Random Commanders Thoughts

This is not the same team as most of the last twenty years. It's just not. It's a young, up and coming team that football fans are starting to take notice of. I have friends who are Cowboy and Eagle fans that talk a lot of shit even when it's unwarranted. They aren't doing that anymore.

If, IF, this team goes 3-1 over the next four, watch the national media change their tune and tell everyone how they saw it coming all along. Right now they are slobbering all over KC, a team lucky to win because a young receiver couldn't come down with a catchable ball.

KDawg - always good to get your takes brother. Glad you are here

Agree Chris - but this season is truly going to be a week to week challenge. We should toast the 49ers at home as we are a much better team. But Philly in Philly, Dallas, and the Seahawks in Seattle will all be battles. Only saving grace with the tough schedule is that the other NFC East teams have to play it too The NFC East is going to be come down to a game here or there.

This is a young team. The improvements on defense are shocking. I don't know if it's the youth/talent infusion, the new coaching staff, or both - but we're a different defense now.

On offense, we are actually performing better than I expected. I anticipated some severe growing pains with the new receiving group. There's certainly been some of that, but there has also been enough success to give one a glimpse of a future really good corps. Biggest surprise of the season so far has been how ineffectual Jordan Reed has been. Last season, we saw a much more physical Reed with a more aggressive attitude. This year, he's mostly been a non-factor. I'm not paying much attention to stats - because one thing we're seeing with Gruden is that the ball is getting spread around much more than in previous seasons. I also believe it was McVay who was generally responsible for the pass happy playcalling. Gruden has a history as OC of a strong running game, and I think we will continue to see a 'run to set up the pass' approach from him, nearly opposite of previous years, which should make a lot of us happy. In general, the offense has been more productive than I would've anticipated. I certainly don't think those who predicted disaster with the failure to sign either Garcon or Jackson were right.

As for last night - although I'm always hesitant to lay the blame for a loss on officiating - we got jobbed. There were several calls that went against us that 99.9% of NFL officials wouldn't call. The encroachment penalty alone probably cost us the game. And as others have pointed out, there were several non-calls that were equally damaging.

But the stupid penalties, many of them on 3rd down, didn't help. And those were all on us.

I don't know what kind of season we're going to have. We're better than our current record reflects. All I know is that this team is aggressive, and competitive, and I expect them to be in every game. From the perspective of a beleagured Redskins fan, that's a pretty good place to be.

It was great to see Kirk shoulder the team on that last drive and deliver a perfect strike to Doctson. That was a pressure drive and he responded. Got to remind myself that Doctson is basically having his Rookie year. Oh so close.

While the offense certainly didn't lose the game, their sleepwalking for most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters helped to tire out the defense quite a bit. Likely a contributor to so many injuries.

As for our WR corp, to date, we have Grant as the only consistent performer.
Pryor, spotty at best.
Doctson, one big play.
Crowder, practically invisible.

Their either covered, dropping passes, or open, and our current starting QB isn't seeing them.

So, I'm not panicking, but we're getting very little production out of our top 3, on paper, WR's.
That can't continue much longer.

The runningback corp,outside of Thompson, isn't much to write home about either.

Kelley is JAG and Perine needs a bucket of stickum.

The bad thing about last night was Gruden getting away from the formula: running the ball, eating clock and creating TOP.

They had success running. Getting away from it and not maintaining a TOP advantage, is what got the defense gassed.

The 1:34 min scoring drive (Vernon's long catch and run) was great but it did the defense no favors. Not saying we shouldn't have scored there but the lack of maintaining a run game before that is what eventually wore the defense out.

DieselPwr44 said:

The runningback corp,outside of Thompson, isn't much to write home about either.

Kelley is JAG and Perine needs a bucket of stickum.

The bad thing about last night was Gruden getting away from the formula: running the ball, eating clock and creating TOP.

They had success running. Getting away from it and not maintaining a TOP advantage, is what got the defense gassed.

The 1:34 min scoring drive (Vernon's long catch and run) was great but it did the defense no favors. Not saying we shouldn't have scored there but the lack of maintaining a run game before that is what eventually wore the defense out.

