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Burner’s Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

I know that schedules are 'on paper' and that power hierarchy changes from year to year. But my question is - how does a non-playoff team get repeatedly assigned one of the top 3 hardest schedules in the league? Something seriously wrong with that process if you ask me.

It's a stumper ain't it. LOL

And since you took the time to post some intriguing factors that may largely determine how well the team does, I'll give my responses and maybe others will too:

I probably should have put my thoughts in on this too, rather than just the questions...

Is our new D-Line going to be as good as we hope? It's going to be better than we hope. If they stay healthy we may have a top 3 or 4 unit by year's end.

I agree. I'm actually quite bullish on how good we're going to be. We may not be the polished finished article this year, but I love the pieces we've got and I believe that (as you say, if they can stay healthy) we'll be much improved. I honestly cannot believe we'll be as snakebit as we were last year. A part of me hopes we have a year broadly free of injuries to balance out last year and bring us back towards the mean again. But this D-Line has me very excited for the future. If our O-Line can live up to their reputation as being one of the best in the game, and our D-Line can be improved and more importantly YOUNG, then we look solid in the trenches and from such foundations our team can grow!

Can our your CB's defend the pass, or are we going to rue letting Fuller go? Yes - because we are going to be consistently collapsing the pocket on passing downs which will make our CB talent look much better than talent levels may suggest.

I Think this is the area that actually worries me the most. I hope that, as you said, the line collapsing the pocket will help... and I KNOW that you can't tell much from pre-season... but we looked awful in that dress rehearsal game and it was enough to give me some doubts. Fingers crossed on this one for me.

Can Smith reproduce his form from last year in a different uniform? No. Smith's averages are something like 3400 passing yards a season, 18-20 TD passes, 7 INTs or so. He's efficient, not prolific. But he's what we need. He rarely makes mistakes. And is a very accurate and savvy short passing game manager who also knows how to elude pressure.

Maybe I worded this a little wrongly. I don't expect him to fully reproduce last years form as he had a career year and this year he is a year older and in a new system. BUT count me amongst the people who believe we'll be better off with him under center that with Kirk. I liked Kirk, but I think we saw enough ups and downs from him over the last few years that makes me believe that Smith may be a steadier hand.

Will Reed last more than a few games? Reed has lasted more than a 'few games' every season (except last year). In the 4 games prior to 2017, he's averaged 12 games a season. His 'brittleness' is a little overstated. So I have to believe he'll return to his average of playing about 2/3rds of the season.

You're right, it probably is overstated a little, but as he's such a key part of our offence when he's not playing it's impact is felt more so than with most other players. Averaging 12 games in a 16 game season means missing 25% of the games. Which is a pretty big percentage for such a key player. Vernon stepped up last year, as did Thompson till his injury, but to truly fulfil our potential on O we need him available as much as possible, especially for key divisional games. I'm really hoping that his surgery gets him right for this year and we see the player from 2016 again.

Will Thompson come back and continue his breakout form from last year? I don't know. But the past 2 seasons he's been a crucial part of Gruden's offense and a crucial 'safety valve' for Cousins. His versatility really helps us because we can mask our intentions when he's in there. No reason to think, given the nature of his injury last year, that he won't return 100% but how much of a favored target he will be for Smith is an open question.

I think my worry here is.... he was having a real breakout year last year and the league took notice. He became the safety valve for Kirk that Reed had previously been, with more receiving yards than rushing. This year with Reed hopefully back, with Peterson in the backfield and with a new QB who he hasn't really worked with yet... will he be the same dynamic player we saw last year? I'm expecting yes. In fact, as you say, I think he'll fit with Smith wonderfully and hopefully our 3rd down issues will be a thing of the past. Fingers crossed.

Will Doctson break out? I don't know. If by 'break out' you mean that Smith will actually consistently target him instead of using him like a 1 trick pony, I have to believe he will. That's one of the reasons we could thrive with Smith. We need to start using his physicality on slants and over the middle routes instead of just having him run post patterns and go after jump balls in the end zone. He's an Art Monk like WR and needs to be used that way. I'll say this - he needs to be targeted 150 times minimum this season, and he needs to finally exceed 50% catch %.

