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Random Commanders Thoughts

It looks like Jay Gruden gets another year to prove he can do more than build a mediocre team. If he does not go out and win a playoff game next year, with or without Cousins, he deserves no more benefit of the doubt. No excuses!
 
It looks like Jay Gruden gets another year to prove he can do more than build a mediocre team. If he does not go out and win a playoff game next year, with or without Cousins, he deserves no more benefit of the doubt. No excuses!

I think that the long term uncertainty surrounding Gruden in part plays into the Cousins decision more than some of us want to believe.

Under the scenario that you keep Kirk, sign him to a multi-year contract, and flame out with another 7 or 8 win season in 2018, Jay's most certainly gone. We know that Jay's system to a fairly significant degree has played into the numbers that Kirk has been able to put up.

Does the front office fear that Cousins is simply a "system" guy and that with a new regime in charge in the near future, he might not be the quarterback we've seen over the last few seasons production-wise?

Ultimately, when you're stuck in the middle in professional sports like the Redskins have been the last three years with 8-8 type ball clubs, the decision making process becomes exponentially more difficult. For as close as you think you are to taking the next step, you're also just a wrong decision or two away from being right back in the cellar of the league.
 
I think that the long term uncertainty surrounding Gruden in part plays into the Cousins decision more than some of us want to believe.

Under the scenario that you keep Kirk, sign him to a multi-year contract, and flame out with another 7 or 8 win season in 2018, Jay's most certainly gone. We know that Jay's system to a fairly significant degree has played into the numbers that Kirk has been able to put up.

Does the front office fear that Cousins is simply a "system" guy and that with a new regime in charge in the near future, he might not be the quarterback we've seen over the last few seasons production-wise?

Ultimately, when you're stuck in the middle in professional sports like the Redskins have been the last three years with 8-8 type ball clubs, the decision making process becomes exponentially more difficult. For as close as you think you are to taking the next step, you're also just a wrong decision or two away from being right back in the cellar of the league.

I'm with you. Kirk likes it in that system, he's going to be 30, and I'm sure he doesn't want to wait another year just to learn a new system. If he's going to do it, he's going to want to do it as soon as possible, as he's now entering the 2nd part of his career. He's still a very young 29 year old, but his physical abilities, most likely, are not going to be continuing to increase for too much longer. I'd say he's probably at his physical peak, so the ability to get better is going to be the mental side of it. He's invested in this system, he knows it, and he knows he can execute it. Starting over with a new offense will just slow his mental maturity, while his physical abilities are slowing as well.

Just my opinion.
 
Well, I've said half jokingly before, but now I'm not sure it isn't true.....Jay Gruden wouldn't know how to use Jim Brown.

BT is exactly right, a better scheme would have been producing more. But to think someone with little more than disdain for running the ball is going to try to improve his scheme isn't very realistic.

Not trying to be a dick (some would say it comes naturally) - but what do you guys even mean 'a better scheme'? Can you even define that? I don't believe 'scheme' has anything to do with it. Rushing effectively isn't complicated. I agree step 1 is being committed to it. You guys talk as if we're 'Air Coryell' out there though. We aren't. The problem isn't a lack of rushing attempts. The problem is ineffective rushing. And guess what - we rush effectively, you'll see more rushing plays.

The rest I couldn't agree with more. Get TEs who can block - and stop acquiring guys that can't. And get a difference making durable back - a true top flight one. All the rest, scheme, OL play - I think those are non-issues. Except when half your OL is out with injuries for the majority of the season.

BTW - pretty sure it's Callahan designed rushing plays/schemes - perhaps even making the playcalls there.
 
Not trying to be a dick (some would say it comes naturally) - but what do you guys even mean 'a better scheme'? Can you even define that? I don't believe 'scheme' has anything to do with it. Rushing effectively isn't complicated. I agree step 1 is being committed to it. You guys talk as if we're 'Air Coryell' out there though. We aren't. The problem isn't a lack of rushing attempts. The problem is ineffective rushing. And guess what - we rush effectively, you'll see more rushing plays.

The rest I couldn't agree with more. Get TEs who can block - and stop acquiring guys that can't. And get a difference making durable back - a true top flight one. All the rest, scheme, OL play - I think those are non-issues. Except when half your OL is out with injuries for the majority of the season.

BTW - pretty sure it's Callahan designed rushing plays/schemes - perhaps even making the playcalls there.

Well Dick.....







I KEED I KEED! Could not stop myself. You know I love ya!

As you said, commitment, is #1 on the list of "a good running game" requirements. From the day Gruden arrived, his lips have moved...the words coming out state how he wants us to be a physical running team. But that seams to be the biggest commitment he's got to it. Running his mouth. When it comes to putting his words into action, he fails to do, what seems obvious, that he needs to do. Whatever balance the numbers might show in our pass/rush ratio, it is always skewed. Because the passing game's needs, always trump the running game's needs. I get that it's considered a passing league. But when every play/player is judged, selected, and used for their/it's passing game abilities/contributions, more so than their running game abilities/contributions, the running game can't help but suffer.

