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Back Shoulder Fade - Identity

SilentThreat

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Have we found an…. IDENTITY?!


The Hogs. The Posse. The Diesel. The Fun Bunch. Darrell Green, the shut down corner who could literally run down anyone in the NFL. Art Monk, the walking 3rd down conversion. John Riggins, the freight train that would knock your d*ck in the dirt and run by you just the same. At the center of it all was Joe Gibbs. The soft-spoken man with the unmistakable giggle. I think we can all look back and remember who we were during our glory years. We controlled the line of scrimmage, punched you in the mouth, took your lunch and you would thank us for doing so.



We had the unit unlike any other unit the NFL had ever seen… THE HOGS.
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This was our identity. This was Russ Grimm changing the play in the huddle over and over again, so he could continue to pound Randy White into submission. This was him telling Randy White it was coming, and there was NOTHING he could do about it…. The whole team embraced this mantra. We’re going to be bigger and badder than you.



I bring these sweet memories to the forefront to ask the question… have we actually found our… identity? Something that’s eluded us for 30 years? The answer to the question we’ve been talking about like it was some artifact from Indiana Jones? The holy grail? The chalice that is ugly and dull among a room full of treasure? Is it finally right there in front of us?!

I guess to answer that question, I have to ask another. Who is the 2021 Washington Football Team? Is there any hesitation? Nope.. You likely instantly had Chase Young come to mind…. Montez Sweat… Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, Tim Settle. A position group that has the ability to set the tone, and form the IDENTITY of the entire team. Memories of Chase Young sprinting down the sideline to hug Taylor Heinicke after a touchdown, screaming Heini-CKIE!!! Montez Sweat batting the ball and forcing an interception to beat the 11-0 Steelers… (we also stopped them 6 times on the goal line in that game :D). This unit says “we’re comin, and we’re not gonna stop.”



To this point this offseason, we’ve seen this same mentality across the entire roster. Versatility. At QB we have shifted from 2 statues, to 3 QBs known for ability to extend plays and get the 1st down if they need to. At all 3 playmaking positions we see the same thing. Gibson, McKissic, McLaurin, Samuel, Brown, Thomas, Bates. All players that can wear multiple hats. Gibson and McKissic both very capable of catching passes, and running the ball. McLaurin and Samuel very well suited to play all over the field. Thomas, a very pleasant surprise who appears to be on the rise.



So, I want to ask you Washington Football team fans. Do we appear to have a system in place that we’re building toward, instead of just adding ‘talent’ to the roster and trying to make it work? Could that be why we didn’t make a big move for a QB? Because the QB’s that may have been attainable weren’t right for out system? Could we finally be in a position that fans have been SCREAMING for, for years?! Do we have an identity?

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I personally think we have hung our "hat" on being a defensive team. Our D is stacked with all 1st round picks on the DL, unknowns at the back making names for themselves, and attitude for days. Between the swagger of Chase and the professionalism of Allen....this team is loaded with talent. This year is going to be something special to watch, too. One full year of playing together will just help the chemistry and awareness even more!

On the offensive side I think its a bit different. We have no real established QB, our RB situation is stacked with talent but nobody has really stepped out and earned the "#1 spot" outright, and a WR corp that looks amazing on paper but hasn't put it together yet. Our OL is just OK in my opinion...not terrible like years past, but I don't EVER want to see "Hogs 2.0" again from them. They need an identity. They need a rallying call that brings them all together and helps them figure out who they really are.

I think RIvera and Del Rio are the perfect combo to do it. Both nasty old school players, both coaches, both take no crap people. Going in to year 2 should really show people who we are trying to be. If it works, we can make it deeper in the playoffs than the wild card. If it doesn't...Well, I don't think it won't work so I have no scenario for that.
 
Mike - I agree with 90% of that - but Gibson is a star and the absolute #1 on this team. Where is the love on that front? He was dinged a bit last season and we saw the immediate impact on the offense when he wasn't 100%.
 
This has been one of my littany of complaints with Washington for a long-time. In Gibbs day, it wasn't always the exact same type of team that won, he had the ability to shape the 'identity' around the talent at that time. But dominating the lines, especially on offense, and making fewer mistakes than the other guys was definitely part of it.

I think it's much harder to have an 'identity' in the modern NFL. There is so much roster movement nowadays, even at key positions like Head Coach, OC/DC, and QB, that establishing one long-term is a challenge. Most of the teams we feel have an identity, it's more their 'historic identity' than a reflection of the modern team. There are some exceptions, some teams that do seem to have a sustained 'identity', but that's usually only the case with teams that have had long-tenured coaching staffs. The Steelers leap to mind.

