Assume the worst - Clean house or stay the course?

[Solitary Man]

A reminder - you may elect to reconsider by clicking on the 'Change My Vote' button.

Thank you. I changed my kind of blow it up by taking Ron’s coaching powers away from him(which he would refuse and then quit), to officially firing Ron, Scott and Jack. They need to be sent packing. Maybe there is a position coach on the team worth keeping. So I am full on blow it up.

 

[SilentThreat]

changed.... blow it up

a good staff can win next year with this team... not sure i can say the same about the current one, regardless of the moves.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

Might as well clean house. Del Rio is more or less figured out and eventually becomes easy pickings every game. Watson was off, completed only 50%, but got three TDs.

Scott Turner. I don't know if he's tanking or he's just not competent...but he's also PREDICTABLE. Teams sniff his screens every time, so knows what else they sniff out that isn't as obvious.

Ron - I think he does instill some degree of character but he's definitely not an X's and O's guy, more like head cheerleader.

 

[timmysmith]

Poor Ron. He is the same guy today we hired 3 years ago. Below average. Take one Cam MVP season away and he's well below .500. Should have never been hired. His in game decisions are just awful. Blames everyone around. Don't understand how he ever got a high character rep. Start Howell next week. Blow it up. Again. Plenty of youth out there to take a chance on.

 

[Miles Monroe]

Burn it down. Tired of watching first time coaches have instant success, and we go with the "experienced" coach, and still look like monkeys screwin a football after 3 years. Inept coaching has lost us too many games.

 

[Chris]

Just a friendly reminder for all of the posts lambasting Rivera for starting Wentz…all of us geniuses for voted in the poll here did so unanimously for him to do so. Myself included.

Coaches are paid to know better than unpaid armchair experts though but still.

 

[Boone]

Good points Chris. I don't fault Rivera at all for going back to Wentz. TH was struggling mightily. Wentz looked great in garbage time of the 49ers game. I even get that he stuck with Wentz to start the 2nd half - given that it looked like Wentz settled down and we had an impressive drive for the go ahead TD to end the 1st half. But it was clear almost immediately in the 2nd half that the one good drive was going to be the outlier. I don't understand why you don't bring in Taylor at that point to see if he can rally the troops? The whole 2nd half just felt like we gave up.

 

[Chris]

Good points Chris. I don't fault Rivera at all for going back to Wentz. TH was struggling mightily. Wentz looked great in garbage time of the 49ers game. I even get that he stuck with Wentz to start the 2nd half - given that it looked like Wentz settled down and we had an impressive drive for the go ahead TD to end the 1st half. But it was clear almost immediately in the 2nd half that the one good drive was going to be the outlier. I don't understand why you don't bring in Taylor at that point to see if he can rally the troops? The whole 2nd half just felt like we gave up.

Well…In Rivera’s defense, he didn’t know that his team could be eliminated from the playoffs if they lost today.

You can’t make this shit up.

 

[Boone]

Rivera will likely 'go off' tomorrow because you know it's going to come up again and he is rightfully embarrassed his cluelessness was so publicly outed.

I expect some indignant screaming and belittling of media.

 

[Neophyte]

Oddly, I fall between "Make some Changes" and "Blow It Up".

First, I've watched Denver this year and it's not been good. They hired a new coach and gave Seattle half the world for Wilson in the offseason, then the team got new owners last summer just before the season started. Granted, Denver has lead the league in games lost to injury this year and not by a little bit but they spent a ridiculous amount of money and draft capital last year leaving the new ownership team stuck in a lot of ways. Like several others, I don't really trust any of the guys at the top of our org right now and I don't want decisions they make to impact new ownership for several years.

Second, I want to keep a number of the position coaches. I think that Matsko (OL), Zgonina (DL), Kerrigan (DL), Kaczor (ST Coordinator), and Terrell (WR) have done a good job considering the circumstances. I might be willing to keep most of the position coaches, although there is some nepotism in the ranks that makes that problematic because I wouldn't keep Rivera or JDR at this point.