Our offensive linemen are more valued for their pass block ability, than their run block ability. And I believe they spend twice the time in practice working on the passing game. No way to prove it course, but it seems obvious to me. And I am, well, you know, Ax for Allah's sake.

If you listen to Chris Cooley, (he is a dick) and Doc Walker (an ass, but not a dick) they'll tell you that the blocking (and I use the term loosely) by our TE's is the worst in the history of the NFL. Gruden's not too dumb to see it, (Well.................Naw he can't be THAT dumb!) but he deliberately chooses to accept their failures at blocking, in hopes they may make 4-5 big plays in the passing game.

The best RB he's ever had here was Alfred Morris. No, he's not Adrian Peterson. But he's the most productive, durable back in Gruden's tenure. But because he couldn't live up to Gruden's vision of a 3rd down receiving back (you know, like the ones we all created in Madden back in the day, who was 9ft tall, ran 348 mph, with hands made of octopus tentacles, and could block 17 people at once) he sent him packing. Or, at the very least, allowed him to be sent packing.

So, every decision appears to be made with the passing game getting top priority.

As far as Callahan goes, like any coordinator, he follows the direction the head coach lays out.

Finally, the scheme that worked the best was what he kept of Shammy's his 1st season. Whatever scheme he transformed to is not working as well.

You already know I think Jay should be on his way to joining his brothers new staff in Oakland. But since he's not... yet, all we can hope for is that we somehow land a Jim Brown, or Barry Sanders. Someone who doesn't need the same blocking that mere mortals do. Because 4 years in, I see nothing to make me think Gruden's commitment to being a physical running football team, is any more than lip service. He'll have to stumble upon it. Cause it's not what he prefers.

And half assing, is a bad scheme.
 
Well, I recall a couple of weeks ago the Redskins were inside the 10 and the offense called a running play where they pulled the LG and T on rush to the right. It was slow developing and the defense strung it out and Perine failed to gain any yardage.

Cooley was all over that right away, talking about how as you get that close to the goal and things get bunched up it gets very difficult to execute that type of play and the coaches needed to come up with better play selection given where they are on the field.

That is just one immediate recall I have on the issue of scheming the run.

It's not a BIG one or a scientific frame by frame breakdown of our efforts over an entire game, but it is illustrative of the type of play the coaches have called where its potential success was a question mark based on down, distance, position on the field or the running back taking the hand-off.

Perine seems to lack that initial burst and tends to be stopped by the first defender he sees. Trying to get him wide on plays in close to me doesn't seem like a winning proposition.

Meanwhile, Kapri Bibbs DOES appear to be that kind of player. His size makes him elusive to DL and LB tacklers and he has just enough shake and burst to surprise the safety if he gets an angle on him to the outside.

So, if you marry up the skills of the one player with the plays we want to call that would have been a play to call on #39 .

But in the end the scheme part of the argument is secondary. You have to have talent.

Thompson is a wonderful player and very productive, but his size and injury history makes him a part-time performer.

Bibbs to me seems like a guy that can be a depth back in the league, better than practice squad material.

But again, not a front line starter.

And I would say that if either Rob Kelley or Samaje Perine were released by the Redskins both would be picked up by other clubs, but neither would be looked at as anchor or full-time starter, but again a depth player.

We need a back that is in the same class as Bell, Elliott, Gurley, McCoy, etc., especially if we are going to start a quarterback that does not have 'uber' skills in terms of playmaking and escapability in the passing game.

Everyone honors run in LA's play action passing game because Jared Goff has the defenses scared to death of Todd Gurley.

Makes it all a lot easier to run the offense and be productive.

Other guys like Aaron Rodgers and Wentz don't seem to need a pro bowl back to be able to march up and down the field and put up points.

But with Cousins or likely with any other qb the Redskins have in 2018, we WILL need that threat of the run to score enough points to win these games we are currently losing.
 
I'm on board with all that. I do think had Fat Rob been healthy this year, and the OL been healthy this year, we'd have seen improvement. I agree we don't have a true #1 RB on this roster though. Ax mentioned Almo - who I loved - but his release was a good call. He was beat up and on the decline, and his production since then, and inability to become a starter anywhere else pretty much validates that was no big loss.

One thing I've noticed about the backs we've had since - most are 'dancers', tentative runners who wait for a hole or seam to open up. Bibbs is the first guy I've seen in awhile that knows what hole he's hitting and hits it quick and decisively. To be fair, Perine is pretty aggressive and decisive. Problem is, he's usually decisively hitting holes that aren't there.

I think what killed us this year was the combination of deficits - beat up and revolving door OL, lack of a star RB, and lack of great WRs or TEs. Chris Thompson was carrying us, and when we lost him it really hurt.
 
and the other thing that tends to worry me if I am thinking about signing Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal....................after Chris Thompson went down Kirk really did tend to look average in a number of these games.

Without Chris the big plays were for all intents and purposes over.

Yes, Kirk did have that one last good game against the Broncos (perhaps auditioning for his future employer?) that was sandwiched between some gawd awful playing in the Cardinals and Giants games.
 
