Random Commanders Thoughts

[tshile]

Also who is going to return punts? Chris Thompson makes terrible decisions and it cost them field position. Some of those bounces he let got almost hit our guys.

 

[Ax]

Big question this week, is which players get released when Jenkins and Jackson come back.
I'm guessing Merling will go, and either Barnett or Gumbs.

Well, one will be the kicker. As Kai will be back in.

I think Barnett is safe. So, of the other two you mention, I'd guess Gumbs would be odd man out.

I also wouldn't shed any tears if Thompson was cut.

 

[fansince62]

1) some special teams player - how can that possibly hurt this pathetic bunch!!

2) one of the backup LBs.

with yesterday's injuries may not need to shelve anyone.

 

[tshile]

thinking back to yesterdays game, the previous 3 games, and how everything has gone down... i find it an interesting question of where the balance is between not throwing away the season and giving griffin enough time to get back into the swing of things.

if he comes out the first quarter against dallas and plays like he has so far, do we just keep sticking with him? is letting him work through it at the expense of the season the right decision?

we've played like garbage through 4 games and could still find ourselves playing for first place in the division in week 6. that's great, but you surely can't expect that sort of position to continue with the given level of play. something will give way - the team will get better, or it'll fall further and further behind very quickly.

unfortunately i feel like the answer is driven by a fanbase/local media that would create the most drama out of it, an owner that would interject himself into the situation somehow, and a QB that (i feel) would fan the flames of the fire instead of putting water on it.

hopefully it won't matter, but it's going to be really, really interesting to see what happens if griffin continues to struggle the way he is.

it would be really awesome of cousins could be put in for the next 2-3 weeks, with all parties involved (coach, owner, gm, qb1, qb2, qb1's father, fans, local media) knowing damn well that it's just about giving griffin a little more time while not ruining the season and nothing more. but that'll never happen. makes me a little sad :\

 

[tshile]

here is the thing I asked yesterday in chat:

How do we know Cousins will do any better? He had one preseason game where he got hurt and since then he hasn't played a down. Is this just a "grass is greener" approach or do we really all think that he is going to come in off the bench and break us off some wins?

We don't. But we know he's at least healthy. There's something wrong with Griffin. I don't know if it's physical, mental, or both; it could also be that I'm expecting too much out of him, I honestly don't know.

You have a backup QB for a reason. He's for when your first QB isn't right. Our first QB isn't right. So if we're not putting him in, what is the reason? Is it because there's a firm belief that letting him worth through this part of his recovery is a valuable and necessary thing to his development as a QB and leader of the team?? Or is it because (in response to your next question)...

Also, if we do that, what do you think will happen to Griffin's psyche? He is going to feel defeated, betrayed, and then what...asked to come back in and win?

That's the problem. He shouldn't feel those things. He should recognize when he's hurting the team. Hence my last part starting with 'It would be really awesome if...'

That's why Cousins wont play. Because Griffin would complain to the media, Griffin's dad would complain to the media, and we'd be talking about a really serious issue (as opposed to the recent not so serious issues) between the head coach and the star QB we traded the farm to get.

That's why it makes me sad. I wish everyone involved could be rational adults so we could be assured that the best decisions for the franchise, and for Robert, at being made.

If it's valuable and necessary then so be it - Shanahan and his staff are certainly more qualified to give the answer than me, or anyone else for that matter, on the issue. It just makes me curious; curious if the right decision could even be made if the reasoning was the later, not the former.

 

[tshile]

He certainly played significantly better in the second half than he did in the first.

He's been getting better the second half of every game; and every week how much better he gets is, erm, getting better.

He's also not the only one contributing to the lack of rhythm or production on offense.

 

[Boone]

It's all relative if course and mostly Griffin had no where to go but up. But he made some absolutely horrible decisions throwing the ball repeatedly into double coverage, holding onto the ball too long, and generally looking like a physically gifted rookie. He did enough to get the win and I'm thankful for that. But I wouldn't say he had a strong game.

 

[tshile]

Mike, stats are only part of the story.

The only reason we won yesterday is because the raiders are too terrible to blow us out in the first half. Our defense was able to continually stop them despite being put back out on the field every 3 plays due to our anemic offense.

We did that against the eagles and they nearly blew us out. The packers did blow us out. The lions actually doesn't look as bad as the other two with the context of how they played Chicago yesterday, but it still wasn't quality football.

We can't keep going out there and putting our defense on the field for 90% of the first half, scoring 0 points, and expecting to come back and win in the second half. That only works against bad teams. Our schedule doesn't have a whole lot of bad teams

I think he'll get it together, making it all moot. But i'm quite an optimistic person when it comes to that stuff. Ask Goaldeje

 

[tshile]

Agreed. I just think they all came in the second half. After the raiders failed to blow us out of the water like they should have.

I realize I paint a pretty grim picture, so I'll leave it at that. I'm hoping the game against Dallas shows us a Redskins team that's ready to compete; all parties involved, not just Griffin. Which will put us in a spot to salvage the rest of the season and put all these conversations in the rear view.