Third, I absolutely want Wentz cut free. I like the man on a personal level and have no beef with him. I just think his race is run in the NFL. He has the physical tools to get the job done but he lacks the football IQ, speed of decision-making, and mental toughness to do the job required at this level.

Now is where it gets problematic for me - I want Rivera, Turner, and JDR gone, and this is directly at odds with my first point because the sale isn't complete. However, the 3 of them have proven unable or unwilling to do what is necessary to get a roster with above-average NFL talent above .500. Rivera has a pattern - start slow, catch fire mid-season, fall apart in December - that I have seen enough of. With multiple changes to punch a ticket to post-season play, we failed to even be ready to play against average or below-average NFL teams. That is inexcusable.

There is more I want to see but it would all be spending bad money to do it before the ownership question is answered. I'm still stupid excited that the team is getting sold but the timing of it all is now killing me. It feels like the worst possible point in the year to do it and, as such, one final middle finger from Dan to the fan base.

 

[Boone]

I think logically, we have to expect that a sale of the team is going to stall 'progress'. A team with our current mixed talent level is one where, if they were only going to replace the HC and 1 or 2 of the coordinators, with a draft or two more of key talent, might be expected to challenge for a championship. But a new owner - with (hopefully) a new GM, likely ALL new coaches, and sweeping changes in the front office - that could change a 1-2 year window of opportunity into a 5+ year trajectory. I know there are exceptions, but I think it's reasonable to expect massive change will set us back. That would be unfortunate because a lot of our younger talent will be on the back end of their careers by then.

Bottom line. Snyder has got to go. And whatever comes with that, even if it results in no on-the-field improvement (or perhaps even taking a step or two back) - it's necessary.

The best case scenario would be if they are a weeks away from announcing a sale so that a new owner can make big changes ahead of the draft and offseason. As we've discussed, that seems like more than a little wishful thinking and is unlikely to happen. So we are probably looking at another season of these coaches.

 

[burgold]

Why is the worst the most likely outcome when it comes to this team?

 

[SilentThreat]

This...

 

[Chris]

Could have left off the ‘right now’.

 

[Boone]

So - Rivera is supposed to be this great leader full of integrity, right? But is this anything less than throwing his own QBs, the ones he hand-picked to lead his offense, under the bus so he doesn't have to shoulder the blame?

Because that's exactly how it sounds to me.

 

[burgold]

So - Rivera is supposed to be this great leader full of integrity, right? But is this anything less than throwing his own QBs, the ones he hand-picked to lead his offense, under the bus so he doesn't have to shoulder the blame?

Because that's exactly how it sounds to me.

The lie of the QB myth was proven to a degree by the Cowboys and the 49ers. When Prescott was lost for six games an absolute nobody who no one ever wanted to be their starting QB stepped up and went 4-0. When Garapolo went down, Purdy came in and has been much better than a caretaker.

If you have a good play caller and know how to adapt to your players strengths or weaknesses you don't have to have a world beater at QB to be good. The fact that every QB tried has failed under Scott Turner is an indictment on Turner. Now, it's possible that his offense would have been stellar in the 1990's when his dad won Super Bowls with it, but today, with the puzzle pieces available on this team. He doesn't have a plug and play scheme and therefore should be crafting his offense around what his QBs can do much like Kyle Shanahan reinvented the offense for RGIII in his rookie year. The fact that Turner can't call roll outs for Heinicke or utilize his mobility to help his QBs vision is only one appalling failure. Should Heinicke be a better QB for the Commanders? Probably. Should Wentz be at least as good as he had been with the Colts last year? Probably.

It's not only that we don't have a QB. It's that we don't have a coach who can take advantage of the QB we have.

 

[Chris]

I guess it’s too hard to say ‘look, we didn’t get it done and that’s on me’.

Bottom line he is the head coach and the roster inadequacies and the scheme inadequacies are on him. He should just say that. Also, having the shortest day after presser with the media of the season was pretty f’in weak, too.

I lost some respect for him today.

 

[SilentThreat]

So - Rivera is supposed to be this great leader full of integrity, right? But is this anything less than throwing his own QBs, the ones he hand-picked to lead his offense, under the bus so he doesn't have to shoulder the blame?

