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Random Commanders Thoughts

The Tennessee Titans put up 47 against the Packers defense on Sunday. And the world is starting to whisper "what's wrong with Aaron Rodgers?"

This would be a really, really good week for us to end the red-zone funk we're in.
 
Obviously because of Wifey we watched that Packers game REALLY closely on Sunday. I was taking particular note because I know we're up next.

Their D is terrible. Truly terrible.

With Defense I have three trains of thought. 1) I KNOW that they're going to stop the O. 2) I KNOW that they are NOT going to stop the O. 3) I have NO IDEA whether they are going to stop the O.

With the Skins, it's category 3. When watching the Redskins play D I have mixed feelings. I know that we're terrible on occasions and that sometimes we see the parting of the Red Sea or we implode...

BUT...

I know that we're a broken Defense that has holes, but plays hard generally. There's also a sense that this D can sometimes hold the line and when they play well they seem to feed off it. That we can get sacks and turnovers at opportune moments. That anything can happen. That final Vikings drive on Sunday I was nervous because I honestly didn't know whether we were going to do something spectacular (Interception or Sack!) or be the disaster we were against the Lions. Fortunately it was the former, but the point is I never know... but I hope!

Watching the Packers is a different experience. They were firmly in category 2 on Sunday. As that game wore on at no point did I truly think they could stop the Titans from scoring. They made Mariota look like an all-Pro, and I honestly don't rate Mariota much at all.

I was listening to Mike Lombardi on the Bill Simmons Podcast last week and he was saying how the Packers just aren't that talented anymore and have been in denial for a while about that fact. Watching them on Sunday I think he's right. They've been so good so long and their draft picks are always so low in the draft that the talent pool is drained and McCarthy ain't no Belli. The team is thin pretty much everywhere. It's been masked by the play of some of their better players. Matthews, Rodgers, Nelson... but when injuries start to happen that lack of depth shows up dramatically as it did on Sunday. Clay Matthews was out on Sunday and the Defense fell apart.

Here's the rub for this week though...

The Skins SHOULD be blowing opponents into the weeds, but Red zone issues are masking how good we could be.

On Sunday if we'd converted just two of those FG's to TD's then that game would have been 34-20.

Been the same all season, we've let teams hang in with us and it's led to close games and at least a couple of losses that should have been wins. If we weren't having those RedZone issues there would be a very good argument for us being 8-1. But we're not and the fact is that we let teams back in. We were 14-0 up on the Vikes and we let them back in. Same with the Bengals.

Watching that Packers game on Sunday... Most of the game the Offense looked inept and terrible. They don't have a running back worth his salt and without Nelson their passing game looks anemic. Rodgers threw 2 interceptions, one on a desperate Hail Mary heave granted, but they never looked like they would win.

But...

Aaron Rodgers had a few drives where he looked... like Aaron Rodgers. Looked sharp and the Offense looked really good again. It was fleeting, and not consistent and sustainable, but it was there. He sometimes makes plays and he's smart. (One thing we need to NOT do this week is get caught on Defense with stupid penalties like being drawn offside or having too many men on the field... We should learn that lesson from last year!)

This is what worries me.

They're a bad team that can show flashes of former brilliance. We're a good team that has a habit of letting inferior teams play us close. That's a bad combination.
Which is why this weeks game has me worried.

We should win it, and we should win it easily. Our Offense should have a field day with their Defense... they're terrible in both passing D and Running D. DeMarco Murray had a field day and if Mariota and his receivers that I can't even remember the names of got 4 touchdowns and a 149.8 rating.... Cousins, Reed, Garcon, Jackson, Crowder and Fat Rob should have a field day!

(By the way... If Eddie Lacy were to start this game, are we still allowed to call Rob Kelley Fat Rob? Doesn't seem right....)

From our Defense... I'm not too worried about pressure from the line etc as Rodgers is an expert at ducking pressure and throwing on the run. I'd rather we contain him than force him out of the pocket. And if we can put Norman on Nelson and if Breeland can cover Cobb they really don't have many more options.

I'm scared to predict the score though.
 
Om said:
The Tennessee Titans put up 47 against the Packers defense on Sunday. And the world is starting to whisper "what's wrong with Aaron Rodgers?"

This would be a really, really good week for us to end the red-zone funk we're in.
Click to expand...


Agreed. However, we don't need red zone strikes if Kirk would just hit those long wide open receivers. Can't understand why he can't do it this year, saw several on Sunday again. We hit those, there won't be any red zone woes.
 
Agree with Kirk's long ball issues but Cooley explains that some are being caused by pressure, not taking the time or not having the time to properly set up for the long throws (something to do with taking an 'extra hitch' and/or working the pocket a little better)

Cooley also points out that Kirk is hitting his medium stuff (10+ yards) pretty well now and sees good development as Kirk continues to settle in and gains even more confidence.
 
