Al Saunders on the way out?

Not saying the money was the problem, just saying he didn't produce. Hence, he didn't do what he paid him to do. Were you happy with the results of his offense?On the whole, yes. We did a pretty average job, but a much better than average job in the passing game, which is the most important thing.

The running games' ineffectiveness certainly held us back, but that's not the coaches fault. We simply do not have the talent up front to be any better than average.

If Saunders is to blame for anything, it's that the receivers weren't always ready to play, and he's a former receivers coach. Outside of that, you can't be disappointed with anything he's done.

It's not always the schemes.

C. Portis was injurred last year.

Two O-Linemen out for the year this year. Played a rook FA and a re-tread wannabe.

HOF Coach Gibbs did not switch to Campbell until late last year so we had Brunnell, and we know how that went!

We have such short memories.

Not excuses, but simply sound reasons for lack of productivity.

It's not always the schemes.

C. Portis was injurred last year.

Two O-Linemen out for the year this year. Played a rook FA and a re-tread wannabe.

HOF Coach Gibbs did not switch to Campbell until late last year so we had Brunnell, and we know how that went!

We have such short memories.

Not excuses, but simply sound reasons for lack of productivity.

On top of that:

His complex system apparently takes awhile to learn. So you have to give him a pass for year one.

JC obviously doesn't know the system well enough yet (as TC most certainly DOES), and TC simply doesn't have the talent to be elite, even if he knows what he is doing in the Offense. So you have to give him a pass for year two.

I will agree that he has not proved himself yet, but Im sorry Matty there is very little evidence in the way of grounds to dismiss him. If you consider what has held this team back Offensively the past two years, there is little to prove that it has been the result of Saunders or his system. With the effectiveness of his offensive scheme in the past I think it would be down right foolish to let him go without giving him a legitimate shot at producing what he is expected to.

Not to say that you are calling for his head. I understand that you were simply saying that you wouldn't be surprised if Danny felt this way and canned him for it. But I wholeheartedly disagree, if Snyder gave him the boot I think most people would be both surprised and disappointed.

Bottom line, Saunders didn't get it done. We can list all the excuses we want, at the end of the day his offenses ranked 13th and 15th overall. I'm not saying it's all his fault but in the end someone has to take the fall. Add in the fact that he and GW have different football philosophies and the writing is on the all for Al assuming GW gets the job.

More often than not, we heard about Gibbs handcuffing Saunders' offense. Which I always found rather reedycholuz (that's for you Brud) to say when the offense faltered it was Gibbs, but when it performed it was "look what the Al Saunders can do."

I think what happened was that their philosophies maybe weren't as closely matched as they had thought. Yet, as we saw for example in the Bears game, Gibbs' max protect, motion schemes can coexist with Saunders' aerial attack.

But bottom line, with Gibbs out of the picture now (feel weird saying it like that), there should be no confusion that it's Saunders' offense. So I think we need to keep him one more year and let him prove his full worth here.

And I think to further emphasize it's his show we need to pare down the coaching staff. You've got Saunders as Assoc. Head Coach-Offense. Bugel as Assistant Head Coach-Offense (at least you know he's an offensive line svengali), Don Breaux as Offensive Coordinator (what's his role exactly), and Jack Burns as Offensive Assistant (and his role?)

Sounds good to me. If the offense doesn't measure up to Saunders' hype, then we need to go in a new direction the season after that. By season three, everybody should have his system down pat. There should be no reason (injuries or not) for a lack of productivity.

If Saunders left (maybe even if he didn't), do you guys think we might see a WC offense (and I'm talking about the Bill Walsh West Coast Offense) with the Redskins next year if Gregg Williams becomes head coach?

Consider this:

1. When Williams was the HC in Buffalo, he tried implementing the West Coast offense

2. Jason Campbell was most successful his senior year at Auburn where he ran...the West Coast offense

Interesting. To be perfectly honest I am not all that familiar with the West Coast Offense. How well would the rest of our Offensive players fit into that system?

I think if we move toward the West Coast Offense we need to make sure we have some really good receivers to make it work. It might make Clinton Portis shine though.

Well Portis played under a version of the WC offense in Denver with Mike Shanahan, Santana Moss played under one in New York with Herman Edwards

Saunders better be back. Would suck to go back to the high school offense that Breaux/Burns/Bugel employed in '04 and most of '05. Or for that matter, it would suck equally to watch the offense struggle to learn a totally new offensive system.


the fact is, al suanders offense is difficult and complicated. and too bad we cannot learn it to perfection. that why we cannot produce it. hope that we can lure pats current offensive coordinator here.