Because that's exactly how it sounds to me.

you know what else it screams to me?

"We're not interested in grooming a guy, we want a plug and play finished product"

The problem is they're expecting their unicorn, the perfect QB to be simply made available or walking the streets. I don't feel like they've got any intention on grooming a guy to fit the system.

He also said 'Free Agents" so clearly he doesn't respect the cost given up to get Wentz. Wentz was not a free agent, neither was Kyle Allen. Between the two thats 2 thirds and a fifth for guys that will not have lasted more than a cup of coffee on the roster. I was accepting of the package given up for Wentz, because I understand the cost of trying to get a QB, but it appears Rivera didn't value the cost.... Wanna know who Indy got with our 3rd round pick? Jelani Woods.

 

[Bulldog]

Washington is set to win 7 games for the third straight season.

I think the die is cast as to what the ceiling is on what this staff and group of ex-Panther executives can accomplish.

They made this team respectable again and after watching Gruden go through his last years here that’s a plus on the ledger sheet.

But in order to take the next step the team needs to be more aggressive.

This front office seems to be afraid to make a major move to draft a franchise quarterback and set this team up for the next ten years.

This team has spent the last 2-3 years trying to win games with one hand tied behind their back with aging or retread passers and a spot starter overachiever in Heinicke having to take over because the ‘splash’ trades and free agent signees don’t work out.

You look at the top 6-7 teams in the league and outside of SF all of them have established productive quarterbacks who can make the throws.

The fact Fitzpatrick and Wentz were our two most recent ‘answers’ at the quarterback position speaks volumes.

The other factor is under the cap you have to spread the wealth across the roster.

The offensive line is key to success on offense and over the past 3 years Washington has spent one #2 pick on a lineman, Sam Cosmi.

We have two starting tackles that were released or not resigned by the Bears, a team not renowned for its depth of talent.

Inside, Trai Turner is done. Wes Schweitzer is a ‘never was’. Nick Martin got none of the Martin family genetics for playing pro football.

But these were our options because the front office decided it was best to focus resources elsewhere.

One of the reasons SF can survive with their third quarterback is the offensive line keeps the quarterbacks uniforms clean.

 

[Knightingale]

At this point I really want them to play Howell this week and see what we've got in him. I know it's a VERY limited sample size, but I'd still like to see it.
He can't be any worse than Wentz or Heineke...can he?

I don't need him to beat the Cowboys, but I would love to see something there. I don't mind if there's growing pains as long as we see something. The Giants stuck with Daniel Jones for 3 years, and while he's not a world beater he's been competent enough this year to lead them to the playoffs. Sometimes I think you've just got to hold the course through the rough waters. QB seems to be one of those kind of areas. Draft - Develop - Persevere.

It honestly looks like we're in for another season under Rivera, and if that's the case then I want the draft to figure heavily on our areas of need (i.e. OLine and Linebacker)
Get some depth at our shallow spots through FA, and then play Howell next season.

Cut Wentz loose, re-sign Payne.

Heineke is a tough decision. On the one hand, you couldn't ask for a better back up. He can win games, he's a team player, humble, and the players LOVE him. On the other hand the moment Howell put up a bad game, the crowd would be baying for Heineke to be put in.

Oh, and I want Turner gone. I'm not as down on Del Rio as some, I think the D has been easily our strongest unit this year, and some of their struggles have been due to the Offense being a) inept and unable to stay on the field and rest the D, and b) the offense leaving them in dreadful field position though fumbles and interceptions. We won games when our offense was grinding out the ToP, giving our D time to rest and focus. I think you can pretty much directly correlate our Defensive struggles with our Offensive ineptitude. Sunday was a typical example. D looked pretty good in the first half when it was fresh and the Offense was taking time off the clock. But in the second half when we couldn't hold on to the ball out defense just wore out. (That plus I think we REALLY missed Allen once he came out. He seems to be the quiet sparkplug that makes the D function).

Anyway, we NEED an O-line overhaul, a new OC, and put Sam Howell back there and roll with it. See what we've got.
That's my tuppence worth anyhow.