 

[tshile]

I'm really disappointed with Morris' play. He can't seem to get into any open space.

It may not be his fault - there may be significant issues with the o line and griffin's play that allow defenses to key off on him. Being behind by 3+ scores doesn't really bode well for a running game either. But he's just not having the same impact on the game like he did last year. Again - may not be his fault. Disappointing nonetheless.

Started to see it a bit in the second half before he got hurt. Hopefully he'll get healthy and join griffin in having a bigger impact on the field.

 

[DieselPwr44]

Somebody among LeRibeus,Compton,Hurt and/or Gettis needs to step up and provide a better option at RT and G than Polumbus and Chester.

If we could get the right side solidified, that would go a long way to helping this O out.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

If the general consensus is true and Griffin's mobility hides a lot of flaws in this OL's pass-pro, common sense would dictate that as a more traditional pocket-passer, Kirk Cousins would be a sitting duck back there.

 

[tshile]

Cousins is pretty mobile. I don't know why Cousins is considered a 'traditional pocket passer' and Griffin isn't. I would rate Griffin a better passer (when healthy) and more mobile. I don't know why having the addition of better mobility forces people to forget he's also an excellent passer.

(based on what little we've seen from him in the NFL, and his college career)

edit: by pretty mobile I don't mean he can break runs like Griffin did last year, or even some of the ridiculous plays behind the scrimmage that Griffin made last year. I mean mobile like Aaron Rodgers is mobile. Capable of extending the play, making boot legs meaningful, and sprinting for a short distance to grab a crucial first down when it's open to him.

 

[Boone]

Griffin won the game and that's enough for now, but he is pressing at times. He's probably thrown more ill-advised passes in 4 games than he did all of last year. That's what I'm seeing. Hopefully he will settle down as the season progresses.

I think one thing Cousins does do better than Griff is make a very quick read and get rid of the ball. You don't see him holding onto it when nothing is there like Griff tends to do.

 

[Goaldeje]

I think that will improve with time John. Yesterday, I saw several opportunities for him to do just that (get rid of the ball) but he held it because he is used to making plays with his legs to bail him out of those situations. As he learns more to rely on his arm, I think those instances decrease.

Of course, having said that, the play to Helu was one of those instances, and its success may cause him to keep relying on those instincts.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

I'm worried about London...he's becoming more and more of a liability at 37 years-old.

 

[tshile]

I'm worried about London...he's becoming more and more of a liability at 37 years-old.

And it falls into that dreaded category of being such a good, meaningful player to the franchise, fans, and community that you have to tread very lightly with it. They won't bench him out of respect, but is he capable of not abusing that respect and playing when he's a detriment? Going to be interesting to watch.


Kevin Shenahan said this morning that we were saying the same things about him at this point last year, and by the end of the season he was a very important person to this team and its winning streak, he played well. I don't know if he's right, but I hope he plays well and stays healthy.

 

[servumtuum]

Reiterating Goal's reponse and elaborating on it, the reason Cousins is good at making the quick reads he does is precisely because it's what he has done to the extent that it is an automatic instinctual no-conscious-thought required mode of operating just as Griffin's use of his mobility to gain time. These habits are ingrained over extended periods of time and a shift to a different mode requires the unlearning of what you're doing automatically and replacing it with a different set of automatic responses.

Griff's mobility is impeded and not as effective as last season and it may be that the automatic nature of the responses makes it difficult for him to be aware of just how much his mobility has been impeded. Any major change to his style of quarterbacking would take time. The lack of participation in the pre-season did not help here. Four games, I don't think, is enough to make that kind of transition.

Lanky pointed out a dilemma that I think complicates things. Cousins might be able to make the quicker reads because of his style, but Griff's mobility did compensate for deficiencies in the OL last season. How many times did Griff's mobility save a play because opposing defensive players were already in the backfield chasing him? Could Cousins, although he is mobile be shifty and mobile enough to evade that kind of pursuit?

 

[Goaldeje]

Yeah, I agree Lanky. The only silver lining is that the coaches seem happy with Barnett. And if memory serves, London started a little slow last year too, didn't he? Then started to pick it up.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

And it falls into that dreaded category of being such a good, meaningful player to the franchise, fans, and community that you have to tread very lightly with it. They won't bench him out of respect, but is he capable of not abusing that respect and playing when he's a detriment? Going to be interesting to watch.

Kevin Shenahan said this morning that we were saying the same things about him at this point last year, and by the end of the season he was a very important person to this team and its winning streak, he played well. I don't know if he's right, but I hope he plays well and stays healthy.

Yeah, I agree Lanky. The only silver lining is that the coaches seem happy with Barnett. And if memory serves, London started a little slow last year too, didn't he? Then started to pick it up.

I do remember hearing the same things about him last year, but I don't think London was anywhere near this bad at any point last season. Hopefully he can turn it on for a stretch run again, but I'm not counting on it. As far as not benching him out of respect, I think he'd bench himself if it gets any worse. If I had to guess, he heard the criticisms last year, saw it on film, and then re-dedicated himself to his performance and improved. Just might not be in the cards this year...