Another one I'm bullish on. I think some of the problem last year was Kirk not going to him for whatever reason. Gruden alluded as much a bunch of times in interview. I think we'll see Smith use him much more and as their chemistry and confidence grows I think they'll go from strength to strength. I hope so at least. A lot of pundits are questioning our Offence this year, but I think we have some great weapons if they fulfill their potential. I wouldn't want to face us if Smith gets on the same page as Reed, Thompson, Davis, Crowder and Doctson. There's alot of passing threats to cover that could be very reliable targets. Which in turn could open up the run game and if Peterson has anything left in the tank... we could be really explosive on O.

Is Richardson the real deal or another Pryor in the making? Richardson has great hands and speed. He's caught nearly 60% of passes thrown at him in the 3 full seasons he played in Seattle. Smith is going to throw to the WRs that are reliable. He is that guy. Pryor had 1 good season with 77 catches and 1000 yds but his resume was otherwise yawn-inducing. The only question with Richardson is whether he can be a true #1 , but there's a lot more basis for hope there than there ever should've been with Pryor.

You know when you have a gut feel on something... Something about Richardson gives me a bad feeling.
To be fair I'm almost always wrong LOL But I have this feeling like RIchardson is going to be average to disappointing for us.... but I feel like Quinn could be very important. LOL I have no logical basis for these feelings.
Logically, like you I think he has more potential to be good with us, but I'm not sure he can be our true number 1 receiver. Here's hoping!.

Can Peterson last 16 games? Can our backup RB's actually make a Run game by committee work? No. In a decade he's only done it 4 times. At 33 years old and with almost 3000 touches under his belt, it's not likely he will play in every game. It's unlikely he will be a 3 down back with Thompson and our other RBs likely to get significant carries, so that may help keep him healthy. That's not the real question though. The question is, can he look as good against starting NFL defenses at age 33 (and with our rushing scheme) as he did in a single preseason game. For our rushing game to 'work', it just needs to be a viable threat that teams respect. So I think the answer will be mostly 'yes'.

What I want from Peterson is the threat of a breakout game. I hope he's good for 16 games as the lead back in a running back by committee approach I think we'll be forced to take. What I like about Peterson is the threat. I don't think opposing defences are scared of Kelley and co, but when you put Peterson out there he's shown in the preseason that he can still be a threat to breakout. I want that fear to keep D's honest. I don't need him to have a 1000 yard season, I just want him available in 16 games this year to put the fear of God into defences at the times of our choosing.
He certainly won't be a 3 down back, but I think if we're sensible using him we could have a dangerous weapon for tactical situations, even if it's simply as a misdirection for a pass play.

Will Gruden commit to the run behind Peterson? Again - what do you mean by 'commit'? If Peterson averages 5 yards a carry, Gruden's no fool - he'll give him 15+ carries a game. But Gruden is always going to run a pass heavy offense. So my answer would be 'No' as I think you're asking if we'll be a pound it on the ground team with Peterson getting most of the carries. That's not going to happen for a lot of reasons. I'm not sure we need that to be a highly effective offense. We need to be a top 12 or so rushing team and anything better than that is gravy.

I think my question here is more... We have Thompson back, we have Peterson and we have other capable backs. We also have a QB who does his best work when supported by a run game. With these tools I don't want to see Gruden being pass happy. I sometimes think Gru is unfairly maligned for being pass happy, but he has shown in the past he will ride a run game if it's hot in the past. I don't mind a pass biased offence, but there were times last year when he just got away from the run, even using it to set up the passing game. To be fair I don't think he's ever really had the tools in regards to the RB's we've had. This year could be different.
I also think there are lessons to be learned this year for when we get Guice back next year.

Anyway that's my thoughts. :D
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Redskins have officially waived DE Anthony Lanier with an injury settlement.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

They clearly feel they can't afford a roster spot for a DE who only shines in one aspect of the position. I don't have an opinion about Caleb Brantley yet. But it's not like we are lacking badly in terms of a pass rush. With both Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen out there, that's really going to make it tough for them to double team any of our DL. Our linebackers may feast on QBs this year.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

I am really looking forward to seeing Jon Allen, Matt Ioannidis, and Daron Payne on the field at the same time. It's scary to even think about it - in a good way.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

