QB or defense: what's the bigger problem?

What makes a quarterback a "Franchise QB"? Is there some definition?

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case closed.

DEFENSE!! We managed to win some games down the stretch with less than par play from the QB last year. Defense is by far our biggest problem. Hopefully this bye week will help get some people healthy, and help some people LEARN the defense. (Arch!!) I just go back to when Taylor was injured a game or two last year and see how teams take advantage of us deep. They are doing the same thing with Arch, but he is healthy!! If he can start to play knowledgable football, i think it will make a big difference. Springs should come back after the bye week almost 100%, rogers back, Griffin back, Joe back. We should have everyone back and healthy and get back to our aggressive attacking D.

I cannot believe that we haven't had a franchise QB since Joey T. Brad Johnson was decent, but we didn't have him that long. Trent Green was good for a season. Rich Gannon wasn't great until he left Washington. I think we're due for a good QB.

How can the skins ever get a franchise QB when the give away draft picks like Xmas presents.

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case closed.

Um thanks. Does anyone else have a clearer definition? And I loved Joey T when he was playing here, but is he really a franchise qb? Not that I even know what franchise qb means anyway

i guess someone who can keep you in games and doesn't make a ton of stupid mistakes, can make all the throws, and can make something out of nothing every so often. starting young is another part of it, since you have to be around a while playing at a high level relative to league average.

This is a pretty good representation of a franchise quarterback. Also, being on the team for five plus seasons, without any chance of a quarterback controversy.

As far as the bigger problem, it's definitely the defense. Quarterback is a big problem, but at least there's options with that situation. The defense on the other hand, has far too many holes. The defensive backs are beat up, and Archuleta is a liability in coverage. The sad part is they're probably the best tacklers on the defense. Outside of Marcus Washington, the linebackers are garbage. Holdman can't tackle a a pillow, and I don't care how good Marshall is at calling the defense. He's almost completely ineffective without Griffin and Salave'a in front of him. The line hasn't been able to generate a pass rush in six seasons, but according to many people here, that's the scheme. The scheme must be flawed too, because it seems like even when they rush eight people, every single one of them gets picked up...

Well.....

I think I have to go defense. QB is a huge huge problem, but if our defense was playing like it had been the past two years, I think we are 4-3 right now at least, with wins over Minnesota and Tenn, even with Brunell playing the quarterback position. So in the grand scheme of things, the defense is a much bigger problem....

But QB is still a pretty damn big problem.

Doesn't matter much now. Gibbs came out and said he doesn't see fit to make a change yet. So we have to wait for the defense to heal and step it up.

Geez - maybe Gibbs saw the poll results of this thread, and took our suggestion!

I'd say it's gotta be the D. We can't stop anyone right now. I'm still trying to figure out how Travis Henry nearly ran for a buck eighty on us.

If the D was their usual top 10 self, I think we could be at least 4-3 right now and right in the thick of things.

As it stands right now, even with a change at QB it's not going to matter much as long as we're giving up yardage by the mile. Even if we had someone like Peyton Manning, he would have to win every game in a shootout because right now the D can't be counted on at all.

The D is now ranked near the bottom of the league, it's sad to see really.


You could not be more RIGHT. The offense has problems, but Brunell (QB) has not been the real issue. Play calling is just as much an issue for the offense.

The defense cannot stop anything rightn now. It was the pass at first, but now they are missing tackles and letting 7 yard runs turn into 30 yard runs. The Defense has got to find a way to hold other teams to less points.

Saunders has got to put the ball in Portis' hands more. He was averaging 4 yards per touch before last week. So every three touches, another first down. Joe, please take over play calling !!!!!!!!

You could not be more RIGHT. The offense has problems, but Brunell (QB) has not been the real issue. Play calling is just as much an issue for the offense.

The defense cannot stop anything rightn now. It was the pass at first, but now they are missing tackles and letting 7 yard runs turn into 30 yard runs. The Defense has got to find a way to hold other teams to less points.

Saunders has got to put the ball in Portis' hands more. He was averaging 4 yards per touch before last week. So every three touches, another first down. Joe, please take over play calling !!!!!!!!
How quickly we forget. We saw the playcalling under Gibbs with Brunell at QB toward the end of last season. It was not a dynamic high powered offense. We all piled on Portis's back, and relied on the D to keep the other team off the field.

So, what's changed? We added offensive weapons and a new system. The D has started to suck. You can blame Brunell or you can blame Saunders, but I think it comes down to Brunell not having the tools to do what Saunders wants to do with this offense.