Packers run a lot of passes like the Vikings do so that might help us. But why did the schedule makers give us this game? Then we have to turn around and play a really short week.
 
Looks like Cobra Kai might be workin' again.

Per numerous sources on social media (though I think our friend Tom Pelissero of USA Today had it first), the Vikings are expected to sign former Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints kicker Kai Forbath as Walsh’s replacement. Forbath was one of the six kickers the Vikings brought in last week to try out at Winter Park, and with Walsh’s continued struggles, the Vikings appear to have brought in the kicker that they felt was the most impressive of the lot.
Click to expand...
 
Well, the Vikings came in with no running game, a porous offensive line and ONE legitimate WR and we made Diggs look like Jerry Rice.

You can't take anything for granted with the Redskins, because they play every game close.

That 11 point win over the win-less Browns was our only double digit win, and that game was closer than the final score indicates.

We are 5-3-1 but our point differential is only plus-3.
 
On the other hand, we are 5-3-1, and one of those losses was on a miraculous 70 yard TD Drive in the final minute on the road, and the tie came after a missed PAT length FG in overtime. If we're going to zero in on how close these wins are, maybe we should also zero in on how close we are to having one of the best records in football?

I'm not sure how fair it is to expect this team to be routinely blowing people out. Show me who around the NFL does that on a regular basis.

Did any of us really expect this team to be a dominant title contender this year?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Scorinng 23 1/2 pts per game. That is doable for a winning record. The fact that we give up about the same speaks more about how balanced the team is on offense and defense. I.e. we really can't say one side of the ball needs players more than the other side.

As OM said, its fair to say we should have three more wins how I see it. The point differential validates that somewhat. We need to forget about the expectations we started with. That is, the offense is doing worse than expected while the defense is doing better. Really, its on us, we never knew. Now we see who we are and what we have. We stop one giveaway, and/or get one takeaway, and the game is ours.
 
Om said:
On the other hand, we are 5-3-1, and one of those losses was on a miraculous 70 yard TD Drive in the final minute on the road, and the tie came after a missed PAT length FG in overtime. If we're going to zero in on how close these wins are, maybe we should also zero in on how close we are to having one of the best records in football?

I'm not sure how fair it is to expect this team to be routinely blowing people out. Show me who around the NFL does that on a regular basis.

Did any of us really expect this team to be a dominant title contender this year?
Click to expand...

In addition, it's certainly an improvement to be on the winning end of close games.
Skins have always been notorious for close games (at least since Gibbs I)
Problem is, they never knew how to win close games. They were usually close "heartbreakers".
So, finally the team is learning how to win (or at least tie, or not lose) close games, that's something to be commended.
 
Om said:
On the other hand, we are 5-3-1, and one of those losses was on a miraculous 70 yard TD Drive in the final minute on the road, and the tie came after a missed PAT length FG in overtime. If we're going to zero in on how close these wins are, maybe we should also zero in on how close we are to having one of the best records in football?

I'm not sure how fair it is to expect this team to be routinely blowing people out. Show me who around the NFL does that on a regular basis.

Did any of us really expect this team to be a dominant title contender this year?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Umm...did you see any of McD5's posts in the last 2 years?
 
I honestly believe the reason we're doing better is basically a true commitment to the running game.

Week
1. Pit. 12 rushes 55 yds. Loss
2. Pies. 17 rushes 82 yds. Loss
3. NYG 30 rushes 90 yds. Win
4. Cle. 26 rushes 125 yds Win
5. Bal. 20 rushes 60 yds. Win
6. Phi. 33 rushes 230 yds Win
7. Det. 29 rushes 130 yds. Loss
8. Cin. 31 rushes 100 yds. Tie
9. Min. 28 rushes 128 yds. Win

So when we run the ball 20 or more times we're 5-1-1

Definitely trending in the right direction, McVay needs to just stay with it
 
Cravens, Fuller, Smith, Crowder, Dunbar, Lanier, Spaight, Ross, Mo Harris, Scherff, Kelly (Jones) etc. all rooks or second year players that are continuing to develop with some already making substantial contributions.

Are some of these guys the 'core' of the future we've been looking for?
All look like they 'want to be'.
 
TomE said:
Cravens, Fuller, Smith, Crowder, Dunbar, Lanier, Spaight, Ross, Mo Harris, Scherff, Kelly (Jones) etc. all rooks or second year players that are continuing to develop with some already making substantial contributions.

Are some of these guys the 'core' of the future we've been looking for?
All look like they 'want to be'.
Click to expand...

After sitting through years of watching draft picks "develop" while riding the pine, only to be released and become productive elsewhere, this is a welcome change of pace.
 
Win4us said:
So do we stick Norman on Jordy or Cobb?
Click to expand...

flipping-coin-animated-gif-1.jpg

Best two out of three ?
 
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