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We ran a lot last night. 26 runs may not sound like a lot, but when you factor in that we had just a handful of plays in the 3rd quarter, we ran plenty. You also have to consider that Kelley was banged up, and Perine had just fumbled. CT can't be in there every down and Mack Brown wasn't active. Not sure what you want Gruden to do there (I think you could make the argument to go right back to Perine which I called for - but short of that...)

Besides - it really wasn't a lack of a run game that cost us last night - it was penalties at key moments, especially on 3rd down. Say what you want, but we were one bad phantom call and/or one completion in the end zone away from stealing a game from arguably the best team in the NFL right now.

I actually think we have a lot of talent at RB. Kelley when healthy has done nothing but produce. Perine is showing signs of significant talent. And CT is arguably the best change of pace back in the league.

Chris Thompson only got 7 touches the whole game last night.

After Perine went "Matt Jones" on us, don't see why he couldn't have been used more to maintain some kind of balance.

In Prime time on MNF it just always seems like even with the type of performance the Redskins put up, they still find ways to lose.

That's my whole frustration.

A chance to announce to the league that they are real and will have to be dealt with turns into "Wow! Look how great the Chiefs are!" Which was what all the talk in the media was about today.

Josh Doctson on the field reminds me of Michael Westbrook.

Very talented, fast receiver who is having a difficult time getting a 'feel' for the pro game. You can tell he is used to running and going up for balls uncontested. That's a holdover from college.

Westbrook was similarly raw coming out of Colorado.

He would make the splash play like Doctson did last week and then drop the ball with the game on the line the next.

Doctson should have caught that ball to win the Chiefs game.

He went up higher than the defender and could have turned his upper body away from the defender on the way down to secure the catch. He had it and the defender wasn't in position to fight for it.

Instead Doctson landed out of control flat on his stomach. The ONE way to land where you can't bring the catch down and secure it for a reception.

Body control.

The Chiefs defender was beaten and knew it. He came up jumping when he saw the ball bounce out. He was off the hook.

He thought the game should have been over.

He wasn't alone.

I think it's a little early to judge whether he'll struggle to adjust to the pro game - Good lord...

I have only one concern with Doctson and that is his seeming fragility.

At the precise moment Doctson dropped the ball - he had his facemask tugged down his head.
Coincidence ?
I think not.

Chris said:

I have only one concern with Doctson and that is his seeming fragility.

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Yeah at the moment he's 3 catches and 3 injuries. So basically 1 injury per catch. LOL

Boone said:

We ran a lot last night. 26 runs may not sound like a lot, but when you factor in that we had just a handful of plays in the 3rd quarter, we ran plenty. You also have to consider that Kelley was banged up, and Perine had just fumbled. CT can't be in there every down and Mack Brown wasn't active. Not sure what you want Gruden to do there (I think you could make the argument to go right back to Perine which I called for - but short of that...)

Besides - it really wasn't a lack of a run game that cost us last night - it was penalties at key moments, especially on 3rd down. Say what you want, but we were one bad phantom call and/or one completion in the end zone away from stealing a game from arguably the best team in the NFL right now.

I actually think we have a lot of talent at RB. Kelley when healthy has done nothing but produce. Perine is showing signs of significant talent. And CT is arguably the best change of pace back in the league.

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There was a stat I heard this morning...

In the last 3 games the Skins have run more than they have passed. First time in Gruden's coaching history here that that has happened.

So I too am wondering if the pass happy offenses of the past were a Sean McVay creation.

Alot in here to like...

Boone said:

Agree Chris - but this season is truly going to be a week to week challenge. We should toast the 49ers at home as we are a much better team. But Philly in Philly, Dallas, and the Seahawks in Seattle will all be battles. Only saving grace with the tough schedule is that the other NFC East teams have to play it too The NFC East is going to be come down to a game here or there.

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Kinda what I was trying to convey earlier but you put it better. Pre-Season I was really worried that some games were 'gimme losses'. I remember looked at the early schedule especially and figuring that by this point we'd have been 1-3 with losses to the Chiefs, Raiders and Eagles. The rest of the schedule looked tough planning on the Cowboys being the division champs again, the Giants being there or thereabouts, and with the Seahawks and Bronco's being on form...