I mean, they keep other "specialists". And Pass Rushing specialist is a pretty important one.
Like on all those 3rd downs.
And it can easily make the difference in the game.
Let's say you got a late lead you're trying to protect. The other team is driving down the field in the final 2 minutes, for the potential game-winning score. You need a good pass rusher on practically every play of that drive. Yes we have the others. But they have to be rotated to be fresh. Plus you need depth for injuries.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Doug Williams on ESPN 980 seemed to think that bringing Caleb Brantley in and seeing him practice this week made Williams believe the team acquired a valuable 'piece' to the puzzle in terms of DL depth for the future.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Doug Williams on ESPN 980 seemed to think that bringing Caleb Brantley in and seeing him practice this week made Williams believe the team acquired a valuable 'piece' to the puzzle in terms of DL depth for the future.

I don't think anyone doubts Brantley's talent.
It's just the repeated reports from everywhere, that he takes plays off.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

I mean, they keep other "specialists". And Pass Rushing specialist is a pretty important one.
Like on all those 3rd downs.
And it can easily make the difference in the game.
Let's say you got a late lead you're trying to protect. The other team is driving down the field in the final 2 minutes, for the potential game-winning score. You need a good pass rusher on practically every play of that drive. Yes we have the others. But they have to be rotated to be fresh. Plus you need depth for injuries.

Brantley's no slouch. He is coming off a rookie year. He suited up for 12 games in 2017 but only started one. Had 12 tackles, 6 assists, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Lanier was arguably better last year, but it was his 2nd season - played 11 games, started 2, 11 tackles, 3 assists, but 5 sacks and a forced fumble and recovery. Bottom line - Lanier was a poor run defender and he was hurt. I trust the defensive coaches didn't make that move without a lot of thought.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Brantley's no slouch. He is coming off a rookie year. He suited up for 12 games in 2017 but only started one. Had 12 tackles, 6 assists, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Lanier was arguably better last year, but it was his 2nd season - played 11 games, started 2, 11 tackles, 3 assists, but 5 sacks and a forced fumble and recovery. Bottom line - Lanier was a poor run defender and he was hurt. I trust the defensive coaches didn't make that move without a lot of thought.

Well like I was sayin above your post, if we can just get consistent effort out of Brantley, something that apparently the Browns were unable to do, then we'll do well with him.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

I think part of Lanier vs. Brantley (beyond Lanier's injury and problematic run-defending) is that we have such a solid DL at this point that we can afford to go high-risk, high-reward with Brantley. If Brantley works out, we have a top-end DL. If he doesn't, we're already fine.

(Unlike, say, the choice to keep Apke on the 53 for long-term potential, when I think we need a S on the roster who is actually ready to play.)
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

I think part of Lanier vs. Brantley (beyond Lanier's injury and problematic run-defending) is that we have such a solid DL at this point that we can afford to go high-risk, high-reward with Brantley. If Brantley works out, we have a top-end DL. If he doesn't, we're already fine.

(Unlike, say, the choice to keep Apke on the 53 for long-term potential, when I think we need a S on the roster who is actually ready to play.)

I think that has a lot of merit - the bar is being raised in terms of what's expected talent-wise.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Why Why
Wasn't there room for a sack specialist ?

Sack specialist? Maybe it's just me but I'd want my pass rush specialist to have more than 5 career sacks. That doesn't sound to special to me.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

For those of you who watched the game how did we give up that many sacks. Basically was it a team effort or was one linemen having a bad day?
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

It came on passing attempts for the wide receiving corps. The secondary for the Cardinals is solid and that is why the numbers for Skins receivers were down for this game.

The Redskins had a good game plan though and that was to exploit the Cardinals weak linebacking corps with screen passes to Peterson and Thompson along with a solid rushing attack. It worked.
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Burner's Burning Questions: Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Week One

Greetings to everyone here in BGO land and greetings to all of our friends on social media. We hope you become a member of the family here.

The 2018 NFL regular season is underway after eight months of waiting to see our favorite team back on the field again. Our thoughts go out to those who are in the path of Hurricane Florence. We hope for the best and we also hope there will be no loss of life.

Week one is in the books and now we take a look at how the entire team fared against the Arizona Cardinals. Opening day for the Redskins has been a struggle in recent seasons, but a lopsided victory on Sunday has fans encouraged. We will try to make some sense of it all as BBQ hands out grades, evaluations, and questions. Feel free to offer your own grades, evaluations, questions, and opinions.