Marcus Mariota has more playoff TD receptions than all the WR's on our roster combined.
Marcus Mariota is a Quarterback.
And has only been one, for 3 years in the NFL.

That's great Fear.

Now fans will be like: Why hasn't Kirk throw himself a td pass? He wants an LTD and he has no tds to himself! :wink-new:
 
That's great Fear.

Now fans will be like: Why hasn't Kirk throw himself a td pass? He wants an LTD and he has no tds to himself! :wink-new:

Wow, you gotten to the point where you can read Ax's mind !

:p

Well, that would be silly. He either wouldn't see that he was open. Or he'd underthrow himself.

No, I'd rather just see him win a playoff game. Or maybe a playoff clinching game. Or maybe just an important game.
You know, like Mariota did. On the road. When it mattered.

But I guess winning isn't what's important to some people.
Just those purty stat lines.
 
Well, that would be silly. He either wouldn't see that he was open. Or he'd underthrow himself.

No, I'd rather just see him win a playoff game. Or maybe a playoff clinching game. Or maybe just an important game.
You know, like Mariota did. On the road. When it mattered.

But I guess winning isn't what's important to some people.
Just those purty stat lines.

Maybe you'd like to point out when this club has ever given him a running game like Mariota had last night?

Or a defense that was capable of shutting down the league's leading rusher?

I know,I know...No QB in DC should have to have those things to win. We get it.
 
You need to stop getting so emotional anytime someone doesn't worship his mediocrity like you do.

We don't have a head coach who values the running game. So, your boy won't ever get one here unless Jim Brown falls in our lap.

Of course, you're right, #8 could do better if we had a running game, and a better defense.

So could Colt McCoy, and pretty much every QB in the league. You talk as if no other QB in history has ever won without a top rushing attack, and a top defense. And that Kirk Cousins would go undefeated if he had them. He's average. His compensation should reflect that. He's been one the top paid QB's in the league the past 2 seasons. He has passing stats on his list of accomplishments. Not much else.
 
You need to stop getting so emotional anytime someone doesn't worship his mediocrity like you do.

We don't have a head coach who values the running game. So, your boy won't ever get one here unless Jim Brown falls in our lap.

Of course, you're right, #8 could do better if we had a running game, and a better defense.

So could Colt McCoy, and pretty much every QB in the league. You talk as if no other QB in history has ever won without a top rushing attack, and a top defense. And that Kirk Cousins would go undefeated if he had them. He's average. His compensation should reflect that. He's been one the top paid QB's in the league the past 2 seasons. He has passing stats on his list of accomplishments. Not much else.

So in a half hearted way, your admitting Kirk is not the largest issue facing our lack of winning woes?

Is Kirk the greatest QB in the league? No.

Is he the pits? No

Slightly above average? I'd agree on that.

But when you pair him with the receivers he had this season(Front Office decision)

The turnstile Oline we had(mostly due to injury)

And a defense that couldn't get off the field(part due to injury, part due to lack of talent)

And a coach that rarely called two running plays in a row in any game this season

I can not for the life of me figure out how you and others in the fanbase, place most of the blame for not making the playoffs on his doorstep?

You said earlier, Joe Gibbs(prime) could win with Kirk. If that's true, then you know where the problem is and it's not so much Kirk, right?
 
So in a half hearted way, your admitting Kirk is not the largest issue facing our lack of winning woes?
Let me be full hearted. He is not the largest issue facing our lack of winning woes. But he's also not the best solution for a cure, given his contract demands. Not IMHO.

Is Kirk the greatest QB in the league? No.

Is he the pits? No

Slightly above average? I'd agree on that.
See, now we're dancing in step.
But when you pair him with the receivers he had this season(Front Office decision)
Same results with two 1,000yd veteran receivers last year.
The turnstile Oline we had(mostly due to injury)
Part of the game. QB's have had to deal with it since forever.
And a defense that couldn't get off the field(part due to injury, part due to lack of talent)

And a coach that rarely called two running plays in a row in any game this season
Now we're dancing again

I can not for the life of me figure out how you and others in the fanbase, place most of the blame for not making the playoffs on his doorstep?
Come on dude, you know full well QB's get too much credit/blame from every fan base, of every team in the league. Nothing out of the ordinary with that. Many of us simply don't believe he is our best, or only option moving forward.
You said earlier, Joe Gibbs(prime) could win with Kirk. If that's true, then you know where the problem is and it's not so much Kirk, right?
That's right. Joe Gibbs could win with #8 . Whether we're talking Cousins, or Grossman. And I've been one of a few that is advocating we fix our biggest problem. Which is Jay Gruden.

However, I think #8 needs Gruden far more than Gruden needs him, to be successful. If he somehow lands in Pittsburgh, #8 could flourish as long as Brown, Bell, and Tomlinson are around. Of course, so could Colt, or Alex Smith, or half the other QB's in the league.
 
What was I expecting of Josh Doctson when he was drafted?

What I am seeing out of Michael Thomas today for New Orleans.

A second round pick in the same draft.
 

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