Post Rams Debacle Thoughts

Does anyone doubt that Holt would have seen some doubles had this been a regular season game. Don't get me wrong the guy is a great WR, top 3 in the league, but he was running wide ass open in single coverage. That kinda stuff doesn't happen in the regular season.

"Any time you play a game like this, there is a lot to learn," Redskins cornerback Fred Smoot said. "It's the preseason. Let's go. Let's build on it. We're not going to go and panic. We're not going worry about going 0-16. We're going to learn from this. "Point blank, we needed this."

His last name is Smoot and he always knows what he's talking about, right Payne!

We'll be fine

YES, the defense did not play well last night. But they were on the field way too long. It reminded me of last year. Our offense did not hold the ball at all.
Maybe cause Ramsey started last night. Ramsey's poor play led to many 3 and out drives. The opening drive was Ramsey's only one that moved down the field. However the ref's helped on two or three failed third down plays, which gave us automatic first downs. I am not worried about the defense as much as you guys. Yes they had a bad game, but compared to last year I can already see signs of much better play. They are a much better defense than last year. This defensive coaching staff has players already playing a much more sound and disciplined level of play. They have a great base to build on. When we get Lavar Arrington, Mike Barrow, Cornelius Griffen, Phillip Daniels and Walt Harris back, this defense will be back to playing well. Plus I hear Saalvea (who has looked good this preseason ) played limited snaps due to minor injury. When you have six guys from any defense missing, you are not going to have a good day.

My thoughts...

- Yes, Ramsey has been consistently terrible. Has shown nothing at all. I STILL wish they had traded him while he had a lot of value.

- The D-line is still a big problem - can't blame it on the offense, the DL was weak throughout. We STILL have a burning need for a good pass rusher.

- Betts is the best backup to Portis that we have. I sure hope he can get/stay healthy and make the team.

- The DB's are fine. Don't forget, there is not another Holt in the NFL, and he was really "ON" last night.

- It would have been a much, MUCH different game with Brunell from the start AND with the full playbook in use. Again, they kept it extremely basic on offense.

I agree with Hogskin. Remember, no Arrington, no Barrow, no Daniels, no Griffin. That's 4 starters on the D. If I am not mistaken, the game was 14-3 or 17-3 at the half when the defensive "starters" were yanked. Not too mention that Ramsey missed a wide open Thrash for an easy six that would have made things closer.

Relax folks, next week will be even worse with almost zero starters playing for more than a series. 0-3 or 0-4 in the regular season to start (you heard it here first) then they will run the table!!!! LOL

I noticed they finally played Andre Lott at SS along side FS Taylor for the first time this preseason . I noticed on a couple plays where he really did a good job. However there were a few bad plays by Lott as well. But overall he plays better than Bowen.
Bowen on the other hand continues to look really bad. We may have cut the wrong guy (Iffy). Iffy should have been given a fair chance at SS before we gave up on him. I can not see how Bowen can be just given the SS position. He has yet to make a single good play. That pass interference play by Bowen was unforgivably bad. I am not sure Bowen was in a single good defensive play last noght or all preseason.

We played some cover 1 too, and expected Bowen to cover the entire side of the feild. In all seriousness, I mean we got burnt plenty of times, but I think that our blitzing had somthing to do with how many times we got beat. Man to man, you're gonna get beat every now and then. Man to man with Torry Holt, unless your Chris McCalister, Charels Woodson or (gulp) Champ Bailey, you're gonna get beat alot.

When breaking down the defense so far this preseason... I'm still impressed with how much better the dline is overall. They didnt show it at all last night, but we have had some nice suprises, and it wont be the killer it was last year, in my opinion. I wish Barrow would have gotten some pt, even with his injury. You gotta wonder if hes gonna be starting during hte season, cause Pierce has looked good.

I think you guys are using Champ as an easy excuse. Its one thing to get beat on a couple plays because youre not a top corner, but to put up those kinda numbers in a half isnt one players fault. Id like to think, and im going to assume, that Williams wouldnt have had Holt in single coverage like he was. Im going to take this with a grain of salt and assume with our lbs and dine all healthy and playing the whole game that it would have been completly different.

This did show us though that if we dont get pressure with our linebackers early and often, then we are going to get picked apart. If our linebackers are blitzing, its takes them out of coverage. So when it doesnt work the middle of the field is always going to be open...

I think you guys are using Champ as an easy excuse.

Yeah, I noticed that, too. I kind of figured it just came from listening to that clown Collinsworth harp on it all through the game. That guy develops a lot of biases, then uses every opportunity to push them. Even when they do not apply, as in several of his comments last night.

i saw Griffin out there and Marcus Washington. no penetration against that weak Rams Oline. thats not about schemes, or Champ, its about beating the guy in front of you. the Dline was a concern before preseason, it will be one after.

apparently Gibbs thought so too cuz looks like we offered Gardner, Betts AND a fifth for Ogun...

I watched the game live last night.. My impressions are:

-Ramsey still looks uncomfortable.. I rewound my TIVO on the passes he overthrew to Thrash in the end zone and up the sideline and he's not throwing the ball with confidence, he's almost trying to be too perfect instead of just throwing it..

-OL looked ok but I am still concerned a little by the run blocking.. Just remember that they were missing Randy Thomas and Samuels got hurt.. Even the announcers said that after Samuels got hurt it seemed like the coaches got very conservative and generic as if to just make sure everyone got out healthy. No more pulling linemen, no more play action, just dives and drop back passes..

-I liked what I saw from Gardner (actually catching the ball), Thrash (getting open even though Ramsey kept missing him) and Taylor (aside from the fumble, he was open a few times and caught the ball well).. I'm not worried about this area..

-Defensively I think we were out game-planned.. It seemed like Martz coached almost like a regular season game and although Williams blitzed a lot I don't think he disguised them as he would in the regular season.. Ralph Brown in particular looked lost all night. I'm not worried about Smoot and Springs getting toasted, they weren't bumping the WR on the line so with a clean release in man coverage any NFL WR will be that open..

Bottom line, it's preseason, that's a team who was 12-4 last year, it's preseason, we're not going to go 16-0, it's preseason, it'll be a much stronger effort with everyone in the lineup and, um, oh yeah, it's preseason.