MTK
10-01-2004, 08:03 PM
The Redskins made headlines in the off-season with bold moves, acquiring running back Clinton Portis by shipping cornerback Champ Bailey to the Denver Broncos, and adding quarterback Mark Brunell to the offense. With one of the deepest corps of wide receivers in the NFC, the Redskins were expected to have a high-powered offense while the defense had question marks surrounding it after losing Bailey and barely improving the defensive line.
However, the Redskins are 1-2 largely because the offense has struggled. The defense is ranked third in the 32-team NFL, and is tops against the run. Defensive players said it hasn't been frustrating performing well and not seeing the offense do enough to win, because there will be times this season when the offense has to make up for defensive breakdowns. The offense is averaging only 16 points and the running game is only a smidgen better than the passing game.
"We all encourage each other," linebacker LaVar Arrington said. "It all goes hand in hand. We all work together to encourage one another. And that's the makings of a good team. We all care about one another. We're not separate. We're not different entities. We're all one.
"You definitely say things to encourage. I know when I'm out there, if there's a sudden turnover or they score, I always tell them, 'Go get your rest. We're going to get you right back out here.' If they turn it over, it's like, 'Yeah, don't worry about that. We're going to get you right back out here. Let it go.' Short lived, short memory."
Coach Joe Gibbs has scaled back his offense after breakdowns cost the team timeouts that became pivotal during Monday's 21-18 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. But Arrington believes that once players master the offense, the unit will improve.
"It's a lot of movement, and that tends to give you trouble because you have to keep realigning and changing your calls and different things like that," Arrington said. "It's obviously a smash-mouth offense, but we haven't got it in gear yet. That's all. We just have to get it in gear.
"It's a good offense. I think it's an effective offense. You just need time. Sometimes, I feel like it's so repetitive. I find myself saying it every single year. But the moment I get an opportunity to be out there coached for more than one season [by the same defensive coordinator] and get an opportunity to really settle in -- and I'm talking about us as a team -- I think that would be the time that you see people to really start to excel. There's no quick fix. There's no [substitute] for time."
Brunell is no longer as mobile in the pocket as he was when he entered the league, but Redskins receivers say that he is still nimble enough to use his feet as a weapon. Rod Gardner had a career-high 10 catches, plus 167 receiving yards, Monday and credits Brunell's feet as part of the reason for the production.
"One thing I like about Mark is his scrambling ability," Gardner said. "[Against the Cowboys], I caught three balls for nice yards with him scrambling. In the play I caught for the second touchdown, it wasn't even designed for me. But with him scrambling and me working the back of the end zone, he made it happen."
-- Nunyo Demasio
However, the Redskins are 1-2 largely because the offense has struggled. The defense is ranked third in the 32-team NFL, and is tops against the run. Defensive players said it hasn't been frustrating performing well and not seeing the offense do enough to win, because there will be times this season when the offense has to make up for defensive breakdowns. The offense is averaging only 16 points and the running game is only a smidgen better than the passing game.
"We all encourage each other," linebacker LaVar Arrington said. "It all goes hand in hand. We all work together to encourage one another. And that's the makings of a good team. We all care about one another. We're not separate. We're not different entities. We're all one.
"You definitely say things to encourage. I know when I'm out there, if there's a sudden turnover or they score, I always tell them, 'Go get your rest. We're going to get you right back out here.' If they turn it over, it's like, 'Yeah, don't worry about that. We're going to get you right back out here. Let it go.' Short lived, short memory."
Coach Joe Gibbs has scaled back his offense after breakdowns cost the team timeouts that became pivotal during Monday's 21-18 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. But Arrington believes that once players master the offense, the unit will improve.
"It's a lot of movement, and that tends to give you trouble because you have to keep realigning and changing your calls and different things like that," Arrington said. "It's obviously a smash-mouth offense, but we haven't got it in gear yet. That's all. We just have to get it in gear.
"It's a good offense. I think it's an effective offense. You just need time. Sometimes, I feel like it's so repetitive. I find myself saying it every single year. But the moment I get an opportunity to be out there coached for more than one season [by the same defensive coordinator] and get an opportunity to really settle in -- and I'm talking about us as a team -- I think that would be the time that you see people to really start to excel. There's no quick fix. There's no [substitute] for time."
Brunell is no longer as mobile in the pocket as he was when he entered the league, but Redskins receivers say that he is still nimble enough to use his feet as a weapon. Rod Gardner had a career-high 10 catches, plus 167 receiving yards, Monday and credits Brunell's feet as part of the reason for the production.
"One thing I like about Mark is his scrambling ability," Gardner said. "[Against the Cowboys], I caught three balls for nice yards with him scrambling. In the play I caught for the second touchdown, it wasn't even designed for me. But with him scrambling and me working the back of the end zone, he made it happen."
-- Nunyo Demasio