I'm with you now however, the schedule is still a tough one and we're not going to win them all... but on reflection seeing what this team has done the last few weeks, there's not a game out there I think we couldn't win. I don't think we're going 14-2 (wouldn't that be nice!) but I do think we're on for our 3rd winning record in 3 years which would REALLY be something. The Raiders game was impressive, but the Raiders are spluttering themselves lately, but the Chiefs game is especially telling to me. They're a team built to win the Superbowl right NOW. They've been through their growth years and their aim is squarely focused on that trophy. We're a young team, up and coming and starting to put together something that looks like it could be special, and we hung in there with them and they only just beat us. And even then the defeat was really self inflicted through penalties and dropped balls. I think that game is a coin toss, play that game 100 times and we win it 50 times.

Boone said:

This is a young team. The improvements on defense are shocking. I don't know if it's the youth/talent infusion, the new coaching staff, or both - but we're a different defense now.

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My favourite bit of the statement. How many years prior had we brought in expensive veteran talent that had just panned out terribly? This is a new philosophy and it means that we could build something sustainable for the foreseeable future. My one worry is that if Manusky gets the Defense to the top 10 and people start to take notice and he gets offered a HC job somewhere... I think credit for this defenses turnaround can be leveled between him and Swearinger. Both have brought an energy and a swagger to the unit.

Boone said:

On offense, we are actually performing better than I expected. I anticipated some severe growing pains with the new receiving group. There's certainly been some of that, but there has also been enough success to give one a glimpse of a future really good corps. Biggest surprise of the season so far has been how ineffectual Jordan Reed has been. Last season, we saw a much more physical Reed with a more aggressive attitude. This year, he's mostly been a non-factor. I'm not paying much attention to stats - because one thing we're seeing with Gruden is that the ball is getting spread around much more than in previous seasons. I also believe it was McVay who was generally responsible for the pass happy playcalling. Gruden has a history as OC of a strong running game, and I think we will continue to see a 'run to set up the pass' approach from him, nearly opposite of previous years, which should make a lot of us happy. In general, the offense has been more productive than I would've anticipated. I certainly don't think those who predicted disaster with the failure to sign either Garcon or Jackson were right.

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The offense can be VERY explosive. We've seen that. When they all get on the same page we look unbeatable. And like you I still think there are growing pains there. As the season wears on I'd expect us to get better. Fingers crossed. What worries me a little is the disappearance of Reed and Crowder. Are they just not getting the targets because with no Jackson and Garcon the defences are now picking them up more? Is that why Grant is getting more looks? Fortunately Grant has been really the surprise this year. Him and Thompson. We're potentially LOADED on offense. We've seen Thompson and Grant come on this year. Doctson and Pryor are works in progress. Reed and Crowder need to be involved more.

The running game has suffered from injuries, which is a shame because it was establishing itself. Kelley looked good before he got hurt again. Perine looked pretty good once he got going. Neither are earth shattering game changers, but all we needed to do was keep the Defense honest and give us 3rd and managables and they were doing that. I applaud Gruden's commitment to the run and hope he keeps it up. I'd like to see Mack get a run out against the 49ers if Kelley is still banged up.

Boone said:

As for last night - although I'm always hesitant to lay the blame for a loss on officiating - we got jobbed. There were several calls that went against us that 99.9% of NFL officials wouldn't call. The encroachment penalty alone probably cost us the game. And as others have pointed out, there were several non-calls that were equally damaging. But the stupid penalties, many of them on 3rd down, didn't help. And those were all on us.

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Yeah, the key penalties were Smith getting caught on the 3rd and long for lining up in the neutral zone that suddenly game them 3rd and very short. Oh and that horsecollar on Breeland when we'd actually tackled the guy for a loss on 3rd down. Both of those were times when our D had the chance to get them off the field and instead we gave them life and points. Plus the injuries didn't help at all. We were devastated with minor injuries. There was a stat...