Let's take a look at week one.

Quarterbacks:
Question: What are the early differences between Alex Smith and Kirk Cousins?
Answer: Smith is not concerned about personal statistics, just managing the game correctly and focusing on nothing other than a win. Quick, sound decisions are a given with Smith and he does not give in to pressure easily.
Grade: A-

Running Backs:
Question: Did you expect such a game from Adrian Peterson?
Answer: AP (or is it AD?) is familiar with the Cardinals and probably had a few secrets up his sleeve, but his performance on Sunday was solid. Chris Thompson has not lost a step and had a terrific game. Rob Kelley was adequate in relief.
Grade: A

Wide Receivers:
Question: Did the receivers line up and play on Sunday?
Answer: The Cardinals have a very good secondary and they were squarely focused on shutting down the Redskins receivers. That left Arizona vulnerable to the run and short passing offense of the Redskins.
Grade: C+

Tight Ends:
Question: Is Jordan Reed back and ready for a sixteen game schedule?
Answer: We'll know sooner or later, but he had a good game and had a sweet looking touchdown late in the first half.
Grade: B

Offensive Line:
Question: Did everyone see the many videos of the offensive unit on social media this week?
Answer: If you didn't see the videos, that's fine. You obviously noticed this unit during the game. Morgan Moses is better than ever. Trent Williams is his usual self. Brandon Scherff is actually nastier than the last two seasons. Shawn Lauvao had a solid outing. Chase Roullier is a star in the making.
Grade: A+

Defensive Line:
Question: What grade would you give their effort against the Cardinals?
Answer: This group is quickly becoming one of the better lines in the league. They harassed the quarterback into poor decisions. They shut down the rushing offense. They neutralized one of the greatest receivers of all time. They sealed the game at the end.
Grade: A-

Linebackers:
Question: How good is when the backups can have an impact?
Answer: Pernell McPhee and Ryan Anderson consistently flushed the quarterback out of the pocket and caused disruptions in the passing game. The rushing attack was limited by solid play from the inside linebackers.
Grade: A-

Cornerbacks:
Question: How did Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau perform?
Answer: They did a solid job all day. It is just one game, but both players could have a very good season. Josh Norman shut down his side of the field. The corners benefitted from the solid play of the front seven.
Grade: B+

Safeties:
Question: The long pass for the Cardinals didn't exist – was this unit the reason why?
Answer: Like the corners, the safeties benefitted as a result of a solid game from the front seven and it made their day somewhat easier. Both safeties cheated up to the line at times and helped to shut down the rushing offense.
Grade: B+

Special Teams:
Question: Only one glaring mistake – that's a good thing, right?
Answer: It was a good day. Tress Way can still boom the punts. Dustin Hopkins was steady. Nick Sundberg placed the ball correctly. Trey Quinn did a good job (it will be tough to lose him for a few weeks). The punt coverage was poor late in the fourth quarter, but the speed of Troy Apke prevented a touchdown.
Grade: B

Coaching:
Question: What can we say about the coaches for this first game of 2018?
Answer: Offense. The game plan was spectacular and the players did a great job of executing it. Good play calling led to a 21-0 halftime lead and the Redskins were able to coast in the second half. If there are any complaints it would center on the third and fourth quarters. The team should've scored more points and truly put the Cardinals out of their misery.

Defense. Tough, determined, unyielding. Shutting down David Johnson is a monumental task. Neutralizing Larry Fitzgerald is even tougher. Solid game plan from the defensive staff.

Special teams. Steady as she goes, but a late mistake in punt coverage nearly led to a touchdown for the Cardinals.
Grade: B

How would you grade each position and the coaching staff? How do you feel about this team after the first game of the 2018 season? Will the defense continue their impressive start? Are you encouraged with the solid leadership of Alex Smith? Did you expect to see Ryan Anderson having such an impact on defense and offense (fullback)? What are you expecting on Sunday against the Colts? On to game two. We'll see you next week with grades, evaluations, and questions.

Hail to the Redskins!
 
Re: Burner's Burning Questions: News, Grades, Evals, Questions, Regular Season, 2018

Like all your grades BB.

The one I might change, though, is for coaching. I've been hard on Gruden. This was a very good game for him and his staff.

Grade A
 

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