Gibbs Pressconference

Brunell's performance against Dallas must have been a fluke. No INTs and 325 passing yards. He threw more than 2 passes over 40 yds. to Gardner. Even these numbers our running game was horrible. My biggest problem with the running is Portis we don't know where Cartwright is, and not been able to carry the ball consistently on 3rd and short downs and thus the unsuccessful first down attemts.
Yeah, SUNRA, unfortunately most of those yards against Dallas came too little too late. He piled up most of those in the fourth quarter, when the Redskins were playing from behind, and running the ball was no longer a viable option. Those two 40+ yarders to Gardner both came with less than 5:00 minutes left in the game and Washington was trying to overcome a 21-10 deficit. Only when it became an absolute necessity, was Brunell willing to throw the ball down the field.

Turnovers have decided the outcome for at least 3 out of 4 losses this season. Brunell has thrown to 2 INTS in 5 games. Fumbled 3 times in 5 games. Look at the teams in our division that have successful offenses. The running backs are averaging 100 yds. per game. Kurt Warner' arm isn't strong, and McNabb is beating teams throwing overtop to TO. I thought the run established the play action pass?
Yes, the run establishes the play action pass, but the passing game also pulls the linebackers and safeties away from the line of scrimmage to open up the running game. It's like Gibbs said, "everything goes hand in hand." If you want to open up the running game, and defenses are crowding the line of scrimmage with linebackers and safeties, then you have to come into the game with your guns blazing, and make those suckers back off. I remember when Gibbs used to open up drives with long passes by Rypien, just to remind the defense: "hey, you might want to give us a little room, here." Sometimes those passes fell incomplete, but sometimes they went for 50 yards. Sure enough, the running game opened up.

There is nothing that you can point to in Ramsey's overall playing that would justify him replacing Brunell.

oh yeah? he didn't have any trouble getting yards and points last year, while brunell was riding the bench.

running sets up the play action pass, but passing opens up the run, and WE CAN'T PASS... AT ALL... comparing brunell to warner or mcnabb is silly, they can both hit receivers 20-30 yards out easily... and they have, over and over again... besides dallas, i don't think brunell has thrown much over 10 yards, let alone 20...

ramsey couldn't come back from 14 points down in limited time (he did get 7)... but brunell helped put them in that hole, and he can't come back from being even 7 points down... maddox and johnson have already been replaced for QBs that are more vertical threats, and the records since the switch have been 4-0... from 1-5...

Gibbs has stressed to Brunell the importance of protecting the football, so much so that Brunell has followed that directive to a fault.
I definitely agree with this point. Watching some of the replays on Monday Night Countdown last night you could see Brunell looking, looking and looking for a WR, almost as if he's looking for that perfect opening. He's not willing to force anything at all, then once the pocket starts to collapse only then he forces a throw and it was usually off the mark.

Perhaps a change in the system is what's needed. We all know Gibbs loves max protection, but when you're only sending out two WR's on routes it's pretty easy to defend.

I'm really surprised we haven't seen more 3 WR sets and specifically more 3 WR bunch sets that Gibbs used to run regularly.

In Gibbs first season back in '81 he came in with a more wide open offense and quickly realized he needed to scale things down and go with a power running game as the focal point the offense. Seems like right now he needs to go in the opposite direction and open things up more. He doesn't need to completely get away from running the ball, but the passing game is so stale it's not even funny.

In Gibbs first season back in '81 he came in with a more wide open offense and quickly realized he needed to scale things down and go with a power running game as the focal point the offense. Seems like right now he needs to go in the opposite direction and open things up more. He doesn't need to completely get away from running the ball, but the passing game is so stale it's not even funny.
I agree. I said something similar on another thread. The majority of this team was put together for Spurrier's wide-open offense, and they are trying to be a power-running team. Think about it, Portis is the type of back that they wanted Canidate to be, and the WR's are basically the same, with only the addition of Thrash....another fast guy. The main difference is the addition of more TE's and replacing the FB's with H-backs. I think Gibbs will adapt and find some middle ground.
Also, they do need to open things up early. Yeah, I remember Gibbs opening up games by going deep on 1st down once or twice early. Also, in the pre-season game vs Atlanta, the first play was a reverse to Gardner for at least 15 yards, and I've been waiting for them to try something like that again. Anything to catch the defense off guard. All they really need to do is to prove that they can get the ball downfield, and while I'd love to see Ramsey in there, I trust Gibbs in his belief that Brunell can get it done. If that happens, the running game will open up, and CP will get his confidence back....