Chiefs Offence

First 28 Mins Final 32 mins

Points 0 23
Yards per dropback 5.4 8.0
Pressure Pct 44% 22%

That was when Josh Norman went out. :/

And he seemed to be the trigger for injuries all over the place, which coupled with our Offense stuttering meant we had 2nd and 3rd string players on the field for long periods. Mistakes were made.

Boone said:

I don't know what kind of season we're going to have. We're better than our current record reflects. All I know is that this team is aggressive, and competitive, and I expect them to be in every game. From the perspective of a beleagured Redskins fan, that's a pretty good place to be.

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I'm in a very good place at the moment... until the weekend when I realise there's no football to watch!!!! Well no Redskins football anyway.

Tell you what else, the last few games have been a pleasure to be in chat with everyone too. It's so nice to enjoy a game with other fans when the Skins are a good team. Made staying up totally worth it. I'm still trying to recover today, I'm too old to weather later nights like that and then go to work the following day. LOL

I'm struggling with the idea that people are blaming Doctson for that TD drop.

Yes - he had it in his hands and should have finished the play. He absolutely needs to if he's going to be a big time playmaker...

But I think a lot of you are neglecting a LOT of factors that went into that...

Kirk threw as good of a pass as anyone could possibly throw there to Josh. But it wasn't an easy catch. He had to go up and over a DB and bring it in. Oh, and by the way, on the way to the end zone he was held by the defender which slowed him down. He still got to the spot he needed to be.

Then he went up, over the defender and hauled it in. He had to contort his body in a bad way to do it because of the defensive hold and being a touch out of position.

As he was coming down he dropped the ball when the defender had his hand on his facemask and fingers almost on Doctson's eyes.

A couple of factors to consider there...

I'm not sure Doctson has ever seen coverage that tight in his life. That defender, while beat by a step, still played him tough. Experience plays a role in that drop as he hasn't seen that before. Now add a finger around his eye. Now add the fact he was contorted and about to come down hard on his back with a defender at his abdomen.

He needs to finish. Yes. That's why he was drafted so highly - yes. But let's not pretend that was a routine catch, either.

As far as the backs go, I've said it and will continue to say it: We don't have a bell cow.

Thompson is a playmaker and is a keeper. He's a third down monster and a 2-minute offense's wet dream. Plus he's versatile.

Kelley is a GREAT spell guy. He'll come in, grind for hard yards, give the other backs a break and pass protect. He's someone we absolutely want on the roster. Just not the main guy all the time.

Perine could still develop. And he's a hard nosed tough yard runner. Typical goal line/short yardage guy right now.

Brown is Brown.

The Skins need a bell cow. I'm more than comfortable with Kelley, Thompson and Perine as three of our four backs. They all have a clearly defined roles/niche. We just don't have a #1 bell cow guy.

I was astonished at the catch (non-catch) and he height Doctson got on that jump. Kirk was on it on that drive and he placed the ball beautifully where only Doctson could get it and the skill required to get up that high and twist for it and make the catch was astonishing to me. I've not seen a Skins player with that kind of skill in a while.

Even coming down on the replays I thought that his knee was down while he had control. Just me maybe, but I really thought it was good.

That it popped out and we got ruled incomplete... c'est la vie. He's basically a rookie on a learning curve and that's one of those things hopefully he'll learn from. I wish it had iced the game for us, but I'm not heartbroken that it didn't. I see this Skins team as a Work in Progress that actually seems to be much further along than I thought it would be by this point.

If I have any issue with Doctson at the moment it's more the suspicion that he's fragile. The one knock on Reed is his fragility, I don't want another weapon who has sublime skills but we can only use him 10 out of 16 games. We'll see on that score, it's just a suspicion at the moment.

Knightingale said:

If I have any issue with Doctson at the moment it's more the suspicion that he's fragile. The one knock on Reed is his fragility, I don't want another weapon who has sublime skills but we can only use him 10 out of 16 games. We'll see on that score, it's just a suspicion at the moment.

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This...

This is something I can agree with RE: Doctson.

So far this season the Redskins defense has allowed the most passing yards to TE's in the league. They ranked worst in the league last year, too.

Thankfully they won't face Kelce again.

Chris said:

Thankfully they won't face Kelce again.

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Well, unless KC makes it to the Super Bowl, too.