it's why he drafted the way he did last draft. nothing materialized so a known weakness has persisted.
- the defense. well, we all know that story. with the exception of 2, maybe 3, players, the whole unit needs to be rebuilt, new coaches, etc., etc. it's just awful, awful, awful. no speed, no size, no aggressiveness. can't tackle worth a lick. it's embarrassing.
- special teams. well, another known story. my observation was that it looked entirely reactive to me. folks were maintaining positions (more than reported), but they just seemed to be fixed in space at a certain point with a KC blocker keeping them occupied. I watched several KC players, on the other hand, who were initially blocked, but they shed the block and utilized good speed to tackle the ball carrier anyway. speed. size. will power. our STs lack all three. and the kickers? well, they have been short all season. others have remarked on a stupid strategy of constantly kicking down the middle of the field on a strong return team like KC. who is calling the shots here? who is thinking things thru? dumb you know what - that's who.
- this is simply a bad team that doesn't have enough talent, speed and size.
Bigger picture:
- I actually back Shanahan. I don't like everything he has done. for example, I support benching RG, but having him run the scout team? that's a dumb f'ing move.
- I like that Shanahan is enforcing his authority. that's what a coach should do even if he goes down in flames. the way his contract is structured he is accountable for jus about everything. so let him run it however he thinks best. there can only be one! (boss) let him finish out his contract and be judged by the results.
- His admission on RG yesterday was astonishing. A big detractor in my view. the time to say that was immediately when it happened. One can only surmise he knew this all along, but decided to shed some of the responsibility. the "he's the one theme" alluded to previously? that gets under-cut when the players know the one doesn't shoulder blame when merited.
it's very difficult to assess what is going on right now. Snyder is actually doing the right things compared to previous seasons. player leaks seem to support this. I, for one, don't think he pal'd around with RG nearly as much as certain media sources rumor. and who cares? the reality is that RG has played badly and that this team's core problem is a lack of talent. that lack of talent has many sources, hence, the difficulty in assessing all of this. it points directly at management and scouting. the problem is that the team inherited by Shanahan had drafted badly, had spent too much money on unproductive talent, etc., etc., that had to be cleaned up. Shanahan made some bad moves both signings and financially. the drafts have been uneven. at the end of the day, you can't build a team based on 4-7th round picks. RG will be our franchise QB - this is just a wash year for him. we'll find out what sort of man he really is during the of-season. either he fixes his weaknesses or he is what he appears to be at times - someone who says the right things but is ultimately about himself. he has the skills and smarts. but he was never NFL ready (vis what top flight NFL QBs must be able to execute). those three number ones hurt. the cap penalty definitely hurt. WE REALLY CAN'T DRAW ANY CONCLUSIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY VARIABLES. the one think I am certain of, no rocket science here, is that we are a long ways from an NFL caliber roster. this all boils down to talent on hand. I have no idea if this state exists because of the extenuating circumstances (RGIII draft trade, cap hit), bad scouting, bad personnel evaluation, bad coaching, bad strategy (e.g., ZBS, 3-4), lacking player motivation, lacking player football smarts….whatever. but it aint there. I also know other teams have either turned their rosters around faster or don't slide as much during major roster turn-over (e.g., Ravens). this all suggests that that we still don't have an established, entrenched, long-term strategy for managing the roster. we're constantly changing, constantly lurching from one philosophy to the next, one immediate set of problems to the next.
we got our QB. let's develop him. let's build a plan that methodically builds the roster - accounting for depth and replenishment. we need stability and strategy. we need management/vision that view this roster in terms of 10 year periods - not 3-4 year coaching stints. until that happens. we will always be at the tail end watching the successful teams. there are no magic turn-arounds - there is good football thinking, eye for talent, and staying the course. and that does have to start with Dan. he has to be the foundation that all the other actions spring from. he has to ensure continuity. he doesn't run things. but he should be the one who - once the identity is defined - makes sure it keeps. aside from talent on hand…this is my biggest complaint. this team has no identity and hasn't since 1992. there is no "Redskin Football" like there was in the 70s and 80s. there has only been churn and confusion.
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