Optimism / Pessimism

I feel what you're sayin on the blitzing tip, but I can also understand why they didn't. Had they blitzed more, the secondary would have REALLY been torched due to various injuries. GW felt that they had a better chance by sitting back in coverage. They still got torched! So there in lies the problem. You're damned if you do , and damned if you don't!

i didnt use your name


was that supposed to be a joke? or were you being serious?

I feel what you're sayin on the blitzing tip, but I can also understand why they didn't. Had they blitzed more, the secondary would have REALLY been torched due to various injuries. GW felt that they had a better chance by sitting back in coverage. They still got torched! So there in lies the problem. You're damned if you do , and damned if you don't!

Yeah, but if youi're damned no matter what, take no prisoners.
I know the old axiom is "live by the blitz, die by the blitz". But if you don't even try to live, you're bound to die anyway.


~Bang

Im optomistic about our offense with the two back system and campbell getting more practice, but I'm pesamistic about our defense. Right now it just seems like there are too many holes and not enough studs. We can fix some of this with the draft or a trade, but I feel that there are too many holes that even if we try to patch it all up, there will still be a few leaks. I feel we need to get a 2nd safety, I think our DTs are weak, I feel we only have one DE, I am not sold on Smoot, he needs to prove himself before I recognize him, Springs is injury prone, Fletcher will be good, but he is 32 so he will just get worse and worse every year so I feel he will not be as solid as he was last year, McIntosh needs to prove himself, and Rogers needs to dramatically step up his game.

Yeah, but if youi're damned no matter what, take no prisoners.
I know the old axiom is "live by the blitz, die by the blitz". But if you don't even try to live, you're bound to die anyway.


~BangGood thread.

I think it's a smart move by Grilliams to try to get away from the blitz. It's a useful tool in getting pressure on the QB, but it can not create sustained success for a defense over a long period of time. If you have a crappy DL (like we did), blitzing gives you a chance to get some pressure on the QB. But it doesn't matter how good your cover guys are, eventually they are going to get beat.

Unfortunately for Williams, we got zero pressure on the QB last year. Our D Line was just not very strong across the board. They weren't good vs. the run or the pass.

Next year's line isn't going to be much better. However, our biggest cover issue was the linebackers not getting to the underneath routes, and we did fix that issue by bringing in LF. I believe the safety issue will stabilize itself with the return of Prioleau and a healthy Archuleta. So this leaves two key's for the defense to return to dominance:

1) Carlos Rogers must emerge as a shutdown corner
2) Griffin and Saleve'a must improve their level of play across the board

About the first, I'm not so sure it will ever happen. Carlos is a great tackler and we need him on the field to play the outside run. But he's never going to be a great man to man shutdown corner vs. great receivers.

The second is unlikely to happen also. I think Saleve'a has to get more playing time. He's a better player than Golston or Montgomery right now. But that No. 6 pick is our ace in the hole. If we bring in a guy like Amobi Okoye, he can force the players ahead of him to raise their game. If they can not take there game to the next level, we could very well start Okoye as a rookie.

Because of the massive need for DL improvement, im pessimistic about our defensive chances.

Offensively it all starts with the running game. Right now, we don't have the personel at guard and at TE to improve the running game. If we don't satisfactorily fill these positions, our running game will likely regress.

But the passing game will improve. Campbell will cut down his interception and bad decision rates as the season goes on and Cooley and Moss will make big plays after the catch. We really can't suffer any more from luck on the offensive end either. How many times last year did you see otherwise successful drives fizzle on the edge of our kickers' short FG range, only for us to punt the football. This simply wont happen as often. If our offense didn't improve any, we'd still put up more point. Because of this, I'm quite optimistic.

BTW, loved the latest Bang Cartoon.

Shout out would be nice though mods.

Shout out would be nice though mods.

There are no mods on here right now, none that I see anyhow...

oh well. this is interesting on AA though. Considering their vets are trying to scare aware free agents, i dont think anybody could convince Arch to not reunite with lovie if given the chance.

oh well. this is interesting on AA though. Considering their vets are trying to scare aware free agents, i dont think anybody could convince Arch to not reunite with lovie if given the chance.

Talk about that here (http://www.thewarpath.net/redskins-locker-room/17445-have-we-seen-last-archuleta-skins.html#post287319)

This is a good thread by Bang. Let's not hijack it

Talk about that here (http://www.thewarpath.net/redskins-locker-room/17445-have-we-seen-last-archuleta-skins.html#post287319)

This is a good thread by Bang. Let's not hijack it

Optimism for me. Don't forget, this is a team that is only a year away from having been perceived as a legit superbowl contender. Although those expectations may have been unrealistic, I think the new perception of us as sub-mediocre is equally inaccurate.

I think that bringing in Smoot and Fletcher will be viewed as the best free agent signings of the year once everything is said and done. Portis and Betts will combine for over 2000 yards, Moss will go to the probowl, Campbell will start to look like the next Mcnair rather than the next Ramsey, and even Lloyd will get sick of being ostracized and will start making some catches.

Defensively we might not get back to 04 level but we won't have to - the offense will finally be good enough to win games for us. Next year, hail victory!