I hope that we keep our coaching staff together long-term. We haven't had that in the Dan Snyder era and it's probably been the biggest reason for our failure to have sustained success on the field. On this current team, a swarming aggressive defense certainly stands out. If we ever get the horses to run the Scott Turner offense the way I believe he envisions it being run, there could be a new identity. But until we have a young stud QB who can do everything required, I have to believe it will continue to be the defense leading the way. One trend that I hope continues going forward... this new rendition of the team gets stronger and plays harder in the 2nd half of games. We don't see them jumping out to a lead, or being in a competitive game only to fail to show up for the 2nd half as we've seen so often with previous regimes. I like that and I think it's also part of a new identity that is being built.
 
he rushed for 800 yards and only over 100 two times.

I don't hate the guy, but if Patterson walks in and outperforms him are we supposed to not recognize it and move on?

Gibson missed 2 games while in the push for a playoff birth. As a rookie, that doesn't bode confidence in me.
 
He had over 1000 total yds, 11 TDs, and averaged 4.7 yds. Had he not gotten dinged, it would've been even more. You said none of the RBs have stepped out or established themselves and that's what I'm arguing. Gibson is right up there with McLaurin in terms of his impact on this offense. And he's tough as nails. RBs are going to get dinged - it comes with the position. When in a season that happens isn't within a player's control.

Patterson is an interesting 'prospect', I love what he showed in college and it's awesome we grabbed him. But whether or not he can even play at this level or not is an unknown. He's a long way from 'pressuring' Gibson at the moment, much less supplanting him as a starter.

It's not about 'hating' Gibson, I'm trying to figure out why you don't LOVE him. You should. He is a major baller. Just my opinion and obviously you don't have to agree (and won't...lol).
 
Gibson is on the same level as McLaurin? I can't agree with that one at all. Terry has had at least 4 different QBs throwing to him and is the ONLY WR worth a damn out there so he draws the #1 corner.

Gibson is a rookie who was injured and did not get 1000 yards rushing. I see you added the receiving yards in there, but that isn't what was meant here at all.

I don't love any player to the point where I am blind that they might not be the best on the team. Perfect example: Kerrigan. I want to sign him again, but I know he isn't a starter. At no point am I blind to someone's ability or love them if they don't prove it.


2 games of over 100 yards and not even 1000 rushing in a rookie season is not balling. Missing 2 games during a playoff push shows more concern to me than anything. I am OK with him if he is the starter, but nobody on this team on the offense side outside of Terry should feel secure in being a starter on this team.
 
We'll let the next couple of seasons settle the argument. Good luck.
 
Washington has upgraded team speed significantly again in 2021.

On offense thisis going to be more of a big play attack with the receivers and backs getting the the opportunities down the field that Smith simply didn’t want try and make happen.

Scott Turner is not conservative but had limited quarterbacks to work with early on.

Fitzpatrick and Heinicke try for the 50/50 throws which the others wouldn’t orin Haskins’ case couldn’t see.
 
Anyone else look at the OL and think "man, they are small dudes" ?

They were the biggest at the time...now? Now they wouldn't even make the squad at that weight!
 
Anyone else look at the OL and think "man, they are small dudes" ?

They were the biggest at the time...now? Now they wouldn't even make the squad at that weight!


Every time they talk about the hogs I think about this fact lol
 
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Jacoby - 6'7", 295
Starke - 6'5", 255
Bostic - 6'2", 268
Grimm - 6'3", 273
May - 6'6", 295

Cosmi - 6'7", 309
Flowers - 6'6", 330
Roullier - 6'4", 312
Scherff - 6'5", 315
Moses - 6'6", 330
 
6'7" and 295? That is downright skinny for an OL

255 wont even get you on the practice squad!

Hell, I am the size of Russ Grimm. that is NOT a big dude when it comes to athletes!
 
But back in 1982 Dave Butz at 6-7 and 300 plus and Joe Jacoby were among the biggest players in the league.

In fact Washington had for the time a big roster.

Riggins at 240 at running back was 10-15 pounds heavier than the linebackers he was facing each week.

Russ Grimm at 6'3 and 273 was big for a guard, in fact the Hogs line OT to OT was the biggest in the league.

Art Monk at 6'3 and 215 was at the time a big receiver. Most clubs had the 'mini mouse' model of WRs, which of course we had as well.

Then in 1983 we added #28 with the #28 pick in the draft, Darrell Green, and we had the fastest player in the league too.
 

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